Case File 13 #2 (22 page)

Lightning exploded from the ball like shards of metal from a bomb. The low rumble of the machine changed to a deafening screech. The ball went from purple to blinding white and then flashed off.

Everything went black as the power grid shut down. Nick blinked, unable to believe what had just happened. In the darkness Angie screamed a victory roar.

They'd done it! They'd knocked out Dippel's device. It was incredible. Blindly Nick stumbled forward, feeling for the metal platform. Now they had to find a way to get Cody and escape from the school.

But just as Nick's fingers found the platform, the rumbling started up again. Deeper than before, rougher. The lights flickered and came back on. The purple orb sputtered and reformed. Angelo got to his knees, his PROG a charred ruin, the cables melted.

From above came an insane cackling. Dr. Dippel raised both arms, sparks dancing across his fingers as he shouted, “Perhaps you've never heard of backup generators!”

As the smoke cleared away, the football players began returning. Nick aimed his fishing pole at a muscular linebacker who lumbered toward him. But when he pushed the button on the side of the reel, the hooks barely even sparked and the creature tore the pole from his hands and ripped it to pieces.

Four hands crawled out and began mopping up the aftershave.

Angie held her weapon in front of her as though it were still dangerous, even though it was clear she was out of energy as well. Dana cradled her right arm to her chest.

Carter—out of grenades—let his last handful of feathers float to the ground, then slumped forward on Jake's shoulders.

Tiffany sniffed and wiped away a tear.

“Why so sad?” Dippel asked gleefully. He pointed toward the orb, where Cody was struggling. “You are about to witness a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.” The mad scientist chuckled. “Well, since I'll be doing the same thing to each of you after I'm done with your friend, I suppose it's not strictly
once
in a lifetime.”

“Leave him alone!” Angie growled.

Dippel conjured a crackling blue ball from thin air and tossed it from one hand to another. “I like your fire, young lady. I think I'll feed you to my pet next.”

Nick's head dropped. No one knew where they were. And even if someone figured out where they'd gone, all they'd find was a school closed for Thanksgiving break. There was no way out of this mess.

Dippel pointed at Jake. “
You
I am most disappointed in. You've been very disobedient and must be punished.” He sent a lightning bolt from his finger that crashed to the floor in front of Jake's feet, and the giant backed away moaning and shaking.

Carter climbed down from Jake's shoulders and stepped in front of him—hands balled into fists. “Leave him alone!”

“Enough!” Dippel roared. “I tire of your bravado. We'll see how courageous you are when it's your turn.” He gestured to his team. “Bring them forward.”

The football players surrounded Nick and his friends, driving them until they were standing at the very edge of the platform. Jake covered his face in his hands, trembling in terror.

Dippel did something to the device in front of him and the orb sparked and began to stretch toward the blob. Hands and legs on the blob quivered, reaching toward the ball. Angelo pushed himself away to the edge of the base.

Cody's back arched. His mouth opened as though he was screaming, but no sound came out.

The Pale One cackled. “Behold what men have only dreamed of until now. Capturing what only the gods have controlled.” Blue fire danced around his body—shooting from the bolts on the sides of his face and crackling from the tips of his wild white hair. “All my prior creations required electrical recharges to stay animated. But, this, this will be my masterpiece. I am giving true life!”

Dippel moved a lever and the funnel on the side of the orb grew and stretched until a white beam of energy shot out from Cody to the monstrosity. The mouths on the creature opened and closed hungrily and Nick thought he saw the blob begin to swell.

“Stop it,” Angie screamed. “You're killing him.”

“Not technically,” the mad scientist said. “Although I must admit, once I'm through with him, it will be hard to tell the difference.”

The throbbing sound of the generators increased and a dark green line spread along the white beam, drawing energy from Cody into the blob.

Nick watched in horror as Cody strained against the force holding him. Whatever the green stuff was, it seemed to be exciting the blob. Its eyes opened wide. Limbs waved. It was definitely growing. At the same time, Cody began to wilt.

Nick looked at his friends' reflections in the side of the silver pedestal. Dana appeared to be in shock. Angelo looked defeated. Carter buried his face against the side of Jake's leg.

Even Jake's terror had turned to surrender. He stared blankly at the ground, one hand resting on Carter's head, the other hanging limply at his side. His body, so broad and strong before, appeared bent and drawn in, as though whatever was being taken from Cody was being taken from him at the same time.

The beam running between Cody and the blob had turned completely green, pumping like a hose under full pressure. The blob expanded like a water balloon being filled.

“We have to do something,” Angie hissed.

The green stuff had to be Cody's life force. And it was nearly gone. This was beyond evil. It went against every part of human nature.

Nick had to find a way to stop it. But how? If he went near the orb, wouldn't the creature just absorb his animus too? He looked from Cody—the last bits of his life force being sucked away—to the engorged blob, and the image reminded him of something Carter had said once about a mosquito. An idea came to him. It was crazy, and incredibly dangerous. But it was the only way he could think of to stop Dippel, and maybe save Cody.

The creature quivered and appeared to pucker as the final bits of green slid out of Cody, like a kid sipping the last of his soda from a straw. It was now or never. Nick jumped on the platform and ran toward the purple orb.

“Get away from there!” Angelo yelled. He tried to grab Nick's arm. “That thing will kill you.”

But Nick had already made up his mind. He ducked out of Angelo's reach, gritted his teeth, and leaped at the ball of energy.

The result was immediate. Nick slammed against the side of the orb like a piece of metal pulled to a magnet. The whine from the machinery soared, as loud as a jet engine revving. To Nick it felt like a hand plunged into the middle of his stomach, wrapped itself around his guts, and pulled.

The energy beam gushed with green and the blob sucked it greedily up.

Out of the corner of his eye, Nick saw Angie cover her face with her hands.

Dippel laughed insanely. “Couldn't wait your turn?” He shoved the lever higher.

“What are you doing?” Carter screamed.

Nick could feel something vital being pulled from him. The blob continued to swell, but it wasn't going to be enough. Using all of his strength, he managed to utter one word. “Mosquito.”

Carter's eyes widened with recognition.

“He's killing himself,” Tiffany sobbed.

“No,” Carter said. “He's trying to kill the blob. He's trying to pop it like a mosquito.”

“Yes.” Angelo nodded. “He's trying to overload it like I did with the electronics. Only he's using his own animus instead of electricity.” He looked at the power beam, which was already starting to turn back to white. “He doesn't have enough.”

“We've got to help him!” Carter screamed. Without a second thought, he raced toward the ball, grabbed Nick's hand, and flung himself forward. The sound raised another notch as the beam filled with green.

“Come . . . on,” Carter groaned, his body twisting against the ball.

Angelo hesitated for only a second before grabbing Nick's other hand and pressing against the orb. Nick could feel their life forces join with his.

For the first time, Dippel appeared concerned. “Stop that,” he shouted. “One at a time.” He yanked on the lever, trying to slow down the flow. But it had no effect. Presented with so much energy, the blob expanded like a balloon. It was nearly twice the size as when they'd first seen it, and still growing.

Dana was the first of the girls to grasp what was happening. “Let's go,” she said, taking Angie's hand. “Let's blow this thing up like an overinflated beach ball.” Together the two of them ran to the orb. Dana grabbed Angelo's hand as she and Angie slammed against the ball.

The energy beam was nearly a foot in diameter now—bright green with animus.

“Tiffany.” Carter managed to pull one arm free from the ball. “You know you've always wanted to hold my hand.”

“In your dreams.” Tiffany wiped the tears from her eyes, brushed back a lock of hair, and jumped onto the platform, where she took Carter's hand.

At the top of the pedestal, circuits were overheating. Smoke flowed from several boards. “Stop it!” Dippel screamed. He clawed at switches and levers, but it was clear things had gone beyond his control. “You can't do this!”

Carter lifted his head so he was looking straight into the mad scientist's eyes and grunted, “Bite me.”

Nick had never felt anything like this in his life. It was as if he, Carter, Angelo, Dana, Angie, and Tiffany had been fused into one powerful organism. An incredible sense of awareness filled his body. But just as quickly it began to drain away. On the other side of the platform, the blob was massive. Cables smoked and outlets threw out green sparks. It was clear it was on the verge of bursting.

But the green power beam was starting to narrow. The last of their animus was draining away and it wasn't going to be quite enough. If only they had one more person.

It was almost as though Carter and Tiffany read his mind. Maybe they did. Maybe the fusing of their life forces gave them some kind of limited telepathy. Both of them turned and looked toward Jake, who was cowering as close to the platform as the football players would allow—his hands over his eyes.

“Help . . . us,” Carter groaned.

“Handsies,” Tiffany cried weakly.

Dippel glared at the giant, pointing at him with an electric blue finger. “Don't you dare. I command you to stay away from them.”

“Help-sies.” Carter's voice was nearly gone.

Nick could feel the last of the animus being sucked out of him. Things began to turn gray.

Jake looked from Dippel to Tiffany.

“You are my creation!” Dippel screamed. “You will obey me.”

Tiffany raised her hand slowly. Her fingers just touched her hair. “Pret-ty,” she whispered.

Jake touched his own hair. His eyes widened. His nostrils flared. “Pret-ty!” he growled.

“Tackle him!” Dippel commanded his team.

A line of hulking players raced toward Jake just like they'd done against the football teams Dippel had trained them against.

Three of them grabbed at Jake. He ducked his shoulder, sending two of them flying, and spun around the third in a move that would have left a football crowd screaming with excitement. Jake ran for the pedestal, but two more players stepped in front of him. He faked right, then ducked left, leaving them in his dust.

There were only two more players between Jake and the pedestal, but they were huge—their faces masks of determination. Jake ducked low, like he was going to dive between them. When they responded by lowering their shoulders, Jake grabbed both of their heads in his palms and slammed them together like a pair of coconuts.

Both players collapsed to the ground as Dippel screamed in frustration.

“Touchdown!” Jake roared. He vaulted onto the platform and stepped between Angie and Carter, taking each of their hands.

The machinery, which had started to wind back down, screamed to a frenzied pitch. Nick felt a burst of childlike innocence flow through him. A ball of green animus blasted from the purple orb into the creature. Cody's eyes flipped open.

The blob quivered. Its wet pink skin stretched. And then it exploded into a million pieces and everything went black.