Read Uglies 03 - Specials for Free Online

toward the river, where they could use magnetics. Carrying two passengers per board, they needed all the lift they could get. "Ho, head for the western edge of the Trails.
    Fast!"
    "Why?"
    "To save time!" She had to keep her quarry in sight. The Smokies might be invisible, but the two captive Specials shone like infrared beacons.
    "Okay, I'm coming," Ho answered. "But what's going on again?"
    Tally didn't respond, whipping through the treetops like a slalom rider. Ho wasn't going to like what Tally had to do, but there was no other choice. That was Shay out there, being dragged away by David. This was Tally's chance to pay her back for all those old mistakes.
    To prove that she was really special.
    Ho was there, waiting where the dark trees of the Trails began to thin.
    "Hey, Tally," he said as she zoomed toward him. "Why are you riding that piece of junk?"
    "Long story." She twisted to a halt beside him.
    "Yeah, well, could you please tell me what's—" He let out a startled cry as Tally pushed him off his board, sending him tumbling into the darkness below.
    "Sorry, Ho-la," she said, stepping from the Smokey board onto his and angling it toward the river. Its lifting fans spun to life as she crossed the city's border. "Need to borrow your ride. Don't have time to explain."
    Another grunt reached her ears as Ho's bracelets brought his fall to a halt. "Tally! What the—"
    "They've got Shay Fausto, too. Tachs is back in the Trails, unconscious. Go make sure he's okay"
    "What?" Ho's voice was fading as Tally shot out into the wild, leaving the city's network repeaters behind. She scanned the horizon and caught distant flickers of infrared, like two glowing eyes ahead—Fausto and Shay.
    The hunt was still on.
    "We got jumped. Aren't you listening?" She bared her teeth. "And Shay said no calls to Dr.
    Cable. We don't want any help with this." Tally was certain Shay would hate for Special Circumstances to find out that the Cutters—Dr. Cable's very special Specials—had been made fools of.
    For that matter, a squadron of screaming hovercars would only let the Smokies know that they were being followed. All alone, Tally might be able to sneak up on them.
    She leaned forward, coaxing every bit of speed from her borrowed board, Ho's protests fading behind her.
    She was going to catch them. There were five Smokies and two captives on four boards; no way could they make top speed. Tally just had to remember that they were random, and she was special.

    She still had a chance to rescue Shay capture David, and make this all okay.

RESCUE
    Tally flew low and fast, barely skimming the surface of the river, staring into the dark trees on either side.
    Where were they?
    The Smokies couldn't be that far in front—not with only a couple of minutes' head start. But like her, they were flying low, using the mineral deposits in the winding riverbed for extra push, keeping under cover of the trees. Even the special-hot infrared glow of Shay's and Fausto's bodies couldn't penetrate the dark cloak of the forest. And that was a problem.
    What if they'd already pulled off the river, sneaking into the trees to watch her fly past? On their stolen boards, the Smokies could head off in any direction they wanted.
    Tally needed a few seconds up in the sky, looking down. But the Smokies also had infrared. To take a peek without giving herself away, she would have to cool her body temperature way down.
    She looked into the dark water rushing past her feet and shivered.
    This was not going to be fun.
    Tally spun to a stop, freezing spray spitting up from the tail of her board, tickling her arms and face, sending another shiver through her bones. The river was running fast, filled to the brim with melted snow rolling down from the mountains, as chill as a champagne bucket back in bubblehead days.
    "Wonderful," Tally said with a scowl, then stepped from the board.
    With toes pointed, she barely made a splash, but the freezing water set her heart pounding