Then a clumpy blob was coming toward us, growing larger. It took only a second for me to see that it was a group of people walking across the field. Probably here to get good seats for the fun. Some of them were wearing white coats, of course, but not all of them. My eyes picked out Jeb and Anne Walker.

“How can we break out of here?” Gazzy whispered so only the flock could hear.

“There’s a plan,” I murmured back. “There’s always a plan.” Well, it sounded good.

“Children,” said Jeb when he was close enough. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

“Okay,” I said. “Let’s have it be different. Let us out of the cage!”

He pressed his lips together, giving his head a tiny shake.

Next it was Anne’s turn. Inside the cage, we were practically vibrating with tension.

“Do you know what’s really sad?” she asked.

“That pin-striped pantsuit?” I guessed. “Those sensible shoes?”

“We gave you every chance,” Anne said.

“No, see, giving us every chance would be opening this cruel and inhuman cage and letting us out,” I said, ready to explode. “That would be every chance. This way, you’ve only given us some chances. You see the difference?”

“Enough!” ter Borcht barked. “Dis is pointless. Ve’re just vaiting for de executioners. Say your good-byes.”

“Good-bye,” said a sweet little-girl voice.

And then a shiny metal bar swung through the air and smacked ter Borcht’s head with a sickening, melonlike splat.

53

Well. It certainly got exciting as heck after that.

“Angel!” Nudge screamed, echoed closely by Gazzy. Fang and I threw ourselves against the cage bars, shaking them hard, searching for weak points.

Angel nimbly bobbed and weaved, her white wings beating as fast as my heart. She dive-bombed the group of scientists, who scattered, screaming for Flyboys to come to the rescue.

“I can’t break it!” Fang said, slamming his fists against the cage.

“But I can!” The gravelly voice from behind made us spin in time to see Ari do a full morph into a good ol’ old-fashioned Eraser. I’d forgotten how wolfish he could get, and his face, with its full snout packed with yellow, dripping teeth, was horrible up this close.

“Get back!” I shouted, pushing the flock away from him. Two ragged-clawed paws gripped the metal bars, and Ari lunged at us, fangs snapping.

I gasped as his teeth crunched down on the bars—and then, with grisly twisting-metal sounds, he started to chew through.

Outside, Angel hovered like a demonic hummingbird, swinging her bar, keeping everyone and everything away from us.

“She’s going to let Ari eat us!” Nudge cried. She braced herself against the cage and clenched her hands into fists. “But it won’t be easy for him!”