Chapter 49
The camp was set between two rock formations in a flat clearing, sheltered on both sides. Bedrolls laid out, packs arranged, a few lights tied to low branches. Ten people roughly, not counting Rone's team coming in behind Leon.
Most of them looked up when the group arrived.
Grovin was standing near the center. Leon found him quickly — grey band, no rank color, he was one of the guys from earlier Leon & Emma saw when buses came to pick them up. He was broad across the shoulders, mid-twenties maybe, Grovin had his arms crossed and was watching Leon from the moment he walked in.
Rone greeted him with a nod that was noticeably more respectful than anything Leon had seen from him before.
Someone near the far rock looked Leon over. "Rone." He didn't bother lowering his voice. "This what you dragged back?"
A few people nearby reacted to it. Rone glanced at the guy once and said nothing.
Grovin stepped forward. He looked at Rone. "This is him? The fingernail."
"Yes."
Grovin looked back at Leon. He wasn't angry or worked up about it. He just looked like someone who'd been given a task and was ready to do it. He came forward and took Leon's hand by the wrist.
Leon's fingers pulled back. He couldn't stop it.
Grovin repositioned his grip, thumb under Leon's index fingernail, finger on top, and began applying pressure. No tool. Just his hands.
Leon's back teeth pressed together.
Every band in the clearing pulsed.
Grovin paused. His eyes dropped to his wrist.
Game concluded: The Laughing Kid — Phase 1.
Result: Escapers team victory.
Confirmed Escaper team member reached the depot uncaught.
Fred Grifin — depot reached 21:14.
Reward: 30 CPP awarded to all registered Escaper team members.
The thirty landed on Leon's band. He watched his count adjust.
A second notification followed.
CPP recalculation complete.
Previous outstanding penalty: 3 CPP from locked reserve.
Available CPP following reward: sufficient.
Locked reserve draw no longer required.
Assigned physical consequence: null and void.
The same text was on Grovin's band. He read it. Released Leon's hand. Stood there for a second looking at the screen. Losing the chance at free the 10 CPP irritated him a bit.
Then he turned and swung at Leon's face.
Leon pulled back and the punch went past him but his feet tangled and he went down flat on his back on the ground.
Someone in the clearing said "he even falls funny" and the whole camp went up. Leon lay on his back on the ground staring at the strip of sky between the two rock formations.
That felt pathetic..
Every band pulsed again. The header marked it as a tournament-wide alert.
WITNESS CLAUSE INVOKED — GROUP 7, ZONE 2-A
Invoking participant: Noah Clove
Testimony subject: Reported murder of participant —
Krai Novak