hip-checked her as he dove into the back of the van, and Ash collapsed silently to the dusty street. The other man slipped through Rolfe’s grasp 71
and clambered into the front seat. The tires screeched against pavement, and the van barreled down the alleyway and onto the main drag, with the back doors still flapping open.
Ash used the walking stick to stand up, and then let it clatter to the pavement next to her. Rolfe crossed over and helped Ade, who was rubbing his stomach tenderly, to his feet. Raja had her hands on her hips and was staring at the skid marks the van had left, while Lily slipped the pepper spray back into her purse.
Then, as one, they all turned to look at Serena.
The petite girl used the railing to pull herself slowly to her feet. Considering that she’d kept at bay two men twice her size, it was astonishing that she stood barely five feet tall at eighty-five pounds. Her face looked even paler than usual—she always reminded Ash of an ivory stone that had spent years churned and tossed by the sea, to eventually wash ashore milky and smooth on a foreign coast.
What was most unsettling was that, although Serena looked flustered and out of breath, she lacked the one crucial expression that Ash and her other four schoolmates currently shared: confusion.
“Are you all right, Serena?” Ash asked. She placed a hand on the girl’s elbow. “This is Ashline Wilde, by the way.”
“Thank you, Ash,” Serena said in her light and airy voice. “Did you fend off those two men all by yourself?”
72
Even as she asked, her blind eyes shrewdly looked to where the other four had clustered.
“She had a little help,” Raja said, and picked up the walking stick. The shiny orb on the top was caked with the kidnapper’s blood. She wrinkled her nose with disgust. “Why don’t I clean this up before I give it back to you?”
Serena just nodded, the disconcerting grin not leaving her face. “I definitely heard Rolfe Hanssen as well.”
“Guilty as charged,” Rolfe said.
“Lily and Ade, too,” Ade offered helpfully.
Serena giggled, a strange and ghostly laugh. “At least we’ll have something to talk about during photography tomorrow, won’t we, Lily?”
Lily squinted at her. “You’re not in my—oh, we’re making jokes now?”
Ash withdrew her cell phone from her purse. “Well, I can’t imagine this will go over well with the headmistress, but we’re going to have to call the cops.” She flipped the phone open.
Before she could even dial a single digit, Serena’s hand shot out and wrapped around her wrist, with such ferocity that Ash actually jumped. Serena’s grip was stronger than Ash would have imagined for such a small girl. Then again, Serena had spent at least a full minute clinging to the dock railing for dear life.
“No,” Serena whispered. “No police.”
“Are you kidding me?” Raja said. “Two men in 73
dark clothes and camo just tried to pull a blind girl—
no offense—into a windowless van. That’s some pretty twisted shit.”
“We’ve even got some of their blood.” Lily pointed to the walking stick in Raja’s hands. “Maybe they can do some of their DNA hocus-pocus and track these guys down.”
“No. Police,” Serena repeated, breaking down the words with finality.
“Those were your bookies, weren’t they?” Rolfe suggested. “You have a gambling problem and they came to collect.”
Serena giggled hoarsely again. “When you can’t see the cards, you do lose your chips awfully fast.” When no one laughed and she seemed to sense that everyone was still staring at her, she said, “Listen, I’m really tired.
It has to be well after midnight. Two dudes just chased me down the street and tried to throw me into a van . .
. and I have an algebra quiz first period. Do you know how exhausting it is to take a test in braille? So do me a favor. . . . Let me get a good night’s rest, sleep it off, and go about my day, and I’ll give the cops
and clambered into the front seat. The tires screeched against pavement, and the van barreled down the alleyway and onto the main drag, with the back doors still flapping open.
Ash used the walking stick to stand up, and then let it clatter to the pavement next to her. Rolfe crossed over and helped Ade, who was rubbing his stomach tenderly, to his feet. Raja had her hands on her hips and was staring at the skid marks the van had left, while Lily slipped the pepper spray back into her purse.
Then, as one, they all turned to look at Serena.
The petite girl used the railing to pull herself slowly to her feet. Considering that she’d kept at bay two men twice her size, it was astonishing that she stood barely five feet tall at eighty-five pounds. Her face looked even paler than usual—she always reminded Ash of an ivory stone that had spent years churned and tossed by the sea, to eventually wash ashore milky and smooth on a foreign coast.
What was most unsettling was that, although Serena looked flustered and out of breath, she lacked the one crucial expression that Ash and her other four schoolmates currently shared: confusion.
“Are you all right, Serena?” Ash asked. She placed a hand on the girl’s elbow. “This is Ashline Wilde, by the way.”
“Thank you, Ash,” Serena said in her light and airy voice. “Did you fend off those two men all by yourself?”
72
Even as she asked, her blind eyes shrewdly looked to where the other four had clustered.
“She had a little help,” Raja said, and picked up the walking stick. The shiny orb on the top was caked with the kidnapper’s blood. She wrinkled her nose with disgust. “Why don’t I clean this up before I give it back to you?”
Serena just nodded, the disconcerting grin not leaving her face. “I definitely heard Rolfe Hanssen as well.”
“Guilty as charged,” Rolfe said.
“Lily and Ade, too,” Ade offered helpfully.
Serena giggled, a strange and ghostly laugh. “At least we’ll have something to talk about during photography tomorrow, won’t we, Lily?”
Lily squinted at her. “You’re not in my—oh, we’re making jokes now?”
Ash withdrew her cell phone from her purse. “Well, I can’t imagine this will go over well with the headmistress, but we’re going to have to call the cops.” She flipped the phone open.
Before she could even dial a single digit, Serena’s hand shot out and wrapped around her wrist, with such ferocity that Ash actually jumped. Serena’s grip was stronger than Ash would have imagined for such a small girl. Then again, Serena had spent at least a full minute clinging to the dock railing for dear life.
“No,” Serena whispered. “No police.”
“Are you kidding me?” Raja said. “Two men in 73
dark clothes and camo just tried to pull a blind girl—
no offense—into a windowless van. That’s some pretty twisted shit.”
“We’ve even got some of their blood.” Lily pointed to the walking stick in Raja’s hands. “Maybe they can do some of their DNA hocus-pocus and track these guys down.”
“No. Police,” Serena repeated, breaking down the words with finality.
“Those were your bookies, weren’t they?” Rolfe suggested. “You have a gambling problem and they came to collect.”
Serena giggled hoarsely again. “When you can’t see the cards, you do lose your chips awfully fast.” When no one laughed and she seemed to sense that everyone was still staring at her, she said, “Listen, I’m really tired.
It has to be well after midnight. Two dudes just chased me down the street and tried to throw me into a van . .
. and I have an algebra quiz first period. Do you know how exhausting it is to take a test in braille? So do me a favor. . . . Let me get a good night’s rest, sleep it off, and go about my day, and I’ll give the cops
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