recognized Deep Voiceâs molecular structure, and they didnât recognize Jordanâs. Maybe even walls were that individualized in the future.
Why make things so complicated? Jordan wondered.
He sounded like his grandparents, who complained about their cell phones being confusing.
He sat down at the table. He hadnât run his hand over every inch of the table and chairs yet, so he did that, too.
Nothing, nothing, nothing . . .
He had his hand under the chair Deep Voice had sat in, when he felt a little ridge. It was probably just a rough spot in the woodâor plastic, or whatever the chair was made of. But, just in case, he flipped the chair over.
Words glowed up at him from the underside of the chair: TO EXIT, PRESS HERE.
Jordan pressed.
Instantly three of the cubicle walls vanished, and he was staring out at the lab, which was much darker than it had been before. He couldnât even make out the two cubicles on the other side of the room where Jonah and Katherine had been taken.
Maybe I figured out how to get out before they did, he thought. And I can rescue them, and that will make up for getting them stuck in the cubicles in the first place.
Or maybe theyâd figured out how to escape hours ago, and hadnât bothered coming to rescue him.
Jonah probably wouldnât care, but Katherine would have rescued me, if she could. Wouldnât she?
Jordan took a step forward, stepping into a spot where thereâd been a wall only moments before. So now he was out. This wasnât just another illusion.
Jordanâs step forward also enabled him to see a figure sitting in the darkness, back by the desk where Jordan, Katherine, and Jonah had hidden earlier in the day. Whoever it was wasnât enormous enough to be Deep Voice. Jordan didnât think it was Doreen or Tattoo Face, either.
âKatherine?â Jordan whispered hopefully. âMom? Dad?â
âGuess again,â a voice called back.
It was Second.
FIFTEEN
âYouâYouââ Jordan sputtered. âYouâve just been playing tricks on us, havenât you?â
âMaybe,â Second admitted.
Jordan rushed toward him, his hands out. He hadnât quite decided yet if he was going to grab Second by the shoulders and shake him, or if he was going to go straight into punching mode.
It didnât matter. Jordan felt himself completely immobilized in running pose, his feet inches off the floor, his outstretched hands a full yard away from Secondâs shoulders and face.
âNow, now,â Second scolded him. âThat hot temper of yours isnât going to help.â
âYouâre just manipulating me!â Jordan accused. âYouâve been manipulating all of us all along, havenâtyou?â His mind started putting things together. âWere you manipulating the Elucidators, too? And Deep Voice didnât get out of that cubicle by pressing a button on his chair, did he?â
âDeep Voice?â Second asked blankly. Then he chuckled. âOh, you mean Interchronological Rescue employee Markiel Katun? âDeep Voiceâ really isnât a bad name for him. Though you also could have gone with âBigfootâ or âMount Humanâ orââ
âStop joking around!â Jordan demanded. âTell me the truth! Was all this some big setup? Do those people who captured us even work with Gary and Hodge, or was that a lie too?â
âNow youâre thinking,â Second congratulated him.
Jordan felt himself land on his feet again. He moved his arms forward and back, experimentally. He wasnât frozen anymore. But he figured it could happen again if he took another step toward Second.
He stayed where he was.
âAh, and now youâre showing some self-restraint. Good for you!â Second continued.
Jordan still felt like punching him. He went back to asking questions instead.
âWell? Whatâs really going
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