"We"re... taking off," Fang said.
I knew my face was splotchy and tear stained; my clothes were filthy and covered with soot and blood and dust; my hair was matted with ash and grit.
"What?" I asked dully.
Nudge had been sleeping against my shoulder, and now she roused and blinked groggily.
Fang gestured toward his gang waiting several feet away. They looked whipped and dirty, and they had new, sad, firsthand knowledge about some of the awful things that can happen in the world. Strangely, seeing them warmed my heart a little. They were starting to look like they belonged with us.
"We"re going to take off," Fang repeated. "The cops got some of the DG organizers, but not whoever or whatever was supposed to be the One Light. Gazzy filled me in on what he and-on what he"d learned at their headquarters. So we"re going after that. It doesn"t sound like Mark was the kingpin-he was only a servant of the One Light."
"Huh," I said, unable to offer more of a reaction.
"We have to kill the plant at the roots," Fang said, "or it"ll just grow back."
His face was lined and grim, his voice flat. He"d always loved Angel so much. Like we all had.
"Oh," I said, and I got wearily to my feet, feeling old and hollow and like I would never be happy again. I don"t even know what I was expecting, but Fang and I sort of came together in a brief, awkward hug. I clung to him, relishing the milliseconds in his arms like they were hours, then I stepped back.
"So I guess this is it," I said almost incoherently.
"Yeah," Fang agreed, and my heart sank. I"d actually hoped he"d just say for now for now. "Be safe," he said. Then he looked meaningfully at Dylan, as if to say, "That"s your job now-take care of her."
Maya waited with the gang, and I knew I owed her. I went and stood in front of her, watching as her eyes met mine.
"Thanks," I told her.
She nodded. And that was it-we were too alike to need anything more.
"Take care, guys," said Fang to the rest of the flock. "I"ll post anything I find out on my blog."
More tearful good-byes, and then they were gone. I blinked uncomfortably, feeling grit in my eyes, then turned to the flock. I swallowed hard. "I need to find Ella," I told them. "And my mom. And maybe even Jeb."
Slowly, one by one, they nodded. I let out a deep breath, wondering if I could even get myself airborne.
Dylan came up to me. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and took one of my hands in his. His hand was large, warm, and comforting. I looked down at it, and again, hot tears p.r.i.c.ked the backs of my eyes, then ran down my face, making tracks through the sweat and the blood. I let them fall.
I looked up at him and nodded, and then we got ready to fly.
EPILOGUE.
FAMOUS LAST WORDS.
"You"re very superior, Angel," said a voice.
Angel heard the voice, heard other m.u.f.fled sounds, but she couldn"t open her eyes. She couldn"t move a muscle. She tried to still her panic, tried to calm down enough to figure out where she was, what was happening.
Her head was killing her, and she could tell some of her hair was matted with blood. Her feet were bare and cold. She had electrodes taped to her, all over, and as she realized this, panic washed through her. She heard a machine start beeping as her heart beat faster. Not again. She couldn"t go through this again.
"It"s okay, Angel," said the voice. Angel couldn"t tell if a man or a woman was speaking. It sounded like it was coming at her through many layers of cotton. "You"re among friends. Even admirers. We"re going to take care of you."
Angel tried to speak but couldn"t make a single sound. Was she even breathing? She thought so. She realized that her wrist stung-she must have an IV there. It was all nauseatingly familiar: the feeling of helplessness, the smell of disinfectant, the hushed hums and chirps of medical machines tracking every bodily function.
With all of her heart, she wished that she was home with Max and the others, wished she could curl up with Max and watch TV, wished she could watch Ella and Iggy bake cookies. She was just a little kid...
"You see, Angel," the voice continued, "it"s important that you recognize your superiority. It"s part of your destiny. You have to take strength from that knowledge."
An icy liquid seeped into her hair, and Angel wondered if they were cleaning the blood off.
"When you truly understand your superiority, you"ll be able to leave your humanity behind, once and for all. Humans aren"t needed for the New World. But superhumans are. Beings that are more than human, better than human. You"ll see."
Angel tried sending her thoughts out, tried to get into the heads of whomever was around her. But it was like she was encased in plastic, with no thoughts entering or leaving. She"d never felt more alone. Where was Max? Was she worried? The flock must be going crazy, trying to find her...
She swallowed uncomfortably, aware that a tube was going down her throat.
That was when everything crashed in on her: The bombs, running after Gazzy in the tunnel, the huge explosion. She remembered nothing after that, until just now. She didn"t know if Gazzy and Fang had made it out alive. She didn"t know if they had saved thousands of people. She didn"t even know if she still had a flock.
She thought about the people, so many people, that might be dead right now, because she and Gazzy had failed. This is my fault, This is my fault, Angel thought. Angel thought. All of this is my fault All of this is my fault.
Oh, Max, she thought, sure that Max couldn"t hear her. she thought, sure that Max couldn"t hear her. I"m sorry. I"m sorry. I"m sorry. I"m sorry.
Very slowly, a single tear welled up in her closed eye and seeped out from beneath her heavy lid. It rolled down her cheek, past her ear.
"Don"t worry, Angel," came the voice again. "You"re very special. We"re going to take good care of you."
But at least Angel was still human enough to cry.
In the Maximum Ride Maximum Ride Battle of the Schools, schools around the country competed to be crowned the biggest fan of the Maximum Ride series. Congratulations to the following top-ranking schools: Battle of the Schools, schools around the country competed to be crowned the biggest fan of the Maximum Ride series. Congratulations to the following top-ranking schools: Alton Middle School, Alton, Illinois Alton, Illinois Amy Biehl High School, Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico Berrien Springs Middle School, Berrien Springs, Michigan Berrien Springs, Michigan Bolivar Middle School, Bolivar, Missouri Bolivar, Missouri Bondy Intermediate, Pasadena, Texas Pasadena, Texas Brownsville Elementary, Bremerton, Washington Bremerton, Washington Buffalo Island Central West Elementary, Monette, Arkansas Monette, Arkansas Cabot School, Cabot, Vermont Cabot, Vermont Caprock Elementary School, Keller, Texas Keller, Texas Carmel Middle School, Carmel, California Carmel, California Central Tech, Erie, Pennsylvania Erie, Pennsylvania Centralia High School, Centralia, Missouri Centralia, Missouri Chain of Lakes Middle School, Orlando, Florida Orlando, Florida Challenger High School, Hickory, North Carolina Hickory, North Carolina Chester County High School, Henderson, Tennesee Henderson, Tennesee Chicopee High School, Chicopee, Ma.s.sachusetts Chicopee, Ma.s.sachusetts Clayton Valley High School, Concord, California Concord, California Cook Secondary School, Cook, Minnesota Cook, Minnesota Crone Middle School, Naperville, Illinois Naperville, Illinois Dalton Middle School, Dalton, Georgia Dalton, Georgia Decatur Central High School, Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis, Indiana Desert Mountain School, Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix, Arizona Dundee Central School, Dundee, New York Dundee, New York East Middle School, Traverse City, Michigan Traverse City, Michigan Edgewood Middle School, Mounds View, Minnesota Mounds View, Minnesota Explorer Middle School, Everett, Washington Everett, Washington Fall Creek Intermediate, Fishers, Indiana Fishers, Indiana Fern Creek Traditional High School, Louisville, Kentucky Louisville, Kentucky Fort King Middle School, Ocala, Florida Ocala, Florida Glen Alpine Elementary, Morganton, North Carolina Morganton, North Carolina Goldie Maple Academy, Queens, New York Queens, New York Great Neck Middle School, Virginia Beach, Virginia Virginia Beach, Virginia Greenback School, Greenback, Tennessee Greenback, Tennessee Hillcrest Christian School, Granada Hills, California Granada Hills, California Holly Ridge Middle School, Holly Springs, North Carolina Holly Springs, North Carolina Holy Angels, Arcadia, California Arcadia, California Holy Nativity Episcopal School, Panama City, Florida Panama City, Florida Immaculate Conception School, Columbia, Illinois Columbia, Illinois Infant of Prague, Jacksonville, North Carolina Jacksonville, North Carolina J. R. Gerritts Middle School, Kimberly, Wisconsin Kimberly, Wisconsin James A. Arthur Intermediate School, Kennedale, Texas Kennedale, Texas Janet Berry Elementary School, Appleton, Wisconsin Appleton, Wisconsin Lake Alfred-Addair Middle School, Lake Alfred, Florida Lake Alfred, Florida Lexington Junior High School, Cypress, California Cypress, California Long Meadow Elementary School, Middlebury, Connecticut Middlebury, Connecticut Madrid Middle School, El Monte, California El Monte, California Mariner High School, Cape Coral, Florida Cape Coral, Florida Marysville Getch.e.l.l High School, Marysville, Washington Marysville, Washington Mesa Ridge High School, Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Mid-Carolina Middle School, Prosperity, South Carolina Prosperity, South Carolina Montrose Area Jr./Sr. High School, Montrose, Pennsylvania Montrose, Pennsylvania Morse High School, Bath, Maine Bath, Maine Nagel Middle School, Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati, Ohio New Prague Middle School, New Prague, Minnesota New Prague, Minnesota Nixa Junior High School, Nixa, Missouri Nixa, Missouri North Middle School, Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Northwood Middle School, Spokane, Washington Spokane, Washington Notre Dame Academy, Duluth, Georgia Duluth, Georgia Otsego High School, Otsego, Michigan Otsego, Michigan Oxford High School, Oxford, Connecticut Oxford, Connecticut Philomath High School, Philomath, Oregon Philomath, Oregon Pinehurst Elementary School, Lakeview, New York Lakeview, New York Reavis High School, Burbank, Illinois Burbank, Illinois River Bend Middle School, Sterling, Virginia Sterling, Virginia River Trail Middle School, Johns Creek, Georgia Johns Creek, Georgia Riverside High School, Ellwood City, Pennsylvania Ellwood City, Pennsylvania Rochester Area High School, Rochester, Pennsylvania Rochester, Pennsylvania Saghalie Middle School, Federal Way, Washington Federal Way, Washington Sierra Vista Middle School, Irvine, California Irvine, California Slavens K8, Denver, Colorado Denver, Colorado South Charlotte Middle School, Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte, North Carolina Sr. Goldenhill ALC, Rochester, Minnesota Rochester, Minnesota St. Gregory n.a.z.ianzen, Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, California Starkville High School, Starkville, Mississippi Starkville, Mississippi Steamboat Springs High School, Steamboat Springs, Colorado Steamboat Springs, Colorado Stroudsburg Middle School, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania Sumner High School, Sumner, Washington Sumner, Washington The Academy of Our Lady, Marrero, Louisiana Marrero, Louisiana United High School, Laredo, Texas Laredo, Texas W. L. Chenery Middle School, Belmont, Ma.s.sachusetts Belmont, Ma.s.sachusetts Waukegan High School, Waukegan, Illinois Waukegan, Illinois West Brook Middle School, Paramus, New Jersey Paramus, New Jersey Wichita High School East, Wichita, Kansas Wichita, Kansas Yorkville Elementary School, Union Grove, Wisconsin Union Grove, Wisconsin Visit www.MaximumRide.com for information about future contests. for information about future contests.
FEBRUARY 2012[image]The final episode of the beloved blockbuster series is coming soon!
ATTENTION, ALL MAX FANS!.
If you liked this ride, you"ll LOVE the newest series phenomenon from JAMES PATTERSON. . . .
[image]
WITCH & WIZARD.
THE GIFT.
THE MAGIC IS EVERYWHERE.
AVAILABLE NOW!.
Turn the page for a sneak preview.
Whit HERE"S WHAT HAPPENED, to the best of my shattered ability to recall it.
I do remember that I couldn"t have been more lost and alone as I wandered the streets of this gray, crowded, and forsaken city. Where is my sister? Where are the others from the Resistance? Where is my sister? Where are the others from the Resistance? I kept thinking, or maybe muttering the words like some homeless madman. I kept thinking, or maybe muttering the words like some homeless madman.
The New Order has already disfigured this once beautiful city beyond recognition. It seems like a decaying corpse swelling with mindless maggots. The suffocatingly low sky, the featureless buildings-even the faces of the nervously rushing people flooding around me-are as colorless and lifeless as the concrete under my feet.
I know the general populace has been efficiently brainwashed by the New Order, but these citizens seem a little too too hushed, a little hushed, a little too too urgent, a little urgent, a little too too riveted to the sc.r.a.ps of propaganda clutched in their hands like prayer books. riveted to the sc.r.a.ps of propaganda clutched in their hands like prayer books.
Suddenly, my eyes spot a word in bold letters on the paper: EXECUTION. EXECUTION.
And then the huge video displays hanging above the boulevard light up, and everything becomes clear to me. Every pedestrian stops and stands stock-still, and every head turns upward as if there has suddenly been an eclipse.
On the video screens, a hooded prisoner-small-framed, frail-looking-is kneeling on a starkly lit stage.
"Wisteria Allgood," blares a bone-chilling voice, "do you wish to confess to the use of the dark arts for the wicked purpose of undermining all that is good and proper in our society?"
This can"t be happening. My heart is a big lump in my throat. Wisty? Wisty? Did that voice really just say Did that voice really just say Wisteria Allgood? Wisteria Allgood? My sister"s on an executioner"s scaffold? My sister"s on an executioner"s scaffold?
I grab a slack-jawed adult by his dismally gray overcoat lapels. "Where is this execution happening? Tell me right now!"
"The Courtyard of Justice." He blinks at me irritably, as if I"ve woken him from a deep sleep. "Where else?"
"Courtyard of Justice? Where"s that? that?" I demand of the man, throwing my hands around his neck, nearly losing control of my own strength. I swear, I"m ready to throw this adult against a wall if I have to.
"Under the victory arch-down there," he gasps. He points at a boulevard that runs off to my left. "Let me go! I"ll call the police!"
I shove him and take off running toward a ma.s.sive ceremonial arch maybe a half mile away.
"You! Wait!" he yells after me. "Don"t I know your face from somewhere?" "Don"t I know your face from somewhere?"
He does. Oh yes. And so would everyone else, if they took the time to notice that there was a wanted criminal running loose in their midst.
But his fellow citizens" eyes remain glued to the screen. They"ve got an insatiable appet.i.te for malicious gossip of any kind and, of course, an equal taste for senseless death and destruction.
Even when the falsely condemned are kids. Just kids.
I can hear a distant roar now. The sound of hunger-for "justice," for blood.
I forge ahead into the pathetic herd of lemmings. I"m not going to let them take my sister from me. I"m not going to let them take my sister from me. Not without a fight to the death anyway. Not without a fight to the death anyway.
I round a corner, and then, across the top of the crowd, I see... Is that my sister, Wisty, up on the stage? Is that my sister, Wisty, up on the stage? She"s hooded, dressed all in black, but standing now. Proudly. Brave as ever. She"s hooded, dressed all in black, but standing now. Proudly. Brave as ever.
A man-if you would call him that-is on the stage with her. He"s leaning on a crooked stick, his wickedly sharp black suit hanging strangely motionless in the wind that"s begun to howl through the civic square. His angular face is glowing with smug self-satisfaction, as if he"s just devoured a potful of whipping cream.
I know him; I despise him. The One Who Is The One. The One Who Is The One. Quite possibly the most evil individual in the history of humanity. Quite possibly the most evil individual in the history of humanity.
Are there minutes or seconds left before this hideous execution? I have no way of knowing.
I knock people aside as I barrel through the thickening, or should I say sickening, sickening, throng. I can see a line of well-armed soldiers holding everyone back from the platform. If I can knock one of them down and s.n.a.t.c.h away a gun... throng. I can see a line of well-armed soldiers holding everyone back from the platform. If I can knock one of them down and s.n.a.t.c.h away a gun...
I look up at the stage just in time to see The One raise his k.n.o.bby black stick and shake it menacingly at my sister. He has a look of absolute triumph.
"No!" I yell, but I"m unheard in the roaring crowd. They all know what"s about to happen. I know, too. I just don"t see how I can possibly stop it. There has to be a way. I yell, but I"m unheard in the roaring crowd. They all know what"s about to happen. I know, too. I just don"t see how I can possibly stop it. There has to be a way.
"Nooo!" I scream. I scream. "You can"t do this! This is cold-blooded murder!" "You can"t do this! This is cold-blooded murder!"
There"s a flash-not of light but somehow of blackness blackness-and she"s gone. Wisty. My sister. My best friend in the world.
My little sister is dead.
Whit IF I"M STILL DRAWING air, it"s not because I care about living.
The last person in the Allgood family that I knew for certain to be alive, the person who knew me better than anyone else in the world, the person who looked up to me in everything, is gone. gone. What an incredible waste of an incredible life. What an incredible waste of an incredible life.
Wisty died while I watched, and I could do nothing to help her.
The One just vaporized my sister... and that monster, without any hint of conscience, doesn"t even seem to have broken a sweat. He throws his arms in the air like he"s just scored a goal, like he"s mocking the pointlessness of human existence. I go weak in the knees. I feel as if I might throw up as I hear a deafening roar of approval sweep down the concrete canyon of this city-a place that now seems despicable and evil and beyond repair.
The One has just achieved his biggest public relations triumph ever. ever. He basks in the adoration-but his usual impatience and anger soon erupt. He basks in the adoration-but his usual impatience and anger soon erupt.
"Silence!"
His command sweeps across the city, obliterating every other noise.
But I"m unmoved. Still sh.e.l.l-shocked. Numb everywhere, including in places that I didn"t know existed.
"My good citizens," he thunders, without aid of a microphone, "this is a truly magnificent occasion. What you have just witnessed is the obliteration of the last significant threat to our stewardship of the Overworld! Wisteria Allgood, a leader of the Resistance, has just been removed from this dimension. Forever."
He raises his arms again, and a new gust of wind brings a thin layer of ash and the horrible smell of burnt hair across the crowd. These "good citizens" begin cheering again.
I"d collapse to my knees, but I"m surrounded on all sides. Then, suddenly, there is s.p.a.ce for me to move. The cheering turns to screaming and the crowd is surging-moving backward-and I see a fiery explosion erupting not fifty yards from where I stand.
I know know that fire. that fire.