hadnât she turned around? How could she not see him? He guided her toward the car and opened the passenger-side door and ⦠was he forcing her into the car?
I froze in place. What was I supposed to do? Should I run to one of the houses and pound on the door and have them call the police? Why hadnât she tried to run away?Why hadnât she screamed out or struggled? Did she know this person? And if she did, why was she out here meeting some man in the middle of the night? None of this made any sense, and from the distance I was at I couldnât really tell what was happening. I had to get closer, and fast, in case the car drove off.
I stayed close to the houses, still sure that the deep shadows would conceal me as long as I didnât move too fast. From house to house I darted, ducking behind bushes, hidden by parked cars and trees, keeping one eye on the ground in front of me and the other on the car. I could see the two dark shadows now through the back window. They were facing away from me, looking forward.
I was now close enough that if it hadnât been so dark I would have been able to read the licence plate ⦠was it covered with mud? I needed to get closer yet. I crawled on my belly along the grass, keeping a large bush between me and the car. I was slightly behind and to one side. To get any closer, Iâd have to cross the open sidewalk, and that would put me right behind the car. On my knees I crawled across the pavement, staying so low that there was no way I could be seen in the rear-view mirror. I closed the gap and slumped down right behind the car, hidden by the trunk. Iâd made it.
I took a deep breath and tried to slow down my heart, which was practically pounding through my chest.Okay ⦠I was here, and I could hear my mother and the big guy talking ⦠although I couldnât hear what they were saying. My motherâs voice was louder. Did that mean that her window was open? I shifted a little bit to the side. If it was open and I got a little bit closer, then I couldâthere was something pressed against the back of my head.
âIf you move, youâre dead,â a foreign-sounding voice said.
CHAPTER NINE
THE BLOOD FROZE in my veins.
âNo sudden movements, and raise your hands slowly above your head!â a man hissed.
As I did what I was told, my legs were kicked out from under me and I slammed, face first, into the road! A knee was pushed into the side of my head, pressing my face down so that the pavement bit painfully into my cheek.
âDonât even think about moving!â
âI ⦠I wonât,â I stammered.
A second set of feet appeared and a bright light was shone into my face.
âHeâs just a kid!â the second voice exclaimed.
I heard the car door open and the sound of more shoes on the pavement.
âGeorge?â
Without being able to move my head I looked up as best I could. It was Bill!
âLet my son up!â
There was my mother, standing right beside Bill! Instantly I was pulled to my feet, and my mother wrapped her arms around me.
âEverybody, into the car,â Bill barked, and I was swept off my feet and practically tossed into the back seat. Bill climbed in behind the wheel and the engine roared to life. We swerved away from the curb and raced away. Headlights flashed as a second car peeled away and fell in right behind us.
âBoth of you, put your heads down!â Bill ordered.
âGeorge, your face ⦠youâre hurt!â my mother exclaimed.
I put a hand up to my face and it came away with blood on it. The side of my face had been scraped when I was thrown to the ground.
âHeâs hurt!â my mother yelled.
âHow badly?â Bill demanded. âDo I need to get him medical help?â
âIâm okay,â I said, trying to sound calm. âItâs just my cheek. Iâm okay ⦠itâs just a scrape!â I hoped that was all
I froze in place. What was I supposed to do? Should I run to one of the houses and pound on the door and have them call the police? Why hadnât she tried to run away?Why hadnât she screamed out or struggled? Did she know this person? And if she did, why was she out here meeting some man in the middle of the night? None of this made any sense, and from the distance I was at I couldnât really tell what was happening. I had to get closer, and fast, in case the car drove off.
I stayed close to the houses, still sure that the deep shadows would conceal me as long as I didnât move too fast. From house to house I darted, ducking behind bushes, hidden by parked cars and trees, keeping one eye on the ground in front of me and the other on the car. I could see the two dark shadows now through the back window. They were facing away from me, looking forward.
I was now close enough that if it hadnât been so dark I would have been able to read the licence plate ⦠was it covered with mud? I needed to get closer yet. I crawled on my belly along the grass, keeping a large bush between me and the car. I was slightly behind and to one side. To get any closer, Iâd have to cross the open sidewalk, and that would put me right behind the car. On my knees I crawled across the pavement, staying so low that there was no way I could be seen in the rear-view mirror. I closed the gap and slumped down right behind the car, hidden by the trunk. Iâd made it.
I took a deep breath and tried to slow down my heart, which was practically pounding through my chest.Okay ⦠I was here, and I could hear my mother and the big guy talking ⦠although I couldnât hear what they were saying. My motherâs voice was louder. Did that mean that her window was open? I shifted a little bit to the side. If it was open and I got a little bit closer, then I couldâthere was something pressed against the back of my head.
âIf you move, youâre dead,â a foreign-sounding voice said.
CHAPTER NINE
THE BLOOD FROZE in my veins.
âNo sudden movements, and raise your hands slowly above your head!â a man hissed.
As I did what I was told, my legs were kicked out from under me and I slammed, face first, into the road! A knee was pushed into the side of my head, pressing my face down so that the pavement bit painfully into my cheek.
âDonât even think about moving!â
âI ⦠I wonât,â I stammered.
A second set of feet appeared and a bright light was shone into my face.
âHeâs just a kid!â the second voice exclaimed.
I heard the car door open and the sound of more shoes on the pavement.
âGeorge?â
Without being able to move my head I looked up as best I could. It was Bill!
âLet my son up!â
There was my mother, standing right beside Bill! Instantly I was pulled to my feet, and my mother wrapped her arms around me.
âEverybody, into the car,â Bill barked, and I was swept off my feet and practically tossed into the back seat. Bill climbed in behind the wheel and the engine roared to life. We swerved away from the curb and raced away. Headlights flashed as a second car peeled away and fell in right behind us.
âBoth of you, put your heads down!â Bill ordered.
âGeorge, your face ⦠youâre hurt!â my mother exclaimed.
I put a hand up to my face and it came away with blood on it. The side of my face had been scraped when I was thrown to the ground.
âHeâs hurt!â my mother yelled.
âHow badly?â Bill demanded. âDo I need to get him medical help?â
âIâm okay,â I said, trying to sound calm. âItâs just my cheek. Iâm okay ⦠itâs just a scrape!â I hoped that was all
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