THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

positive.”
    Tony caught the insult and considered poppin’ the mouth that uttered it, but he had a chance to find out how to get out of here if this guy played ‘escort’ in the pods. “Where’s home for you?”
    “TeK City Two.”
    “What planet, dude?”
    Phen’s eyebrows lifted in amusement. “Earth. What planet are you from... dude ?”
    Earth. No way . Unless this was some military experiment gone bad. But that didn’t explain gettin’ pulled into a computer. Would Phen tell him anything if this was some whacked out military program? Nah.
    Back to Tony’s immediate problem–finding a way home. “Do those transenders return to their original destination?”
    Eyeing Tony with wary observation, Phen answered with a superior attitude. “Yes. They can only return to where they were initiated, but don’t get any foolish ideas about hijacking one. I told you. A MystiK can’t travel in one without an escort.”
    The way Tony saw it, this was outstandin’ news since neither he, Gabby nor Rayen were MystiKs and they hadn’t needed an escort the first time here. But he’d have to figure a way out of this prison hut first. “I’ll make you a deal.”
    Phen listened silently, his stance noncommittal.
    “Let’s work together to get outta here. In return, I only want to know how to call up and operate a transender.”
    Phen smiled at some inner thought. “I will escape and without your help. I’m not telling you anything about a transender.”
    “How can you be so sure you can–” 
    The power that constantly hummed through the walls went silent.
    “See you on the next trip,” Phen whispered and put his palms together. He shoved them between the vertical reeds that made up the walls and pushed his hands wide, creating an opening he stepped through.
    Tony hesitated only a second then jammed his way out of the hut, too.
    Power hummed behind him the minute he stepped clear.
    His knees went weak.
    That was a close call. I coulda been a fried Italian .
    Taking in his surroundings, Tony caught sight of Phen who’d run thirty paces away and stopped, swinging his head as he looked for something. Two more steps past a wide thatch of inky black plants twice as tall as Tony that reminded him of bamboo, and Phen halted, his attention drawn to his right. A smile appeared on his profile, as if he’d hit the Jersey Lotto.
    When Phen paused, a small-sized hand appeared from behind the bamboo stalks and passed Phen something he shoved in his pants pocket. Then he nodded and snuck off down a path cleared through the trees dotting the village.
    Tony followed, tryin’ to keep his footsteps soft. He slowed next to the stand of bamboo and leaned forward to see who was there. No one.
    When he caught up to Phen, the scout had reached the fog wall surrounding the village.
    The guy was running straight for the deadly haze.
    Tony called out, “Stop! The fog’ll kill ya!”
    Phen spared a quick glance over his shoulder but didn’t slow down, rushing headlong into the puke-colored mist.
    Tony tensed, ready for the blood-curdling scream...that never came. What happened?
    Crap. He couldn’t lose the TecKnati.
    Besides Rayen had stepped in to keep the crazies from executing Tony and had saved the three of them from a killer plant. And Gabby had tried to help Tony when the vine first attacked him. This was Tony’s chance to do something to help them get out of here.
    He ran five strides and reached the fog where he realized how Phen had gotten through.
    The angle of Tony’s approach hadn’t allowed him to see that someone–probably the person who helped Phen escape–had cleared a narrow path through the protective wall.
    And that tunnel was squeezing closed.
    No time to lose.
    Plunging ahead, Tony lifted his St. C medal and kissed it. “Please don’t let me die now.”  Then added, “Not ‘til I get laid...at least once.”

CHAPTER 25
     
    Gabby realized her mistake too late. She stared at the little girl Rayen had risked her life to protect from a croggle. “Can’t I just, like, hand you stuff when you need it, Jaxxson?”
    He paused from what appeared to be checking the pulse of the little girl whose skin had turned too bright a pink. “I need to get her blood pressure calmed down. She’s having a reaction to the Sphere. You said you wanted to help.”
    But she hadn’t thought that would entail putting her hands on the child. And Gabby had also thought she’d have a chance to search for a way out of