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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

Dylan said, “Maybe they figured that with all of us there, you and me and the rest of the flock, there was no way we’d let them die. If the accident was planned, and Hans somehow escaped out the front of the plane before it hit the ground, maybe they knew that we would come through for them somehow.”

I tried taking some slow, deep breaths. I didn’t, couldn’t, believe that my mom would really put us on a plane she thought would crash. But they were right—something was sketchy. My stomach was in knots. My chest hurt.

“Maybe Jeb kidnapped my mom?” I suggested hopefully.

“She does love you, Max,” Angel said, crossing over to me. “She absolutely does. I can feel it. But everyone involved with the Doomsday Group seems to put the situation above the people, you know? Like, the end of the world is bigger than who loves who or who wants to be with whomever. Maybe she—maybe they’re all still convinced that they’re acting for the greater good.”

“Argh,” I said, covering my eyes with my hands, the blank faces of the Doomsday zombies flashing before me. “There’s nothing more dangerous than someone trying to act for the greater good.” I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. I looked at the floor, at my feet, anywhere but at the caring faces of my flock. I wanted to crawl into a little hole and not have to deal with any of this.

Then, with my next breath, I got angry again. This was my fault. This was what I got for trusting people, for letting them in. My mom was my weak spot, and I had been stupid! Naive! What had I been thinking?

I stood up, my face determined. “Maybe you guys are right. I hope we’re all wrong. But until we know that, until I can really believe that, we need to close ranks right now, to protect ourselves.”

“What do you mean, Max?” Nudge asked.

“I mean we should make a pact, today. A pact that from now on, no matter what, we will never again trust a grown-up.”

Nudge’s eyes got big, and even Dylan looked surprised.

I held out my fist. One by one, they each made fists and stacked them on top of mine. Then Total pushed a paw up under my hand. I tapped Iggy’s hand twice, he tapped Gazzy’s, and so on, until we had all agreed. And that was that.

This had been quite the year for heartbreak and disillusionment.

42

“OKAY, NO GROWN-UPS,” Gazzy said. “What now?”

“Ella,” I said. “She’s not a grown-up. If she’s in on everything, we need to pump her for information. If she’s innocent, we need to save her.”