I am EXTREMELY sorry! I've had a lot on my plate - school projects, changing churches, Bible Bowl, theater, my parents are trying to remodel our whole house, and lets not forget THANKSGIVING! We traveled to Texas to see Dad's side of the family. I know I have a lot to be thankful for surrounded by my loving family and the most amazing friends you could ask for.

Ella is in this chapter. Like the chapter where Ella was visiting - I will be saying 'Ella' instead of 'you'.

Journal NOT a Diary!

Max's Journal

November 29, 2010

Mom was killed when the bomb exploded in her yard (She's have to me Superwoman to survive it - I don't even think Superwoman could). But there's a lot more to this story then just Mom dying... and I warn you, it's shocking. You may not what you believe this about our mother, Ella, but neither did I.

Fang did eventually convince me to let him come. I was a little nervous about going back to Arizona - I didn't know what I would find.

Everything was bombed. Ash was all over the ground, few buildings standing.

"Max!" Ella's voice yelled. "Fang!" Leaves in the woods rustled before Ella jumped out. They ran up and hugged us.

"Ella!" I gasped. I held her head at arms length from me. "You didn't get hit by the bombs? Is Mom okay? How did you get here? Where's Angel? She's not hurt, is she? You're not hurt? Do you know who attacked Mesa? Are they gone? What -"

Fang shot me a 'shut it' look.

Tears were streaming Ella's face. "I can't find Angel! We were separated running from the bombs! I - I heard the first one go off across town and Mom told me to leave. I - I ran with Angel. Or I thought I was. I turned around and she wasn't there! Max, I don't know where she could have gone but if something happened to her -"

"Ella! We'll find her, I promise. Do you know what happened to Mom?"

Fear crossed Ella's face as she cried more. "It's terrible! I came back and she - she was laying on the ground dead!"

I froze. So Mom was... dead. I pulled Ella into a hug. Fang wrapped his arms around us both.

"That - that isn't the worst part!" Ella cried, her voice muffled. We let her go. "I woke up night before last. We were staying in a hotel on the border. I went to go get a glass of water and overheard her on the phone. She was making arrangements for a bombing in Mesa."

"Are you sure you heard her correctly?" Fang asked. "You must have been tired. It may have been a dream."

She shook her head. "It wasn't. I hit my funny bone on the table. There's no denying that pain. But that was when Mom hung up. I heard her whisper 'Someone's coming. Make sure you get bombs under all of Mesa. I'll be there tomorrow.' She didn't think anyone could hear her."

"She could have said something else," I suggested. "You could have misunderstood her."

"I hope I did. I don't want to believe that Mom would have been involved in a scheme like that." Suddenly she stood straight up and fished in her pockets. "I found a crumpled up note under the table when I tried to get water!" She pulled out a slip of paper and pried it open, handing it to me.

Steve -

Mesa bombing tomorrow at 9. Then Vancouver subway the next day at 5. Don't forget, or I'll report you.

Val M.

"Vancouver," I repeated. "Five in the morning or five at night?"

Fang checked his watch. "We'll be prepared or both. It's eight P.M."

I nodded. "Fang - you head to Vancouver and try to stop the subway bombing. I'm going to try and find Angel with Ella. We'll be there as soon as we can."

Fang nodded and spread his wings.

"Ella," I said, "show me where you went with Angel."

Ella took my hand. "I don't really remember which way we went... down one of the paths behind the house. You go down one and I go down another?" she asked as we walked to the back of the house. Two dirt paths went opposite directions behind the water heater.

"No. We don't need to be split up again. Let's... go down this path." I pulled her down the closest path to us.

After about two hours of walking, it was obvious both of us were getting tired. I wanted to pull out my wings and fly, but we could pass Angel and never see her. She might not hear me if she's unconscious or - no, Max. Don't think about the d-word.

"Max," Ella complained. "My feet hurt. I don't think Angel is here. I didn't go this far."

I just just about to say 'lets go back' when the word Help screamed in my head.

"Stop!" a deep voice boomed. Both of us jumped. "Not another step or the little girl gets it!"

I peered into the woods. Dragon Guy held an unconscious Angel with a knife to her throat. Our hands shot up in the air. "Just - don't hurt her!" I pleaded.

Dragon Guy laughed as he stepped out of the darkness. "I don't have to. Steve is already in Vancouver. You're little friend is headed right for our subway bombing."

My mouth dropped. "But - but I thought that was tomorrow! I found a note from... my mom..."

"Val is your mom? Wow, you must be disappointed. Didn't know little Mommy would be in on anything like this, did you?" His laughter boomed off the trees. "No worries. My bomb killed her. You'll never have to face her knowing what she really did. You'll still have nothing but good memories of her when she was... alive."

Ella yanked her hand from mine as she dropped to her knees. "Mom was in on everything!"

I laid a hand on her back, but didn't look away from Dragon Guy's ugly face. "But the note said tomorrow at nine. Not tonight."

"Val got rid of that. She called Steve and decided on tonight. She thought it would help more on our Never-Know-Where-They'll-Strike-Next thing."

"But... but..."

"But you're little boyfriend will be walking right into that subway station when the bombs go off."

-Maximum