BooksBarbecue
Back Unleashed Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. Part One
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. Part Two
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. Part Three
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. Part Four
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. Part Five
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. Epilogue
  54. Acknowledgments
  55. About the Author
  56. Back Cover

Once everyone has gone, Zora turns to me and gives me a high five. “Nice move, girl! Looks like the key to breaking your shyness is to plot to save the world.”

I grin, poking my tongue out at her.

“And the code worked perfectly,” she continues.

“With you at the computer, I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

“Of course!” she says. “Want me to sleep over tonight? I have to grab some pj’s and my toothbrush from my apartment first.”

“I’ve just got a few things to finish up here, but I’ll meet you at mine?”

She gives me a skeptical glance, but then nods. She knows that sometimes I just need some time to myself to decompress.

When everyone is gone and the basement is quiet again, I let out a deep sigh of relief.

Jinx hops up onto the desk.

>>At least we have a plan. Hopefully Tobias can get you to his Christmas party at Lake Washington.

“Yes, and we hope Paul’s right, and Monica is at this Lake Baku.”

I think back to what Paul said, about how I reminded him of Monica in the early days.

Would Dad be proud of me?

I shake the thought from my head. I can’t worry about Dad. It’s been years since we last saw him. My focus has to be on Mom. We need to find a way to reverse the update. And to do that, we have to find Monica Chan.

I grab Slick from where he’s charging in the outlet beneath the desk, before turning the lights off in the locker.

We head upstairs and find Zora waiting in the hall outside my apartment door. She puts her arm around my shoulder and guides me in. I feel bone-tired.

Normally when Zora sleeps over, we’d watch an episode of our favorite show, and our bakus would fetch snacks from the kitchen, but tonight we’re too tired. Just as we’re about to climb into bed, there’s a ping from Tobias. Slick reads it out to me.

TOBIAS: Hey Lacey. Checked in with my mom tonight. She says I’m fine to add a couple more people to the guest list. Looks like it’s on. A car will pick you up early Saturday morning. Be ready—and bring lots of winter gear.

Zora and I high-five. It’s really happening.

Mission rescue Monica Chan is on.

19

I set Slick to wake me super early in the morning to make sure I catch Mom before she leaves for work. Zora groans next to me in my bed as Slick’s buzzing vibrates the sheets.