his eyes and took a series of shallow breaths, but when he tried to get up he only had the strength to lift his head before he fell back to the floor. “I’m . . .” He grimaced as he started to cough. “I know it looks . . .”
“You’re going to be okay,” Jonas said, brushing away his tears with the back of his sleeve.
“Find . . . your mom,” Dr. Hickman said, the coughing fits staining his lips with green blood. “Get . . . her . . .” He closed his eyes. “Out . . .” His head fell to the side.
Jonas was crying openly, and when he looked up he saw the barrel of the mayor’s pistol pointed at his head.
“I’m sorry, son,” the mayor said. “But I’m afraid you’re next.”
The shriek of a whistle cut through the air, distant at first but growing louder with each passing moment. The mayor’s eyes grew wide and he lowered his gun just a little.
Colt took advantage of the distraction. He lashed out, hitting the mayor in the wrist, and the gun flew from his hand and skittered across the floor. The mayor’s eyes flashed red, and as he snarled he revealed a set of wicked teeth meant for rending flesh from bone. For a split second Colt thought the mayor was going to morph into his native Thule form, but a missile struck and the auditorium shook.
Colt was knocked to his feet as chunks of plaster fell from the ceiling. Dust and debris clung to the air like fog. The room was a cacophony of screaming, coughing, and crying as people ran for the exits. Another missile struck, this time punching a hole in the ceiling. His ears ringing and vision blurred, Colt looked for the mayor but couldn’t find him.
“Colt!” Oz grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around. His eyes were crazed, and his face and hair were caked in dust.
“What’s going on?” Colt demanded. “Who’s firing missiles?”
“There’re at least three Trackers outside,” Oz said.
“Trackers? Did they come through the portal?”
“Heck if I know.”
: :
CHAPTER 38 : :
Colt slipped into the foyer, hoping to find the rest of Phantom Squad. There was more screaming as the bulbs flickered overhead like a series of cameras flashing. Sparks flared, ceiling tiles fell, and the lights went out.
It didn’t take long for his eyes to adjust, but Colt didn’t see anyone he recognized. “Testing,” he said. “Testing 1, 2, 3. Can anybody hear me?”
There was a long string of static followed by a disjointed message that popped in and out. “Some kind of . . . I don’t know . . . maybe a science lab.”
“That’s Danielle,” Colt said as he grabbed a kid wearing a letterman’s jacket. “Which way to the science labs?”
“Over there.” The kid pointed back over his shoulder before he broke free and ran off.
Colt took off, with Oz close behind. It was almost seven o’clock and the sun was long gone. So was the electricity. The only source of light came from the red glow of an Exit sign that hung near a set of double doors. As they pushed ahead, Colt realized that he had never felt more alive. He felt as though his senses had been unleashed to their full capacity for the first time. He could smell the residue from gunpowder, sense Oz’s anticipation, and suddenly he could see through the darkness as though it were fully lit.
“Which way?” Oz asked when they came to a juncture of hallways.
Colt strained to both listen and smell. He could hear a low growl emanating from the darkness up ahead, and then he saw something large moving through the shadows. Claws raked against the brick walls, sending sparks. The creature stopped to sniff the air, then cocked its head and reached for a doorknob. When the door didn’t open, the creature pounded on it and it quickly shattered.
“Hurry!” Danielle shouted.
Colt and Oz raced down the hall and into the room in time to see the Thule standing over Danielle, who cowered in the corner.
Oz rushed past Colt, and the Thule lashed out with its tail and caught him in the head. He crumpled and it attacked again, this time catching him across the chest.
The faint sound of explosions played in the background. The Thule growled and moved toward Colt, battering desks before it grabbed him by the jaw. A massive scar ran over its brow ridge, across a milky cataract, and down its