“Agreed,” said Finn, attempting to digest everything she’d just told them.

“A tattoo?” Maybeck quipped in complaint. “What about Chernabog? What about the two apes we left spinning donuts back in the lodge? Who cares about some bleeping tattoo?”

“If it’s in the diary,” Philby said, “then it’s part of the puzzle she left us. That makes it significant. Amanda’s right: we have to pursue it.”

“Says the one who just got a couple hours’ sleep,” Maybeck complained.

“I know this may sound foolish,” Amanda said, apologizing to Maybeck, “but I feel it’s important. I really do. I wouldn’t have called you out here otherwise. I know how hard you’re all working to help Jez. How much risk you’re taking. I can’t tell you how I appreciate it. I have no right to ask you to do anything more.”

“That’s true,” Maybeck said.

“Shut up,” said Willa.

“I’m agreeing with her.”

“You’re being a nimrod, and you know it,” Willa protested.

“A tattoo!” Maybeck shouted, a little loudly.

“Everything in the diary has proved out,” Finn reminded them. “The tiger and lion were DHIs. She drew the lightning hitting the castle days before it occurred.”

“Change Rob,” Willa said. She reviewed Finn’s phone call to Rob for Amanda, and the discovery of the Chernabog anagram.

“And that too,” Finn agreed.

“The apes,” Philby added.

“And now the tattoo,” Maybeck mumbled. “Okay. I get it. So what now?”

“I’m going back there,” Finn said. “Into the vet clinic.”

“And I’m going with you,” Amanda stated, leaving no room for argument.

“I can take over the viewing station,” Philby offered eagerly.

“Willa and I will stand guard,” said Maybeck. “Our DSs at the ready.”

“What’s the code word if there’s a problem?” Finn asked.

“Give it a rest, Whitman.”

“Chernabog,” said Philby.

All eyes fell on him.

“At least that way we’ll all understand it’s serious,” Philby said.

48

FINN SWIPED HIS ID in the card reader. A small light changed to green. An even smaller light went off in his brain: what if the Overtakers had figured out the kids were using fake IDs and were now tracking them through the use of their cards? He shook it off.

He tried the doorknob, and the door opened. He and Amanda stepped through, leaving the sounds of activities behind them.

The hallway he found himself in reminded Finn of the veterinarian’s office where his mother volunteered part-time. It also served to remind him of his mother and the fact that he hadn’t yet called home. He’d messed up: soon his parents would be at Blizzard Beach looking for him. They were going to be furious. He wondered if any of the other kids were in the same predicament. One thing was certain—time was running out. The Park would remain open only another hour or so. Jez’s chances of being freed were quickly diminishing.

He knew that no matter how they tried, he and Amanda still looked like kids. Tired, even exhausted, kids—but kids nonetheless. There was no getting around it. And he had no idea if unaccompanied kids his age were allowed backstage. With this in mind, he signaled to Amanda to hurry, and they moved down the hallway with an eye out for someplace to hide. Thankfully, most of the doors had glass panels, allowing them to see inside. They passed an examination room, and another, filled with medical equipment. There was one door marked PRIVATE, and another with stickers and cartoon clippings taped to it. It was this door Finn tried first. Inside was a single table and some vending machines—an employee lounge. It was empty. They ducked inside, both wide-eyed and slightly out of breath due to the excitement.

“I’m terrified,” Amanda said.

“Me too,” Finn admitted.

“We have no idea what we’re looking for.”

“No. But she must have dreamed about that tattoo. That has to mean something.”

“But what?”

“The tattoos are given out to kids who take the private tours. Maybe there’s something on the tour we’re supposed to see?”

Amanda’s blue eyes brightened. “That’s got to be it! You’re a genius.”

Finn felt his face warm. “Hardly,” he mumbled under his breath, wondering how a guy like Maybeck could carry himself so confidently.

There was noise in the hallway, and both of them instinctively looked for a place to hide. But the employee lounge offered them nothing: a few lockers, all padlocked.

A text message appeared on both their DSs

angelface13: the green one just left the ice palace.

“Maleficent just left the ice truck,” Finn whispered.

“Yeah…I saw that. But what’s it mean?”

“No idea. But it can’t be good.” Amanda looked terrified. “Okay, here’s the thing: try to look like you belong here,” he advised, bracing himself for whoever was out there to come through the door.

Instead, he saw a woman dressed in green nursing scrubs leading two adults and a string of four or five kids down the hallway. A tour!

“I’ve got an idea,” Finn said.

A moment later, he and Amanda were in the hallway trailing only a few feet behind the family. For anyone seeing them they would appear to be a group. The nurse, busy with her explanations, a memorized tour she probably did too often, seemed to pay little attention to those at the back of the pack.

The guide pointed out the purpose of several of the rooms, explaining in some detail about the care and attention lavished on the animals in the Park. This facility was so advanced it was used not only for Disney-owned animals, but for all sorts of wild animals rescued throughout the state. Finn found himself getting caught up in the tour as Amanda tugged on his shirt. They stopped, and the tour went along without them.

On the wall was a corkboard. Pinned to it were photographs of some of the recovered animals—including a gorilla with a broken leg. There were maps and brochures tacked to the board as well.

“The tattoo!” Amanda said.

She was right: the similarity of the subjects was unmistakable. A photo of a gorilla with a broken leg and a tattoo sketch of the same thing.

“But how does it help us?”

“I don’t know,” Amanda said, “but we’re in the right place.”

Finn studied the rest of the stuff thumbtacked to the corkboard. One of the items was a very large satellite photo of the entire Animal Kingdom. Finn spent a good deal of time—probably too much, according to his mother—on Google Earth. He loved everything about satellite photos. Using the image, it took him only seconds to establish where they were: in a complex of buildings near the top right of the photo at the end of a loop that was obviously the train line.

And then he saw them: an M near the bottom, and a C near the top.

For a moment his breath caught; it felt as if a bone were stuck in his throat. His hands were moving before he knew exactly what he was doing. He pulled the thumbtacks from the four corners of the satellite photo.

“How stupid could we be?” he muttered.

“Finn? What’s going on?” Amanda asked, the concern apparent in her voice.

“Hey!” came a man’s voice. “You can’t do that! Put that back!”

Finn glanced to his right. The man was a long way off, at the end of the hallway.

“Finn?” Amanda said heatedly.

“They’re both here: the M she wrote in her diary, and ‘Under the Sea’!” Finn answered. He pointed to the satellite photo, which he had turned counterclockwise.

The man picked up his pace, heading toward them. “Hey there!” he called out.

“It wasn’t ‘Under the S-e-a,'” Finn spelled. “But, under the letter C!” Turning the photo, he traced the prominent shape at the top of Asia. It was very clearly a big bold letter C, formed by an arched bridge. “She’s here. Jez…is under the C on the map.”

“Oh…my…gosh!” Amanda squealed with excitement. “You found her!”