The ride back to the dormitory was a long one. Milo and Jack sat directly across from Lincoln and Skylar. They were both thrilled with the outcome of tryouts but were trying to contain their excitement. Banks sat with the two third-years, the three of them complaining that tryouts had been totally unfair.
It wasn’t long before Skylar sighed, shifted her position, and lowered her head onto Lincoln’s shoulder, closing her eyes. Lincoln silently hoped the truck would stall or get a flat tire, anything to lengthen their ride. Unfortunately, he wasn’t that lucky, and a short while later they arrived at the dormitory.
The rest of the Finn recruits were there waiting when they arrived, ready to congratulate the new squad members. As the celebration began, Lincoln found Sean and Guga and told them about his run-in with the saber-toothed tigers. Sean was certain that both the giant cats and the quick end to the search for statues were part of a plot to get the older recruits on the squad, though he had no retort when Guga pointed out that both Milo and Jack had made it.
Lincoln glanced at the party going on in the great room. Milo stood on the fireplace, attempting to balance three books on his forehead while also drinking a mug of root beer. The books crashed to the floor, and the group around him roared with laughter and sarcastic boos. Milo took a bow before jumping off the fireplace.
Bernie ended the celebration around midnight, ignoring the recruits’ protests and sending them to their rooms. Lincoln offered a final congratulation to Jack and Milo and was opening his door when he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Skylar standing in front of him.
“L-l-link,” she stammered, while staring at the floor. “I just wanted to tell you thanks for what you did earlier.” She looked up. “I totally overreacted. I hate that you saw me crying.”
“No sweat,” answered Lincoln, blushing. He tried to think of something clever to say, but as usual, nothing came to mind, so he just stared at her awkwardly.
Skylar reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently as she smiled. “Anyway, like you said, this is only our first year. I plan on both of us being in the next four Challenges.”
Lincoln smiled, the pain from his injured back now forgotten. He could only hope Skylar’s wish came true, the two of them together as teammates in the next four Atlas Challenges.
CHAPTER 11
UP TO NO GOOD
THE CHALLENGE WAS NOW ONLY TWO WEEKS away, and Mr. Rockwell had gathered everyone together in the Roemick Tower Assembly Hall. The instructors were sitting on stage. The five hundred or so recruits almost filled the auditorium. Lincoln and his friends sat near the back. The eight Keepers were scattered throughout the Assembly Hall. Some stood guard at the exits while others sat among the recruits, eyes scanning the room for any sign of trouble.
Mr. Rockwell stood and approached the podium. “Atlas recruits,” his voice boomed, “welcome to our annual pre-Challenge assembly. Today, we will review the basic rules for the Atlas Challenge as well as the schedule for the next few weeks. Let me start by congratulating those recruits who will participate in this year’s Challenge, the Atlas Hunt.
“The Hunt will be held on the first weekend of December. The goal is quite simple. Find and capture the creature that has been released into Sector 8. Of course, this won’t be as easy as it sounds. The creature is no ordinary creature. Like you, it has the ability to control rites.
“During the Hunt, all squadders will be wearing wristbands. The Keepers will be tracking the squads and ensuring everyone’s safety.
“We will meet at the Atlas Arena Saturday morning at six o’clock sharp for the Challenge Commencement. Mr. Worthington assures me that he has something special for this year’s competition. I recommend arriving on time.
“From now until the end of the Challenge, only squadders may enter Sector 8, and only at preapproved times. If a recruit breaks this rule, his or her dormitory will be disqualified from the Hunt, no exceptions.
“As in years past, the Guardian Council will participate in the Commencement and will present the Atlas Scepter—given to the first Guardian after saving the pharaoh’s life—to the winning squad. They and several of their Council Aides will arrive a few days before the Challenge. Last year, we had a few unfortunate incidents involving recruits and our guests. Specifically, I recall two Council Aides spending a night locked in the Atlas Lake restrooms.”
Mr. Rockwell paused and looked straight at Milo, who grinned sheepishly. As soon as Mr. Rockwell looked away, Milo muttered, “They deserved a lot worse.”
“The Council members did not see the humor in these incidents,” continued Mr. Rockwell, “and I have been asked to inform you that they are taking precautions to ensure that similar pranks do not occur this year. Please be aware the punishment will be severe.” Although Mr. Rockwell’s voice sounded stern as he delivered the Council’s warning, his eyes twinkled.
“The Council will spend time touring our facilities and meeting with staff. Monday night will include a meeting with the Council for all first-year recruits, followed by a banquet for all recruits, staff, Guardian Council members, and Council Aides.”
Lincoln felt a wave of excitement. The Council was coming to visit. Maybe this was his chance to find out what had really happened to Grandpa. After all, Mr. Rockwell had told him that Grandpa went to the Council before his death, worried about some conspiracy. They had blown him off, and now he was dead. They had to know something, didn’t they? No one else would tell him anything about the investigation, not even his parents. All anyone said when he asked was that he needed to stay focused on his training and let the experts handle the investigation.
As Lincoln plotted his interrogation of the Council, he spotted Trevor leaning against a wall and quietly arguing with a blonde-haired woman whose back was turned to Lincoln. Lincoln and Trevor hadn’t spoken since orientation. Lincoln was certain Trevor was avoiding him. He seemed to leave rooms whenever Lincoln entered and had stayed away from him during tryouts. When Lincoln mentioned this to his friends, they shrugged it off as Trevor being Trevor. Milo was especially hard on him. Apparently, Trevor and Simon did not get along, and Milo blamed Trevor.
The woman arguing with Trevor turned slightly so Lincoln could see her face. It was Grace, the secretary from Roemick Tower. She spotted Lincoln staring at her and immediately stopped talking. She nudged Trevor, gestured in Lincoln’s direction, and then whispered something. Trevor nodded, and Grace slipped out of the Assembly Hall.
What were the two of them arguing about? Lincoln’s thoughts were interrupted by a sharp elbow to his ribs. “What?” he whispered to Skylar, rubbing his side. He was just glad she hadn’t hit his back. The deep scratches from the saber-tooth’s claws were still painful, though they were healing faster than Lincoln had thought they would.
“Pay attention,” she whispered back without looking at him. “You’re distracting me.”
“Fine,” he grumbled. He tried to focus on the rest of the assembly, but his thoughts kept returning to the argument he had just seen. He couldn’t shake the feeling that it somehow involved him.
LATER that night, Lincoln was sprawled across his bed reading his Rite Control manual when Skylar burst through his door. She caught him completely by surprise. He jumped and his manual went flying, banging against the wall and crashing to the floor.
“Don’t you knock?” he asked crossly as he retrieved his book from the floor.
“I need your help,” she said, ignoring his question and lifting her arm to show him her bare wrist. “I lost my watch. It must have slipped off during Commando-Ball and I never noticed.” After Mr. Rockwell’s assembly, Lincoln and his friends had gone to the arena to play Commando-Ball with several other recruits. Their game had been particularly intense. Three recruits ended up in the Trauma Center following a skirmish between the two teams. “My dad gave it to me before I came to the academy. I have to find it.” She looked ready to cry.
“Okay,” Lincoln said, glancing at his ow
n watch. They had just over an hour before curfew. “Let’s go.”
They raced through the darkness to the arena and began searching the field, using their powers to make a small circle of light surrounding them. Fifteen minutes into their search, Lincoln thought he saw something shiny next to one of the wooden forts. He walked closer, and sure enough, there was Skylar’s silver watch.
“Got it!” he yelled, holding the watch high for Skylar to see. She came running, took the watch, and hugged him tightly. Lincoln smiled.
“Thank you,” she exclaimed. “I thought it was gone forever.” Skylar let go of him and put the watch back on her wrist.
The two of them left the arena and started down the dirt path back to their dormitory. They hadn’t gone far when Lincoln heard something out in the darkness. He held his hand up, and Skylar abruptly stopped walking. There! He heard it again. Something was definitely out there, off to the right and moving farther away from them.
“Can you hear that?” he whispered to Skylar, who nodded.
“I’ll bet it’s one of the squads doing some nighttime practice,” she whispered back. She was probably right. If so, then the two of them should go take a look. They might miss curfew, but the chance to spy on the other squads was worth the risk.
“Let’s check it out,” he whispered back. Skylar nodded, and they left the path, going farther and farther into the foliage as they followed the sound. Soon they were less than a hundred feet from the Barrier.
They saw him at the same time. Trevor stood next to the Barrier, staring into Sector 8. Through the darkness, they watched him pull something from his pocket. He fidgeted with the object, and then walked through the Barrier and quickly disappeared into Sector 8, engulfed by the surrounding trees.
“He must have a wristband,” Skylar guessed.
“Maybe he stole it during tryouts,” mused Lincoln. “I wish we could follow him.”
The two of them stayed crouched for another few minutes, watching the barrier for signs of Trevor before retracing their steps back to the path and hurrying toward their dormitory.
“I knew Trevor was up to something,” Lincoln muttered. “I’ll bet that secretary is involved in this too.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I saw the two of them arguing during the assembly,” explained Lincoln.
“So ...?” Skylar shook her head.
“So then he sneaks off into Sector 8 a few hours later. There’s something going on. We need to tell Mr. Rockwell.”
“Hold on,” interjected Skylar. “You have no idea what they were arguing about, do you? And we have no idea what Trevor’s doing right now. What if he’s trying to help our squad?”
Lincoln gave her an incredulous look. “Milo and Simon hate him. You really think they would let him help the squad?”
“Simon would do anything to win, you know that.” Skylar sighed. “Listen, the only thing we know for certain is what Mr. Rockwell said during his speech. If any recruits are found in Sector 8 before the Challenge ends, the squad from their dorm will be disqualified. Think how disappointed everyone would be if we turn Trevor in, especially if all he was trying to do was help the squad.”
“So you want us to do nothing?” Lincoln protested, his voice rising.
“I didn’t say we should do nothing,” she answered calmly. “We’ll keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t try anything stupid. Besides, with the Guardian Council and all their security here during the Challenge, what damage could he really do? Maybe he’s working on a prank or something ....”
“Trevor’s not the pranking type,” Lincoln said doubtfully. His mood was even worse because he knew Skylar was right. He had forgotten Mr. Rockwell’s warning from the assembly. They couldn’t turn Trevor in if doing so would disqualify their squad. Lincoln wanted to scream. He balled his fists and vowed not to let Trevor out of his sight until the Challenge was over.
As it turned out, that vow was impossible to keep. Lincoln and Skylar spent a good portion of the next several days trying to shadow Trevor, but most days he was nowhere to be found, as if he had vanished from the academy. Lincoln was certain Trevor was somehow avoiding them, sneaking into Sector 8 undetected, and his frustration grew daily. Even Skylar was beginning to worry.
They decided to share their secret with one more person. That afternoon, they found Kennedy in the dorm great room reading a book and told her exactly what they had seen.
“He’s doing one of two things,” Kennedy told them after listening to their story. “He’s either helping our squad or trying to sabotage it. If he’s helping the squad, then we obviously don’t want to turn him in. If he’s trying to sabotage us, then turning him in just gives him what he wants.” She paused and then continued, “I hate to say it, but we should tell Simon. He’ll know what to do. The squad should be done training any minute now.”
An hour passed, then another, and then another. The bells tolled, signaling dinner, and still the squad had not returned.
“Where are they?” Kennedy asked, her patience long gone.
Lincoln shrugged his shoulders. Sean and Guga showed up. “You guys coming to dinner?” Sean asked.
“This is ridiculous,” grumbled Kennedy. “I’m done waiting. Let’s go eat.” She stood up. Just then, Milo burst through the dormitory entrance, eyes wide with fright.
“What happened?” Lincoln exclaimed, jumping from his spot on the couch.
“It’s Jack, he’s hurt. They’re taking him to the Trauma Center right now.” Before Milo could say another word, Lincoln and his friends were racing from their dorm to the Trauma Center.
They found Jack in a small room in the back of the Trauma Center, surrounded by Healers, their eyes glowing as they worked on his wounds. His eyes were closed and he was covered in blood, his face as white as a ghost. One of the Healers spotted the recruits peering through the open door and angrily motioned them away.
“He’s going to be okay, right?” Skylar asked him. The Healer didn’t answer. He just gave her a sympathetic look and then closed the door. Kennedy gave her a hug, and the group made its way to the Trauma Center waiting area.
“What happened?” Lincoln asked Milo as they sat down.
“I’m not sure,” Milo admitted. “We were split up. I was training with Tori and a few others when Simon came running, screaming that Jack was hurt. I pushed the distress button on my wristband and we followed Simon to Jack. Bernie got there a few minutes later.”
Twenty minutes later, Alice and Mr. Rockwell emerged from Jack’s room. Alice looked exhausted. Mr. Rockwell looked concerned.
Just then, Simon burst into the Trauma Center. He saw the group of recruits surrounding Mr. Rockwell and Alice. “How is he?” he asked, looking at Alice.
“He’s badly hurt, but he’s going to be okay.”
“Thank goodness,” exclaimed Sean, vocalizing the relief everyone felt.
“Tell me what happened,” Mr. Rockwell ordered Simon.
“Jack and I were practicing some rite control techniques for the Challenge. He wanted to work on his air shield, so I was throwing different things at him. Suddenly, some creature jumped from a tree and attacked me.” Simon looked embarrassed. “It caught me by surprise.” He lifted his hair, showing a bruise on his forehead. “Next thing I remember is waking up to see Jack lying thirty feet from me, covered in blood. I ran to the others as fast as I could.”
Mr. Rockwell did not look happy with this information. “The Keepers will find this creature. Jack was hurt severely. In many ways, he’s lucky to be alive. Fortunately, Alice and her friends are remarkable Healers, and Jack should be as good as new before too long.
“Unfortunately, he will not be allowed to compete in the Hunt. Even if he were feeling up to it, it would be much too risky for him. He’s sleeping now, and will do so for the next hour or two while the Healers continue working on him.
“When he does wake up, I’m certain he would appreciate some friendly faces. Perhaps yo
u could all return an hour from now to be certain you are here when he wakes?” Mr. Rockwell gave the group a tired smile and then turned and left the room.
CHAPTER 12
SPOILED AT THE LAKESHORE
THE RECRUITS SPLIT UP AS THEY LEFT THE Trauma Center. Some went to grab dinner while others went back to the dorm. Lincoln wasn’t hungry and was too restless to sit in his room. He went to the lake instead and walked along the shore, skipping rocks across the water.
“Not hungry?” Skylar’s voice startled Lincoln, and he dropped the rock he was preparing to hurl across the water.
“Not really. I thought you went back to the dorm.”
“I changed my mind.” She sat down on the grass and dangled her feet in the water.
“I’m glad Jack’s okay,” Lincoln added.
“Me too.”
Lincoln skipped one last rock across the water and sat down next to her. They sat in silence, watching the sun set across the lake.
“Do you ever think about him?” Skylar asked quietly.
“Who?”
“Your brother. I’m sorry,” she apologized before Lincoln could answer. “That’s an awful question. It’s just that no one close to me has ever died, and after what happened to Jack ... I guess I finally realized how hard it would be to lose someone you care about.” She looked up. “Sorry I brought it up.”
Lincoln looked back toward the lake. “When Noah was still alive, he and I used to share a room. Every night before we went to sleep, my parents would take us to our room and my dad would read us a book.” Lincoln smiled. “Noah used to have a set of superhero books he loved. He would cry whenever we tried to read anything else until we would finally give in and read one of his books.
“After that, we’d kneel for family prayer and then it was time for bed. Sometimes, my dad would tell us one of his bedtime stories before he turned out the lights. His stories were the best, full of spies, secret agents, superheroes, dragons ...,” Lincoln trailed off, smiling. “Now I know where he got his ideas from.”
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