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“I can’t do it, either.” Frankie lifted her hands. “Not without help.”

Bo glanced my way with the unspoken question.

I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Bo. I don’t think I can make it without slipping off.”

“Why would they give us a task like this when they know several of us can’t do it?” Frankie wondered aloud.

“Problem solving,” Jax offered. “Strategic planning. Time management. Take your pick.”

Bo blew out a breath. I noticed he hadn’t asked Jax if he could manage it. Guess that meant he could. “Okay, Wally, Frankie, and Angel, if you can’t make it on your own, Jax and I are going to have to help you. We’ll have to partially support your weight, and as Jax and I are the largest, we’ll take turns helping you over. Mike, get going and the rest of you follow.”

Mike scrambled to the bars, jumped up, and started across, his legs swinging. When he got about halfway, Kira started. A minute later, Hala followed her. They made it look easy as they hopped off and waited for us.

Bo dipped his head toward Wally. “All right, you’re first. Let’s go.”

“Me?” Wally said, his face paling further. “What about girls first?”

“Get your butt over there,” Bo said. “Let’s go.”

“Wait.” Wally looked panicked. “Howexactlyare we going to do this?”

“We’ll go across together.” Bo said, motioning for Wally to come with him to the ladder on the monkey bars. He reached up and grabbed onto the first bar. “Get on my back.”

“You’re going to carry me?” Wally said incredulously. “That can’t be safe.”

“I’m going topartiallycarry you,” Bo clarified. “You need to help me by holding on to the bars and carrying some of your own weight. Got it?”

“Not really,” Wally started backing up.

“Get on his back, Wally,” Frankie said. “You’ll be fine.”

“I really think we should discuss this further.”

“There will benomore discussion,” Bo said. “If you don’t get on my back, I’ll knock you unconscious and carry you.”

Wally gulped. He may have been the general in the virtual world, but Bo was in charge here. “Fine.” He held up his hands. “No need to go allHalo 5on me.”

Wally walked up to the monkey bars and jumped, catching the first monkey bar inside Bo’s hands. “There. Satisfied?”

“Not yet. Put your legs around my waist and wait for my command. I’ll tell you when we’re moving to each bar. Ready?”

Wally’s face was ashen. “Not really, but what choice do I have?”

“None. Jax, get moving. You’re next.”

“Yes, sir.” Jax turned to me and Frankie. “Okay, ladies. Who wants to go next?”

Frankie immediately pointed to me. “She does. I’ll watch her and get important tips on what to do.”

I was going to protest, but Jax grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the ladder. “Up you go, Red.”

Bo and Wally were moving slowly across the bars, but they were hanging on. The muscles in Bo’s arms were straining. I couldn’t even imagine how hard it must be for him.

Jax snapped his fingers in front of my face. “Red, are you paying attention? Grab the first rung and get on my back.”

I looked up. He was tall enough to reach the bar and still have his feet on the ladder. “I have to climb on your back?”

Jax studied me from behind his sunglasses. “While it might be a lot more fun if you held on to me from the front, it would be kind of hard to cross the monkey bars like that.”