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Back Gone Save as PDF
Chapters (77)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. Acknowledgements
  75. Reading Group Questions
  76. Read More
  77. I

‘They’re helping, but it’s not easy. At the end of the day, these people have disappeared of their own accord and, other than Faye, we have no evidence of any wrongdoing.’

‘A woman killed her husband!’ Dan looked furious.

Bloom sat forward in her chair. ‘Yes, and the police are trying to find her.’

‘Is that what Lana’s going to do to Jane?’ said Claire.

‘Not if I have anything to do with it,’ replied Jameson.

‘Faye Graham has two children who remain alive and well despite being home at the time of the attack,’ said Bloom. She felt Jameson turn towards her. He knew her theory about why those children were spared and that she was avoiding that detail deliberately.

‘So what’s the plan?’ asked Dan.

‘I need to join this game.’ Jameson turned to Bloom. ‘I need you to get me in. I need to become one of them, get selected, and see what the hell is going on.’

‘How am I supposed to do that?’ Bloom asked. As if she had the power to manipulate a game embedded deep within the dark web.

‘We have all the questionnaires and quizzes. I’ll complete as many as I can as though I’m a psychopath. You can tell me what to say.’

Bloom shook her head. ‘They won’t just be using the quizzes. They’ll be looking at your whole online history, the choices you’ve made, the views you’ve expressed. That’s what I’d be doing.’

‘You see! You know what they’d do, so you can get me in.’

‘We’d have to fake a whole persona, a whole background, not to mention a birthday that’s coming up soon.’

‘We’ll get DC Logan to help.’

‘It’s too risky. We’ve no idea what you’d be asked to do.’

Claire spoke up. ‘Marcus can do this. He’s done it before. He has medals for it.’

‘What?’ said Jameson, startled.

‘You told Dad.’

‘On his deathbed,’ Jameson said through gritted teeth.

‘Well, he had a little time to show off about your medals before he popped off. He was proud. So am I, for that matter.’

‘It’s called the Secret Service for a reason, Claire.’

‘Then you should have kept your big mouth shut.’

‘He was dying.’

‘And you still had to show off.’

‘I wasn’t showing off. I was explaining why I hadn’t been around and why I’d been so distant. I thought he deserved to know.’

Claire ignored her brother’s indignation and looked at Bloom. ‘He can do this. You have to let him do this.’

Bloom looked at Jameson. It was a foolish idea. An absolute long shot, at best. But maybe, just maybe, it would work.

32

The day of Jameson’s accident started so well.