OVER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY PEOPLE HAD SUFFERED bites and stings during the Blood Jacket attack on the band concert. More than three dozen people were hospitalized. One was in critical condition after suffering an allergic reaction to the Blood Jackets’ venom. He’d been stung over fifty times. Needless to say, the school was closed until the problem with the infestation could be resolved.

“I think I would prefer to be homeschooled now,” Emmet said. “Yep. Definitely homeschooled.”

He and Calvin, Riley, and Raeburn were at the Florida City Police Department. They’d been treated for bites and scratches, and now all had to join Emmet in getting rabies shots. But in truth, the four of them were relieved. It could have been much worse.

They were gathered in a conference room, seated at a big table. Emmet stood up and walked to the large mirror on the wall. He cupped his eyes and put his face up against it.

“What are you doing?” Riley asked.

“Trying to see through the one-way mirror,” Emmet said.

“It’s not a one-way mirror,” Raeburn said.

“How do you know?”

“Because this isn’t an interrogation room,” she said.

“And you know that how?” Emmet asked, still trying to see through the mirror.

“I know stuff,” Raeburn said.

“They could be watching us, trying to see if we slip up. Don’t have our stories straight,” Emmet said. He stepped back from the mirror. “You’ll never take me alive, coppers!”

Riley and Raeburn laughed and Calvin rolled his eyes. Emmet couldn’t help it. He was all nervous and jerky, and felt just like he had the first time he and Calvin encountered the Pterogators in the swamp: like he was going to climb right out of his skin. Ever since he’d arrived in Florida it was one scary critter after another. But being closed up in the school, with no easy way to escape from those things, had really set him off.

The door to the room opened and Dr. Geaux, Emmet’s dad, Stuke’s father, and a younger woman with a laptop in her arms entered the room.

“Everyone, this is Officer Tracy Mackey,” Dr. Geaux said. “She’s here from Miami PD and she’s going to help us come up with a sketch of the man you saw in the school.”

Officer Mackey sat down at the table and opened her laptop. She had shoulder-length curly blond hair and was wearing sharp glasses with black frames. Her smile was friendly and infectious and put them all at ease.

“Okay, Emmet, I understand you were the first one to notice the suspect. What can you tell me about him?” she asked.

“Uh. Not much. I was busy. Being terrified,” Emmet said.

Officer Mackey grinned. “I’m sure you were. I can’t imagine. But a lot of times, even in tense and scary situations, we see and remember more than we think. Let’s start with the simple things first. What was he wearing?”

“He had on a black jacket, like a Windbreaker, and black pants,” Emmet said.

“How tall was he?” she asked.

“I don’t … It was a long way down the hall. Maybe six feet tall,” Emmet said.

“And he wore black shoes,” Riley chimed in.

“Okay, great! This is all good stuff,” said Officer Mackey. “Now, let’s think about his face, Emmet. I’m going to ask you to do something very difficult.”

Emmet arched an eyebrow.

“Don’t worry. I just want you to close your eyes. Can you do that for me?”

“I like to keep them open when I’m not sleeping,” Emmet insisted. “Every time I turn around something tries to eat me. It’s better if I don’t close my eyes.”

Officer Mackey laughed, and even Lieutenant Stukaczowski smiled. Ever since his son, Stuke, had been attacked by a Muraecuda, Lieutenant Stukaczowski walked around with a look on his face like he would love to crack apart a bowling ball with his bare hands.

“I understand, but just work with me for a minute,” she said. “Close your eyes and don’t think about anything but the man at the end of the hallway.”

Emmet did as she asked. He closed his eyes, and then opened them again.

“I can’t. All I can see are the bats,” he said.

“They’re not there now.” Officer Mackey had a very calming voice. “They’ve all left the building. It’s just you. You hear something, and turn and look, and there’s a man. You see his clothing, and now you see his face. What shape is his face? Is it round or narrow?”

“It’s narrow,” Emmet said.

“Good, now think about the features on the face, his nose and chin. Are they rounded or sharp?”

“Sharp.”

“Okay, now his hair. What color is it?”

“It’s … it’s solid black. No. Not solid black. He has gray in it,” he said.

“Okay. Can you see his eyes?”

“No. He’s too far away. Except … wait … they’re dark colored.”

“What about anything else on his face? Did he have a mustache or a scar?”

“No mustache and I don’t see a scar.”

“Okay. This is good, Emmet. Now, how old would you say he is?”

“Maybe in his fifties. He looks young, but I can tell he isn’t. Does that make sense?”

“So he has a young face, not a lot of lines and wrinkles?”

“Yes.”

“Now can you — ?”

“The letters,” Emmet said.

“What letters, Emmet?”

“On his jacket. When he turned around. They said ‘FBI.’ ”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Positive.” Emmet opened his eyes. “They were big yellow letters that said ‘FBI.’ ”

“Oh my God,” Lieutenant Stukaczowski mumbled.

Everyone looked at him.

“What is it, Tom?” Dr. Geaux asked.

“Earlier tonight, I was at the main barricade and a guy approached me. He showed FBI ID and was wearing the jacket. Said he was an agent and was on his way back to Miami when he heard the emergency call on the radio. Wanted to come and lend a hand,” he said.

“It was Dr. Catalyst!” Emmet said.

“Let’s not jump to any —” Dr. Geaux started to say, but Emmet cut her off.

“It was him! It had to be.”

“Why do you think that, son?” his dad asked.

“Because that hallway was swarming with his stupid Blood Jackets. They were everywhere. But they weren’t attacking him. I’ll bet he has some way of controlling them. Or at least preventing them from biting him. That guy wasn’t scared or anxious. He was calm,” Emmet said.

“Are you sure?” Dr. Geaux asked.

“Emmet’s right,” Raeburn said. “Calvin found us the football equipment and even with that, it was all we could do to keep those things from eating us alive. But he didn’t even flinch. And somehow he got through the school and sealed up all the doors. How did he manage that in the middle of that swarm?”

The adults in the room considered it, and seemed to arrive at a silent consensus that Emmet was probably right.

“First things first,” Officer Mackey said. “Lieutenant Stukaczowski, if you could take a look at my screen and help me fill in the details. You had the best view of the suspect.”

Everyone listened raptly as Lieutenant Stukaczowski gave his description of the man. After several minutes, Officer Mackey looked up from her computer and turned it around. The computer software had doctored the image so that it looked almost like a real person.

“What do you think?” Officer Mackey said.

“I don’t know,” Emmet said. “It sort of looks like the guy, but he was so far away … but … it’s pretty close.” Riley and Raeburn nodded in agreement.

“It’s enough for us to get it out to the media,” said Lieutenant Stukaczowski. “Can you email it to me?”

Officer Mackey nodded and spun the computer around. Her fingers flew over the keys. “I’ve just uploaded it to all the local and federal law-enforcement databases, as well as all the South Florida media outlets.”

Dr. Geaux sent a text on her phone. “I just authorized an all-points bulletin through the task force. We’re going to get everyone out looking.”

Emmet felt a giant sense of relief.

“All right,” Dr. Geaux said, “let’s get you kids home.”

They all stood up and filed out of the room. Calvin remained behind, still seated and staring down at the table.

Emmet stopped at the door and looked back at him.

“Calvin? You okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you coming?”

Calvin stood up and filed past Emmet into the hallway without another word.