James Patterson - Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports

"And I'm sure you're making the biggest mistake of your life!" he shot back. Years of living in hiding, flying under the radar both literally and figuratively, meant that even now, when we were both spitting fire, our voices were low, pitched to reach only each other. "Ari's a killer!" Fang said. "He's toxic! They've polluted him and screwed him up so much he can't even think. He's a total liability, and you're out of your mind if you think it's fine that he's here!"

I hesitated. He was my right-hand man, my best friend, the one who always, always had my back. He'd die to save me, and I'd throw myself in front of a train for him without a second's thought.

"Okay," I said slowly, rubbing my temples. "I really think he's changed, and his expiration date is gonna kick in soon, anyway. But I know his being here is bumming everyone out."

"You picked up on that, huh, Sherlock?"

My eyes blazed. "I'm trying to meet you halfway, nimrod! I was going to say let me think about it. In the meantime, I'll keep an eagle eye on him. First sign of anything suspicious, I'll kick his butt out myself. Okay?"

Fang stared at me in disbelief. "Are you nuts? Did they finally send you around the bend? Ari needs to go now!"

"He doesn't have anywhere else to go! He helped us, remember? They're not gonna let him back in. Plus, I keep telling you, he's only seven years old, no matter how big he is. How's he gonna survive?"

"I don't give a crap," Fang said icily. "I'm fine with him not surviving at all. Remember this?" He yanked up his shirt to show the pink lines of his healed scars, the ones from when Ari had sliced him up like a tenderloin and almost made him bleed to death.

I shuddered just thinking about that awful day. "I remember," I said quietly. "But I can't just kick him out into the cold with no place to go, no way to survive. Not knowing that the whitecoats will be gunning for him now. It's only for a few days-just till he expires."

It felt weird saying it like that. Like retire. Expire. All different words for die. He was seven years old and wasn't going to live to see eight.

And his first seven years had sucked, big-time.

Fang poked me hard in the chest.

"Hey!" I said.

He leaned very close, several inches taller than me, and got right in my face. But this time he didn't kiss me.

"You're making your worst mistake," he snarled. "And it's gonna cost you. You'll see."

With that, he turned and jumped off the porch, not even hitting the ground before his wide, dark wings took him soundlessly into the night.

And even as we don't know it.

I know what it's called now, folks. It's called the Re-Evolution Plan. And the By-Half Plan. We got out of the School (anyone who wants to bomb them, feel free). Now we're in hiding, ha ha. While we were there, we found out that the plan is to basically KILL anyone with any kind of disease or weakness. The only people left will be perfectly healthy and have useful skills. So everyone bone up on something useful! Or go into hiding. And if you have the sniffles, crawl under a rock and don't come out.

What would be useful, you ask? I've made a chart.

Medical personnel

Life coach

So this would be a good time to examine your career goals.

Last time I checked, more than 28 million people had hit this blog. Way to go, people. Save yourselves. Save your brothers and sisters. Don't let the whitecoats get you.

And if you see any flying kids, keep your mouth shut.

- Fang, from somewhere in America

I was shaking after Fang and I fought. It's not that we never fought-we did all the time. But not like this. This was the maddest I'd ever seen him. After he took off, I stayed outside a minute, until I could paste a fake smile on my face. No sense in worrying the others.

When I went back inside, the flock and Ari and Total were all sprawled on the furniture or floor. They had that glazed look that comes from getting all the food you want, for once. I examined Ari. He was in a chair by himself. None of the others were anywhere near him. His clothes were still covered in blood.

I raided a closet and threw a flannel shirt at him. He looked up in surprise. "Thanks."

"Okay, who wants first watch?" I said.

"Where's Fang?" Gazzy asked.

"He went out for a while. He'll be back," I said shortly. Of course he would be back.

"I'll take first watch," Ari said.

I made an executive decision. "No, that's okay. I'll do it. The rest of you get some sleep." I didn't meet Ari's eyes.

While the others slept, I went through the fridge and pantry and took everything that wouldn't spoil and wasn't too heavy. I repacked all of our packs and set them close to the door. I walked around silently, turning off lights, then went outside and flew up onto the snow-covered roof.

I perched by the brick chimney, which radiated heat.

Everything was quiet.

Ages later, Fang returned. I tried not to breathe a sigh of relief. I hadn't been that worried, anyway. He flew up, saw me, and landed, flapping his wings for balance as he tried to find a place on the roof.

None of us are real big with the apologies, the heartfelt hugs. I glanced at him, then went back to keeping watch, doing regular 360 scans, listening, waiting.

"Twenty-eight million people have clicked on the blog," he said.

Good Lord. "Huh."

"I'm putting everything I know about what's going on out there," he went on. "Maybe if enough people get a heads-up, they can stop whatever's happening."

Stopping it is your job, Max.

"I thought we were supposed to stop it," I said.

"What, with one hand tied behind your back?" Fang scoffed. "You don't have to save the world, Max, no matter what they tell you."

For some reason that stung-like he didn't think I could do it. I'd always thought he'd be on board for anything I had to do.

"So now you and your blog are going to do it? I can go to bed and sleep in?" The words came out more caustic than I intended.

Fang shot me a sideways glance, his eyes unreadable. He shrugged and looked away.

Okay, now I was mad all over again. I hated it when Fang and I fought, but I hated even more him thinking that I-you know, wasn't able to save the world by myself.

I'm sure a lot of you girls out there worry about the same thing, huh?

"Next you'll be telling me you've got a Voice in your head," I said sarcastically, standing up. I balanced on the roof, holding my wings out for help. Like a squirrel does with its tail. Only thirteen feet across.