by Debby Giusti
“How much longer?” she asked, her voice little more than a whisper.
“Randy, how far are we from the city?”
The driver turned down the radio and waited until Abraham repeated the question, then he shrugged. “We’re not far in miles, but you never know about traffic. Especially around midday. What time was the bus supposed to arrive?”
“Eleven.”
Randy glanced at the clock. “We might make it.”
“Might?” Her voice was pinched tight.
She closed her eyes, bringing to mind thoughts of when William was a little boy, thoughts of the good times instead of the bad.
Fortunately, the storm they had expected blew past, traffic moved and Randy skillfully got them to the city. They crossed over the river and onto the Missouri side.
“Which bus station?” Randy asked.
Abraham provided the address.
“We’re not far from there. I’ll drop you off in front. Should I hang around for a while?”
“If you can. As soon as we spot William, I will find a pay phone and call you.”
“You’ve got my number?”
“I do.”
Julia glanced at the clock on the dashboard. Eleven-fifteen. If only the bus was running behind schedule.
“Ready?” Abraham asked when the taxi pulled to the curb.
She nodded. He opened the door and stepped to the sidewalk. Julia followed, her eyes on the people exiting the bus station. She hurried through the doors with Abraham close behind her.
Both of them stopped short.
Julia’s heart pounded as she searched the folks milling around the central waiting area. “I don’t see him.”
Abraham guided her to the information desk. “Has the bus from Yoder, Kansas, arrived yet?”
The guy checked his computer screen. “About twenty minutes ago.”
Julia leaned into the counter. “Did you see a young boy, fourteen years old, brown hair, five-six and slender?”
The guy frowned. “Lady, do you know how many people come through this station each day?”
“He was wearing a gray Philadelphia Eagles sweatshirt.”
“I didn’t see him, ma’am, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t here.”
She turned away from the man who offered no help and pointed to a vending machine area. “Knowing William, he’s probably hungry. I’ll check the vending machines. You look in the restroom.”
Julia was downcast when she met up with Abraham again. “You didn’t find him either?”
“There is a fast-food restaurant at the end of the block.”
Julia’s spirits brightened. “He’s probably eating a burger and fries. We need to hurry.”
They walked rapidly along the street and soon arrived at the corner eatery. Julia peered through the tinted windows. The day was overcast, but the glare from the sun made it difficult to see inside.
“There.” She spotted William. “He’s at a table in the corner.”
She hurried toward the door but stopped before she entered and grabbed Abraham’s hand. “Pablo’s inside. I don’t think he’s seen William yet. He’s with another gang member from our neighborhood. His name’s Mateo Gonzales.”
Julia pointed out both guys to Abraham. Just as in Philadelphia, they wore their gang’s so-called uniform—white T-shirts, sagging pants, baseball caps turned backward and silk team jackets with Philador embroidered on one of the sleeves.
“You grab William and leave by that side door,” Abraham said. “We passed a small inside shopping mall on the way here. Right hand side of the street, two blocks down. I will meet you there.”
* * *
Abraham needed to distract Pablo and his buddy to give Julia time to grab William and hustle him out of the restaurant. If only the kid would go with her willingly and not give his mother a hard time.
Pablo elbowed Mateo and nodded in Julia’s direction. Before Abraham could get around an elderly woman who stepped in front of him, Pablo grabbed Julia’s arm.
She turned on him, eyes wide, and tried to pull her arm free. “No!” she cried.
A beefy guy, twice Pablo’s size, stepped in front of him. “Hey, buddy. The lady doesn’t want you touching her.”
Pablo laughed nervously and dropped his hold. Mateo edged around the big guy and moved toward Julia. Abraham barreled into him, throwing him off balance.
Mateo fell back against a teenage girl. Her tray flew into the air, spilling French fries and a burger onto the floor. The plastic top sailed off her mega soft drink, spewing cola and ice.
A rush of customers came to the young woman’s aid. In so doing, they surrounded Mateo and boxed him in.
Julia grabbed William. They left through a side door and hurried along the street, heading north to the rendezvous area Abraham had mentioned.
Disengaging himself from the gathering, he slipped out the front door and crossed the street, hoping to throw off the gang members if they connected him with Julia or the boy.
He glanced back just as the two men hurried outside. They looked both directions and then split up. Pablo headed north. Mateo turned south toward the bus station. Abraham pretended to examine merchandise in a store window until Pablo passed by on the opposite side of the street.
The punk was medium height but built like a tank. More than likely, he had flown into Kansas City. From the bulge at his waist, he must have picked up a weapon on the street. The east side was known for gang activity where money could buy anything.
Pablo gazed into the stores he passed and entered a number of them. Each time, he quickly returned to the street and continued walking. A game arcade appeared ahead. The perfect place for a young teen with money in his pocket to pass the time.
Pablo glanced over his shoulder. Abraham slipped into an alleyway, fearing he had been seen. He counted to ten under his breath and then peered from his hiding spot. Pablo was gone. Probably into the arcade, searching for William.
Abraham sauntered along the sidewalk toward the arcade, peered through the window and then stepped inside the darkened interior. A strobe light twirled overhead and mixed with the flashing lights from the machines. A number of adults and a few teens dropped coins into slots and pressed buttons or pulled on levers that activated the various games, filling the arcade with pings and dings and all types of other sounds.
Abraham kept his head down and his gaze focused on the various patrons as he slowly circled through the rows of machines. At the rear of the arcade, he spied Pablo. The punk opened a door and slipped into an adjoining area.
Abraham’s heart stopped. Pablo had gone from the game arcade through a back door into the shopping area where Julia and William would be waiting. Abraham’s plan had backfired. He should have hurried to meet Julia instead of tailing Pablo. By now, the three of them could have been far from either Pablo or his friend. Instead, Julia and her son were in the gang member’s crosshairs.
Abraham’s police skills were rusty at best, but Julia and William were in danger, imminent danger, and Abraham needed to save them.
EIGHT
Julia spotted Pablo. She and William had been in a sporting goods store, trying to act nonchalant like the other shoppers all the while they stared at the door, waiting for Abraham. Only their Amish friend hadn’t entered the store. Pablo had.
William tensed. “I’ll talk to him, Mom, and tell him I’m not going with him.”
“You will do nothing to alert him to your whereabouts, William. What don’t you understand about being in danger?”
“Pablo was always nice to me. He’s Davey’s brother.”
“And a member of the Philadores.”
“Davey said he’s getting out.”
“Getting out so he can join another gang?” she asked.
“Maybe, but the other gang isn’t looking for me, Mom
.”
“The Delphis want to get back at the Philadores. What better way than to capture the witness who can testify against the rival gang’s leader? You’d be a pawn, William, a bargaining chip to be used by one gang against the other.”
They’d keep her son alive as long as they needed him and then dispose of him once he was no longer of use.
She grabbed a pair of sweatpants off a rack, handed them to William and pushed him toward the dressing area. “Stay in the men’s dressing room until I tell you to come out.”
“Mom, you’re getting carried away.”
She leaned into his face. “I love you, William. I gave you life, and I will do anything to ensure you remain alive. Is that understood?”
He blinked.
“Get into the dressing room. Now. No arguments and don’t come out until I give you the all clear.”
Once William was gone, Julia glanced back at Pablo. He was walking through the shoe section, staring at the customers. Her heart stopped when he turned and started walking toward where she stood.
Julia grabbed a tennis outfit off a rack, slipped past a sales clerk who was arranging clothing on a nearby mannequin and hurried into the women’s dressing area.
Heavy footsteps sounded behind her.
“Is anyone in there?” Pablo called into the dressing room from the entrance.
“Sir.” A woman’s voice. “I’m the sales clerk in charge of this area. Are you looking for someone?”
“My kid.” Pablo grunted. “She’s ten. I’m worried about her safety.”
“We’ve never had a problem in this store. Wait out here, sir. I’ll check the dressing rooms as soon as I help a customer find her size.”
The click of high heels signaled the clerk had left to help her customer. Almost immediately, Pablo entered the changing area. Julia could see his shoes under the swinging, saloon-style door of the small dressing room where she hid. If she could see his feet, he could see hers. She climbed onto the ledge that doubled as a seat and held her breath. Her heart pounded like a jack hammer.
“Did you find your daughter, sir?” The click of high heels signaled the clerk’s return. “Sir?”
The door to Julia’s dressing room started to swing open.
“Men are not allowed in the women’s changing area, sir.” The clerk sounded indignant. “Leave now or I’ll call security.”
Pablo backed away from where Julia hid. “I’ll check the guy’s dressing room.”
“Your daughter wouldn’t go in there, sir. If you think there’s a problem, I’ll call security.”
“Maybe she’s in another store.” He stomped off with the clerk clicking her heels after him.
Julia peered from the dressing area and spied Pablo heading to the front of the store.
“Mom?”
William was staring at her.
“What are you doing out here?” she demanded. “I told you to stay in the dressing room.”
“Pablo was in the women’s dressing room. I thought he’d come into the men’s area next.” William reached for her hand. “Come on, Mom. There’s an emergency side exit.”
Julia glanced at the front of the store. Seeing Pablo, she turned and hurried after her son. Just as he had said, there was an emergency exit. William pushed it open and stepped into a narrow passageway that ran behind the shops.
“Pablo won’t find us here.” He squeezed her hand. “We’re safe.”
“You were ready to go with Pablo not long ago. What changed your mind?”
“You did, Mom. You said you would do anything to keep me alive. I don’t think Pablo would hurt me, but I don’t want to hurt you.”
She put her hands on his shoulders and stared into his eyes. “Promise you’ll never run away again and you’ll never take money from my purse.”
He hung his head and nodded. “I’ll pay the money back.”
The door they had just come through opened. Julia shoved William protectively behind herself.
A man stepped into the passageway.
She gasped, not from fear but with relief.
“Oh, Abraham, I didn’t know if we’d ever see you again.”
* * *
Abraham let out a deep sigh and pulled them both into his embrace. “I thought I had lost you.”
“Did you see Pablo?”
“He left the mall and headed back toward the bus station. I just called Randy. We need to hurry to where he plans to meet us.”
Abraham pointed to a side door that led to the street. “I will check outside and motion you both forward if the street is clear. Turn right, walk to the next intersection and make a left. The spot where Randy said he would be waiting will be at the end of the block.”
He opened the door and stood for a long moment, eyeing the flow of traffic and the people on the street. Convinced that Pablo and Mateo were not in sight, Abraham motioned Julia and William forward. They turned right and then left at the intersection. Abraham looked repeatedly over his shoulder to ensure they were not being followed.
His heart pounded. They were too visible and so vulnerable. Any car driving by could see them, but Pablo and his buddy were on foot. At least, Abraham hoped they were.
The drive-through burger joint sat on the corner. Abraham’s spirits took a nose dive as he studied the cars in the parking lot. The Amish taxi was nowhere to be seen.
“We could go inside, but I do not want a repeat of what happened at the restaurant earlier.” He spotted a small, rundown hotel across the street that would provide a place to wait until the taxi appeared.
He hurried Julia and William to the corner and across the street once the light turned.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Into the hotel. We can wait inside and watch the flow of cars without being so conspicuous.”
“What happened to Randy?”
“I am not sure. He might be held up in traffic.”
“I’m worried, Abraham.”
Abraham was worried too. Without transportation, they were trapped in the city with Pablo and his buddy, Mateo, searching for them.
NINE
Julia scooted closer to William. They both sat on a small settee in the hotel lobby while Abraham stood by the window, watching traffic. His last attempt to contact Randy had gone to voice mail.
The clerk at the desk had ignored them for almost an hour. Now he glanced repeatedly at them over his bifocals and finally asked, “You folks need a room?”
“We’re waiting for someone,” Julia said, offering a smile.
“Someone staying at the hotel?” the clerk asked.
“We’re not sure.”
Traffic on the street slowed to a standstill.
Abraham stepped toward Julia and lowered his voice. “Stay here while I phone Randy again. Maybe his cell phone is on by now.”
He headed to the pay phone in the nearby alcove and returned some minutes later. “There is a problem with the taxi’s engine,” Abraham said under his breath. “Randy found a mechanic who called it a big job that will take hours. The guy said he would work late if Randy was willing to pay time and a half.”
“Did Randy agree?”
“I told him I would cover the extra expense. I also talked to Jonathan and filled him in on what had happened. He was in his car, trying to get home. A spring snowstorm is blanketing Philadelphia, and his office is closed.”
Julia’s already faltering spirits plummeted even lower. “So, the US Marshals’ office is brought to a halt by Mother Nature?” she whispered.
“Evidently.”
The clerk cleared his throat. “I know you folks are watching for a friend of yours, but the lobby is reserved for hotel patrons only.”
“I understand, sir.” Abraham looked at Julia. “We will take two adjoining rooms.”
She titled her head, confused.
“You and William can rest.”
Which was a good plan. Her son’s eyes were puffy and bloodshot. He probably hadn’t slept last night nor on the bus ride to Kansas City.
Julia moved closer to the window as Abraham approached the registration desk to check them in.
An ambulance snaked through the traffic, its siren blaring.
Abraham turned to look at her.
She shrugged. “Maybe an accident.”
“Any sign of Pablo or Mateo?”
Julia shook her head. “The only thing I see—”
Flicking her gaze to the far side of the street, she gasped and drew away from the window. She grabbed William’s hand and motioned him to where Abraham stood by the registration desk. A phone rang in a back office. The clerk disappeared to answer the call.
“We’ve got a problem,” Julia told Abraham, her voice low.
He glanced out the front window.
Pablo and Mateo were walking across the street toward the hotel.
“There’s Davey’s brother,” William said, pointing to the picture window. “He’s probably worried about me. Maybe I should tell him I’m with you, Mom, and not to worry.”
She grabbed her son’s arm. “You won’t tell him anything, William. He and his friend came to Kansas City to find you and take you back to Philadelphia. They’ll use you as a bargaining tool to improve their standing in one of the gangs.”
Staring into William’s troubled eyes, she added, “Don’t you understand, son? Pablo doesn’t care about you or your well-being. He’s only thinking of himself.”
“But I need to get a message to Davey.”
“The only message you need to give anyone is that you’re safely hidden, far from where any gang member can find you.”
Abraham pointed to a side exit. “We need to leave the hotel.”
