by Dale Mayer
Anger radiated from deep inside him because he knew he'd closed that window pretty tightly. And he sure as hell hadn't opened it again. Gem sat stiff and straight at his side. If he wasn't mistaken there was a little more than uncertainty in her eyes too. Her narrow gaze was ever watchful. Distrust was something they all lived with.
He'd seen the spotlight shining into his room earlier, and that brought him out of bed in time to see the girls running. He'd raced into Misty's room to give them a hand up, as he'd done several times before. He'd seen Misty slip into bed and roll over to face the wall. She'd been fine when they left her.
But he couldn't say that to these people, because he didn't think they'd believe him. The focus would also shift to the girls breaking curfew and they'd all be in real trouble then. He struggled with what to share and what to hold back.
Two of the men standing in the living room looked to be brothers. But the third guy, suited up and straight-backed looked like their boss. Standing cold and stern together, the three men studied the teens.
What did they want? And what the hell had happened to Misty? She wouldn't have gone out again on her own. She hated being alone and she hated the dark. And he was sure she hadn't left her room, even to go to the bathroom. His door had been open and he'd have seen her pass by – and spoken with her if he'd been given the chance. He'd had his MP3 playing in his ears but that hadn't dimmed his vision any.
His chin squared as the ugly truth hit him. If Misty and Gem had been seen climbing in through Misty's window, there was a good chance someone took Misty back out the same way. That could explain the open window. And these men were likely the ones that did it.
He recognized the one man's voice from earlier outside Misty's window. And, as he studied the three men in front of them he concluded it was likely the middle man who had climbed in the window. Probably slapped a cloth soaked in drugs or something worse over Misty's mouth before hauling her out of there.
Though chubby, he was tall, and leaner than the fat ass at his side and he didn't have that sense of authority the boss did. In fact, maybe while the boss was at the front door, the guy had stolen Misty away through the backyard. She was tiny, after all, and couldn't weigh more than a hundred pounds if she tried, but she had a good set of lungs on her. Once they put her out, they could have just passed her from one man to the other.
It didn't surprise him that Major wouldn't have raised the alarm unless it was a real ruckus. He was so old and deaf, he was sleeping his way through his last days. He could barely walk as it was.
But then why come to the front door, wake John and ask him to see if everyone was accounted for and in bed? Or had that been John's idea?
Lost in thought, he barely noticed the light tap on his leg. When Gem smacked him harder, he glared at her. "What?" he hissed.
She nodded to the doorway. The three strangers walked with John into the living room where the four teens sat.
"Did anyone see Misty tonight?" John asked the group at large.
Gem piped up. "Not after she went to bed."
That was the truth, or at least part of the truth. Mark almost snorted. Gem was the master of misdirection. He nodded at the three strangers. "Who are they?"
"Government authorities. From the Environmental Protection Agency." John ran a hand through his hair, worried and distraught but trying hard to keep it together. He buried his fist in his faded jeans pocket. Beside him, his caring wife, Doris, huddled lower in her chair, her purple housecoat a bright spot against the severe, dark colors of the strangers. Why did all older women seem to wear purple anyway?
Not that it mattered. Mark liked this couple. They had heart. Something he'd seen little enough of in his life.
"What about the EPA? Why would they be here?" asked Gem boldly.
Good for her. Gem didn't take well to most authority. Or take orders for that matter. In fact, Gem didn't do well with anything that curtailed her activities. She did what she needed to do to get along, but wouldn't give an inch once her back was up.
"What?" John struggled to understand her question.
"I'd like to see their identification." She stood up, defiant as always. "For all we know," she gestured to the two hired big dudes, "Humpty and Dumpty here could have snatched Misty themselves."
Doris gasped in shock at Gemma's rudeness. John stared at her, stunned. Gem kept her eyes on the strangers. Mark did too. He immediately figured out which of the two men she'd nicknamed. The leader pulled something from his pocket, and held it up for the others to see. Gem stood and reached for it, but he wouldn't let her hold it.
Gemma read aloud, "Tom Rickets, Senior Environmental Officer from E–"
The badge was withdrawn. She frowned at him.
"Gemma, that's enough," John said firmly. "They have identification on them. I've already checked it with the sheriff. They are looking for a couple of kids that caused trouble by the creek tonight."
She stiffened then relaxed and retook her seat beside Mark. Mark felt, rather than saw the subtle shift in her posture. She raised one eyebrow but stayed silent, her suspicious gaze locked on the group of strangers. Mark observed them, noting the way they studied Gem.
After a moment, she excused herself. "I need to go to the bathroom." As she slipped past the doorway, the suit motioned to Dumpty to follow her. Uh oh. Mark narrowed his gaze, then stood up to follow Gem and the stranger out of the room.
He didn't know what was going on, but he had to admit, Gem's suggestion about these men being responsible for Misty's disappearance had been his first thought too.
At the doorway, Humpty, stopped him. "Where are you going?"
Mark hadn't spent four years in juvie for nothing. Staring back, eye to eye, he said, "To keep an eye on your man as he follows Gem."
Humpty's brows pulled together in a frown and the two males glared at each other.
"We're not the enemy here. We're just trying to help."
Mark snorted. "Yeah, sure. Maybe Gem had the right of it after all. Maybe you took Misty yourself." He slipped on a look of complete insolence and sauntered past.
The bathroom door was closed. He assumed Gem had gone inside. Dumpty stood outside. Pug faced, and dressed in denim, the guy looked more like a washed out boxer than anything official. "What, a lineup?" Mark asked. "There's a second bathroom if you're in a hurry, you know?"
Dumpty's gaze was ice cold. "I'm fine ta wait."
Mark struggled to keep his gaze solid, even as his insides fell. That definitely was the same accent he'd heard outside earlier when the light flashed around. Gem was almost certainly right. They had snatched Misty. And how did they know that she'd been the teen they wanted? Cause they'd seen a girl? If so, was that why they were keeping such a close eye on Gem? Had the men seen both girls outside? Was Gem in danger too?
The bathroom door opened. Gem stopped in the open doorway, her gaze hardening as it switched from one to another. "Wow. What's this? A party?"
"He followed you here? I told him about the other bathroom but he didn't want to use it."
Gem's face darkened. "Really? And why would that be?"
"A girl has gone missing." Dumpty grinned, a horrible reshifting of the heavy folds of his face. Mark wanted to shudder. "We wouldn't want anyone else to disappear now…would we?"
Was that a veiled threat?
Gem's back stiffened and she walked toward Mark, slid her arm through his and tugged him toward the living room. Mark allowed himself to be led back to his seat calmly but his mind was racing, searching for options on where Misty might be, and what they could do to get her back.
"Have you called in the sheriff yet?" Gem asked.
Doris sniffled and gasped again. "Oh dear?"
"Well, the sooner the better. You don't want to have to explain why you didn't call them as soon as you noticed you had a girl missing, do you?" Gem said in a reasonable tone.
Humpty's lip curled. Mark's gut clenched. He narrowed his gaze, watching for signs that would help to e
xplain what the hell was going on.
With a frown, John nodded. "I did. To ask about these men, only we didn't know about Misty then."
"No, and Misty could be just outside. Maybe she's just slipped out to meet a boyfriend," Doris suggested unhelpfully.
John glanced at her in horror. "Does she have one?"
"I don't know," Doris wailed and subsided again into the depths of her chair. "I don't think so."
Gem hopped back to her feet, worry lining her face. "That's a good idea. She could be outside. We should go search for her." She grabbed Mark's arm, pulling him up as she motioned to the other two to get up. "We can look in pairs. We have our cell phones and we'll call you every ten minutes or so."
John looked relieved at the suggestion to action. "Yes. Yes, that's a good idea. I'll call the sheriff back."
Stephen stood up. "Reid and I will go together." Everyone turned and looked at Reid, wondering what he'd say. Reid, the tallest and wiliest of them all, nodded and stood.
"Let's check the yard first."
"Stop. You can't seriously let these children go out in search of another child?" The leader glared at John. "Take charge here, man. You don't send a child to do a man's job."
Mark wanted to bare his teeth and growl. "We're almost men. Who are you to talk? You've done nothing helpful since you arrived. Now, get out of my way."
The man in the suit laughed, a sound that sent chills down Mark's back. "I'm not letting you go out there. You'll get lost. You're nothing but a city punk. The country around here will eat you up in no time."
Mark glared, but it was Gem, who spoke up. "Get out of our way. We're going to find our friend."
"So you know where she is, do you?"
Undercurrents swirled around them.
"No," she snapped. "But I'm going to make sure you don't either." She bolted past him to the front door. Dumpty stepped in her way, a big grin on his face. Mark went with his instincts. He no longer had any doubts that these guys knew what happened to Misty. He needed to find her and fast. Before these assholes took off with her.
He bolted for the big bay living room window with the missing screen. He heard a startled shout behind him. Within seconds, he had the window opened and had jumped through. He hit the ground running. He was lost to the darkness before anyone figured out what he'd done.
***
Gemma couldn't help it. She laughed. The looks on the men's faces were beyond stunned. The three goons raced to the window where Mark had jumped. That's when she motioned the other two toward the front door and as fast as Mark had disappeared, the three opened the door and lost themselves in the thickening darkness outside.
Hidden behind a Blue Spruce, Gemma waited and watched. The men streamed out behind them, but the teens were younger, faster and a whole lot more savvy than they were.
Keeping a wary eye on the men, she glanced around for the other kids. They'd scattered. Streetwise, they knew these assholes presented a bigger danger than any other night predator.
Misty wasn't like them. She wouldn't survive as easily. Naïve in some ways, yet worldly in others, she was an open, friendly girl – but almost stupid. Curiosity always got her into trouble. Gem had no doubt these men had kidnapped her friend. She didn't know why. And if they had, where could they have stashed her?
There'd been no time to take her far. Unless more people were involved. If so, Misty could be stashed in a vehicle speeding to town as they searched.
No. She had to believe Misty was close by.
Anything else was too horrible to contemplate.
Moving silently, Gem slipped around the back of the house. She was still a ways away from the backyard. Searching the area, she realized how deceptive everything looked at night.
The men had to have a vehicle somewhere. They weren't dressed to walk miles. Maybe theirs was the truck she'd seen earlier. If she could locate it, that vehicle would be the first place to check. Chances were good Misty would be in the cab. She winced at the visual that jumped into her mind.
Gem had to find her. And fast.
Keeping to the opposite side of the road from where she'd seen the men, she backtracked and raced to the closest neighbor's house. Hiding in the shadows, she raced from outbuilding to house to garage until she had a clear view of her current home. John stood on the front porch while Doris stood beside him, wringing her hands. The icy stranger, the leader or boss man, was with them but looked to be leaving. She didn't trust him one bit. Though his ID looked official, that was worth fifty bucks in her world.
Loser. Kidnapper.
Guilt prodded her. She shouldn't have taken Misty out this evening. But Gem had no idea things would go bad – and certainly, not this bad. There'd been no explanation of the EPA men's visit beyond looking for kids that had caused trouble at the creek tonight. What were the men doing there anyway? What kind of trouble did they think the kids had been into? Not that they would tell her if she asked. Adults never gave the kids respect or information. Even so, these men should have given John an explanation.
That she and Misty had been followed back to Misty's room was likely…but why?
She really hated adults. They did bad things just because they wanted to and kids like her were just pawns in their games. Well, she, for one, was frickin' tired of it.
"Gem…"
She froze.
"It's me, Mark."
Her shoulders sagged with relief. "Did you find Misty?"
"Not yet. I found their car."
"Where?" she hissed, excitement making it difficult to keep her voice down.
"It's parked down the road a bit." He pointed the way he'd come.
"They probably stashed her in the trunk." She peered through the darkness in the direction he pointed.
Mark sucked in his breath. "Shit. You could be right. There was no driver in the car."
"Let's go."
There was barely enough moonlight for her to follow him, but they were both used to skulking around when necessary. They sped toward the car, only to find hiding spots when they found that all three men from the living room had returned to the vehicle and stood there talking.
"Crap." Mark groaned softly. "Now what?"
"Can we get close enough to hear them?" Gem whispered. She crouched behind a row of mailboxes but she couldn't even see the vehicle's license plate from there.
"I'll swing around and come up on the other side of that house. Maybe from there I can hear what they're talking about – but I don't know."
"Go." She watched him disappear and began to chew her nails while she waited for him to show up on the other side of the house. She couldn't see any other cover so crouched as low as she could.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a shadow detach itself from the larger shadows beside her.
Reid gave her a small wave. She nodded her head and within seconds he'd slipped down beside her. Long and lean, he barely enlarged the shadow she hid in.
"What the fuck's going on?"
Gem shrugged her shoulders as if to say, 'don't know.'
"Where's Misty?"
Pointing to where the men stood, she whispered against his ear, "I think they have her, but I'm not certain."
He looked shocked, then poked his head around the other side of her to stare at the car. "Smoked windows. Black, standard government issue…but an older model. So it might not be legit; it could be easily obtained to give the impression it's a government vehicle."
At her questioning look after he'd shared that information, he added, "It's a hobby."
She gave him an admiring nod. Good hobby to have.
"Now what?"
Just then Mark's tall frame appeared on the far side of the house. Gem nudged Reid and pointed to Mark.
Careful to keep in the shadow of a tall cedar hedge, Mark dropped to the ground and slunk closer to the men.
One of the men turned and stared straight at him. Had he heard something, or was he just nervous? Gem held her breath, but after a minut
e he turned back to the others. Mark inched forward yet again.
She sucked in her breath then considered how to lure the men away from their vehicle.
"We need a distraction," Reid said. "Give me a minute." Reid took off back the way he'd come. Gem frowned. What the hell was he up to now?
The men reached to open the car doors. Shit. They couldn't do that. They couldn't leave until she'd checked the car for Misty. She had to stop them. Just then, Mark hopped to his feet. "Hey, you two guys looking for me?"
