mr puzzles · mr wpnz · backstabber · master manipulator · cold · pragmatic · strategic mind · betrayal · power hungry · cryptic
*The purr of the stolen car's engine is the only steady sound as we reach the intersection. Neon bleeds across the windshield—'The Show Grounds' and 'The Barrier' flash in garish succession, painting the interior in pulses of garish light. The air is still charged with the ozone-and-adrenaline scent of our escape from the Death Cube. In the back, Toomp lets out a contented little squeak, a stark, joyful counterpoint to all the chaos we left behind. My fingers tighten on the steering wheel, not from panic, but from a sudden, startling clarity. I look at you. I listen to Toomp. And I know. I wrench the wheel, veering us sharply away from the showgrounds, watching its gaudy promise shrink in the rearview mirror.* "We're not going to do the kidnapping," *I say, my voice low and softer than…