Chapter 4

Chapter Four Just a few days later, I'm up early, playing with my Helidrone. I hang beef jerky off it, and Rover tries to pluck it in midair.

That's when Quint calls me up to the tree house. Minutes later, we're all gathered upstairs—me leaning against the doorway, trying to look Star- Lord cool. Quint has a smile on his face that's different from any Quint smile I've seen before. Closest comparison: when we got opening night, midnight tickets to see the second Avengers movie. The look is a mixture of shock and excitement— like he won the dork lottery. He flicks on the radio, and the little light turns green. It's working! "I repaired it. But the issue," Quint says, "is the range of the antenna. I need parts to make the antenna fully functional. But I can and will. Soon, we will be able to listen to whoever is talking out there." June looks at Quint, down at the radio, and then back to Quint. And she erupts...

Quint you magnificent basket case! That's fantastic! Quint is beaming. I see tears in June's eyes. Big, fat, happy tears. "Jack, isn't this wonderful?" "Um, yes!" I say. "Imagine the cool stuff we can do now! We can meet monsters! We can trade weapon designs! Exchange key information about .e...c.! We need to learn radio jargon—I want to know all that classic long-haul truck driver lingo." And suddenly, I'm imagining myself as a tough guy post-apocalyptic truck driver—possibly the most macho job ever...

Breaker breaker situation. Dire, low on gas, but cheeks asleep. Monsters on the horizon. "Jack," June says, snapping me out of my end-of-the-world truck driver fantasies. "Jack, my parents. Our families. We can find out where they are. Remember what I told you, at the school?" I think back to that moment on our middle- school roof, many months ago...

My parents are out there, Jack. I saw them. And someday we're gonna be reunited. "Of course! That too!" I say. "I mean—that's fantastic. Right? Obviously fantastic. Finding your parents. Good. Great." I look to Quint. He still has that odd smile on his face. "Quint, buddy. Who knows... You might get to see your family again." Quint exhales very slowly, then nods. The corner of his mouth is upturned in a cautious smile. And again I feel that anxious, sweaty, pit-in-the-stomach feeling I had at the fire station, when we

first discovered it was a radio making the noise. My head starts spinning. Dirk and June are discussing the radio, and Quint is already sketching plans for how to boost the range. My friends' voices swirl around me, and I feel sweat pouring down my forehead. I try to swallow, but my mouth is desert dry. "Guys, I just need a little fresh, um, what's the word... Fresh cookies...? Fresh breath? I mean... ah... fresh air, I think...." My voice trails off as I step through the door, out onto the deck. It's late autumn—or as I call it, "fancy fall"— and the air is cool. But my entire body is hot. My heart is palpitating. I have a palpitating heart. And that's a BAD KIND OF HEART! Why? What's happening? Like—like, panic. Real panic. I'm freaking out. And I don't know why! My legs feel wobbly and useless. I need a cool drink. I'd kill for an ice-cold Capri Sun. I reach into our rainwater collector, scoop some water into my hands, and splash it on my face.