'You're right,' Chad said. 'That is a problem.'
The zeno emitters were suspended from the opposite walls like spotlights. Our powers would return to normal if we were out of their range, but they were aimed right at us. I glared at the devices. It was only a couple of feet, but it might as well have been miles.
Frowning, Chad glanced down at Dan. 'You're small.'
'Thanks,' he said. 'I think.'
'No, I mean, you might be able to fit your arm through the wire.'
Dan examined the gaps between the metal mesh. They were very small. 'And then what?' he asked.
I could see what Chad was getting at. 'Reach as far as you can through the mesh,' I said. 'You might be able to get your powers to activate in your arm.'
'In my arm?' Dan looked at us like we'd grown extra heads. 'So, I'll have a super-arm. Are you kidding?'
'Sure,' I said. 'You'll be…Arm Boy.'
Dan groaned.
'It's worth a try,' Brodie urged. 'Come on. Stick your arm through.'
He wrestled his hand through the gap, pushing his arm through as far as it would go.
'It won't go any further,' he said.
'Try breaking the wire,' I suggested.
'With what? I don't have any pliers.'
'With your mind, of course!'
'Don't yell at me!'
'I'm not yelling,' I said, lowering my voice. 'Just push your arm out further.'
He reached out further.
'Now try to bend the mesh,' Chad said.
'I am trying. Nothing's happening.'
'Try harder.'
'I am. My arm is stuck.'
'You need to push out further—' I started.
'Angle to the left—' Chad urged.
'I can't reach it!' Dan was almost in tears. 'My arm won't reach far enough.'
'Wait a minute.' Brodie holds up the lock pick. 'Try holding on to this.'
'Why?' Dan asked. 'For good luck?'
'No! You might be able to use it as an antenna.'
'So now I'm a human antenna!' Dan groaned, but grabbed the metal from her and pushed his arm back through the wire.
'Further,' Chad urged.
'Shut up,' he grunted.
'Just a bit further!'
'Shut up!'
He pushed his arm through the gap with all his might. There were scratches all the way along his arm where it had rubbed against the wire. He was bleeding. Tears of frustration filled his eyes as the piece of metal dangled precariously from the end of his fingertips.
A sound came from the wall. One of the emitters on the wall was moving. Shaking.
'It's working,' I said quietly. 'Keep going!'
Dan stared at it. The emitter continued to jiggle as if a tremor were shaking the room. Perspiration broke out on Dan's forehead as his eyes focused on the emitter. A line of sweat ran down his temple as tears trickled across his cheeks. Wobbling from side to side, the emitter finally gave a high-pitched squeal of rending metal before breaking free from the wall.
It clattered to the floor.
The sound caused the door to fly open. A guard raced in and raised his gun to fire. At the same moment, Dan pulled back his arm, and the door to our cell flew off and slammed into the guard, knocking him unconscious. We tumbled out of the room into the hallway outside.
'Well done,' I said, clapping Dan on the shoulder.
'Yeah,' Chad said grudgingly. 'Pretty good for a kid.'
'For a—'
Chad ruffled his hair. 'Stay cool, shorty.'
Racing down the hallway, we soon reached another room. We exchanged glances before Chad shoved the door open. The scene beyond was like a picture frozen in time. Ebony was chained to a table with Ravana sitting across from her. He was motionless. Completely, utterly motionless. The skin showing through his bandages was white—ivory white.
'I…' Ebony struggled to speak, her face filled with shock. 'I turned him to zinc.' She wasn't wearing one of her shoes. 'I touched him with my foot. He…he was going to hurt me again.'
Chad embraced her as we freed her from the table. 'It's okay, sis,' he said. 'You did what you had to do.'
My eyes settled on the probe lying on the ground. Chad was right. Ebony did what was necessary. We hurried from the building. An evacuation was taking place. With the missile ready for firing, Wolff and his men were withdrawing from the island.
'We need to stop that weapon,' I said.
A squad of guards came racing around a corner.
'We also need to dish out some payback,' Chad replied grimly. Releasing Ebony, he pointed at the guards with both hands. Balls of fire barreled towards them, driving them back. Chad turned to us. 'Find the missile. I'll keep them busy.'
We headed through the camp. Soldiers started shooting at us, but I flung them aside. I remembered a narrow path I noticed earlier. We raced down it, finally reaching a clearing containing a concrete bunker. A figure broke from the jungle and raced towards the shelter.
General Wolff.
'Stop!' I yelled.
We raced towards the bunker as he disappeared inside. The building was made from reinforced concrete. I struggled to break through but couldn't muster up the energy.
'Dan,' I said. 'I need your help.'
Together, we focused on the metal entry door. Slowly it started to bend outwards from its hinges.
'It must be made of iridium,' Ebony said. 'It's one of the strongest metals known to man.'
The door ripped free from its housing. I expected a hail of bullets, but instead, General Wolff stepped confidently from the bunker. He looked horrifyingly pleased with himself.
'You children are most resourceful,' he said. 'But you are too late.'
The ground shuddered. I turned to see the missile rise from the jungle behind us and rocket into the sky.
'The missile is on its way,' Solomon Wolff said. 'Nothing can stop it now.'