Gone (Gone #1)(119)

Astrid on the walkie-talkie. "They're getting out of iheir cars, going into the school."

Sam looked up at the steeple. She was right up there, so close, he could yell up to her, but her gaze was drawn to the school, not down at him. Sam spotted Quinn running by with his machine gun over his shoulder.

"Good luck, brah," Sam said,

Quinn stopped dead. "Thanks. Look, Sam ... I ..."

"No time for that now," Sam said firmly, but gently.

Sam stood alone in the plaza, leg propped on the edge of the fountain. The school. Why? And why come in daylight, why nol wait till night fell?

Albert came trotting out of the McDonald's. He handed Sam a bag. "Some nuggets, man. In case you're hungry."

"Thanks, dude"

"We have faith in you, Sam"Albert took off.

Sam munched a nugget and tried to think. The move to the school was unexpected. Was it an opportunity? If Caine was out of the car, on foot, in a school building that Sam knew a lot better than he did ..,

He keyed the walkie-talkie. "Is there any sign they're leaving the school?"

"No. They have one guy standing outside as a guard. I think it's Panda. I definitely did nol see Drake"

He could end this, maybe. Right now, one-on-one with Caine. It would mean none of these kids would have to be involved. It would mean no one would have to pull a trigger.

Dekka was running toward him, "Sam. Sorry, I couldn't find you "

Maybe just the two of them. Sam and Dekka. It would double his chances. It would be right: one from Perdido Beach, one from Coates, side by side.

"Caine's at the school," Sam said."I'm thinking maybe we take it to them "

"Is Drake there?" Dekka asked.

"No one has seen him. He may be... he may be not showing up*

"Good " Dekka said bluntly.

"We haven't had much time \o get to know each other," Sam said. "And now, well, I don't have much time, period. How much control do you have over your power?"

Dekka blew out some air and considered this question. She looked at her hands as if they would give her the answer. "I have to be pretty close. I can rattle a wall pretty good, or send someone (lying, but only from a few feet away*

"Yeah?"

"I'm up for it," she said.

Taylor popped in. "They're .til inside the school. One guard, as far as I can see. And definitely no Drake"

"Okay," Sam said. "Here's what we do. Dekka and I are going after them. Taylor, I need you to go tell Edilio. Then I need you to climb up the steeple,up where Astrid is. If Dekka and I gel in trouble, we may need t distraction"

"Dude-I don't climb-I pop. Ami I'm on it? Taylor disappeared.

"I'll probably get used to her doing that someday" Sam muttered.

He took a deep, shaky breath. It was his first big tactical decision of the coming battle. He hoped it wasn't a mistake.

Jack had kept the SUV hidden in a patch of trees all through the day. He had slept fitftjlly, crunched in the driver's seat, all the doors locked, too scared to think about stretching out more comtbrtablv in the back.

Jack didn't care how big a hurry Diana was in for him to reach Sam, he wasn't going to die for her.

Only when the sun set at last did he turn the key and creep from his shady hiding place,

Down din roads with no signposts, lights off, moving at a crawl Around blind corners, Up, down, left, right. The SUV had a compass built in to the rearview mirror, but the directions never seemed to make sense. One second it would read south and the next minute east even though he hadn't turned.

It was impossible to know where he was going. He could drive with the lights on and see the road, but then others could see him as well. So he drove in the dark at little more than walking speed. Even at such tow speed, the SUV bounced and lurched so badly that Jack felt like he'd been beaten up.

Thai he absolutely had to get ta Sam was clearer than ever. Caine would never forgive Jack for this betrayal. His only salvation lay with Sam. But only if Sam survived the poof If Sam stepped outside, Caine would win. And then the FAYZ would be too small a place for Jack to hide from Caine and Drake.

Jack checked the dashboard clock. He knew the day and hour of Sam's poof lust over two hours left.

The moon rose and the ro<;d straightened so that he motored along at a somewhat higher speed than before, anxious to reach safety. A rabbit darted in front of him. jack jerked the wheel and missed the rabbit but bounced off the road into a field.

He yanked the wheel hard and swerved back onto the road just as a pickup truck shot by coming from the other direction.

Jack cursed and turned in his seat to look back. Brake lights llared and the pickup screeched to a stop.

Jack stepped on the gas. The SUV leaped forward. But now the truck was turning around and coming up fast.

In the darkness it was impossible to see who was driving the truck, but in Jack's mind it could be only one person: Drake.

Weeping, Jack accelerated. The gas tank needle edged closer to empty. But still the pickup truck came on.

The only escape would be to drive into the field where the truck might not be able to follow, Jack slowed just slightly and steered into the fallow field. The ground was plowed Up, soft, and the SUV bounced madly across the rows.

The truck kept pace.