Before Adam could answer, they heard Cindy scream. Adam realized he had left his flamethrower downstairs because he needed both hands free to lift the dynamite onto the roof. He raced toward the ladder. Bum and Sally started to follow but Adam stopped them.

“Finish getting the balloons ready!” he yelled. “I’ll save Cindy!”

Adam hurried downstairs. It was darker in the store than it had been only minutes ago. He saw his flamethrower lying at the base of the ladder where he had left it. The tip was still spouting a short flame. He didn’t see his friend, or hear her anymore.

“Cindy!” he called as he picked up the flame thrower.

Off to his left, in the direction of the back door, he heard glass break.

“Adam!” Cindy shouted.

Relieved she could still respond, Adam ran toward her.

In the rear of the store, he found Cindy guarding a door that was about to cave in. As he feared, the Cold People were bending back the metal security bars. There were a total of four of them, all working on the same door. One of them was already squeezing its head through the bars and reaching for the lock.

“Shoot it!” Adam yelled as he ran up.

“I can’t!” Cindy cried. “I just can’t burn someone!”

“If you don’t they’ll freeze you.” Adam pushed her out of the way and raised his flamethrower. The cold man took one look at the burning tip of the weapon and started to withdraw his head. Adam shot off a huge tongue of fire but it missed completely—the cold creature was that fast. But the wood around the door caught fire, which was not good because it made it easier for the door to collapse. Adam grabbed Cindy’s hand. “We have to get out of here!” he said.

They ran toward the stairs that led up to the roof. But just as Cindy put her foot on the first rung, the back door exploded in a shower of sharp glass and twisted metal. All four Cold People rushed in. They came at Adam like flying blocks of ice. He shoved Cindy in the back.

“Get up on the roof!” he shouted.

“You come too!” Cindy cried.

“Give me a second,” Adam said. With Cindy running up the stairs, he raised the flamethrower and squeezed the trigger hard. The stream of flame that flew out was huge—it caused the Cold People to scatter. But while they did, another two monsters burst in through the ruined back door. Adam realized he couldn’t hold them off forever. He stepped onto the stairs and started up the steps.

He had almost made it to the roof when something cold grabbed his right ankle.

Adam tripped and fell.

Sprawled along the steps, he turned back and saw a creature below him.

Blue, icelike fingers were wrapped around Adam’s foot.

The creature tightened its grip.