Gone (Gone #1)(87)

Caine sat beside him chewing on his thumb, quiet, but preoccupied. He had cross-examined Jack repeatedly on the procedure for recording Andrew's big exit. Somehow what had started out as Caine's brainstorm had become Jack's responsibility. If it worked then Cane would reclaim it as his own. But if it failed, Jack would no doubt take the blame.

Diana, who sat beside Jack, for once had little to say. Jack wondered if she dreaded the return to Coates as much as he did.

Jack was wedged in between Diana and Drake. Drake was holding a handgun, an automatic, more gray than black, in his lap.

Jack had never seen a gun up close. He had certainly never seen a gun in the hands of a boy he thought was probably crazy.

Drake could not leave the gun alone. He kept thumbing the safety on and off. He rolled down the window and aimed it a. stop signs as they passed, but did not fire it.

"You know how to shoot that thing? Or are you going to shoot yourself in the foot?" Diani finally asked.

"He's not going to shoot it" Caine snapped before Drake could answer. "It's just a prop. We want Andrew to behave. And you know how difficult he can be. The gun keeps people calmed down,"

"Yeah, I know, it makes me feel really calm," Diana said.

"Shut up, Diana" Drake said.

Diana laughed in her drawly way and fell silent again.

Jack was sweating, although it was a cool evening and Caine had the windows down. Jack felt like he might throw up. He'd considered saying he was too sick to go, but he knew Caine wouldn't let him stay home. He'd felt worse and worse all day as he raced to assemble the equipment they would need. He had spent the day with Drake, searching homes for cameras and tripods. Jack had already had enough of Drake Merwin to last him forever.

They neared the gate. It was an impressive thing, two sides of filigreed wrought iron, twenty feet high and hanging from pillars of stone that were even taller. The Coates motto, Ad augusto, per anpista, was on two gold-tinged plaques that came together when the gates were closed.

"Honk the horn. Whoever's on gate most be asleep" Caine ordered.

Panda tapped the horn. When (here was no response, he leaned on it. The sound was flat* sv/allowed up by the trees. "Drake," Caine said.

Drake climbed out, gun in hand, and advanced to ihe gate. He swung it open and stepped thiough to the stone guardhouse. He emerged a few seconds later and climbed back into the car

"No one in the guardhouse"

Caine frowned in the rearview mirror "That's not like Benno, Benno follows orders"

Benno was the thug Caine had left in charge at Coates. Jack had never liked the boy—no one did—but Caine was right: Benno was the kind of bully who did what the bigger bullies told him to do. He didn't make his own judgments. And he wasn't stupid enough to think he could override Caine's orders.

"Something isn't right," Panda said.

"Everything isn't right. Panda" Diana said.

Panda pulled through the gate. It was another quarter mile to the school. They drove in silence. Panda pulled the car up to the end of the driveway, to the turnaround in front of the main building.

Lights were on in every window One of the second-floor windows had been blown out so that an entire classroom could be clearly seen.

Desks were piled against one wall. The chalkboard was cracked and scarred. All the drawings and posters and exhortations that had once adorned the classroom walls were charred, curled by heat. A massive slab of brick and lathe wall lay on the lawn.

"Well, that's not good," Diana drawled.

"Who has the power to do that?" Caine demanded angrily.

"The kid we're here to see," Diana said. "Although that's a lot of damage for a three bar."

"Benno lost control up here," Drake commented."I told you Benno was a wimp"

"Come on," Caine said and stepped out onto gravel, followed by the rest of them. "Go up the stairs, Panda, open the door. Let's see what's waiting for us."

"No way," Panda said, his voice shaky.

"Coward "Caine said. He raised his hands, palms out, and suddenly Panda was flying through the air. He slammed into the door and fell in a heap. Panda rose slowly, then he fell down again. "My leg is hurt. I can't move it."

At that moment the front door opened, smacking Panda where he lay. Light spilled out from inside and Jack saw half a dozen shapes, shapes like apes walking on all fours, pushing their way out, crying, howling, terrified.

They tumbled down the steps. Each carrying a rough-hewn cement block that they dragged as they ran. But of course Jack knew they weren't carrying the blocks. Their hands were encased in cement.

Jack had tried not to think about it. He had tried to put it out of his mind, this crude, cruel solution to the problem of disloyal kids with powers. But since discovering his own power he had thought of little else.

They had discovered early on that the supernatural powers seemed to be focused through the hands.

No, Jack corrected himself harshly, they hadn't discovered it, he had discovered it. He had observed it. And he had told Caine about it. And Caine had ordered Drake to do this horrible thing,

"Remember who owns you," Diana whispered in Jack's ear, "Feed us! Feed us! We need food!" the concrete-blocked victims cried.

It was a chorus of weak, desperate voices, so raw with need that Jack panicked. He couldn't be here. He couldn't be with these people. He turned away, but Drake grabbed his shoulder and yanked him forward.