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

“It did seem like Mr. Baird was working on his own for a long time. Maybe he couldn’t find the support he needed in house.” I chew my bottom lip. “Doesn’t change the fact that we might need all the help we can get at the end of all this.”

There’s a little buzz in my pocket. It’s Slick.

>>According to my Maps data, if you leave now, you will arrive at school on time and won’t risk a late detention.

“All right, Slick,” I say, standing up from the comfortable sofa.

I look around the library. Jinx, I say in my head so Slick can’t overhear. Do you think we should look up Lake Baku while we’re here?

>>No. You heard what Paul said. If our search is flagged to Moncha, then we’d be in big trouble. They might move Monica before we have the chance to find her.

I look around. All the librarians have little mice bakus, to scurry around the library finding books or restocking the shelves. Even though we’re not in official Monchaville, Moncha’s influence is everywhere throughout the city. I desperately wish Mr. Baird had left a way for me to get in touch with him.

But since there isn’t…it looks like me, Zora, and Team Tobias are on our own.

Part Three

The Christmas Party

21

Saturday morning comes, and Zora is a nervous wreck on the car ride up to Tobias’s family cottage. We’re both bundled up in our warmest winter gear. I even dug out a pair of snow pants from the back of my closet that I’d bought secondhand for an ill-fated ski trip last winter.

“I’m not sure this is a good idea,” she says to me, as the driverless car Tobias provided for us speeds along the highway. “I’m not like you, Lacey. I don’t know these people that well, and they’re all from Profectus…”

“You have no reason to be intimidated. You’re a better coder than any of them!” I say.

“It’s not just that. I mean, look how far we’re driving! Out in the countryside where there might be bears and wolves and stuff? What if we get snowed in? What if I need an emergency energy drink? I can’t just pop out to the store. You know I’m a city girl.” She picks at the edge of her nail anxiously. Her eyes dart around the inside of the car, taking in the luxurious leather interior, the baku resting places, the giant panoramic windows that show the Toronto cityscape rushing by.