Swipe

song, “Comet,” and imagined the glory of winning Spokie’s annual battle of the bands. None of them heard the chimes when the doorbell rang.
    “Master Dane?” George asked over the intercom into the den. “Master Dane, a guest is here to see you.”
    “Dude, George, we’re practicing in here!” Dane tried to keep his frustration as polite as possible, but it was hard.
    “He says it’s urgent.”
    “Who is it?”
    “Your friend. Logan Langly.”
    “Tell him to go away,” Dane said. And he counted his band back into the song.
    “Master Dane, he’s on his way to the den right now,” George said on the intercom, over the music.
    Dane stopped the song again. Even the drummer was beginning to look irritated now. Dane stormed out of the den without another word.
    “You’ve got a lot of nerve coming here,” Dane said, meeting Logan in the lavishness of the living room. “I should punch you with one of these.” He held his wailing mitts up like cyborg fists.
    “Like real boxing gloves, right?” Logan joked. Dane didn’t laugh. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
    “No. For a dozen reasons, no.”
    “Dane, you need to get over this grudge—”
    “Oh really?” Dane said caustically. “I need to?” He sneered at Logan.
    “There’s nothing between me and Hailey,” Logan said, as calmly as possible. “There’s nothing between me and Erin either.” Though on some level . . . he knew that might have been a lie. Logan wasn’t quite sure what there was or wasn’t between him and anyone anymore. “I’m not even here to talk about that,” Logan added, with increasing frustration.
    “You’re not here to talk about anything. You’re leaving. I’m practicing with my band. The battle starts in under an hour. What is this, sabotage?”
    “Oh please. I don’t care about your battle of the bands and you know it,” Logan said. He paused. “But I am here to tell you that you can’t go on.”
    “Get out,” Dane said.
    “It’s too dangerous.”
    Now Dane laughed. “Is that a threat?”
    “Yes. But not from me. Dane, have you heard of a guy named Peck?”
    Dane gave him a look so frustrated and distracted, it proved he had not.
    “There’s a group of Markless,” Logan continued. “They call themselves the Dust. They’re led by a boy named Peck. He’s wanted for murder, two counts of assault, and the kidnapping of a girl named Meg. And there’s reason to think her kidnapping was just one of many.”
    “So what?”
    “So, Dane . . . you and I . . . we’re next on Peck’s list.”
    “That’s ridiculous,” Dane said, though something dawned on him distantly.
    “I know you’re mad at me,” Logan said. “I know I’ve been ignoring you this last month, and I know I’ve been a jerk to everyone, and I know this stupid Hailey thing is really bad timing. But you and I have to work together now.”
    “Forget it, tightwad,” Dane said, and he moved to retreat into his den.
    “They’re kidnapping you tonight,” Logan said desperately. “At the battle of the bands.”
    “How would you even know that, Logan? Even if it weren’t the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard, how could you possibly know that?”
    “I’ve been trailing them,” Logan said. “Me and Erin. That’s why I’ve been so weird this month. We think they’ve been spying on us . . . and we think they’ve been spying on you too.”
    “So the man with two girlfriends is also a superhero, huh? Secret Agent, Man of Mystery!” Dane laughed at the thought of it.
    “Hardly,” Logan said. “I’m just in over my head. And I’m sorry, but for whatever reason . . . you are too.”
    “Get out of my house or I’m calling the cops.”
    “Please, Dane. Don’t go to the concert. They’re after you. They’re bagging you tonight!”
    “Right,” Dane said. “Bagging. What does that even mean?”
    “It means throwing a black bag over your thick head and dragging you away like they did Meg!”
    “Okay.” Dane laughed. “Let’s all see how gullible Dane is. It isn’t enough to take Hailey—”
    “ This has nothing to do with Hailey! ” Logan yelled. George appeared now in the hallway, watching. “I’m trying to help you.”
    “Well, thanks,” Dane said. “I really appreciate it.”
    “Think about it, Dane. Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary recently? Anything unusual? Anything at all? For me, it was noises in the nighttime, strange signs that someone was there . . . I tried to ignore it