Chapter 36 Shutdown
Jaxson’s face went hard. The softness was gone, replaced by the look he wore when he was ready to hit someone on the ice. He didn't even take off his skates. He just walked off the ice and onto the grass, his blades cutting into the dirt.
"Drive," he said. "I'm going to finish this."
The drive back to the university was the fastest Elena had ever driven. Jaxson sat in the passenger seat, leaning forward, his jaw tight.
He was still wearing his skates, his feet resting on a floor mat to keep the blades from cutting the car.
"If Marcus hurts him..." Jaxson muttered.
"Leo can take care of himself," Elena said, trying to convince herself as much as him. "But Marcus isn't alone. Leo said he has Cooper."
"Cooper won't hurt Leo," Jaxson said, but he didn't sound sure. "Cooper doesn't have the guts for a fight. He’s just a follower."
They pulled up to the back gate of the rink. The lights inside the building were mostly off, but the second-floor windows where the offices and servers were, were glowing with a dull blue light.
Elena killed the lights and the engine. They saw Leo’s truck parked far away under a tree.
Suddenly, the back door of the rink opened. Leo slipped out, looking behind him. He ran to Elena’s car and dived into the backseat.
"Go, go, go!" Leo hissed.
Elena started the car and pulled away just as the lights in the parking lot flickered on.
"Did you get it?" Jaxson asked, turning around in his seat.
Leo held up a small black plastic drive. "I got it. But it's worse than we thought, Jax. I stayed long enough to hear them talking. Cooper wasn't just helping Marcus. Marcus was forcing him to type in your password because Cooper knew your habits."
"I knew it," Jaxson said, slamming his hand against the dashboard.
"But that's not the big part," Leo said, his voice shaking. "Marcus wasn't talking to another student on his phone. He was talking to an adult. I heard him say, 'Yes, sir. The drive is planted. The Captain is distracted. We can move forward with the vote tomorrow.'"
"Did he say a name?" Elena asked.
"No," Leo said. "But he called him Director. Elena... the only Director Marcus knows is the head of the Board of Trustees. The man who works directly for Dad."
The car went silent. They all realized the same thing at once. This wasn't just a locker room fight. This was a professional hit on Jaxson’s career, and someone in the school administration was helping.
"If the Director is involved, my data might not be enough," Leo said. "They’ll just say I faked the logs to save my friend. We need something more. We need a confession."
Jaxson looked out the window. They were passing the dorms. He saw the "MILLER = TRAITOR" sign still on the statue.
"I have an idea," Jaxson said. "But it involves Cooper. And it involves Elena being very brave."
"Anything," Elena said immediately.
"Cooper is a good person who is doing a bad thing because he’s scared," Jaxson explained. "If we can get him alone, away from Marcus, I think he’ll break. He can't live with the guilt. I saw his face in the locker room. He wants to tell the truth."
"How do we get him away from Marcus?" Leo asked. "Marcus is keeping him on a short leash."
"The medical gala," Elena said. "It’s tomorrow night. Every student in the honors program has to go, including the student-athletes who are on the Dean’s list. Cooper is a bio major. He’ll be there. Marcus won't be, because his grades are too low."
"It’s a formal event," Leo said. "Security will be everywhere."
"Exactly," Jaxson said. "It’s the one place my father’s people won't cause a scene. And it’s the one place where Cooper will feel safe enough to talk."
Jaxson looked at Elena. "You have to be the one to talk to him, El. He trusts you. If I show up, he’ll panic. If Leo shows up, he’ll run. But you... you can get him to a quiet corner."
Elena nodded. She felt a weight on her shoulders, but she also felt a spark of hope. "I’ll do it. I’ll get him to confess. And I’ll record it."
"And what about me?" Jaxson asked. "I can't exactly go to a gala in a suit. I'm a wanted man."
"You’re going to be my 'plus one,'" Leo said with a dark smile. "I’m the Captain. I get to bring whoever I want to represent the team. You’ll wear a mask. It’s a masquerade gala, remember? The theme is 'Unmasking the Future.'"
"Perfect," Jaxson said.
As they drove back to the house to hide for one last night, Elena reached over and took Jaxson’s hand. The romance of the pond was gone, but the bond between them was stronger than ever.
They were a team now.
And tomorrow, the Vipers were going to find out what happens when you push a Vance too far.
They pulled into the driveway and Leo went to open the garage. But as the door lifted, they saw that the light was already on.
A man was sitting in the kitchen chair, visible through the window. He was drinking a cup of coffee and looking at his watch.
It wasn't their father.
It was Coach Reed.
He looked up and saw the car. He just stood up and walked to the door, holding a folder in his hand.
"I think it's time we had a real conversation," Coach said as they stepped out of the car. "Because I just found out who actually bought that thumb drive. And it wasn't a student."