Summary of last chapter:

Bruce and Tina are the only people able to escape hostile takeover of the school auditorium by four witches, and an army of werewolves. Having to act quickly, they make their way to a teacher's workroom in search of a phone. There they find the phone lines cut, but Tina knows of a secret hallway they can use to reach the parking lot where Bruce's car is parked.

The story continues once they reach the hallway, which turns out to be a very long stockroom with several science classrooms backed up to it. The hall ends in the library, which is close to the front doors of the building. Unfortunately, they discover the library, and all surrounding rooms, occupied by werewolves and hostages.

Please read on:

Bruce studied their surroundings, racking his brain for any idea that might help them reach their goal. The lighting was limited to green glow, so he couldn't see much more than shadows. His other senses heightened to make up for the lack of sight, and he decided to focus on these.

He heard scraping of chairs in the rooms to the left and right, snarling of unseen beasts, and sobs of frightened children. He could smell the distinct odor of rancid werewolf breath and chemicals on shelves. These he used as focal points. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

In an "aha" moment, he remembered a stack of boxes leaning against the wall. He stood to his feet and walked over to it.

"Tina, help me look for more boxes. We'll stack them on top of these."

"Are we going to hide behind them?" Tina asked.

"Nope, remember our goal. We still have to get out and go for help. We'll build as tall a stack as we can and climb to the attic space above. Then we'll walk on a structural beam to where it meets the edge of the roof. There is a catwalk there where we can walk easily. We'll pull up tiles or look through cracks until we find the front door."

"Then what will we do?"

"Make sure no one's looking and drop down."

"I'm scared of heights," Tina said, "and spiders. I'm sure there are lots of them all over the place."

"Possibly, but it's the only path we have out. Besides, I'll be right there with you. Come on, Tina, you've come this far. What's a few spiders compared to werewolves?"

"And heights."

"Yes, and heights. You'll do fine."

Tina nodded, her eyes betraying a mixture of trust and fear. Bruce nodded back with understanding gracing his own.

After using all the boxes they could find, and remaining mindful of the need to stay quiet, they made a sizable stack. Before long, Bruce boosted Tina up into the attic space through a ceiling tile they had removed.

Suppressing a gulp, she landed on a six-inch wide structural beam. Per Bruce's whispered instructions, she crawled down a few feet and sat to wait. A moment later, she saw Bruce's head pop through the hole.

"These boxes aren't tall enough for me to get up, and I can't move anything heavier without alerting our enemies. You are going to have to proceed on your own."

"But you said you would be with me."

"I thought I could, but there's nothing sturdy enough for me to brace against to get up."

"I can't do it myself." Tina was near tears. "At least try."

"I can't or the werewolves will hear me and catch us both. You'll just have to do it without me. I officially make you a Daredevil Girl. Now go."

"But how will I get hold of that Emory guy? I don't even know his phone number."

"If you can get to a computer, Google it. If not, call information and ask for Emory Settler in Houston."

"How will I get to a phone without your help? There's nothing but woods around this school for miles, and I can't drive. I'm only twelve, Mr. Bruce. Besides, it's dark in here; there's no green glow."

"Shhh," Bruce warned, a finger held against pursed lips. "We have company."

He tossed Tina a small flashlight he kept in a pouch on his belt. Then he set the tile back into place and disappeared.

Listening intently, she heard voices. She sat as quietly as she could, careful not to make any noise.

"What're you doing in here?" A deep raspy voice penetrated the tiles.

"My job. What are you doing here?" Bruce's voice echoed back. Tina could tell he wasn't a very good liar. "I'm the janitor."

"Well, sir, this school has new owners, and they say you are not supposed to be in here. You'll have to come with me."

Bruce made a few grumbling sounds, and then his voice faded as he let himself be led away. He was drawing the attention of the werewolf from her.

For a moment, she sat frozen with fear and indecision. She was just one small, frightened child hiding from an enemy more dreadful than any she had ever known. Could one, such as she, make a difference against the wave of evil that had overtaken her school?

Reluctantly, she switched the flashlight on and looked around. She could see wires, heating and air conditioning ductwork, and lots of cobwebs. Taking several deep breaths, she got a grip on her fears. Her friends were counting on her, whether they knew it or not, and she could not afford to mess up.

Carefully, she crawled along the beam toward the catwalk Bruce had described. She was scared half to death, but was now a Daredevil Girl, and with that title came responsibility. Playing in her mind were the words to the Daredevil Girl theme song she had written so diligently on the poster boards just hours ago. She thought of the first two lines and it gave her strength.

"We're the Daredevil Girls from Bunker Hill,
We never ran from a devil and we never will... "

She wasn't going to run, at least not from her responsibility. She closed her eyes and focused on remaining calm, driving worry and fear to the back of her mind. She would deal with them later. Taking a deep breath and summoning courage she never knew she had, she continued forward.

As she made her way across the expanse, she developed a pattern of crawling when she heard voices or noises that gave her sound coverage, and pausing when they stopped. She had no idea where she got the idea, but guessed it was instinct. It proved to be tedious, but effective work.

At one point, she came upon a tile chipped out at one corner. She turned off the flashlight and peered through the hole to observe an unfolding scene that broke her heart.