Maximum Ride 4
James Patterson
Team leader counts down to capturing the flock. The robots encase a cabin with nets. The team leader didn’t realize their prey could fly and the Uber-Director vaporizes the entire team with a thought.
The flock digs a grave and has a funeral for Ari, which Jeb also attends. Suddenly, Jeb turns all business and tells Max that the flock should go meet with some potential allies in Washington DC. She only agrees because her mother, Dr. Martinez, also recommends that they go. Nudge finds out that she can attract metal when she want to. Jeb said that wasn’t programmed in and they might be mutation on their own.
Fang updates his blog and answers some readers’ questions.
They meet Dr. Martinez in DC. She and Jeb take the flock to a safe house to get cleaned up before the meeting. The voice returns, telling Max to remember the mission. It also says that Jeb is not its true identity. They arrive at the Capital Building and are shown the footage of the last 6 months. The American government wants both groups to benefit from each other, but Max doesn’t see how that would work, especially after their suggestions. She explains that they don’t trust the people that they are meeting with. The adults try to convince her to see it their way, but she points out all of the holes in all of their offers. They leave to return to the safe house.
They order pizza and discuss the day’s meeting. Angel didn’t sense any bad intentions coming from them, but they do have secrets. Iggy finds out that he can tell colors by touch. When the pizza arrives, the start sorting them out. Gazzy notices a wire, which gives them time to take cover before the explosion. They get ready to leave.
At a motel a little ways away, Max stays up late talking with her mom, who offers for her to come home. Max declines for her mom’s safety. Her mom asks what is going on between her and Fang. Max tries to unconvincingly deny her feelings. When everyone is asleep, Fang wakes up Max for a late night flight. They stop on a dock and talk about their relationship. Both have trouble admitting their feelings. Fang kisses Max and she takes off.
Max doesn’t get much sleep while she tries to deal with her emotions. They meet with the government again, who seems to think the school they have planned is a done deal. The flock thinks otherwise. Max expresses her anger at the adults talking about them rather than to them. She explains that they have been survivors with real life experience that wouldn’t fit into their school plan. They storm off through an open window.
They fly above the Pentagon and are chased away by two jets.
The flock takes refuge in a park and Max calls her mom to let her know that they are okay. Jeb tells her that she is doing a good job and to trust her instincts. His praise and advice makes her suspicious. As they are all laying in the trees, getting ready to sleep, Fang seems to keep going missing. His new power is invisibility when he is incredibly still. Max explains that her plan is to move frequently and not trust humans.
The Uber-Director is located underground in Europe. His assistant alerts him that his meeting is ready to go. There is a video conference with many powerful world leaders. the Uber-Director shows video of the flock and says that they are for sale. Later, he watches his newest creations complete a practice task and is satisfied with their work. He rewards them with a jolt of electricity.
Angel shows off a new ability that allows her to change her appearance. max tries to comfort the flock by explaining that no one knows what is coming next, not just them.
Fang blogs about the flock’s future and goals.
The voice gives Max coordinates of where to go meet her mom. When they arrive there is a private landing strip, a plane, and Dr. Martinez. She introduces them to Dr. Brigid Dwyer, who offers them a scientific trip to a remote place to help save the world. The flock checks out the plane and Max asks where they are going. Brigid says Argentina, but they will take a boat from there. Max and Fang are suspicious and on guard.
They arrive in Argentina and fly over Brigid’s Jeep to their next location. They board an old fishing bot that has been converted into a research station. They meet Dr. Papa, who explains that they are going to save the world from global warming. They get settled in and talk about how they are going to the South Pole. Dr. Papa comes by to invite them to meet everyone. Total instantly falls in love with the crew’s dog, Akila.
The meet the crew- who tells them to call them by their first names. Max shows off her wings to get it out of the way. They explain about themselves when asked. The scientist teach them about global warming and its affects on the earth. They explain that they need the bird kids because they will be safer in the dangers of Antarctica because they can fly. They also want them to publicize about global warming because they have so much coverage. The flock goes to discuss this.
Brigid and Fang start to get to know each other. Max takes to the air to try to figure out why she is jealous. She lands and the scientists do their best not to be too intrusive. Fang asks her what is wrong and she lets slip his flirting. She says there ins’t a “him and her” but he says there is.
Total is depressed that Akila doesn’t seem to like him. The flock decides to stay with the scientists for a while. They check out the ship and hang out with the crew. Max talks to Melanie a little about their past. Angel comes to join Max and Melanie because she heard whales thinking. Paul asks if she likes to make up stories. Angel explains that she can read minds--including most animals.
The bird kids spot land before the crew does. Michael Papa explains that they will be staying with about 40 other people. Max and Fang are back on guard. When they arrive in Antarctica, they are surprised at how white everything is. They are surprised to find that Iggy can see, but only when there is complete whiteness. They are taken to where they will be staying.
The Uber-Director is pleased that the flock made it to Antarctica. He calls the gigantic Gozen to prepare his troops.
While watching some penguins play, a creature pops out of the water and grabs Sue Ann and dives back under. Fang and Max rescue Sue Ann from a leopard seal and get her to the infirmary, where they find wires in her leg. Paul sends the rest of the crew to search everywhere for cameras when he realizes that she was a traitor.
Gozen and his troops arrive. They inflate a shelter and one troop informs him that their contact is presumed dead.
Fang blogs about global warming.
The flock flies around an goes to a volcano. Nudge and total bathe in some steamy water which allows them to see that Total is growing wings. When they get back, Brigid talks safety with the flock before their first real outing. They go out and explore. Max becomes uneasy, sensing danger. No one can see anything wrong, so they go back to what they were doing.
Fang blogs his hopes of inspiring kids to become scientists.
Max pushes Fang away again, so he confronts her about her jealousy. Angel, Total, and Akila go missing as a storm approaches. Angel wanted to touch a baby penguin and started following them and fell into a crevice, taking the two dogs with her. Brian and Paul try to stop Max and Fang from going after their youngest flock member, but Max punches him and they leave. They check in a flock of penguins, but Angel is not there. They find Angel and fish her out with a rope. They dig a shelter and are quickly sealed inside.
They become dehydrated and start loosing air. Total gives his dying speech and Max punches a hole in the wall. They hear a voice. Gozen has been tracking them via devices that Sue Ann had planted. When they try to escape, they are captured in nets.
They are taken to a plane and release from the nets. Max hears Gazzy call her name. The ramps are locked and the plane takes off. The flock goes a little stir crazy, but are surrounded by the robots that captured them. Eventually, Gozen comes back. Max tries to figure out where they are going, but only finds that the trip will take 14 hours. Gozen pushes her down and kicks her in the ribs when she becomes insolent. The giant explains that his group is against global warming and the flock is the problem.
They arrive in Miami and are kept in a very secure room (even Nudge can’t pick the door lock with her magnetism) until the auction. They are brought a whole bunch of food - including birdseed (which makes them laugh hysterically)- before Gozen comes to get them to be sold. The city is evacuated due to a category 4 hurricane. They are taken to the Uber-Director, who explains his scientific curiosity, and Max explains hers about how he lives.
The flock is not quiet when the TV screens start showing people’s faces and the auction begins. Gazzy flatulates a green cloud--his new skill. The hurricane breaks the safety glass. The flock tries to hide under the table and decide what to do. They can’t fly away so they decide to get to the hallway for safety. They secure the dogs and Max uses the wind and her wings to get away from Gozen and the Uber-Director. They float around in the winds until the hit the eye of the storm. Fang and Iggy were unable to hold on to Akila. May flies up to meet Gozen and the Uber-Director.
Their enemies both ask for help, but Max refuses. She kicks Gozen in the arm to separate them and lets the hurricane take them away. She returns to the flock on the ground and is hit by Akila. They make it out of the storm and start planning what to do next.
The crew of the Wendy K helped Max write a speech about global warming to deliver to congress. She ends up throwing away the notes and ranting for a while.
They go to the opening of the school for gifted children that they were supposed to attend. They voice tells Max that they have more work to do and the flock takes off.