Free Van Bender and the Burning Emblems (The Van Bender Archives #1) by S. James Nelson Page A

shook her head and shrugged. I really wished I could read lips. I added it to the list of skills I needed to learn, next to karate and riding a unicycle. Agent Maynerd looked at me with skepticism.
    Within about thirty seconds, I threw up again. I didn’t have much food in me. Mostly just bile. I hadn’t eaten much that day, due to the jitters. Surprisingly, my body didn’t feel weak after the puking. In fact, it still felt better than it had in weeks—no doubt due to the spell Nick had cast on me.
    After another half a minute, and another heave or two on my part, Agent Maynerd leaned forward and tapped the pilot on the shoulder, then motioned for the pilot to put his headset back on. The pilot obeyed, and Agent Maynerd spoke to him. The pilot listened, then nodded in response. A moment later, my stomach lurched as the helicopter turned in another direction. Below, the grid of lights wheeled.
    Mom tapped my knee and indicated that I should put my headset back on. Agent Maynerd handed it to me.
    “What did he tell you?” I said when I had my microphone in front of my mouth.
    “I told her what you’ve been up to,” he said.
    “What? Learning about things I should have been told about a long time ago?”
    He gave me a level stare. “Aiding a suspected criminal.”
    “Nick Savage?” Mom said. Her voice sounded like venom. “Really? Nick Savage?”
    “You knew about all this?” I said. “Brink? And you couldn’t tell me years ago?”
    She shook her head in indignation. “Don’t blame this mess on me. I just wanted to protect you. You disobeyed me.”
    “Clearly that worked out pretty well.”
    She settled back into her seat and shook her head. Her eyes became unfocused, and she stared out into the night.
    “I tried so hard,” she said. “But I’ve failed.”
    “Why protect me from all this? It seems pretty awesome.”
    Her gaze focused on me. A vague sadness filled them. “Because, Richie, it’s dangerous. Very dangerous.”
    She refused to say more, and despite my persistent questions, neither of them would tell me anything about our destination, although Agent Maynerd gave our pilot frequent instructions and inquired as to my health several times. He seemed quite concerned with the puking and how I felt.
    And they wouldn’t tell me anything else about Marti, Nick, brink, or how Agent Maynerd had managed to catch up to an airborne helicopter by apparently flying. So I settled down and heaved several more times into the bag.
    We arrived at our destination in about ten minutes, just before midnight.
    And that’s when I learned that the government had been watching me.

Chapter 15: Awkward
When dad came home from work and said he’d met Richie Van Bender, I almost fainted. I mean, seriously! I knew someone who’d seen Richie Van Bender in person! Like, oh my gosh!
-Carly Garrard, daughter of a SOaP Agent
    We landed on a helipad, on top of what looked like a warehouse in an industrial zone. It wouldn’t take long for my stomach to settle, but the ride had been far worse than anticipated—mostly because of the extended length.
    Half a dozen men in suits surrounded the copter. Agent Maynerd got out first, said something to the men about taking care of the pilot, and motioned for us to follow. I had to walk slowly, with Mom supporting me and me holding my stomach. I would have preferred to sit down for a few minutes, but Agent Maynerd and the escort of men led us inside, down a hallway, through a door, and into a wide room filled with monitors on desks and people talking and moving about.
    On the left wall, a bank of huge screens displayed pictures of people, columns of data, and satellite images of various parts of the earth. One screen displayed an image of someone drawing a trapezoidal shape in the air with yellow brink.
    When we stepped into the room, silence washed from the back of the room where we stood, to the front. People stopped talking and walking. A few papers even floated to the floor. One