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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

Angel nodded and paused the video.

I stared at the computer screen, my face frozen, laughing into Fang’s face. He was looking at her exactly the way he used to look at me. I hadn’t thought I could possibly feel worse about the whole Fang fiasco, but I’d been wrong.

Not only had he left, but he’d replaced me. Like, immediately. Replaced me with an exact copy of me. How unfair was that? I mean, even if I could replace Fang with an identical but more reasonable copy of Fang, I wou—

“What’s that?” Dylan pointed at the computer.

I blinked, feeling like I’d been dipped into a fresh vat of pain. My gaze numbly followed his finger, then I saw the small TV screen in the background.

“What?” I could barely get the word out. I just wanted to go stand in a hot shower and not think.

“Look,” said Dylan.

“Oh, my gosh,” said Angel. She let the video resume.

I swallowed and tried to focus. Then I saw it: on the TV in Fang’s hotel room was a breaking news report. The headline was “The Doomsday Group: The Earth or Us?”

Fang pointed at the TV and said something I couldn’t make out. The other kids nodded.

Dylan, Angel, and I looked at one another. I felt like we were the only sane people left in a crazy, unpredictable world. Which means you should be afraid. Very, very afraid.

“What’s going on?” I wondered aloud, frustrated.

“Whatever it is, it looks like Fang wants to find out too,” said Angel.

I clenched my jaw. “Okay. Tomorrow. School.”

36

“BUT WHY ARE you going if we can’t go?” Nudge asked for the third time.

I covered my eyes with my hands, trying to relieve my throbbing headache. I had gotten practically no sleep last night, what with everybody acting like Pod People and then seeing Fang and his Max replacement living it up online. Plus, Total had insisted on staying at the foot of my bed, and he talked in his sleep—about his honeymoon. Frankly, TMI.

“You know why, Nudge,” I said under my breath. “I need to see what’s making the kids all Looney Tunes, get to the root of this Boom Boom Cult.” I saw Ella eyeing me from across the room. “I’m really interested in learning about their cause,” I said loudly, trying to sound sincere, which, let’s face it, is a stretch for me.

“Angel and Dylan are going,” Nudge pointed out.

“Angel can read minds,” I said under my breath again. “Might be useful for getting in. And I… need Dylan there. For support.” He gave me one of his dazzling smiles from across the room. I wolfed down a banana, ignoring the critical look on Nudge’s face.

“Nudge can come!” zombie Ella piped up. “Everyone can come. The Doomsday Group will set us free.”