This one had wings.
I caught Fang’s gaze, and he came over. When he saw the bird kid, he sighed and shook his head. I actually saw sadness and tenderness in his eyes. It made me want to hug Fang. But I didn’t, of course.
“You know, we can’t save them all,” he told me softly.
“I’m supposed to save the whole world, remember?” I whispered back. “Well, I’m gonna start with these guys.”
There you go, Max, said the Voice. That’s the difference between you and Fang.
Don’t you dare say anything bad about Fang, I thought. He’s usually right. He’s probably right about this now.
Is it important to be right or is it important to do what’s right? That’s one of the hardest lessons to learn.
Okay, whatever. I’m really busy right now.
“Start popping latches,” I whispered to Iggy, who whispered to the Gasman, and so on.
I opened a cage and gently shook the creature inside awake. “Get ready to run,” I whispered. “We’re getting you out of here.” The poor baby looked back at me uncomprehendingly.
Several creatures were awake and pressing against their cage bars, making weird noises I’d never heard before. We moved as fast as we could, opening doors. Finally, most of the prisoners were free, standing around, looking at the entrance to the lab with confusion or fear.
One cage held a large child who was gripping the bars. Fine features said this was probably a female. She had wings—I could see them tucked tight against her sides. She was older than the other winged child we’d seen.
I quickly unlatched the door to her cage. I jumped back when I heard a voice.
“Who are you? Why are you doing this?” she whispered.
“Kids don’t belong in cages,” I said to her. Then I called out in a loud voice, “Okay, everybody. Let’s blow this joint.”
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“This way!” Nudge said, attempting to herd the mutants out of the lab. “Don’t be afraid.”
“I hear voices,” Iggy said. “Be very afraid.”
“Let’s move it!” I ordered. My heart was pounding—what was I doing? Was I going to take care of all these kids? I could barely manage the ones I had.
I would think about that tomorrow.
“Nudge! Fang! Angel!” I called. “Out, out, out!”
They zipped past me, urging the others, and then we ran through the first door and across the deep carpeting to the second door. “Up the stairs!”
I didn’t have Iggy’s hearing, but I felt, sensed, that our little liberation party was about to be discovered. And that would be bad.
Plan ahead, Max. Think it out. Think on your feet.
Yes, Voice. Okay, we had steps, then sewer—I practically pushed the others up the dark stairs, one, two, three . . . One of the mutant kids freaked out and curled up in a ball, whimpering. I snatched it in one arm and kept climbing, two steps at a time. In my mind, I pictured the route we had to take.
Up ahead, Fang shoved open the last door, the one into the tunnel, and we all poured out after him, moving from cool, fresh air to a hot, fetid dampness that made my nose wrinkle.
“Where are we?” asked the bird girl we’d freed. She looked about ten years old and was one of the few who would speak.
“Sewer system, under a big city,” I said shortly. “On our way out to fresh air and sunlight.”
“But not just yet,” Ari hissed from behind. “First we need to chat, Maximum. You and I. For old times’ sake.”
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