the VPN made things that much more challenging. No chance at remote access. I still had to get my hands on Hannah’s phone.
When Hannah was completely engaged in a conversation with Celia, Abby leaned close to my ear. “Samuel found a spot for us to meet tonight. Meet downstairs, seven p.m. sharp, boys’ common room.”
Our check-in meeting. If only I had something to report.
After dinner, I walked back to the dorm with Hannah.
She resumed her position at the desk and didn’t budge. She didn’t respond to my efforts to strike up a conversation, either. Maybe she really was on drugs, I thought. At five to seven, I gave up and headed out. “Going to meet with my friends for a bit . . . I won’t be late.”
She mumbled in response.
I located the boys’ common room and found my group standing by the door, waiting. The space was lively at this time of night, crowded with girls and boys. They looked happy. At ease. And when Samuel motioned toward the hall, a part of me wanted to wave him off, plunk myself down on one of the comfy couches, and try to feel what they felt. A different kind of virtual reality.
But boys and girls would have to go back to their separate dorms when visiting hours were over, so we needed to hurry. And there was a particular boy I was eager to visit before the time was up: Lucas. I hadn’t seen him all day.
Samuel opened the door leading to the stairwell. Thanks to the hardwood floors, the combined sounds of our steps were enough to alert anyone in the neighboring county of our presence.
“Don’t worry,” he said when he caught my wince, his voice bouncing off the walls. “This place is completely legal.”
My sensors scanned while we descended.
Scanning . . . 2 video security signals detected.
Video cameras? In the stairwell? We weren’t doing anything wrong, but that didn’t mean I wanted the dean—or whoever monitored those things—to know that we were congregating. Or where.
“The walls have eyes,” I whispered to Samuel, nodding at the vent near the lower-level ceiling. Apprehension shivered across my skin. I knew not all the video cameras were being monitored at once—it would be impossible, unless they had numerous staff members assigned to that task only—but I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.
We hit the bottom of the stairs and burst into an open area. Instead of hardwood, there was only cement. The landing was small, and held two doors. A repetitive clanking came from behind one of them, so I peered in. Rows of washers and dryers. A laundry room.
The opposite door was unmarked. That was the door Samuel opened, and it led to a small, cramped room with four mismatched desks and one rectangular table.
“Study room,” he said. “John told me about it. He said nobody comes here to study in the winter because the vent doesn’t work and it’s too freaking cold.”
Abby had already started rubbing her bare arms. “You couldn’t have told us that before we came?”
Samuel gave her a sheepish grin. “Sorry. Forgot.”
Hunter shrugged out of his sweatshirt and settled it around her shoulders. She snuggled into the fabric with a grateful sigh.
I felt a twinge in my chest. He used to act that way with me. When she thanked him, and he smiled, I looked away. That time between us was over. If I’d needed further proof, I had it now.
“Hopefully we won’t be interrupted here,” he said, with a meaningful glance my way.
Already on it. My sensors had buzzed to life, probing the room for any uninvited guests.
Scanning . . . 1 video camera detected.
Crap. Casually, I stretched my arms overhead, using the motion to survey the room without looking suspicious. There. Disguised as a smoke alarm, in the upper right corner.
I scratched my cheek with one finger, and Samuel caught my gesture. I saw him glance around, but he didn’t spot the camera. Beside him, Abby looked back and forth between us, her brow creased.
Should we abort the meeting? That might be safest, but we really needed to check in with Daniel, and apparently there was nowhere on campus that wasn’t recorded. Except for hopefully the bathrooms.
I debated, eying Samuel’s laptop bag. If we angled the screen away from the camera, it wouldn’t capture any details from the screen. And there was nothing wrong with us congregating together. Skyping with our teacher about our first day at Montford.