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ready to run back to my house and crawl into my bed.
    Tendrils of fear had knotted themselves around my spine, and I wanted to hide under my pillows.

    Then I shook myself. I was going to a party, damn it. I was not going to let anything get in the way of that. I stepped forward again, squaring my shoulders. If I had to meet these crazy people that were after Jason, then so be it. If they were as dangerous as Jason said, I wouldn't be safe in my bed anyway.

    As I walked, I could still hear the footsteps. They sounded close. My heart started to speed up. I rounded the bend in my driveway, and my hands were shaking.

    Ahead of me, I could see a shadowy figure walking away from me.

Chapter Three
To: Alfred Norwich
    From: Hallam Wakefield
    Subject: South is no go

    Alfred,

    Sorry, no can do. I just got a lead that someone matching Jason's description has been sighted in upstate New York. I've got to go check it out. I don't think Jason is going south, no matter what Intel says. He knows better than that. He was born in the south.
    He was raised in the south. He knows we'll look for him there. I'll let you know how this lead pans out. Oh, and tell Richard that West Virginia is a dead end. There's nothing there but woods and rednecks. Jason wouldn't have anywhere to hide.

    Yours in pursuit of the Purpose,

    Hallam
    The figure was a guy. He wore pants that were a little bit too short for him--

    It was Jason.

    Apparently, I wasn't the only one sneaking out of my house tonight.

    I ran to catch up with Jason. He heard me approaching and stopped.

    "Azazel," he said.

    "What are you doing?" I asked.

    He looked away from me. I could hardly make out his features in the scant light, but he seemed even more desperate than before. "I wanted to believe that I could stay here," he said. "All I've ever wanted..."

    "You're not leaving, are you?"

    "I have to," he said. "I can't put you and your family in danger."

    I didn't know what to say. Moments before, I'd been frightened out of my wits of the people chasing Jason. Was he right? Was he a danger to us? To me?

    Well, it didn't matter, did it? Because, if there were danger, I couldn't let Jason go running back into it, could I? No, I'd found him. I'd rescued him once. I couldn't let anything bad happen to him.

    "I'm not letting you go," I said.

    "I didn't think anyone heard me leave," he said. "I can't believe you followed me."

    "I didn't," I said. "I'm sneaking out to go to a party."

    "Oh," he said, stunned.

    I guess parties weren't something Jason thought about very much. Well. Maybe we should change that.

    "You should come with me," I said. "It'll be fun."

    "To a...party?" he said. It was like he had trouble saying the word.

    "Yeah," I said. "You know, parties? They're all the rage these days. Kids sneak out, drink beer, get away from their parents... Have fun. It's what all normal teenagers are just dying to do."

    "Normal," Jason repeated. Then he grinned at me. It was a brief grin again. It barely touched his eyes. "Okay," he said.

    "Great," I said, excited now. "Come on, Toby's picking me up at the top of the driveway."

    "Wait," said Jason. "Toby? I don't know if--"

    But he was interrupted because Toby's truck pulled up at the top of the driveway. I grabbed Jason and dragged him up to the truck. Toby had leaned across to open the door for me. When he saw Jason, he looked less than happy.

    "Oh," he said. "You brought Jason."

    I didn't know what was wrong with Toby. He was being totally rude. Jason needed people to take him under their wing. He had nowhere to go, and he seemed to have lived a sheltered, dangerous life. We owed him some fun.

    I stood aside from the door. "Get in," I told Jason.

    "Uh..." said Jason, "maybe you want to sit next to your boyfriend?"

    Oh. I guess that did make sense. "Don't run off while I'm getting into the truck," I warned Jason.

    He smiled again.

    I liked it when he smiled.

    I climbed into the truck, and Jason got in after me,