Halfway Heroes

by Dustin Martin

  Chapter 27—Unexpected Setback

  Mom?! Dad?! Lydia stumbled away from the door and crashed into the wall. Her parents kidnapped? She couldn’t process it. She slumped against the wall, replaying the last parts of the conversation over and over. Arnold and Debra Penner. Lydia’s parents. Arnold and Debra Penner. Lydia’s parents.

  My parents.

  Her eyes snapped open. She hopped to her feet. She had to leave now! Right away! The trucks came tomorrow. Reconnaissance would have to suffer. Lydia wouldn’t leave her parents to the fate of killers like Heather and this Finster—or to anyone else.

  A door creaked open. Someone leaving Arthur’s office? Lydia ran, heading for the elevator. She leaned on the down button. It dinged and opened. Lydia jumped inside, crashing into a warm body. Together they fell to the floor.

  Underneath her, she heard a familiar person groan. “I’m used to girls running to me, but not this hard.”

  “Jando?” Lydia asked.

  “The one and only,” he said. He looked up at her and at their position on the floor. She was lying on top of him. He grinned cheekily, earning Lydia’s disgust before he said anything. “I could get used to this though.”

  Lydia scrambled off of him and pressed the first-floor button. Jando protested, but she held up her hand. “I need to ask you something,” she said.

  “No, I haven’t done anything in an elevator. But if you want to, we’ll have to get back into our floor poses.”

  “This is serious,” Lydia said. “I need your help with something.” Jando picked himself up and gave her his attention. The elevator reached the first floor as Lydia tried to calm her thumping heart. Her jumbled mess of fears threatened to overwhelm her. She shook her head, closed her eyes, and conjured up the best way to ask him. There was no beating around the bush.

  They let the elevator doors close without exiting. She turned to face Jando. “I need you to help me escape.”

  “Escape?” he asked.

  “Escape on the supply trucks that come in.” A light dawned in his eyes. “I have it all planned out. You can come with us if you want.”

  “Who’s ‘us’?” Jando asked.

  “Me and Aidan. Or you can stay. Either way, we need your help to hide on the trucks.”

  Jando looked at her thoughtfully for a moment and shook his head. “No.” He hit the top floor button. “I’m not getting involved in this. I’d like to get out of here, too. I want to see my family again, but I don’t want to mess it up and get held back.”

  “Just help us get on the trucks,” Lydia said, panicking. She couldn’t allow her plan to fall through. Her parents’ lives hinged on her actions. She hit the stop button on the elevator. “We need your help.”

  “Why are you so desperate to leave all of a sudden?”

  “It’s my parents,” she said. Jando paused in pushing his floor’s button, listening. “They’ve been kidnapped. I need to get out of here and rescue them.”

  Jando looked confused. “And you just happen to have a plan ready to go?”

  Lydia saw no point in hiding anything now. Maybe if she came clean, Jando would sympathize with her plight. “I wanted to get out of here and find a cure. I was looking for you on the top floor and overheard Arthur and Sylvia talking. They said my parents are being held hostage, possibly by the same group that killed Kirk. They said the group might release a disease in my town if their demands aren’t met. He has to send her there to help the cops and the FBI. So you see, I have to leave. They’re in grave danger.”

  He studied her for several moments and then started the elevator. “That’s quite a story.”

  “It’s the truth!”

  “That you told me after I said no. My answer hasn’t changed,” he said.

  Lydia was losing her patience. She went for the attack. “I guess your charm was an act all along. You won’t even lift a finger to help someone when they really need it.”

  “Sure I would,” he said, feigning offense. “I’ll at least give you a hand.” Lydia’s spirits lifted briefly until he started clapping. “I must admit that your story was entertaining. Like something out of a forgettable comic book. All you need to do is swap out the parents with a love interest. More thrilling in that case.”

  “I’m not lying. You have to believe me.” Lydia hit the stop button again.

  “Also said the last person who asked me to help him sneak around. ‘I need to get in the teacher’s desk to get my wallet! My family pictures are in it!’ ” Jando said, squeaking out the high-pitched imitation. “English may be my second language, but I’m positive video games have never been called wallets. I got all the blame for that, too. It’s not the first time someone has tried to take advantage of my ability. So excuse me if I want to stay out of this one.”

  “You—”

  “Wait,” Jando said. “Before you call me every rotten thing under the sun, hear me out. Let’s say your story is true. What’s the problem, then? Arthur put Sylvia, one of the top BEP agents, on the case. Plus the FBI and police are helping. So your parents are in good hands.”

  “I can’t rely on that,” Lydia said. “They killed Kirk, after all.”

  “Don’t rely on me either,” Jando said, leaning on the wall and picking his fingernails. “Like my dad said, ‘You can only rely on yourself.’ That’s worked so far for me.” He chewed one of his nails, spitting the piece across the elevator.

  “What would you do if it was your parents?” Lydia yelled.

  His mouth tightened and he stared at the floor for a moment. He raised his head. “Good luck,” he said.

  Lydia punched the open button, smashing its plastic casing and leaving a deep impression. She glowered at him. “Since you’re not going to help, don’t tell anyone where I’m going.” Then she was gone.

  * * *