Free Paladin Prophecy 2: Alliance by Mark Frost Page A

Waukoma?” asked Brooke, a little shocked.
    “We’ll use the entrance behind the castle,” said Will. “That’s how we got out of there the first time.”
    “That whole island is crawling with heavy-duty security,” said Ajay, starting to pace and wringing his hands. “Let me refresh your memory: Men with sidearms? Angry dogs? We nearly got those rear ends caught in a meat grinder.”
    “I didn’t say it was going to be easy, Ajay,” said Will, putting a hand on his shoulder. “I do have a plan, but we need to lay some groundwork first.”
    “Some megabucks guy owns the island and castle, doesn’t he?” asked Elise.
    “Stan Haxley,” said Brooke. “Member of the Center’s board and a major school donor.”“A cool ten million to get his name on the medical center,” said Elise.
    “And as we know,” said Ajay, “Haxley doesn’t exactly welcome uninvited guests.”
    “He’s going to invite me,” said Will simply.
    “Huh?” said Nick.
    “So we can get into the castle?” asked Ajay.
    “And under it,” said Will.
    “I hope I can help,” said Brooke, sighing as she glanced at her watch. “My parents are going to yank me out of here as soon as the school notifies them that Lyle’s escaped. And that’s already happened.”
    “Then we’ll wait till you’re back,” said Will. “Ask your father about Stan Haxley, see if he’s heard anything on the alumni jungle drum network. We’ll get to work in the meantime.”
    “How much work you got in mind?” asked Nick reluctantly.
    “Why do you ask?”
    “Dude, they’ve been crushing us with the books for months. And I wouldn’t mind, you know, kicking back with summer for about five minutes.”
    “Okay, well, while you enjoy your umbrella drink down at the cabana, I want the rest of you to think about one more question,” said Will. “Have you met anyone else on campus who you think might have qualities, or abilities, similar to ours?”
    The others glanced around the table at each other in surprise.
    “Other students?” asked Ajay.
    “That’s right,” said Will.
    “Similar in what way?” asked Elise.
    “In whatever way you might have noticed. Maybe some subtle, almost undetectable thing you’ve seen them do. Or maybe in some big absolutely unhinged mind-blowing weirdness kind of way.”
    “Dude, pick any day of my life,” said Nick.
    “Why are you asking?”
    “Something Lyle said last fall got me thinking,” said Will. “If the Paladin Prophecy is as big a deal as the lengths they’ve gone to protect it suggests, do you think the five of us would be the only ones affected by it?”
    “No,” said Ajay, looking around. “That seems a most reasonable possibility, Will.”
    “That could mean more kids like us are here already, maybe more than a few, even if they haven’t ‘awakened’ to what they can do. They could be part of the Prophecy as well. That’s why it’s even more important for us to find them before the Knights of Charlemagne do.”
    The door flung open. Three trim, professional security operatives, two men and a woman dressed all in black, took stances inside the pod with their hands on their shoulder holsters—one covering the door, one covering the roommates, while the third gestured silently for Brooke to join them.

THE TRAIL
    By noon of the following day, over three-quarters of the students and their families had left for the summer, emptying the campus. Almost making up for their absence were the state and local police, additional security, and even a few FBI who had poured in to assist with the manhunt for the missing Lyle Ogilvy.
    They’d set up a command post on the ground floor of the medical center, and established a perimeter around the building that only something with wings could have penetrated. Additional campus security had been assigned to Greenwood Hall as well. Eloni walked Will and Ajay to lunch the next day. They asked him why, but Eloni wouldn’t tell them anything more. Will