School's Out- Forever (Maximum Ride 2)

So it turned out that Itex owned, like, half the world. It wasn’t just a company. It was a huge multinational, multifaceted conglomerate that had its fingers in virtually every type of business there was, including food, medicine, real estate, computer technology, manufacturing, and even book publishing—so heads up, whoever’s reading this.

The more info we found on the Web, the more I started remembering the Itex logo. Now that I recognized it, I realized I’d seen it on a million things in my life, going all the way back to the School where we were created. It had been on test tubes, pill vials, lab equipment—you name it.

I logged off the computer and stood up. “Let’s get out of here.”

I’d seen enough.

111

“No.”

“Please, Max,” Nudge begged.

We were airborne, head

ing south. On the Web we’d found an address for Itex headquarters. It was roughly between Miami and Everglades National Park.

“No way. It’s too risky. The whole place is fenced in. There’s a million people there. We’ll be in crowds.”

“Fang?” Nudge wheedled.

Fang shrugged, as much as he could shrug while flying. He held up his hands as if to say, Talk to the boss. I’m just the hired help.

That wiener.

“Pleeease, Max?” The Gasman added his voice.

I stared ahead stoically, refusing to look down at the tall water tower wearing mouse ears. Of course, we had to pass right over Orlando.

“Max?” Nudge said.

I didn’t respond. I knew what she was trying to do.

“Oh, come on!” said Total, from Iggy’s arms. “We’re not going to the Magic Kingdom? How lame is that?”

I glared at him. It didn’t faze him.

“A couple rides?” Angel asked wistfully. “Splash Mountain?”

“Maaax?” Nudge said again.

I made the supreme mistake of looking at Nudge. Shoot! I winced and looked away but not quickly enough. She got me. She had given me Bambi eyes. Now I had no choice.

I gritted my teeth. “Fine. A couple rides, some cotton candy, and we’re out of there.”

Everyone cheered. Fang gave me a look that said, You sap.

“Who let whom have a freaking dog?” I responded.

He chuckled.

And we were on our way to the land of the Mouse.

112

“Disney World?” Ari felt like his head was about to explode. “Disney World?” His gravelly voice rose into a harsh shriek. “They’re not on vacation! They’re on the run! They’re running for their lives! Death is following them like a bullet, and they’re on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad?”

He snapped his teeth shut so hard the impact jarred his skull.