by Lisa McMann
“What do you want?” Charlie demanded.
“Hello again, Charlie Wilde,” purred the leopard man. “It’s so nice to see you. And you’ve brought me just the person I’ve been hoping for. How convenient.”
Who? What did he mean? “Get behind me!” Charlie whispered to the others. She glanced at Maria, who was still in monkey mode, then Charlie sidestepped in front of her to shield her. But Maria wasn’t having it. She moved forward and joined Charlie in staring down the soldier. Prowl slunk toward them into the light of a streetlamp and rolled his clawed fingers in the air. They glinted. Before Charlie could react, he leaped over her head and pounced . . . on Dr. Quinn Sharma.
CHAPTER 20
Abducted
Dr. Sharma hit the ground hard, knocking the sandwiches out of Mrs. Wilde’s hands and sending her reeling backward, too. The biologist’s glasses flew off her face and skittered into the adjacent empty parking lot.
It took Charlie a second to realize what had happened. She and Maria whirled around, seeing Prowl crouched on top of Dr. Sharma. “Just happened to be in the neighborhood?” Prowl asked.
“Get off her!” Maria sprang at Prowl, landing on his back. Charlie was right behind and slammed into them, accidentally knocking Maria off. Prowl tightened his grip.
“Let go of me!” shouted Dr. Sharma, swinging her fists at him. Mrs. Wilde ran up to him to try to shove him off, but the cat lashed back and barreled into her, ramming her into the side of the building. She stayed there, stunned and breathless as Prowl bounded back to Dr. Sharma.
Maria bounced up. She swished her prehensile tail and jumped on top of the Dumpster, then grabbed on to a telephone pole and swung around it. Releasing her grip, she flew downward at Prowl, knocking him to one side, but Prowl sank his claws into Dr. Sharma’s shoulders and didn’t let go. The scientist screamed in pain as they rolled.
Charlie felt her fingers tingle. She leaped up and gripped the corner of the nearest building and climbed higher, then pushed herself awkwardly away, trying to twist and land on the soldier. But Prowl rolled the other way at the last second, and Charlie hit the ground hard at an awkward angle. Fire ripped through her shoulder, and she lay stunned.
Maria, using the building as a springboard, ran up the wall to gain height and momentum and leaped at Prowl again, but the leopard man was too agile. He batted her out of the way, sending her crashing to the pavement too. Dr. Sharma lunged, trying to roll the soldier away so she could get up. Charlie staggered to her feet to help but immediately dropped to her knees as pain sliced through her. It was so intense she couldn’t breathe. Quickly Prowl grabbed Dr. Sharma, pinned her arms, and began running with her toward the bank building, covering the woman’s mouth to stop her screams.
“Get up, Chuck!” shouted Maria, running over to Charlie. “Prowl’s kidnapping Dr. Sharma!” She continued after the soldier.
“No!” said Mrs. Wilde, getting to her feet. “Stop! Maria, come back!”
Maria slowed to a stop and looked back with uncertainty. She realized that Charlie hadn’t gotten up and came running back to her friend’s side and dropped to her knees. “Are you okay?”
Charlie’s mom knelt next to her and checked her over.
“It’s my shoulder.” Charlie writhed and groaned. “It’s on fire. Check my bracelet, Maria,” she said. “Is the starfish animated?”
Maria quickly clicked to the right screen. “No,” she said.
“Ugh. I was afraid of that.”
“Oh no!” said Maria. She peered down the alleyway, but Prowl and Dr. Sharma were gone from sight. “What are we going to do now?”
“At least . . . we know . . . where he’s taking her,” said Charlie, taking quick, sharp breaths as she fought through the pain.
“Your shoulder is dislocated,” Mrs. Wilde said. “I need to pop it back in. Then we’ll worry about Dr. Sharma.”
“Oh, please no,” said Charlie. “Is that as horrifying as it sounds?” She’d never dislocated her shoulder before, but she’d seen a soccer friend do it back in Chicago. It wasn’t pretty.
“Yes,” admitted Mrs. Wilde. “It’ll go quickly, though. Come on.” She gently helped Charlie to her feet. “Maria, grab the sandwiches if you can find them while I take care of Charlie’s shoulder.”
“Gladly,” said Maria. She covered her ears and turned around so she couldn’t see what was happening.
It didn’t take long. And as soon as Charlie’s shoulder was back in place, she felt tremendous relief and the pain was more manageable. “Whew,” said Charlie. “That’s better.” Gingerly she checked the bracelet and saw the starfish pulsing. “It’s working now.”
“Maybe it couldn’t start healing you until your shoulder was back in place,” said Maria, returning with the sandwiches.
“Maybe,” agreed Charlie.
“Can you make it to the building?” Mrs. Wilde asked. “Poor Mac has probably seen Prowl with Dr. Sharma on the cameras by now. He’ll freak out if we don’t show up soon.”
Maria carried the sandwiches and the three of them limped together back to home base, trying not to despair over the most recent turn of events.
Mac’s head was poking out of the door to the surveillance area, his face awash in fear. “Sheesh!” he exclaimed when he saw them coming. “I’m really glad to see you. What happened?”
“Did you notice where Prowl went?” asked Charlie. “Is Dr. Sharma okay?”
“He took her into the bank building. Come on. I’ll show you.” Mac ran over to the computer that controlled the drones.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing with that?” asked Maria.
“Yeah. I watched everything Ms. Sabbith did. It’s not hard.” Nobody tried to stop him from touching the equipment—he was their official tech genius now. He moved the ladybug cam to the big screen. Cyke stood at the door of the laboratory, and they caught sight of Dr. Sharma pulling out of Prowl’s grasp and running over to Jack Goldstein in his workstation chair. She touched his face and hugged him gently. Prowl went after her, looking like he was going to pull her away, but another soldier stopped him by putting her hand up.
“That’s the claw woman!” Charlie said.
“Her name is Zed,” said Mac. “I heard Cyke say it through the roach cam in the hallway when he let her into the room a little while ago.”
Maria nodded. “Look—she’s letting them hug.” Indeed Zed continued to hold Prowl back while looking on quietly as the two biologists reunited. Then Dr. Sharma turned to Charlie’s dad and hugged him too. She looked disheveled but not seriously hurt, though she had some bloody spots on her clothing near her shoulders where Prowl’s claws had sunk in.
“Whew,” said Mrs. Wilde, relieved. “At least she’s okay.”
“Yes,” said Charlie, “but now what are we supposed to do?”
“I’m . . . not sure.” Mrs. Wilde watched the screen, then quickly went to the window and began pacing, rubbing her temples as she did so, clearly deep in thought. “Actually, maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world that she got captured. Now she can fill in the other two. But how are we supposed to get them out of there?”
While the kids opened their squashed sandwiches and ate, Mrs. Wilde called Ms. Sabbith and got her voice mail. “She’s probably on the plane,” she muttered, then left a message. She came back and looked over the kids’ shoulders at the screens.
“What’s happening there?” asked Maria, pointing to the ladybug view. Prowl and Zed appeared to be having an argument in the lab. “Looks like the cats aren’t getting along at the moment.”
“It’s interesting,” said Mac. “Zed showed up with Dr. Gray after you left to get the sandwiches. I think she’s helping the scientists or something, but with her claws she can’t seem to do much intricate stuff.” Mac coughed a few times and pulled out his inhaler. “Dr. Gray seems to be trying to get them to work faster. Tapping his watch, wild gestures, stuff like that.” He used his inhaler and put it away again.
&n
bsp; “I wonder if Prowl told Dr. Gray about us yet. We need to get the roach in there so we can hear what’s going on.” Maria got down on the floor and started to do her yoga and meditation exercises to try to turn back into her normal self.
Charlie kept a close eye on the screens.
Mac nudged Charlie with his elbow. “What happened?”
Charlie recounted the altercation near the restaurant and how they’d then run into Prowl, who seemed to be delighted to grab Dr. Sharma rather than Charlie or Maria. “He didn’t try to do anything to get my bracelet this time.”
“I can’t believe we’re on our own now,” said Maria, looking up from her relaxation exercises. “Everything just changed.”
“In a big way,” said Mac.
Charlie nodded. What were they supposed to do without Dr. Sharma or Ms. Sabbith?
Mrs. Wilde snapped out of her thoughts. Her eyes landed on Charlie’s Mark Five. Then she turned to Mac and Maria. “You’re right—everything is different now. And I think you should put your bracelets back on for your own safety. If Mac had been with us instead of Maria, he would have been in big trouble. He wouldn’t have been able to help Charlie against those monsters. Now I really understand why you took the bracelets from the warehouse in the first place.” She glanced at the screens. “I don’t think the soldiers know where we’re camped out, but there’s no doubt they’ll be watching for us again.”
“Sweet,” said Mac, jumping to his feet. “Does anybody know where the devices are?”
“I saw them in Dr. Sharma’s drawer,” said Charlie.
Mac went over to the desk and pulled on the drawer handle. It didn’t open. He tugged again. “It’s locked,” he said, crestfallen.
“Pfft,” said Charlie. She got up and joined him. “Stand back.” She grabbed on to the handle and yanked on it. The drawer front splintered and came off in her hand.
Charlie stepped aside and Mac peered into it and grabbed the devices. He held the Mark Two out. “Here, Maria.”
“I don’t want it.” Maria didn’t open her eyes. She kept breathing deeply.
Mac and Charlie exchanged a look. “She did fine without it today,” Charlie said quietly. “Does she even need to wear it at all?”
Mac shrugged. “Dr. Sharma said there might be enhancements. It seems like the scientists wouldn’t waste time making a whole fancy clip-on bracelet with a screen and buttons if there’s no need to keep wearing it. If it was just a one-time DNA change, wouldn’t they have just made an injection or something like that instead?”
Charlie tapped her lips thoughtfully. “Hmm,” she said. “Good point.”
“I’ll bet the device does something extra,” Mac said, turning to Maria. “Like make you stronger or more powerful or something.”
Maria looked up, her eyes clouded. Then she glanced at the scientists on the monitors, and then at Charlie’s mom. “But . . .” She sighed. “I don’t know. I don’t want enhancements. I want it to disappear.”
Mrs. Wilde was watching the children quietly, looking very somber. “You don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to, Maria,” she said. “But with Dr. Sharma captured and Ms. Sabbith two thousand miles away, we need to rethink things and take every precaution to keep ourselves safe. And . . .” She hesitated. “Wearing the bracelet isn’t all I want you to do.”
Mac slapped his device on his wrist and grinned, then looked up. “What else?”
“You kids need to train.”
Mac blinked like he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.
Charlie’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“I saw you and Maria in action—you’re both more powerful than I expected you to be. And since we’re on our own now, I want you three to know how to use the devices and your abilities in every possible way to protect yourselves from attacks. And also . . . to be ready. In case.”
“In case of . . . what?” asked Maria.
“In case we need your help to rescue the scientists once Ms. Sabbith gets back.”
Charlie could hardly believe what her mother was saying. It seemed logical to Charlie—they should practice their skills, but she’d never thought she’d hear her mom saying that. “Do you think Ms. Sabbith will come right back when she finds out what happened?”
“I’m going to ask her about that. But it’s also crucial that she gets all the items Dr. Sharma needs in order to fix Maria’s problem. That’s important too.”
Maria stared for a long moment. Then, without a word, she slipped the Mark Two on her wrist.
CHAPTER 21
Trying to Communicate
That night Quinn Sharma sat tied up in a chair next to her former colleagues in Dr. Gray’s office. She stared at the floor. Victor faced them, leaning against his desk, arms folded over his chest. Cyke stood guard at the door. Charles was rigid in his chair, his face haggard but expressionless. Jack’s eyes were closed, his head propped up by the wall behind him. He looked better than he had in the past few days but still not well.
“It’s actually quite nice to have you all here,” Victor said. He appeared wistful rather than combative tonight.
Charles was never sure what to expect from the man, but he looked up, and instinct told him to play along. Maybe he could get some information. “It is, isn’t it?” he said cautiously, hoping Quinn and Jack would play along too.
Quinn’s dark expression flickered. After a beat she lifted her head. “Yes. Great to see everyone after so much time.” She struggled to make the words sound like they weren’t dead. She shifted in her chair—her shoulders ached where Prowl’s claws had sunk in. And she had to force herself not to look at the ceiling vent to see if the dragonfly was still there. She didn’t see any reason why Mac or Diana would move it, but she wasn’t in control anymore. An ER doctor and three kids were. Maybe when Victor left for the night, she could communicate with them. But Cyke was within range too. She wasn’t sure how she was going to do it—or even what to tell them if she had the chance. They must be freaking out and wondering what to do. But she saw a glint of possibility now that she’d had a chance in the lab to whisper a few words to the other two about their setup across the street. She was aching to tell them more and start coming up with a plan to get out of here.
She glanced at Jack, whose head had lolled to the side. He was in no condition to escape. He needed to get his strength back first. A few more days at least. She hoped she’d have a chance to tell Diana and the kids not to do anything rash.
“And you, Jack?” asked Victor. “Are you having more fun now?”
Jack lifted his head and glared at Victor. He very nearly lashed out in anger, but then Charles caught his eye.
“Jack’s tired,” Charles said, speaking carefully for his friend. “But he’s starting to feel better. Aren’t you, Jack?”
Dr. Goldstein closed his eyes again and turned his head away. “Yeah.”
Victor seemed pleased with that. “You’ve done good work today,” he said.
“Maybe you could untie him, at least,” ventured Dr. Sharma, “so he can sleep more comfortably?”
Victor chuckled under his breath. “No, I don’t think so.”
Quinn laughed too, as if she’d meant it like a joke. She didn’t press it. It was clear to all that while Dr. Gray seemed to enjoy their company, he didn’t trust them. They had to find a way to make that happen.
Charles leaned forward, seeing a chance to clue in Quinn, who hadn’t been given as much information as he and Jack yet. “I’ve been meaning to ask you, Victor. What’s your endgame? Obviously,” he said, throwing a swift glance at Quinn, “you have us working on a new device to improve on your old one, so each soldier can have powers from multiple animals. But why not have us replicate the Mark Five so there are no physical changes? Then your group of soldiers would blend into the world like other people, rather than hiding behind masks.”
Quinn’s eyes widened the slightest bit and she kept silent, listening.
“Ah,”
said Victor. “That’s a great question. But you don’t seem to understand my vision at all, and I’m disappointed by that.”
Charles sat back in his chair, confused. “Oh. I—I’m sorry. Can you explain what you mean? So we can all do a better job of taking our work in that direction?”
Victor frowned, almost as if he detected something fishy about the question, but he went on anyway. “I’ve no interest in hiding anything in the long run,” he stressed. “I don’t want anyone to blend in.”
Quinn looked confused. “I don’t follow.”
Dr. Gray grew more impassioned. “Eventually I want everyone to see the enhancements. The goal is a chimera race—superior beings!”
Charles and Quinn froze, and Jack opened his eyes and lifted his head again. No one spoke for a moment. And then Jack said incredulously, “Literal chimeras?”
“Yes!” cried Dr. Gray. “True chimeras, boasting actual animal features, with no one feeling ashamed or needing to cover up with a suit. My soldiers will have the very best abilities from the animal kingdom!”
Quinn’s mouth went dry. She didn’t know what to say. She glanced at Charles and Jack. They were speechless as well. Then she turned to Victor. “Fascinating,” she said, her voice faint. “I admit I need some time to process that. It’s very . . . very . . .” She trailed off.
“Ambitious?” said Dr. Gray, a glint in his eye. “Yes, I know. But now that I have your help, I have renewed hope, renewed excitement that I can see this plan come to fruition. It’s my life’s dream. I’m fully devoted to seeing it through.” His expression softened as he looked at Quinn. “My single-animal soldiers were just the beginning. Now that I have you three to produce devices that offer multiple features, I’ll begin testing on my subjects to determine the best combination. And once I’ve figured that out . . .” His faint smile as he trailed off was sickening. He didn’t say what he was planning to do next. Dr. Gray turned sharply to look at Quinn. “Do you understand now?”
