Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 (Book 1)

I felt as if I’d been in Cell 25 for weeks when I heard the inner tumblings of the lock on the door. There was a slide of metal and the door opened and I saw the first light since I’d been incarcerated. As usual, I was lying on the ground, and I instinctively pushed myself way away from the door, covering my face from the harsh light. “Stay away,” I mumbled.

Nichelle walked into the cell escorted by two of the guards. “It reeks in here. It smells like the giraffe house at the zoo.” She started laughing. “He smells as bad as Zeus.” One of the guards laughed.

She took a few more steps toward me and looked down at me. “Hatch wants you. Get up.”

Hatch. His name alone filled me with terror. I rolled over to my knees and elbows and tried to stand but I couldn’t.

“I said get up!” she shouted.

“I can’t,” I replied, my forehead pressed to the ground.

After a moment Nichelle nodded to one of the guards and he walked over to lift me. He stopped before he touched me and looked at Nichelle.

Nichelle squatted down in front of me. “If you shock him, we’ll keep you in here for the rest of your short, miserable life. Do you understand?”

“I won’t shock him.”

“Why would I believe you? You’re a liar.”

“Liar or not, I can’t stand up.”

She looked at me for a moment, then said to the guard, “Help him.”

The guard put his hands under my armpits and easily lifted me. When I was on my feet he let go of me and I collapsed back to the ground, crying out with pain. Nichelle rolled her eyes. “Carry him.”

The guard lifted me again and this time he put his arm around me, carrying more of my weight than I was, as I staggered down the hall to the elevator. As we walked I sucked in the cool air, breathing it in like water. In spite of my pain, I can’t tell you how luxurious it felt.

In the elevator I noticed Nichelle pushed the D button and I silently groaned. Hatch was back in the dungeon. Another test, I thought. If he asked me again to electrocute Wade would I do it?

I tried to think of better possibilities. Perhaps I was being reassigned to the dungeon. Maybe with Ian and the two girls. I wanted to see them badly. I wanted to hug them and thank them. The dungeon would be a Caribbean vacation compared to Cell 25.

My hope dissipated as we walked past their cell, back to the room at the end of the hall. Back to block H, the room where Wade had been bound and where I had “failed” my test. The room’s light was on and the door was partially open. The guard carried me inside.

There were three chairs in the room and Taylor and Ostin were strapped into two of them. Please, not them, I thought.

I don’t know what I looked like. In Cell 25 it was too dark to even see my reflection in the toilet, but, based on Taylor’s reaction, I must have looked pretty awful. She gasped when she saw me.

“Michael,” she said.

“Oh, buddy,” Ostin said. “What have they done to you?”

“Shut up,” Nichelle said. “Save your pity for yourselves.”

The guard dropped me in a plastic chair and then fastened my hands and feet with plastic ties. A large plastic belt was drawn around my waist and fastened in back. It was overkill. I couldn’t have even stood up under my own power. Only my tics seemed strong.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Shut up,” Nichelle said. “No talking.”

“You’re a toad-face,” Ostin said.

Nichelle immediately tried to reach him with her powers, forgetting that she had no effect on him. She walked over and smacked him on the head. “You’re fat.”

“Yeah, well you’re ugly, and I can lose weight.”

She sneered and slapped him on the side of the head again.

“Ow,” Ostin said.

“Keep your mouth shut, butterball.”

About five minutes later Hatch walked into the room. He said to me darkly, “I trust your accommodations were to your satisfaction.”

My head felt like it weighed a ton and I just sat there, staring at my feet.

“Look at me when I’m talking to you!” he shouted.

It took effort, but I raised my head and looked into his eyes. Hatch wore his dark glasses and a strange-looking helmet. I turned my head to one side and my neck cracked. I looked back at Hatch, “What did you do to my mother?”

“Twenty-six days in Cell 25 and still defiant. If I wasn’t so disappointed in you I’d be impressed. Be assured that she’s paid dearly for your choices, but she survived the shock, if that’s what you’re getting at. And I’m pleased. I didn’t want to discard my best card yet. Though, as you see, even without her, the deck is stacked in my favor.”

He turned and looked at Taylor. “Don’t waste your time trying to reboot me, Miss Ridley. You have little enough of it left.” He tapped his helmet. “Those electric waves of yours won’t make it through this very special helmet your sister helped us create.” He smiled at her smugly. “Perhaps you’re wondering how we came up with this.”

“I don’t care,” Taylor said.

“You should, it’s quite interesting. When I was in my early twenties I did some work for the NSA—the National Security Agency. The NSA building in Maryland is completely wrapped in copper. It keeps prying spy satellites from listening inside. This helmet employs the same principle.”

“Still not interested,” Taylor said.

“On the other hand, for Mr. Vey, this copper helmet is the worst thing I could be wearing.” He leaned close to me. “If he could get his little hands on this he could fry my head like a Sunday roast. That’s why we have him strapped down to a plastic chair.” He smiled at me. “I do hope you’re comfortable.”

“What are you going to do?” I asked. “Kill us?”

“Just some of you. Let me be clear about this. I want you, Michael. I want you to join us. I want to understand your power. But you’re not cooperating.” He stepped away from me. “Like you, during your vacation in Cell 25, I’ve had a lot of time to think about things. I’ve decided that our problem here is really just a matter of credibility. You, Michael, won’t cooperate because you lack trust. Trust that I will do what I have threatened to do. I’d like to show you otherwise. Like they say in the old movies, I need to show you that I mean business.

“So we’re going to have a demonstration with a couple of your friends. Proof of what I’ll do to your mother if you choose not to cooperate.” He took a step toward the door. “You may come in now.” He turned back to me. “Michael, I think you remember our friend Zeus.”

Zeus walked into the room. His long, oily blond hair was partially concealed beneath a copper helmet similar to the one Hatch wore. The last time I saw him he’d shocked my mother. I desperately wanted to get my hands on him.

“You creep,” I said.

“The name is Zeus,” he said.

“Your name is Zeus,” Taylor said. “Like the Greek god?” She rolled her eyes. “Puhleeeeeze.”

I could see Taylor trying to get to him but she couldn’t.

“I told you, Miss Ridley, you can’t get through our helmets,” Hatch said. “And as far as the name, that’s not the only similarity my boy here has with his Greek counterpart, is it Michael? Michael’s seen a demonstration of his gift. Like the Greek god, Zeus also throws lightning bolts.” He smiled at us. “So, Michael, to put it bluntly, Zeus is going to fry your friends.”

“You won’t do that,” I said.

“There you go,” Hatch said, flourishing his hand. “Lack of trust. You’ve just proved my point. Yes, I will do that.”

“But you need them.”

“Wrong again. The truth is I’m only annoyed by your chubby little friend and, frankly, Miss Ridley isn’t really of as much value to us alive as we thought she’d be. Fortunately, we have a carbon copy of her, so she is quite expendable. Our research team thinks an autopsy will prove most valuable. We’ve never dissected a Glow before; it could help the cause immensely.” He turned to Taylor. “Did you ever dissect a frog in science class?” He smiled. “Of course you did. Now you’re the frog and some parts of you will be kept in little jars.”

Taylor looked pale, like she might throw up.

“I’ll give you whatever you want,” I said.

Hatch looked at me, his eyes narrowed with contempt. “You had that chance twenty-six days ago. Maybe now you’ll learn that, unlike you, I am a man of my word. We’ll discuss a new deal after my demonstration.”

He walked toward the door. “So, if you’ll pardon me, I think I’ll leave.” He looked at Ostin. “I hate the smell of burnt butter.”

“You’re a psycho!” Ostin shouted at Hatch.

Hatch grunted. “Little man, do you really think you could say anything that I would find remotely hurtful? It’s like being insulted by a slug. You are a donkey among thoroughbreds. How sad that there is nothing even vaguely special about you. You’re just so… average.”

“No he’s not,” Taylor said. “He’s brilliant. He’s a member of the Electroclan.”

Hatch grinned. “The Electroclan. That’s almost comical.” His expression darkened. “Too bad you got in the way of the big boys, Ostin, or you could still be home with mummy and daddy eating pizza. Good-bye.”

Hatch turned to Zeus. “When you’re done cooking our friends, call the guards and have Vey returned to Cell 25 to contemplate the consequences of his choices.” He looked at the guards. “You might want to wait outside. Zeus is very powerful but not always accurate. Come with me, Nichelle.”

Nichelle smiled darkly at Taylor. “I’ll miss you so much,” she said sarcastically, then she followed Hatch out. The guards followed her and shut the door behind them, leaving the four of us alone. A wicked smile crossed Zeus’s face. “All right, kiddies, it’s playtime.”

Taylor said, “Why are you doing this? You’re one of us.”

“I’m not one of you.”

“You could be,” I said. “You could join the Electroclan.”

“What’s that,” he said laughing. “Your club? That’s like booking a ticket on the Titanic after it hit the iceberg.”

“What’s your real name?” Taylor asked.

He turned to her. “Zeus.”

“What’s your first name?”

“Zeus.”

“Your last name?”

“It’s Zeus, Zeus, Zeus. First, last, middle, that’s it.”

“You really think you’re going to kill us?” Ostin said. “Dude, you’re like fifteen.”

“Shut up,” he said.

“No,” I said. “He’s right. Think about it.”

“Yeah, think about this.” He raised his hands and a quick burst of blue electricity arced between them. He stepped toward me. “Like that, electric boy?”

It was obvious that his electricity was different than mine. Mine came from within my body, while his seemed confined to the outside. I wondered how much he had to give. I, on the other hand, couldn’t even stand under my own power.

He turned back around. “So who wants to go first? It’s usually ladies before gentlemen, or maybe that doesn’t apply to executions.” He walked over to Taylor. “Does it?”

“Go ahead,” Taylor said.

He touched her cheek. “It’s a shame you didn’t decide to join us. We could have had some fun. We’re going to rule the world, you know.”

“Why would you want to do that?” Ostin asked.

“I thought you were supposed to be smart,” Zeus said. “Oh, you have no powers at all. Except eating.” He laughed.

“Hey,” Ostin said. “Before you fry me, tell me something. I mean, unless they don’t trust you with the scientific stuff.”

Zeus looked annoyed. “What?”

“I can’t figure out how Hatch made that helmet work. I mean, the science of it doesn’t make sense. Why doesn’t the copper actually conduct the electricity and amplify Taylor’s electromagnetic waves? Is there like a radio converter inside it?”

“It’s just a helmet, doughboy.”

“No, there’s got to be something inside it. You probably just don’t know that much about electricity.”

Zeus’s face turned red. “I’m made of electricity, idiot. It’s just a stupid helmet.”

“It couldn’t be. You must not have examined it. There’s got to be a little electric converter inside, maybe a little black pad with some circuit board. Did you notice some wires?”

“There’s not a stupid black pad inside—there’s no wires! It’s just a copper helmet, like a football helmet made of metal. Look, chubster.” He started to pull off his helmet but noticed Taylor, who was looking a little too eager. He stopped. “Oh, I see. Well played, fat boy. You almost got me. You’re not as dumb as you look. Now prepare to fry.” He lifted his hands.

“You surprise me, Zeus,” Taylor said. “You’re obviously really powerful. More powerful than any of us.”

He turned to her. “You said it.”

“You’re named after a god. You could be, like, the ruler of the world.”

He dropped his hands to his side. “What’s your point?”

She shrugged. “Nothing. I’m just surprised that you’re taking orders from Hatch. He should be taking orders from you. He tells you to kill us, you obey like a dog.”

Zeus looked confused. “Enough talking.” He turned back to Ostin. “You’re a nobody. You go first.” He again raised his hands.

“Hey, Zits,” I shouted. “What kind of electrowimp picks on kids without powers?”

He turned back to me. “What did you call me?”

“Zits,” I said. “Z-I-T-S. Actually, I don’t think you even need electric bolts. You could just breathe on us.” I looked him in the eyes and smiled. “Seriously, dude, when was the last time you brushed your teeth?”

“Shut up!”

“No, really. Did you eat a diaper?”

“Shut up!” he shouted. He squinted. “Do you know how much I enjoyed guarding your mother? I shocked her at least a dozen times just to watch her squeal.”

“Yeah, well you could have just sat next to her and let her smell you. That would have been much worse. I’ve had hamsters with better hygiene.”

“Enough! Don’t think I won’t electrocute you, Vey!”

Taylor looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. “It’s his Tourette’s, he can’t help it.”

“I’m scared, Zits,” I said. “You know Hatch would have your head if you did. But here’s my promise: after I’m in charge, my first command is to make you my shoeshine boy. You’ll be following me around with a towel.”

“You’ll never be in charge.”

“No, that’s what Hatch said. You heard him. He wants my power. I’m not kidding, Zits. When Hatch was trying to get me to join you guys, he promised me that you would be my servant.”

Zeus looked at me with a worried expression. After a moment he shouted, “Shut up! And stop calling me Zits!”

“I don’t think I will. In fact, it’s going to be the first rule I make. I’m going to have everyone else call you that.”

“I don’t care what Hatch says. I’m gonna fry you, Vey.”

“Oooh, now I’m really shaking. You don’t have enough juice in you to light a flashlight.”

“Michael!” Taylor shouted. “Stop it. He’s got a temper. I’ve seen it.”

“You should listen to the cheerleader, Vey.” He stepped toward me. “You think you’re so cool. But you can’t shoot electricity like me, can you? You’re just a flesh-covered battery.”

“And you’re a flesh-covered outhouse. You should tie a couple hundred of those car air fresheners around your neck.”

“Last warning!” Zeus shouted.

“I’m not kidding, Zits. There are porta-potties with better aromas. Would a little deodorant kill you? What was the last year you took a bath?”

“That’s it!” He lifted his arms in front of himself and electricity arced between his fingers. “You’re gonna die!”

He pointed his hands toward me, letting loose a storm of crackling blue-white electricity. I surged at that precise moment and the sound of his electricity hitting the field of my electricity was like the crash of two cymbals. The room lit up as bright as a welder’s lamp.

To my surprise, I felt absolutely fine. Not only was my surge protecting me, but it wasn’t going away either. The longest I had ever held a surge was ten or fifteen seconds, but I wasn’t tiring at all. In fact, I was growing stronger. I was absorbing Zeus’s electricity. Even the weakness I felt from before was leaving me.

There was so much electricity in the room that all of our hair was standing straight up. I looked over at Taylor. She stared at me in disbelief.

It’s not hurting me, I thought.

She nodded.

Can you read my mind?

She nodded again. The electricity in the room had created some kind of bridge.

I can, I heard her say, even though her lips didn’t move. Now I could read her thoughts as well.

Zeus could see that his electricity wasn’t hurting me and he was getting angrier. He looked like a crazy man, his hands raised and moving. “Burn, Energizer!”

The foul stench of burning plastic filled the room. I looked down to see that my chair was melting. The plastic ties that the guard used to bind my wrists and legs had melted through and the vinyl band around my waist had melted as well. I was free.

I looked back up and smiled at Zeus. Rage burned in his eyes. He clenched his teeth and intensified his assault. But the force of his electricity only added to mine. I was getting stronger, and, from his appearance, he was growing weaker. Sweat was beading on his forehead and his breathing was heavy.

My skin began to glow a pale white, growing brighter and brighter until I was lit up like an incandescent lightbulb.

“Aaaargh!” he shouted in exhaustion, and the electricity stopped. He flicked his hands as if his fingers had been burned. “Okay, then I’ll burn her!”

He turned toward Taylor.

“No you won’t,” I said, standing up. He turned back to look at me. I was now glowing brighter than the overhead lights. I lifted my arms and held my palms out toward Zeus. “Try this.” I pulsed. A bright flash of light burst from me like a shock wave and Zeus screamed out as he was thrown against the wall. Taylor’s and Ostin’s chairs also flipped sideways. Zeus slid to the floor unconscious.

I ran to Taylor’s side. “Are you okay?”

It took her a moment to answer. “I think so. I can’t get loose.”

I grabbed the plastic ties on her hands and surged and they melted in my hands. She reached down and unfastened her legs. Then I ran to Ostin. He was lying still. I knelt down by him. “Ostin?”

He wasn’t breathing.

“Buddy!” I put my head to his chest. His heart had stopped. “Ostin!” I shouted. I burned off his bands and began to administer CPR. “His heart stopped,” I shouted.

Taylor came to my side.

“Come on, Ostin,” she said.

I put my ear to his chest. Nothing. Tears began to fill my eyes. “You can’t die, buddy. You can’t.”

I continued pressing his chest but nothing I did seemed to have any effect.

Then Taylor said, “Shock him.”

“What?”

“Shock his heart. That’s what doctors do when a heart stops.”

I put my hand over his heart and pulsed. His whole body shook. I put my head to his chest, but there was nothing. “Ostin, buddy. Hang in there.”

I put my hand on his heart again. “Surge.” His body shook again. Suddenly his body trembled. I put my head on his chest. “His heart’s beating!”

“Yeah!” Taylor said.

A moment later Ostin groaned and his eyes opened. He looked at me, then said, “That hurt.”

I exhaled in relief. “Oh, man, that was close. Don’t ever scare us like that again.”

“Don’t ever shock me like that again.”

Zeus started to come to, groaning lightly. Taylor walked over and pulled off his helmet, throwing it behind her. He looked up at her. “Where am I?”

“You’re on the ground,” she said. He began to lift his head but Taylor squinted and knocked him back down. “Don’t even think about it. And you better behave or Michael’s going to finish you.”

Ostin sat up, rubbing his chest. “How did you create a shock wave?”

“I’m not sure,” I said. “I think Zeus’s electricity made me stronger.”

Ostin smiled. “Just like I was theorizing, you can absorb electricity.”

Taylor pointed to a camera. “Hey, guys, whatever we’re doing, we better hurry. We’re being watched.”

“No,” Ostin said. “The light’s off. Michael must have blown the camera with his surge.”

“Still, Taylor’s right,” I said. “We’ve got to move fast. There are guards outside the door.”

“What should we do with him?” Taylor asked, looking at Zeus.

Zeus looked up at me fearfully. Don’t hurt me.

I heard his voice clearly but his mouth hadn’t moved. There was still enough electricity in the room that I could read minds without touching.

“Please don’t hurt me,” he said aloud.

“Why shouldn’t I?” I asked.

He just stared at me, unable to come up with a reason.

I leaned close to him. “I’ll tell you why. Because I’m not you and I’m not Hatch.” I leaned in closer. “Think of a number between one and a million.”

He looked at me. “What?”

“Think of a number,” I said.

Five hundred twenty-six thousand and twelve, he thought.

“Five hundred twenty-six thousand and twelve,” I said.

He looked at me in astonishment. “How did you do that?”

“I can read your mind, Zeus. And if you so much as think of shocking one of us, I’ll fry you like a chicken nugget. Do you understand?”

He nodded.

“Why are you loyal to Hatch?” I asked.

He didn’t answer in his thoughts or otherwise. I guess he didn’t know.

“He’s worthless,” Ostin said. “We can’t trust him.”

I am worthless, Zeus thought.

Taylor looked at me. Did you hear that? she thought.

I nodded. What has he done?

Let’s find out, Taylor thought. I’m going in deep.

Taylor knelt down next to Zeus and put her head against his. We watched as she went through him, like she was reading a book. After several minutes, her expression changed and she sat back up. “I see.”

“What is it?” Ostin asked.

Taylor said to Zeus, “When you were a child, did you kill your family in a swimming pool?”

The statement seemed to hit him as powerfully as my shock wave. He began trembling and he covered his face with his hands. “Yes.”

“Are you sure about that?” she asked.

He peered up at her. “What do you mean?”

Taylor looked at me and then back at Zeus. “I looked through your memories but I couldn’t find a memory of the swimming pool. Any swimming pool. I only found what Hatch told you when you were little.”

“That’s the way Hatch works,” I said to Taylor. “He makes people think they’re bad so they’ll do bad things. Zeus thinks he’s evil so he’s acting the part. Can you do anything with it?”

Taylor looked at me. “What do you mean?”

“Can you… change his mind?”

A smile came to her face. “I’ve never tried.”

Zeus looked back and forth between us. “What are you going to do?”

“You didn’t kill your family, Zeus,” Taylor said. “I’m guessing that Hatch did, then convinced you that you had done it. Are you willing to let me erase those lies?”

“Can you?”

“I’ve never done this before, but I’ll try.” She put her head against his. After about two minutes she moaned a little, then fell back.

“What happened?”

“I think I did it.”

Zeus lay there with his eyes closed.

I said, “Zeus, have you ever gone swimming?”

“No.”

“Never?”

He shook his head. “I can’t. I shock myself in water.”

“What happened to your family?”

He looked down. “I’m not sure.” His eyes welled up with tears. “Something bad happened to them.”

I looked at Taylor. “Good job.”

“I don’t know why I tried to hurt you,” Zeus said.

“It’s because Hatch was controlling you,” I replied. “But he can’t anymore.”

He sat there looking confused. “What do I do now?”

“Join the Electroclan. Help us bring this place down.”

He looked at me for a moment. Then I heard his thoughts. I’m with you. “I’m with you,” he said, his voice echoing his thoughts. “What do you want me to do?”

“You were with my mother when they took her. Do you know where she is?”

Zeus shook his head. “They took her to one of the other compounds.”

“There are other places like this?” Ostin asked.

“At least four that I know of. They’re in other countries and they’re bigger.”

“Do you know where they are?” I asked.

“There’s an office in Rome and a compound in the jungles of Peru. There’s at least one in Taiwan.” He frowned. “Sorry. That’s all I know.”

My heart ached. My mother had never seemed so far away. “Who runs the other compounds?” I asked.

“Hatch,” Zeus said. “He’s like the president. But he answers to the board.”

“Then Hatch will have records of the other compounds,” Ostin said.

Taylor said, “I don’t think Hatch will be eager to share.”

“No,” I said. “We’ll have to take them. But first, we’ve got to free the others.”

Just then the cell door swung all the way open and three guards ran into the room holding machine guns. “Everyone on the ground,” the first guard shouted. “Move your—” He stopped mid-sentence. “Move… uh.”

All three of the guards lowered their guns and looked at each other as if they’d suddenly forgotten why they had come in. I smiled at Taylor.

“Zeus,” I said.

“No problem.”

Electricity arced from Zeus to all three guards. They dropped to the floor.

“Good job,” I said. “Let’s tie them up.”

We quickly cuffed two of the guards’ hands behind their backs. As I was trying to get the handcuffs on the biggest of the guards, he suddenly turned on me. He jumped up, lifting me above his head. I pulsed and he screamed out, dropping me on top of him.

“You okay?” Ostin asked.

“Yeah,” I said, climbing off the guard. “He’s not.” I locked the guard’s hands in cuffs.

Ostin took their utility belts with concussion and smoke grenades and fastened one of them around his waist.

“We’ve got to figure out how to get everyone out of here,” I said. “Let’s start with Ian and the girls, then we’ll get Jack and Wade.”

“What about Nichelle?” Taylor asked.

“Ostin, you’re the only one she can’t affect.”

He patted his weapons belt. “I’ll take care of her.”

“Zeus, while Ostin and I free Ian and the girls, you and Taylor go to the end of the hallway and make sure no one sneaks up on us.”

“What about the cameras in the hall?” Taylor asked.

“We’ve got to take them out,” I said.

“I know how to do it,” Zeus said. “When I was eight I was fooling around and blew one out. Hatch grounded me for an entire week.”

“Well, start with that one,” I said, pointing to a camera right outside our door. Zeus reached up and electricity jumped from his fingers to the camera. The camera’s light went off and the camera froze.

“Nice shootin’, Tex,” Ostin said.

“Thanks.”

“Okay, let’s go,” I said. “I’ll go first. Zeus, you and Taylor behind me, Ostin, lock the cell then come up behind us.”

“On it,” he said.

We ran single-file down the hall to Ian and the girls’ cell door. Zeus blew out another three cameras as he and Taylor crept to the end of the hallway. Taylor cautiously peered around the corner. “It’s clear,” she said.

I pounded on the cell door. “Ian. Can you hear me?”

I heard a faint pounding back.

“He sees us.”

“How are we going to open it?” Taylor asked.

“Zeus, can you concentrate your electricity and cut through it?”

“No. That’s Bryan’s gig.”

“I know how to open it,” Ostin said, winded from running back to us. “You can use your electricity.”

“But Ian said it’s an air lock,” I said. “It doesn’t work by electricity.”

Ostin smiled. “That’s the flaw in their design. The lock is air, but how does the lock get its air?”

I shrugged. “An air tank?”

“Yes, with an electronic valve. While I was locked inside I asked Ian to follow where the hose went. There’s an electronic valve above each cell door. If my calculations are right, all you have to do is blow the switch and the air pressure drops.”

“He’s good,” Taylor said.

“Where’s the valve?” I asked.

Ostin pointed above the door. “Right about there. A strong enough pulse should knock it out.”

It was at least four feet above me. “I need a lift,” I said.

“On it.” Ostin got down on all fours.

“You sure?” I asked.

“Just do it.”

I stepped on his back and reached as high as I could but it still wasn’t high enough. “This isn’t going to work.”

“Wait,” Taylor said. “We do this in cheerleading. Come here, Ostin.”

Ostin stood.

“Take my hand like this.” They locked hands. “Now, Michael, step right there and we’ll lift you up.”

“You sure you can lift me?”

“Oh yeah, this is how we make our pyramids in cheer.”

I stepped on their arms.

“Lift!” Taylor said.

I rose higher than the door. “Awesome.” I put my hand flat against the wall above the doorjamb. “Here, Ostin?”

“That’s about right.”

“Here it goes.” I pulsed with all I had. The light next to me flickered.

“Now what?”

“Wait for it,” Ostin said.

Suddenly we heard the hiss of escaping air. The door clicked.

“We did it,” Ostin said.

Taylor and Ostin let me down and I pushed open the door. Ian, McKenna, and Abigail were standing in the middle of the room waiting for us. Seeing them filled me with strong emotion. I ran up to Abigail and put my arms around her, then McKenna and Ian.

“You guys saved my life,” I said.

“You were very brave,” Ian said. “Amazingly brave. I don’t think I could have survived what you went through.”

“We’re proud of you,” McKenna said. Abigail nodded.

“Thank you. How can I ever repay you?”

“I think you just did,” Ian said, looking at the open door.

In the hallway an alarm went off, a bright red strobe accompanied by a deafening, shrill siren. Everyone covered their ears.

“Taylor, Ostin!” I shouted. “Give me another lift!”

They lifted me again. I reached up, grabbed the alarm, and pulsed. The alarm wound down with a sound like a sick cow.

“Thank goodness,” Taylor said. “That was annoying.”

“Okay, let’s make a plan,” I said.

As we were talking, Ian was frantically looking around, up and down the ceiling then to the walls. “The guards are collecting,” he whispered. “There are two coming down the front hall toward us right now.”

“Where?” I asked.

He pointed toward the far wall, moving his finger along with them. “Right there, on the other side of the wall.”

“Ian, keep telling us where they are. Taylor, when they get close, reboot them. Zeus, the second you see their gun barrels, blast them with electricity.”

“You got it, chief.”

I walked out into the corridor with Ian. He was now facing the far cell wall, following the guards’ movement. “They’re about at the corner,” Ian whispered. “Now.”

Zeus and I backed against the wall, just at the corner. I saw the glint of metal from two gun barrels and Zeus shot electricity from both hands. Both guards dropped to the ground. “You got ’em,” Ian said. “Two guards down.”

“Are there any more down here?” I asked.

“Not yet. But there are some moving down the stairwell.”

“Let’s take care of these two,” I said. Zeus and I dragged the two guards into the farthest part of the cell and handcuffed them together to the toilet, then gathered again outside the cell. “We’ve got to free Jack and Wade and the rest of the GPs.”

“There’s a problem with that,” McKenna said. “They control all the collars from the command center. They could just set them all off and kill everyone.”

“Where’s the command center?” Ostin asked.

“Fourth floor,” Ian said. “Next to the guards’ barracks.”

“Oh, great,” Ostin said. “We’ve been there.”

Ian smiled. “C’mon, Ostin. You didn’t want it to be too easy, did you? The honey’s always in the center of the hive.”

“So we’re headed to the fourth floor,” I said.

Ostin said, “Trust me, don’t take the elevator.”

“Then the only way out is the stairwell.”

“Which,” Ian said, “they’re covering.”

“Do you know how many guards there are?” I asked.

Ian nodded. “I counted this afternoon and there were twenty-seven. Usually there are thirteen on duty during the day, and the other fourteen are split up between the other two shifts. But they all live here and right now they’re all on alert.”

“How do you know all this?” Ostin asked.

“I watch everything in the building. It’s kept me sane for three years.”

Just then the entire floor went black. We could see nothing but the glow of each other.

“They must have cut the power,” Ostin said. “That’s going to hurt them.”

“They have night-vision goggles,” Zeus said. “I’ve seen them run drills.”

“Oh,” Ostin said. “Then it’s going to hurt us.”

“No problem,” McKenna said. She immediately began to glow, lighting up the corridor.

“That’s so cool,” Ostin said. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

McKenna smiled.

Taylor rolled her eyes. “Not now, Ostin.”

“Sorry. Back to business. There were twenty-seven guards, we’ve taken out five, so there’s twenty-two left,” Ostin said. “I’ll keep count.”

“Ian,” I said, “what’s going on?”

“Six guards are covering the stairwell. There are three above us; the others are gathering on the second and fourth floor by the elevators.”

“Which elevators?”

“Front and back. They might be getting ready to stage another attack. Or they might be waiting for us.”

“What about the other electric children?” I asked.

“Hatch has them gathered on two.”

“What powers do they have?”

“Quentin can produce a small EMP.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Electromagnetic pulse,” Ostin blurted out. “It can knock out radios and stuff.”

“Bryan can burn through things. Tara can manipulate emotions…”

“Wait,” I said. “Can she create fear?”

Ian nodded. “Unfortunately.”

“She’s the one who was torturing you,” Abigail said.

“She’s as bad as Nichelle,” I said.

Taylor looked at me but said nothing.

“Speaking of which, where is Nichelle?” I asked.

“She’s on level two next to Hatch.” Ian looked straight up. “Two men just went up top. I think they’re getting the helicopter ready.”

“I bet Hatch is going to run,” I said. “How big is the helicopter?”

“It’s pretty big. It will hold Hatch and all the kids. If things go bad, Hatch will probably take them with him.”

“Well, things are going to go bad for them,” I said. “Let’s go.” We turned the corner and ran down the next length of hall to the stairwell. Zeus continued down the hallway past the stairwell, blowing out five more cameras, which he could see from their glowing red diodes.

With McKenna’s light we could see both elevators from where we stood, one in front of us, the other at the end of the hall—the same elevator Ostin and I had come through when we first entered the building. I could see under the door that the stairwell was still lit and as I opened the door bullets immediately began to fly. I jumped back and I could hear bullets ricocheting inside.

“Where exactly are they?” I asked Ian.

Ian looked up and down. “They’re on floors one, two, and four. There are six of them.”

“What are they doing? I mean, what are their positions?”

“Two of them are coming down the stairs. The rest are leaning over the railings with guns.”

“Taylor, do you think you could reboot them all at once?”

“I’ll try.”

“I’ll open the door,” Abigail said.

“Ready?” I asked.

Taylor nodded. She put her hands on her temples. “Go.”

Abigail pulled open the door and this time there was no gunfire. I slid my hand inside and grabbed the railing and pulsed with all of my power. There was a loud chorus of screams, and I could hear guns and men falling down the stairs.

“You got four of them,” Ian said. “One of them crawled out of the well onto the second floor, and the other ran back out on the fourth.”

“How bad are the four?”

“They’re not moving.”

“Eighteen left,” Ostin said.

“Let’s move,” Zeus said.

“How many are on the next floor up?”

Ian looked back and forth. “Three.”

“Near the stairwell?”

“No. That’s the GP level; they’re guarding the prisoners.” He cocked his head. “Wait, there’s some motion on the third floor.”

“The kids?” Taylor asked.

“Maybe. I’m having trouble seeing through them. Nichelle must be near.”

“Let’s move up to the next floor.” We all started to climb the stairwell. Suddenly I stopped. It’s hopeless. I thought. You’re leading them to their deaths. Surrender now.

“What are you doing?” Zeus asked.

“It’s no good,” I said. “This isn’t going to work.”

“What?” Taylor said.

“We can’t make it,” I said. “We’ll never make it out of here. They’re going to kill us.”

“Stop talking that way,” Taylor said.

“No, he’s right,” Zeus said. “It’s hopeless.”

Taylor’s eyes flashed. “No,” she said, “it’s Tara.” She looked back. “Abigail, take Michael’s and Zeus’s hands. Quick.”

Abigail ran up half a flight. The instant she touched my hand the fear left. “What happened?” I asked.

“It was Tara,” Taylor said. “My sister.”

“Tara’s your sister?” I asked.

“She’s my twin. I’ll tell you about it later.”

“You have a twin?” Ostin asked.

“I can handle her,” Taylor said. She put her hands on her temples and concentrated. A scream echoed down the stairwell. “Stop it, Taylor!” Tara shouted.

“You stop it!” Taylor shouted back. “Leave my friends alone.”

“Your friends are going to die.”

“No they’re not. Why are you helping Hatch? You’re better than that.”

“Dr. Hatch is better. He’s doing the right thing.”

“Hatch is evil. He killed your parents.”

“They weren’t really my parents.”

“You don’t really believe that. Think for yourself, Tara.”

“You can’t change the world without casualties.”

“You’re saying everything he’s brainwashed you with. What do you believe?”

“You’re the brainwashed one.”

“Hatch told you that too, didn’t he?”

Tara didn’t answer.

“C’mon, Tara. You’re better than that. Join us.”

“I’m not one of you. I’m special. I have special abilities.”

“You do, Tara. And you used those special abilities to hurt that man on the motorcycle. What good have you ever used them for?”

“That man on the motorcycle was just human.”

“I’m human, Tara. And so are you. Would you kill me if Hatch told you to?”

She didn’t answer.

“Would you?”

“You can keep pecking in the dirt, Taylor. But I’m not a chicken. I’m an eagle.”

Then there was silence.

“She went back inside,” Ian said.

I touched Taylor’s shoulder. “I didn’t know that you had a sister.”

Taylor’s face bent in anger. “I don’t.”