BooksBarbecue
Back Angel Save as PDF
Chapters (88)
  1. Welcome
  2. Dedication
  3. To the reader
  4. BOOK ONE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. BOOK TWO
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. BOOK THREE
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. EPILOGUE
  87. Books by James Patterson
  88. Cover Page

He didn’t speak again, and gradually my muscles relaxed in his warmth. And I noticed how well my body curved into his… a perfect fit.

As if we were engineered that way.

I fell into a deep sleep tucked in that little cocoon, a deeper sleep than I might have had in years.

Right up until someone kicked me and said, “Gotcha!”

26

I JUMPED TO my feet and landed in a semicrouched position, fists at the ready.

Angel put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. “Very fierce,” she said. “It would have been much fiercer if I hadn’t been able to sneak up on you while you were sleeping.”

She raised an eyebrow. I resisted looking at Dylan, who was now standing beside me, but I felt my ears get warm as I remembered the way we’d fallen asleep last night, his arm around me.

“Hi,” I said inadequately, and pushed my dusty hair out of my eyes.

“Yeah,” she said dryly. “Once everyone was back home and patched up, I wanted to come find you, to make sure you were okay.”

“I’m always okay,” I said. “How’s everyone else?”

“Pretty good. Your mom has a cast on her arm. Jeb has a cast on his leg. Iggy and Nudge are actually kind of a mess—Nudge needed eighty-seven stitches, and Iggy got a hundred and three. Gazzy has two cracked ribs.”

My eyes widened. I’d left them…

“But they’re okay, really,” Angel went on. “They’ll heal fast. So, what’s the deal down there, anyway?” I quickly caught her up on the eyeless kids guarding the school.

She sighed deeply and shook her head. “When will they learn? Poor kids.”

“Don’t feel too sorry for them. Even without eyes, their aim was still pretty accurate. Hey, can you pick up anything coming from there, thoughtwise?” I asked.

Angel sat very still and closed her eyes. Dylan and I sat down too, but I refused to look at him. After a couple minutes, Angel frowned and opened her eyes.

“I didn’t get anything,” she said. “You’re sure they’re humanoid, not bots of some kind?”

Dylan laughed. “Yeah, like robots, covered with skin and stuff? Science fiction.”

“You have much to learn, Grasshopper,” I said, then turned to Angel. “What say we fly overhead and lure them out. When you see them, you can try to play puppet master and get them to put down their weapons. Sound good?”

Angel nodded, stood up, and brushed off her jeans. “Let’s do it.”