Part 15 (1/2)

I gave Fang an almost imperceptible nod and glanced back at the fire exit door behind him. He blinked to show he understood. Then he tapped Iggy's hand.

”Nudge,” I said under my breath. ”Gazzy. Don't look up. In three seconds, jump over Fang and out that exit door.”

Giving no sign they had heard me, Nudge and Iggy kept chewing. Nudge casually took a sip of her shake. Then, in a burst, she leaped up, sprang off our table, and practically crashed through the fire door. The Gasman was practically glued to her back.

I was so proud of them.

The alarm started clanging, but I was right behind them-and Fang and Iggy were on my heels. We made it to the van before the Erasers were out the door.

Inside, I jammed the key into the ignition and cranked the engine. Erasers were swarming into the parking lot, already starting to become wolflike.

I stomped on the gas and reversed fast, crying out when we felt the thunk of an Eraser being hit. Then I yanked the gear stick into D D and we roared over the curb, right through the shrubs that lined the parking lot. The tires squealed as I careened out into traffic, causing a bunch of angry honking from other cars. and we roared over the curb, right through the shrubs that lined the parking lot. The tires squealed as I careened out into traffic, causing a bunch of angry honking from other cars.

I cut right through a gas station on the corner, narrowly avoiding hitting several cars. On the other side, I roared back into traffic.

”Max!” Nudge screamed, but I had seen the semitrailer too, and swerved out of its way at the last second. Behind me, I heard the crunch of metal as the truck sc.r.a.ped a car. Then I was weaving in and out of traffic, wis.h.i.+ng I knew how to drive better, wis.h.i.+ng we had stolen something besides a van. Nudge screamed, but I had seen the semitrailer too, and swerved out of its way at the last second. Behind me, I heard the crunch of metal as the truck sc.r.a.ped a car. Then I was weaving in and out of traffic, wis.h.i.+ng I knew how to drive better, wis.h.i.+ng we had stolen something besides a van.

”It's so bulky!” I cried in frustration as we teetered on two wheels again just turning a corner. Okay, turning fast. But still.

”It's a van, van,” Fang said, as though blaming me for not stealing a race car.

We sped out of town-I had to get away from all this traffic. My adrenaline was pumping, my arms felt like corded cables on the steering wheel. We had to ditch this van. We had to ditch this van.

”I'm gonna stop!” I yelled over the noise of the engine. ”Jump out and get into the air as fast as you can!”

”Okay!” the flock yelled back.

A glance in the rearview mirror showed three black cars following us, catching up to us. They were going a lot faster than we were. I had to buy time.

Gritting my teeth, I swung off road suddenly, right into a field of corn. We plowed through the dry stalks, wincing as they smacked the winds.h.i.+eld. I tried to zigzag as best I could, and then a bit of light up ahead made me hopeful for a road.

I didn't see anything in the rearview mirror, and the sound of crunching cornstalks was too loud for me to hear other engines. Had we lost them? And yes, here was a road! Excellent!

The van tumbled heavily out onto the road, with bone-jolting b.u.mps. As soon as the front tires. .h.i.t asphalt, I gunned the motor again- Just as a sedan leaped out in front of us.

I hit it head-on at sixty miles an hour.

58.

Note to self: Disable the air bags on the next car you steal.

The thing about airbags is that when you hit something at fifty or sixty miles an hour, they inflate with enough raw force to slam you back against your seat like a rag doll, possibly breaking your face. Which is what this one had done to me, I concluded, trying to stem the gush of blood from my nose.

”Report,” I called weakly.

”Okay here,” Fang said next to me. His neck was sc.r.a.ped raw by the seat belt, which had almost decapitated him.

”Okay here,” Nudge said from the backseat, sounding young and scared. I craned around to see her. She was pale, except where her forehead was bruised from hitting Fang's seat. Her eyes widened with shock when she saw my b.l.o.o.d.y face.

”It's just my nose,” I quickly a.s.sured her. ”Head wounds always bleed a lot. Look, it's already stopping.” A lie.

”I feel like, like pudding,” Iggy groaned. ”Pudding with nerve endings. Pudding in great pain.”

”I feel sick,” the Gasman said, his face white, lips pale and bloodless.

Cras.h.!.+

All around us, windows smashed, and we jumped and threw our arms over our faces. I saw a gun hammering at the gla.s.s, then hairy hands with ragged claws popped the doors open.

There was no time even to get a good kick in-Fang and I were hauled out of the van and thrown to the ground.

”Run!” I bawled, then hissed in a breath as my nose took another jarring blow.

I glanced up in time to see the rear doors of the van open and Iggy and the Gasman shoot into the air. A rush of pure joy made me beam, then gag as fresh blood ran into my mouth.

I spit it out as the Erasers roared with fury and started shooting at the boys. But Iggy and Gazzy continued to soar into the air. Yes, yes, yes! Yes, yes, yes!

A kicking and shrieking Nudge was yanked from the back of the van and tossed down next to me. Tears were in her eyes, and I reached out to hold her.

An Eraser kicked me hard with his hand-sewn Italian boot. Ow! Ow!

”Tag. You're it,” Ari cracked, and the others laughed, almost dancing with monstrous excitement and glee.

”It's almost like you don't want want to go back to School,” he went on, showing his razor-sharp yellow teeth, dripping Eraser drool on me. to go back to School,” he went on, showing his razor-sharp yellow teeth, dripping Eraser drool on me.

There were five Erasers and three of us. I'm weirdly, incredibly strong for my size, but Ari outweighed me by about 160 pounds, and he kept his booted foot pressed hard against my forehead. I wanted a shot at him-just one lethal, brain-splattering shot.

I met Fang's eyes, which were dark and expressionless, and then Nudge's. I tried to give her a rea.s.suring smile, but since my face was one big gore-fest, it didn't have the cheering effect I'd hoped for.

Then we all heard the horrible whup, whup whup, whup of a chopper headed our way, and the Erasers started to shout and wave their arms. of a chopper headed our way, and the Erasers started to shout and wave their arms.

”What a touching scene,” Ari called down at me. ”We're all going home. Just like old times.”

59.

Angel was alive. As long as she was, I could deal with just about anything else. As long as she was, I could deal with just about anything else.

I knew she was alive because I could see her in the pitiful cage next to mine. If we pushed our fingers through our bars as hard as we could, we were an inch away from actually touching each other.