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woods, this time in the right direction.
    Within a few moments, he was running—running as fast as he could, faster than he had ever run before.

Chapter 8
Lost
    They were waiting at his house.
    Nina and Emily looked relieved as he turned the corner and ran up the front porch steps.
    â€œWhere have you been?” Nina shouted. “Do you realize how long you’ve been gone? What happened?”
    Breathless, Tim bent over at the waist and grabbed his knees.
    â€œI would like to tell you where I’ve been,” he managed. “But I’m not sure you would be able to handle it.”
    â€œYour parents aren’t home,” Emily said. “Wait, where is Max?”
    Tim stood up straight.
    â€œWhat do you mean? He was with you.”
    â€œNo,” said Emily. “He went back to get you.”
    â€œBack, back where?” Tim stammered.
    Nina eyed him curiously.
    â€œThe cabin of course,” she said.
    â€¢â€¢â€¢â€¢â€¢
    The search for Max began small.
    Everyone assumed that he simply lost track of time and would return home—everyone except Tim.
    The police had paid a visit to see Tim’s parents. They were not happy to learn he had been back to the cabin. Neither were Emily’s or Nina’s folks.
    The authorities had asked all three kids to come down to the station so they could get a better handle on who had seen Max last. As Tim walked into the stark office of investigations, he heard a familiar voice.
    â€œNope, Max never came back,” Rusty was saying to a young, nervous-looking officer. “At least not that I saw.”
    Noticing Tim, he waved.
    â€œIt’s a pretty big cabin, and if I’m upstairs, it’s hard to hear anything.”
    Tim just stared at him from across the room.
    This was a man he had trusted. First the phone call, and now Max was suddenly gone after he had gone back to the cabin. How could Rusty be involved in this mess?
    A chill began to form at the nape of his neck and slowly spread down to the base of his spine. There was no way he was telling anyone about the tunnel yet, but he knew he had to tell the authorities what he overheard when he had gone back to the cabin.
    â€œIf you don’t get the other kids out of here and back on Earth soon, the whole plan could be ruined.”
    It could only mean one thing. Rusty was involved.
    But that seemed impossible. Tim had known Rusty all his life. He loved the man like a second father. All the kids did. And there’s no way he would ever hurt anyone—especially his own son.
    They all trusted him.
    They all trusted him
.
    The missing kids were not foolish. How could they all have been taken by the man with yellow hair—
a complete stranger
?
    But they all trusted
him
.
    Canary had been talking to someone on the phone that night. Could it have been Rusty?
    Max had gone back to the cabin to find him —and now he was gone. Max certainly knew how to find his way to the cabin. There was no way he would get lost heading there.
    Rusty must have taken Max. But why, where?
    He felt a hand on his shoulder.
    â€œHe’ll turn up,” Rusty said with a smile and a pat on the back. “You know Max, he probably just got turned around in the woods. They’ll find him.”
    Tim turned to face him.
    â€œI’m not so sure about that,” he whispered. “I heard what you said at the cabin. So tell me right now where he is—tell me what’s going on—or I’ll tell everyone what I heard.”
    Rusty looked like someone had just punched him in the gut.
    â€œI’ll tell you exactly where he is,” Rusty replied. “He’s behind you.”
    Tim turned just as Max came walking through the front door of the office. His parents followed closely behind.
    â€œMax!” Tim called out. “Where have you been?”
    Emily and Nina ran over to give him a hug.
    â€œI just got lost, man,” he mumbled. “I just got