Arcade Catastrophe
Page 50
“Something valuable,” William replied glumly. “Something private. Something we did not want taken. Something that can never be replaced.”
“We wouldn’t have taken it,” Roman said. “We just want the map. Take us to it. Or should I use the Finder’s Dust?”
“Don’t bother,” William said, leading Roman and Summer to the other side of the living room, where a door gave access to a largish bedroom with a comfortable bathroom attached. William lifted the queen-sized bed, folding it up into the wall. Pulling a rug aside, he revealed a trapdoor.
“Down there?” Roman asked.
In reply, William produced a key, inserted it, and opened the trapdoor. He started down a ladder, then glanced up at Roman. “You coming?”
“Is this an ambush?” Roman asked.
“You have my mother and my brother,” William said. “You are fortified by potent magic. Come on.”
Roman and Summer followed William down the long wooden ladder into a secret cellar. Homemade shelves held canned food supplies. Numerous unmarked crates cluttered the dusty room. Sliding some cans aside, William pulled a loose block from the wall and produced a smooth stone marble like the one his mother had offered.
Roman sprinkled some dust, and almost every particle misted over to the little sphere, dissipating into smoke on contact. “It doesn’t look like a map.”
“That is not my concern,” William said. “Search the house with your dust, if you choose.”
Roman walked around the room, dropping pinches of dust. It all went toward the stone marble. Roman went and took the marble from William.
“Won’t you reconsider?” William asked. “What can your employer offer that is worth granting him power to destroy the world?”
“The guy who sent us is really powerful,” Roman said. “If he wanted to mess up the world, he could do it on his own.”
William shook his head. “You’re blind. You don’t even know what he’s after. Whatever power your employer possesses is nothing next to Uweya.”
Roman glanced at Summer. For the first time, he seemed a little indecisive.
“Maybe we should just let him go,” Summer said. “Maybe we should let him take the guidestone. We might not get what we’ve gotten ourselves into.”
“I’ve gathered that much,” Roman said. “But he’ll find it again. Our boss. He’ll just send somebody else. Another club. New recruits. His own people.”
“Just because other men would do evil does not mean you must participate,” William said. “Help us stand against your employer.”
Roman shook his head. “I don’t think so. You stay down here. Don’t bug us and we’ll leave quietly.”
“Are you sure?” Summer asked.
“I’m not sure about anything,” Roman snapped. “How do we know this guy isn’t lying? He could be the bad one.”
“A bad guy would have tried to stab you with his sword,” Summer pointed out.
“Maybe,” Roman said. “Maybe not, if he’d already guessed there was no chance to win.”
“Is being a Tank worth it?” Summer asked.
“He made those dolls of us,” Roman said. “Those simu-whatevers. If we turn on him, we’re toast. We just have to hope he wants Uweya for good reasons.”
“Not likely,” William grumbled. “The kind of power Uweya represents should never be unearthed. A wise person would know that.”
Summer knew that Jonas White was a pretty bad guy. He had abducted Mozag and John. Just like his crazy sister, he was luring kids to do his dirty work and selling mind-altering food. But she couldn’t trust Roman not to turn her in if she revealed her true purpose and shared all of her information. Without her, who would monitor the Tanks? “William might have a point,” was all she said.
“Doesn’t matter,” Roman said. “We already chose sides. If Uweya is so powerful, we’re smart to stay on the winning team. If you were going to wimp out, Summer, you shouldn’t have accepted the stamp.”
Sighing, Summer gave William an apologetic glance. “You’re right, Roman. Let’s get out of here.”
Roman started up the ladder first. Summer looked at William intently. “I’m on your side,” she mouthed. “I’ll try to help.”
She wasn’t sure whether he could read her lips. She couldn’t afford to make Roman suspicious by confirming that William understood. She followed Roman up through the trapdoor. He shut it and pulled the bed down over it.
They returned to the living room. Ruth remained atop the man who had fired the stun gun.
“Did you find it?” Derek asked, standing beside Arrista.
Roman held up the stone marble. “It’s called a guidestone.”
The screen door shifted, and everyone turned to look as a figure blurred into the room. Derek lunged toward the door, but the figure had already charged Roman, who held the guidestone between his thumb and forefinger. A little slow to react, Roman had barely begun to lower his arm by the time the Racer reached him. He had failed to enclose the guidestone in his fist, and the stone marble vanished before he could do so. He reached for the quick figure, but the thief was already beyond his grasp and heading for the door.
Derek, who was standing nearest to the door, had started for it as soon as the screen opened. He made it there just in time to become entangled with the Racer on her way out. Together they tumbled out onto the porch.
Summer ran to the door. Lying on the porch, Derek held Paige tightly. With a flick of her wrist, Paige tossed the guidestone into the yard, where Trevor quickly recovered it.
“Give it back!” Derek yelled. “Give it back now or she gets hurt!” He had one leg across Paige’s shins and gripped both of her forearms.
“You’re already hurting me!” Paige spat. “Get off.”
“Not until we have the map,” Derek insisted.
“Okay,” Trevor said. “You win. Catch.”
Trevor tossed the guidestone underhand to Derek. The stone marble traveled in a high, slow arc. When Derek reached up to catch it, Paige yanked her legs out from under him and darted away. Trevor blurred forward, catching his own throw before it reached Derek, then streaking away before Derek could grab him.
Claire and Hailey dashed forward as well. Whether they meant to intercept the thrown guidestone or help Paige was difficult to tell. But since Trevor had beaten them to the guidestone and Paige had managed to scramble away unaided, they arrived with nothing to do and tried to turn around. The two girls got tangled with each other on the porch steps, slowing them enough that Derek’s desperate swipe at Trevor clipped Claire’s leg.
“We wouldn’t have taken it,” Roman said. “We just want the map. Take us to it. Or should I use the Finder’s Dust?”
“Don’t bother,” William said, leading Roman and Summer to the other side of the living room, where a door gave access to a largish bedroom with a comfortable bathroom attached. William lifted the queen-sized bed, folding it up into the wall. Pulling a rug aside, he revealed a trapdoor.
“Down there?” Roman asked.
In reply, William produced a key, inserted it, and opened the trapdoor. He started down a ladder, then glanced up at Roman. “You coming?”
“Is this an ambush?” Roman asked.
“You have my mother and my brother,” William said. “You are fortified by potent magic. Come on.”
Roman and Summer followed William down the long wooden ladder into a secret cellar. Homemade shelves held canned food supplies. Numerous unmarked crates cluttered the dusty room. Sliding some cans aside, William pulled a loose block from the wall and produced a smooth stone marble like the one his mother had offered.
Roman sprinkled some dust, and almost every particle misted over to the little sphere, dissipating into smoke on contact. “It doesn’t look like a map.”
“That is not my concern,” William said. “Search the house with your dust, if you choose.”
Roman walked around the room, dropping pinches of dust. It all went toward the stone marble. Roman went and took the marble from William.
“Won’t you reconsider?” William asked. “What can your employer offer that is worth granting him power to destroy the world?”
“The guy who sent us is really powerful,” Roman said. “If he wanted to mess up the world, he could do it on his own.”
William shook his head. “You’re blind. You don’t even know what he’s after. Whatever power your employer possesses is nothing next to Uweya.”
Roman glanced at Summer. For the first time, he seemed a little indecisive.
“Maybe we should just let him go,” Summer said. “Maybe we should let him take the guidestone. We might not get what we’ve gotten ourselves into.”
“I’ve gathered that much,” Roman said. “But he’ll find it again. Our boss. He’ll just send somebody else. Another club. New recruits. His own people.”
“Just because other men would do evil does not mean you must participate,” William said. “Help us stand against your employer.”
Roman shook his head. “I don’t think so. You stay down here. Don’t bug us and we’ll leave quietly.”
“Are you sure?” Summer asked.
“I’m not sure about anything,” Roman snapped. “How do we know this guy isn’t lying? He could be the bad one.”
“A bad guy would have tried to stab you with his sword,” Summer pointed out.
“Maybe,” Roman said. “Maybe not, if he’d already guessed there was no chance to win.”
“Is being a Tank worth it?” Summer asked.
“He made those dolls of us,” Roman said. “Those simu-whatevers. If we turn on him, we’re toast. We just have to hope he wants Uweya for good reasons.”
“Not likely,” William grumbled. “The kind of power Uweya represents should never be unearthed. A wise person would know that.”
Summer knew that Jonas White was a pretty bad guy. He had abducted Mozag and John. Just like his crazy sister, he was luring kids to do his dirty work and selling mind-altering food. But she couldn’t trust Roman not to turn her in if she revealed her true purpose and shared all of her information. Without her, who would monitor the Tanks? “William might have a point,” was all she said.
“Doesn’t matter,” Roman said. “We already chose sides. If Uweya is so powerful, we’re smart to stay on the winning team. If you were going to wimp out, Summer, you shouldn’t have accepted the stamp.”
Sighing, Summer gave William an apologetic glance. “You’re right, Roman. Let’s get out of here.”
Roman started up the ladder first. Summer looked at William intently. “I’m on your side,” she mouthed. “I’ll try to help.”
She wasn’t sure whether he could read her lips. She couldn’t afford to make Roman suspicious by confirming that William understood. She followed Roman up through the trapdoor. He shut it and pulled the bed down over it.
They returned to the living room. Ruth remained atop the man who had fired the stun gun.
“Did you find it?” Derek asked, standing beside Arrista.
Roman held up the stone marble. “It’s called a guidestone.”
The screen door shifted, and everyone turned to look as a figure blurred into the room. Derek lunged toward the door, but the figure had already charged Roman, who held the guidestone between his thumb and forefinger. A little slow to react, Roman had barely begun to lower his arm by the time the Racer reached him. He had failed to enclose the guidestone in his fist, and the stone marble vanished before he could do so. He reached for the quick figure, but the thief was already beyond his grasp and heading for the door.
Derek, who was standing nearest to the door, had started for it as soon as the screen opened. He made it there just in time to become entangled with the Racer on her way out. Together they tumbled out onto the porch.
Summer ran to the door. Lying on the porch, Derek held Paige tightly. With a flick of her wrist, Paige tossed the guidestone into the yard, where Trevor quickly recovered it.
“Give it back!” Derek yelled. “Give it back now or she gets hurt!” He had one leg across Paige’s shins and gripped both of her forearms.
“You’re already hurting me!” Paige spat. “Get off.”
“Not until we have the map,” Derek insisted.
“Okay,” Trevor said. “You win. Catch.”
Trevor tossed the guidestone underhand to Derek. The stone marble traveled in a high, slow arc. When Derek reached up to catch it, Paige yanked her legs out from under him and darted away. Trevor blurred forward, catching his own throw before it reached Derek, then streaking away before Derek could grab him.
Claire and Hailey dashed forward as well. Whether they meant to intercept the thrown guidestone or help Paige was difficult to tell. But since Trevor had beaten them to the guidestone and Paige had managed to scramble away unaided, they arrived with nothing to do and tried to turn around. The two girls got tangled with each other on the porch steps, slowing them enough that Derek’s desperate swipe at Trevor clipped Claire’s leg.
