Chapter 11

"It wasn't us! I swear we didn't do it!" Gazzy yelled as he and Iggy took off out of their second floor window, Nudge and Angel following at a close distance.

"I don't care!" I barked. "Down here now!" Fang and I were already running inside the house. Bright orange flames danced across the roof. It wouldn't take long for the fire to reach the lower level. My mom and Jeb could fend for themselves, if they were awake, but Akila. The puppies. I needed the flock's help to save their teeny tiny cute little faces. And not that I really cared about them all that much. Okay – maybe a little. But they were innocent pawns in whatever game that whoever was playing with us.

Jeb was in the dining room when we rushed in. He secured his laptop, grabbed some files, looking up only to acknowledge our presence.

"Your mother's working on the puppies. She's going to need some help," Jeb spit out quickly. He extracted his keys from his pocket, rushed the front door. "I'll start the van. Why don't you meet me out front?"

I nodded as I ran down the hall off of the great room that contained the living and dining rooms. The door to Total's room was wide open and upon entering, I saw that my mother already had three puppies in her hands. Total carried a black and white Scottie pup by the scruff of its neck while Akila struggled to get to all fours.

"I got Akila," Fang quickly offered, and then picked up the ninety pound Alaskan Malamute. Yes – interesting picture, I know. An extremely large snow dog with a twenty pound Scottie. How they concocted a litter of puppies – okay I really didn't want to think about that. Stranger things have happened. Like a flock of kids with built in wings.

I picked up the remaining two puppies, gingerly placed one in Iggy's hands as we did an about face toward the door.

"Ewww. Thanks, Max," Iggy grimaced, clutching the grey pup by its neck and holding it several feet in front of him. "No peeing on me, Gaston, got it?!" he said to the sleepy puppy. Just how did the blind boy know which puppy he was holding? Gaston was the only grey one and Iggy had this uncanny knack for identifying the color of an object with just the touch of his hand.

He quickly trailed Gazzy back out the door, the rest of us sprinting behind them. We stormed through the front door of the house, began placing puppies and mama in the back of the Jeb's black van.

"Total!" Angel cried out as soon as our black winged Scottie emerged from the safe house. He flew into her arms and she carried him the rest of the way to the van. "I was so worried about you!"

"Who did this?" Total asked the air. "Who perpetrated such an atrocity?" He buried his face in a paw. "My Vogues! I lost my Vogues, my Elle, and my latest copy of Elegant Bride. Akila had just narrowed down the choices on the bridesmaid dresses." Total humphed, Angel smoothed out his fur.

"It's okay, Total. We'll get you –"

"Angel, where's Nudge?" I snapped, realizing, upon performing a head count, our tawny diva was MIA. Fang's head whipped in my direction.

"I told her not to go, Max. I told her we'd get her new ones," Angel explained.

"New what?" Fang asked, approaching me.

I stared back at the house from our position out on the street. Everyone was in the van, ready to take off, needing to take off. Everyone except Nudge. Nudge had disappeared back into the big flaming ball of orange to search for her one and only pair of very expensive Manolo's, gold five-inch heels that Nudge had worn everywhere except to bed since she'd bought them with her own money a month ago. Money she'd won from a radio contest in which she knew the answer to every question about legendary pop star, Michael Jackson.

I hastily scanned the top floor of the house, searching for a place unscathed that would be easy for me to fly into. And…. my futile hunt produced nothing.

Oh well.

"Max!" I heard several concerned voices yell as I ran three steps out toward the street and leapt into the air. I ignored them. It'd been several minutes since Nudge flew back into the house. Something was most assuredly wrong. And I needed to find my precious chocolate tween before some evil fate befell her. Something worse than me killing her for being such a total superficial dolt.

I flew toward the house, desperately striving to avoid coils and puffs of black clouds that drifted up into the night sky. A window toward the back of the house looked inviting and I threw out feet and smashed through the glass with my sneakers.

Shards of glass stabbed me through my jeans as I eased through the top floor bathroom window. I ran towards the door and then winced as my butt met ceramic tile.

"Ugh! This is why we need to clean up around here!" I shouted to no one, gathering up a half bar of used soap that someone had left on the floor.

Suddenly I felt tough hands under my arms and Fang stood me upright. He had drifted in behind me, saw my graceful backwards lunge through the air, and was now helping me to my feet. My right-hand man had my back – again.

"I don't think there's going to be much left to clean up after this," Fang noted flatly.

"Thanks," I muttered, then rushed through the door. We hit the floor immediately as our vision became instantly cluttered with a fog of orange and black. The two of us clambered down the hallway to the girls' room as fast as possible, holding our breath to the point I think I turned purple.

"Nudge!" I screamed as we hit the portal to my room, exhaling a huge breath as I yelled for her.

Fang and I crawled around the room, called for her several times, yet heard nothing in response. Finally, as I rounded the bed she slept in, her right wing and leg came into view.

"Fang! Over here!"

I scaled the distance between Nudge and me quickly. She wasn't moving. Just lay motionless under a huge support beam that had pelted her cranium.

Fang and I lifted the beam off of her frame and I hastily checked for a heart beat. My hand moved frantically from her wrist to her neck to – yes! I got one!

"I got a pulse, Fang. Faint, but it's there. Let's get her out of here."

Fang tenderly picked up Nudge and we moved toward one of the bedroom windows near the side of the house. I climbed through it and Fang attempted to slide Nudge through the opening. Her wings were all sprawled out and the endeavor was like trying to squeeze a tootsie roll through the eye of a needle. But he managed and I hoped like Hades that her wings weren't damaged. At least not too badly.

I took her in my arms, drifted toward the ground and away from the house, Fang right behind me. We laid her down on the ground, felt her wrist again and found a very faint pulse. However, as Fang leaned over her tall skinny form, I grew fearful our rescue was for naught.

Nudge, my dear sweet materialistic Nudge.

She wasn't breathing.

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A/N: Had to get my MJ plug in... Hope you liked. Sorry for another cliffhanger, but if you've been following me, you know that's my style. I will try, try, try to update by Thursday. And thanks for the reviews!