by Lisa McMann
“Makes you wonder why they call it a brief, I’ll bet,” joked Mrs. Wilde.
Mrs. Barnes laughed. “You said it.”
“We’d love to have him anytime.”
“Cool,” said Mac. “Thanks for everything, Mrs. Dr. Wilde. Especially the pie.” He waved his iPad at Charlie. “See you later.” He and his mother turned to go back inside. Mrs. Barnes rested her hand on her son’s shoulder as they walked into the house together.
CHAPTER 23
A Minor Breakthrough
First thing Sunday morning, Charlie called Maria, worried that her friend was miffed at her for not being able to come to her rescue. “Are you doing okay?” she asked carefully.
“Yeah,” said Maria, sounding sheepish. “I’m sorry I got weird yesterday. I was really worried that the boys would see me. It was fine later once I changed back. And then I felt bad for hanging up on you to talk to Kelly. I was desperate for help.”
Charlie relaxed. “Aw, I don’t blame you. I wanted to come.”
“I was a little mad that Mac didn’t respond.”
“He had his device activated and was wearing his suit, so he couldn’t reach his phone.”
“Oh.” Maria hesitated, then admitted, “I guess I was a little jealous that you two got to hang out all day and I was stuck home with my stepbrothers. Mac and I didn’t even get to go to our Saturday morning movie. So everything felt off and weird and then the monkey thing happened again.” She sighed.
“How was Kelly?” asked Charlie.
“She was fine, I guess. In the condo alone. She helped me change back, so that was good. I told her we found your dad, and she seemed happy about that. Then I suggested she at least take a walk on the beach or the boardwalk. She said she’d think about it.”
“Maybe that’ll help her feel better about everything.”
“I hope so,” said Maria.
“So . . . do you have to babysit again today?”
“No, thankfully, but I have to be here for Sunday lunch. Can you come?”
Charlie wanted to go. But she wanted to see her father more, and try to figure out how they were going to rescue him. “I’d better not,” she said with a sigh. “My mom needs my help.”
“I get it,” said Maria. “I wish I could help you.”
“Did you invite Mac?” Charlie asked.
“Yeah, he’s coming.”
Now Charlie felt left out. But it was by her choice. And she didn’t want her mom to go to home base alone—the way things had been going lately, she might not come back. Her mom needed Charlie for protection, not just for somebody to talk to. Charlie fought the heart-sinking feeling and put on a smile. “Good. Maybe you two can come again tomorrow.”
“Definitely,” Maria said. “Already asked my mom and it’s cool. It sure is easier being with you if I start to change again. And . . . maybe we can even do some training. Like your mom suggested.”
“That sounds good. Well, I’ll see you two tomorrow, then,” said Charlie. She tried not to let her loneliness get her down.
Charlie and her mom spent a quiet day observing the soldiers. Before she left, Ms. Sabbith had started to keep a log of things that seemed habitual—like most of the soldiers taking lunch at the same time every day, or Dr. Gray spending mornings in the lab and going to his office in the afternoons to work privately. A few patterns were beginning to emerge, and Mrs. Wilde added them to the notebook.
Ms. Sabbith texted to check in with them. “Has Dr. Sharma communicated with you yet?”
“Just a few glances at the ladybug cam,” replied Mrs. Wilde.
“Hmm. Nothing from the dragonfly? Seemed like there was a moment or two late every evening where Gray left the guys alone in the room. Isn’t that happening now?”
Mrs. Wilde pursed her lips. “I didn’t know about that. We’ve left by nine every night because Mac and Maria needed to be home. Maybe we can stay late tonight—it’s just Charlie and me today.”
There was a short pause before Ms. Sabbith responded. “Or you could just rewind the video and watch it back.”
Mrs. Wilde and Charlie looked at each other in surprise. “That’s a thing?” asked Charlie.
“Apparently so,” said her mom. She laughed ruefully and responded, “How do we do that?”
Ms. Sabbith gave the instructions and apologized for neglecting to mention that feature.
Before they could get started, Mrs. Wilde’s phone rang. It was Andy, FaceTiming from camping. “Hey, Mom! Hi, Charlie!” he said. His nose was red from sunburn.
“Is everything okay?” Mrs. Wilde asked, immediately worried.
“Yeah, it’s great! I’m having a blast.”
“That’s a relief. I love that you’re having so much fun.”
Andy glanced over both shoulders, then said quietly, “Anything new with Dad?”
“Just the updates I’ve texted you,” said Mrs. Wilde. “I’ll keep you informed, and don’t worry about us. We’re doing fine.” She showed him the lab screen so he could see Mr. Wilde working, then asked, “What’s your favorite thing about Sedona so far? The red rocks?”
“Those are really awesome, but I like the Red Planet Diner. It’s like this alien restaurant. . . .” He prattled on about the places they were planning to go in the coming days, like shopping in the Tlaquepaque Village and exploring Slide Rock in Oak Creek Canyon. But the thing he was most looking forward to was taking a day-trip to Bearizona, near Flagstaff. “The animals aren’t even in cages,” he said, “And you get to drive through to see bears and wolves wandering around, like, right next to you. It sounds crazy. I can’t wait.”
“Just keep your body parts inside the vehicle, you hear me?”
“Yes, Mom. I’m not stupid.”
Mrs. Wilde laughed. “I know. You’re pretty smart, actually.” She paused, smiling at him and his sunburned nose. “Wear sunblock, too.”
“I do! I just forgot to put some on my nose yesterday, that’s why it’s burned. I did my shoulders, though.”
“Good job. I love you, kiddo.”
“Love you too, Mom. And you too, Charlie. And Dad—tell him if you see him.”
“I will.”
They hung up.
“I almost miss him,” said Charlie.
“I’m so relieved he’s having fun. I think the stress of this would be a bit much for him.”
“It’s not for me, though,” said Charlie.
Mom looked at Charlie for a long moment. “You really are quite mature for twelve.”
“Twelve and a half,” Charlie said.
Mom laughed. “Because that’s a real sign of maturity to keep counting your age in half years.”
“Well, at my age, that half year is like five percent of my life, you know. It still matters.” She pulled up the calculator on her cell phone and did the math. “Four percent. Okay, not quite five, but still.” She grinned cheekily.
Mom ruffled her daughter’s hair. “Fair enough. And you’re pretty smart with math. Do you ever think about what you want to be? Maybe a scientist or a doctor like Dad and me?”
Charlie closed the calculator app and turned back to the surveillance computer. “Well, that’s kind of a silly question, isn’t it? I’m going to be a superhero, Mom. Obviously.”
“Obviously,” Mrs. Wilde repeated. “Okay, Ms. Superhero, see if you can figure out how to rewind the dragonfly footage.”
Charlie followed Ms. Sabbith’s instructions, and soon she was moving the cursor back to the events of Friday evening. She found the moment the scientists were ushered into the room, and they listened and watched with disgust as Cyke and Dr. Gray tied up her father and the other two for the night. Then Dr. Gray leaned against the front of his desk and started talking.
Charlie and her mother stared. What Dr. Gray said was horrifying. Charlie couldn’t understand it at first, but then Dr. Sharma’s questions began to clarify his intentions to turn the soldiers into actual chimeras.
“That’s crazy,” said Charlie.
“Dr. Gray is insane,” muttered Mrs. Wilde. “I mean, we knew that already, but this plan—it’s frightening!” She shook her head. “What possible reason would he have to do this if he wasn’t plotting some sort of attack? He’s delusional! We have to stop him.”
Charlie nodded, scared. While her mom called Ms. Sabbith back to tell her what they’d witnessed, Charlie texted Mac and Maria the horrible details. After Mrs. Wilde hung up, they looked at each other soberly. Then Charlie’s mom nodded at the screen. “Keep going,” she said. Charlie pressed Play.
When the video came to the part where the scientists slept, Charlie almost turned the footage off. But she moved the tape forward, just in case, and saw Dr. Gray get up to talk to Cyke. She played it, and when the two stepped out, she and her mom heard Dr. Sharma’s whispers to them to keep watching, and to wait for Jack Goldstein to get his strength back. That they would work together to coordinate the escape. And then they saw Charles find out about them.
They both broke down when they saw him cry.
CHAPTER 24
Maria Embraces Her Inner Primate
On Monday morning Mac and Maria showed up at the Wilde house eager to be together again, and the four of them set off with lunches packed.
Mac and Maria had researched some spy strategies at Maria’s house on Sunday to help them avoid being followed in case some of Dr. Gray’s soldiers were scouting the area in search of them. At their suggestion, Mrs. Wilde drove slowly once she reached the downtown area so that all traffic behind her would naturally wish to pass her. Anyone who didn’t pass could be trying to follow them. She also agreed to park the Subaru in different areas, like on the street one day, in the parking lot behind the building the next, trying to keep it always in distant sight of the cardinal camera so they could watch for anything suspicious to happen when they weren’t near it. And while there weren’t many crowds to stick with, which would be the safest way to travel on foot, Maria said they should never walk alone. If they felt they were being followed, they should go inside a shop or walk around the block and see if they could shake whoever was on their tail, because most people heading anywhere have no need to go in a complete square.
Today the coast looked clear. And being Monday, there were a few pedestrians around. Mrs. Wilde parked on the street a block behind home base, in sight of the cardinal cam through the narrow alley.
The four of them headed into the building and up the stairs. Mrs. Wilde unlocked the door and let everyone into the surveillance room.
Charlie, who’d brought along the local paper, laid it out on a table and showed Mac and Maria the recent article. They bent over it and read. Then they talked more about Dr. Gray’s crazy plan.
“It’s terrible,” said Maria. “And even worse, it sounds like the soldiers will be harder to fight if they have more abilities. Um . . . no way.” She stood up and shoved her hair behind one ear. “We have to stop him.”
Charlie nodded. “That’s right. We do.” She noticed Maria was wearing her bracelet. She hadn’t been sure Maria was going to want to keep it even after she’d put it on the other day, but Maria seemed like she’d made a definite choice now. “Maybe later, once people clear out of the building for the day, we can test your skills.”
Maria’s look of determination didn’t waver. “Okay. Let’s see if this device actually makes me stronger.”
“Deal,” said Charlie.
“I’ll show you what I can do too,” said Mac. “In the meantime there’s something I’ve been wanting to do.” He went over to the camera controls next to Mrs. Wilde.
She looked up at him. “Do you want to take over for a bit?”
“Yes, please,” said Mac. He expertly switched to the roach cam.
Mrs. Wilde moved to the desk Dr. Sharma had used for her research and began rummaging around in the broken drawer.
“What are you looking for, Mom?” Charlie asked.
“An extra key to this office. I want you kids to have one just in case you ever get locked out.” She pulled open another drawer and found a ring of keys sitting there. “Here we go.” She grabbed it and went to try the doors to see which ones would work.
Charlie went to the monitors and watched over Mac’s shoulder. “What are you doing?” she asked.
“Practicing the roach controls some more,” said Mac. “So that when we see an opportunity, I can move it out of the hallway into the lab like Dr. Sharma was trying to do. If we can get her to notice it, maybe she’ll have a chance to tell us more. But first I need to get better at controlling it.”
Mrs. Wilde came back to the surveillance area and handed Charlie a set of keys. “Maybe we could stay later tonight to see if they say anything on the dragonfly cam in Gray’s office. When do you kids need to be home?”
“Ten o’clock,” said Mac. “But that’s if I’m walking. Maybe I can get my parents to let me stay later if they know you’re driving me home.”
“And I can just stay overnight at your house,” suggested Maria. “Then I won’t have to go home at all.”
Mrs. Wilde nodded. “That sounds good, Maria. Mac, check with your parents and we’ll give it a try.”
Mac practiced his roach maneuvering skills on and off while making notes in the log book. By the time he felt good enough at the controls and ready to sneak the thing into the lab, the soldiers seemed to be more active than usual, and he didn’t dare to take any chances. He held back.
Nearby Charlie and Maria studied the plans of the ninth floor of the bank building, identifying the various rooms and trying to figure out which one was the lab and which room was Dr. Gray’s office.
“I wonder what’s on all the other floors?” said Maria, looking at those plans, too.
“More empty offices, I suppose.”
“Or maybe the vault.”
“Maybe.” Charlie looked through all the blueprints carefully, thinking that if they ever ended up going across the street to rescue the scientists, they’d better know their way around the other floors a little, too.
By seven o’clock their building was quiet. After Mrs. Wilde checked for any straggling workers, she gave the kids the all clear to mess around in the hallway to their hearts’ content—as long as they tried not to break anything. Maria, Mac, and Charlie left Mrs. Wilde at the camera controls and headed into the hallway.
“Okay, let’s see what this bracelet of yours can do,” said Charlie.
“Finally,” said Maria.
Mac raised an eyebrow. “This from the girl who never wanted to wear it again two days ago.”
Maria sniffed. “I changed my mind. Charlie’s mom—she convinced me. She needs me to do this.” She started pressing buttons with Charlie looking over her right shoulder and Mac looking over her left. She came to a screen called “Manual Transformation” and cringed. “That’s the one I pushed the first time,” she said. She clicked it. Her body changed instantly, sporting the same howler monkey features as before.
“So, the bracelet lets you turn on your enhancements in case it doesn’t happen naturally,” said Charlie. “Wish I could do that with mine.” She tried not to sound annoyed.
They soon came across a screen on Maria’s device that she’d never seen before. It was an animated picture of a howler monkey bouncing on its feet. With each bounce its arms, legs, and tail grew a little longer. Then the word TURBO flashed once and everything went back to its original size and started over.
“Turbo, what?” said Mac. “Cool!”
“What do you suppose this does?” asked Maria, though it sounded as if she had a good idea.
Charlie couldn’t take her eyes off the monkey. “I think I can guess,” she said in a low voice.
Mac looked at the girls and nodded enthusiastically. “Do you want to click on it?”
Maria closed her eyes. “I hope I don’t regret this,” she said, and tapped the screen. A second later her arms, legs, and tail all started growing, making her proportions more monkey-like.
“Yikes!” said Charlie.
“Ho-leeeeey,” said Mac.
“Whoa.” Maria peered down at herself, aghast.
“Does it hurt?” asked Charlie.
“No,” said Maria carefully, her voice shaking. “It feels . . . strange.”
“I think it’s stopping now,” said Mac.
He and Charlie took a step back and looked at Maria. She was now a few inches taller than them, her limbs all stretched out. Her shirtsleeves now only reached just past her elbows, and her jeans were like capris. Her furry arms and legs were exposed. Her tail curled and hung nearly to the ground.
Charlie had no idea how Maria would react to this. “It’s going to be okay,” she said automatically, and searched Maria’s face for signs of tears. But Maria was examining herself all over. She tested the spring in her step and swished her tail left and right and left again. And then she examined her fingers, which had grown longer too. “Well,” she said, “Turbo monkey mode seems to be a thing. Let’s hope it can help stop that maniac, Dr. Gray.”
With that, she took a few tentative steps, trying to get used to walking on longer legs, then tried running up and down the hallway. She did a handspring, a front flip, and ran up the wall and vaulted backward off it, landing a bit unsteady but triumphant. She practiced a few more, growing better with each one.
Charlie and Mac exchanged a relieved glance—Maria seemed to be embracing the changes. All Charlie could hope for now was that Maria could just as easily switch out of Turbo Mode. Because if this look was the new normal, there’d be no way to cover it up with a scarf.
CHAPTER 25
Making Progress
Monday evening flew by. Mac joined the action by showing Maria the new stuff he’d discovered about his device.
“What animal are you?” Maria said. It was the question of the week.
“I still don’t know. It’s mostly just a defensive kind, I guess,” said Mac sheepishly. “Even the scales can’t really hurt anybody unless they’re really trying to rough me up.” He tried not to reveal how disappointed he was that he didn’t seem to have any kind of offensive attack feature, but Charlie knew he was feeling it.
