Chapter 29

MAX:

Let me tell you something you might have never known: when you're sleeping, dreaming a nightmare, it scares the world out of you when you feel someone tapping your shoulder to wake you up and then a hand being put on your mouth to cover your shriek that would give away cover.

I twisted out of my lying position and rose fluidly to my feet, ready to take this person out. I really was. But when I saw who it was, I glared.

"Not now," Jeb mouthed. "Open his cage and let's go."

I didn't know where the key was, but if I opened it with my bare hands, which I was sure I could do, it could make a noise. Plus it would take all of my strength to open them. I was no Eraser. Ari….Stop! I commanded myself. No more. Focus.

I looked at the lock, and wished Iggy was here. He could undo locks quickly. I thought through the list of possibilities quickly, and then decided I would have to try to break it.

Gathering up all my strength, I took the part where the lock meets the ring of the cage and the lock in my hands and then pulled with all of my strength. It didn't want to become undone.

Shoot.

Think, Maximum, think!

"Iggy?" I mouthed to Jeb.

"Outside and it would take too long to get him in here."

I looked around the room for something I could use. I had seen him pick a lock in New York. Maybe I could figure it out.

I found a needle, though I didn't know why it was there, and grabbed it. I put it in the lock and tried to unlock it, but I was no Iggy. After a minute I threw it across the room.

"Would this come in handy?" someone asked from the opposite side of the room, coming in.

Jeb stood up and blocked me from whoever it was, but the person said, "I'm on her side."

"Sam!" I whispered.

"I have the key. It would be faster."

I walked around Jeb and he gave me the key, dangling it slightly in front of me before placing it in my waiting palm. He smiled and said, "Be careful."

"Why are you on my side? Why aren't you trying to stop me?" I asked.

"I don't want to be a person you can distrust. I want to be a person who if you need him will be here for you."

"Why don't you come with us?" I blurted out, not thinking.

He smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Max, but it would be too hard with Fang and everyone except Angel. There would be too much tension."

I nodded. "I guess this is goodbye, then?"

"Yeah."

He hugged me gently for a moment, and then let me go. "Be careful. Promise me," he whispered.

I circled his wrist with lost fingers and said, "I promise."

It was then I realized we had to hurry up and mostly because Jeb wouldn't let me forget it.

I turned around and undid the lock and grabbed Ultimate into my arms. He stirred, looking dazed. Then his wide eyes met mine.

I placed a finger on his lips and leaned down to whisper, "We're breaking you out."

He looked at Jeb, and whispered, "Dad?"

I nodded grimly.

We hustled over to the entrance and I saw Mom. She was waving us to get out the door, looking around and making sure no one else was around.

She hugged me briefly, and then Ultimate for a little longer, and then we were running out of there as fast as we could.

No one was guarding the doors, which is kind of weird because that was what used to happen at the School: there were guards everywhere, but mostly because they were Erasers.

But then I realized it must've been Angel, or the School didn't replace the guard dogs.

When we got outside, the flock was high up in the air of the very early morning air and was looking down at me, and who was in my arms.

"Do you know how to fly?" I asked.

"I didn't even know I had wings, remember?" he grinned small-y.

"Oh. I'll carry you. It isn't too far where we're going, right?" I asked Mom.

"No. The School won't follow us. We'll probably be about twenty miles northwest of here. Can you carry him that far?"

"Mom," I said, smiling a small smile, "he's my brother. I can carry him as far as I need to."

Her eyes twinkled.

Jeb patted my arm once and said, "Be careful."

I nodded.

Sam patted me on the back. "Don't be afraid to be who you are," he said.

I nodded. I ran and did a jump start and flew off into the air. It was harder to do with Ultimate, but I wasn't complaining.

Angel immediately came down to me and said, "Hey, Ultimate. I'm Angel. It's nice to see you face to face."

"Same to you," he said, grinning. "Max told me a lot about you."

She grinned back at him.

"All right. We're heading twenty mile northwest. You all ready?" I asked as I came up to the flock.

"Yeah!" Gasman said and I smiled at him.

"Gasman, right?" Ultimate murmured to me.

I nodded. "Then this is Iggy," I said, nodding to Iggy. "This is Fang," I said, watching the dark eyes watching my brother, glaring slightly.

"Why does he hate me?" he whispered.

"He doesn't hate you. He hates me right now, as he has every right to."

"He has no right to hate you, Maximum," he said. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Wait till you hear the whole story," I said. "Then you'll be on his side."

Fang smiled with no humor.

"And this is Nudge," I said, smiling when I saw her watching my brother with warming eyes.

"Nice to meet you all," he said.

"All right. Let's get going," I said, taking off and going to the destination in which we were assigned."

"I don't understand how the two can be related," Iggy muttered.