Night School - Endgame by C.J. Daugherty

at Katie. She had an easy natural stride and moved lightly, but she was already breathing heavily.
    Sensing her gaze, Katie glanced up – her eyes a flash of green in the gloaming.
    ‘Are we there yet?’
    Allie snorted. ‘You wish. We’re just getting started.’
    They still hadn’t seen any of the others. Allie squinted into the darkness ahead, straining for any sign that they were gaining on them. But they were alone.
    ‘Could we… slow… down…’ Katie was panting heavily. ‘… just a little?’
    Reluctantly, Allie gave up on finding everyone else and dropped her speed to a gentle jog.
    ‘Thanks,’ Katie gasped, clutching her side. ‘Dying.’
    Her face was bright red.
    ‘You’re actually doing really well,’ Allie said. ‘You should have seen me on my first run. I nearly passed out. Carter practically…’
    The sentence died on her lips. Saying his name aloud reminded her where he was right now.
    It hurt like a punch.
    The look Katie gave her then was surprisingly sympathetic. ‘He’ll be OK, you know.’
    ‘I know,’ Allie said, her voice low.
    ‘Nathaniel will have taken him for a reason,’ Katie said. ‘He doesn’t do things just to be a wanker. He’s too smart for that. He only does what he thinks will increase his chances of victory. He knows how you feel about Carter so he’ll want him alive. To him, Carter is a weapon.’
    If this was supposed to make Allie feel better it failed dismally.
    Nathaniel was ruthless. Carter was his knife.
    Allie desperately needed Katie to stop trying to cheer her up.
    ‘I think I see Rachel and Nicole ahead,’ she said. ‘Let’s catch up to them.’
    She increased her speed.
    Behind her she heard Katie say, ‘Oh bugger.’
    From then on, Allie ran as fast as she needed to in order to be certain Katie didn’t have the breath to talk.
    They really did find Rachel and Nicole near the old stone wall that surrounded the chapel. Rachel had stopped to catch her breath; Nicole, who didn’t even look winded, was waiting patiently in a pool of moonlight when Allie and Katie jogged up.
    Katie slid down the stone wall to the ground next to Rachel, her face dripping sweat.
    ‘Can’t… breathe…’ she gasped.
    ‘Right there with you.’ Rachel looked exhausted.
    Allie turned to Nicole. ‘Any sign of Zoe or Lucas?’
    The French girl shook her head. ‘I think they took a different route.’
    ‘And I’ve been slowing us down.’ Climbing stiffly to her feet, Rachel pressed her foot against the wall to stretch. ‘As usual.’
    Nicole’s smile was indulgent. ‘It’s not a race.’
    It kind of was a race, but it seemed mean to say that.
    ‘We should get going,’ Allie said instead.
    She glanced down at Katie who had folded her torso over her outstretched legs and was pressing her face to her knees with apparent effortlessness. ‘You ready, Katie?’
    ‘Yep.’ The girl’s tone was curt. She lifted her head and fixed Allie with a sharp look. ‘If we can go at a less suicidal pace.’
    ‘Stick with me.’ Rachel answered before Allie could. ‘I’m all about slow and steady.’
    They all heard the noise at the same time. The crack of a twig breaking. The rustle of branches. Footsteps.
    Rachel’s voice trailed off.
    Allie and Nicole exchanged a frozen glance. In silent unison, they grabbed Rachel and Katie and pushed them behind them.
    For once in her life, Katie didn’t argue.
    Allie crouched down, prepared to spring. She looked around for a weapon – a heavy stick, anything. But there wasn’t time.
    The thick shrubs that lined one side of the path shook violently as someone crashed through them.
    Allie held her breath.
    Two of Raj’s black-clad guards burst out of the shadows. With them was one of the new trainees – a lanky boy, about fourteen years old, dark hair in a tangle, glasses askew. He looked pale and scared. Allie thought she’d seen him somewhere before but she couldn’t place him.
    Dropping her fists, Allie drew a deep