Page 262 of Stay Scared

The ceiling speaker above the briefing room clicks.

Owen’s voice comes through. “I can hear you.”

Cade looks up. “That is creepy even for you.”

“You say that every week.”

“Because you keep earning it.”

I smile.

Ash looks toward the speaker. “Come downstairs.”

Owen lets him wait a second. “No, I’m not.”

That gets my attention. Cade grins.

I push away from the table. “What are you doing?”

The room drops into red emergency light while the hallway beyond the briefing room stays bright.

Ash looks toward the ceiling. “Owen.”

The speaker clicks again. “Salem left her office unlocked.”

I turn toward the door.

Cade’s hand closes around my waist. “Did you?”

“Yes, I did.”

Ash looks at me. “You knew.”

“No, I didn’t.”

The speaker goes silent.

Cade looks delighted. Ash looks ready to tear the ceiling down.

I pull free of Cade and open the door. The hallway is empty except for a strip of paper lying on the floor.

I recognize Owen’s handwriting before I pick it up.

RUN.

I laugh.

Behind me, Cade inhales, the sound almost obscene. “You should probably listen.”

I look over my shoulder. The skull mask is already in his hand.

“Did you know about this?”

Cade lifts the mask. “No, I didn’t.”

Ash steps into the hallway behind him. He looks toward the darkened attraction, then at me. “You are not seriously considering rewarding this.”

I start walking backward. “Jealous already?”