Chapter Three Summary

On the bus ride home the next day from school, Aiden gloomily reviews the status of his friendship with Richie. Richie's still making Aiden's re-adjustment back to civilian life difficult. Meg is feeling equally negative about her own prospects of fitting in with her peers again. She and her family are so notorious no one will approach her to be a friend, afraid of the consequences of association. They share their blues with one another as they exit the bus.

A van marked as a commercial exterminator's vehicle squeals to a halt near them. Two masked kidnappers leap out. One wearing a Spiderman mask grabs Meg and uses chloroform gas to render her unconscious. Another kidnapper masked as Mickey Mouse attempts the same maneuver on Aiden. Aiden's fast reflexes allow him to overpower Mickey Mouse and attempt to rescue Meg. But...