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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

“She’s not a replacement for you!” His face softened for a moment. “No one could replace you. But I needed another good fighter. And… she’s really very different from you, in lots of ways.”

“That’s special!” I snapped. “Glad to hear it!”

“What about you and superboy?” Fang demanded. “You think I don’t know what’s going on?”

“Yeah? Then tell me, ’cause I have no freaking idea what’s going on!”

Our voices had gotten louder and louder in the tiny space, and the elevator had been moving so slowly that we didn’t even notice when it groaned to a halt. But suddenly the doors opened, and our voices spilled out into the elegant hallway. Then my eyes locked on Angel’s small, determined face.

She crossed her arms and had obviously been waiting for us. “Okay, you guys,” she said briskly, “you can argue later. Right now you need to listen up. I have a plan.”

Oh, there you go, I thought in dismay. If there were ever words guaranteed to strike fear into my heart…

I sighed.

“Let’s hear it,” I said.

65

I ALMOST DIDN’T want to let Fang join us in our hotel room. Part of me was tempted to say, “I think your gang is waiting for you on the next floor.” But if we were going to battle the Doomsday Group, we all had to work together. So I gritted my teeth while he went to get the others, and then we all crammed into the room that Nudge, Angel, and I shared.

“But—she’s seven,” I heard Star whisper. “Why does she have a plan?”

I didn’t bother to explain.

“Okay, we’ve seen that the Doomsday Group is made up of young people,” Angel said, pacing back and forth. “Like, really young people. But… I’m the right age to actually join them.”

“Join them?” Nudge asked. “How?”

“Let myself be recruited,” Angel said, leaning against one of the beds. “They’re way less likely to suspect anything from an innocent-looking little girl. Teenagers aren’t innocent-looking, ever. And as an actual member, I could get much deeper. I could really get inside and find out much more, I bet.”

“But…” Holden looked around. “Maybe an older kid should do it. It’s probably pretty dangerous.” I didn’t mention the fact that he looked about ten himself.

“I can deal with pretty dangerous,” Angel said, not bragging, and Fang’s gang looked surprised.

I sat there, straining to keep my mouth shut, which just goes to show that a person can change. I was having my typical knee-jerk reaction, which meant I wanted like crazy to keep everyone I cared about safe, nixing ideas and squashing risky plans to make that happen. Clearly, this was a risky plan. I wanted to squash it. I wanted to squash it really, really bad.

But I wasn’t going to.