Read Online The Hunted by Gloria Skurzynski - Free Book Online Page B

can’t decide everything for everybody. Maybe Miguel doesn’t want to live with us.”
    â€œWho wouldn’t want to?”
    â€œMe, sometimes!”
    â€œWhat are you talking about?” Ashley looked at him with her chin thrust out stubbornly.
    â€œLook, it’s one thing to give someone a haircut when they don’t want one, but it’s a whole different thing to boss them on how they’re going to live the rest of their lives. You can’t just take over people, Ashley. You gotta stop this—hey, are you listening to me? I’m trying to talk to you.”
    â€œShhh. Wait a second. Did you hear that?” Ashley held up her hand, motioning for Jack to be quiet. Looking toward the woods, she peered intently into the distance, her eyes narrowed.
    â€œCome on, Ashley—”
    â€œNo! I mean it! Listen!”
    Jack strained, but he heard nothing except the chirping of birds and the rustling of the wind through the treetops. “It’s just the wind.”
    â€œNo, there it is again. I can just barely hear. Way off, it’s like a thumping. Boom, boom, boom.”
    â€œAre you trying to psych me out?”
    Ashley shook her head. “It’s really soft…like…I don’t know…a heartbeat.” Tilting her head, she asked, “Didn’t you hear that?”
    The tiny hairs on the back of Jack’s neck stood up when he heard the sound—a soft thumping in the distance, as if the air itself were pulsating. From the direction, he guessed it was coming from an area on the farthest edge of Quartz Creek Loop, maybe a quarter of a mile from their campsite. Whoever it was, they were back in the trees, well hidden from the Landon camp.
    â€œI don’t get it. No one is supposed to be in here,” Jack said. “The entrance into Quartz Creek Campground is chained. This whole area is closed.”
    â€œWell, somebody’s in the woods,” Ashley shot back. “It sounds like music.”
    â€œThe only other people who could possibly be back there are rangers. Or hikers.”
    â€œMaybe. I just hope it’s not….” Ashley’s face clouded. She bit her lip and looked at Miguel.
    â€œWhat?”
    Mouthing the words, so that she barely made a sound, Ashley whispered, “The police!”
    Miguel must have been able to read lips. He jumped forward so fast Jack barely had time to grab his arm. “¡Policía! ¡Policía!” Miguel exploded.
    â€œHold on, Miguel, don’t listen to Ashley—she’s just crazy. ¡Loco! There’s no police!”
    â€œNo Nogales! No!” Miguel cried, tugging at Jack’s arm. For someone so small, Miguel was amazingly strong. It took all of Jack’s strength to hold him.
    â€œWay to go, Ashley,” Jack hissed at his sister. “You’ve got him all freaked!”
    â€œI was just thinking about the newspaper. They said the police were looking for him.”
    â€œPolice don’t crank up music in their patrol cars in the middle of the woods. Now Miguel believes he’s about to be deported. Nice going!” Then, to Miguel, “Calm down. Listen to me, you’re OK.”
    Miguel stared at Jack, his eyes round with panic, his breathing shallow.
    â€œNo police, Miguel. No worries. It’s just hikers.” He moved his index and third finger through the air as if they were walking. “Hikers. ¿Sí? ”
    Suddenly, as abruptly as it started, the music stopped. The woods around them were silent once again, as if a giant plug had been pulled. A beat later it blared once again, only to be silenced just as quickly. The three of them stared at each other until Jack whispered, “Weird.”
    â€œWe ought to check it out,” Ashley said. “I have a great sense of direction, and I know I can take us right to where that music was coming from. But we won’t go all the way there. We’ll get Dad’s