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Chapters (83)
  1. Copyright Page
  2. Prologue
  3. Part One
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. Part Two
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. Epilogue
  82. A Preview of "Witch & Wizard"
  83. 1

I gritted my teeth in frustration. I’d forgotten how incredibly annoying the Voice could be, with its fortune-cookie pronouncements.

“It’s all got to be connected somehow,” I said. “Are we headed there now?”

Captain Perry nodded. “We’re keeping on code-red alert status, with full radar and sonar surveillance. We don’t want that mountain to surge up and break us in half.”

My eyes went wide. Was that even a possibility? Why hadn’t someone told me this? Why was I even on this sub? If there’s anything guaranteed to make me hyperventilate, it’s being stuck in a place I can’t punch my way out of.

It’s okay, Max. I had to stop for a second and distinguish that this voice inside my head was Angel, not the Voice voice. It’s okay, Max, Angel thought again. If anything happens, we can all breathe under water, remember? It’s like when we’re on an airplane — if anything happens to it, we know six kids who will be fine. Same thing here. If anything happens to this sub, the six of us will be able to breathe through our gills. Trust me.

Oh, right. Our gills would appear. Excellent. Now I felt better. Not.

49

THE MAN LOOKED at his second-in-command, who was looking at the third-in-command, who was staring accusingly at the fourth-in-command.

“They… escaped?” The man’s voice was brusque.

The third-in-command kicked the fourth-in-command, who was kneeling on the floor, his forehead actually touching the cold metal.

“Yes, sir!” Everyone in the room knew the high cost of admitting such a thing. They also knew how much worse it would have been if he had lied about it. “I beg your forgiveness, sir! But they threw themselves over the edge of a cliff. Our trackers were programmed to follow them — no matter what. They kept attacking, sir. And they went over the cliff as well.”

“But they couldn’t fly, could they, Zhou Tso?”

“N-no, sir.” He cringed.

“Unlike our quarry, who can.”

“Yes, sir!”

Mr. Chu thought for a moment, though he already knew what he was going to do. The weakest link in the chain always had to be eliminated. The men and women he answered to would expect no less.

He again met the eyes of his second-in-command. The fourth had failed, which was a failure of the third, who had picked and trained him. So it was also the second’s failure, since she had picked and trained the third. Ultimately, this was Chu’s own failure, for he had picked and trained his second. That was how it would be viewed by the board. They all knew it.

Mr. Chu sighed, then motioned to his second-in-command. She gave a quick nod, then barked instructions at the two armed guards by the doorway. The fourth-in-command cringed and started to beg for mercy but was immediately silenced. The guards dragged him from the room.