“That’s just the laser tracking system,” Angela said. “The electrical charge goes through the barbs.”
Jonah saw that JB had looped thin silvery bands around Mr. Hodge’s wrists and ankles and was pulling little barbs that looked like fish hooks out of Mr. Hodge’s chest. Then he rushed past Jonah to do the same with Gary. Both men had stopped screaming and twitching, but they seemed too dazed to put up much resistance.
“Quick, Angela, get the ropes,” JB said. “So we can tie them up firmly.”
Angela rushed back toward the dark section of the cave.
“I’m a Boy Scout,” Jonah said, turning toward JB. “I can help with that.”
Instantly, he felt humiliated for saying that—how nerdy could he be? He didn’t have to look back at Katherine to know that she was probably rolling her eyes, mouthing the words, “Really, we’re not related. Not by blood.”
JB grinned as he straightened up.
“Thanks, Jonah,” JB said. “You’ve been very helpful today. You just hand me that Elucidator, and then we’ll let you tie some knots.”
He had his hand outstretched, his fingers so close to the object in Jonah’s hand that he easily could have grabbed it. But he was clearly expecting Jonah to pass it over without any problem. He waited patiently.
“This thing?” Jonah said, pulling back a little. He looked down at the object, which seemed more like a remote control to him now. “This is an Elucidator? What’s that mean?”
“It means it’s not something you want to mess with,” JB said. “It’s very dangerous.”
Jonah remembered Mr. Hodge looking at it, muttering about Jonah’s identity. So you’re really…Well, that’s very interesting….
“This ‘Elucidator’ is from the future, isn’t it?” Jonah asked, holding it even more tightly.
JB hesitated.
“Yes,” he finally said.
Jonah took a step back. JB still stood there waiting, but he was squinting now, getting anxious. Beyond JB, Jonah could see all the other kids watching him, wondering what he was going to do. Moments before, some of the kids had been shrieking as loudly as Mr. Hodge and Gary, but now they, too, had gone silent. It seemed like they were all holding their breath.
“Jonah,” JB said. “Give me the Elucidator. Now.”
Jonah raised the Elucidator, but only to point it at JB.
“No,” he said.
TWENTY-NINE
“Angela!” JB called. “The Taser!”
Instantly, Jonah saw his mistake. In a second, Angela would turn around and aim her Taser at him, and they’d just re-enact the scene from a few moments ago. Except this time it would be Jonah writhing on the floor and then passing out, and JB scooping up the fallen Elucidator. And then…what would happen then?
Jonah didn’t know, but he could still hear Mr. Hodge’s words echoing in his brain: I can’t believe they think you’re on their side. You must not have told them what you want to do. What did that mean? What should Jonah do? Was there anyone he was sure he could trust?
That was one question he could answer.
“Katherine!” he called out. “Catch!”
He tossed the Elucidator in the air, an easy toss, easier than passing a basketball. He knew without turning to look that Katherine would catch it, that she would hold on tightly, that she wouldn’t betray him. She might make fun of him, she might roll her eyes and call him an idiot, but she wouldn’t let go. She’d already proved that.
As soon as the Elucidator was in the air, Jonah took off running. JB made no attempt to stop him because he was spinning around, following the arc of the Elucidator. So Jonah had a clean, fast sprint to the back of the cave. He needed the speed; he needed the element of surprise if he had any prayer of wrestling the Taser out of Angela’s hand before she aimed it at him.
He was too late.
Even in the dimness of the back of the cave, Jonah could see that Angela had already turned around. In one smooth quick move, she pulled a cartridge from her pocket, reloaded the Taser, and pointed it back toward Jonah.
Jonah took a stumbling step to the side, just in case he had a chance of dodging the laser light and the barbs and whatever else the Taser was about to send zinging at him. He hoped it wouldn’t hurt too badly. He hoped he wouldn’t scream as loudly as Gary and Mr. Hodge had. He hoped…
Angela held the Taser steady, aiming past Jonah. Aiming toward Mr. Hodge and Gary.
“Shoot Jonah!” JB was yelling helpfully.
Thanks a lot, Jonah thought. He didn’t have any hope now. He was too close to Angela, too close to reverse his course, too close for her to miss. Just as soon as she corrected her aim and squeezed the trigger, he’d be on the ground.
Angela spun toward Jonah, but she didn’t squeeze the trigger. She stepped forward and glanced out toward the brighter part of the cave, though that made no sense—surely Jonah was blocking her view. She turned the Taser sideways, not pointing at anyone anymore. Then she reached over and slid the Taser into Jonah’s grasp.
She was handing over her weapon.
“What?” Jonah demanded, dumfounded.
Angela pressed a finger to her lips, then she moved the finger and began to scream.
“No! You can’t have it!”
Jonah’s ears were reverberating with all that lung power released in such a small space. But already Angela was expecting him to listen. She leaned in close and whispered in his ear, “I really am on your side. Completely. You deserve to know the truth. So pretend that you captured me.”
Jonah just stood there. He was so stunned he almost dropped the Taser.
“Maybe you should shout something about getting the ropes?” Angela whispered, bending down to pick up looped coils from the floor of the cave.
“Move it! Get those ropes now!” Jonah hollered. His voice cracked; surely that wasn’t a convincing yell.