Masterminds

That same night, Malik is at home during the thunderstorm when his father is called away to tend to Eli. Supposedly, he’s sick again, but Malik overhears his father saying, “By the time we get through with him, it’ll be the truth” (93). The next day at school, Malik tells Hector, Amber, and Tori that Eli was taken to the hospital again.

During the conversation, Tori mentions Randy’s letter and says that he suspects something shady is happening in Serenity. Everybody scoffs at the idea, but Malik now has doubts of his own. He has been watching the trucks emerging from the factory with the same cones every time. One of them still has blood on it from Hector’s skateboard accident. Malik thinks the factory is just for show and suspects that Randy’s theory might be right after all.

Eli is kept in the hospital for two weeks while Dr. Bruder gives him several pills each day. Knowing these pills are meant to make him forget, Eli pretends to swallow the pills and flushes them down the toilet. He’s disheartened to realize that he can’t trust any of the adults in his world because they’re all lying to him. When his father and the doctor question him, he pretends to be dopey and forgetful.

Once Eli is finally allowed to return to school, he doesn’t know whom to trust. He briefly turns to his coach, Mrs. Delaney, who encourages him to confide in her. He says that some people are trying to make him forget things he’s learned, but Mrs. Delaney seems clueless about what’s really going on.

During Eli’s absence, Tori becomes concerned that nobody is allowed to visit him. Although she previously dismissed Randy’s theory that something’s wrong in Serenity, Tori notices Surety agents parked outside Eli’s home. She begins to think something sinister is really happening.

The day Eli returns to school, Tori tries to speak with him alone. She finds him outside under the trees during lunch, having a heated conversation with Malik. When the three teens start comparing notes, they conclude that all the adults in town are involved in some sort of cover-up. Tori suggests that they sneak into the factory if they want to get answers about the mystery in Serenity.

Eli and his friends plan to meet at two o’ clock in the morning, after everyone is asleep. They intend to climb the fence and enter the factory. All three arrive at the rendezvous point and then scale the seven-foot gate. They barely miss being seen by two officers in a golf cart making their rounds. In addition, they’re shocked to find that Hector has followed them inside because he wants to be included in their plan. They try to peek through the windows but realize that they’re set too high in the walls to reveal anything.

Eli has brought his iPad and discovers a Wi-Fi signal coming from the factory. He tries to log in and discovers that the password is “Hammerstrom.” Once he gains access, Eli finds that the factory’s internet connection is linked to the outside world. He finds the real Boston Tea Party story and shows it to his friends. He also finds a link to McNally Academy, the school where Randy claimed he was being sent to instead of his grandparents’ farm. This confirms that his letter wasn’t a prank. The group concludes that they must find a way into the factory building.

A few days later, the teens scope out the factory’s exterior for access points by flying a kite over the building with a webcam attached to it. Amber is getting suspicious about the amount of time that Tori is now spending with the three boys. However, Malik says that Amber is such a Serenity cheerleader that she couldn’t be trusted with the truth about the town. Tori feels guilty for lying to her friend but continues to conspire with the boys.

Later that night, the group meets outside the factory gates to review the webcam photos. Eli discovers that he can link to the internet from outside the gates, which is less risky. In the photos, Tori spots an access point on the roof, allowing for maintenance of the air conditioner. She sees a trap door under the compressor that might be their way inside.

On Tuesday at one o’ clock in the morning, the group assembles once more to climb the gate and enter the factory grounds. After a few close calls with the Purple People Eaters, Malik successfully throws a rope around a vent pipe 20 feet up, which enables the kids to climb to the lower roof. After that, Malik must throw the rope to the upper roof and secure it there.

Tori is the best climber, so she goes first, but the rope slips, and she begins to fall. She grabs a thin window ledge and hoists herself up the rest of the way. After she secures the rope, the others follow. The trap door beside the air conditioner is locked, but Tori realizes that the air ducts on the roof lead straight inside the building.