Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24 "Ow! Ooh! No—don't step on my hand!" Dan screamed in the darkness. "Dan—Dan! Are you there?" Amy yelled behind him. "Yeah," Dan mumbled. He managed to pull his hand out from under somebody's shoe. And then he was able to mostly stand up, even though his face was smashed against the elevator door. "I'm here." The grumbling around him had mostly turned into whispers, but somehow that was even scarier: "Madrigals. Dan and Amy are Madrigals…." "Dad! Dad! Are you there?" Hamilton called. No answer. "Reagan? Madison? Mom?" he tried again, even though he'd watched all of them step out of the elevator. Still no answer.

I'm alone, Hamilton thought. I've lost my family. I've lost my team. Except for Dan and Amy. And did they still count if they were Madrigals? "Natalie?" Ian called into the darkness. He knew she was behind him. He expected to hear her complaining: about how the crowding in the elevator was wrinkling her designer dress, about how the sea air was terrible for her hair, about how their time was running out. Instead, his sister reached out and held his hand. Children, Alistair thought. It's down to just me and a bunch of children. He'd begun to think that he really wasn't very good around kids. Especially after all three of the Starling triplets had vanished from Stratford without even saying good-bye. And Amy and Dan— could they really be Madrigals? Was it possible? What else might be possible? Chill, Jonah told himself. Be cool.

He tightened his grip on the backpack he'd brought, stuffed with his Clues. He knew he couldn't panic now. Not if he was going to show Mom he could win on his own. Just think of the others as an audience, he told himself. But audiences were all about love. All he could feel in this elevator was hate. The elevator stopped. The door opened. They were back at the top of the cliff.