“Sorry,” I said. “I forgot you’re not really funny. Probably too soon to joke about life in jail anyway. My bad.” Before he could respond I caught sight of the clock on one of the computers, though, and the smile fell off my face. I quickly yanked on the rest of the disguise.

“Everyone ready?” I asked, tying the red bandanna Elliot had handed me into a knot so it covered the lower half of my face. Looking up, I saw the weirdest mismatched group I’d ever seen. There was Alcatraz Elliot and Serina in her full ball gown and mask. Sam had found two World War I gas masks, and he and Corban both were wearing the ratty uniform of a soldier fresh from the trenches. Tess and Eliana had taken a different route, disguising themselves in the raggedy washed-out clothing of Dust Bowl victims, complete with large circular goggles and cloth-wrapped faces. Blake was dressed like Elvis complete with oversized sunglasses and sideburns that took up half his face. It would have to work.

Beside me Elliot snorted, and I turned to look at him, eyebrow raised. For a guy who spent the majority of his life with a scowl permanently embedded on his face, how in the world was he possibly finding this funny?

“Sorry,” he said, flapping a hand. “It’s just that this went from the worst Easter egg hunt ever to the weirdest Halloween group I’ve ever seen.”

“No trick-or-treater has ever been this historically accurate,” Corban said, stepping forward to peer over my shoulder at the map.

“Or good-looking,” Blake said as he gave his black Elvis wig a twist so it curled down his forehead in a perfect spiral.

“You two are impossible,” Sam muttered as he jerked his head at the map. “Let’s get a move on.”

I nodded and ripped the piece of paper three times so I was left with four equally sized pieces. “Time to divide and conquer,” I said, handing one piece to each of the partner groups. As they studied their section of the map, Elliot leaned in and together we stared at our own section.

“The Revere and Roosevelt Building and my old dorm,” Elliot murmured. “Those are big buildings. We need to hustle.”

“See you at the gate,” Serina said as she and Sam dashed out the door in a swish of bloodred skirts. To my surprise, Tess and Eliana both stopped to give Elliot and me a quick, fierce hug before flying out the door after Serina and Sam.

“What was that for?” Elliot asked, looking after them in confusion.

“It’s a friendship thing,” Corban said, clapping Elliot so hard on the back he stumbled forward a step. “Don’t let it freak you out.” With that, Corban and Blake disappeared out the door too.

Elliot watched them go. “Are they our friends?” he asked.

“I think so,” I said.