Chapter 8

We had gone back to the table and begun to plan again. Desmond wasn't much help. I guessed him at around thirteen. He mainly sat on the floor and stared at us.
"Where's Clari?" he finally asked.
I felt something in me stop. It was like when the inside of a clock stops ticking. The fact was, I didn't know where she was.
"Uh, she got...kidnapped..." I replied.
Desmond gasped.
"By who?" he squeaked.
"Bad guys. Really bad guys," I said.
Sean continued to write ideas on the paper.
"Why aren't you guys trying to get her back?" Desmond cried.
Sean and I looked at each other for a moment.
"We can't with just the two of us," he said.
"I'll help!" Desmond scrambled to his feet, "I'll help save Clari!"
"The three of us can't do it either,"
"Why not? You guys look tough,"
I took a deep breath.
"Clari was kidnapped by the rebels,"
Desmond's mouth dropped open and he stared at me with his too bright eyes.
There were a few minutes of silence.
"But...I owe Clari. I've gotta save her," he said finally.
This interested me.
"How do you owe her?" I asked.
"She saved my life. I got too close to one of the Ferals and she got me away before it could kill me,"
I blinked in surprise. I'd know Clari was tough, but to save a kid from a feral was...huh.
"Well, she's my best friend, so I want her back too, but we can't just charge in. We need a plan,"
"It would be coming along much better if you were helping out," Sean muttered, not looking up.
I ignored him. Part of the plan he wanted was forming in my mind. Clari had always been tinkering, but I'd never tried to figure out what she was making.
"Hey, did you come in here often?" I asked Desmond.
"Uh-huh, about once a week,"
"Did Clari ever show you anything, uh, 'special'?"
Desmond's eyes bugged again and his mouth clamped shut.
I sighed in relief.
"It's okay, you can tell me," I said.
"B-but, I promised Clari," he squeaked.
His skinny neck was trying to disappear into his too-big shirt.
I decided that I had to be mean to the kid.
"If you don't tell me, we can't save Clari," I said.
Desmond gave a strangled gasp and his eyes just about popped out of their sockets.
"Okay," he whispered, "I'll show you,"