“Get you away from here, so if you aren’t one of the bad guys, and the actual bad guys come looking for Luke, they won’t find you conveniently passed out in the tent.”

“You got it. Hands on my head, I presume? Quick march to a secluded spot in the woods where I can take a long nap?”

I nodded. “First, though, we’re taking your cell phone. Both to check for calls and so you can’t wake up early and get in our way.”

“And don’t forget—”

“Luke’s phone,” Daniel said. “It’s our best source of intel. Take that and search him for a backup.”

“Gold star, kids. Gold star.”

Ten

Ten

Moreno didn’t walk quietly to his resting place. I don’t think that would be physically possible. He had us bring the phone and tell him what was on it, and then he spent the ten-minute walk speculating about who might be behind the intended kidnapping. It wasn’t blind speculation—it was advice. If it was a Cabal, did we remember our lectures on the differences between them, how to handle each one? If it was independent contractors—mercenaries hoping to sell us to the highest bidder—did we remember what he’d taught us about them? And the various splinter groups—those who’d want to control us and those who’d want to “free” us, what did we know about them? His money was on the splinter groups, but we shouldn’t make any presumptions until we knew more.

We left him, unconscious and resting comfortably, in a safe spot. Then, we plotted. We knew what we had to do. Or three of us did. No, Derek did know what we had to do; he just really, really didn’t like it. In the end, we made an adjustment to increase his comfort level, and then we put the plan into action.

“You’re making the right choice,” Rae said.

We were darting along a path, lit only by Moreno’s penlight. I stumbled over a root, and she helped me upright. Dry leaves crackled to our left, but we pretended not to hear them.

“I-I don’t know,” I said. “It doesn’t feel right.”

“And staying in Badger Lake doesn’t feel right either. You know something’s up there. That’s why you’re doing this.”

“I-I just want to talk to these people. I can do that, right? Just talk? You said that would be okay.”

“It’s definitely okay,” she said, gripping my elbow and propelling me along the path. “They aren’t the bad guys. They want to help. Just talk to them, and you’ll understand.”

“B-but what if…”

I trailed off as we stepped into the campsite parking lot. The door on a dark van slid open.

“Th-they’re here?” I said, tensing, as if ready to bolt. Rae gripped my elbow tighter.