The New Syllabus Ch 11

The Getaway

The tires of Steve Sanders’ luxury SUV screeched to a halt at the edge of the Mercedes-Benz of Van Nuys lot. He threw the vehicle into park, his heart hammering against his ribs. He was wearing his official, embroidered Sanders Martial Arts studio tracksuit—a sharp, zippered black-and-gold outfit that usually made him feel like a successful franchise mogul. Right now, it just made him feel like a walking target.

Through the windshield, the scene was pure chaos. Megaphones barked, students swarmed the concrete, and the shattered fragments of the dealership’s glass facade glittered like ice under the harsh California sun.

What did you get yourself into, Sanders? Steve thought, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. The heavy paper folder containing his new Hunter Oil expansion contract sat heavily on the passenger seat, staring back at him like a ticking time bomb. The very people funding his dream were the ones driving his best friend into a barricaded room.

But there was no time to overthink it. Kelly was in trouble. As he had done a hundred times since high school, Steve shoved his own mess aside and chose to be the hero.

He moved with a speed that surprised even himself, utilizing the sharp reflexes he’s spent years honing at the dojo. Slipping through the chaotic crowd of chanting students, Steve managed to bypass the main lobby breach by slipping in through the rear service bays. The smell of motor oil and rubber gave way to the tense, pressurized air of the showroom floor. Protesters were actively climbing the stairs to the mezzanine, chanting slogans against corporate censorship.

"Hey! Back off the stairs!" Steve’s deep, booming voice echoed across the showroom floor. He didn't use violence—he didn't need to. He simply projected the commanding authority of a martial arts master, stepping into the path of the lead protesters with a wide, immovable stance. The sheer intimidation of his presence bought him exactly enough time.

Sprinting up the steps three at a time, Steve reached Kelly’s office door, throwing it open just as she retreated into the furthest corner of the room.

"Steve!" Kelly gasped, her eyes wide with a mix of relief and residual terror as she emerged from beneath her mahogany desk.

"I've got you, Kel. Come on, we're going out the back," Steve urged, grabbing her arm and pulling her toward the rear exit stairs before the crowd could fully realize what was happening. They moved like a whirlwind down the service corridor, bursting out into the alleyway where his SUV sat idling.

Steve jammed the accelerator down the moment the doors clicked shut, peeling away from the curb and leaving the shouting mob in the rearview mirror. For the first three miles, the silence inside the cabin was suffocating, save for the blasting air conditioning. Kelly leaned her head against the headrest, her breathing finally slowing down.

"Thank you," she whispered, looking over at him. "You always show up, Steve. I don't know what I would have done."

Steve swallowed hard, his throat suddenly bone-dry. He stared straight ahead at the freeway traffic, his chest tight beneath his tracksuit. The guilt was eating him alive. He had to tell her. He couldn't let her think he was entirely innocent in this corporate web.

"Kelly... don't thank me yet," Steve said, his voice dropping its usual confident bravado. He kept his eyes locked on the road, terrified to see her reaction. "There’s something I need to tell you about Hunter Oil. And about how they ended up at CU in the first place."

Kelly turned her head, her brow furrowing. "What do you mean?"

"I'm the nexus, Kel," Steve confessed, his voice cracking slightly. "I'm the one who linked them to the campus. I swear, I had zero bad intentions. I was just trying to secure a sponsorship for the alumni association.

As Kelly processed the news she just felt alone, like the only one who could see the truth about Jasper and Annie, even Steve was against her.