The Boy Who Knew Everything by Victoria Forester Page A

will use every means at his disposal to stop you. All of you. Under no circumstances can you continue with these missions or … you will not like what will happen next. That is all I can tell you because it is all I know.”
    J. turned himself invisible and walked out the door.
    Piper swung around to face Conrad, her eyes flashing with fear.
    â€œWhat are we going to do, Conrad?”
    Conrad ran his fingers through his hair and exhaled in a long, measured blow. “We’re going to embrace our fears,” he said simply. “Let’s get some sleep.”

 
    CHAPTER
    15
    On the third day trapped inside the attic of their house, the Kaiser family had finished the last of their food and water. By ten in the morning temperatures were hovering above one hundred degrees and the two children lay on the floor quietly, too hungry and tired to play or even talk. Mr. Kaiser had stopped listening for helicopters or boats; none were coming.
    When the dam above Shady Grove mysteriously broke open they were among the very few lucky ones. Their house was on a small hill at the edge of town and they had just enough time to run up the stairs, and were fortunate enough to have an attic. On that first day they sat in a state of euphoria, cataloging the various ways, both large and small, that fate had smiled down on them and saved their family; like how they happened to all be at home; how Katy skipped soccer practice to go to a birthday party; how Timmy spent the morning in bed because he wasn’t feeling well instead of going over to his friend Jack’s house.
    What luck, they said to one another. What incredible luck.
    On the second day inside the attic restlessness set in and conversation revolved around the rescue efforts. Would they be sending food soon? Would there be rescue boats or helicopters? How much longer would it take? Mr. Kaiser had been trained for situations like this in the police academy, but without the proper tools he was unable to break a hole through the roof and they were trapped. At noon the two protein bars that Mrs. Kaiser had kept in her purse were finished, and the bottle of water from Katy’s gym bag was drained. There was nothing left.
    When she thought the children were sleeping Mrs. Kaiser whispered urgently to her husband.
    â€œWhy’s it taking so long? Where’s FEMA and the Red Cross? The kids need food and water now. We can’t last much longer.…”
    Mr. Kaiser didn’t dare share the thoughts that ran through his mind. After all, the government knew that the dam was old and crumbling. Hadn’t their local paper printed a story just the week before about the dire engineering reports? The same reports that the government, even the president himself, consistently refuted and denied.
    Mr. Kaiser wondered silently if perhaps the government was purposely slow. And maybe not just slow—maybe they wouldn’t come at all.
    It was when the children stopped complaining that Mr. Kaiser got scared. They were so young and didn’t have the strength for this. He didn’t allow himself to consider that they might not last too much longer.
    On the morning of the fourth day all hope was gone. When Mrs. Kaiser tried to wake Timmy it took a long time to rouse him and then he’d only moaned and gone right back to sleep. She exchanged a long look with Mr. Kaiser—they both knew what was coming next. Even though the attic was like an oven they moved the family close together, in case there might be some small gesture or comfort they could give to the children or each other. Katy reached out and held her father’s hand and Mrs. Kaiser gently stroked Timmy’s hair.
    *   *   *
    Mr. Kaiser was the only one who was awake to hear a small set of footsteps on the roof of the house. Next he heard a clunk that was followed by the crash of wood. As though he was dreaming, he watched as a hole was punched into his roof. Wood