Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports (Maximum Ride 3)

57

Not too long ago (though it felt like several lifetimes), Fang, Nudge, and I had found a vacation house in Colorado. No one had been using it then, but now it was ski season, and snow lay thick on the ground. Still, it was worth checking out.

Because the others were ahead of me, I sped up to be in front. Then I changed direction slightly, knowing exactly how to get there from here.

Taking a chance, I glanced at Fang.

“Where are you going? A little hideaway that Ari knows about?” Icicles crackled on his words.

“The ski house we found. Maybe it’s still unoccupied. Be a place to rest up.”

He shook his head. “No way! You know the rules—never return to a place you’ve been! If someone’s been there, they know it was broken into and will have beefed up their security. If no one’s been there, we pretty much cleaned out all the food anyway.”

God, I just hated it when he was reasonable and logical. I mean, if there was ever anything calculated to make me see red...

“I’ve thought of that,” I said calmly. “But we need some downtime, and it’s our best option.”

“It is not!” he said. “We should find a canyon or cave somewhere and hunker down—”

“I’m tired of caves and canyons!” I surprised both of us by snapping. “I’m tired of desert rat, medium rare! I want a roof and a bed and food that I don’t have to catch and skin!”

He stared at me, and instantly I felt embarrassed, as if I had just admitted I wasn’t tough as nails.

Well, too bad. That was how I felt.

I sped up, leaving Fang behind, and headed right for the vacation home.

58

Imagine, if you will, a somewhat run-down, not very much used vacation hacienda. For those of us without even an everyday hacienda, the notion of having a vacation one makes us positively giddy. Even an unrenovated one.

Just like before, we came down in the woods a distance from the house and crept stealthily nearer. As we got close, we heard voices and the purr of a car engine. Fang glared at me like, I told you so. People were here.

“Okay, did you lock up?” one voice said.

“Yeah. And the fire’s out.”

“Good. I can’t wait to come back.”

“Maybe Saturday, right?”

So there you go. Car doors slammed, and the voices were muffled. We pressed against tree trunks, trying to hide our breath coming out like smoke.

I looked back at Fang and raised my eyebrows in triumph. They were leaving. It was perfect. We waited for ten minutes after the car drove away, then, unrepentant little felons that we were, broke in.

I did try to do as little damage as possible, though. Must be all that girly sensitivity they wired into my DNA.

“It’s warm!” said Angel happily.

“Let’s check out the kitchen!” Nudge hurried toward it.

“This is great,” said Ari.

Fang shot him a venomous glance, then scowled at me. I ignored him and headed to the kitchen. It was time for some serious chow.

“Oh, thank God they’re not vegetarians,” Nudge said with feeling, pulling out some cans of beef stew.

“What’s that one that’s worse than vegetarian?” Gazzy wrinkled his nose.