How to Ruin Series Part 145

"Got your dad's keys, your dad's car, and the address. You ready for this, Amy?"

Considering my heart is beating a million times a second and I haven't eaten for two days because I've been nervously looking forward to today, I'm ready.

We pile into my dad's Lexus and drive north toward Evanston. Miranda is driving.

I'm in the front pa.s.senger seat. Jess and Nathan are in back. When we're close, I order everyone to put on their knitted caps from their back pockets.

"Do I have to?" Jess asks. "My hair will get all flat."

I roll my eyes. "Do you think commandos worry about their hair being flat?"

"Amy, we're not real commandos. And Avi will know it's you. This isn't a real military operation. It's a girl who wants her guy back."

It's a real operation to me.

At Allison Hall, we park out front.

"Now what?" Miranda asks.

I scan the area, a.n.a.lyzing the best place to plant ourselves.

"How do you know he's even here?"

Jess asks. "He could be out for the night, staying in for the rest of the night ... "

"Jess, you're not helping," Nathan chimes in.

Jess shuts up.

"Okay, here's the deal," I say. "Jess, you go inside and ask around. Pretend you're a student and ask if people know where Tarik is."

She puts her hand on the handle to the car door, but pauses before she opens it.

"What's his last name?"

"I don't know. But I'm sure there's not an abundance of Tariks in the dorm."

While I watch her saunter to the front doors of the dorm. Manicure be d.a.m.ned, I peel off the remaining nail polish from my fingernails, then start to chew on each nail.

"Stop that," Nathan orders. "Nail biting creeps me out. Listen, if he likes you he likes you and if he doesn't ... well, that's his loss. Either way, whether you bite your nails or not isn't going to change the outcome."

"You're heartless," I tell him.

"I'm a realist," he argues.

I disagree. As a person who thinks when life gets s.h.i.+tty you can plow right through the s.h.i.+ttiness and change the course of your life, I'm going to do what I can to change it. I do think I can change my destiny.

Every guy who enters the dorm I think is Avi. Every girl who enters the dorm I think is there to see him. Oh, man, I know what Avi means about how dangerous your mind can be.

"Is that him?" Miranda says excitedly for the millionth time.

"No."

Ten minutes go by and my great kidnapping idea maybe isn't so great, after all. When Jessica finally comes back to the car I'm ready to ditch the plan and trek back home.

"Tarik left about a half hour ago with a guy I'm a.s.suming is Avi."

I grill her with questions. "How do you know? Did you ask a guy or a girl? Do they know where they were going? Do you know when they'll be back? Who else was with them?"

"Amy," Jess says. "Why don't you go in there and ask the guy yourself. I got the info you wanted. He's not at the dorm. Do you want to stay and kidnap him when he comes back, or do you want to abort the mission?"

I consider both options. Leaving here means I'm giving up on him ... on us.

Leaving here means that my insecurities and self-doubt have overpowered and won over my desire to change the course of my life for the better.

"We're staying on course," I tell them.

"Can we abort the stupid knit hats, at least?" Jess asks.

"No."

I hand everyone their walkie-talkies and we sync our channels. "You all know what he looks like, right?"

Miranda bites her bottom lip. "I've only seen him once in real life and once in a picture. It's dark out, but I'll do my best."

"Good enough," I say. "Nathan, you wait by that tree on that side of the dorm and Jess ... you wait over there by that statue.

When you see Avi, Tarik, or both of them, announce it on the walkie-talkies and we'll surround them. Got it?"

Nathan shoves the black knit cap on his head and heads for the tree with the walkie-talkie in hand.

Jess puts her cap on, but leans over the front seat and turns the rearview mirror toward her so she can see what she looks like. After loosening some curly wisps of tendrils from beneath the cap she says, "I'm doing this because we're best friends, you know."

"I know. And I love you for it."

"Uh huh. You owe me big for this, Amy," she says, and jumps out of the car, marching toward her lookout spot.

"Where are you going to stalk him ... I mean, stake him out?" Miranda asks.

I stick the handcuffs in my back pocket and shove my hair under the cap. Then I stumble out of the car, toss my cell phone at Miranda, and say, "I'll be across the street. I've got to have all sides of the building covered."

With a walkie-talkie in hand, the cuffs hidden in my back pocket, and my hair hidden from sight, I seriously feel like I'm undercover.

I sit on a bench at a bus stop across the street from the dorm. And wait. And wait some more. I think we've been on the stakeout for over fifteen minutes.

"Ten-four, do you read?" Jessica's voice calls over the walkie-talkie.

I press the talk b.u.t.ton. "Do you see him?"

"No. I just wanted to know what our operation's name is. Every operation has a code name."

"Yeah," Miranda chimes in. "How about Operation Wildcat. You know, for the Northwestern Wildcats."

"How about Operation Kidnap Avi,"

Jessica chimes in.

"How about Operation Stupidity, ten- four," our fourth accomplice chimes in.

"Nathan, shut up," Jessica says.

"I was just wondering ... " Nathan says.

I'm trying to keep the walkie-talkie on a low sound level so no one else can hear us. I didn't know my recruits were going to be so chatty. "What do you want me to do if I see him?"

Well-thought-out plans are not my strong point. I say, "Stall him."

"How?"

"I don't know ... do whatever it takes to stop him," I whisper into my walkie-talkie.

"Just make sure he stays still long enough for me to handcuff him and lead him in the getaway car."

"THIS IS.

NORTHWESTERN.

CAMPUS SECURITY," an unfamiliar and very authoritative voice comes through the walkie-talkie speaker in my hand.

"IDENTIFY YOURSELF AND YOUR LOCATION IMMEDIATELY."

"Don't give out any information,"

Nathan says. "They'll never find us."

Spoken like a true bad boy.

"I'm scared, Amy," Miranda's voice comes through the walkie-talkie.

I bang my head against the lightpost I'm leaning on. "You just said my name."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I'm turning this thing off right now."

"THIS IS CHIEF OF SECURITY ON NORTHWESTERN.

CAMPUS,"

the walkie-talkie bellows. "AMY, YOU'RE ON A CAMPUS RADIO FREQUENCY.

AND.

WE.

HAVE YOUR.

ENTIRE.

CONFESSION.

RECORDED.

IF.

ANYONE IS a.s.sAULTED ON MY.

CAMPUS, WE'VE GOT EVIDENCE AGAINST YOU."

His threat gets met with silence until Nathan chimes in with, "I'm hungry."

"I'm cold," Jess says.

I think I need new recruits.

Just as I'm about to send everyone home, I see two guys out of the corner of my eye who look just like Avi and Tarik.

In fact, I'm sure it's them. I quickly press the talk b.u.t.ton. "I see them! Nathan, they're headed to Allison Hall, almost reaching you right now."

I hear a "Stop right now!" and the walkie-talkie goes dead. I run across the street, aware Jessica is behind me trying to catch up.

The area is dark and is surrounded by trees, but I can make out the scene without light. Nathan is moaning on the ground, Avi is in deep commando mode with his hands in fists, and Tarik is standing behind them.

I run and kneel on the ground beside Nathan. "Are you okay? Oh my G.o.d, you're bleeding," I screech when the side of his face catches the light.

"He punched me and did that Israeli self-defense stuff on me," Nathan says while staying in the fetal position.

Avi holds his hands up as if he did nothing wrong. "Are you kidding me? You tried to tackle me." He takes a look at me and Nathan, then at Jessica. "Wait, why are you all dressed like burglars?"

"We're kidnappers, not burglars,"

Jessica corrects him.

"Who're you going to kidnap?"

I stand up and whip out the handcuffs.

"You."

Avi looks down at the cuffs dangling from my fingers. "They're plastic."