Page 84 of Lessons in Power

One plan.Daniela Nicolae, Walker Nolan, and a PR attack that would have crippled the current administration during midterm elections.

An opening for another.The seizing of Hardwicke.

“Now,” Mrs. Perkins declared, “I have a problem, and you, my dear, are going to solve it.”

That isn’t going to happen.

“Certain parties remain unconvinced that this is a battle they cannot win,” Mrs. Perkins continued. “The United States does not negotiate with terrorists, et cetera, et cetera.” She gave a roll of her eyes. “And the people whoaremore amenable to negotiating have asked for a show of good faith.”

Good faithwasn’t a phrase anyone should apply to these people. Ever.

“We need your help,” Dr. Clark told me. “Ineed your help to get all of your classmates out of here alive.”

All of them?I thought.Or just the ones who aren’t disposable?

As if to punctuate my thoughts, Mrs. Perkins turned, lifted her gun, and put a bullet between the headmaster’s eyes.

My stomach rebelled, nausea slamming into me with the force of a truck. I fought back against it, swallowing and willing my ears to stop ringing.

“Do I have your attention?” Mrs. Perkins asked.

“Yes.” I gritted out the word.

Mrs. Perkins knelt next to me, the way Dr. Clark had. The expression on her face was almost motherly. “You and I are going to have a chat, Tess. And then, as a show of good faith, I’m going to let you go.”

I stared at the hole in Headmaster Raleigh’s forehead, the blood streaming down his lifeless face.

“Let me go?” I repeated.

“Oh, yes,” Mrs. Perkins said. “I’m going to let you go, and you’re going to tell dear Ivy and the acting president and everyone else who asks everything I’m going to tell you. You will communicate our requests, and you’ll encourage the powers that be to respond appropriately.”

Respond appropriately. As in, give the terrorists what they want.

“And if they don’t?” I asked.

“You’re a resourceful girl,” Mrs. Perkins said, “related to some very powerful people. I have every confidence that you’ll work this out.”

My mouth went dry. “And if I don’t?”

“I’ll give you eight hours. After that, every hour on the hour, I will put a gun to one of your classmates’ heads. And, Tess?” Mrs. Perkins reached out and gently pushed a stray hair from my face. “I’ll enjoy pulling the trigger.”

CHAPTER 54

Less than two hours after I’d heard the first shot, I walked out the front gates of Hardwicke with my hands raised. I was greeted by a SWAT team, the FBI, Homeland Security, and a dozen guns trained at my head.

“Are you armed?” a woman in an FBI jacket asked. “Are you wearing any explosives?”

I shook my head.

“Are you injured?”

I gave another shake of my head.

“We need you to get down on the ground,” the woman said. “Face-first.”

I did as she asked. A second later, I was being patted down. They found nothing other than the USB drive I wore on a chain around my neck.Instructions. For the authorities. From Senza Nome.

They let me sit up. I didn’t realize I was bone-cold and shaking until the FBI woman put her own jacket around my shoulders. “You’re okay,” she told me. “Tess, I need you to listen to me: you’re okay.”