Shen was sitting with Lara, under a tree not far from the main entrance to the Arena, when Janek returned half an hour later. Their backpacks had been left in the dormitories.
Lara leapt to her feet when she saw Janek. “What’s wrong?”
“He’s not there. I looked where his note said he was and there’s marks on the ground, like there was a fight,” Janek said.
Shen had risen to his feet at Janek’s words. “Did you ask around to see if anyone heard or saw anything?”
Janek nodded. “Of course I did. They all say they saw nothing, but no one would meet my eyes.”
“Now what?” Lara asked. “We have to do something.”
“I don’t know. He was watching Josip, but that doesn’t mean it was Josip who took him.” He remembered how excited he’d been on The Island when he’d learned that Josip was looking for h
