“It’s from Boone,” she said.
Dear Angela and Q,
Croc and I said our good-byes. I sent him back to help you out and keep an eye on you. Remember I told you how the power affects him differently? Well now you can see. You can tell your parents I had to leave for personal reasons and I got you your own “Croc” from my breeder as a gift. Don’t worry about the sailboat. Uly and Felix will take care of it. Everything will work out. All both of you need to do is give Croc a belly rub.
Take care,
Boone
“A belly rub?” I said. “What do you suppose that means? Is it some kind of code? In case no one noticed, I just got shot. Actually shot! And it hurt! Then the bullet popped out of my shoulder and it was all covered in blood and goo! That’s totally worse than pigeon poop! Way worse! I have had it with all this spy stuff!”
Angela pointed to Croc, who was now on his back with his paws in the air. “I don’t think it’s code. I think it means give Croc a belly rub.”
We bent down, and when we put our hands on Croc’s belly there was a blinding flash of light. When the light passed, I looked around and found we were back at the Marin County Fairgrounds.
“What just happened?” I felt a little dizzy again, but not as bad as the time in Chicago.
“I think we just blinked,” Angela said. “Whoa.” She stood up and staggered a little, feeling dizzy herself.
Croc barked.
“I guess that confirms it,” Angela said.
Croc trotted along in front of us as we headed toward the arena.
“Angela?”
“Yeah?”
“You know how you recorded Boone’s story? Do you think it’s a good idea for us to have that? What if someone found it, or it got out somehow?”
Angela pulled the digital recorder out of her pocket and pressed delete. Then she dropped it on the ground and crushed it with her foot for good measure.
“Now we don’t ever have to worry about anyone accidentally learning the truth about Boone,” she said. Croc looked back at us and barked and we strolled toward the rear of the stage.
The crowd was shouting “Encore! Encore!” and we heard the music start. The perfect harmony of Mom’s and Roger’s voices sent the crowd into a thunderous ovation. They truly were a Match.
The three of us walked along silently as the opening notes of “Rekindled” echoed through the autumn night.
The End
Roland Smith
Roland Smith is a New York Times best-selling author of twenty novels for young readers and more than a dozen nonfiction titles and picture books. Raised in the music business, Smith has incorporated his experience into the I,Q series. When he’s not at home writing, Smith spends a good part of the year speaking with students at schools around the country. Learn more about the I,Q books at www.iqtheseries.com. Learn more about Roland Smith at www.rolandsmith.com.
Michael P. Spradlin
New York Times best-selling author Michael P. Spradlin has written more than twenty books for children and adults. He is the author of The Killer Species series and the international best-selling The Youngest Templar trilogy. He lives in Michigan and can be visited on the Web at michaelspradlin.com.
www.IQtheSeries.com
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
Cast of Characters
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15: 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. PST The Ghost
Reality Bites
The Monkey and the Leopard
Reunion
Tension
Sometimes Surveillance Is Just Showing Up
Buddy’s Back
Aroma
That Was Odd
Number One
Hot Pursuit
Running Out of Numbers
Start Spreading the News
Not Staying Put
The Hand (or the Foot) Is Quicker Than the Eye
Tangled Webs
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15: 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. PST Going to the Dogs
Getting Closer
The Little Things
Handling the Truth
Good Knight
CE 1104—1106 Boone
The Holy Land
The Discovery
Digging
The Stuff of Legend
Secrets
The Miracle
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15: 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST Lost and Found
Discovery
Takedown
Out of Nowhere
The Beginning of the End
Back in Charge
Lockdown
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15: 5:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. PST Moving Fast
Taken
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15: 7:15 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. PST The Trade
The Rock
Over the Bounding Seas
Croc
Showdown
Turnabout
The Big Finish
About the Authors
Guide
Cover
Title Page
Contents
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15: 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. PST
Alcatraz Page 18