She raised her hand to stop Lincoln when he opened his mouth to speak. “Don’t ask me how the Founders did that, because I don’t have a clue. Anyway, ever since then, Sector 8 has been used to conduct training exercises for recruits. Most of the stuff out there is outdated now.” She pointed to the jumbotron. “I mean, how often are you going to have to fight one of those to protect whoever you’re guarding? Personally, I think the games we play here in the arena are more realistic, but whatever.”
Mr. Rockwell stepped back to the podium and held up a large wristband, similar to the ones used by recruits for entrance into Sector 8, only much, much bigger. “Each squad was given one of these wristbands. In order to win the Challenge, the squads must first locate the yeti and then put one of these wristbands on it. The squad that does so will be crowned champion of this year’s Atlas Challenge. I believe it’s about time we got things started.”
The image on the screen switched to a live shot of the six squads. The squads were dressed in uniforms matching their dorm color and stood underneath six giant banners. Skylar had guessed right. Beneath the Finn banner, Milo paced back and forth nervously as Simon shouted last-minute instructions to the squad.
A timer appeared on the jumbotron, counting down from ten seconds. The recruits in the bleachers shouted out each number as it appeared on screen. “Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one!”
The Atlas bells tolled, and the six squads raced into Sector 8. The jumbotron showed the Cora squad dressed in grey passing the Barrier and heading south.
“I’ll bet Jack’s having a tough time right now,” Skylar commented as the group watched the screen. Lincoln was certain she was right. He had stopped by the Trauma Center last night and listened to Jack complain that Mr. Rockwell and the Healers were treating him like a prisoner. He felt fine and should have been out of the Trauma Center days ago.
“I talked to one of the Healers,” Skylar continued. “As long as the Hunt ends tonight, they’re going to release him at eight tomorrow morning. I think we should be there.” Everyone agreed.
Every few minutes, the image on the jumbotron rotated from one squad to the next. The first time the Finn squad showed up on screen, they were following a river into the Rocky Mountain section of Sector 8. In between footage of the competitors, a map of the academy with colored dots representing the six squads would flash on the screen. The other squads were nowhere near Finn. They each seemed to have their own idea of where the yeti would be hiding.
Around eleven o’clock things started to get a little interesting. The Finn squad changed strategy and split into two groups, a group of six led by Simon, and a group of two, Tori and Milo. Was Simon panicking?
Lincoln and Skylar shared a nervous look. Sean’s knees started bouncing up and down, and Kennedy anxiously twisted her hair around her fingers. Guga, the only one who seemed unaffected, once again saved the day. He began speaking in his smooth, calm voice, telling some of his stories from growing up in Rio de Janeiro. Everyone relaxed. Sean’s knees slowly stopped bouncing, and Kennedy placed her hands in her lap. Lincoln and Skylar shared a look. Guga had an amazing effect on people. How does he do it? Lincoln wondered.
His thoughts were interrupted as Dolores, one of the academy cooks, approached the podium and announced it was time for lunch. She directed the crowd to the buffet at the side of the arena. The recruits ate as they watched the jumbotron. When they finished their lunch, they returned to the bleachers and passed the time playing card games, reading books, or making plans for the holidays.
Finally, something exciting happened. “Look!” Skylar exclaimed, gesturing to the screen. Simon crouched low, pointing to the ground beneath him. He then pointed to his left, saying something the camera didn’t catch. The squadders with him spread out and slowly moved forward, hunched down as they searched for clues.
“Simon found the trail,” Skylar announced unnecessarily. “Talk about good luck.”
“It’s not luck,” Kennedy said, putting down the magazine she was reading. “He’s been the top recruit at the academy since the day he got here. You know how Milo’s always a step ahead of everyone else, like he knows what we’re going to do before we do it?” Skylar and Lincoln both nodded. “Well, Simon’s two steps ahead of Milo. Simon’s also older, more ambitious, and better with the rites.”
“True, but he doesn’t have Milo’s charm or good looks,” quipped Sean.
Kennedy’s infamous glare quickly faded as a bright light flashed across the screen. The tree next to Simon burst into flames. He dove out of the way, landing on the ground and using his powers to quickly extinguish the fire. He jumped to his feet and formed a circle with the other recruits, ready for a second attack.
They were in a valley hidden between two mountains. A thin layer of snow covered the ground, crunching softly beneath the squadders circling feet. Leafless, white birch trees filled the valley and combined with the snow covering the ground to create a haunting backdrop for the action.
The camera found the yeti before the squadders did. It stood atop a large boulder, its white fur blending perfectly with the snow and trees, making it nearly invisible. Recruits from the crowd yelled at the jumbotron as if the squad could somehow hear them.
Finally, one of the squadders saw the yeti. She screamed in terror and pointed at the creature. Simon shouted and the others quickly spread into a line, facing the giant beast.
The yeti growled, bared its teeth, and jumped toward the squad, clearing most of the fifty feet between them in a single bound. It pointed one of its hands at the squad. Its eyes changed from deep red to a glowing grey.
Two squadders flew backward, one slamming into a tree and falling unconscious to the ground below, the other bouncing across the snow several times before finally coming to a stop. The remaining four squadders bunched together, desperately trying to defend themselves against the yeti.
It let out a snarl and raised its arms above its head. Hundreds of rocks rose into the air from beneath the snow. They hovered for a moment and then zipped forward, heading straight for the squadders. All but Simon dove for the ground. Somehow, he managed to create an air shield before the rocks reached him. They bounced off the invisible barrier and fell harmlessly to the ground. The others got back on their feet. The yeti roared in frustrated rage and stomped its feet.
Suddenly, the four remaining squadders shot into the air. They came to a stop high above the ground and dangled there, their eyes glowing as they struggled to overpower the yeti’s control of the rite. The camera zoomed in on their sweat-drenched faces. Even Simon looked terrified.
Just as fast as they had shot into the air moments earlier, the squadders fell back to the ground, crashing with tremendous force. The yeti lumbered toward them, its grey eyes gleaming.
Once again, it raised its arms, and the snow surrounding the unconscious squadders rose into the air like a blizzard in reverse. The snow hovered momentarily before switching directions and piling on top of the four helpless recruits. Within seconds, they all were trapped under several feet of snow, powerless and surely suffocating.
Lincoln glanced at Mr. Rockwell, who was watching the screen intently. Any second now, he would stop the Hunt and order the Keepers to save the squad. Finn would be eliminated from the Challenge, but at least everyone would survive.
Something moved off to the yeti’s right. The camera zoomed in. It was Tori and Milo! The yeti, so intent on the squadders in front of it, didn’t see this new threat. The creature stopped piling snow on the recruits and walked toward them, its eyes back to their original red color.
Milo’s and Tori’s eyes started glowing. A ring of fire erupted around the yeti. The creature roared furiously, trapped inside the circling fire.
“Why doesn’t it destroy the fire?” Skylar asked.
“I don’t think it can,” Lincoln answered. “Look at its eyes. They’ve stopped glowing. I’ll bet it’s too tired to control the rites.”
The pile o
f snow covering the four squadders burst apart. They rushed to Milo and Tori, their eyes glowing as they helped control the circling fire. The yeti paced around the circle, glaring at the fire as it tried to regain its strength.
“Milo, you ready?” Simon shouted. Milo nodded. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the giant wristband.
Simon turned to the rest of the squad. “On three, hit it with your best gravity shot. I don’t want the sucker moving an inch. Here we go, one ... two ... three!”
The circle of fire surrounding the yeti disappeared. Milo jumped forward through the smoke. The creature roared and tried to back away. Its muscles tensed, pushing against the increased gravitational force. Even with the extra gravity holding it down, the creature could not be held completely still. It stepped backward as Milo raced toward it.
Milo dove at the yeti’s legs. The yeti swung its arm downward. And then two things happened at the exact same moment. Milo snapped the wristband around the yeti’s leg, and the yeti’s fist reached Milo, smashing into his completely exposed and unprotected face. Milo crumpled to the ground, and the yeti fell next to him, powerless because of the wristband.
“Oh my gosh!” screamed Kennedy. She leaped to her feet, her magazine flying into the air.
The other squadders raced to Milo’s side as the camera zoomed in on him. His left eye was already significantly swollen, on its way to an ugly black. Milo, however, seemed oblivious to the pain it should be causing him. He raised his arms high in the air and screamed with joy. The others helped him to his feet and then joined in his cheer.
The Atlas bells tolled, the victory signal echoing across the entire academy. Lincoln and his friends joined the rest of the Finn supporters at the arena as they jumped up and down, high-fived, and hugged. Even Kennedy seemed pleased. In the middle of the celebration, Lincoln suddenly found himself hugging Skylar. They looked at each other and quickly pulled apart, replacing the hug with an awkward high five.
Twenty minutes later, a burst of applause broke out from one section of the crowd. Lincoln looked down and saw a convoy of trucks driving into the arena, one for each squad, with the squadders sitting in the truck beds. They drove toward the stage, stopping beside it as the entire crowd joined in the applause.
Lincoln looked for the Finn squadders. He found them in the final truck, looks of joy and disbelief on all of their faces. Even Milo, whose left eye was now swollen completely shut, beamed with joy as the final truck came to stop beside the stage.
Thunderous applause continued for the next several minutes. Finally, Mr. Rockwell raised his arms to quiet the crowd, and eventually the cheering died down.
“Congratulations to the Finn squad for their bravery, courage, and ingenuity. The Keepers have taken the yeti and will be releasing it into the NE Zone of Sector 8.”
“What’s the Knee Zone?” Lincoln asked Sean, pointing at his knee.
Sean laughed. “Not Knee Zone, N-E Zone, as in Northeast Zone. It’s a part of Sector 8 reserved for particularly dangerous creatures. It is protected by a Barrier even stronger than the one surrounding all of Sector 8. It keeps the creatures inside away from the rest of Sector 8, and it keeps us recruits from accidentally entering their territory.”
Mr. Rockwell ended his congratulations, reminding everyone to meet tomorrow morning at eight o’clock for the Awards Ceremony. Lincoln and his friends followed the rest of the Finn recruits onto the field. The next thing they knew, Milo was standing in front of them, bursting with joy.
“Milo!” Kennedy exclaimed. She punched him hard in the arm. “I thought you were dead.”
“Geez,” said Milo, rubbing his arm. “That’s no way to treat the champ. Admit it, you were impressed.”
Kennedy smiled. “Maybe a little,” she admitted.
“Of course you were,” he said, grinning. “Everyone was.”
“What was it like, fighting the creature?” Sean asked him.
“I’ve never seen anything that powerful,” Milo told them, the smile leaving his face. “Luckily, we knew endurance was its weakness. If not, I would be in the Trauma Center with Jack, and the rest of the squad would still be stuck in six feet of snow. Simon’s plan was brilliant.”
Kennedy was right. Simon had known what he was doing the entire time. I’m glad he was on our squad, Lincoln thought. The Finn recruits slowly filtered out of the arena, eager to continue the celebration at their dorm.
CHAPTER 17
THE AWARDS CEREMONY
THE NEXT MORNING, LINCOLN AWOKE lying on a couch in the dorm great room. He sat up and rubbed his aching neck. He vaguely remembered sitting on this couch as last night’s party started slowing down. At some point, he must have fallen asleep. He wasn’t the only one to have done so. The great room was full of sleeping recruits, including Milo, who was snoring on one of the oversized chairs a few feet away.
Lincoln looked down at his watch. It was 6:30 a.m. He stood up and shuffled over to Milo. “Time to get up,” Lincoln whispered, shaking his friend’s shoulders. Milo’s eyes opened.
“What a night,” he groaned as he slowly sat up. His left eye was now black and blue, and a small chunk of his ear was missing. Lincoln wondered if it would ever grow back. “What time is it?”
“Six-thirty. Don’t forget we’re meeting everyone at the Trauma Center in an hour. You still sure you don’t mind being late?”
Milo waved him off. “I don’t care about getting an award from the Council. Let’s go get Jack.”
Lincoln and Milo were the last ones to arrive at the Trauma Center. The girls, Sean, and Guga were already there, waiting for them as they walked into Jack’s room.
“Whoa,” Jack said when he saw Milo’s face. “Looks like you need a few nights in here.”
“Nah, just a few bumps and bruises. How are you feeling?”
“Great,” answered Jack. “They’re finally letting me out of this prison.”
“I heard that,” said Alice as she marched into the room.
Jack smiled at her. “The first thing I’m going to do is go for a long run. Or maybe I’ll head over to the combat room and do a run through the obstacle course.”
The head Healer shook her head ruefully and then teased him back. “Maybe I’ll call Mr. Rockwell and see if we can keep you for a few more days.” She crouched down and did a final check on Jack’s wound. “It’s still fragile,” she warned him. “You need to take it easy for the next few days. I’ve put too much time into this. I better not see you back here for at least a few weeks.”
Jack promised he would be careful. Alice turned to the others and warned them she would hold them each responsible if Jack got hurt again. They vowed to keep a close eye on him.
Alice escorted them from the Trauma Center. As they made their way to the Assembly Hall, Lincoln checked the time. It was now 8:15. They were already late for the Awards Ceremony. Lincoln didn’t mind. The ceremony was scheduled to last a full two hours. They would still catch more than enough.
The path from the Trauma Center was completely empty aside from Lincoln and his friends. In fact, they appeared to be the only ones anywhere on the grounds. Even the birds and other creatures seemed to have left. The only sounds were those of their shoes slapping against the dirt.
“I’m impressed,” Milo said, breaking the silence. “They managed to get everyone else to the Awards Ceremony on time. And when I say everyone, I mean everyone.”
They got to Roemick Tower and walked through the entrance. No one sat at the lobby desk, and the Assembly Hall doors were shut.
“Where are the secretaries?” asked Kennedy, shaking her head. They walked toward the Assembly Hall, and Guga tried to open one of the doors. It was locked. He tried the next one with the same result.
“Weird,” Guga said, lifting his hand to knock on one of the doors.
“Wait!” Milo whispered forcefully, causing Guga to jump backward in surprise. “Something’s not right. They never lock these doors.” A sound from outside caught thei
r attention. “Quick, hide behind the lobby desk!” Milo ordered his friends. They followed him, squeezing behind the large desk.
The tower entrance opened, and a deep voice bellowed, “In you go. And I’m warning you, don’t try anything cute.”
Lincoln peered around the desk. Alice stood with the rest of the Healers, some of whom carried the sick and injured recruits from the Trauma Center. Two large, rough-looking men stood behind the group. They wore grey hoodies marked with a large, red X on both the front and back. The men marched the Healers through the lobby. When they reached the Assembly Hall, one of them walked up to the doors and knocked. The sound echoed through the lobby. It seemed a thousand times louder than normal because of the lack of background noise.
The door opened, and a boy in a black hoodie peered into the lobby. Skylar gasped. Milo quickly threw his hand over her mouth. Luckily, the men and the boy didn’t notice, although Lincoln thought he saw Alice steal a look in their direction.
“We’ve rounded up the lot of them,” the man with the deep voice told the boy.
“I thought I heard something out here,” said the boy, staring at the man condescendingly. “What did you find?”
“Ah, nothing much. Some Healers and two recruits. We found them in the Trauma Center.”
“Wait here.” The boy went inside and returned a moment later. “Bring them in. When you’re done locking them up, Xander wants to talk to you.”
The man grunted and then turned to his prisoners. “You heard him, get in there.”
Alice walked up to the guard, glaring at him furiously. “These children need medical attention. I won’t stand still while you endanger their lives.”
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