Hawk - James Patterson Page 0,78

Moke?”

“Yeah. The doctor says they’ll detox okay. But it’ll take a while.”

“Yeah.” His face brightened. “They got real food here! An’ computers! An’ the people are nice, too. I like it here, Hawk.”

“What’s not to like?” I asked.

“I don’t wanna go back to the city,” he said, getting what I thought of as his “brick wall” expression.

“I don’t think you have to, bud,” I said. “I think we’re welcome to stay. Or at least, you and the other kids are.”

“And you?” he said, concerned.

“To be honest, I’m not sure what my plans are right now,” I said. Like, if the Flock actually really wanted me, if I wanted to go with them…

“Oh, really?”

I tensed, already knowing that voice too well.

Fang came up behind me, put one arm around my shoulder, and gave me a sideways hug. “God, your killer scar is much less intimidating,” he said. “And you’re so clean—I hardly recognized you,” he said.

“Look who’s talking,” I sneered.

He did look super different from the scraggly, dirty prisoner he’d once been. He’d shaved. His hair was dark and shiny. He smelled a hell of a lot better. I guessed I did, too.

“Speaking of plans,” he said, “I need you to come with me.”

“Why?”

“There’s someone you need to meet.”

CHAPTER 77

“Hang on—this place is a maze,” Fang said, frowning.

I couldn’t give him any shit, because he was right. Tetra was one cavern or tunnel after another. Sometimes we crossed through a thin strip of sunlight from an open canyon above, and twice we’d gone over a small wooden bridge that crossed a narrow stream.

“Where are we going?” I asked for like the fifth time. “Just stop and ask someone!”

He gave me his narrow-eyed glare, and I mimicked him. But the next person who walked by was in fact grumpily asked for directions. She also pointed out the small signs everywhere, saying where stuff was. But god forbid we should rely on those!

“Maybe some punk moved ’em all around—you don’t know,” Fang muttered as we charged down yet another tunnel.

“Yeah, can’t trust all us young punks,” I said, sarcastically.

Finally he stopped in front of a door, checked its number against the one written on his hand, and opened it. “Okay, we’re back,” he said, walking in.

I looked past him to see a large living room–type situation, kind of dark, as so many rooms here were. Max stood up, smiling at me, and I prayed this wasn’t some kind of family thing I was nowhere near ready for. Then I saw Gazzy sitting on a sofa, eating something. He waved at me.

“Come get some eggs and stuff!” he said.

Okay, then. I walked in and headed for a small alcove with a kitchen in it. Iggy—Iggy—was cooking? My head swiveled right and left as I looked to see if anyone else thought this was, you know, dangerous? But it was all business as usual with the circus bird-family!

I grabbed a plate and stood still as Iggy—Iggy—dolloped scrambled eggs (I really think they were real) onto my plate, and toast and the best bacon-flavored krill I’d ever had.

I’d ignored Max since I’d come in, ignored when she and Fang hugged each other for an uncomfortably long time, ignored when they both glanced my way, murmuring softly. Instead I sat down at a convincing wood-grain table and started shoveling chow in.

“Ooh! Hawk!”

I smiled up at Nudge as she hurried over and gave me a quick hug.

“Are you sure he should be cooking?” I whispered, motioning my head toward Iggy.

Nudge chuckled and whispered back, “Trust me—he’s a thousand times better than the rest of us.”

“Are you done?” Fang asked impatiently. “There’s someone we want you to meet.”

I took a last slug of coffee, looking at him. Something in me told me this was important; it was why he’d brought me here. But everyone in the Flock was already here—Max, Fang, Iggy, Gazzy, and Nudge.

I wiped my mouth with the back of one hand and stood up. They all looked expectant. I hadn’t noticed the slightly open door at the far end of the room, but now a small wolflike creature bounded out of it, mouth open to show its long, sharp canines.

I felt a quick flood of adrenaline, the way my hands tensed for action, the way my feet tightened for kicks.

It was coming straight at me, and no one was stopping it, no one moving to help me. Was this some kind of test? I’d never seen a wolf this small before, or this dark, nearly black.

“Stand