Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 110809 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110809 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
“I can suit up. Just give me—”
The power drops, my screen going dark along with all the lights.
“No!” Evie yelps.
“The generator,” Wyatt says. “Just wait. It’ll cut on. We’ll be able to get a look before the Army takes everything.”
We wait, and I finally know what having ‘bated breath’ means, because I’m scared to even exhale for fear the generator won’t start up.
“Any second now.” Wyatt drums his fingers on his thigh. “Any second—”
“Shh!” Evie snaps.
“Okay,” he whispers.
We wait.
Panic sets in. It’s not going to start. Something’s wrong. We’ll have lost the one lead we have.
The first stuttering coughs of the generator make it to my ears just as the lights flicker on.
“Yes!” Wyatt punches the air. “That’s what I’m talking about!”
Evie hugs me hard, and I hug her right back.
“Wyatt, get to it!” I yelp.
“On it.” He dashes to the HCL.
“Is this it? This could be it,” Evie stammers, her grip still tight.
“I hope so.” I pull back. “It’s going to take Wyatt at least an hour to get it ready.”
“Yeah. Right. Yep, though he may cut that down to 45 minutes. Record lab time for the cure.” She smiles.
“Let’s hope so. We don’t need any more power blips.” I take a full breath, my body buzzing, my mind a whirlwind of ‘what ifs’.
“We should check on Aang.” Evie stands.
“Okay, but maybe we shouldn’t mention—”
“No.” She shakes her head emphatically. “Not until we know something for sure.”
“Let’s go.” I follow her out and to the elevator, my laptop under my arm just in case the soldiers get a little too frisky with the things they’re packing up.
When the elevator opens, Gretchen is already there.
“Hey, is Aang—”
“He’s gone!” Gretchen looks around the atrium. “Is he here? Did you see him?”
“No, we were in the lab. How long has he been gone?”
“I don’t know. I was sitting with him, but I dozed off. It was still dark. But now—what time is it?”
“About eleven?”
“Hours.” Gretchen, looking stricken, rolls from the elevator and scours the room, looking everywhere for Aang. “He’s been gone for maybe hours. Where would he go?” Gretchen puts a shaking hand to her cheek, her eyes meeting mine. “He was talking crazy. He-he said he wanted to kill the person responsible. But then he fell asleep. I thought he was going to sleep it off. He would never hurt anyone, you know? He—”
“Juno. He said he wanted to kill Juno?” I already know the answer.
Gretchen nods, misery in her eyes. “But then he fell asleep. I didn’t mean to doze off. Oh, god, you don’t think he went to the White House?”
“He won’t be able to get close to her,” I reassure them. “They won’t let him in the building.”
Evie plucks her ID from the lanyard around her neck. “This will get him in, won’t it?”
My stomach drops. “Shit!” Before I even know what I’m doing, I take off running past the soldiers in the lobby, the ones on the street, and the others gathered around the nondescript 18-wheelers parked out front.
All Juno’s warnings and edicts about me not going to the White House fall away as I push myself to get to Aang. Evie appears at my elbow, her stride longer than mine as she matches me, then edges out front.
We race up the avenue, my lungs burning from the sudden exercise after months of desk life. Maybe I should’ve at least done some cardio, I think as Evie reaches the gates before me. I catch up, my chest heaving as I try to catch my breath.
“Our friend, Aang. Did he come through here?” She shows her badge to the guard. “He had one like this. Dark hair and—”
“The Chinese guy?” the guard asks.
“Yes!”
“Yeah, he came through a while ago.”
“Let us through.” I flash my badge at him.
His eyebrows draw together as he reaches for a clipboard inside the guard station. “Have to record everyone who comes and goes. Hand me your badges.”
Crap. I’m certain he’s got orders not to let me in. Major Barker said as much. Evie gives him her badge and holds her hand out for mine.
I glance at the narrow gate and pretend to have trouble untangling my lanyard from my hair. “Just a second.”
The guard scribbles on his clip board, then inspects her badge even more closely. “Research, eh? You all are from the lab, too, right?”
“Yes.” Evie bounces from one foot to the other.
“All right, you can go through. Hand me your badge.” He buzzes the gate, and it pops open.
I yank my badge free, throw it at him, then run through the open gate and speed up the narrow lane to the White House entrance.
“Hey!” Evie follows me, her stride once again outpacing me as we reach the guards standing at the back entrance to the West Wing. They draw their guns.