Chapter 16 - Back to the Gym
Ryan had dozens of students trapped by shame.
That became clear within an hour.
He had secretly recorded locker-room conversations, stolen screenshots from phones, copied private messages, and filmed humiliating pranks he had forced students to endure.
His threat was not just aimed at Maya.
It was aimed at half the school.
"Do not meet him," Elena said.
Maya wasn't planning to.
Detective Ruiz used the message to obtain an emergency location trace, but Ryan's phone was turned off after the text.
Then Chloe remembered something.
"The gym Wi-Fi."
Everyone looked at her.
"Ryan's tablet auto-connects there. He uses it for game film. If he's in the building, the network might see it."
The district's IT director checked.
At 6:42 p.m., a device registered to Ryan connected to the old varsity network.
He was inside.
Police surrounded the school.
Maya stayed in Bennett's patrol car across the street, furious but obedient.
Then the gym lights came on.
A minute later, the scoreboard flashed one sentence in giant red letters.
MAYA TORRES - COME FINISH IT.
Students watching from beyond the police line started filming.
"He's performing," Bennett said. "He needs an audience."
Maya watched the glowing words.
"No. He needs control."
Inside, officers searched the halls.
Ryan used the building's camera system to track them and locked fire doors remotely using a maintenance tablet Hargrove had given him months earlier.
"How does a student have that?" Bennett snapped.
"Because every adult kept handing him keys," Maya said.
Then her phone rang.
Ryan.
Bennett nodded for her to answer on speaker.
"What?" Maya said.
Ryan's breathing was ragged.
"You think you're better than me?"
"No. I think you're scared."
"Shut up."
"You asked me to come. I'm talking."
"My dad's in jail because of you."
"Your dad is in jail because of what he did."
Silence.
Then Ryan said, "Come inside or Chloe's video goes first."
Chloe went pale beside the car.
"What video?" Maya asked.
Chloe whispered, "He stole my phone last year."
Maya's anger sharpened.
Ryan wanted her afraid for somebody else.
He knew that worked better.
Bennett covered the phone and whispered, "Keep him talking."
Maya did.
"Where are you?"
Ryan laughed softly.
"Same spot you put me on the floor."
Then a scream sounded through the phone.
Not Ryan's.
A younger boy's.
Maya stood up.
"Who is with you?"
May you like
Ryan's voice changed.
"Eli should've kept his mouth shut."
