OUR FIRST big challenge? We didn’t know where to go. After all, the were-hyenas didn’t exactly have a Hyena Haven clubhouse where we could find them anytime, laughing like loonies and snacking on carrion. The museum was definitely out—Mr. Sharkawy and his flunkies would have to find a new sacrifice.

After discussing it, Benny and I decided something. Since Mr. Chu had been bitten out by the graveyard, and Benny’s dad had told him this morning that more graves had been dug up, and we’d seen our first were-hyena at the graveyard, our best bet was—major duh—the graveyard.

As we motored out of town in Mrs. Tamasese’s van, I checked the sun. It peeked between charcoal clouds, as fat and golden as a low-hanging grapefruit.

I shivered. We had maybe half an hour before moonrise.

My stomach growled for its missed dinner. I ignored it. I was too keyed up to eat anyway.

Benny’s phone rang. From his first few responses, I figured it was his mom, wondering where he was. He put the call on speakerphone.

“—and just because we haven’t told you yet doesn’t mean you’re not grounded,” said Mrs. Brackman. “Come home right now!”

“Um, I can’t,” said Benny.

“What do you mean? Of course you can. Your father won’t like this.”

He glanced over. “We’re…doing something important for school, Carlos and me. It’s for Mr. Chu.”

Yeah, we’re trying to stop him from becoming a raving were-creature, I added silently.

“Hi, Mrs. Brackman,” I said sheepishly.

“Carlos, your grandma has been looking for you,” Benny’s mom said. “And she’s not happy.”

I grimaced. “Tell her I’ll be home as soon as this project is over?” I asked. “And that I’m sorry.”

“I’m not your messenger,” said Mrs. Brackman.

“Please?” I asked. “As a favor?”

The sound of a sigh came over the phone. “All right,” she said. “Oh, and boys? I got an urgent call from Tina Green’s mother.”

“Really?” Benny said. “What about?”

Mrs. Brackman’s voice sounded worried. “Tina didn’t come home from school. And she had told a friend that she would be doing something involving you two.”

“Us?” I said. Benny and I stared at the phone as if it could clear up the mystery. I felt a pang of guilt that I’d completely forgotten my promise to include her in the big finale with the were-hyenas. On the other hand, she’d be much safer out of the action.

“She’s not with you now, is she?” asked Mrs. Brackman.

“Uh, no,” I said. “But she’s, uh…”

“She’s working on the same project as us,” said Benny. “When we see her, we’ll tell her to call home.” And that wasn’t even a total lie.

Benny’s mom said good-bye. But not before making us promise to keep a positive outlook, make good choices, and come home for grounding right after our project was over.

Telling her we’d be happy to, unless were-hyenas gobbled us up, fell under the category of Things Mothers Don’t Need to Know. So we promised we’d be home as soon as we could. Benny hung up.

“You don’t think Tina went sniffing around those wackos at the museum?” I said. My throat felt tight at the thought of her falling into Mr. Sharkawy’s clutches.

“I sure hope not,” said Mrs. Tamasese. “She seems like a nice girl, and she’s got a terrific collection of Wonder Woman comic books—one of the best.”

“Tina’s smart,” said Benny. “She’ll stay out of trouble.”

But I wasn’t too sure. I kept remembering how eager she’d been to cure Mr. Chu of his problem. Could she have gotten into trouble with the were-hyenas?

I borrowed Benny’s phone to call her. The call went to voice mail.

Then we turned onto Oswald Road, and all thoughts of Tina fled from my head. The closer we got, the more my stomach bubbled like posole stew. As the van approached the cemetery access road, Mrs. Tamasese said, “You boys sure you want to do this?”

I looked down at my hands. “We have to. If we don’t step up—”

“Nobody will,” Benny finished.

The former wrestler nodded. “Okay, then. Look, I can only go so far. This old graveyard”—she gave a bitter smile—“isn’t exactly wheelchair-friendly. But I’ll keep watch, and if things get too hairy, I’ll call for backup.”

“Hairy,” said Benny. “Hyenas. I get it. Heh.” But his humor sounded forced.

The shadows of the oak trees stretched long dark fingers across the road. The sun raced toward the horizon, and I could feel the full moon waiting to burst over the hill like a huge rotten egg.

My limbs tingled. I felt thirsty. I wished I was at my own kitchen table with a huge mug of hot chocolate.

At the end of the road, Mrs. Tamasese turned her van around and parked. “Remember, I’m your wheelman,” she said. “If things get kapakahi—”

“Cup of coffee?” said Benny.

“Messed up,” said the former wrestler. “As soon as the situation goes south, make a run for the van. Now, what did I tell you about those were-creatures?”

“Get to the alpha before he changes, if we can,” said Benny.

“Watch out after they change, because they’re superfast and strong,” I said.

“And above all…” said Benny.

“Don’t get bitten,” we said together. My voice trembled, despite our bravado. I hoped Benny hadn’t noticed.

Satisfied, Mrs. Tamasese nodded. “Carlos, you got your amulet?” I patted my pocket. Mrs. T turned and gestured at the mysterious carrier we’d stashed in the van for her. “I almost forgot. Take Honey Girl with you.”

“Honey Girl?” asked Benny, picking up the container.

I slid back the cover to reveal a fat, fluffy calico cat. Mmmrow, said Honey Girl.

“Cats can sense the supernatural,” said Mrs. T. “Plus she might act as bait.”

My eyebrows climbed my forehead. “Really? You’d risk your cat with those monsters?”

She snorted. “The risk is all on their side. Honey Girl can handle herself.”

Although I had my doubts, we took the carrier with us when we left the van.

“Good luck, boys,” Mrs. Tamasese called. “Give ’um!” And she flashed us a Hawaiian “hang loose” sign.

Great, I thought. We’re facing off against a pack of homicidal hyena-men, armed only with two Pokémon necklaces and a chubby cat. No worries there.

Benny and I crunched along the narrow gravel pathway between the headstones, the dying sun throwing monstrous shadows behind us. The hillside lay quiet, except for a lone bird’s nervous twitters. We reached a fork in the path.

“Let’s head back to where we were last night,” said Benny.

I was about to agree, like always, but then I got a strong prickly feeling, almost like Peter Parker’s Spidey sense. “No,” I said slowly. “Let’s go up by the crypts. That’s where they’ll be.”

“But it makes more sense to—” Benny cut himself off, looked up at me, and nodded. “You know what, let’s go to the crypts.”

I smiled.

We headed up the hill to where all the dead rich people were buried. A miniature city of fancy little granite homes for corpses, the mausoleums were lousy with Greek pillars and angel statues. In the fading light, some of the angels looked ready to hop off their pedestals and head home. I knew how they felt. My legs quivered like a hoot owl’s wings in a hurricane.

When I glanced at Benny, I noticed his teeth were clenched in a skeleton’s smile and his fists were knotted. Were we both crazy?

Duh. Why else would we be there?

As we approached the first crypt, the wind shifted, carrying the sound of voices. Benny and I ducked behind the stone structure.

Ever so carefully, we peeked around the side. I caught my breath.

Just up the hill, in a clearing between crypts, someone had set up four bright Coleman lanterns on tombstones. In the space between, that same someone had carved a wide circle into the grass, with a five-pointed star inside.

Equally spaced around the circle stood four people: Snake Woman and Mr. Stretch from the museum; the alpha hyena himself, Mr. Sharkawy; and my mom’s hairdresser, Mrs. Macadangdang.

But inside the circle stood something that shook me worst of all:

Gagged, groggy, and tied to a post was our very own Karate Girl, Tina Green.