“Everyone ready?” Uncle Mark asked, looking back over his shoulder. Behind Uncle Mark, Mom and B.D. stood side by side, and behind them, Spencer, with Darwin on his back, stood next to Dad. They were going to stick together, all of them running from the pool shed to the opposite side of Hidden Rock Zoo, then to the front gates from there. Uncle Mark would take the lead. Mom was to stay with B.D. If his pain got too bad to keep running, Mom would stay with him and alert the others that they needed to find a way to move him. Spencer was in charge of getting Darwin to safety, and Dad would be last, watching for guards who might pursue Bearhaven’s team from behind.

“Ready,” Spencer said. His answer was quickly followed by readys from everyone else. Dad reached over and squeezed Spencer’s shoulder reassuringly with one bandaged hand. Just then, Uncle Mark pushed open the pool shed door. An alarm screeched on, red lights flashed throughout the shed, and Uncle Mark broke into a sprint.

Mom and B.D. followed Uncle Mark. B.D. stumbled when he lunged forward but regained his balance and took off after Uncle Mark at a pace Spencer wasn’t even sure he could match. But now was the time to try. Spencer and Dad burst out of the pool shed, into the bright lights blasting down on Hidden Rock Zoo. Darwin started to hum, scared.

Behind him, Spencer heard Pam’s voice yelling through the intercom. “We have you now!”

“That’s what you think,” Spencer muttered picking up his pace. As he ran, Spencer stayed close to B.D. and Mom, but he searched the zoo around him for Aldo. Where was his teammate?

As they were approaching the garden, Spencer saw Uncle Mark disappear through a break in the trees surrounding it. Mom and B.D. weren’t far behind.

“Hey! Stop where you are!”

“This way!”

“They’re heading for the garden!”

“Stop right there!

The sounds of guards yelling and running hit Spencer. He tried to turn, to see how close the guards were.

“Keep running!” Dad shouted. Spencer hurtled through the break in the trees and onto the white stone path that wound throughout the garden. His legs were starting to burn, but he couldn’t stop now. He could feel Dad right behind him, and Darwin bouncing against his back. They were halfway across the garden when Spencer heard Uncle Mark yell.

“Head for the fountain,” he ordered. Spencer craned his neck to see what was going on up ahead. Two uniformed guards were barreling through an opening in the trees on the far side of the garden. Spencer looked over his shoulder. Guards were rushing in from that direction, too. He turned, ready to race down the steps curving around Pam’s giant bear fountain, but a huge guard was there, running straight at him.

“Stay where you are, kid!” the guard yelled.

Spencer panicked, he took a step back.

“Jane!” he heard Dad yell. A rope flew in front of Spencer, and an instant later, the guard fell, smashing face-first into the stone steps. Mom and Dad were crouched on either side of the steps, holding a rope taut.

“Nice!” Spencer cheered, seriously impressed.

“There are more coming!” Mom yelled. Uncle Mark turned back.

“We’re surrounded!” Spencer screamed.

“Not yet!” Uncle Mark pointed to the marble courtyard at the middle of the garden. If they ran straight across it, they may still be able to get away. Spencer sprinted straight for it. But a moment later, the deafening sound of a helicopter and a sudden strong wind stopped him in his tracks.

“Get down!” Dad shouted. Spencer crouched to the ground. Dad was on one side of him, and Mom was on the other. They wrapped their arms around Spencer and Darwin. Spencer looked up. The helicopter was hovering over Hidden Rock Zoo! It was getting lower and lower.

“It’s landing on the courtyard!” he shouted over the sound.

“Do you think it’s—” Dad started to yell back, but a voice in Spencer’s Ear-COM drowned him out.

“All right, team,” Evarita said. “Let’s get you out of here.” The helicopter set down on the marble courtyard.