Amy caught a breath. “And that’s in DC.”
“Where Isabel Kabra is heading right now,” added Dan gleefully.
“Which means that’s where we’re headed, too,” replied Amy. “And if we’re lucky, we can nail Isabel in the process. If we do that, then maybe the entire Vesper plan collapses.”
“Do you really think so?” asked Jake doubtfully. “I mean, there are lots of other places Isabel could be traveling to in DC.”
Amy gazed at him, not longingly this time, but sternly. “Yeah, I really do.” She looked at everyone. “Start packing. We’re outta here.”
Everybody scattered to get ready for the trip. When he was alone, Dan got down on his knees and reached under the couch. He pulled out a silver flask. Inside it was a second dose of the serum. He had made two as a precaution. Not because he thought Amy would sabotage what he had done, but because it was always good to have a Plan B. The serum had a very odd smell, which he disguised by adding a handful of red M&Ms. It wouldn’t do anything to adversely affect the serum, but it might make it taste better. He put the flask away in his knapsack.
As he finished packing, Dan’s intentions were clear. If it came to it, he would still take the serum. If there was no other way for the Cahills to stop the Vespers, he would die trying. It was just how he was built. Sacrifice for the greater good was part of who he was, and who his sister was, too.
And next time, Dan would make sure that neither Amy nor anyone else would be able to stop him. He was going to beat the Vespers, even if it killed him.
He grabbed his bags, joined Amy and the others, and off they trudged to the train station to catch a ride to DC. And a possible confrontation with one of the deadliest, and meanest, people Dan had ever met.
You’re going down this time, Isabel Kabra, thought Dan as he got in the cab.
The breaths still came hard and fast for some. And the tears were still falling. Alistair Oh had been dead only a short time and the grief still lay heavy and hurtful over all the remaining hostages. Understanding death was always hard. Premature death in close proximity was harder still to comprehend.
Nellie Gomez rubbed her healing but still painful shoulder and brushed her filthy hair out of her face. It felt like years had passed since she had been snatched off the streets of Paris. She wasn’t sure exactly how much time had elapsed, but she had a sinking feeling that the odds of their ending up as Alistair had were growing by the minute.
She looked around at the other hostages.
Reagan Holt, normally the Energizer Bunny of the Tomas clan, was sitting on her haunches staring at her dirty sneakers. It looked like her batteries had finally run out.
Natalie Kabra, the fashion queen of the Lucian branch, sat looking equally moody and depressed.
Nellie sort of blamed Natalie for her wound. After all, it had appeared the Vespers were going to shoot Natalie first, but a voice ordered them not to. So they had shot Nellie instead.
Thanks a lot, Nellie thought as she gazed with unfriendly eyes at Natalie. But then again, Isabel had also shot Natalie in the foot when they were all after the 39 Clues. And Natalie had managed to get the bullet out of Nellie’s shoulder when Phoenix had failed to do so. Okay, she had been able to do it because she was a great eyebrow-plucker and could wield tweezers like nobody’s business. And her eyes had been closed the entire time she’d searched for the bullet because she’d been totally grossed out by the gunshot wound. But still, she had gotten the bullet out.
And she’s probably missing her brother, Ian, thought Nellie. But I’m missing a lot of people, too.
Nellie’s gaze moved to the spot that Phoenix Wizard normally would have occupied. Phoenix had died while attempting to escape. At least he was free from the Vespers, but Nellie missed him a lot.
She next looked at Ted Starling. The teenager gazed at nothing, literally. Badly injured during an explosion when looking for the 39 Clues, Ted could see only light and dark, nothing else. But he was plucky and had held up as well as any of the hostages.
The only other adult hostage Nellie worried about was Fiske Cahill. He and Nellie were the guardians of Amy and Dan, and Fiske was the de facto head of the Madrigal branch and nearly seventy. Long known as the Man in Black, and a tough, tenacious dude, he looked, to Nellie, defeated.
I suppose I look beaten to everyone else, she thought.
Nellie was about to say something to Fiske when they heard the footsteps approach. Like wounded animals, each of the hostages instinctively hunkered down and slid as deeply into the shadows as they could. None of them ever took it as a good sign when that door opened.
All of them probably had the same thoughts running through their minds: Is this it? Is today the day we die?
The door swung open. A voice called out, “We’re moving you. Get up!”
The hostages all slowly rose together as though tethered by rope.
Fiske Cahill said, “Where are we going?”
The voice said condescendingly, “What does it matter to you, old man?”
“Come close enough and I’ll show you how well an old man can kick your butt.”
Nellie smiled. Now that was the Fiske Cahill she hoped still existed.
The voice said, “But before we leave, you have one more thing to do.”
“What?” blurted out Natalie.
“You get to say good-bye to your little friends, Amy and Dan Cahill.”
This statement sent chills through all the hostages. Were they going to die? Or were Amy and Dan?
But one of them, Ted, saw an opportunity, even with his very bad eyesight.
The hostages trudged out of their prison, unsure of what the future would hold.
As Fiske Cahill passed one of the guards, the man said, “You talk big for an old fart.” It was the same man who had told them they were moving.
“Big talk this,” replied Fiske as he whipped around and landed a side kick right into the guard’s gut, sending him flying back against the wall and slumping to the floor. Fiske bent down and whispered to the battered man, “That was for Alistair.”
As other guards converged on him, Fiske straightened and said simply, “Terribly sorry about that. Lost my balance. Happens to old farts all the time.”
He walked on, with his head held high.
The command center in Attleboro was a lonely place. Only Ian Kabra and Evan Tolliver were there presently. They were both working hard, but they also felt disconnected from the action. And Ian was particularly gloomy because his sister was a hostage, and it didn’t seem like there was any way to get her back.
Has my mother won? he thought.
Evan pounded his keyboard like some rocker pianist. He kept stopping to adjust his Coke-bottle glasses, which partially obscured his deep blue eyes. Evan lived for computers. In fact, he could not live without them.
He looked up. “Success!”
“What?” asked Ian.
“Hacked Sinead’s e-mail account. Think I hit the jackpot. Well, at least it’s something we didn’t know before.”
Ian looked over Evan’s shoulder at the string of e-mails on the screen. He read quickly. “Right. Well now, she’s e-mailed back and forth with this Riley McGrath chap.” Ian read some more of the e-mails. “He’s a park ranger. Looks like she had a bit of a romantic thing for him. However, I’m not interested in Sinead’s love life. And I don’t quite see how that helps us.”
While Ian had been reading, Evan had switched over to another computer.
“Here’s how. I looked up Riley McGrath. Pretty difficult for him to be e-mailing Sinead.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because he’s been dead for ten years.”
As Ian stared quizzically at him, the cell phone they kept at the command center buzzed.
Ian looked at it. “I don’t recognize that number.”
“Better answer it,” said Evan. “The only people who know this number are people we probably need to hear from.”
Ian answer
ed the phone. “Hello?”
“Who is this?” the voice asked. Ian thought he recognized it but wasn’t sure.
“Who is this?” asked Ian.
“Is this Attleboro?”
Ian put the cell phone on SPEAKER so Evan could hear.
“Exactly who would like to know that information?” asked Ian in his stiffest British accent.
“This is Phoenix Wizard.”
Ian and Evan gaped at each other. Could this really be Jonah’s little cousin? It certainly sounded like him.
“Phoenix, Ian and Evan here,” said Ian. “Can you tell us exactly where you are?”
Evan chimed in, “But first, are you all right?”
When Phoenix next spoke his voice was shaky and both Evan and Ian could hear tears behind the words.
“I almost got killed when I was escaping,” Phoenix said. “It was really scary. I don’t know how I made it through. I thought I was going to die.”
Now both Ian and Evan could hear the little boy sniffling. Next a small sob escaped his lips.
“Right, Phoenix. This is Ian. I want you to take two deep breaths for me. Can you do that?”
“I can try.”
“Good. Two deep ones. Let me hear them.”
They heard two long breaths and then Ian said, “Brilliant, Phoenix. Best deep breaths I’ve ever heard. Now, I know your ordeal has been simply awful, but it would be very helpful if you could just pull yourself together and tell us what happened.”
Evan added, “And that way we can come and help you, Phoenix.”
“Precisely,” said Ian. “You needn’t be alone anymore. We will come to your aid with alacrity.”
“That means really fast,” said Evan, giving Ian an annoyed look.
After a few more sniffles and another long breath, Phoenix said, “After I escaped, I managed to get to a road. A man gave me a ride in his truck to a motel. I’m calling from there.”
Something seemed to occur to Ian and his face turned ashen. “Right. But where are the others? Is my sister, is she . . . ?” Ian shouted this last part into the phone.
Evan gripped his shoulder. “Just chill, dude. Let’s hear what he has to say.”
In a lower voice he said, “And let’s verify it is Phoenix.” In a louder voice he said, “Phoenix, what are your cousin’s two favorite words?”
“Word and bro. With yo and fly close behind.”
“That’s Phoenix,” said Ian.
Phoenix said, “I was able to get away from the Vespers. I’d been wandering through the mountains for a long time before I reached that road.”
Evan said calmly, “We’re really glad you’re okay, Phoenix. But can you tell us exactly where you are?”
“In Washington State. Near the Cascade Mountain Range.” He gave them the exact address of the motel. “If you get here, I can lead you to where the others are. I know right where it is.”
Evan said, “Just hold tight, Phoenix. Hide as best you can. And don’t talk to anybody. We’ll be there as fast as the plane will take us.”
Ian added in a nervous tone, “Phoenix, when you managed to escape, was everyone, was Natalie . . . ?” He again couldn’t finish.
“They were all alive,” said Phoenix.
“Okay, thanks,” said Ian. “Thanks a lot.”
As soon as the phone went dead, Evan fired off an e-mail to Amy telling her about the call. But it bounced back.
“Crap,” snapped Evan. He tried again with the same result.
“I’ll call her on the mobile,” said Ian. But the call would not go through.
“What the heck is going on?” exclaimed Evan.
“We’ve got to reach Phoenix before the Vespers do,” said Ian. “We’ll try to contact the others on the way. Now let’s jolly well get a move on.”
In five minutes they were packed and out the door. Two hours later they were on a flight to the state of Washington.
The Acela train was running smoothly on its way to DC. Amy, Dan, Jake, and Atticus were occupying a four-person table in one of the train cars. Dan had gone to the café car to get some food and had brought back snacks and drinks for the others. The room service meal seemed like a long time ago, though it really hadn’t been. They were all at an age where the calories seemed to be burned up as soon as they passed the lips.
They had opted for the train because the earliest flight they could get out of New York would not have gotten them into DC faster than the train. And the train would carry them into Union Station, which was only a short cab ride away from the National Museum of American History.
Amy had just put down her bottle of water when her phone buzzed. She picked it up and looked at the incoming text. Her face froze.
Dan, who had been watching her, said, “Vesper One?”
She nodded and handed him the phone so the others could see the message.
Would you like to see the hostages one last time?
Vesper One had helpfully provided a password-protected link on the web.
Amy drew a long breath and readied her laptop. The train was full, so they decided to go out into the vestibule between train cars, where they could have some privacy. Amy carried her laptop while the others fell into step behind her. It was like they were marching to see an execution. The dread was clear on each of their faces.
They huddled in the vestibule while Amy hit the link on her computer screen and then put in the password.
They drew closer when the screen fired up, and the dread on their faces deepened.
The remaining hostages were lined up in a row. They looked dirty, beaten, battered. There was duct tape over their mouths and their hands were bound behind them.
Alistair wasn’t there, of course, and neither was Phoenix. Amy and the others knew Alistair was dead and that Phoenix was missing and probably dead as well.
A robotic voice came on over the laptop’s speaker. It was Vesper One. His tone was one of unabashed triumph.
“I just wanted to thank you for all of your help. I consider you my partners in bringing about the victory of my family over yours. Indeed, over the world. Without your valuable assistance in gathering the elements I needed, my plan would never have succeeded. I want you to keep that in mind over the short period of time you have left to live.” The voice paused and then continued, “Oh, and in case you haven’t figured it out for yourselves, I am officially going back on our deal to release the hostages once you provided me with all the elements. Lying is just what we Vespers do. And we do it so well. Makes life so much easier. Ciao.”
They all looked at one another, the fury evident on each of their faces.
“I want to kill that guy,” snapped Dan. “And then bring him back to life and kill him again. And keep doing it until he just disappears to nothing.”
Unfortunately, he said all this right as a conductor walked by. When the man looked at him oddly, Dan pointed to the computer and said, “Uh, fantasy football league. My guy totally blew it.”
“I feel your pain,” said the conductor. “My guy threw four interceptions. I’m thinking about becoming a hockey fan.”
As he walked off, Dan glanced back at the screen.
Atticus pointed at it. “Look.”
They all stared at where he was pointing. The hostages couldn’t say anything because of the duct tape. But their eyes were visible. And one of the hostages was doing something very interesting.
Ted Starling was blinking. But he was doing so in a highly unusual way.
It took Atticus a few moments to realize why. “He’s blinking Morse code.”
Atticus grabbed a notepad and pen from his jacket and watched the screen. “Amy,” he said. “Back it up a little.”
She did, and Atticus watched as Ted blinked and blinked and blinked.
Atticus started scribbling on his pad while the others watched.
When the screen finally went dark Amy said, “Did you figure it out?”
Atticus nodded. “I believe so.” He looked at his n
otes and muttered, “Riley McGrath is Vesper One.”
“Riley McGrath,” said Dan. “Who’s he?”
Amy said slowly, “I don’t know.”
“I wonder why Ted thinks he’s Vesper One,” said Atticus equally slowly, as though he was trying to answer the question before he finished saying it.
“I don’t know,” said Amy again. She suddenly looked sick to her stomach. “Excuse me,” she said. She handed Dan her computer and slipped into the bathroom and shut and locked the door.
Jake glanced anxiously at Dan. “Do you think she’s okay?”
“No, of course she’s not okay,” exclaimed Dan. “Alistair is dead. The hostages are still hostages. Phoenix is dead. And Vesper One basically told Amy that we were the ones responsible for destroying the world. After she’s done in the bathroom, I’m going to go in there to throw up, too.”
Dan slumped down to the floor and stared at his shoes.
“But at least we know Vesper One is Riley McGrath,” pointed out Jake. “That’s something.”
“No. We just know that Ted thinks he is,” replied Atticus. “That’s not the same thing as it being a fact.”
Dan said, “And how does that help us? We don’t know who McGrath is and why Ted thinks he’s Vesper One. We don’t know where the hostages are located. For all we know they’re already dead. That web link could be old. And now Vesper One has everything he needs to wreck the planet. Wow. Cool. Let’s have a party.”
Jake said angrily, “Hey, I know all that, okay? I’m just trying to stay positive.”
“Don’t bother,” shot back Dan. “It just makes you look stupid, because there is nothing, absolutely nothing, to be positive about.”
Jake was about to respond when the bathroom door slid back with a crash, making all three of them jump.
Amy stood there, a determined look on her face.
However, Dan did notice that her cheeks were red, her nose runny, and she looked like she had scrubbed her face hard to wipe away the tears.
“Okay, listen up, because here’s the deal,” she said. “All we can do is keep trying. Vesper One has the upper hand now. Alistair and Phoenix are dead. The hostages might be, too, soon. But we have a lead. We’re going to follow that lead. If we can catch Isabel, we may have some bargaining power. And even if we don’t, we can still find out what she wants in DC. That might help us somehow. I know it doesn’t sound like much. But it’s all we have right now. So we can sit around feeling sorry for ourselves, or we can keep fighting. I don’t know about you, but I plan to keep fighting.”
Day of Doom Page 2