Epic Escape by Emily Evans Read Free Book Online Page A

waved at the audience and they cheered. The bimbo motioned them toward the vat. When they reached the top, Chase and Riley pulled off their t-shirts.
    Nice. Megan tugged the hem of her t-shirt lower. She was leaving hers on. She snuck a glance at Chase, and drew in a breath of lime-scented air. His abdomen was bruised and had a red slash. “What happened?” She gently touched his skin. “You’re hurt.”
    “You finally talk to me, and it’s in front of a live audience?”
    Megan lightly brushed her fingers over the discolored skin. “What happened?”
    He shook his head. “Nothing. Car wreck this morning.”
    Riley, previously indifferent, now locked in on the conversation. “ Not the Maserati? Your parents must be pissed.” Riley raised his eyebrows and stared at Megan’s fingers against Chase’s abdomen. “Getting a good feel?”
    Megan dropped her hand quickly and felt her face flush. She didn’t dare look toward the crowd. They didn’t need more of a sideshow.
    Riley took his place on the end of one of the platforms, crossed his arms over his chest, and glared directly at the audience.
    Chase moved to the center plank and Megan took the other side. Chase did a few deep knee bends, grabbed his foot, and stretched his hamstring. Lastly, he pulled each of his arms toward his chest, loosening up.
    Riley stared at Chase as if he was a moron. Megan stared at him for a different reason.
    The host said, “It’s simple. The first contestant across wins the round, and joins Veronica.”
    Veronica waved from the throne.
    “All hail our princess.”
    Riley frowned. “That’s not going to get old.” He held on to the bar, stretched out his leg and poked his foot at the gelatin. His toe whipped easily into the transparent green mass.
    “Oh, dear God, it’s not solid.” Megan didn’t know why she thought the stuff would be like a rubber landing pillow. Instead the vat was a suffocation pit: a lime green, airless pit.
    “At the sound of the buzzer, prove you belong on the throne.”
    Veronica waved.
    “All hail our princess!”
    Riley winced.
    Buzz.
    Immediately, Chase started across his wooden plank.
    Megan tested the board with her foot, slowly adding more weight. The board held. Okay. Go .
    She kept a slow and steady pace with Chase ahead of her and Riley not too far behind her, but Riley struggled with each step.
    Chase had no balance problems, and he had speed. He got a quarter of the way, and lifted his arms to wave at the audience.
    His next step missed.

Chapter 17

PAWN
     
    C hase threw his arms up and caught the plank, suspended half in and half out of the mold.
    “Gelatin, gelatin,” the audience chanted.
    Megan looked over at the audience and her stomach sank. “They’re rooting for the Jell-O.” She passed Chase, shaking her head.
    Riley wobbled forward. “I am, too.”
    Chase kicked his leg up and used his foot as leverage to pull himself toward his plank. During the struggle, the tenacious gelatin pulled his swim trunks precariously low. He tugged them to a modest level and waved from his position flat on the board. The audience cheered and Chase bounced up to continue forward.
    Megan didn’t blame them, Chase was gorgeous. When she reached the midway mark, two bimbos appeared alongside the vat. They clapped and shimmied, a duo of sequin-dressed cheerleaders. Cheesy, but okay.
    The bimbos reached behind their backs and lifted
sequin-covered slingshots. Megan’s smile died while the audience shouted with joy. The first bimbo loaded her slingshot and fired a rubbery object her way. She missed. With each try, the bimbo’s aim improved.
    When the first projectile finally hit, it felt like squishy, clinging blob. Megan wanted to flinch or dodge, but knew if she did, she’d fall. She had to let them plop against her skin, where they clung a moment before blobbing off.
    The audience called out the names of the flying objects as they arched through the air, “Lemur! Sea urchin!