“Let’s go!” he said, running around to the driver’s side.
I climbed in behind Laila. She shot off a few more rounds as we took off, but dead scrabs littered the ground in every direction. A recruit in another Jeep lifted his arms in victory.
“Hey!” Grayson’s Jeep sped up beside ours. Patrick slowed. “Where is the nest?”
“That house,” I said, pointing to the house not far ahead. “On the side with the bushes.”
“All right. Stay here.” His Jeep took off. He jumped out as they approached the house. He peered into the hole and then stepped back, a huge grin on his face.
“Move back! Take cover!” he yelled.
Patrick put the Jeep in reverse.
“Keep us pointed at that,” Noah said, looking up at the camera on the roof. Patrick stopped the Jeep.
Grayson tossed something in the hole and jumped in the Jeep. It sped away.
A blast rocked the earth. Fire and debris spewed out of the hole as it exploded. Recruits all around me cheered.
“Guys?” Patrick said. He pointed in the direction of the road. Three black vans like the one Edan and I had stolen veered into the grass and bounced toward us. The first one came to an abrupt stop, and Webb jumped out. His face was furious as he strode toward us. One hand rested on the gun at his hip.
“I don’t think he’s happy to see us,” Edan said.
A Jeep rolled in front of us, blocking our view of Webb. Grayson hopped out, a grin on his face.
“Sorry guys, but we got them all. Better luck next time.”
Webb grabbed his gun and aimed it at Grayson’s chest.
29
“Seriously?” Grayson’s voice was annoyed, not scared, like he knew Webb was bluffing. He lifted both hands in surrender. “You’re going to shoot me?”
Webb hesitated for a beat, and then lowered the gun. He gave Grayson a venomous look.
Edan jumped out of the Jeep.
“Edan!” Noah grabbed for his shirt. “I don’t think you should—”
Edan shrugged Noah off and strode to Grayson. “Hello again,” he said to Webb.
Webb holstered his gun. Three men I didn’t recognize exited the van and stood shoulder to shoulder with him. In front of me, Patrick and Noah exchanged a nervous look.
“What can I do for you guys?” Grayson asked. “If you came to thank us, that’s really not necessary. We’re always happy to kill some scrabs. That’s why you’re here, right? To destroy that nest?” His voice was too chipper.
Webb’s eyes flicked to the scene behind Grayson—dozens of recruits around us, some of them edging closer, listening.
“Your kids stole a van from us,” Webb said finally. He pointed to Edan and then to me.
“Borrowed,” Edan corrected. Webb’s jaw twitched.
“Do you want me to call the police?” Grayson asked. “You can tell them they stole your van, right after you kidnapped them and threatened to kill them. Oh, and then you shot at them. I’m sure the French police would love to hear all about the shooting. Amongst other things.”
Webb’s nostrils flared.
“And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t detain my recruits again in the future. Ever. Again.” Grayson’s voice went hard with the last two words.
“No problem,” Webb snarled. “Next time we’ll just let the scrabs kill them.”
“We had it under control.” Edan glanced back at me. I cocked an eyebrow. “Mostly.”
Webb stared at Edan. I got the impression Webb was barely holding himself back from lunging at him.
“The keys for the van?” he asked, practically spitting each word.
“We left them in the ignition,” Edan said.
Webb jabbed an angry finger at him. “That is the last time I help a civilian in a scrab zone. I knew I should have just left you two idiots out there to die.”
“That’s for the best, because you’re not that great at kidnapping,” Edan said. “I have some notes, if you’re interested.”
A laugh bubbled up in my chest, despite my nerves. I pressed my lips together to keep it in.
Webb whirled around and stomped back to his van. The other men followed suit. Tires screeched as they raced back toward the road.
Grayson turned to Edan with an exasperated expression. “Did you really have to antagonize the men with guns?”
“Yes. It’s like you don’t know me at all.”
I couldn’t keep the laugh in this time. Edan grinned at me. There truly was no situation that could make him lose his cool.
“I have questions,” Patrick said.
“So do I.” Grayson beckoned for me to get out of the Jeep. “Clara, Edan, ride with me. You can tell me on the way.”
Edan and I relayed what we saw to Grayson on the drive to camp. Edan sat in the front passenger’s seat and did most of the talking. I was glad he had the energy to explain it. The lack of sleep was starting to catch up with me, and the events of the last twenty-four hours were a jumbled mess in my head.
“You seriously saw a guy controlling a scrab?” Grayson asked when Edan finished. Edan looked at me in the rearview mirror.
“Yeah. He told it where to go,” I said. “He directed it to attack us. Have you ever heard about people doing this?”
“Not here.” Grayson rubbed his left eyebrow with two fingers. “There were rumors that the Russians developed a scrab training program.”
“Seriously?” Edan said.
“Yeah, but I figured they’d fail. I mean, it’s crazy. These things can’t be trained. They can’t be reasoned with. Remember what happened to those Worshippers in Indiana?”
I did. They insisted the scrabs just wanted their own space and to be left alone. They put a few in a large, enclosed area and tried to leave. The scrabs promptly dug their way out and killed them all.
“Apparently MDG figured it out,” Edan said.
“They didn’t figure out how to keep them locked up, though,” I said. “I think that entire nest was there because they let a bunch of them escape.”
“It’s so stupid.” Grayson shook his head. “So unbelievably stupid.”
“What are we going to do?” Edan asked. “People should know, right?”
“Yes. Definitely. I’ll call the
