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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

The old me, dealing with the old Angel, definitely would have. And for good reason. But… I’d changed. And so had Angel. And the changed part of me felt that I should probably, against my better judgment, let Angel do what she wanted. And I believed that the changed part of Angel might not sell me down the river while she did it. Lately, she’d been like her old self, the trustworthy old self. The nonbackstabbing old self. And maybe she needed to prove that to me right now. And maybe I needed her to prove that to me.

Slowly I nodded, forcing words out of my mouth. “I think… that’s a good idea,” I said, shocking everyone. “You’re the perfect mark for their indoctrination, and an insider could get a lot of useful information. Yes, it could be a real danger fest, but, as you said, you can handle that.”

Angel looked at me with shining eyes, and I got a nice warm feeling inside.

“Wait a second,” Ratchet said. “She’s a pip-squeak! Those are seriously crazy people! There’s no way this should happen!”

“I agree,” said Kate.

“I’m pretty tough,” Angel said mildly.

“But, still,” Kate protested.

“I think it’s a good idea,” said Maya, though no one had asked her opinion. At all. She nodded at Angel. “You can pull it off.”

Angel looked at Fang. She didn’t need his approval. But it would be nice to have—they both knew that.

“Yeah,” said Fang, running a hand through his shorter-than-I’m-used-to black hair. “Good idea. Just be careful, ’kay?”

“ ’Kay.” Angel beamed, first at him, then at me.

“Um,” said Holden, “I just don’t think—”

“Look, Holden,” I said. “You have special powers. So do I. So does everyone in this room. This kid”—I pointed at Angel—“flies, can breathe underwater, can read minds, can control people, and can fight like Chuck Norris. She’ll be okay.”

Holden shut up and sat down.

And oddly, while I was reassuring him, I’d reassured myself. I grinned at Angel, and she grinned back.

Now, if only she wouldn’t completely betray all of us, we’d be golden.

66

“HOW OLD ARE you?” a teenage boy with short dark hair asked, looking her up and down, not smiling.

“Seven,” Angel said. She shifted from foot to foot, her eyes bright and a hopeful expression on her face.

“She was out in the park, by the fountain,” said the girl standing next to him.

“What’s your name? Where are your parents?” The boy looked suspicious.

“Angelika,” said Angel. “My parents are back in America. I’m here with my school.” Without changing her facial expression, Angel edged her consciousness next to theirs, sidling up to their minds, quietly listening in.