“Okay, so something happened when they left their house for school this morning,” Nathan said, stopping to stare at a distant point on the wall. “Where’s the bus stop?”
“We’re headed there now,” Alex replied. “It’s just up theblock from their house, so whatever happened—wait, Talon, pull over there. What is that?”
“What is it?” Nathan asked, sounding strangled.
“Please don’t be a body, please don’t be a body,” Luke murmured, closing his eyes. Malachi put an arm around him.
“It’s not a body,” Alex said quickly. “It’s a backpack. It’s Angela’s.”
“I see another over there,” Talon said. “Further down the street.”
“Why would their backpacks be out there on the side of the road?” Ira asked, and the others shot him discomfiting looks.
“You haven’t seen anything about this?” Luke asked.
Ira’s throat bobbed. “No.”
“Oh, God,” Luke breathed. “If anything happens to those kids…”
“Are their phones in their backpacks?” Nathan asked. “We’ve tried calling them a dozen times and no one’s answered.”
“Hang on,” Alex said. “Angie’s is. Looks like Zach’s is missing.”
“Okay. You guys head back here. Zach’s phone is our link. Either he has it, or whoever took them has it.”
“Okay. We’re headed that way.”
Nathan hung up, scrubbing a hand over his face.
Ashmedai stepped closer. “What?” he asked, hoping that conveyed enough.
Nathan turned toward him and sighed, shoulders slumping. “The young recruits who come here, Angela and Zachary, have gone missing. We took them home last night, but their school called and said they didn’t show up for class. Their father has no idea where they are.”
“Enemies,” Ashmedai growled. Who else would target children connected to the Sentinels?
Nathan’s expression cleared as the realization hit, and he looked at the others. “The guild. Do you think they could have done this?”
Luke scratched the angry scars on the side of his face. “Ashmedai has been hitting them pretty hard. And since we delivered Wallace’s squad to their doorstep, they probably figure we’re involved. This could be payback.”
“But why take them?” Nathan asked. “What do they want?”
“They’d have to reach out and tell us that, I’m afraid,” Ira said.
“If they wanted payback, they would’ve attacked,” Storm said. The cheerful lights made his pale hair look shot through with color.
“Not necessarily. That hasn’t worked out so well for them the last few times they’ve tried it,” Malachi pointed out. “Besides, they can’t get into the Rink anymore, and they don’t know where the club is now. The only time they might try to hit us is out on patrol, and that wouldn’t take care of all of us at once.”
They had no answers and no way to get any. They trailed off into fretful silence until Alex and Talon arrived.
“I called the others,” Talon said as they strode inside. “They’re on their way. Have you tried calling Zach’s number?”
“No, we were waiting for you.”
Alex went to one of the computers on the strangely inlaid, white-topped table.
“Good. Let’s do it. Alex is checking to see if his location sharing is turned on.”
“Oh my God, that’s a good idea,” Luke said wildly.
