Vanished

by Kristi Holl

  The headmistress nodded briefly. “Quiet down, girls. To answer Ms. Carter’s question, there were six girls in the van with Mr. Reeves. Mostly they’re art and drama students: Rosa Sanchez and Heather Langley, both sixth graders. A seventh grader, Lisa Poole. Sarah Callahan, an eighth grader.” Cries arose from several tables, and the headmistress raised her voice. “And two ninth graders, Savanah Stone and Hilary Lyttle.”

  “Thank you,” Ms. Carter said, sitting down. Jeri wondered if she was relieved that only one girl was from Hampton House.

  Jeri stood again. “If we can’t help search for our friends, could we just go down to the Stretch and wait?” She paused. “Please? We just want to be there when they’re found.”

  Without answering, the headmistress walked on rubber-soled shoes over to the dining hall’s floor-to-ceiling windows. The center panes were French windows that opened out onto a balcony. The headmistress, framed by velvet drapes held open with gold cords, gazed over the campus. For one very brief second, her shoulders drooped. When she turned back to the girls, though, her posture was military: shoulders back, chin down, and expression sober.

  “The temperature is dropping. If you want to wait at the Stretch, bundle up in extra layers. Stay with your house mothers and gather out front in ten minutes.”

  Chairs scraped back and linen napkins fell to the floor as girls raced to their dorm rooms for extra hats, boots, and mittens. Jeri pulled on two pairs of socks and then stuck her feet in plastic bags before jamming them into her soggy snow boots.

  A knock sounded on the door, and Abby opened it a few inches. “You ready?”

  “Ready.” Jeri glanced at Rosa’s empty bed before following Abby out and pulling the door closed. Please, God, let Rosa and the others be all right!

  The girls and house mothers were transported down the hill to the search site in several of the teachers’ cars. The ride seemed unreal, as if time had stopped. Jeri kept expecting someone to say there’d been a terrible mistake, that Rosa was fine. Judging by the pale faces of the other

  girls, they were also in shock–and too frightened to put their fears into words. Were their friends at the bottom of the lake? Or had there been a crash and they were pinned inside the van? Or were they thrown from the vehicle and wandering, dazed and injured, in the woods by the lake? Or maybe a serial killer was loose and they’d all been–

  That’s enough! Jeri shook herself. Stop it!

  She reminded herself that Rosa and the other missing girls were with Mr. Reeves. He might be almost forty, but he was stocky and muscular, as solid-looking as a block of wood. She’d seen him carry a marble statue into class by himself one day. He was strong enough to take care of Rosa and the others. He’d get them home safely. She had to believe that.

  By the time they arrived at the Two-Mile Stretch, a crowd had gathered. Stunned townspeople, four doctors and nurses, and half a dozen police officers milled around. An ambulance was parked near two police cars, its lights and siren off.

  One officer, his nose and ears bright red, shouted through a bullhorn. “Attention, folks!” His booming voice bounced against the mountainside and echoed back.

  Jeri stamped her cold feet and stuck her fists in her pockets. Nikki stood to her left, her hands tucked in her armpits. Abby shrank inside her short coat while the wind whipped blonde strands across her eyes.

  “I’m Police Chief Reynolds. Here’s the situation.” With his square face, angular jaw, and heavy neck, the police officer reminded Jeri of a granite sculpture. “Hal at the Gas-U-Up saw the school van enter the Two-Mile Stretch at 4:30, after filling up at his station. The vehicle–a nine-passenger Suburban–was not seen coming out the other end. A man at Dale’s Diner was waiting there for someone and watching the road the whole time. The SUV never showed up. No one else in town saw it pass down Main Street, and many were on the sidewalk at that hour.”

  Nikki nudged Jeri, who lost her balance. “You couldn’t miss the van either, not in those ugly school colors.”

  Jeri agreed. Their school van was bright purple with Landmark School painted in orange letters on the side.

  “The temperature’s dropping,” the police chief shouted, “so listen up. Both ends of the Stretch are roadblocked. A drive through earlier showed that the guardrail along the lake isn’t dented anywhere. We’re sure the vehicle didn’t break through it and go into the lake.”

  Abby clapped her mittened hands. “That’s good!”

  “However,” he continued, “no roads head up the mountain, and the van had to go somewhere.”

  A man behind Jeri yelled out, “Keith might’ve gassed up and then turned around and drove off somewhere else.”

  “I was coming to that.” In the frosty air, the policeman’s breath made a white cloud around his head. “We have a witness who saw them halfway through the Stretch.”

  “That’s right.” Mrs. Wilson, Landmark’s nutrition teacher, stepped forward. Her stiffly sprayed hair combed out to one side never moved, even in the strong wind. “I was in the middle of the Stretch going the other way, and I passed the van. Keith Reeves waved at me.”

  The officer ticked off the places they couldn’t be. “They didn’t come out of the Stretch into town. The van couldn’t drive straight up the mountainside. There aren’t any roads there. It didn’t plunge through the guardrail. One possibility is that they went into the lake using the fishing access road near the end of the Stretch. We’ll check that out first.”

  Jeri studied the frozen lake, gray with sinister shadows, visible only as far as headlights and flashlights reached. Dead weeds and thick brush, as well as leafless river birch and willows, hid the shoreline from view. What horrible secret was hidden beneath its surface? Jeri shuddered at the idea of Rosa and the others trapped in that icy, watery grave.

  Stop it! she ordered herself.

  “Split into two groups,” the police officer said. “Half of you start at each end of the guardrail. Go down to the lakeshore and walk toward each other till you meet in the middle. Look for tire tracks, breaks in the ice, broken brush. Also look for evidence that might indicate Keith drove off into the woods around the lake.” He paused. “He could have suffered a heart attack or stroke and gone into the lake. We just don’t know. It’s impossible for a van to just disappear along this stretch. The sooner we find it, the better for all involved. Move quickly, but carefully.”

  Jeri followed the woman beside her to the end of the guardrail. Sharp rocks jabbed through her snow boots. Icy wind pounded her forehead as she trudged along, and she pulled her stocking cap lower and scarf higher. She plowed through snow and tangled brush down to Sutter Lake.

  “Sorry, young lady.” A police officer stepped in front of Jeri. “Weren’t you told to stay back behind the orange tape?”

  Jeri saw the headmistress coming. “I’m sorry. I forgot. I’m just so worried. My roommate is in that van.”

  “Jeri!” Head Long’s voice was sharp in the freezing night air. “I told you – ”

  “I’m coming.”

  The officer nodded at the headmistress. “Ma’am, keep your students under control, or they need to leave. We can’t babysit them for you.”

  Jeri was stunned. Nobody talked to the Head that way! The headmistress nodded curtly, looked like she wanted to turn the officer over her knee, and clutched Jeri’s arm. “Go back to your friends,” she said through gritted teeth.

  Frozen muddy ruts were glazed with ice, and Jeri fell, biting her tongue. She tasted blood, but barely noticed it as she watched the searchers move slowly along the shoreline. In twenty minutes her toes were numb. If she were cold, Jeri shuddered to think how Rosa probably felt.

  Abby’s teeth chattered, making her chin quiver. Jeri untied her scarf. “Here, take this.”

  “N-no, I’m okay.”

  “Abby, you’re freezing. Take it.”

  “Thanks, Jer.” Although Abby wore jeans, her short jacket wasn’t enough protection against the frigid wind whipping across t
he lake.

  Jeri hunched down inside her collar, grateful now for the full-length, down-filled coat her mom had insisted on buying. The raw wind made her eyes water; and tears dripping down her cheeks froze halfway.

  She stomped her freezing feet while her mind replayed Rosa mini-movies: Rosa throwing Cheerios at her at breakfast, Rosa sending her a singing hyena e-card, and Rosa whispering after lights-out while her flashlight beam played across the ceiling.

  Toward the west, Jeri spotted one group approaching from around a bend. Within ten minutes, both groups met in the middle. Jeri ran to the guardrail and yelled to a man in green coveralls. “Did you find anything?”

  His breath came out in puffs of white vapor. “No. Nothing.”

  Behind her, Nikki stomped her feet. Abby cried without making a sound. Jeri shuddered as the wind changed from bitter to bone-chilling.

  A man in a furry parka standing next to Jeri was joined by a bearded man from the search party. “The van didn’t go in the lake. I’ll stake my life on it.”

  “It had to go somewhere.” The man in a tan coat brushed at the frost accumulating in his beard. “Maybe taking off is Keith’s idea of a practical joke.”

  “No!” Jeri burst out. The men turned to gawk at her. “I know Mr. Reeves. He’d never do something like that.”

  “Well, honey, they’ve disappeared.” The bearded man leaned close to her face. “What do you think happened? Little green aliens in UFOs?”

  “That’s not funny,” Jeri said. “My roommate is missing.”

  The man looked embarrassed. “Sorry,” he said. “Could be carjacking. Lot of that these days.”

  Jeri frowned. “Huh?”

  “Where a thief takes the vehicle, but leaves the people miles and miles away so they can’t get to help till the carjacker gets away.” The bearded man jammed his hands in his pants pockets. “Cold night to be wandering in the dark.”

  The man in the parka patted Jeri’s arm. “Don’t worry. Maybe they went for a bite to eat before coming back to school, and they didn’t tell anyone.”

  Jeri shook her head. “Our headmistress has to give permission for stuff like that. She doesn’t know where they are either.”

  Ms. Carter tapped her on the shoulder. “We need to go now and get thawed out.”

  Jeri spun around. “Not yet!”

  “We’ll come back tomorrow, when it’s light.” Mouth trembling, Ms. Carter pulled her close for a moment. “There’s nothing we can do here tonight.”

  Rosa, where are you? Jeri wanted to scream. They followed the house mother back to the cars parked at the

  roadblock. Huddled in their coats, it was a silent trip back up the hill to the school. Jeri stared out the window. The moon’s light reflected off the snowy hillside. At any other time, the scene would inspire peace. Not tonight. Her best friend was out there–somewhere–frightened and maybe hurt.

  Oh, Lord, I’m sorry for being mad at Rosa this afternoon. Please keep them all safe.

  If only there was something she could do. She’d never felt so helpless in her life.

  It took Jeri a good hour sitting by her radiator to warm up. How cold Rosa must be! How terrified! Her thoughts were interrupted by the phone. She glanced at the clock–9:34–as she grabbed it. “Hello?”

  “Rosa?”

  “No, it’s Jeri.”

  “Sí! How are you?”

  “Mrs. Sanchez?” The connection to South America was surprisingly clear. “I’m fine.” Jeri cringed at the lie.

  “Good! I hope Rosa is behaving.” She laughed. “May I speak to her?”

  “Well …” Jeri recalled the headmistress’s warning at suppertime. “She’s not here right now. Can I take a message?”

  “Is she studying, or is that too much to hope for?”

  “That’s too much to hope for.”

  “When should I call back?” asked Mrs. Sanchez.

  Jeri felt trapped, remembering the Head’s official keep-quiet order. But didn’t Rosa’s parents have a right to know their daughter was missing? She just couldn’t lie to them.

  “Mrs. Sanchez, something’s happened,” she said. “I think you should call the headmistress.”

  “Why? What’s going on?”

  Jeri felt panic rising within her. She wasn’t supposed to tell! And she didn’t really know anything.

  “Jeri? What’s happened to Rosa? What?”

  “I’m sure they’ll find everybody soon. Please don’t worry.”

  “Find who?” Rosa’s mother demanded. “What are you talking about?”

  “Please talk to the headmistress,” pleaded Jeri.

  “But I’m talking to you. Jeri, please tell me what’s happened!”

  Jeri would have given anything to spare them this news. She took a deep breath. “The school van she was riding in has … well … disappeared.” She heard a gasp on the other end. “They were on their way back to school after a field trip. At first the police thought the van went into the lake, but a rescue crew searched around it. They didn’t find any breaks in the ice. So that’s good.”

  Rosa’s mom whispered something that sounded like a prayer. “Is there–? I mean, has there–?” She gulped. “Are the police saying they were kidnapped? Has there been a ransom note?”

  “No, of course not,” Jeri said, her heart suddenly pounding. She hadn’t thought about them being kidnapped!

  “Why weren’t we called? Maybe they couldn’t reach us down here.”

  “I don’t know, Mrs. Sanchez. Please call the headmistress. She might have more news by now.” And I’m in hot water the minute Head Long hears what I told Rosa’s mother. Jeri swallowed the lump in her throat.

  Jeri hung up, but couldn’t move for a full minute. She could only imagine the horror of Rosa’s parents dealing with this news halfway around the world.

  As if in a trance, she stared at the top of Rosa’s desk. There were three diet books there, collecting dust. Rosa had bought them after putting on fifteen pounds their first semester. But it was the photos she couldn’t take her eyes from.

  Lining them up, Jeri studied the pictures taken with Rosa: making popcorn balls down in the kitchen, decorating a tiny Christmas tree in their bedroom, riding the Tilt-a-Whirl at the fair, Jeri braiding Rosa’s waist-length hair, and more. Each snapshot was a memory.

  They had to find Rosa soon. Jeri couldn’t just go to bed while Rosa was out there, freezing and maybe injured. She had to do something now. Tonight!

  But what?

  3

  feeling helpless

  Thursday, 10:06 p.m. to Friday, 11:40 a.m.

  The phone jangled, interrupting Jeri’s desperate thoughts. “Hello?”

  “Jeri? It’s Mom. I got your email when I got back to the motel.”

  “Mom, I’m so glad you called! It’s horrible! I can’t believe it! It’s – ”

  “Honey, settle down.” Her mom’s voice was soothing. “Even though I can’t make it for Parents’ Weekend, hopefully within six weeks – ”

  “Rosa’s missing!” Jeri cried.

  “What?”

  “She was in the school van. The police thought it went into the lake–”

  “Oh Jeri!”

  “ – but they searched around the lake by the highway, and there’s no place where the ice is broken or anything.” She gasped for breath.

  “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.” Mom paused. “Let’s pray.”

  Jeri listened, and her mom’s words soothed her panicky heart. She prayed for a hedge of protection around the missing girls, guidance for the rescue team, and peace for all involved. She also reminded Jeri that God was in control. “Remember, he knows where they are–they aren’t lost to him–and he’s with them.”

  “But what if they’ve been kidnapped?” asked Jeri.

  “There’s no evidence of that, is there?”

  “No, I guess not. I’m so scared, Mom.”

  “I know. It comes from feeling helpless,” Mom said. “When that feel
ing hits you, remember to pray. That will make the most difference, for you and for Rosa. Now you need to go to bed and–”

  “I could never sleep!”

  “At least lie down and rest. You’ll need lots of energy tomorrow.”

  After saying their good-byes, Jeri changed into flannel pajamas, but the wind whistling through the gap by the windowsill chilled her. If she was cold, how much colder must Rosa be!

  To feel less alone, she set the photo of herself and Mom on her bedside table, left her night-light on, and crawled into bed. She couldn’t pray except to say, Help Rosa. Please find Rosa.

  Jeri stared at the photo taken in their porch swing. Her mom’s blonde curls and dainty features contrasted sharply with Jeri’s stick-straight brown hair and large front teeth. But she and Mom were definitely related.

  Kids usually figured Jeri was named after her dad. Instead, she was named for the city of Jericho in the Bible. “The doctors said I shouldn’t be having a baby,” her mom had said. “My heart and kidneys couldn’t handle it. I was advised to end the pregnancy, but you were a gift from God, and we wanted you so much. I was petrified, but no matter how sick I got, no matter how scared I got, I was determined to carry you as long as possible.”

  It had been touch and go, Jeri knew. During the scary times, her mom loved to read about Joshua fighting the battle of Jericho.

  Jeri knew the story by heart. Jericho was a walled city. God’s battle plan for Joshua was extremely odd. “Your armed men should march around the city once per day for six days. Seven priests shall carry trumpets. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. Then have the whole army shout! The city walls will collapse and the army will go straight in.”

  Those instructions must have been hard to obey. But by trusting God’s plan–even when it didn’t makesense–Joshua was given the victory. Her mom had been in a battle too–for both their lives. So when Jeri was born, fat and sassy, she was named Jericho.

  If only her mom could be here now, Jeri thought. Rolling on her side, she was tempted to check her email. When she was alone, email connected her to the outside world. She didn’t even mind getting spam.