Rise of the Elgen Read Online Free PDF Page A

burning down Jack’s house.”

T he phone went dead as the man hung up. I put it in my front pocket and walked quickly out of the room. Apparently Jack’s sister hadn’t made everyone go to the back, because they were all still in the lobby. The strange woman was gone.
    I walked up to Jack, who was talking to his sister. “We’ve got to go,” I said. “Fast. The police are on their way.”
    “How do you know that?” he asked.
    I looked at the others, who were now all looking at me. “I just do.”
    “Who was that lady?” Ostin asked. It was the first thing he’d said since we’d left the apartment.
    “I’ll tell you in the car,” I said. “We’ve got to hurry.”
    “Why don’t we just wait for the police?” Taylor said. “They’ll help us.”
    “No. They’re coming to arrest us.”
    “Arrest us for what?” Ostin asked.
    “We stole a van, Einstein,” Jack said.
    “It’s worse,” I said. “Someone told them that I burned down your house.”
    Jack frowned. “We’ve got to get out of here.”
    “You stole a car?” Jack’s sister asked angrily. “You said you didn’t do anything.”
    “We borrowed it,” Zeus said. “And they owed us big-time.”
    She looked flustered. “What’s going on, Jack? Why are the police coming?”
    “I can’t tell you right now. Just tell them that you don’t know anything.”
    “I don’t,” she said.
    “Good. It’s better that way.” He looked at her sadly. “We’ve gotta run. I’ll explain when I can.”
    “C’mon, everyone,” I said. “To the car.”
    *   *   *
    When we were in the Camaro, Jack asked, “Now what?”
    “I have an address,” I said. I picked up the phone, but it was out of power. “I can’t believe it, it’s dead. It was perfectly fine a minute ago.”
    “Let me see it,” Ostin said. He took the phone from me and examined it. “You just need to hold it.”
    “I was.”
    “Put out your hand,” he said. He handed me the phone and this time it lit up.
    “You were holding it wrong. See these metallic strips on the side? They’re made of a silver alloy. The phone is designed to run off your electricity. That way it never runs out.”
    “And it won’t work for anyone else,” I said. I looked down at the address the man had texted me. “Thirty-eight South Malvern Avenue.”
    “I know that area,” Jack said. “It’s an industrial park. There are a lot of printing shops.” Jack shouted to Wade, “Follow me!” Then he backed up and screeched out of the parking lot, followed by Wade, who also tried to screech but managed only a small chirp.
    After we’d driven a few blocks, Taylor asked, “What’s going on, Michael? And who was that woman?”
    “I don’t know who she was. But she knows who we are and who’s chasing us.”
    “She knew about the Elgen?” Ostin asked.
    I nodded. “She gave me the phone. A man called who says he’s going to help us. He also told me that the van Wade’s driving has a tracking device. That’s how they’ve been following us. We need to ditch our cars.”
    “Wait a minute,” Jack said. “No one said anything about ditching my car.”
    “Who is this man?” Taylor asked.
    “Just . . . some man.” I looked at her. “I know it sounds stupid, but I believe he’s trying to help.”
    “I’m not ditching my car,” Jack said.
    “How do you know you can trust him?” Taylor asked.
    “I don’t. But do we have a choice?”
    “Yes,” she said, “we do.”
    I took her hand. “Here, read my mind. Listen to what he said.”
    She closed her eyes as I thought back on the call. When she opened her eyes she nodded. “Okay. I trust him too.”
    Jack was still upset. “You’re saying that some dude I’ve never met wants me to ditch my car? I’m not ditching my car.”
    “They want us to trade cars.”
    “That’s not going to happen,” he said. “Do you know what this baby is worth?”
    “The Elgen are following your car. They can either capture you and the car,