Gone (Gone 1)

Taylor winked and blinked out.

Astrid on the walkie-talkie. “They’re getting out of their cars, going into the school.”

Sam looked up at the steeple. She was right up there, so close, he could yell up to her, but her gaze was drawn to the school, not down at him. Sam spotted Quinn running by with his machine gun over his shoulder.

“Good luck, brah,” Sam said.

Quinn stopped dead. “Thanks. Look, Sam…I…”

“No time for that now,” Sam said firmly, but gently.

Sam stood alone in the plaza, leg propped on the edge of the fountain. The school. Why? And why come in daylight, why not wait till night fell?

Albert came trotting out of the McDonald’s. He handed Sam a bag. “Some nuggets, man. In case you’re hungry.”

“Thanks, dude.”

“We have faith in you, Sam.” Albert took off.

Sam munched a nugget and tried to think. The move to the school was unexpected. Was it an opportunity? If Caine was out of the car, on foot, in a school building that Sam knew a lot better than he did…

He keyed the walkie-talkie. “Is there any sign they’re leaving the school?”

“No. They have one guy standing outside as a guard. I think it’s Panda. I definitely did not see Drake.”

He could end this, maybe. Right now, one-on-one with Caine. It would mean none of these kids would have to be involved. It would mean no one would have to pull a trigger.

Dekka was running toward him. “Sam. Sorry, I couldn’t find you.”

Maybe just the two of them, Sam and Dekka. It would double his chances. It would be right: one from Perdido Beach, one from Coates, side by side.

“Caine’s at the school,” Sam said. “I’m thinking maybe we take it to them.”

“Is Drake there?” Dekka asked.

“No one has seen him. He may be…he may be not showing up.”

“Good,” Dekka said bluntly.

“We haven’t had much time to get to know each other,” Sam said. “And now, well, I don’t have much time, period. How much control do you have over your power?”

Dekka blew out some air and considered this question. She looked at her hands as if they would give her the answer. “I have to be pretty close. I can rattle a wall pretty good, or send someone flying, but only from a few feet away.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m up for it,” she said.

Taylor popped in. “They’re all inside the school. One guard, as far as I can see. And definitely no Drake.”

“Okay,” Sam said. “Here’s what we do. Dekka and I are going after them. Taylor, I need you to go tell Edilio. Then I need you to climb up the steeple, up where Astrid is. If Dekka and I get in trouble, we may need a distraction.”

“Dude. I don’t climb. I pop. And I’m on it.” Taylor disappeared.

“I’ll probably get used to her doing that someday,” Sam muttered.

He took a deep, shaky breath. It was his first big tactical decision of the coming battle. He hoped it wasn’t a mistake.

Jack had kept the SUV hidden in a patch of trees all through the day. He had slept fitfully, crunched in the driver’s seat, all the doors locked, too scared to think about stretching out more comfortably in the back.