Going Wild by Lisa McMann

sigh. “Victor.”
    Dr. Gray slammed his hand down on the desk. “Answer the question!”
    â€œIsn’t it clear by now that I’m not going to tell you or any of your . . . your new . . . soldiers ? Or whatever they are.” Jack pretended to shift indignantly in his seat, tugging at the ropes at the same time. With searing pain, he managed to pull out one hand. A wave of hope coursed through him, but he knew he couldn’t let on. Now he just had to find a way to distract Dr. Gray. He kept his voice steady. “Why do you want it so badly anyway? It doesn’t work.”
    Dr. Gray scowled.
    â€œNo, really. I mean it. Why? Are you on the verge of something? A breakthrough? Is that why you added the extra security?” Slowly, carefully, he slipped his other hand out of the rope and grabbed on to it so it wouldn’t fall to the floor and give him away.
    Dr. Gray stood up and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Look, Jack, I know what you’re doing.”
    Dr. Goldstein’s hands froze. “What am I doing?”
    â€œYou’re changing the subject. And I need an answer from you. So I’ll ask you one last time. Where. Is. My—”
    Jack jumped to his feet and threw the rope at Victor’s face. With his ankles still tied, he lunged at his former friend, knocking him down, and then struggled to yank his feet free, trying to hop over to the door at the same time.
    â€œSoldiers!” cried Dr. Gray. “Quickly!”
    Jack kicked his shoes off and forced his feet out of the ropes, then ran for the nearest door, stumbling and catching himself ashe went. When the soldiers rushed in, Jack barreled into them, knocking them off balance. He dived to the floor between them and scrambled on all fours to get through the door. If only he could make it outside the building, he might have a chance!
    Another soldier came running at Jack as he got back to his feet. Jack dodged her and twisted away, just barely out of reach. “Help!” he shouted, running for the stairwell. But the woman was quick and shot after him. At the top of the steps, she tackled him around the legs. Arms flailing and body teetering, he crashed to the stairs. He made a desperate grab at the soldier’s bodysuit as he fell, dragging her with him. They thudded all the way down the stairwell, while a pack of soldiers who appeared at the top of the stairs raced after them. Jack and the woman hit the landing, both of them dazed by the fall. After a second to regain his bearings, Jack rolled out of her reach and got to his feet, limping and trying to run as fast as he could. The woman groaned and didn’t move.
    But the pack of soldiers was in hot pursuit. Jack turned down a long hallway, gunning toward the double-door exit. The clatter behind him grew louder. He pushed harder. Almost there!
    When he reached the first door he slammed into the handle at full speed. His face and body smacked the glass. He gasped in pain and crumpled to the floor, stunned. The door was locked.
    The soldier from the stairwell reappeared, zigzagging past the others and taking the lead. They all closed in on Jack. Quickly he got to his feet and tried the other door. It opened! He burstthrough it to the snowy sidewalk as the woman dived after him. She grabbed him around the waist and knocked him flat on the ground, landing on top of him. Within seconds, they were surrounded.
    Defeated, Jack let his body go limp. Dr. Gray’s soldiers grabbed him by the arms and hauled him back into the building. They dragged him down the hallway and up the steps as if he were as light as a feather, and brought him back into the office.
    There, as Dr. Gray silently watched, the soldiers tied up Jack again, much more securely this time. The doctor stared down at Jack for a long moment, fists clenching and unclenching, lips pressed hard into a white line. Then he turned away. With a heavy sigh, he walked to the door. When he reached