Chapter 4

  The gang of bullies let Solomon go, and he rubbed his arms to ease the pain. The speaker was a young woman wearing a dark suit, and Luna was standing just behind her, rubbing her hands together anxiously. Realizing that the woman was waiting for an answer, Solomon hastily said, “Of course I’ll come. I just need to grab my backpack really quick.”

  Right before the threesome left, the woman turned back and added, “By the way, Mr. Miller, the principal would like to have a chat with you and your friends.” And with that, she led Luna and Solomon away, leaving behind a very annoyed group of bullies.

  The suited woman took the twins back through the school and out the front door, where a sinister black SUV was waiting. Solomon shifted uneasily, not sure what was going on.

  The woman paused in front of the SUV. “Your parents have arranged for a driver to take you to your appointments. The appointments were slightly last-minute, but everything is all set now, I promise you. I hope your doctor appointments go well.”

  Solomon gave a tense nod, and the woman strode inside the school, leaving them alone with the suspicious SUV – and whoever was driving it. One of the tinted windows rolled down, revealing a serious-looking man with a dark suit and even darker sunglasses. “Get in, kids,” the driver told them. “Docter’s waiting.”

  Solomon crossed his arms. “You don’t have to pretend. We don’t actually have doctor’s appointments, do we?”

  “Fine. The government has taken notice of you two and is considering enlisting you in one of its programs. I’m here to pick you up for a tour of the facilities.”

  Intrigued, Solomon reached for the back door handle, only to be blocked by Luna. “How do we know this isn’t a trap?” she whispered worriedly. “These people obviously lied to the school about our ‘doctor appointments,’ so how do we know he’s not lying to us? He could be a kidnapper!”

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  “Oh, come on, Sis. He wouldn’t dare kidnap us right in front of the school, and the school already knows he’s the one taking us, so they’ll be on top of it if something happens.” Seeing that she wasn’t convinced, Solomon added, “Besides, how would they convince the school that we have appointments today if he wasn’t from the government? Aren’t you at least a little bit curious who he is?”

  He had her there. Luna sighed and hesitantly opened the back door of the SUV. The twins hopped in, closed the door, and the car smoothly pulled away from Spritewood High. The inside of the SUV was dark and depressing, like a limo, though the windows were tinted on the inside as well as the outside. Almost as if the passengers weren’t meant to see where they were going.

  Solomon put his backpack at his feet and tried to peer through the windows, but they proved impenetrable. Noticing a mini cooler set in between the two back seats, he flipped back the lid and grabbed a can of soda. A satisfying pop filled the back of the car as he opened the can. He took a sip, and the refreshing flavor of the soda helped him to relax just the tiniest bit. Luna gave him an annoyed look but didn’t comment.

  “Ah, I see you’ve found the cooler,” said a strange voice. Solomon was mid-swallow and soda nearly squirted out of his nose. Regaining his composure, he swallowed fully before attempting to speak. “You’ve definitely got some good choices in there.”

  Laughter filled the back of the car, and he was able to spot the small speakers supplying the sound. “I’m looking forward to working with you, Solomon,” the voice said, still chuckling. “I’m sure we will have a great time together. Your sister, though, I’m not so sure about.”

  Luna huffed out a breath. “Just get to the point already.”

  “Right.” The voice sobered instantly, all traces of amusement gone. “There are blindfolds in each of your cupholders. I need you to put them on when the car stops. One of the hazards of managing a top-secret government research facility, I’m afraid. You will be led inside, and ten all of your questions will be answered. And don’t even think about not putting on your blindfolds! There are cameras in this car, and I will be able to tell when your blindfolds are completely on. Farewell. See you soon.”

  Solomon gave the speakers a small wave, but then felt silly and put his hand down. He decided to take another sip of soda instead.

  Luna crossed her arms. “Whoever these guys are,” she said, “I hope they have food. I didn’t have time to finish lunch.”