Con Quest!

“I’m sticking with Alex,” Cat said firmly. Alex looked at her with surprise—he supposed they were okay again, after all that.

“Sounds good,” Alex agreed, giving his sister a smile back. They were always okay again. That was the best thing about being twins with Cat.

“Obviously.” Fi rolled her eyes. “But who’s taking the Surprise Mystery Item?”

“We can do that,” Rowan volunteered. “I know the con pretty well. I’m sure we can find it.”

Alex nodded. “And we can get into Hall M.”

“Cocky, but making it fashion,” Rowan said approvingly. Alex didn’t know what that meant, but it sounded positive. “I dig it. Text when you’re done, okay?”

“Not if we text them first!” Fi laughed. She grabbed Rowan’s hand, and the two of them split, running back toward the escalators.

“Don’t get kicked out of the con for life!” Cat called after them. She shook her head and shrugged at Alex once they were out of earshot. “Teenagers.”

“So weird,” Alex agreed. “And I’m probably the weirdest one here, so I can say that.”

“If you’re the weirdest, then I’m the weirdinator,” Cat said firmly. Alex didn’t know what that meant, either, but that was pretty typical for a Cat-ism. “Still. I think it’s good we’re doing Hall M. I feel like … it’s our destiny now, you know?”

“I think so, too,” Alex agreed. “We can do it. I know we can do it.”

“I know we can do it, too.” Cat smiled. Alex could see his sister struggling to keep the smile on her face.

“What is it?” Alex pressed.

Cat sighed. “It’s just…” She dropped her head down and stared at the floor. “I have no idea how we’re going to get in. I know we’re being all cool about it now but … I really did give away our passes. And the line is ten trillion miles long. We have no chance of making it in there by the end of the day.”

“Oh.” Alex laughed. “That’s it?”

Cat stared at him like he’d grown another head and that head had seven ears and one of them was maybe purple. “Yeah,” she said. “That’s pretty big.”

Alex grinned. “When I said I know we can do it, I was being serious. This time, I really did plan ahead. Follow me!”

Alex took off in the same direction as Rowan and Fi. Cat kept pace at his side.

“Where are we going?” she asked excitedly.

“It’s a surprise!”

“Why?”

“Because … surprises are fun?” Alex suggested.

Cat laughed. “You surprise me all the time, bud.”

Alex and Cat reached the escalators and took one down, peeking out over the sides for any sign of James M. It looked like the coast was clear—for now. Alex couldn’t believe they’d managed to lose him. He could still feel James M.’s clammy phantom hands on the back of his neck. Alex shuddered.

Thinking about James M. just intensified Alex’s desire to see this Quest item through to the end. If James M. thought they weren’t real nerds—well, Alex would show him. He would show everybody who ever doubted him!

“This way!” Alex said, scanning his pass and bursting out the double doors into the sunshine.

“I believe in you!” Cat sounded like she was trying really hard to convince herself of that. It was okay—Alex knew he was on the right track. For both of them.

Alex led Cat down, down, down the convention center’s long outdoor veranda. He rounded the concrete corner. There, across the way, was the press hotel. Over there was the Hall M line—as gigantic as Cat said it was. There was the sound of the ocean, just on the other side of the building …

And there was the press door to Hall M.

Still completely unguarded.