“I’ve no idea,” Flamel said grimly. He stared down the long straight road. “But if we stay here, we’re dead. Or at least I am.” His teeth flashed in a humorless smile. “Dee will still try to get you both alive, I’m sure.” Flamel glanced around, then spotted an alleyway to the left and motioned for the twins to follow him. “This way. We’ll try and lose them.”

“I wish Scatty were here,” Josh muttered, truly realizing the magnitude of their loss. “She’d be able to deal with them.”

It was dry in the narrow high-walled alleyway. Blue, green and brown plastic trash cans lined one wall, while the remains of wooden pallets and overflowing black plastic trash bags were piled against the other. The smell was foul, and a wild-haired cat sat on top of one bag, methodically shredding it with her claws. The cat didn’t even look up as Flamel and the twins ran by. A heartbeat later, however, when the three hooded figures entered the alleyway, the cat arched its back, fur bristling, and disappeared into the shadows.

“Do you have any idea where this leads?” Josh asked as they raced past a series of doors to their left, obviously the rear entrances to businesses on the main road.

“None at all,” Flamel admitted. “But as long as it takes us away from the Hooded Ones, it doesn’t matter.”

Sophie looked back. “I don’t see them,” she announced.

“Maybe we’ve lost them.” She trailed Nicholas around a corner only to run straight into him when he stopped suddenly.

Josh then rounded the corner, narrowly missing the two. “Keep going,” he gasped, dodging the pair to take the lead. And then he realized why they’d stopped: the alley ended in a tall red brick wall topped with curling razor wire.

The Alchemyst spun and put his finger to his lips. “Not a sound. They might have run past the alley altogether…” A flurry of cold rain spattered onto the ground and carried with it a peculiar rancid smell: the foul scent of spoiled meat. “Or maybe not,” he added as the three Genii Cucullati loped silently around the corner. Nicholas pushed the twins behind him, but they immediately took up positions on either side of him. Instinctively, Sophie moved to his right and Josh to his left. “Stand back,” Flamel said.

“No,” Josh said.

“We’re not going to let you face these three alone,” Sophie added.

The Hooded Ones slowed, then spread out to block the alleyway and stopped. They stood unnaturally still, faces concealed by the overlarge hoods.