“Maybe ’cause it’s Ariel’s dad,” said Daisy.
Then it came to him. Spencer snapped his fingers. “Aaron!”
“No, it’s
Ariel,
” Daisy said.
Spencer rolled his eyes. “I’m not talking about
The Little Mermaid,
Daisy.” He turned to Penny. “Triton Charter is one of our schools.”
“Of course it is,” said Penny. “We’ve got a good Rebel working there. We wouldn’t set up a rendezvous point at a BEM school.”
“No, I mean one of
our
schools.” He pointed at himself and Daisy. “We’ve got a Monitor at Triton Charter. His name is Aaron.”
“Nice memory,” Daisy said. “I can’t remember where anybody is.”
“I only remember because there was a special report from Triton just last week. Aaron sent me an email.”
“Slow it down,” Bernard said, suddenly sitting up in the backseat. “What’s a Monitor?” Daisy passed him the breakfast sack while Spencer explained.
“Last November, we escaped from New Forest Academy with about thirty other students,” Spencer said. “The bus driver, Meredith List . . .”
“She’s actually our lunch lady,” Daisy interjected.
“Meredith got everybody home,” Spencer continued. “But the students were pretty shaken up. They knew something magical had happened. They wanted to talk about it, so I gave them a way to get some answers. I told everybody to go back to their schools and get detention with the janitors.”
“Good advice,” Penny muttered sarcastically.
“It was the only way to find out if the janitors are Rebels or BEM. We watch the janitors, and my Monitors send reports about suspicious activity.”
“Do you get a lot of reports?” Bernard asked.
Spencer nodded. “Everybody writes in from time to time.”
“Well, not everybody,” Daisy cut in. “We’re still waiting to hear from Jenna.”
“Who’s Jenna?” asked Bernard.
Spencer could feel his face going red. Jenna was a girl he’d spent a lot of time with at New Forest Academy. It was fairly common knowledge that she liked Spencer. He was secretly surprised that she’d never written to him, despite her promise to do so.
Spencer didn’t want to answer Bernard’s question. He wasn’t there to talk about Jenna—not when there were much more important things happening at Triton Charter School.
“Anyway,” Spencer said, abruptly changing the subject, “the reason I remember hearing about Triton Charter School is because Aaron reported an incident last Monday.”
“What kind of incident?” Penny asked.
“The Rebel janitor at Triton slipped on the stairs and broke his leg,” Spencer said. “So they’ve hired a temporary. Aaron thinks the new lady is just a custodian. Thinks she doesn’t know anything about magic or Toxites. We told him to be extra careful and keep a close eye on the new worker. I haven’t heard from him since. But it’s been a couple of days since I’ve checked my email.”
“Hmm . . .” Bernard said. “This is going to complicate our rendezvous.”
“Just because they hired a temporary custodian doesn’t mean she’s part of the BEM,” Penny said. “We’ll be extra careful and we’ll be fine.”
“I wish there were a way to warn Walter and Alan,” Daisy said.
“What about your visions, kid?” Bernard asked.
“It doesn’t work like that,” answered Spencer. “The warlocks never know I’m watching.”
“At least you could check on old Walter,” Bernard suggested. “See what he’s up to.”
It was a good idea, even though Spencer wasn’t keen on it. He reached into his pocket for the bronze medallion. “Be right back,” he said, wrapping his fingers around the medal.
The cab of the garbage truck disintegrated, his head reeled in the whiteness, and then he was brushing his teeth. With a mirror directly in front of him, there was no mistaking the warlock.
It was Director Carlos Garcia.
His dark hair was combed and gelled, the collar of his white shirt pressed. Spencer got an immediate location on him. The director was northwest of Denver, nestled into the mountains at New Forest Academy. The location didn’t surprise Spencer since he knew that Garcia lived in a house on campus. Spencer choked back his anger over Director Garcia. Not only was he a corrupt warlock, but he was the creator and principal of the elite Academy.
Spencer had learned that the BEM had established New Forest Academy to be a safe haven for education. The Academy would be kept Toxite-free while all other schools in America were left unattended and infested. In this way, the BEM could handpick the future leaders of the country while everyone else got dumber from Toxite breath.
There was a knock at the door. Garcia bent over and spat into the sink. He wiped his mouth on a soft towel and threw it over his shoulder as he pulled open the door. Spencer recognized the man in the doorway as one of the Academy teachers.
“Sorry to bother you, sir,” the man said. “But you have a visitor.”
“A visitor?” Director Garcia repeated.
The messenger swallowed nervously. “It’s . . . it’s Mr. Clean, sir.”
Garcia took a cautious step back. “Where is he? What’s he doing here?” There was definitely terror in the director’s voice.
“He’s waiting for you in the underground parking garage. First level.”
“What does he want?” Garcia asked.
“He said we should expect more company within the hour.” The man paused. “Pluggers.”
“Pluggers? Here?” That obviously angered Director Garcia. “I’ve had enough of those overgrown beasts. Why is he bringing them here?”
“The Academy was the only secure location along the Pluggers’ route. Mr. Clean said the Extension Toxites needed improvements,” the messenger answered. “I believe his exact words were, ‘I’m going to turn those hunting beasts into war machines.’”
Garcia responded, but the vision was already blanching, Spencer’s concern over the conversation pushed him away. What was Mr. Clean planning to do to Leslie’s Extension Toxites? Spencer couldn’t think about it now. A new vision was taking shape, whiteness fading into black.
Spencer waited patiently, but nothing came into view. He almost panicked, wondering if his Auran ability had suddenly ended. Then he realized that, despite the blackness, he could still hear, and he had a specific location.
What he heard was the distinctive sound of a school bell ringing to announce the beginning of a new day. And the location was just where he suspected.
Spencer pulled his hand away from the bronze medallion, and the cab of the truck shimmered back into view.
“Walter’s already at Triton Charter School, and I think he’s in trouble,” Spencer blurted.
“What did you see?” Penny asked.
Spencer decided not to mention Garcia’s vision yet. Walter was in danger, and they needed to focus on him. “Nothing. I couldn’t see anything, which means that Walter’s eyes were closed—or covered.”
“Maybe he’s sleeping,” Daisy suggested.
“Definitely not sleeping,” said Spencer. “He’s at Triton Charter School. I heard the first bell ring. Walter’s been captured! And my dad might be with him.”
“You don’t know that.” Penny was trying to keep him calm.
“It’s a pattern,” Spencer said. “Every time the BEM knows we’re coming, they replace our Rebel with a bad guy. They do it so fast there’s never enough time to change plans. That’s how Slick got us at New Forest Academy. And that’s what is happening at Triton.”
“Kid’s got a point,” Bernard said. “And if the BEM knows where we’re headed, then those nasty Pluggers might be waiting for us.”
Spencer knew the Extension Toxites weren’t at the school. But again, he decided not to mention them. He didn’t want to give anyone a false sense of security. Just because the Pluggers had made a pit stop at New Forest Academy didn’t mean they were giving up the manhunt. In fact, from what Spencer gathered from his vision, Mr. Clean was giving them some kind of upgrade, making the Extension Toxites even more deadly.
Penny let go of the wheel just long enough to throw her hands up. “So, what are we supposed to do?”
“I’ve got an idea,” Spencer said. “But I’m going to need to make a phone call.”
“We’re supposed to be off the grid,” Penny said. “No communication with anyone outside the team.”
“One call. It’ll be fast.” Spencer put his hands together in pleading. “I’ve got to talk to the president of the Monitors.”
“I thought you were in charge,” Bernard said.
Spencer shook his head. “I’m just the one with the answers. The real brain behind the Monitors is another kid. His name is Min Lee. And he’s a genius.”
T
riton Charter School was just ahead, the playground covered in a skiff of trampled snow. This was definitely the right location from Spencer’s vision. Walter was somewhere in the building, his eyes still closed.
The garbage truck idled at the corner of the block, its passengers keeping a close eye on the school as they waited for the phone to ring.
Penny drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, her green eyes never straying far from the clock on the dashboard. “It’s time to think of a backup plan,” Penny said. “In case your little friend doesn’t call back.”
“He’ll call,” Daisy said. “Min’s the best.”
Penny sighed. “It’s been almost two hours. I say we give it another thirty minutes. At eleven thirty, we go in, mops blazing.”
Spencer looked at the cell phone in his hands. He hadn’t let go of it since Penny had handed it to him for the first call. She didn’t believe in Min because she’d never seen him in action. The Asian boy could rewire a computer in his sleep. Getting a message to Aaron at school would be child’s play. But Spencer did wonder what was taking so long.
The phone vibrated in his hand, the screen lighting up to show an unknown caller.
“Hello?” Spencer said.
“Greetings.” It was Min, his voice as steady and businesslike as ever.
“Did you get a message through?”
“All is in order. Aaron stands ready to assist you.”
Spencer smiled. “Great! What’s the plan?”
“Walter is most likely being detained in the janitor’s closet,” Min said. “In order to rescue him, we’ll need to lure the temporary janitor out, giving you time and safe passage to find him.”
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Spencer said.
“It has already been arranged,” said Min. “At precisely eleven thirty, Aaron’s class will go to lunch. Once in the cafeteria, he has agreed to create a janitorial diversion, by any means necessary.”
“Is that your way of saying that Aaron’s going to start a food fight?”
“Regardless of the mess that Aaron makes, you must be otherwise engaged. Do not go near the cafeteria. Find the janitor’s closet, rescue Walter, and get out.”
“Easier said than done, Min.”
“To facilitate your entrance, I have some simple directions,” said Min. “Enter the school through the front doors. Take your first left. Follow the hallway until you pass the bathrooms, then take a right. The janitorial closet is at the corner.”
“Wow.” Spencer was amazed at Min’s detailed instructions. “How’d you figure that out?”
“I found a satellite image of the school and determined the year it was built. Then I overlaid a series of standard school blueprints from that era until I found a match.”
“Min Lee, you are a genius!” Spencer said.
“Did you ever think I wasn’t?” Through Min’s tone on the phone, Spencer could imagine his face, mouth tilted in an arrogant smirk. “One last thing. If you are approached by Triton Charter School staff, you and Daisy are in Ms. Bellingham’s class, room 17.”
“Got it,” Spencer said, glancing at the clock. “It’s almost time.”
“On behalf of the Organization of Janitor Monitors, I wish you luck.”
“And I say thanks,” said Spencer. “On behalf of education’s future.”
“Until next time,” Min said. Without waiting for a response, he hung up the phone. Spencer grinned.
“What did he say?” Penny asked, taking her cell phone from Spencer and tucking it away.
“In ten minutes, me and Daisy are going through the front doors,” Spencer explained.
“Okay.” Penny nodded. “Bernard and I will come in through the back, meet you in the hallway.”
“No.” Spencer shook his head. “You two have to wait in the truck and watch out for the Pluggers.” The giant Extension Toxites were probably still behind. But Spencer didn’t know how long it would take the Pluggers to travel from New Forest Academy, and he didn’t want to be taken by surprise again.
“I’m not sending you in there alone!” Penny clearly didn’t want to miss out on the action.
“We belong in there!” Spencer said. “We’re kids. It’s the middle of the school day. If you and Bernard go in armed, the office staff will be all over you.” Spencer took a deep breath. “We’re going to do this the old-fashioned way. Just me and Daisy, some latex gloves, and a food fight.”
“Where are we going to get the food?” Daisy asked.
“That’s Aaron’s job. He’ll be in the cafeteria.” Spencer clapped his hands. “We’re losing time. Let’s go.”
In a moment everyone was standing on the sidewalk next to the garbage truck. Bernard didn’t have much to say about the plan, but Penny was spewing precautions and safety tips.
Even though Spencer wanted to go unarmed, Penny filled their pockets with vacuum dust. She produced two latex gloves from a pouch on her Glopified janitorial belt. Spencer and Daisy felt significantly safer as they pulled them on. As long as they each wore a glove, no one would be able to catch them.
“Give me your coats,” Bernard said. When the kids hesitated, Bernard explained, “You don’t want to look like you just blew in from Kansas.”
“But we
are
in Kansas,” Daisy said.
Bernard beckoned for the coats again, and Spencer and Daisy handed them over.
“Wait!” Daisy suddenly seemed to remember something important. She clambered into the garbage truck, and Spencer saw her reaching behind the seat for a moment. When she emerged from the cab, an old familiar friend dangled in Daisy’s grasp.
It was Mrs. Natcher’s hall pass, Baybee.
“You brought Baybee?” Spencer raised an eyebrow.
“I put her in the duffel bag,” Daisy said. “I couldn’t leave her behind! What if something happened to her?” Daisy tucked Baybee under one arm. “Besides, if we’re going to go wandering through the halls of Triton Charter School, then we’d better have a hall pass.”