Page 80 of Close Your Eyes and Count to 10

“Maverick,” said Gustavo, coming to stand in front of him. “Stop.”

“But seriously, right? They can’t keep us here.Whoare they?”

The police officers and Petra climbed in the car, and it hummed away.

“So are they mercenaries, then? Like a private security force?” Maverick obviously could not let it go.

“Look,” said Gustavo. He tapped Maverick on the chest. “Do youwantyour ass kicked again?”

“Hey, guys!” Maverick raised his voice, pushing past Tavo. “Whatever they’re paying you? I’ll double it. Come work for me. I want my own private army.”

“What a tool,” said Cody under his breath.

Not one of the men even looked in Maverick’s direction. It was like they were behind a wall of glass.

Adele examined them. There were fifteen of them, all of different builds but similar in shape, muscled, with that ready posture of military. All armed, big guns at their waists. One man had a deep scar over his right eye. Another had an illegible tattoo on his hand. The only blond among them had his hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. The largest man on the far ATV was missing a finger.

Okay. Wow.

Who were these guys?

It was just the Extreme people who couldn’t leave, right?

“Holy wow, you guys.” Malinka was live. “The crazy factor on this challenge has just gone off the chain.”

Adele turned to look, and Malinka was backing up toward the men, speaking into the camera. “A storm is bearing down, and these men don’t want us to leave the property until it has passed.”

“Stop her,” said Angeline to Hector.

“Let her do it,” said Mav. “We need the views, especially now that Scotty G can’t come.”

Hector looked worriedly between Angeline and Mav, a kid caught in the middle of warring parents.

“Stop her,” said Angeline again.

But no one moved.

28

MALINKA—Live on WeWatch

“And if that wasn’t enough, you guys? Alex Tang, Extreme CFO, and longtime Mav bestie is, according to local police, missing. Another Extreme Hide and Seek Challenge, another missing person. Doesn’t that seem odd? Let’s ask Maverick what he has to say about this.”

The camera turns to Maverick, who stands between Angeline and Hector. He’s rubbing his eyes with thumb and forefinger. When he pulls his hand away to the camera, he looks bone-tired. The trees behind the three are thrashing chaotically in the wind. Angeline glares.

“So what’s the deal, Mav? First Chloe Miranda. Now Alex Tang.”

Mav steps forward, looks right at the lens.

“First of all, Alex is not missing. And I have nothing to say about Chloe Miranda that I haven’t already said. One event has nothing to do with the other.”

“Okay, but the police here seem to think there’s a problem.They’ve asked Extreme employees not to leave the island until Alex is found.”

Mav shrugs dramatically, eyes drifting to the men on the ATVs.

“They’re just doing their job, I guess. Alex will turn up, and everything will be fine.”

“That’s what you said about Chloe.”