The runners have just taken off when I read the text message. My heart jumps up into my throat, and I spot Marty, Amy, LaWanda, Katie, Eleanor, and Britany all chatting –about to get in on the run. I run right up to them before they have a chance to join in on the run; I’m in an absolute panic, and they see it in my eyes. “Whoa, easy there, big guy,” Lawanda says, holding up a hand as though to stop me from running right into them.

“Tyler, Laurel, and Mary are in trouble,” I say, and I shove my phone in to Marty’s hand.

He kind of rolls his eyes at me as though he thinks I’m playing some sort of joke. When he sees the message, his shoulders stiffen. “What the fuck is this?” he shrieks. He shows Amy, and the horrified look on her face is enough to get the fighters in on it –they all take the phone to see what is going on.

Because most of the other runners have departed, we stand out from the crowd. Brandi, who is not running the race, comes up to us pushing Ambriel’s stroller. “Aren’t you guys running the race?” she asks.

“Tyler, Laurel, and Mary are in trouble,” Marty says quickly.

“Mary’s parents were just asking me if I’d seen her –what sort of trouble?” Brandi questions, so I show her the texts. “Oh my God! Surely this is some sort of bad joke, right?”

“I don’t think so,” I say.

Mariana suddenly comes running up to us from the carnival rides; she looks annoyed. “Have you guys seen Tyler anywhere?” she hisses. “I’ve been looking for him for half an hour.”

Brandi passes the phone to her, and she covers her mouth. “I’m calling the police,” Brandi says, whipping out her phone.

My phone buzzes. Police= Bodies. “Wait,” I say quickly and show off the latest text message. Another text comes in: Go back to the gym and wait for instructions.

We all cringe, but we obey. We enter into the gym, and I point a finger at Bobby who is behind the counter. “Call the police, Bobby,” I say, and Bobby raises an eyebrow –not having been let in on what’s going on just yet.

“Wait, they said no police,” Britany says.

“What else are we supposed to do?” I snap, and I explain to Bobby what’s going on. “Ask them to send officers in unmarked vehicles,” I say. “We don’t know what will happen to Tyler, Laurel, and Mary if this lunatic hears sirens.”

Bobby gets on it right away. Seconds later, Gabe’s parents are bursting through the door. They have apparently been looking for Mary for close to an hour, and they’ve reached full panic mode. We look at them sympathetically, and Marty pulls them aside to tell them what is going on. I stand aside with Brandi, my hand is shaking.

My phone buzzes, and when I raise it to look everyone looks my way. Your life for theirs. I tell all of them what it says. “Don’t do anything stupid, Jonathan,” Brandi says quickly.

“I won’t,” I assure her.

Put some distance between you and your bitch.

I frown, and I decide not to show it. The phone keeps going off, but I don’t show anyone what’s being said. My mind is going a hundred miles an hour. Come on, Trial, walk away.

My stomach churns slightly. I get sent another picture of Mary, and she’s bawling. Marty looks my way, and he comes up to me, pulling me aside. “All right, show me what you’re not showing the rest of them,” he demands, reading right through me.

I show him the latest texts. “Let the police handle it, Jonathan,” he says. “You don’t know what this is about.” The phone buzzes again while in his hands, and his eyes widen.

“What?” I ask and snatch the phone away. Another picture –this time of Tyler, and his face is bloodied. The text reads: Hurry up.

“Don’t be stupid,” Marty says.

The phone goes off again; I’m afraid to look, but I do. It’s Laurel, and her lip is busted. I can’t just sit here. I have to do something. I bolt before Marty can stop me, heading down the hall and leaving through the back exit. I get a text just as I am headed into the parking lot. Your buddy Tyler is going to be the first to go. I text the number back: Tell me what you want me to do.

I feel someone grip my shoulder, and I spin around to see that Marty and Bobby have both chased me out into the parking lot. “Whoever this is says they’re going to kill Tyler,” I snap. “They want me. I don’t want them to get hurt because of me, all right?”

“Then let us go with you,” Bobby says. “You don’t know what you’re about to walk into. The police are on their way, though.”

“By the time they get here, our friends could be dead,” I say.

My phone buzzes. Get a cab.

It’s not like this freak is giving us any choice. We wave down a cab, and the three of us load up. I give the cab driver the address I had been texted, and we drive just outside of the city. I text Brandi the address so that she knows where to send the police. She texts me back a middle finger emoji with a short rant about running off. She does care, I’ll give her that.

The address takes us straight to the docks; we pay the cab driver and start walking around. I try calling the number, but no one answers. “Man, why are we here? Someone’s going to fucking shoot us,” Marty grumbles, and then we hear it.

“Help!” It’s a distant cry that is almost drowned out by the water.

“Tyler?” Marty shrieks.

“Help!” Tyler’s voice sounds gurgled.

“Shit!” Bobby shouts and starts running down the dock, “He’s in the water!”

Marty and I take off after Bobby, and I spot Tyler up ahead. He’s dangling over the side of the docks, his ankles tied and his head dangling in the water. I hear him choking and spitting up water as the tide gets higher and higher. “Shit, shit, shit!” I hear Marty screaming as he drops down to his knees and leans over. “I can’t fucking get to him!”

I climb over the railing after tossing my phone down; Tyler does a pull up to get his head out of the water for a minute, and he coughs and gags. He loses his strength and goes back down, his head going under. “Untie him!” I shout, but Marty and Bobby aren’t able to.

I grab hold of the rope tying his ankles to the docks. With my feet against the wooden dock, I pull back with my body –gripping the rope tight. I hear the wood from the railing snap, and Tyler and I go falling back into the water. Only now do I see that his wrists are tied; I grab hold of him. He chokes and gags, and he’s still in a panic. His face is blood red –probably from being hung upside down for God knows how long. “I got you,” I say to him.

“Oh God, oh God,” he sobs.

I’m not the best swimmer, but I’m not about to go down like this. The swim to shore is ridiculous, and trying to pull Tyler along with me is near impossible. I watch Marty and Bobby walking back up the dock, looking down at us in horror. “We’re going to drown,” Tyler cries when we go under together several times. It’s not like I can stop to get him untied.

Suddenly I am by the edge of the water near where the boats are floating, and Marty and Bobby are hovering over us after having climbed onto an unmanned vessel. “Come on, Tyler, we got you,” Marty says, and he and Bobby pull Tyler up first and then me.

I collapse to my hands and knees, panting. Tyler is shaken, but apart from what appears to be a broken nose and a near drowning experience, he seems all right, that is, until I see him gripping his side and doubling over in pain. “What happened? Are you all right?” I snarl.

“They fucking stabbed me,” he says and holds up a now bloodied hand.

“Shit,” Marty says, putting a hand on Tyler’s shoulder.

“Bobby, call an ambulance,” I say. “Who did this to you, Tyler?”

“It’s fucking Vivian,” Tyler says, and I raise a brow.

“Vivian?” I question. “Vivian? Really?”

I hadn’t expected that. I mean, I know the woman is crazy, but this is a new level of crazy –even for her. “She’s got some muscle with her,” Tyler says to reassure us that Vivian hadn’t been the one to take him down.

“Bobby, stay with Tyler,” I say and head back down the dock to grab my phone. I send a text: I know it’s you, Vivian.

As I am walking back towards the guys, I receive a text. I guess your buddy Tyler made it. Oh, but you don’t know the half of it.

“Jonathan,” Marty warns, “let the police handle the rest.”

“Vivian has Laurel and Mary,” I say. “You’re out of your mind if you think I’m just going to ignore that. Stay here with Bobby and Tyler, but I’m going after this crazy bitch.”

“Fine, but I’m not letting you go by yourself,” Marty says. “Maybe we can buy the police some time.”

I receive an address in a new text. Bobby stays behind with Tyler, but Marty and I head straight to the dragons lair.