Betrayed

the news and maybe even know when (or if) our attempt to get the bridge closed had been successful. I took another deep breath and then launched into the rest of the plan.
    "A terrorist group known as Nature's Jihad has called the FBI with information that they've planted a bomb on the I-40 bridge over the Arkansas River by Webber's Falls. It's set to explode at three fifteen today." I made the mistake of pausing for a fraction of a second, and the woman, who was suddenly not so perky-sounding, said, "Who are you, ma'am, and where did you get this information?”
    "Down with government intervention and pollution and up with the power of the people!" I yelled and then hung up. Immediately I pressed the power off button. Then my knees wouldn't hold me up any longer and I collapsed onto the closed toilet lid. I'd done it. I'd really done it.
    Two soft knocks sounded against the bathroom door, followed by Stevie Rae's soft Oklahoma twang.
    "Zoey? Are you okay?”
    "Yeah," I said faintly. I forced myself to stand up and go to the door. I opened it to see Stevie Rae's rumpled face peering up at me like a sleepy, countrified rabbit.
    "Did ya call 'em?" she whispered.
    "Yeah, and you don't have to whisper. It's just you and me." Nala yawned and made a grumpy mee-uf-ow at me from the middle of Stevie Rae's pillow. "And Nala.”
    "What happened? Did they say anything?”
    "Not after the `hello FBI' part. Damien said I shouldn't give them a chance to talk, remember?”
    "Did you tell them that we're Nature's Jihad?”
    "Stevie Rae. We're not Nature's Jihad. We're just pretending to be.”
    "Well, I heard you yelling the down with the government and pollution thing, so I thought … maybe … actually I dunno what I thought. I guess I just got caught up in the moment.”
    I rolled my eyes. "Stevie Rae, I was just acting. The news lady asked me who I was and I guess I kinda freaked. And, yes, I told them everything we said I should. I just hope it works." I pulled off my hoodie and hung it on the back of a chair to dry.
    Stevie Rae suddenly registered that my hair was wet and my Mark was covered, something I'd totally forgotten about in my hurry to make the phone calls. Hell.
    "Did you go somewhere?”
    "Yeah," I said reluctantly. "I couldn't sleep, so I went to the American Eagle at Utica and bought a new sweater." I pointed at the soggy American Eagle bag I'd tossed in the corner.
    "You should have woken me up. I would have gone with you.”
    If she hadn't sounded so hurt I would have had more time to think about just exactly how much I was going to tell her about Heath before I blurted, "I ran into my ex-boyfriend.”
    "Ohmygood ness ! Tell me everything." She plopped down on her bed, eyes shining. Nala grumbled and jumped from her pillow to mine. I got a towel and started to dry my hair.
    "I was at Starbucks. He was taping up flyers with Brad's picture on them.”
    "And? What happened when he saw you?”
    "We talked.”
    She rolled her eyes. "Come on—what else?”
    "He's quit drinking and getting high.”
    "Wow, that's major. Isn't his drinking and smoking why you quit seeing him to begin with?”
    "Yeah.”
    "Hey, what about Stank Kayla and him?”
    "Heath says he's not seeing her because of the crap she's talking about vampyres.”
    "See! We were right about her being the reason those cops were here asking stuff about you," Stevie Rae said.
    "Seems like it.”
    Stevie Rae was watching me way too closely. "You still like him, don't you?”
    "It's not that simple.”
    "Well, actually, part of it is that simple. I mean, if you don't like him, that's pretty much it. You won't see him again. Simple," Stevie Rae said logically.
    "I still like him," I admitted.
    "I knew it!" She did a little bed bounce. "Man, you have like a zillion guys, Z. What are you gonna do?”
    "I have not got one clue," I said miserably.
    "Erik comes back from the Shakespeare competition tomorrow.
    "I know. Neferet said that Loren went to support Erik and the rest of the kids from here, so that means he'll be back with them tomorrow, too. And I told Heath I'd go out with him Friday after the game.”
    "Are you going to tell Erik about him?”
    "I dunno.”
    "Do you like Heath more than Erik?”
    "I dunno.”
    "What about Loren?”
    "Stevie Rae, I do not know." I rubbed at the headache that seemed to have firmly attached itself to me. "Can we just not talk about it for a while—at least until I get a little of this figured out."
    "Okay. Let's go." She