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spent the rest of the afternoon back at what had now become routine for Ben, with the standard equipment in the actuation rings. After wielding the augmenter gun, and creating a missile of ice, conjuring a little rain cloud just didn’t hold the same appeal. Still, the afternoon passed pretty smoothly with the other kids gone.
    Ben and Peter even started playing off each other in the actuation ring. Ben would actuate snow, and Peter would actuate a little flame to melt it. Then Ben would actuate a rain cloud, and Peter would turn it into snow. It felt a bit like chess. Or a duel.
    “Let’s wrap up for today, gentlemen,” Dr. Hughes finally said.
    Ben and Peter nodded to each other, let go of their actuations, and went to collect their things.
    “I’ll be looking through the notes from …” Dr. Hughes snapped her fingers by her ear.
    Ben reached for the name, and just barely found it. Richter .
    “Um … him.” Dr. Hughes flicked her hand away. “Anyway, our new ally, after which I hope to have some idea of how to proceed with the portable augmenter. With luck, you’ll be able to try it soon, Peter.”
    “I look forward to that, Dr. —”
    A deafening boom, and the door to the lab blew inward off its hinges. It flew across the room and slammed into several of the tripods. Sparks scattered across the floor where they fell. A swarm of men wearing black ski masks spilled through the smoking doorway.
    Dr. Hughes gasped. Peter yelled something. Ben’s thoughts went to defense. To ice. To actuation. But fear scattered his thoughts before they could form, let alone reach out to make anything. And then two of the men grabbed him and held him by the arms.
    “What is this?” Dr. Hughes cried out. “Who are you?”
    The intruders had her, too, and Peter. Who they were didn’t matter right now. Ben had to do something. If he could somehow get into one of the actuation areas, then he might be able to.
    One of the men swaggered forward. “We’re the Dread Cloaks. So best beware.” His voice came out hoarse, and as well as the ski masks, he and the others all wore the same clothing. Polished black boots, black pants, and black vests over bloodred dress shirts. “You have something we want.”
    Dr. Hughes thrashed but couldn’t break free. “What could I possibly have?”
    The man’s shrouded gaze roamed from one side of the room to the other. “A portable augmenter. That’s what you called it, right?”
    “What? How do you —?”
    He made a sweeping gesture with his arm, and one of the computers nearby leaped from its desk and smashed into pieces against a wall several yards away.
    Ben knew actuation when he saw it. He could feel it. These were no simple robbers, or terrorists, or anything like that. And the man had actuated without any augmenting equipment at all. Ben looked at Peter, but his friend just stared wide-eyed at the floor. Was he in shock?
    “You …” Dr. Hughes whispered. “Who do you work for? Who sent you?”
    “You insult us,” the man said. “The Dread Cloaks are not for hire. Now where is it?”
    Dr. Hughes looked so small, her eyes so big. She began to shake.
    “How about I do to one of these boys like I just did to your computer?” The man held up his arm like he was preparing to backhand something — or someone.
    Ben swallowed. Would it be him or Peter? Ben was about a foot away from one of the actuation rings. If he could just step inside it, he could summon something. But what? A little cloud? What would that do? No, he needed something powerful. An ice missile. A fireball. A lightning bolt. He tried to make eye contact with Peter, but his friend was still looking downward.
    “Don’t harm them!” Dr. Hughes cried. “Let them go, and I’ll tell you where it is.”
    The man brought his arm down. “Show me where it is, and I might not kill them.”
    Dr. Hughes bit her lip, still shaking. “In my desk. It’s just over there in my desk.”
    The man flicked his head, and one of