“Something has been bothering me ever since Preston’s dad died. The drugs they used to knock me out on the way to the prison…they wore off too soon. Our theory has always been that the Circle sent a gunman to kill the ambassador before he could talk to me. Silence him. I wasn’t even supposed to be with the ambassador when the gunman came. That was the story, right?”
“We know, Cam,” Bex told me.
I shook my head. “But what if it was just a story? What if I was exactly where I was supposed to be—exactly when I was supposed to be there?”
I watched the people I know best look at me like I was a crazy person. Trust me. It’s a look I know pretty well.
“Remember what you told me in London, Bex? That the Circle doesn’t need me dead anymore because it’s too late to stop me from telling anyone about the list?”
“Yeah, Cam,” Bex said.
“You said that they didn’t need me dead, but they’d probably still try to kill me if it was convenient—just for spite. Remember that?”
“Yeah, but—”
“Well, what if it was convenient? What if someone wanted me in that room? What if someone meant for me to die too?”
“Someone like Max Edwards?” Zach asked.
I nodded. “If I was supposed to sleep for another hour, why did he come check on me when he did? Why take me in to see the ambassador early? I mean…maybe it was all a coincidence.…”
“Or maybe it wasn’t,” Bex said.
“The Circle has moles everywhere,” Liz said. “Even on his task force.”
“Maybe they have one leading the task force,” Macey said.
“Do you think they know?” Zach asked me. “Your mom and Joe, do you think they suspect Edwards is dirty?”
“I’m not sure he is,” I said with a shrug. “But I don’t like him. And I don’t like…it. In any case, there’s no telling who we can trust.” I took a deep breath and steadied my nerves as I went on. “And that’s why we have to go alone.”
“Gallagher Girl, let’s think about this.”
“I have thought about it. And this is it, Zach. This is what comes next. I’m through waiting and hiding. I’m not running or lying low or going to ground or any of the spy terms that can basically be translated as wait for someone else to do something. I am tired of waiting.”
I looked around, expecting protests, but none came, so I talked on. “Preston’s dad asked for me and he mentioned Liz, so I think she’s right, and I think this thing is happening. I think the Circle is trying to start World War Three.”
“So that’s why we call my parents,” Bex countered, and I shook my head.
“They have a job, Bex. They have a mission.” I took a deep breath and admitted, “Every last one of them is busy tracking down the leaders of the Circle. Whether they realize it or not, they’re trying to stop it from that end. And just hearing our voices might be enough to land them in a prison too. So…no. I’m going to try to stop World War Three. And I’m asking you to help me.”
“Where do we start?” Bex asked.
I felt them all looking at me—waiting for me to say something, do something. It was the way I always looked at my mom or Aunt Abby or Mr. Solomon. I felt them waiting for orders. And I realized they weren’t going with me on this quest—they were following me. I felt the weight of the responsibility crushing down on me, and my roommates must have sensed it.
“Cam, you’re the one who saw where they’re holding Preston.” Bex was moving toward me. “You’re the one who heard what the ambassador had to say. And, Cam, you’re the only one of us who has ever been entirely on your own, going after the Circle.”
“I got caught,” I reminded everyone. Especially myself.
“You survived,” Bex told me, emphasis on the final word, on the only thing that really mattered. “So”—she took a slight step back and crossed her arms—“what are we going to do?”
I felt them waiting, watching, and I wondered if Zach was right—if the two of us would be better off on our own. But it was too late. We couldn’t lose my roommates if we tried. They were Gallagher Girls. They would find us.
“Lizzie.” I turned to her. “What happens next? I mean…what’s the next domino?”
“It could be any number of things. I built a model, and it’s scanning the Internet for anything that fits with the pattern, and then I’ll cross-reference that against—”
“Short version, Liz,” Bex reminded her.