him when he smashed it into scrap when he remembered his true purpose in coming here.
“ Tyler, I have to tell you this,” Jacob explained everything to
him.“ If I can believe what you told me, then all we have to do to
find the third penny is to get to this Esell guy?” Jacob nodded.“ Well, we may have a problem,” Tyler took a deep breath and continued,“ He left long before you got here.”
“ We were so close!” Jacob burst out,“ We could have gotten him!” Jacob sighed and said, more calmly,“ Let’ s get the group together,” and with a glint in his eye that meant he had a plan, Jacob continued,“ If Esell won’ t come to us, we’ ll go to him.”
“ Do you have a plan?” asked Tyler. Jacob nodded.“ Good, I was worried we might come out of this unharmed,” said Tyler Together, they went to John’ s house.
“ Where is John?” Tyler asked. Jacob glanced around and saw no sign of John.“ Where could he be?” Jacob walked around the house and saw nothing.
“ Jacob, come quick!” Tyler waved to him and beckoned Jacob to come to him,“ Look at this.” Tyler held up a pair of red and grey earbuds. Jacob grabbed them.
“ Where did you get these?” Jacob asked. Tyler pointed at a chair on the porch. Jacob went over to it. Like any other furniture left outside for a period of time longer than a minute, it bore signs of The Destroyer’ s work. Jacob spotted the Principles of Mathematics on the ground with a bookmark neatly tucked inside. He picked it up, and as he did, a note fell out of the book. It said,“ Dear Jacob or Tyler, if you are looking for me, I am getting the
third penny,” Jacob turned the note over,“ I followed Esell back to the company HQ.”“ Don’ t worry or follow me.”
“ What is that?” Tyler asked. He took the note and examined it.“ This is from John.”
“ I know,” Jacob said,“ We have to get to him!” Jacob and Tyler went to grab their bikes and headed off.