Chapter 10

IGGY:

"Fang, where?"

"Three o'clock."

"Bombs away!" I yelled as I dropped the bomb onto the School. It was in an area where there were more whitecoats. The more gone the merrier.

"Good job, Iggy," Gasman said. "You got a bunch of them!"

"Excellent!" I said.

"Um, guys?" Angel said.

"Yeah," Fang replied.

"Max isn't here."

"We were wrong?" I asked, infuriated.

"No, no," Angel said right away. "Sam took her away before we came."

"Do you know where they went?"

"Lemme see if I can reach her."

ANGEL:

Max? Max, can you hear me?

Nothing. I knew how far I could spread my ability, but I couldn't get her, and understanding dawned on me.

"Sam is with her and I can't get through," I growled.

Never give up, Max's voice rang in my mind from a long time ago, or so it seemed. She always told me to never give up. Jeb had said it, too, but I didn't care about him at the moment.

Sam? I asked, trying a different angle.

There! I could feel him. He wasn't responding, trying to ignore me. But he couldn't block me from both of them; only one of them, and Max seemed more important to him to keep me away from her.

I realized that they were in some argument, or getting over it. Max could always do that. She could get into the best arguments, but something about this one stopped me cold. Sam liked Max? It shouldn't surprise me; they went out in Virginia, plus everyone liked Max, so it really shouldn't surprise me, but it did.

What do you want, Angel? he asked me now, no longer ignoring me, trying to get it out of the way rather than running from him.

I want Max!

No can do, Angel.

Why not? What is so important that you can't bring her back?

Hmm, let's see: maybe it's the world. Did you ever think of that?

We can help her without your interference.

No, you can't. You only slow her down. She needs real help.

Oh, so we aren't good enough?

It's not like that, Angel. You had your chance, but all you care about is fun and games and finding a safe home, but here's the reality: if you don't save the world, we're all going to die. Do you want that?

No!

Then let me do what I need to, then. I'll bring her back, I promise.

How can I trust you?

You're just gonna have to, Angel.

We're not going to give up.

It will only make things more complicated if you don't. If you don't, someone may get killed.

We're not going to give up, I repeated.

I know. You'd better get out of here now; they are going to bring you down any second.

This is your final warning: we are not going to give up.

I know, he sighed, resigned. But it would be best for you to give up while you still have some life left within you. Think of Max, and how devastated she would be if any of you died. Do you want to hurt her that way?

Sam's question caught me off guard. Did I want to hurt her? Of course not! I would never hurt Max, but he did.

I know I did, and I am not trying to make up for it because I never can, but I don't want you to be the next one to hurt her, intentional or not.

His words seared through me again. He didn't want me to hurt her…

Just try, Angel, to see it the way I do: if you hurt her, you bring her down. Of course she will forgive you--she always does, but Angel, I just can't stand to see her hurt. Like and love doesn't work that way. You have to understand. If I could make everything right again, believe me, I would. Please understand.

I sighed. I'll try. But no guarantees.

You are going to want to go now. Look down below if you don't believe me.

I did what he said and found that there were whitecoats with nets, ready to bring us down. They also had stun guns.

"We need to get out of here!" I said. "Let's get Max."

I just hope I don't regret this.