The Conclusion to the Missing Series
by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Jordan has a chip on his shoulder when he suddenly needs to adjust to a new brother, and a twin at that...a twin whom everyone seems to respect. When he tries to get in on the action, he ends up taking everyone to a futuristic lab, where they are met by Second, a projectionist who betrayed JB and is considered by Jonah and Katherine as their worst enemy. They escape to a time hollow, but are followed by Second, who makes their teen-aged parents disappear. Jordan, Katherine, and Jonah return to the lab, where they end up being interrogated by three Interchronological Rescue employees. In an effort to be unpredictable, they go to the CEO of Interchronological Rescue, Curtis Rathbone.
He gives them an Elucidator that sends them back to the night of the initial plane landing. They see "Kevin" climbing the airport fence, then fall. When they go to check on him, he steals the Elucidator and they see that it is a young Second. They are brought back to the lab by "Deep Voice," who is actually working with Doreen and "Tattoo Face" against Mr. Rathbone. Second appears with Mr. Rathbone, un-aged to a baby, and he sends him and Jordan's siblings to separate time hollows. When Second leads Jordan to ask to go someplace he can make a difference, he ends up in a time hollow with teenage Second.
Since Second is injured, they go to a hospital, where Jordan is arrested for unauthorized time travel and finds himself face-to-face with JB, who "accidentally" drops an Elucidator on Jordan, allowing him to escape. After realizing the "Get me out of here!" command just led to spinning in place in the darkness of time, he decides to stick with what's working and asks the Elucidator to take him where he can make a difference for his family. Once again, he ends up in a time hollow with Second. More accurately, he is with a hologram of Second, which is then replaced by the teenage Kevin, fresh out of the hospital. After a short conversation, Jordan agrees to let Kevin give the Elucidator commands. Kevin un-ages during time travel, and they end up in Rathbone's office, which Jordan leaves after knocking Rathbone's Elucidator to the ground and grabbing back baby Kevin. Jordan returns with his family, who are immediately frozen. Rathbone puts together the broken Elucidator, only to rapidly age into dust. Jordan destroys the Elucidator with Kevin's secret before the time agents can be tempted by this "Pandora's Box."
Angela and JB decide to get married and adopt baby Gary and Hodge. Jordan's family takes in Kevin, and the kids even have a secret Elucidator given to them by JB "for emergencies" or times that they think it is necessary.
