"You figure it out, you let me know," Wymack said.

The press left a couple minutes later, so Neil went to the main room to wait on his teammates. They came in straggling pairs with Dan and Renee the last ones ready to go. Loading the bus was quick work. Getting out of the parking lot was harder, even with police out in droves to manage the post-game traffic. The Fox bus was pelted with more than one crumpled beer can as it crawled through campus. Nicky pulled the window down to yell insults, but Wymack threatened him into silence. Nicky settled for flipping Belmonte students off.

The ride back felt half as long thanks to the heady rush of an unexpected victory. Allison stayed out of the celebration by dozing up front with Abby. The other upperclassmen moved to the middle of the bus so they could discuss the game with Andrew's group. As soon as they did Andrew went up front, more interested in talking Wymack's ear off than rehashing the night's plays. Kevin's tactless criticism was a necessary but unpleasant counterpoint to his teammates' excited recap.

As he listened to them, Neil realized he was happy. It was such an unexpected and unfamiliar feeling he lost track of the conversation for a minute. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this included or safe. It was nice but dangerous. Someone with a past like his, whose very survival depended on secrecy and lies, couldn't afford to let his guard down. But as Nicky laughed and leaned closer to talk about one of Neil's goals, Neil thought maybe he'd be okay just for a night.

CHAPTER FIVE

Neil had a quarter of a million dollars and directions to another half mill hidden in his dormitory room. He and his mother had hit the road with far more than that, but years on the run had whittled away at their stash. What was left was considered a small fortune by most people and a dismal future by Neil. It'd be tricky getting a job when he couldn't give employers his social security number, and every time he moved he needed a new name, a new face, and a new place to live. Costs added up fast.

Disguises were cheap. A new hairstyle, a new color, some contacts, and an accent were usually enough to fool people. Neil used his mother's British accent when he was overseas and his father's American accent when he was in the United States. He needed an address, sometimes a new language, and ways to fill his time that would complete his persona without drawing too much attention. Luck let him squat in Millport, but he had to assume he'd be paying rent in the future.

Some changes took expensive to a whole new level. If Neil survived this year, he'd only do so by pulling out all the stops. A simple change in names and cities couldn't save him after he'd antagonized Riko Moriyama and put his face on the news. He needed to cut every string he had, up to and including the United States.