Charlie nodded. “Yep. Just an illusion.”
“All right,” Ms. Sabbith said. “Mac, if you turn over the equipment, you’re free to go with your mom.”
“Ooo-kay,” he said, and reluctantly stood up. He unclipped his device from his arm and handed it to Ms. Sabbith. “Bye, I guess,” he said.
“Bye,” echoed Charlie and Maria.
Mac and his mother walked out together.
Maria’s mother finished talking with Dr. Sharma and came into the living room.
Maytée looked at Maria, who now wore the scarf loosely around her neck, and let out a breath of relief. “It’s gone. Dios mío, child. You had me worried.”
Maria smiled weakly. “Sorry, Mamá.”
Maytée shook her head and almost smiled. “It’s okay. Come on. ¡Vamos!”
Maria stood up quickly.
“Here,” Charlie said to Dr. Sharma, holding out Maria’s device. “This one is hers.”
“Thank you.” Dr. Sharma smiled politely at Maria’s mother as the two prepared to go. “And thank you, ma’am,” she said.
Maria turned to Charlie. “See you tomorrow, Chuck,” she said brightly. “Big make-up game after school. Can’t wait.”
Charlie had forgotten about their soccer game. “Me too,” she said, trying to sound enthusiastic.
Maytée looked over her daughter thoroughly, inspecting her neck and head. “I still don’t quite understand how a simulator could make that seem so real,” she said, sounding a bit suspicious still.
“Science and technology are amazing,” said Ms. Sabbith firmly. “It’s wonderful when kids get so interested in them, isn’t it?”
“I suppose that’s true,” said Maria’s mom, softening a bit. “I’ll let you know if I have any other concerns. And thank you.”
Finally only Dr. Wilde and her children remained with Dr. Sharma and Ms. Sabbith. They reconvened around the dining table and let out a collective breath of relief.
“I think we did it,” said Ms. Sabbith.
Dr. Sharma nodded. “Nice work, Diana,” she said. “Mr. Parker seemed to settle down after you took responsibility for being careless with the college’s simulators. He was angry at Kelly, but he believed our story. He seemed more upset about being pulled away from his golf game.”
“I hope this will die down by tomorrow,” said Mrs. Wilde.
“I think it will,” said Dr. Sharma. She laid the devices out in front of her. “Wait—where’s Kelly’s?
“That’s another problem,” explained Ms. Sabbith.
“What? Why?”
“She said it was a dud. She threw it away.”
“She did what?” said Dr. Sharma, alarmed. “Which one did she have?”
“The Mark Four, I believe.”
Dr. Sharma’s face turned hard. “The Mark Four—that was my creation. And I can assure you it is not a dud.”
CHAPTER 11
To the Warehouse
Charlie wasn’t sure what to think about Kelly and the Mark Four. It was just like her to carelessly throw something away if it didn’t suit her needs. But Dr. Sharma seemed sure that the device couldn’t possibly be a dud—even though she admitted she’d never had a chance to test it. After some debate Dr. Sharma reluctantly concluded that there was a possibility Kelly was right. And it wouldn’t matter much either way since it was on its way to the dump by now.
“So what’s next?” Charlie’s mom asked Dr. Sharma. “I’m anxious about Charles.”
“He’s next.” Dr. Sharma caught Ms. Sabbith’s eye. “Erica and I will head out to the warehouse to see what if anything is happening there. Hopefully we’ll at least get a clue to Charles’s whereabouts.” She paused and turned to Mrs. Wilde. “I know you’ll want to stay home with Andy, but we’d like to have Charlie with us so she can talk us through the layout of the property while Erica scouts around the property and inside.”
Charlie’s mom blinked. “I’m not sure about that,” she said.
“It’ll really help us figure out what’s happening.”
Dr. Wilde turned to Charlie, and Charlie could see the indecision on her mother’s face. “It’s fine, Mom,” she said. “I’ll be fine. I was there when it was teeming with soldiers and I came away from that no problem.”
“That’s true,” Mrs. Wilde admitted.
Andy came creeping down the stairs from his room. “I’m hungry,” he said. “What’s for lunch?”
Mrs. Wilde stood up automatically to help him, still frowning. “I’m just thinking it through, Charlie,” she said. “I mean, it’s one thing having you in the loop from the safety of home, but totally something else having you be a part of some stealth mission. It feels risky.”
Charlie was about to point out to her mother that their home wasn’t exactly a place of safety either, since the soldiers had broken in, but Ms. Sabbith jumped in.
“It’s just a recon effort at this point, Dr. Wilde,” she said. “Charlie won’t be going inside. We’re just trying to gather intelligence. Maybe stick a camera on a tree somewhere to observe the exterior.”
“I’ll have my bracelet in case anything bad happens,” Charlie pointed out.
Dr. Wilde studied the other women, then sighed. “All right, that sounds safe enough.”
“And if you don’t mind, we’d like to test Charlie’s abilities. Since the soldiers are animal hybrids, seeing Charlie’s abilities in action may give us a better idea of what to expect with them.”
“You can’t really force-test my abilities,” Charlie pointed out. “I mean, we can, but the powers aren’t always there—I can’t just turn them on when I want. They kick in at certain times. Like the ‘fight or flight’ intuition that animals have. So you can’t, you know, ask me to lift up a Dumpster or something.”
“Ew,” said Andy, sitting down with his lunch. “Why would you want to do that anyway?”
Charlie frowned at him. “Besides, I’ve already tried them all, and they seem as powerful as the actual animals’.”
“Ah, I didn’t know that.” Dr. Sharma grew thoughtful. She looked at Mac’s and Maria’s devices, then handed them to Ms. Sabbith, who packed them in her duffel bag.
“But if any of the abilities do activate, I’ll show you,” Charlie said. “You should have seen Maria—she was really getting good at swinging through the trees last night. And Mac helped me fight in the warehouse—I didn’t mention it before because I didn’t want to get him in trouble, but it doesn’t matter now. His bracelet gives him a protective suit. He was just starting to figure out what else he could do. He was pretty bummed that he had to give the device back, if you couldn’t tell.” Charlie looked at Dr. Sharma. “What are you going to do with them both now? Use them yourself to rescue my dad?”
Ms. Sabbith and Dr. Sharma exchanged a look of mild alarm. “Um,” said Dr. Sharma, “I’m going to keep them out of Dr. Gray’s hands. That’s the most important thing. But . . . I haven’t thought through everything yet. We’re still working on a plan of action. We’ll know more once we see what we’re dealing with.”
“Oh,” said Charlie. But she could tell Dr. Sharma and Ms. Sabbith didn’t seem excited about using the devices on themselves.
Ms. Sabbith finished packing up her bag and looked at Charlie. “Ready?”
“Ready,” said Charlie. A knot in her stomach closed tighter, like a fist was grabbing her from the inside. So that her mom would let her go, she’d pretended like it was no big deal to have to fight soldiers, but she knew how hard it was and didn’t want to go looking for trouble. Soon she and the two women were off, heading for the old abandoned warehouse that Gray’s soldiers had taken over.
On the way Charlie explained how she and Maria and Kelly had followed the white van with Mac inside it all the way down a residential street, then over a dirt road. She told them about the empty horse barn and the big outbuilding they’d snuck around.
“Did you happen to get the license plate number of the van?” asked Dr. Sharma.
r /> “No,” said Charlie. “I didn’t really think about that.” She could still picture the silhouette of Mac’s head through the tinted back window of the vehicle and him shouting for help. It was painful to remember how terrified he’d sounded, even though he was safe now. She wished her father were just as safe.
Dr. Sharma turned down the street and drove to the end where the dirt two-track began. They couldn’t see the old buildings because of the brush. Ms. Sabbith rummaged through her bag, pulling out microphones and earpieces and some other strange electronics.
“We’ll keep the car here,” said Dr. Sharma, “near the houses, so it looks like we’re visiting someone in the neighborhood. Erica, I’ll stay here with Charlie. Let us know what you see.”
Ms. Sabbith handed a set of basic wireless earpieces and a tiny microphone to Dr. Sharma. She explained how to use them. Then, loaded with high-power binoculars and other curious-looking gear, Ms. Sabbith slipped on a more advanced-looking earpiece that had a mike attached. She set off through the desert brush toward the buildings. Dr. Sharma gave one earpiece to Charlie and clipped the microphone to the sunroof between them. “Just put this in your ear. We’ll share the microphone.”
Charlie watched how Dr. Sharma put her earpiece in, then did the same with hers, and listened in.
“Can you hear me, Erica?” asked Dr. Sharma.
Charlie could hear the doctor next to her, but her voice didn’t come through the earpiece.
“Roger that. I’m nearing the horse barn, in sight of the building. Approaching, heading clockwise around it.”
“The door is on the back side of the building,” Charlie said.
“Got it. Thanks, Charlie.”
“And the soldiers we met inside there were pretty beefy, so if they’re still there, be careful.”
There was silence on the other end. Charlie imagined Ms. Sabbith skirting the building in much the same way she and Maria and Kelly had done.
Suddenly there was an urgent whisper that Charlie couldn’t understand. Dr. Sharma sat up sharply. “What’s happening?” she barked into the device.
There was silence for another tense moment. Then Ms. Sabbith whispered through her microphone, “White van pulling out of the outbuilding, heading your way. Warehouse doors left open. I’m going inside. You might want to duck.”
“Get down, Charlie,” said Dr. Sharma. “All the way on the floor.” Charlie unbuckled her seat belt and shrank down. Dr. Sharma watched for a second, then flattened herself over the console and seats. They heard the rattling van approach and enter the neighborhood. Charlie stayed down as it roared past.
“The place is abandoned!” said Ms. Sabbith through the mike. “Totally cleaned out. They’re not coming back. Follow that van!”
“Get over here, now!” shouted Dr. Sharma, sitting up again and making the car roar to life.
“I’m too far away! Don’t lose them—it’s our only chance! Go!”
“Not leaving you here. Top speed!”
“On my way!”
Charlie felt her heart race, her pulse pounding in her ears. The Mark Five grew warm. She clicked through and saw the cheetah was animated. She got back up on her seat and turned to look at Dr. Sharma. There was no way she would let Charlie go after the van—not after the doctor had promised Mrs. Wilde that Charlie would stay in the car the whole time. But it seemed like none of the adults really understood yet what Charlie could do. Charlie knew she could run fast enough to keep up with the van. At the very least she could follow it to the corner to see which direction it was heading in. That would be better than nothing.
Impulsively Charlie grabbed the microphone clip from the sunroof and slammed open the door. The van was speeding up the street, growing smaller in the distance. Charlie lunged outside and started running at top speed, microphone in hand. “I’m following them!” she said into it, not realizing at first that Dr. Sharma couldn’t hear her since they were sharing a device. “I’ll tell you how to find me.”
There was an instant of silence. Then, “Charlie?” It was Ms. Sabbith’s voice.
“Yes, it’s me!” said Charlie. “My speed ability kicked in. I’m following the white van, so hurry up!”
Ms. Sabbith muttered a word Charlie wasn’t allowed to say. Then, “Got it! I’m almost to the car.”
Charlie smirked. It was kind of fun being in charge again.
“Do not let them see you!” added Ms. Sabbith harshly. “If you blow our cover, we are in serious trouble.”
Charlie’s smile faded fast. She couldn’t mess this up. If she got caught, Dr. Gray would know she and the others were trying to save her dad. But if she lost sight of the van, they might never find him. She slowed when she got close and hid for a moment behind a giant saguaro cactus as the vehicle’s left blinker began flashing. Then the white van turned and sped away.
CHAPTER 12
Despair
Dr. Gray paced the floor of his new, hastily set-up office. His phone was pressed against his ear. Dr. Wilde wasn’t tied up anymore—he’d been taken to the lab across the hall to work. But Dr. Goldstein still was, lying on a sofa at the back of the room and trying to regain his strength. A soldier was guarding him and roughly helping him sip from a cup of broth.
“We’re staying here,” Dr. Gray said into the phone. He paused for a long moment, listening. Then, “No. I understand the concerns about the compromised warehouse, Prowl, but think it through. They’ll assume we’ve gone far away—why wouldn’t we? And while they go in search of us elsewhere or even back to Chicago, we won’t waste another minute packing up and moving the operation again. We’ll be right under their noses in this half-dead town and they’ll never know. It’s— What’s that?” He listened again.
On the couch Jack Goldstein showed no signs that he could hear Dr. Gray. He finished the broth and turned away from the soldier, then closed his eyes.
“And you’re sure no one saw you leave?” Dr. Gray asked. “Has there been any sign of police? Anything?” He waited a beat, then said, “Good. Maybe the other little brats were smart enough not to tell their parents after all. It’s too bad they’ve got the prototypes, but we don’t need them anymore now that we’ve got Charles.” He glanced at Dr. Goldstein lying motionless. “And Jack ought to be up and around in a day or so. Then we can finally put this plan in motion. I’ve waited so long for this.”
There was yearning in his voice, which was all the more unsettling to Jack. But he’d heard plenty of it in his time as Gray’s prisoner.
There was another length of silence, and then Dr. Gray stopped pacing in front of his desk. “Yes, all right. The abandoned bank building in the business park. All the way at the top. See you soon.”
The scientist hung up his phone and went to the window that overlooked the most dismal part of Navarro Junction, with the faint outline of Phoenix in the valley beyond. He hoped his instincts were right. It had been twenty-four hours since the children had escaped. If the police hadn’t come to the warehouse by now, they weren’t going to. Nobody had reported them—the Wildes were playing by his rules. No one would find them here. He’d bet his life’s work on it.
On the sofa Jack remained still as a stone. His face was expressionless, but his heart was heavy. After weeks of torture, being dragged across the country, starved, and beaten for not helping Victor, Dr. Goldstein could hardly hang on to his last shreds of hope. Surely Quinn would figure out soon that he hadn’t made it to Peru. She had to.
But when Charles had arrived yesterday as a captive, too, Jack had lost all hope of Gray giving up on his plan—the man was more determined than ever now that he had the kids as leverage. Jack couldn’t possibly refuse to help Gray any longer with young Charlie’s life at stake. There was no more holding out. Victor Gray’s insane revolution was beginning, and Jack, alongside Charles, was forced to help him. It was against everything he stood for.
All he could do was hope that Charles’s wife remembered the plan the three biologists had put in pl
ace. That she knew enough to call Quinn. But it had been so long since they’d made those arrangements. Would Mrs. Wilde possibly recall it?
After all the trauma Jack had been through lately, he didn’t expect anything to go his way. His career, maybe even his life, was over. Instead of pulling DNA from fossils in Peru, he’d be creating DNA-altering devices that would change humanity . . . and not for the better.
He stayed still and silent, and hoped for a miracle.
In the lab across the hall Charles stood at a table looking over the instruments as a group of soldiers unpacked them. He wore an expression of complete devastation as he watched them. One of them noticed—a woman whose fingers ended in long sharp claws. She brought a large microscope over to Charles’s station and set it down in front of him. “Let me know what other supplies you need,” she said quietly. “My name is Zed. I’ll be assisting you and Dr. Goldstein.”
Charles barely looked at her. He couldn’t believe he was here or that this was happening to him. Was his family okay? Was Dr. Gray telling the truth about Charlie? What about these soldiers, covered to hide the permanent alterations Dr. Gray had made to their bodies? Had they volunteered for this? It was beyond comprehension.
“Do you know anything about the state . . . of my family? My children?” Charles asked her, desperate for information. Had Diana picked up on his clue to check the safe? It was hardly likely—they must have been in complete shock by the call.
Zed frowned and didn’t answer. She glanced over her shoulder and kept moving as Cyke, the large male soldier who’d guarded them in Gray’s office overnight, brought several boxes of equipment to the station. Charles stared at Cyke’s facial structure, which had clearly been changed more than some of the others. “Did you volunteer for this experiment?” Charles asked him. “How long have you been like this?”
Cyke did a full body shudder and stared at the biologist like he’d said something terribly offensive. “You can unpack these,” he said coldly. He went away, leaving Charles alone.