Tag, You're Dead - Hardcover

Lane, J C

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1464206317 ISBN 13: 9781464206313

Verlag: Poisoned Pen Press, 2016

Inhaltsangabe

Six young people play a dangerous Game of Tag in public, chasing through the crowds, streets, and buildings of Chicago. This secret, one-of-a-kind, wildly expensive Game offers a macabre twist to the childhood version...if you get Tagged, you get Dead.

Three "Its" have their reasons for buying a place in the Game. Surgically enhanced Brandy is obsessed with destroying a naturally beautiful girl. Untalented Robert covets his target's position as superstar of the basketball team. Brainiac Charles craves a battle against an intellectual equal. Given their elite social status, they reject any possible downside to the contest. Each expects the satisfaction of killing their prey, then walking away.

Hand-picked innocents play as "Runners," under threat to their loved ones should they refuse to participate: lovely, small-town Laura; celebrated athlete Tyrese; and Amanda, gamer extraordinaire. Alone, hunted by their adversary, each feels a single hope...to survive.

Technological wizardry controls the Game. As soon as Runners receive the "Go" signal on smartwatches locked to their wrists, the Game rockets them through the city, from the El to Michigan Avenue to the Lincoln Park Zoo. There is no time to rest. Every thirty minutes the Runner's location is transmitted to the It, which steadily diminishes the Runner's chance of ever reaching Home Base alive.

The Game will not end until someone is Tagged, so the Runners must choose how to play. Will they accept death? Murder their Its? Or find a way to use individual strengths to stop the Game before anyone dies?

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Tag, You're Dead is J.C. Lane's first thriller. She writes mysteries as Judy Clemens, including the Stella Crown series, the Grim Reaper mysteries, and the stand-alone, Lost Sons. She lives in Ohio, where she shuttles her kids to events, loves cooking and baking new recipes, and is training for a half-marathon.

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Tag, You're Dead

By J.C. Lane

Poisoned Pen Press

Copyright © 2016 J.C. Lane
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4642-0631-3

CHAPTER 1

Friday, 8 p.m.

Brandy

"I can't choose," Brandy Inkrott said. "I want to kill them all."

"Tag," her mother said from her brocaded antique chair. "You want to Tag them all."

"No. I don't."

"Either way," her father said, "I'm afraid you have to pick one."

Brandy studied the images of the teenage girls on the screen. Brunettes. Blondes. Asians. Hispanics. Light-skinned. Dark-skinned. Every one of them gorgeous. Every one of them middle-class no-names. None of them like her. "They're all so perfect. Can I pick more than one?"

A woman's voice pierced the air, radiating from the Surround Sound speakers. "The price for two would be extravagant, Ms. Inkrott. Plus, Tagging more than one Runner would be difficult. Almost impossible."

"I don't care. I can do it."

Her father shrugged. "If that's what you want."

"I suggest this," the woman said. "Play this time with one. If you are successful you may play again, and then you can go after two. I know it's tempting when you see all those beautiful faces, but you'd be setting yourself up for disappointment."

"What do you know?" Brandy said. "You're probably some fat old lady in a trailer park somewhere. I could Tag you."

Silence sizzled over the speakers.

"I'm sorry, Madame Referee," Brandy's father said. "She didn't mean it."

"Did so."

"Bran, honey, please."

The girls' faces on the television disappeared, replaced by only one, which took up the entire surface of the eighty-inch screen. The woman shown there was miraculous, with ivory skin, midnight hair, and eyes the color of cobalt. She wore a white, fitted suit, and diamonds glittered on her throat. The room surrounding her was white as well, broken only by the blue of the ocean, visible through the windows behind her. She smiled. "You were saying?"

Brandy swallowed. "I'm sorry. I just thoughts ..."

"Oh my," her mother said. "She's —"

"— everything you want to be?" Her father's voice was light. Amused, even.

Her mother blinked. And nodded. Her toy poodle yipped and wiggled from her arms.

"Me, too," Brandy breathed. "I want to be just like her."

The Referee smiled with a graceful tilt of her head. "Shall we continue our negotiations?"

"Please," Brandy's father said. "Brandy is sorry for the disrespect."

"I am," Brandy said. "I really am. I'm sorry, Ref."

"I know. Now, let's get back to business."

The images of the girls returned. Some of the photos were school shots, some candids. One was even a selfie, taken in the girl's bedroom. The choice was as difficult as before.

"Start small," the Ref said. "What characteristics could you do without?"

Brandy studied the faces. "That girl on the top row with the straight hair and the lipstick. I don't like her."

"She looks mean," her mother said.

"It's her squinty eyes."

"She's gone," the Ref said. The image disappeared from the lineup.

Brandy let her gaze slide over the others, considering their eyes, hair, clothes ... skin tone. "Get rid of all the ones who aren't white," she finally said.

"You're sure?" her father asked. "That could be fun."

"They're not even a little bit like me."

"True."

"A good way to whittle down the list," the Referee said.

The non-Caucasians disappeared.

Three options left. The brunette, the blonde, and the one with dyed red hair.

"I don't want the redhead," Brandy said. "Take her out."

"Good choice," her mother said. "That hair was awful."

The final choice was hard. Both natural beauties, if you believed in that sort of thing. Pleasant smiles, modest clothes, an expression that said Happiness.

"These are your final two," the Ref said. "Would you like to see their bios?"

"Do you care about that?" her father asked.

Brandy wrinkled her nose. She didn't want to know these girls. They weren't worth it.

"Send them," her father said.

A document popped up on Brandy's tablet, a dual-columned page, comparing the two possibilities. Much in their bios was the same. Both attended small, rural schools and had a mom and a dad, and siblings. One was in choir, one in band, both played sports, had seats on student council, and were members of a church. They always made the honor roll, had more than one best friend, and did kind, charitable things for other people.

Brandy felt like she might be sick.

"What do you think?" her mother asked.

She still didn't know. They were both annoying.

Brandy scrolled down to view their pets, their hobbies, their summer plans. And their boyfriends. Although that should just say boyfriend. Because the brunette didn't have one. The blonde did.

"That one." Brandy pointed to the blonde. "I want her." The screen on the television changed to display only the blonde's face, bigger than life.

"You have made your choice," the Ref said. "She will be your Runner."

"When do I get to kill her?"

"Tag her," her mother said.

The Ref appeared on half of the screen, next to the blond Runner. She was smiling. "You still would like to buy the Elite package?"

Brandy's father glanced at her, and she nodded. "Absolutely."

"I don't know," her mother said. "I really think the Deluxe package would be enough."

"I want the best one," Brandy said.

"But it's so dangerous."

"Daddy."

He looked at his wife, then at his daughter. Brandy's lips trembled, and her eyes shone with tears.

"Fine." He turned his gaze to the screen. "We want the Elite."

The Ref smiled. "I thought you would. You may send your money to the prearranged account. We already covered the contract price."

Brandy's father used his own tablet to make the transaction.

"Wonderful," the Ref said. "You will receive instructions shortly, apprising you of the Rules. I will inform you when it is time to Go. You are already in possession of your smartwatch."

"What's her name?" Brandy's mother asked.

The Ref shook her head. "You will learn that when the time comes."

"Doesn't matter, anyway," Brandy snapped.

The Ref disappeared from the screen, leaving only the face of the nameless girl.

Brandy hated her.

CHAPTER 2

Laura

Laura Wingfield wiped down the counter and surveyed the kitchen. Dishes put away, crumbs swept from the floor, kids' chore list updated. They would now spend the evening snuggling on the couch, watching the latest Pixar movie. She popped some popcorn and squeezed in between the two older children, the toddler filling up her lap, digging into the bowl with both hands. Laura didn't stop her.

An hour later Wayne and Piper were yawning and Melody, already in her pajamas, had fallen asleep. Laura turned off the TV and carried the toddler to the bathroom, where the girl woke up long enough to let Laura brush her teeth before laying her in her crib. The other two fought the bedtime routine as much as they could, but within twenty minutes were asleep as well. Laura tiptoed into the living room, leaving the doors cracked in case the children called her.

She pulled out her phone, dropping into the comfy living room chair and flinging her legs over the arm. Her ponytail pulled, so she tugged off the band and stuck it in her pocket. Jeremy liked her hair down, anyway.

Kids asleep. What are you doing?

She sent the text and closed her eyes, relaxing for the first time that evening. The kids were awesome, but...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Poisoned Pen Press
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2016
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1464206317
• ISBN 13: 9781464206313
• Einband: Gebundene Ausgabe
• Anzahl der Seiten: 323
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar