“Wait, I can’t go yet!” I gasp, laughing, delighted that this is working out as I planned. “I’m still alive!” I turn to Jesse, buzzing with happiness and energy. “Want to take me out, cousin?”
“You’re insane,” Jesse murmurs, but he sighs and reaches down to take one of my pistols off the ground. “But yes, cousin, nothing would give me more pleasure.”
I gasp dramatically as Jesse raises the gun and gives me a steady shot in the shoulder. I gasp, stumbling back, pretending to be grievously wounded. But then I’m laughing, dashing forward and taking Jackson’s hand as he snarls and pulls me to his side.
“This really is crazy,” he murmurs, beaming down at me as Jesse turns towards his shocked troops and starts to shout out orders. “There’s going to be hell to pay for this.”
“I said I wasn’t going into battle without you,” I reply, stepping close and smiling up at him. I shrug. “They should have listened.”
“Oh, get out of here, you ghosts,” Tony says, laughing and giving me a little shove. “The rest of us have work to do.”
“Don’t lose!” Jackson calls, tugging me with him as he turns away towards the check-point at the back of the base. “Follow the plan – it’s a good one – you should –“
“Go on, McClintock!” Jesse shouts. I turn for a second to see him grinning at us, waving as we go. “I’m in charge now!”
“They’re doomed,” Jackson murmurs as I turn back to him and we head through the woods.
“Oh, who cares,” I sigh, pressing myself closer to his side than I probably should. “Let’s go hang out.”
About thirty minutes later we’re back at the school after a fairly awkward helicopter ride with Blythe and two more Cadets I don’t know. Blythe just gaped at me as Jackson and I climbed into the helicopter, clearly not understanding what the hell my motives were in taking him out only to die so soon.
But I just glared at him right back and don’t say a word, remembering what he said about Juniper. Mind to mind, I passed Jackson the information about what Blythe said. Jackson went rigid and then turned a ferocious snarl Blythe’s way, ready to rip him to pieces.
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