CHAPTER 64

MR. CUTTER SEEMED ALMOST as distracted as Hudson was. Even as Cutter taught, he’d glance at the clock —and the two empty desks with backpacks on the chairs.

The whole atmosphere of the room had changed. Tension in the air.

Giovanna looked deathly pale. Kat and Alexa looked jumpy —like they expected to be hauled down to the office at any moment. Had they done something to Maggie?

Even the pack seemed on edge. Maybe they’d all expected Pancake and Maggie to be back by now. Maybe they realized they’d pushed things too far.

Whatever happened to Pancake and Maggie, it had to be bad enough for them to drop-kick their whole “anti-snitching” policy. They’d gone to the office. That had to be the answer.

Mr. Cutter was explaining the time line he’d drawn on the whiteboard. He stopped somewhere between Vietnam and the Gulf War and abruptly turned around. “Giovanna, did you see Maggie in the bathroom?”

She shook her head —but her face said she’d seen Maggie.

Mr. Cutter capped his marker. “Does anybody know where Pancake is?”

Hudson raised his hand. “He dropped his pack at his desk, and headed to the boys room just before the bell.”

Mr. Cutter stood there for a second. “Okay, savages. Sit tight for five minutes.” He walked out at a fast pace and closed the door again.

Alexa and Kat were on Giovanna like flies on roadkill. They hovered in close, talking so soft that Hudson couldn’t pick up a word. The pack huddled too. Probably planning their next move —or maybe making sure they all told the same story.

Kat looked back at Wolfe, but even she looked worried now.

So whatever had happened —it had been a coordinated effort. And Hudson messed up —he hadn’t seen it coming.

Hudson’s phone vibrated. Pancake!

Maggie is with me. We each got hit —but both OK. We ditched. Had to.

Hudson shot a glare at Wolfe —and another message came in.

Got more ammo. Keep it quiet. Parents will call office. Bring packs to Taco Bell.

Relief. They were okay. But the texts raised as many questions as they gave answers. Like what happened and what kind of ammo did he have? He pocketed his phone just as Mr. Cutter stepped back in the classroom.

“Did you find Maggie and Pancake?” Kat sounded sincere.

“Not exactly.” His eyes flitted to Giovanna. “They were seen leaving school early.”

“Are they okay?”

Kat was laying it on thick. Jerk.

“I believe so.”

Mr. Cutter didn’t look so sure. He uncapped his marker. “Back to the time line.”

Hudson tuned him out and started working on a time line of his own. Like how many minutes until class ended, how many minutes Cutter and Mann would hold him in detention, and how many minutes it would take him to get to Taco Bell. Too many.

His brainy idea of the bumper stickers created some real change all right. It made both the pack and the litter stronger —by causing them to join forces. Nicely done, Hudson.

He had to fix this. Had to. He was going to let the world know the name of each of these idiots who had hurt Maggie and Pancake. The bumper stickers were a nice idea, but clearly not effective enough. He needed to go bigger. Put their stinking names in neon lights.

Almost immediately the image of the digital message board on the City Hall sign popped in his head. What if he posted their names there —for everyone to see? It was an insane thought, but delicious to imagine.

The bell startled him back to the moment.

Last period of the day, everyone was always in a hurry to leave. But nobody looked more eager than those in the pack and the litter. Wolfe and Kat hustled out together, with Giovanna between them.

Hudson sat there while the room emptied. His stomach churned.

“Hudson?” Mr. Cutter sighed. “Walk with me to Mr. Mann’s room. You and I have some catching up to do.”