When the team gathered that morning, there was a tense silence. No one looked like they had gotten much sleep, and Ashton especially seemed to have a lot on his mind. After a few minutes of silence, Summer finally managed a timid question.

  “Do we have any more information on what happens when someone answers the message?” She winced slightly as she heard the tremor in her own voice.

  “We do, if we choose to believe it,” Ashton replied gravely, “The source was not one I would call trustworthy, but he hasn’t lied to us yet either.”

  It couldn’t be… “MysteriousMaskz?” Summer all but whispered.

  Ashton nodded slowly, and presented them with a single sheet of paper. On it was a carefully graphed breakdown of what would happen after the message was answered in various ways. She wasn’t sure if she should be more surprised about the precise breakdown, or the number of different replies that could result in something dangerous. It made Summer realize that she didn’t know what her young cousin had replied with, so she still had no idea how serious the situation was.

  While saying yes was obviously dangerous, saying no also had repercussions. Summer felt more and more sick as she looked over the chart. Could there really be a power this strong, to simultaneously affect so many people? What was the catch? Did it require someone to reply or sign a contract willingly?

  “Summer, do you know something else about this?” Ashton asked, immediately picking up that there was something strange about her reaction.

  “My cousin replied to the message,” Summer admitted, “I don’t know what he replied yet. Mason is only seven, so it could have been anything.”

  “Is there a way for you to find out?” Ashton asked, “If he happened to write his name, he could be in grave danger.”

  Summer glanced at the sheet again and grimaced. Replying with your name was basically like handing yourself over to them on a silver platter. Jargon was mentioned a lot. Was that what the villain called himself? There wasn’t time for this. Summer quickly pulled out her phone, finally replying to her father’s text.

  “Do you know what Mason replied?”

  Several agonizing seconds passed as Summer stared down her message, waiting for the little check that signified he had read her text. Should she study the sheet more so she was prepared for the answer? It had been hours since her father had sent the text, so he might even be sleeping. If not for the urgency and anxiety, Summer might have dismissed the conversation and waited patiently for the notification to arrive.

  “Does anyone else know someone who might have answered the message?” Ashton asked as Summer had her own private staring war with her phone.

  Kayla replied that no one she was close with had access to messaging, and the twins had already checked in with all of their acquaintances the night before. Summer was the only one who really had family, much less extended family, in the area. As they talked, right as her screen dimmed, the little checkmark appeared under her text. Summer quickly woke her phone back up as she waited with bated breath for her father’s reply.

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  “I can ask. Is the reply important?” was what finally appeared.

  “Very. Please find out as soon as possible.”

  Realistically, Summer knew that finding out might take a while so she forced herself to set her phone down and rejoin the conversation.

  “Dad is seeing what he can find out. Last night he said Aunt May was taking Mason to the police station because of the warning, so they might know more.”

  “I will see if we can get any information from that side, but it might be confidential,” Ashton offered.

  “What are the police even doing once people go to them? Are they just detaining potential risks?” Levi asked.

  Detaining? Would they really detain a seven year old boy? No, it would probably be better if they had. If the police were protecting him, MysteriousMaskz and Jargon wouldn’t be able to get to him.

  Summer’s phone started to ring, and Summer quickly picked up to hear her father’s panicked voice. “I can’t get a hold of Aunt May. I asked around, and no one has spoken to her since last night. I called the station she said she went to, but they said she isn’t there either.”

  “You don’t mean she disappeared, right?” Summer asked, trying not to panic herself, “What about Mason? Does anyone know where he is?”

  “No. No one has seen either of them since they left last night.”

  “I will ask my contacts here to help,” Summer promised, “Do any of them know what Mason replied? This is very important.”

  “Your uncle said it was something along the lines of ‘mommy said not to talk to strangers’.”

  That was not something anywhere on the reply chart. It wasn’t a yes, no, maybe, or even a name. Just in case, Summer pulled out a pen and wrote the phrase down.

  “Thanks for finding out. Ashton might know what to do from here.”

  “Just let me know once you find out anything, and stay safe,” her father told her, “I will be doing what I can from my end as well.”

  Ashton had already picked up the paper where Summer had written her note. He waited until her call ended before he asked anything about it. “Is this what your cousin replied?”

  “Not word for word, but it might be the only answer we get,” Summer answered, “What do you think happens with a reply like that?”

  “Mommy isn’t a legally binding title, but neither is maybe,” Ashton muttered, “I am concerned this might be more dangerous for your aunt than your cousin.”

  Summer hadn’t considered that. “This Jargon guy is terrifying. We can’t even tell for sure what he is capable of.”

  Ashton nodded in agreement. “The unknown factors definitely are what make this situation more dangerous. Even with the information Maskz gave us, we are at a disadvantage.”

  Summer’s phone chimed, and she quickly turned to it, expecting another message from her father. Instead, it was from an unknown number. It wasn’t the same as the one from the mass messaging. MysteriousMaskz again?

  “Your little cousin is very cute, Golden Reign. Unfortunately, his poor mother isn’t in a state to protect him. Your move.”