Forbidden (The Seeker Saga, #2) by Sarah Swan Page A

it’s because of what she can do, and we can assume that Chris and his dad are behind it, but we don’t know why her ability – or any of ours – is important enough to have them send someone after us.”
    “Chris’s dad could have been the one to pressure Chris to do what he did in the caves,” Liz said thoughtfully.
    “Actually,” I said slowly, “I remember Chris telling me once that his dad was the one who showed him that massive crystal formation underground.”
    “You never mentioned that before!” Liz exclaimed admonishingly.
    “No.  I never made the connection before!  Chris brought me down there before you guys showed me what the crystals could do.  I never thought of it since then.”  I gave a nervous chuckle.  “I guess I’ve been avoiding thinking about it since.”
     “Tracy!” Madison suddenly exclaimed.  “I just realized where I know the man on the card from!  It’s the same man who stood beside the headmaster at opening days!”
    “That’s right!” Eve and Liz exclaimed at the same time. 
    “Didn’t you say he looked at you?” Ashley asked.  “I remember that.”
    “That’s right,” I answered slowly, thinking back.  “I remember him scanning the crowd.  And when his eyes landed on me, I thought I saw – even though he was so far away – I thought I saw him smile.  And then he just turned and left.”
    “But, why you?” Liz wondered out loud.  “What was it about you that drew his eye?”
    “She’s special,” Madison said.
    “ We know that!” Eve said.  “We knew right away she was the strongest of us at using the crystals.  But how would anyone else know that?”
    “Could this mean the headmaster is in on it, too?” Ashley asked.  “Could he have helped that man get on the island?”
    “I don’t think so,” I replied.  I had wondered the same thing at the start.  “If he were, he wouldn’t have made that deal with us.  With me, I mean.  He wanted to keep events of that night quiet.”
    “Maybe he wanted to keep it quiet precisely because he was in on it,” Ashley suggested.
    “I don’t think so,” I said again.  “If he did, why wait until now to attack?  If he was in on it, he could have arranged something much earlier—like when I was lying in the clinic.  I think he was even the one who called my parents here.”
    “That makes sense,” Liz admitted. “But the question still remains: Who else knows about the crystals and us?  And how do Chris and his dad know?”
    “You know,” I said, suddenly thinking of an idea, “I think there’s a way we can find out.”
    “What do you mean?” Ashley asked.
    “Chris’s dad’s office,” I explained.  “Chris fled the island after the incident in the caves.  I presume his dad went with him?”
    “As far as we know,” Ashley said.
    “So then,” I continued, “maybe we can find something in his office that will tell us more.  With his ID card, we can easily sneak in.”
    “You think he just left things lying around?” Eve said acerbically.  “A checklist with his master plan?  Come on!”
    “If I were him, I would have taken everything with me when I left,” Ashley added.  Then she shot a look at Eve.  “But, I still think it’s worth a shot.”
    “What do you think?” I asked Liz.
    “It’s the only lead we have,” she muttered sourly.  “And as long as we have his ID, we might as well take advantage.”  A bell rang in the distance announcing the end of lunch.  Movement became apparent among the students gathered around the fountain.  I turned my head to watch.
    “You guys said you were up all night, right?” I asked.  “I’m guessing you didn’t go to class.  If we’re going to search Chris’s dad’s office, now might be the best time.”
    “Let’s do it,” Liz confirmed.  “And afterwards, we still have to figure out what to do with our prisoner.”

Chapter Five – A Giant Spider Web
     
    We had to consult the staff directory in