Worlds Collide (The Land of Stories #6)(29)

The commissioner didn’t argue any further. The general nodded to his Marines and they spread out like cockroaches to fulfill his orders. The general returned to his Hummer and was driven up Fifth Avenue to get a closer look at the library. As the commissioner and his police officers watched the Hummers drive off, Jack snuck past the blockade and quietly opened the back door of the police car Conner was sitting in.

“Come on!” Jack whispered. “Quick—while they’re all looking away!”

Once Conner had regrouped with his friends, they raced down Fifth Avenue and ducked into the first alley they could find. With one slice of his axe, Jack freed Conner from the handcuffs binding him. Conner walked around the alley in a huff and angrily kicked the side of a dumpster.

“This is getting more difficult by the second!” he moaned.

“At least we know where your sister is,” Goldilocks reminded him. “That alone puts us in a better place than we were.”

“We still have to get to her, though,” Conner said. “These army guys won’t care if Alex is being controlled by a witch or not—they’ll kill her the moment they think she’s a threat. We’ve got to get to her before they do, and I don’t have the slightest idea of how to do that. And I’m sorry, Jack, but no amount of imagination or positive thinking is going to help us get past the NYPD, the United States Marines, and two possessed lion statues!”

Bree, Jack, Goldilocks, and Red didn’t even try to persuade him otherwise. They paced around in silence as they tried to brainstorm a possible plan. Their train of thought was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat—someone who wasn’t in their group. They looked up and saw that the homeless man from earlier was standing a few feet away.

“Forgive the intrusion,” he said. “I saw your little scuffle with the fuzz back there. I know they didn’t want to listen to you, but I’d like to help if you’ll let me.”

“Sorry, dude, I’m out of cash,” Conner said.

“This time I’m offering my services free of charge,” the homeless man said. “I know I may not look like much, but I know how to get to your sister.”

“No offense, but I sincerely doubt that,” Conner said. “We need to get inside the public library, and every entrance is being guarded by the US Marines and two man-eating statues!”

A sly smile spread across the homeless man’s face. “You’re wrong,” he said. “They aren’t guarding every entrance.”





CHAPTER EIGHT





THE CALVIN COOLIDGE EXPRESS


Per General Wilson’s orders, the US Marines began evacuating every building within a ten-block radius of the New York Public Library. Watching the soldiers move from building to building and forcing people out of their homes and businesses made Conner feel like he was watching a scene from an apocalyptic movie. Judging from the looks on the New Yorkers’ faces, everyone knew the situation wasn’t a gas leak—something far worse was happening in Midtown Manhattan.

The homeless man led Conner and his friends covertly from alley to alley, careful not to attract the attention of the Marines. With every step Conner wondered if they were doing the right thing by following him, or if they were putting their trust in a complete lunatic.

“Where are you taking us?” Conner asked.

“Shhhh!” the homeless man said, and placed a finger over his mouth. “If they catch us sneaking around, we’ll never get to your sister.”

“Sorry—where are you taking us?” Conner whispered.

“We’re going to a subway entrance on the corner of Fortieth and Broadway.”

“We’re taking the subway?” Conner asked. “But a train won’t get us inside the library!”

“We don’t need a train where we’re going,” the homeless man said.

The homeless man dashed across the street to hide behind a pile of trash, and the others followed him. They moved from building to building very slowly and only crossed streets when they were certain no Marines were watching. By the time they reached the intersection of Fortieth and Broadway, Midtown Manhattan was practically a ghost town and it was getting dark out. After a quick huddle behind a large delivery truck, the homeless man raced across the intersection to the southwest corner and hurried down the steep steps into the subway station. A moment later, he popped his head up and whistled to the others.

“The station’s empty!” he called to them. “Hurry—while the coast is clear!”

Conner and his friends joined him underground. Their footsteps echoed off the station’s title walls. The homeless man jumped over the turnstile to avoid paying, and the others copied him. Red was the least agile, and her gown got caught in the revolving turnstile. Goldilocks had to slice off a layer of her dress to set her free.

“Now everyone follow me to the end of the platform,” the homeless man said.

“Wait!” Conner said. “We aren’t going any farther until you tell us exactly where we’re headed.”

“Kid, I promise it’ll make sense once we’re there, but until then, you’ll just have to trust me.”

The homeless man reached the end of the long platform and jumped down onto the train tracks.