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  I turn around to take off.

  “Nick?”

  I face her. She bites her lip. “I hope you find her.”

  “Me, too.”

  I zoom away, making my way to Kaylee’s school. I check around and ask the staff a few questions. The cops are here, too, and I make sure to get out of their way. After deciding that my little sister isn’t here, I check the park where she likes to hang out.

  “Kaylee!” I call. “Kaylee.” Many other kids in the park look at me, a few with their eyes gleaming.

  “It’s him!” a little boy says. “He’s the Blue Masked Hero.”

  “No, he’s not.”

  “Look, he’s flying!”

  Normally, I’d acknowledge the kids, but I’ve got no time now. I check other places where Kaylee likes to hang out, including the dance studio. I circle around the school and nearby houses. I fly down the route the bus takes, search stores and cafés, anything and everything.

  But there’s no sign of Kaylee. It’s getting dark out. Is she stranded somewhere alone and scared?

  “Kaylee! Where are you?”

  Another hour of searching and talking to her friends, classmates, and teachers yields no results. I’ll need to get back home soon before my parents worry even more. I’ve been calling them regularly, but I know they’d be concerned if I were out so late.

  I don’t know what else I can do. Maybe I should let the cops do this so I can be there for my family.

  When I get home, there are no updates. Maddie is in the kitchen, sitting next to my mom. When she sees me, she gets up and flings her arms around me. “Nick.” She buries her head in my neck. “I’m so scared.”

  I swallow. “Me, too.” I want to be brave for her and my parents, but I’m not sure I can be. “I couldn’t find her.”

  We sit at the table, our hands clasped. Mom and Dad don’t seem to have moved from their spot. Mom squeezes my hand. “I’m sorry I couldn’t find her,” I say, my voice hollow.

  More tears gather in her eyes. “You tried.”

  I nod, my throat tight. I don’t want to think about Kaylee being hurt, how scared she probably is, if she’s even…alive.

  “No,” Maddie says, stroking my cheek with her thumb. “I know what you’re thinking. Don’t go there. Please don’t go there.”

  “You know what they say about the first twenty-four hours.”

  She pulls me into her arms. “We need to stay positive.”

  I know that’s important, but no matter how positive I force myself to be, that doesn’t change the fact that I may never see my little sister again.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  I don’t know how I manage to fall asleep. Maddie stayed with us for a few hours before she had to head back home. My parents, Matt, and I remained in the kitchen, hoping and waiting for good news.

  It didn’t come.

  Now I’m sprawled in bed. I want to get up, but it feels like a block of steel is weighing me down. My limbs are locked in place, and no matter how much I try, I can’t move them. All I see before me is Kaylee’s wide smile, her excited eyes when I gave her piggyback rides.

  I shut my eyes. “Please, Kaylee,” I whisper. “Please be okay.” The minute she’s home, I’m going to give her as many piggyback rides as she wants. I’ll do anything she says.

  What could have happened to her? Does it have anything to do with my being the Blue Masked Hero? Why take Kaylee?

  Or did she run away? Could she still be mad at me for keeping the secret from her? I thought we were past that. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to her because of me.

  Is she alive? Why can’t these powers tell me where she is?

  The block of steel is still on top of me, but I’m slowly regaining feeling in my arms and legs. I sit up, looking around. I go into the hallway and, peering over the railing, I see our house is still swarming with cops. Dad’s in the kitchen, but I don’t see Mom anywhere. Hopefully she’s lying down.

  It’s five in the morning. I walk down the hallway and look into Kaylee’s room. Her dolls are all over the floor, a few crowding her bed. I expect to find my little sister buried somewhere in there, but of course she’s not.

  Stepping deeper into the room, I look for clues. Anything that might help me figure out where she could be. She’s never talked about going anywhere, so it’s unlikely that she ran off on some adventure, but I can never really know. The cops think she was kidnapped, but why would someone kidnap her?

  I can’t help feeling this has something to do with me.

  “Hey.”

  I turn around and find Matt standing in the doorway. He and I haven’t had much contact since our fight. He leans against the door, his eyes seeming not to be here. I shove my hands in my pockets.

  “Cops have no updates,” he tells me. “No clues. No one has seen her or have any idea where she is. They’re stumped.”

  My heart drops to my toes. So that’s it, then? We’re supposed to accept that she’s gone and may never come back?

  “They’re going to keep working in it, though,” Matt says.

  I nod.

  He shifts, making the floor creak. “Nick, I’m sorry for everything.”

  I wave my hand. “It’s okay. Let’s not fight about this.”

  “But I don’t want to fight. I’m trying to apologize.”

  I know, but usually when one of us apologizes, we end up fighting. “Don’t worry about it, Matt. It’s forgiven and forgotten.”

  He shakes his head. “I’m a terrible person. I’m a bully. I was too stupid and careless to consider how the kids I bullied felt. That includes you. I’m sorry for everything.”

  “You’re not a terrible person. You just need to step back and reconsider what you say and do.”

  He nods. “I don’t want to be that person. I want to be better.” He rakes his fingers through his hair. “I’m really worried about her, Nicky. And if anything—if anything happens to her…” He chokes back the rest of his sentence.

  I rest my hand on his shoulder. “We need to be positive,” I repeat Maddie’s words. I want to believe them, I really do, but I can’t. It’s been hours since Kaylee’s gone missing.

  Matt talks some more about how all this has made him see things differently. He wishes Kaylee didn’t have to get kidnapped for this to happen. As he talks, my phone beeps. I forgot to take it out of my pocket when I went to bed a few hours ago.

  It’s a text from an unknown number. We have your sister.

  My blood runs cold and I’m sure my face is sheet white. I look at Matt, but he’s too busy stating his flaws to pay attention.

  I continue reading. The text tells me to come to a location tonight. Come ALONE. Tell anyone about this and she dies.

  There’s a picture of Kaylee bound and gagged. Her eyes are closed, so she must be sleeping. She doesn’t look hurt, but I’ve only got a shot of her face.

  Kaylee. I swear if they hurt her, they’re going to wish they were never born.

  Don’t get smart with us. A word to anyone and she’s dead. We’re watching you.

  Watching me? Shivers run all over me and a million thoughts go through my mind. Kaylee was kidnapped. Someone has her.

  “Nick? You okay?”

  I clear my throat. “Yeah, fine.”

  I can’t tell anyone about this. I know I’m supposed to, but I can’t risk them killing Kaylee. Even though she was sleeping, she looked so scared. Whatever those people want from me, I’ll give it to them. I’m going to save my little sister. I’m going to bring her back safe and sound.

  ***

  I’m a mess the whole day. The only thing on my mind is that text and Kaylee. The cops still have no leads, and I wish I could tell them about the text. I’ve watched TV shows where the kidnapper always threatens to hurt the victim if the cops get involved. It usually works out in the end, but that’s TV. Real life isn’t that simple. I don’t know who these people are. What they’re capable of. They say they’re w
atching me, so they’ll know if I talk to the cops. I made sure not to say a single word to them. Any slipups on my part could mean the end to Kaylee’s life.

  Matt and I stayed home from school today. Maddie skipped, too, because she wanted to be with me and my family. I’m so glad to have her with me. I don’t know how I’d be able to get through any of this without her. And I hate that I’m keeping something from her—from all of them. But if they were to find out where I’m going tonight, they’d tell the cops. I need to be very careful.

  On my bed, Maddie takes my hand. “I wish we knew if she’s okay.”

  I press her hand to my lips. “Me, too. I’m trying to be positive and strong, but…” I can’t finish my sentence.

  “But it’s hard,” she says.

  I nod.

  Mom and Dad are still walking around like zombies. Mom looks like she hasn’t eaten in hours, Dad like he hasn’t gotten any sleep. Don’t worry, I want to tell them. I’ll bring her home. I don’t know what’ll happen to me, but I’m going to make sure Kaylee gets home.

  The hours pass, with all of us sitting and waiting for anything. Good news, bad, just something. But the cops are still stumped.

  When tonight rolls around, I slip a letter under my pillow. I wrote something to my parents, telling them I’m okay and that I went to look for Kaylee. I don’t tell them about the text because I don’t want the cops to track it down. They’ll probably do it anyway, but I hope I’ll have Kaylee safe by then.

  In the letter, I also tell them that if something were to happen to me, that I love them and I’m grateful for the life they’ve given me.

  I also write a letter to Maddie, telling her how much she means to me and to move on if I don’t make it out alive. I hope it doesn’t come to that, but I can never know.

  Since I’m pretty sure these people want me as the Blue Masked Hero and not plain Nick, I get into my uniform and mask—the one without GPS. I also turn off the communication device.

  With one more sweep of the room to make sure nothing looks suspicious or out of the ordinary, I climb out of my window and head toward the location they instructed.

  It’s far, about an hour by flight. My stomach is in knots as I try to figure out what these people could possibly want from me. Money? It’s not like I’m rich. Are they jealous? Do they want to challenge me like Roberts did yesterday?

  It’s past eleven at night, and the streets are pretty much deserted. There are a few people roaming around. I double check to make sure I’m invisible, because I don’t need any witnesses. Who knows what could piss these people off and kill Kaylee? Kill Kaylee. I sallow and push that thought away.

  Once I reach the location, I descend. I’m in a forest in Pennsylvania. Looking around, I don’t see anyone. Maybe those people are waiting for me to show myself. I make myself visible and scan around some more. Whoever they are, they’re hiding themselves well. I want to call out, but figure it might not be a good idea.

  So I wait. And wait. I don’t know how much time passes, but it feels like hours. I peer down at my phone. No text. I recheck where they told me to meet. I’m pretty sure I’m in the right place. My thumb hovers over the button to text back, but I think better of it. I have to make sure not to do anything to upset these people.

  Maybe this is a trick and Kaylee is…I shut my eyes. No, she’s alive I know it. I can feel it.

  Something strikes the back of my neck. Feels like someone rammed a knife there. I lift my fingers to touch the area, when everything gets all blurry around me. I lose feeling in my arms and legs and crash to the ground, my vision going dark.

  Chapter Thirty

  My body rings with pain. I can’t move a muscle. I open my eyes and see darkness all around me. From what I can tell, I’m lying on the floor, bound and gagged. I’m in a tiny room, probably no bigger than the bathroom at home.

  What happened? Did those people shoot something at me?

  My head kills, like someone smashed it with a hammer. I try to use my telekinesis to tear the bindings, but I’m too weak to do anything. Even my mind is too weak. All I want to do is go to sleep, but I force my eyes to stay awake.

  “Where…” My voice is so weak. “Where’s Kaylee?”

  No response.

  My head whips around as I try to figure out where I am and what’s going on, but it’s only making my head pound more.

  “K—Kaylee.” Is she around somewhere?

  I try to muster all my strength to free myself from these chains, but it’s no use. The more I strain, the weaker I get. Whatever they shot at me is doing its job.

  I wonder if my parents found my note. I hope they’re not too worried. I don’t want to cause them more heartache.

  “Hello?” I say, a bit louder, which is probably not really loud at all.

  Like before, there’s no response.

  I must have dozed off for a bit, because a loud voice makes my eyes fly open and my heart pound.

  “Hello, Nick.” The voice is male. “Thank you for coming.”

  I turn to my right and left to try to figure out where the voice is coming from, but I don’t see anything. It must be coming from another room.

  “Who are you?” I demand. My body is still as weak as it was before. And it’s in more pain. Must be because they shot me another time. Maybe this is the only way to stop me from using my powers.

  “Let my sister go!”

  A light shines from behind me and an image plays on the door ahead. Kaylee’s lying on a bed, gagged and sleeping. She must be drugged, too. Relief washes over me that she’s alive. But for how long?

  “What do you want?” I demand.

  No response again.

  “Let her go,” I yell. “She didn’t do anything to anyone. I don’t know what you want from me, but keep my sister out of this.”

  “But how would we have a hold over you if we were to let her go?”

  A hold over me? As in, threatening to harm her if I don’t do as they ask?

  “What do you want?”

  It’s quiet before, “Simple. You work for us, you belong to us, and your sister will be spared.”

  “Let her go,” I say, pulling at the restraints. I’m still too weak.

  Something shocks me, and I cry out. These bindings electrocute me every time I yank on them.

  “Do we have a deal?” the voice says.

  “Let her go.”

  “We’re not going to let her go, so stop begging,” a different voice says, a younger one.

  Sweat breaks out all over me. They’re never going to let her go? They’ll keep her there just to put me in my place?

  “Let her go, then we’ll talk.”

  The older man chuckles.

  “I’ll do anything you say, I swear. Just let Kaylee go.”

  No response.

  I risk tugging on the chains again. With my ability to heal, I should be able to withstand the pain. But it doesn’t work. Whatever they shot at me seemed to have shut off my abilities. Or maybe these chains are doing it.

  “Who are you and why do you want me to work for you?” I ask.

  “We own you.” This time, it’s a woman talking. How many people are in here? And what do they mean that they own me?

  “Please let my sister go.”

  A loud sigh is heard. “Didn’t you hear us? We’re not going to let the kid go.”

  If only I could get out of these chains. I’d regain my powers, knock them out, and find Kaylee. She has to be in this building. I try to get a better look at where I am, but it’s too dark.

  “Your sister isn’t in this building,” the older man says. “Don’t get any ideas. The minute you break free and come for us, your sister dies.”

  I swallow. So she’s not here. They’re going to monitor my every move and if I step out of line, Kaylee will pay for it.

  I ask them over and over again who they are and what they mean that they own me, but I don’t get an answer. It seems like they’re done with me for now.

/>   My eyes beg to be shut, but I refuse to give in. I’m not going to sleep knowing that they have my sister’s life in their hands.

  There’s got to be a way out of here. Pulling on the restraints only sends more electricity through me, and I cry out. I pull harder, forcing myself to withstand it, but my body gives in and I black out.

  ***

  I hear people outside the room I’m in. They must be guards. A few whisper. I try to overhear, but their voices are too low.

  I’m about to call out to them and try to reason with them, when a loud boom explodes all over, knocking me into the wall. I can’t see a thing, but I hear shouting. The people sound like they’re fleeing. My chains are still bound around me, but they’re not attached to the floor anymore. I rush to the door, but it’s locked. Trying my telekinesis doesn’t work. I guess these chains are inhibiting my powers.

  Are they going to leave me here? What’s going on?

  The booms are louder, like fireworks are going off. I swear I hear a few bodies smash into the walls, their bones cracking.

  “It’s impossible,” someone yells, her voice high-pitched.

  “Run,” another says. “Get out of here and regroup!”

  “What about the boy?”

  “Forget him!”

  The voices are gone, and all I hear is more of that exploding noise. It sounds right outside the door of this prison. I press myself against the wall, shutting my eyes and hoping whoever or whatever is out there doesn’t come for me.

  The door to my prison lights up in fire and is torn off its hinges. Someone marches into my room, someone who’s cloaked in fire.

  I stare, feeling my mouth practically hit the floor. This person has fire coming from inside him. I should shrink back and beg him not to hurt me, but I can’t. The only thought in my head is that this person is just like me. Me without the fire, that is.

  He comes closer, and all I feel is the heat of fire. But it’s not attacking me, it only surrounds me. The person—a guy who looks around my age—wears a red uniform and mask. His uniform has armor on it, maybe to protect it from the fire. His mask covers his entire face, unlike mine that ends just under my nose.