Revive by Tracey Martin Page B

shouldn’t be one of them. Not unless that student is me, or someone like me, and there’s only one reason another someone like me might be at this school.
    Suppressing a groan, I add another item to my to-do list: investigate Kyle.
    Shit. As if I don’t already have enough to work on, and as if Kyle isn’t already too good at distracting me. As if… I close my eyes. As if I didn’t already know X was in danger and an enemy agent might be on the way. Now I have to worry that the enemy is already here.

Chapter Seven
    Nine Weeks Ago
    No matter how clever or well-trained you are, sometimes success is simply about being patient.
    I hate being patient. I especially hate it when a life might be on the line.
    Kyle’s mysterious middle-of-the-night phone call nags at me all week, but there’s nothing I can do. I mean, I know what I want to do, but the opportunity never arises to actually try it. Despite what I overheard, investigating Kyle is still not my priority. I can’t take unnecessary risks that could get me kicked out of RTC. That would definitely interfere with my ability to find X.
    So I wait, and the longer I do, the harder it becomes to concentrate on what I’m supposed to be doing in the first place, as well as all the stupid course work I have to do to keep up my cover. Before the call, Kyle already invaded my thoughts way more than I liked. Now he’s even more relentless. My brain is under Kyle-siege, and I want to shake him for it, although it’s not entirely his fault.
    Finally, on Friday afternoon, my patience pays off. The gorgeous October day drives everyone outdoors. Even better is that Kyle and Chase, who’s his roommate, have to leave for a track meet. I have a couple precious hours before they return when the dorm is practically guaranteed to be empty.
    After dumping my books, I promise Audrey I’ll meet up with her in half an hour on the quad. What I’m planning had better not take longer than that. Then I slip across the deserted second-floor lounge to the boys’ wing.
    Like all the interior doors at RTC, the one denying me access to Kyle’s room uses an old-fashioned lock. Easy to pick. Easier still because I swiped Chase’s key during physics this morning. Honestly, if I was trying to snoop on anyone other than Kyle, I’d probably be done with it already. Most people around here are completely clueless about security. They leave their keys, phones and data sticks all within easy reach.
    But not Kyle. I’ve been trying to get his phone to stick a spy app on it since that call of his, and I’ve yet to succeed. He might be the only person here as paranoid about his belongings as I am. That alone is cause for worry.
    On the other hand, I really don’t know what I expect to accomplish by snooping on Kyle. It’s quite possible the terrorists searching for X have someone at RTC working on it. But Kyle’s been at RTC for over a year now. It’s hard to believe he might be the one even if he, or whoever he was talking to that night, recognized AnChlor.
    Then again, on the other-other hand, people can be bought, tricked or threatened into doing all kinds of nefarious things. That’s what started this whole mess—X’s mother was either tricked or bought into working for the wrong people. So maybe it’s not so unlikely that these people could use a college student the same way.
    The thought turns my stomach. I really don’t want Kyle to be caught up in any of this, and it’s not just because I’m friendly with him. I know what I’ll be expected to do if he is involved. Temporarily giving my classmates chemical burns bothered me enough. If Kyle’s up to no good, nothing I do to him will be temporary. And it’ll make chemical burns look like a paper cut in comparison.
    Of course, if Kyle’s involved, it means he’s not innocent like the others. I tell myself this, but it