AS THE HOURS PASSED, CALVIN GREW MORE WORRIED. Lieutenant Stukaczowski had gone ahead with his roadblocks. With the assistance of the Dade County sheriff’s department, he had searched every inch of the blocks surrounding the hospital. They had failed to turn up Emmet. Calvin couldn’t explain why, but he felt that they were too late.

Lieutenant Stukaczowski suggested that since Dr. Catalyst had dressed as a police officer, and it was still dark, Emmet was staying hidden. When the morning light broke, and Emmet could see clearly, he’d come out of hiding.

But Calvin didn’t believe it. In his bones, he felt Dr. Catalyst had Emmet. His friend hadn’t been able to escape.

The OR waiting room at Miami General Hospital was a lot like its counterpart at South Miami. It was full of uncomfortable chairs, old magazines, and worn carpet. Stuke’s mom had taken Riley, Raeburn, and Stuke down to the cafeteria to get something to eat. It was past midnight now, and Calvin wasn’t hungry. He was too nervous to eat. He had to find Emmet. For some reason he felt like he was the only one who could.

Calvin started thinking about the Everglades, picturing the massive River of Grass in his mind. When his mom told people that Calvin was the best Everglades guide under eighteen around, she wasn’t just bragging. He knew the swamp as well as anyone could. He tried to think of a place Dr. Catalyst could keep his new creature a secret. It would need to be a spot with solid ground. Wild cats, even feral house cats, were hunters. There were Florida panthers in the swamp, but they needed solid ground to catch the deer and other creatures they hunted. They couldn’t chase prey through the water or swampy marshland.

So it would be a place with dry ground, but that remained accessible to the Everglades. There were potentially hundreds of locations like that. Calvin needed to narrow the scope. Emmet didn’t have much time, if any. There was only one person Calvin could think of who might know where to search.

His uncle Yaha.

Who right now was lying in intensive care, unconscious and unable to talk.

If Uncle Yaha had treated Dr. Catalyst’s wounds after the Pterogator bite, perhaps he’d told Yaha something about where he was living and working in the Everglades. It was the only thing Calvin could think of that might help. The question was, how would he get to Yaha, to ask him? And would Yaha even be able to answer those questions?

Calvin thought some more about it. Then he had an idea.

This OR waiting room had a front desk, much like the one at South Miami, but here it was staffed by an elderly lady in a white coat. She was probably a volunteer. Calvin walked slowly up to her.

“Can I help you, young man?” She had silver-gray hair and kind of reminded him of Mrs. Clawson a little bit.

“I need to see my great-uncle; his name is Yaha. He’s in intensive care,” Calvin said.

She nodded and tapped a keyboard for a few seconds.

“I’m very sorry, young man,” she said. “But according to my screen, your uncle cannot see anyone yet. He’s still unconscious.”

“I know, but he’s a … we’re a … my uncle and I are Seminoles. He needs to be given a special prayer. It’s a tradition in our tribe when someone is sick. Don’t you have to let him have his religious … needs … and things … given to him?” Calvin tried to look serious, but he was a horrible liar. If Emmet were here, they would already be inside, getting the information out of Yaha somehow.

The lady sat back in her chair. It was clear he had caught her by surprise.

“Well, yes, there is a hospital policy for that, but usually we have a priest or someone —”

“I can say the prayer. I’ve been through the ceremony many times.” Calvin looked at her with sad eyes. “So many times. My family is very sick.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. Uh. You can … I don’t … we don’t allow anyone under sixteen in the intensive care unit without an adult present.”

“I understand. But Seminole boys go through a ceremony at my age and are considered men.” Calvin was starting to get the hang of lying. He had to do it to save his friend. It got easier the more you did it. “So you have to recognize me according to our treaty with the United States government.”

Calvin felt horrible, because the kind lady’s face was growing more confused and alarmed as he talked.

“As an adult member of a sovereign nation, you have to let me in to say the prayer. If something happens and my uncle passes, he will not be able to cross over to the spirit world. You wouldn’t want to be responsible for that, would you?” Calvin tried to keep his hands from shaking. He was certain she would see right through the tall tale he was spinning.

“I … No, of course not.” The lady leaned forward in her chair and reached for the phone. “I’m going to have to check —”

“Ma’am,” Calvin interrupted her. “We don’t have much time. My uncle was gravely wounded. He might not make it. I need to see him. Or I’ll bring shame on my family.”

The lady got a confused and worried look on her face. Calvin tried to keep a somber expression on his face, but on the inside he was shaking like a leaf. He felt horrible for deceiving the poor woman.

“All right,” she said. “I’ll take you back. But you can’t take very long. It’s not allowed. And …”

“I’ll be quick,” he promised.

The lady stood and waved him around he desk.

“Follow me,” she said.

Calvin did.