AXEL

Hot, acrid smoke seared Axel Jack's lungs as Jag carried him piggyback-style along a narrow footpath. Exploded chunks of satellite dishes, x-ray lasers, and dozens of other pieces of high-tech equipment rained down around them. A stab of intense pain surged through Axel's leg. He looked down and saw blood soaking his pants, right where Doctor Lennon Hatch had plunged a knife at the Konanavlah Sun Temple.

The maniacal billionaire and his Pursuers had chased Axel and his best friend, Daisha Tandala, around the globe for six months, trying to get their GeoPorts. The temple was supposed to be the new site of the Doctor's Geographical Transportation hub. But fortunately for the world, things had not gone according to plan.

"I'm going to need stitches," Axel groaned.

"You'll have medical attention soon," Jag said, hoisting Axel higher on his back.

Jag's large, quiet presence had given Axel the creeps when they had first met at the Sun Temple. Now, he felt indebted to the man. Without him and Megan, the Stanford research assistant who had helped his father and Daisha's mother make Geographical Transportation possible, he'd probably be lying dead among the ruins right now.

"Where are we going?" Megan asked, huffing for breath.

"Bhimbetka rock shelters, just a few kilometers. That's where the others from the Sun Temple have gone. We'll be safe there."

The Konanavlah Sun Temple faded into the distance as Jag led them over a small stream and into a dense jungle. Screeching alarm calls from a troop of langur monkeys rang from treetops. Insects buzzed around Axel's head; exotic birds flittered from branch to branch.

Jag stopped in his tracks, and Axel felt all of the muscles in his friend's back tighten. He cautiously peered over Jag's shoulder and nearly passed out from what he saw. A five-hundred-pound Bengal tiger lay crouched behind a fallen tree just ten yards ahead. The animal stared at them, ears pinned back, tail swishing in the breeze.

"Get behind me," Jag ordered.

"It probably smells my blood," Axel said, heart pounding.

"Should we run?" Megan whispered.

Jag slowly edged them back. "That would be a death sentence," he said. "Just like a house cat, tigers enjoy the thrill of the chase. Our only chance is to not act like its natural prey."

Fortunately, they didn't have to test the tiger's patience for very long. Another piece of the Doctor's equipment blasted in the distance. The loud boom and ensuing black smoke made the animal leap five feet into the air and take off into the jungle.

"We're safe," Jag said, leading them back up the path. "That cat is too frightened to stalk us now."

Axel wasn't so sure. He kept looking over his shoulder every few seconds to make sure the tiger wasn't following them. It had been hard enough to make it away from the exploding Sun Temple alive. The last thing they needed was another — deadlier — Pursuer.

The jungle soon opened up into a vibrant green field dotted with palm trees. A well-traveled dirt road wound its way around a large body of water leading toward a village.

Several noisy motorcycles whizzed past them, followed by a rusty truck stuffed with a load of green bananas. People and houses came into view. A young girl led a leashed cow to a water trough. Two men took turns pounding some kind of grain in a large mortar. Among the bustle of the village, it didn't seem anyone knew of the chaos that had just taken place a few short kilometers away. If they had, they'd already moved on.

The trio turned a corner and came to an open-air market. Jasmine and lavender incense wafted in the air. The spicy smells of cinnamon, saffron, coriander, curry, and freshly baked naan filled Axel's nostrils. His stomach grumbled with hunger. He loved eating Indian food at the Amber Elephant back in Palo Alto, but this was the real thing.

People stared at them as they made their way through the crowd.

"I guess it's not every day the locals see a tall Indian man carrying a wounded white boy on his back," Axel said.

"Everything smells so good," Megan said. "I'm so —"

"We must get to Bhimbetka first," Jag said, reading her mind. "Then we will eat."

Axel gasped.

Jag and Megan looked up and saw what had alarmed him.

Pursuers.

There were two of them, wearing their black jackets and white shirts, skulking around the market.

"After all that's happened, the Doctor's still looking for us," Megan whispered, her voice slightly trembling.

"Well, if someone just thwarted my attempt at world domination, I would be searching for them too," Axel whispered, mustering a slight grin.

One of the men whipped out an eight-by-ten photo and showed it to a young girl standing among the baskets of okra, ginger, and red peppers.

"Follow me," Jag said, grabbing Megan's arm.

They hurried through the market and down a dark alley. A skinny cow rested in a bed of mud. A rat darted from behind a barrel and disappeared under a stack of wooden pallets. They were almost at the end of the alley when a middle-aged man with a suspicious look on his face stepped out of the shadows and blocked their way.

"Why are you carrying the boy?" the man asked in choppy English. "Is he a cripple?"

"Let us pass," Jag said.

The man stepped closer and stared at Axel's face. "You're the one in the picture — the one the two Europeans are showing around the market. They offered a reward for you!"

Before the man could alert anyone, Jag charged into him. The man tumbled roughly to the ground. A set of keys fell from his hand. Megan scooped them up, and they ran from the alley. An old, rust-caked Honda motorcycle sat parked on the street. Jag slipped Axel off his back, hopped onto the motorcycle, and jammed the keys into the ignition. The engine roared to life.

"We need to go!" Jag hollered. "Now!"

Megan helped Axel onto the back of the seat, and she climbed on too. He wrapped his arms around Jag's waist and held on tight. His jeans were completely blood soaked and sticky. With a shift of the gears, the motorcycle lurched forward, and they tore away from the village.

Countryside, farm fields, and rolling hills filled Axel's vision. Simple mud huts teetered on the side of a bumpy road. The thump of the motorcycle riding over potholes made the wound in Axel's leg pulse with pain. His head started spinning, bright spots danced in front of his eyeballs, and all the strength ran out of his arms. He let go of Jag and slumped to one side.

Megan grabbed Axel's shoulders to keep him from falling off the speeding motorcycle.

"He's losing lots of blood!" she yelled over the sound of the motorcycle.

Jag pulled to the side of the road. He took off his shirt and handed it to Megan. She tore it into strips, making a temporary tourniquet, and tied it several inches above Axel's wound.

A few moments later, Axel regained consciousness, feeling nauseous but slightly better. They continued riding for almost an hour until the motorcycle choked to a stop.

"What's the matter?" Megan asked.

"Out of petrol," Jag said.

"What's petrol?" Axel wondered aloud.

Jag wheeled to the side of the road. "It's another name for gasoline," he said. "We must walk the rest of the way."

Jag helped Axel onto his back, and they hiked deep into the jungle. They came upon a sign that said Ratapani Tiger Reserve in both Hindi and...