The Final Warning (Maximum Ride 4)

“I’m okay,” said Nudge, crawling out from the hallway where she had dived.

“I’m okay,” said Iggy, though I couldn’t see him. Then a pile of dust and debris moved on the floor, and he stood up, looking as if he’d been flocked. Like a Christmas tree.

“Okay here,” said Gazzy, and he started coughing too.

“What was that?” my mom asked, sounding shocked.

“Everyone all right?” Jeb asked, brushing stuff off his shoulders.

Amazingly, we were all fine, except for minor scrapes, cuts, and bruises. Total looked as if he’d been breaded in preparation for frying. If Gazzy hadn’t seen that wire, we all would have resembled pizzas ourselves: flat and messy.

“But what was that?” my mom asked again. She looked totally freaked out and kept patting everyone down for broken bones.

“A welcome wagon?” I said, already gathering our meager belongings. “Okay, everyone. Let’s scram before the cops show.”

12

WE SPLIT UP from Mom and Jeb, then met them fifteen minutes later at an inconspicuous motel out on the highway. They drove, and we flew overhead, looking for anyone tailing them. We didn’t see anyone, and I guessed that whoever set up the bomb assumed it had worked and that we had all been eliminated. No one had tried to blow us up in a while, and we were all a little shaken. It was a reminder that danger could come from anywhere, anyone.

After brushing themselves off as much as possible, Mom rented a room, and Jeb rented the one next door. We waited till the coast was totally clear, and then the flock and Total sneaked in. Maybe we’d be safe here for a little while.

That night, my mom and I stayed up talking after everyone else had gone to bed. I curled up on the couch next to her and tried not to imagine what my life would have been like if I could have been talking to her like this all the time.

“Who could have done that?” she asked, still looking upset and troubled.

I shrugged. “It could be anyone. Any of the bad guys, any of the good guys who are really bad guys, anyone working for any of them. Maybe the government gang didn’t want to take no for an answer.”

She shook her head. “I still feel that no matter how overbearing they are, how much they don’t understand the situation, they’re on the level. I don’t think they were behind this.”

“Do you trust Jeb?” I asked her.

“I do,” she said slowly. “But I also think you should always be on guard. With everyone, all the time.”

I nodded. “I’m not sure what we’ll do, after this.”

“The government school still not holding any appeal for you?” She smiled.

“No.”

“You’re always welcome at home,” she said, and took my hand.

I shook my head. “I wouldn’t do that to you — at least not too often. Anyone who helps us winds up getting hurt. Like tonight, for example.”

“Still. Never forget you have a refuge.”

“Okay,” I said with a smile. “I wish we could hang out like this more often.”

“Me too. There’s so much I want to talk to you about, so much I don’t know.” She hesitated. “Is there something going on between you and Fang?”

My eyes went wide, and I felt heat flush my cheeks. “No. What do you mean?” I said unconvincingly.

My mom stroked my hair and tried not to look worried. “Just be careful,” she said, and kissed my forehead. “There are other kinds of pain besides physical.”

Oh, like I didn’t know that.

13