finish another Pop Tart. “The whole weekend?”
“Probably longer,” Miles says without looking away from the game.
“Longer?”
“Until my ankle is better at least. Like a week.”
I purse my lips, confused. He went out in the desert last night though I told him he shouldn’t walk on it—he said it wasn’t that bad. Now he’s using it as an excuse to stay here? “What about school and work? I thought your Spring Break wasn’t until the end of March.”
He gives me an epic pout. “What? You don’t want me around or something?”
“I do!” But he’s so avoiding something. I hope he’s not staying here because he’s worried about us. I’d hate to be more of a burden than I already am. “I just—”
The doorbell rings. So instead of confronting my brother I get up to answer it. I didn’t think The Pack would be here so soon, but maybe they’re more eager to know how I got the formula than I thought. When I open the door, I’m met with two men in uniform instead.
“Fiona McClean?” one of them says.
“Yes?” My blood pumps faster. Something is wrong about this.
The man holds up a paper. “You are under arrest for stealing Army property. If you do not comply, we have been ordered to take you by force.”
Chapter 15
“What? You can’t do that! Where’s the proof?” Miles is up from the couch and already by my side, but my eyes are on Mom. Luckily, the open door blocks the soldiers’ view of her, and I’m not wearing glasses or hair things to show where I’m looking. Her face sets into surprising innocence while she folds the formula and slips it into her pants.
“There were footprints found,” one of the soldiers says. “We have to take her in for—”
“That’s it? How do you know they’re not old or someone else’s?” Miles has moved in front of me, as if he can stop this from happening.
“We’re following orders, sir.”
“Let me see the warrant,” Mom says from behind me. She takes it from the soldier, reading it intently.
All I can do is stand there in shock. My first impulse is to run, except that would make me look even guiltier, wouldn’t it? The idea of being dragged to the makeshift military base, thrown in a cell, and questioned about what I did last night isn’t exactly how I want to spend the rest of my weekend. And Major Norton…he’ll see right through any lie I tell.
“This looks pretty flimsy,” Mom says with a sigh. It’s definitely not the first time she’s seen an arrest warrant—Dad just usually gets his women out of them. She turns to me. “But we have to follow the law and clear up the misunderstanding, Fiona. Let’s go.”
I gulp, trying to quell my fear. Laws. How could I forget about those? “Okay.”
“We’ll figure this out,” Miles says as the soldiers come forward with handcuffs. “I promise.”
I don’t answer—all I can see are the cuffs. The soldier looks over me with a confused expression, probably because he isn’t sure where my hands are.
“Are those really necessary?” Mom asks.
“I’m afraid so, ma’am.” He finally decides to reach for my shoulder first, and my skin crawls as his fingers run down my arm. He latches the cuff and goes for my other shoulder, but I can’t take it.
“I’ll do it myself.” Snapping the other cuff around my wrist, I feel sick. Mostly because this is exactly what I deserve for what I did. I’ve become so used to getting away with things that I honestly believed this wouldn’t happen.
I really hate when Seth is right.
Mom stays by my side as the soldiers guide me to a big truck covered in a cammo pattern. The back is windowless and seems to be fortified just for prisoners with abilities. By now, my neighbors have come out to see what’s going on, and all of them stare at us with faces that say, “Not surprised.” This doesn’t bother me—I’m used to it—but what does bother me is The Phantom standing on the sidewalk, right by my house, smiling.
He clucks
“Probably longer,” Miles says without looking away from the game.
“Longer?”
“Until my ankle is better at least. Like a week.”
I purse my lips, confused. He went out in the desert last night though I told him he shouldn’t walk on it—he said it wasn’t that bad. Now he’s using it as an excuse to stay here? “What about school and work? I thought your Spring Break wasn’t until the end of March.”
He gives me an epic pout. “What? You don’t want me around or something?”
“I do!” But he’s so avoiding something. I hope he’s not staying here because he’s worried about us. I’d hate to be more of a burden than I already am. “I just—”
The doorbell rings. So instead of confronting my brother I get up to answer it. I didn’t think The Pack would be here so soon, but maybe they’re more eager to know how I got the formula than I thought. When I open the door, I’m met with two men in uniform instead.
“Fiona McClean?” one of them says.
“Yes?” My blood pumps faster. Something is wrong about this.
The man holds up a paper. “You are under arrest for stealing Army property. If you do not comply, we have been ordered to take you by force.”
Chapter 15
“What? You can’t do that! Where’s the proof?” Miles is up from the couch and already by my side, but my eyes are on Mom. Luckily, the open door blocks the soldiers’ view of her, and I’m not wearing glasses or hair things to show where I’m looking. Her face sets into surprising innocence while she folds the formula and slips it into her pants.
“There were footprints found,” one of the soldiers says. “We have to take her in for—”
“That’s it? How do you know they’re not old or someone else’s?” Miles has moved in front of me, as if he can stop this from happening.
“We’re following orders, sir.”
“Let me see the warrant,” Mom says from behind me. She takes it from the soldier, reading it intently.
All I can do is stand there in shock. My first impulse is to run, except that would make me look even guiltier, wouldn’t it? The idea of being dragged to the makeshift military base, thrown in a cell, and questioned about what I did last night isn’t exactly how I want to spend the rest of my weekend. And Major Norton…he’ll see right through any lie I tell.
“This looks pretty flimsy,” Mom says with a sigh. It’s definitely not the first time she’s seen an arrest warrant—Dad just usually gets his women out of them. She turns to me. “But we have to follow the law and clear up the misunderstanding, Fiona. Let’s go.”
I gulp, trying to quell my fear. Laws. How could I forget about those? “Okay.”
“We’ll figure this out,” Miles says as the soldiers come forward with handcuffs. “I promise.”
I don’t answer—all I can see are the cuffs. The soldier looks over me with a confused expression, probably because he isn’t sure where my hands are.
“Are those really necessary?” Mom asks.
“I’m afraid so, ma’am.” He finally decides to reach for my shoulder first, and my skin crawls as his fingers run down my arm. He latches the cuff and goes for my other shoulder, but I can’t take it.
“I’ll do it myself.” Snapping the other cuff around my wrist, I feel sick. Mostly because this is exactly what I deserve for what I did. I’ve become so used to getting away with things that I honestly believed this wouldn’t happen.
I really hate when Seth is right.
Mom stays by my side as the soldiers guide me to a big truck covered in a cammo pattern. The back is windowless and seems to be fortified just for prisoners with abilities. By now, my neighbors have come out to see what’s going on, and all of them stare at us with faces that say, “Not surprised.” This doesn’t bother me—I’m used to it—but what does bother me is The Phantom standing on the sidewalk, right by my house, smiling.
He clucks
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