Iron Heart (The Gauntlet #2)

BONUS CHAPTER - A Leap of Intent

Author's Note

In celebration of Amazon Prime Video's newest series Panic, I am thrilled to be teaming up with Amazon Prime Video and Wattpad to write this exclusive chapter that puts my characters from this story into the world of Panic!

I hope this chapter intrigues and inspires you to learn more about Panic. Visit the #PanicWritingContest on Wattpad for the chance to put your creative writing chops to the test and learn more about the show!

To find out more about the contest, prizes, and how to enter, check out the #PanicWritingContest here: wattpad.com/AmazonPrimeVideo

Don't forget to watch the series premiere on May 28th, only on Amazon Prime Video, here: http://primevideo.com/

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"Gooooood afternoon, everyone!" Diggins yelled, his nasal voice cutting through the air unpleasantly, amplified by the microphone clutched in one slim hand. "As your emcee this year, it is an honour – no, a pleasure – to welcome you to this year's Game of Panic!"

Codi winced as a wave of cheers from the hoard of their classmates behind washed over her, people who wanted nothing more than to see the action unfold. With the unforgiving Texas sun beating down on her pale skin, she really wanted to just get things underway before she burned to a crisp. Over the years, however, the opening of the Game of Panic had demanded greater and greater spectacle from the seniors at Carp High School. Now they had to sit through this interminable opening ceremony

I have got to get out of this dump, she thought.

She exchanged a quick, withering glance with her friend Rokki. A shaven-headed, wild-minded individual, his joining the Panic contest surprised no one. Clad in a loose pair of swimming shorts he bared his lean torso, revealing in intricate map of swirling tattoos. He even had a dark sword tattooed on his forehead, pointing down between his eyes. She wasn't sure he even cared about the money – the guy was just nuts.

With her long black hair tied back into a ponytail, Codi wore a short-sleeved, aquamarine wetsuit that reached from her throat to her upper thigh. Most of the more sensible competitors had chosen something similar but some of the others had just thrown on whatever came to hand. A couple of the girls wore one or two-piece swimsuits – a few of the boys opted for professional-looking diving trunks. They looked like the world's worst swim team.

Rokki flashed her a dangerous smile as Diggins swaggered back and forth across the makeshift wooden platform like a tinpot dictator, microphone cord trailing around in his wake. The contestants stood apart from their classmates, close enough to the stage to get a full earful from this year's emcee – microphone or not.

"This year," he continued. "We have twenty-three competitors, all of them chasing our grand prize. Fifty. Thousand. Dollars!" Another cheer erupted from the onlookers and Diggins grinned like an idiot. "But who will walk away with it? Who has the guts to take the glory? It's time to find out!"

"Fancies himself a regular television host, doesn't he?" Rokki muttered. "Maybe we should take him up to Suicide Leap; see if he can keep that swagger while he's falling a hundred and thirty feet."

"Don't tempt me," Codi chuckled under her breath, gently thumping him on the arm.

"As is tradition-," Diggins made a sweeping gesture to the area behind the stage with one arm as he spoke. "All contestants must announce their entry to the Game with a leap of intent."