Nightmare Academy (43 page)

Alexander yelled like a wild man,
banging and swearing, but to no avail.

The marshals kept going.

“They can't hear us!” Elisha moaned.

Alexander yelled like a wild man, banging and swearing, but to no avail.

Then, suddenly, Elisha saw a vision like a flash of reality, like a bolt from the ordinary, real world piercing this nightmare.

She saw her mom and dad running toward the mansion, searching all around the grounds with their eyes, trying to find any sign—

Elisha screamed as she'd never screamed before. “It's my mom and dad!”

Hope flooded that big white prison. The kids pressed against the windows, waving, straining for a glimpse, longing to see a real mom and dad out there.

Sarah heard some faint noises, looked, and it was like seeing the heavens opened. There was Elisha, trapped behind the glass. “Nate! Nate, it's Elisha!”

She leaped up on the porch, went to the window, and put her hand against the thick Plexiglas. Elisha, crying unashamedly, pressed her palm against her mother's, the glass between them.

Nate tried the front door. It was sealed shut, like it was part of the wall. “What about the windows?”

Sarah replied, “Unbreakable, probably bulletproof.”

The sound of a big machine echoed up from the valley. “I'll be right back.” Nate took off down the walkway toward the big open gate.

KABOOM!
The office building was history.

Elijah was talking out loud to himself, trying to get his brain to work. “Okay, 55.5, 55.5 . . . Okay, yeah, increments of 55.5 . . . okay, twice that is 111 . . .”

The computer was telling him there was only one more building to blow up before it was time to blow up
this
one.

“Okay, reset, reset . . . two buildings to go, we're counting down from 111 . . .”

He entered 111.

ERROR. PLEASE ENTER RESET QUANTITY.

With some help from an armed U.S. marshal, Nate bumped the nearest bulldozer operator from his machine and took over. He put the big monster in high gear, opened the throttle, and crossed the field like an army tank. The gate was already broken open; he had only to widen the opening as he crashed through.

BOOM!
The last remaining structure on the campus went up like a volcano.

Sirens began shrieking in the control room. Strobes began to flash. Elijah had only one green line left, and it was counting down, 55 seconds . . . 45 . . . 35 . . .

All right, Elijah, think! THINK!

55.5
increments, twice is 111
. . .
that doesn't work . . .

Nate was rolling, thundering, screeching up the walkway, heading for the mansion, looking for the best place to ram a hole. He gestured wildly to Sarah and yelled, “Get the kids back!”

Sarah waved through the window, “Get back! Get back!”

The kids inside ran to the farthest corner, dragging any kids too hysterical to move on their own.

25 seconds.

Okay. Twelve buildings, twelve lines . . . twelve times
55.5 . . .

Elijah couldn't do it in his head. The sirens were jumbling what was left of his brain. He looked for some paper and a pencil.

Nate rolled across the front lawn, digging out deep, ugly track marks in the grass. He yanked the right lever, spun the big Cat around, and headed for the front wall, just to the right of the porch.

Full throttle now. Straight on. Seat belt fastened?