Between Gates (The Gate Chronicles Book 1)

Chapter 28: Plots

Chenn stood in the hallway, head in hands as he leaned on a wall. Things weren’t like he’d thought they were. It had been a week since he’d promised Nari that he would always be there for her. So much wasn’t what he’d thought it was. How could he have made such a wrong decision? Joining with Amory? What had he been thinking?

Footsteps echoed down the hall, and Chenn heard Amory’s voice rising. Quickly he ensconced himself in a small, empty room just off the hallway. Why was Amory mad now? Something wasn’t level, and Chenn wanted to know what it was.

 Amory stopped in front of the doorway Chenn had hidden next to. His boots were muddy from being outside, and Chenn saw that Amory’s best friend, Bjorn, was the person Amory was speaking to.

 “We have to get rid of that Covalenti kid, Amory.” Bjorn gesticulated with wild motions, voice rising.

 “You think I don’t know that?” Amory waved a hand, annoyed. 

 “No.” Bjorn's voice took on a sullen note.

 “Do you know who he is?” Amory hissed.

 “Well, I’m assuming he’s who he says he is. Are you saying he’s a spy?” Bjorn laughed.

 “No. Not at all!” Amory laughed, his voice harsh. “He’s the kid we tried to kill back in that alley years ago.”

 “Huh?” Bjorn's voice was soft, and Chenn could hear him shuffling around a bit.

 “Well, not us literally, you moron. I sent those two thugs after him. Remember? We were both angry with him because he turned us down on that whole thing at school. He acted like he was better than us, the jerk. Thought that being an orphan made him tougher.” Amory spat.

Chenn felt his heart pounding. Wait? Amory and Bjorn sent the thugs? Something jiggled in the back of his mind when he heard Amory mention school and Chenn's refusal to go along with something then. 

He frowned. Then it struck him what it was. Amory had looked a lot different then and he had been far younger, but he was the same bully as he'd been back during the days when he and Chenn went to school together. Now he wondered how he had missed it. Why hadn't he recognized Amory before now?

“Oh, yeah! He’s the one that went to jail ‘cause one of the thugs accidently shot that girl, and he… Right.” Bjorn laughed.

“Exactly. And now he’s causing more trouble. Like usual.” Amory's voice was hard and Chenn could picture the glint in his dark eyes.

“Does that shock you?” Bjorn leaned against a wall close to where Chenn was hidden.

 “No. But we need to get rid of him.” Amory hissed.

 Chenn’s heart thudded in his chest. They were responsible for Hanna’s death. He’d always known he wasn’t the one who’d shot Hanna, but of course he’d blamed himself. How could he not?

But he hadn’t known who’d framed him or why he was being attacked at the time. Now he regretted ever coming with Amory. No one who killed innocent girls could be good. Good people didn’t send thugs after fifteen year olds who wouldn’t play to their tune. In fact, not only was that something good people didn't do, it was something no sane person did. Wonderful. Not only is Amory evil, he's still out to get me, and he's not sane. Chenn wanted moan. This would happen to him. Of course it would. He had the worst of luck. 

He stayed stock still, palms sweating, throat constricting. Glancing around the tiny room, he looked for an escape.

There was none. The room he'd ducked into was a storage closet, as grey as everything else, with various shelves of cleaning supplies and racks of cleaning tools lining the walls. He shifted just a few inches, then froze, remembering to keep silent. But now that he'd moved, a broom handle was digging its knobby top into his back. He winced, but he didn't dare shift.