“What are we going to do with her, Peter?” Jax hissed as he paced back and forth on the tiled floor. “We just kidnapped a girl.”

They had gotten the girl to a secure location, or as secure as an empty classroom could get, and she was currently passed out across a teacher’s desk. Peter was glad Jax had been able to launch a light bomb and distract the Red Skulls long enough for him to escape with the blonde cheerleader. He’d been glad to see her—watch her around her friends—but she shouldn’t have interfered with the morphling. She messed everything up and put herself on their radar.

Jax paced like a caged animal, and he kept glancing Peter’s way. Peter knew that his second-in-command was good at taking orders, but he also knew Jax’s temper would frequently get the better of him and he’d disappear for days to cool off. Tonight, in the heat of a moment like this, he needed Jax to have a clear head.

“We tie her up.” Tink slid from the top of a desk onto the floor.

“We can’t hold her against her will. Besides—because of her—we lost the morphlings,” Jax said.

“Not exactly,” Peter argued. “She actually got to the morphling before both of you. If I hadn’t been there, they would both have been taken.”

Tink walked over and looked at Wendy’s unconscious body on the desk. “It doesn’t make sense. How did she find the morphlings so fast? What’s so special about her?” She tilted her head to the side and flicked the girl’s cheek to see if she’d respond. She looked over at Peter, who stood by the classroom window and stared out into the darkness.

“She can see them.” Peter ran his hand through his brown hair. “She can see the shadows, and she followed one to the boy. It was like it led her there. She didn’t even hesitate when she attacked the morphling with a rock.”

Tink looked up in shock. “Holy mother of *&%!” Her mouth moved, but all sound was covered by a loud ringing bell. “Those things are scary. She took it on without a brace?”

“That’s so immature.” Jax wrinkled his nose in distaste. “Control your mouth.”

“You’re immature.” Tink stuck her tongue out.

Peter rubbed his hand on his chin, ignoring the squabbling between his best friends. “They’ve been getting more aggressive. They’re not leaving much time in between attacks. And then the shadows’ odd behavior toward the girl.”

“They don’t do that—ever. They watch. What’s going on, Peter?” Tink asked.

“I don’t know. We’re going to have to double our watches and just try and stay one step ahead of them. But that leaves us with a problem: her.”

“I volunteer to get rope and heavy rocks,” Tink answered, raising her hand.

Peter shook his head and looked over at Jax, who was now studying the girl more closely. “She can’t go home, it’s not safe. Maybe one of the safe houses until we know what to do with her?” Jax offered.

“Finally a plan that makes sense.” Peter let out some of the tension he had been holding.

“My plan made sense,” Tink pouted.

Peter picked up his cell phone, hit speed dial, and waited for the voice.

“Hello?”

“Hey, we’re going to be delayed getting back.”

Wendy slowly came to. Hushed voices spoke nearby. She didn’t know where she was or if she could trust the people who had her, so she pretended to still be unconscious.

A girl’s voice came close, and then she felt a light flick on her cheek. It shocked her, and it took all of her control not to jump up and smack the ignorant girl. Listening in to what her saviors were discussing did not leave her a whole lot of hope. It sounded like they were going to try to keep her from going home.

Well, that wasn’t going to happen. She needed to get home and away from these freaks.

“She’s out cold, and bike or scooter won’t do. We’re going to need a car, Jax.”

“I’m on it,” he answered. “Do you want fast? I saw a nice Mustang in the parking lot.”

“Nothing conspicuous.”

“Minivan it is,” Jax sighed before opening the door and heading to hotwire a car.

“Tink, I’m going to scan the area and look for more morphlings. We don’t want any more surprises tonight. Wait here.”

“But Pete—” She tried to argue, but he held out his hand to her.

“Wait. Here, give me your shadow box.”

Tink pinched her lips and pulled out her mechanical box. She pulled up the antenna and handed it over.

“Jax will be back shortly, and when he is, load up the girl and get her to the safe house on Maple. I’ll follow shortly behind.” Peter looked back at her. “Thank you, Tink.”