I reached the cave just as the sun was setting.

"Thank goodness, I thought I was never going to eat!" Iggy said as I unzipped my backpack and dumped my jackpot on the ground. The younger kids were awake now and they all stared wide-eyed at my steal.

"There's more where this came from kids. I'm thinking tomorrow, maybe even tonight, we take all of it." I said as I passed around tonight's dinner which happened to be bread, ham, cheese, dried veggies and fruits, juice, and for dessert: scones. I am not kidding those guys must be living like kings or something over there.

"Wow, I can see sooooo many stars. If I ever find one without a name I'm going to name it Nudge Monique Andrea Cher Shanaynay Clark."

"I feel sorry for that star," Iggy said. "Maybe it will die as soon as you name it and years later it will blow up the earth."

"Revenge of the badly named star!" Gazzy hooted.

We were all sitting on the edge of the cave dangling our feet over the edge. A fire was crackling behind us and we were finishing off the pastries. The kids had new clothes, we were washing the old ones tomorrow, and we were all full for the first time in forever. I only wished Fang was here.

Breaking Nudge and Gazzy out of a fight to the death sure got my mind off of that though.

"Gazzy, don't make fun of Nudge's star. Nudge, don't push the Gasman off the edge while he's sleeping." I said squeezing between them. Gazzy stuck his tongue out at Nudge and she glared at him.

"We could just call it NMACSC," Total suggested between licks. He had been complaining about a paw injury lately.

"What?" everyone asked at the same time.

"The stars initials, duh," Total said like it was so obvious. Well, obviously that long acronym is Nudge's star's initials.

"Shooting star!" Gazzy yelped pointing.

I looked up and my blood froze. Giant glowing streak moving at Max speed, I believe we know someone that fits that description.

"We gotta go guys, grab your stuff."

"But we just goooot here," the Gasman whined.

"Go!"I bellowed.

I practically threw them off the cliff as soon as they got their backpacks on. Then I encouraged them into a superfast pace.

"Max my wings hurt too much," Angel said pitifully.

"We just have to hide, baby. Not too much longer," I encouraged.

Max, you don't want to do that, a voice which didn't exactly sound like the voice warned.

Why not?

An image filled my mind and right of the bat it was terrifying! A white, starchy, bleachy, lab, the kind that haunts my nightmares and I can't even remember why. I was standing in the doorway and then I walked slowly towards a table in the middle of the room that was surrounded by high-tech equipment. A horrible screaming filled my ears and I approached the table. Except it wasn't a table it was a gurney and Fang was strapped to it! His face was a mask of pain and I realized he was the one screaming. Whitecoats were surrounding him with pointy things and horrible torture instruments!

That's why you don't want to run from me, because when you stop, that stops.

You're sic!

"MAX!"

I realized I was plummeting to the earth at only one of my top speeds. The rest of the flock was screaming my name. But I couldn't unfreeze. The image of Fang in that horrible place kept filling my mind freezing it up. Hands grabbed me and my fall was barely softened. I looked up to see a ring of anxious faces. Angel was actually crying.

"I, I'm sorry guys. I didn't mean to scare you." Again.

And then we all just broke down in each other's arms. I was crying for Fang and Angel probably was too, but all the others were crying because life was horrible and their leader couldn't even function at times and I guess I was crying for a little bit of that too.

I opened my eyes. It was still dark and I couldn't tell if I'd been asleep or not. Everyone else was socked out except Angel. She was sitting up with her head in her hands crying silently. I sat up and crawled through the flock to her.

"What's wrong, baby?" I asked pulling her close to me in a hug.

She leaned against me sniffling. Then she almost started all-out bawling!

"It's okay, it's okay. Shhh, shhhh, baby."

"But it's not okay!" she wailed. "I-I read Fang's mind and it was horrible1" Angel buried her head in my shoulder.

Well there goes my hope that Optimum was lying and implanting false images in my brain. Still I desperately wanted to ask how Fang was, but I didn't know if I actually want to know, if that makes sense.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Angel shrugged. "It's really sad. I'm not sure how to describe it. I just really really wish he was wish us and not there. He wishes he was with us too. And you know I could read his thoughts and stuff but when I tried to send thoughts to him it was, like, I was blocked or something. I couldn't even say anything to make him feel better or let him know we're coming for him." Angel burst into a fresh set of tears.

"Angel, Angel. It's okay," I soothed stroking her hair. "Fang knows we're coming, unless he's gone ballistic or something. Just like we came for you."

"I'm worried he has gone, you know, ballistic."

I turned to Angel with a stunned expression on my face."Why?"

"His thoughts are all mixed up and he isn't thinking right. It's like he's running instinct."

A shot of fear ran down my spine, making me feel cold as Angel shared some of Fang's recent memories with me. I'll spare you the details, but they were to say the least, chilling.

"It's okay. Fang's going be alright," I said to comfort Angel. "He's a tough guy."

I crossed the tangle of sleeping Flock members and tapped the back of Iggy's hand twice. His eyes shot open.

"Iggy, I have to do something to rescue Fang. He's been captured by whitecoats and Optimum's behind it somehow. I have to stop this and get Fang back. You're in charge until I get back."

Iggy nodded and sat up ready to keep watch, a thing we'd been pretty shabby about since we'd got here.

It's strange, I'd lost my substantial rock solid memory but sometimes I'd remember something that pertained to the current situation. Fang had been hurt badly before. We usually kept good watch. Nudge was vegetarian. Stuff like that.