BooksBarbecue
Back The Last Dragon
Chapters (50)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. - ONE -
  4. - TWO -
  5. - THREE -
  6. - FOUR -
  7. - FIVE -
  8. - SIX -
  9. - SEVEN -
  10. - EIGHT -
  11. - NINE -
  12. - TEN -
  13. - ELEVEN -
  14. - TWELVE -
  15. - THIRTEEN -
  16. - FOURTEEN -
  17. - FIFTEEN -
  18. - SIXTEEN -
  19. - SEVENTEEN -
  20. - EIGHTEEN -
  21. - NINETEEN -
  22. - TWENTY -
  23. - TWENTY-ONE -
  24. - TWENTY-TWO -
  25. - TWENTY-THREE -
  26. - TWENTY-FOUR -
  27. - TWENTY-FIVE -
  28. - TWENTY-SIX -
  29. - TWENTY-SEVEN -
  30. - TWENTY-EIGHT -
  31. - TWENTY-NINE -
  32. - THIRTY -
  33. - THIRTY-ONE -
  34. - THIRTY-TWO -
  35. - THIRTY-THREE -
  36. - THIRTY-FOUR -
  37. - THIRTY-FIVE -
  38. - THIRTY-SIX -
  39. - THIRTY-SEVEN -
  40. - THIRTY-EIGHT -
  41. - THIRTY-NINE -
  42. - FORTY -
  43. - FORTY-ONE -
  44. - FORTY-TWO -
  45. - FORTY-THREE -
  46. - FORTY-FOUR -
  47. - FORTY-FIVE -
  48. - FORTY-SIX -
  49. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  50. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

STICK WITH THE PLAN, Rachel said. GET THEIR AMULETS OFF SO SIERRA CAN WIPE THEIR MEMORIES. CYRUS, YOU KEEP TRYING TO FIND THE BOOKS!

ON IT! Sierra said, while they could all sense Cyrus nodding.

Fort grabbed the amulet from around Dr. Opps’s neck as Jia handled the guards. He caught Dr. Opps’s eyes and winced, giving the doctor an apologetic shrug. “Sorry,” he whispered. “We didn’t have a choice.”

Dr. Opps just glared at him, and Fort was happy that the paralysis spell kept the doctor from speaking.

OKAY, I’M IN THEIR HEADS, Sierra said, and Jia canceled her spells. All three men instantly relaxed, but didn’t otherwise move.

I FOUND THEM! Cyrus said. I FOUND THE BOOKS. THEY’RE… UM, UH-OH.

Don’t say “uh-oh,” Fort told him. Just tell us where they are.

YES, RIGHT. WELL, LIKE I SAID, I COULD BE WRONG ABOUT THIS, BUT AS FAR AS I CAN TELL… COLONEL CHARLES HAS THEM IN HIS PRIVATE OFFICE.

- NINE -

FORT WANTED TO DROP TO his knees and punch the floor, he was so frustrated. How could such a simple plan go so wrong? It was all down to Cyrus’s magic not working on the books. He knew they should have been more careful because of that. They should have confirmed that Dr. Opps had them, and—

FORT, IT’S TOO LATE TO SECOND-GUESS, AND THIS ISN’T CYRUS’S FAULT, Rachel said in his mind. WE CAN STILL GET THE BOOKS!

He nodded, hoping she was right. Cyrus, is Colonel Charles alone at least? Fort said in his mind, trying to keep his panic from passing to the others.

HE IS, AND THERE AREN’T ANY CAMERAS IN THERE, Cyrus said. SO IF YOU CAN GET IN THERE AND SURPRISE HIM, YOU CAN STILL GET AWAY WITHOUT ANYONE KNOWING.

Right, okay. This was all terrible news, but they could work with it. Fort knew where the colonel’s office was, though only because it was close to the cafeteria, and there was always a bunch of guards nearby, not to mention cameras in the hallways, even if the cameras weren’t in the office itself. That meant they couldn’t just walk out with the books, if they even made it in.

Does anyone have any ideas? Fort shouted, but the others were starting to feel hopeless too.

A hand settled on Fort’s shoulder, and he turned to find a fully awake Dr. Opps staring at him. “I think I might know what to do,” the doctor said, and Fort’s heart stopped dead in his chest.

“Dr. Opps, you’re… I mean…” Fort couldn’t make his brain work correctly, with words deciding to float out of his reach all of a sudden. But just as he was sure he was going to be thrown in jail for the rest of his life, the doctor smiled and slowly poked his finger into Fort’s ear.