CHAPTER 24
Mint Foster struggled against the ropes that bound her, but she couldn’t break free. The ropes were too tight.
She and her brother, Graeme, lay in the back of a black van driven by Artemus Cheeseburgerus. Monte Cristo sat in the pilot seat.
The van approached the entrance to New Eaton—a long strip of neon tollbooths manned by Fry Guards who inspected every vehicle. The soda bottle and cereal box skyscrapers rose behind them and the lights of the Arterion glittered in the distance.
Home.
She had never been so upset to see her home.
She missed her dad.
Artemus joined a line of black vans waiting to gain entrance into the city. He glanced up in the rearview mirror, his greasy eyes watching the children’s every move.
“Are you okay?” Mint whispered to Graeme.
The boy nodded,
