Nevermore: The Final Maximum Ride Adventure by James Patterson Read Free Book Online Page B

his knees, arranging Maya’s head on his lap.
    “Crap,” Ratchet said, awake again and limping over. “I saw Ari take a swipe at her, but I didn’t think it was that bad.”
    “Get me something to stop the bleeding,” Fang said tersely. Ratchet looked around, then grabbed Holden and yanked the boy’s shirt off. He tossed it to Fang, who pressed the cloth to Maya’s neck.
    He was aware of Star and Kate, unsure what to do, huddling together off to the side. They clearly hadn’t been prepared for this. Fang would deal with them later.
    Ratchet and Holden leaned silently over him. They knew, just as Fang knew, that it was too late.
    “I’m sorry,” Maya cried helplessly. She coughed and sputtered, her breath growing shallow.
    “Shh,” Fang said. “Don’t talk. Just focus on breathing. You’re going to get through this. We’re going to get through this,” he repeated.
    Maya’s brown eyes struggled to focus on his. “Sorry I’m… not st-strong af… ter all.”
    “Maya,” he said quietly. “You are strong. Stronger than anyone.”
    “After Max,” she said, trying to smile. Blood began to seep from beneath Holden’s shirt and drip on the ground.
    Fang shook his head. “Not after Max. Right next to her. Equal.”
    “Thank you,” Maya whispered. Then her eyes seemed to focus on a spot just to one side of Fang’s face, and her head lolled.
    Fang didn’t move.
    He just sat there, staring at the dead girl. The dead Maya, the dead Max, the dead almost everything he cared about. He felt like a freight train was slamming into his chest, over and over again.
    Ratchet and Holden tensed beside Fang as footsteps approached. Ratchet said, “Fang? Wolfboy’s back.”
    Still Fang didn’t move from his place on the ground, didn’t stop cradling Maya’s body.
    Ari’s voice, gruff and taunting, cut through the fog. “Fang—sorry, man. Had to happen. Don’t worry, though—she’s a clone, right? Dime a dozen.”
    Finally Fang looked up, his eyes swimming. “We’ll finish this later,” he said through clenched teeth.
    Ari grinned. “I’m counting on it,” he said, turning. “C’mon, you weaklings, get up,” he shouted at the injured Erasers. Many large bodies heaved themselves noisily toward the trucks.
    “Coward!” Ratchet hurled the dented, bloodied tire iron through the air.
    Ari stepped swiftly to the left, and the metal clangedagainst a truck. His laughter, grating and harsh, filled the empty desert battlefield. Then the engines roared and the entire convoy spun around and faded away in a cloud of dust.
    When they were gone, Fang passed his fingers over Maya’s face, closing her eyes and brushing away some blood. He forced himself to lay Maya’s already cooling body on the ground. As Fang looked down at her, he wanted to tear his own heart out.
    Ari would die for this.

19
    AS SOON AS I walked into biology class, the nauseating smell of formaldehyde hit me smack in the face. Hello, buttload of horrible memories! Clearly today was going to be even more nightmare-y than school usually was.
    “Hello, Max. Glad you could join us,” Dr. Williams said.
    Frowning, I nodded and plopped down beside Dylan as jealous girls nearby prayed for my death. So I got sidetracked by the schmanciness of the bathrooms on the way here. Sue me.
    The smelly chemicals were already getting to me (read: making me want to run away screaming), and I could tell they were also bothering Iggy, who was sitting acouple tables over. His face was drawn and even paler than usual.
    Dr. Williams passed out packets of paper. “Today we’ll be doing our first hands-on lab assignment,” he said. “For some of you, this will be your first dissection. It’s a very simple one, but if anyone feels sick, the trash can is right here. Please try to make it.”
    Dissection.
    Oh, God.
    I glanced down at my packet and my stomach dropped. Chicken Dissection Lab.
    Of course. This was my life, after all—if something could conceivably get