“But, I am,” Egon said quietly.
Kathryn was not going to be pleased with me, because I was leaving. Unfortunately, neither was Egon. But I needed to tell Andy and the Kilodan what I had learned, and I had to do it quickly. What a relief. Now, the Psi Fighters could protect my family. The kidnapping would be ended permanently. And we could force Scallion to lead us to Nicolaitan.
I led Egon across the gym floor, stopping in front of Kathryn and Bobby. “Could you excuse us for just a sec? C’mon, Kathryn.” I yanked her away from Bobby and glanced back at Egon. “She has to potty.”
Egon had that expressionless expression, but he didn’t object, so I made a beeline for the bathroom. There was no more time for interruptions. I could worry about what he was thinking later.
“This had better be good,” Kathryn snipped. “Bobby and I were getting very, very friendly.”
“I noticed,” I said. “And don’t worry, it’s extremely good.” As we approached the girl’s bathroom, the door banged open and a cloud of smoke rolled out, followed by a swarm of people. Laughter echoed inside. I grunted, led Kathryn down the hall, whipped open the boiler room door, and shoved her through.
“Will you please tell me why you dragged me from a hot guy to a hot boiler room where, by the way, we will get detention if we’re caught?” Kathryn growled.
“I found something!” I proudly plucked Scallion’s Amplifier from my purse and brandished it over my head.
“I have a pen, Rinnie. If you wanted a pen, you should have asked. Tonight is the night for having romance, not writing about it.”
“Kathryn, if this is what I think it is, I found Scallion.”
“And what, I ask in an irritated tone, is it?”
“It’s an Amplifier.”
Kathryn stared blankly at me. “I thought you weren’t supposed to show them to anybody.”
“It’s not mine.”
“Well, whose is it?”
“Scallion’s. It all makes perfect sense now.”
Kathryn grabbed me by the shoulders. “I will give you two more seconds that rightfully belong to my Bobby. Now tell me…who…is…Scallion?”
“The head of the drug ring. Tammy Angel.”
“Oh. Unexpected.”
“Tell me about it.”
Chapter Twenty-two
A Bad Ending
“How do you know it’s her pen?” Kathryn asked.
“Amplifier. It fell out of her purse when she crashed into us.”
“Tammy Angel is the kidnapper?” Kathryn shook her head. “We already ruled her out. Too obvious. Drugs, grand theft auto, being stupid without a license, definitely. But kidnapping? Never.”
“I know. That’s why it makes perfect sense. Nobody would have noticed her hanging around the elementary school or the playground. To the outside world, she’s just an extremely hot cheerleader. But we know better. And as soon as you can get me out of here, I’m taking the Amplifier to Andy. He’ll analyze the memory fragments. Then we have her.”
“Okay, here’s the plan.” Kathryn took my hands. “I am going to the bathroom…and you are coming with me, because that’s what girls do. Then I’ll get back to my romantic moment, and make an excuse for you to leave.”
“How about if you go potty, and I find Egon and Bobby?”
“That works, too. Tell my Bobby I’ll be right there.” Kathryn opened the boiler room door and the Red Team stood waiting. Tammy’s eyes were still glazed, but she seemed to be in control.
“Lose something?” I asked, wondering if Tammy knew I had her Amplifier.
“Hi, Kathryn, beautiful gown,” Tammy sang. “You really should hang with us tonight, you know. The Red Team always needs women of your caliber.”
“Thanks,” Kathryn said, “but I’m planning on hanging with my boyfriend. TTFN.”
Tammy sneered at me. “Speaking of boyfriends, Peroxide, Egon was mine first. Thought you should know.”
Liar. “I do believe,” I said, batting my eyes and forcing the sweetest smile I could fake, “that was is the key word here. Don’t you agree?”
Tammy huffed and led the Red Team into the girl’s bathroom.
“Good one,” Kathryn said. “Okay, you find our dates while I do my thing.”
“I’m on it.”
As Kathryn disappeared through the bathroom door, I headed toward the gym, last known location of two very hot boys. I approached the crowded dance floor, but Bobby was standing alone.
“Where’s Egon?”
“I don’t know. He disappeared right after you did. Where’s Kitty?”
“Girl’s room.”
“Rubric’s going around badmouthing her. I’m probably going to have to erase him.”
“Erase?” I giggled at Bobby’s attempt at being cool.
“Less clichéd than ‘end’ or ‘destroy.’ I’m working on my tough guy vocabulary.”
“That’s where clichés were invented.” We stood in silence for several minutes, me wondering how Andy would handle Scallion once we verified that he was a she, Bobby apparently making up new superhero sayings.