The Super Spies and the High School Bomber

by Lisa Orchard

  Sarah dipped her head and walked out the door. She hurried to catch up with the others, gnawing on her thumbnail as she walked.

  She darted between Agent Gray and another FBI man talking as she rushed to catch the other Super Spies. “Excuse me.”

  They moved out of her way before resuming their conversation. Sarah slowed and strained to listen to their discussion.

  “It’s looking like terrorists to me,” Agent Gray said.

  “What makes you think so?” the other agent asked.

  “Well, for one thing, the type of bomb that was used.”

  “Come on, Bob. A high school student could have made that bomb.”

  “I know, but it’s really bothering me that one of the teachers in the blast had a brother disappear a few months ago, and then this.”

  “That does sound fishy.”

  “It does,” Agent Gray said with a sigh. “We’ll find out more once we talk to those men. We better keep Homeland Security up to date.”

  The two agents rounded a corner and Sarah could no longer hear the conversation. A chill ran down her spine as she thought about what she had overheard. Could terrorists be after my family—and if they are, why?

  Jackie glanced back and then stopped, and waited for Sarah to catch up. “Whatcha doing hanging back there, girlfriend?”

  “I was listening to the FBI agents.”

  “What’d you hear?”

  “They think terrorists are behind the bombing.” Sarah frowned.

  “What do you think?”

  “I have no idea. I just know they better stay away from my Uncle Walt.”

  Jackie slipped her arm around Sarah. “No doubt, girlfriend. No doubt.”

  The Super Spies followed Chief Johnson to his cruiser. The girls scrambled into the back, and Scott sat up front with his dad. The group drove through the streets in search of the rickety pickup.

  The chief drove for what seemed like an eternity without any luck. They even drove back to the nursery and found it closed for the day.

  “I can’t figure out why they came here.” Sarah shifted in her seat and yawned, then tapped the back of the seat in front of her. “Hey, you know what? They had bags of…I think it was fertilizer in the back of their truck.”

  Chief Johnson gripped his wheel so tight that his knuckles turned white. He clenched his teeth and a vein bulged in his forehead.

  Sarah exchanged looks with Jackie.

  Scott turned in his seat and eyed the girls in back. “Fertilizer is one of the ingredients in bombs.”

  Sarah’s stomach fluttered and she stared at Jackie and saw her eyes widen. “Oh.”

  Chief Johnson rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. “It doesn’t look like they’re around town now.”

  “Lacey and I need to get home. We’re supposed to meet Aunt June at the house.”

  “I could drop you kids off,” the chief offered.

  “How about me?” Jackie asked.

  “Yeah, I can drop you off, too. In fact, I’ll drop you home first. Your house is right on the way to the Bennett’s.”

  “Thanks.” Jackie leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes. “I’m so exhausted.”

  Sarah gave her a nudge. “Me, too.”

  Jackie reached over and squeezed her arm.

  Sarah leaned her head back against the seat and sighed. Her bones ached with weariness. She couldn’t wait to lie down in her bed and sleep.

  Five minutes later, the Chief pulled up in front of Jackie’s house.

  Her home was a large two-story with a sprawling front yard. Surrounding the yard was a stone fence with a wrought iron gate. The whole estate whispered of wealth and a long forgotten era of croquet games and garden parties. Sarah knew that it was one of the oldest homes in Harrisburg.

  Jackie climbed out of the car and leaned in to say goodbye. “I’ll call you later.”

  “Cool.” Sarah yawned.

  She watched her friend open the gate and wind her way up the walk to the front door. Jackie turned and waved before she disappeared inside.

  The Chief put the car in gear and puttered down the street toward the Bennett home. Within minutes, he had pulled into the drive and parked the cruiser.

  Sarah leaned forward in her seat. “The FBI’s up at the hospital, right?”

  “Yes,” the Chief answered.

  Sarah sighed. “Thanks.”

  Lacey gave Scott a shy smile. “Call me later?”

  Scott blushed and stammered. “Ah-ah, yeah.”

  Lacey glanced at the Chief and quickly added, “Just to give me an update on what’s going on… that’s all.”

  He smirked. “Ri-i-ight.”

  Lacey blushed and climbed out of the car. “Come on, Sarah.”

  “I’m coming.” Sarah patted the Chief on the shoulder. “Thanks for the ride.”

  “No problem. You kids stay inside tonight. Those men got a good look at you and Jackie. They’re going to be looking for you.”

  “Right.” Sarah climbed out of the cruiser and caught up to Lacey in the yard. She glanced back as the police car backed out of the driveway, the Chief’s words played like a worn out song through her mind. The questions that she’d asked herself over and over danced through her weary brain again. There was no stopping them. Who are these men? Are they terrorists? Are they after Uncle Walt? She felt sick. What are we going to do?

  Sarah walked through the door. “Tell Aunt June I went straight to bed. I’m exhausted.”

  Lacey nodded. “Okay. She’ll be home any minute.”

  “I’ll be asleep by then.”

  “I’m going to see if there’s anything on TV.”

  “Whatever.”

  Sarah descended the stairs to the bedroom she shared with Lacey. Once inside, she realized she didn’t feel well, but knew that with some sleep she would be good as new. Pulling on her nightshirt, Sarah yawned and crawled beneath her quilt. Her head hit the pillow and she was instantly asleep.

  Chapter Ten

  Sarah woke with a start and glanced around the dark room. Disoriented, she shook her head. What time is it?

  Glancing over at the bed next to her, she searched for Lacey. When she found it empty, Sarah swung her feet to the floor. Her stomach rumbled. She hadn’t eaten since this morning. As she gave the clock a bleary-eyed stare, Sarah was surprised to see it was ten o’clock. Is it ten o’clock at night or is it morning?

  She scratched her head, then reached over and turned on the bedside lamp. A cozy glow illuminated the room. Standing, Sarah stretched, before searching for some clothes. Her stomach rumbled again, louder this time.

  After donning a pair of sweatpants, Sarah staggered up the stairs. When she reached the kitchen, she found Lacey at the table eating a piece of pizza.

  “Hey,” Lacey greeted her. “There’s more in the fridge.”

  Sarah scratched her head and walked to the cupboard for a plate. “Is it morning or night?”

  “It’s night,” Lacey answered as she took another bite.

  “Where’s Aunt June?”

  “She went back up to the hospital. She doesn’t look so good.”

  Sarah sighed and opened the fridge in search of the pizza box, Westside Pizza, the best in Harrisburg. Closing the door, she walked to the counter and opened the box. She found four pieces left. “Boy, you guys were hungry.”

  “Yeah, Aunt June even ate a couple of pieces. No one can turn down pepperoni and double cheese.”

  Sarah pursed her lips and slid two slices on her plate and then put it in the microwave.

  “I’m eating mine cold.” Lacey cracked a smile.

  “I like it that way, too. But right now I feel like something hot.”

  Once the microwave dinged, Sarah took her plate out and sat at the table across from her sister.

  Lacey cleared her throat. “I guess school starts again on Monday.”

  Sarah chewed. “For real?”

  “Yeah, I guess the high schoolers are going to be comi
ng to the junior high.”

  “No kidding?”

  “They’ve got some sort of plan. The people with last names A thru J start classes at seven in the morning and end their day at one o’clock. The students with names from K thru Q start at eight-thirty and go until three-thirty.”

  “And the ones with names between R and Z?”

  “They start at ten o’clock and go until five.”

  “Yuck.” Sarah grimaced. She took another bite and chewed. “That means I go from seven until one?”

  Lacey nodded.

  “What about the junior high?”

  “The same thing.”

  “Well, at least we’ll be done with school by one in the afternoon.”

  “True,” Lacey said as she took another bite.

  The girls ate their pizza in silence. Sarah stared off into space and took in the boarded up windows. An involuntary shudder traveled through her body as that closed-in feeling came over her.

  “When are the windows getting fixed?” she asked.

  Lacey shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “I hope soon.” Sarah finished her food and put her plate in the sink, then she rummaged around in the refrigerator looking for something to drink. She pulled out a soda and turned to Lacey. “You want one?”

  “Yeah.”

  Sarah brought Lacey’s soda to the table, sat back down, and popped the top on hers. She took a long drink and smacked her lips appreciatively.

  Lacey sighed. “I’m glad tomorrow is Saturday.”

  “Me, too.” Sarah brushed her hair away from her face. “I wonder how long it will take them to rebuild the school.”

  “I have no idea.”

  The girls grew quiet as they drank their sodas. Sarah’s mind wandered back to the events of the last couple of days. As always, the nagging questions invaded her mind. What are terrorists doing in Harrisburg? Why are they after my family? Her stomach fluttered. She took another drink of soda and almost choked on it when the sound of the telephone startled her.

  Lacey answered it. “Hello… Yeah, she’s right here.” She handed the phone to her sister. “It’s Jackie.”

  Sarah grabbed the phone. “Hey.”

  “Hey, girlfriend. How are you feeling?”

  “Better, I slept for five hours.”

  “Good, you needed it. Any more news on your uncle?”

  Sarah frowned. “Not yet. Aunt June went back up to the hospital, but she hasn’t called or anything.” Her voice cracked and her eyes welled with tears. She blinked quickly and pressed her lips into a tight line, hoping to get her emotions under control.

  “He’s going to be all right,” Jackie said.

  “Yeah.”

  “What do you think about those FBI agents?” Jackie snickered.

  A wave of gratitude swept over Sarah. She knew Jackie was trying to get her mind off her uncle.

  “Well, they need to come up with a better disguise.” Sarah chortled. “I mean, I’m only in ninth grade and I could tell they were FBI agents.”

  Jackie’s laugh boomed through the phone. “Yeah, good thing they’re not the fashion police. Can you imagine all of us dressed in gray and black?”

  Sarah’s spirits lifted. She couldn’t imagine Jackie donning such drab colors and she snickered at the image. “I can just see you wearing gray. You’d be so depressed.”

  “True. Gray is the most depressing color. At least black has some mystery attached to it.”

  “You can say that again.”

  “Gray is the most depressing—“

  “I get it.”

  “So what do we do now?” Jackie asked.

  “We’ve got to find out if those men are terrorists.” Sarah frowned and picked at some dried sauce congealing on the table.

  “They don’t look like terrorists.”

  “How do you know? Have you ever seen one?”

  Jackie sighed. “No, but they look like regular people.”

  “Yeah. I’ll have Lacey call Scott and see if they came up with anything down at the station.”

  “Good idea. Call me back.”

  “I will. Bye, Jackie.”

  “Bye.”

  Sarah disconnected the call and looked at her sister. “Have you talked to Scott lately?”

  Lacey shook her head. “Nope.”

  “Do you want to call him and see if he found out anything?”

  “Yeah.” Lacey jumped up and grabbed the phone. “I’ll let you know.”

  She scurried down the stairs and Sarah heard her sister close the bedroom door. She smirked. So, she wants to talk to him in private. Hmmm.

  Sarah grabbed her soda can and walked into the den. Turning on a couple of table lamps, she glanced at the windows and shivered. She hated that she couldn’t see outside. It gave her the willies.

  She sat down in the recliner and pushed the power button on the remote. The screen flickered with life and the image of a news anchor came into view. Sarah flipped through the channels, but didn’t find anything of interest.

  Her mind wandered. Who are these men? Why did they bomb the high school? Sarah drummed her fingers on the arm of the chair. She stood and walked toward her uncle’s office.

  Sarah turned on the light and surveyed the room. The soft glow created a cozy atmosphere. Bookshelves lined the walls. They were filled with her uncle’s favorite books. His desk stood across from the door. It was solid oak and Sarah knew it had been her grandfather’s, and his father’s before him.

  Since the windows were boarded up, no air circulated in the office. Sarah walked over and fiddled with a board, hoping to free it and let some air inside. The board loosened then gave way with a splinter. A tiny sliver of cool air filtered in and raised goose bumps on her arms.

  Satisfied with the temperature, Sarah sat in her uncle’s chair. It squeaked, protesting her weight and she shifted her position. Catching a whiff of her uncle’s aftershave, tears welled in Sarah’s eyes. Wiping them with the back of her hand, she leaned forward and turned on the computer. It beeped to life and Sarah signed in. She found her search engine and began to search.

  The first thing she looked up was ‘terrorist.’ Sarah wanted to know what one was. She had an idea, but she wanted a clear definition. She chose the Dictionary.com definition, which read: a person, usually a member of a group, who uses or advocates terrorism.

  Sarah rolled her eyes. Now, I’ve got to look up ‘terrorism.’

  She backed out of the ‘terrorist’ definition and typed ‘terrorism.’ Pressing enter, she waited for the computer to do its magic. It listed a variety of definitions and Sarah chose the Dictionary.com definition again, which stated: The use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes.

  Sarah groaned. Is this whole bombing about politics?

  The sound of someone opening the front door caught Sarah’s attention. Aunt June.

  She turned the computer off and walked toward the living room and found her aunt in the hallway.

  “Hi, sweetheart,” her aunt said in a weary voice.

  “Hi. How’s Uncle Walt?”

  Sarah scrutinized her aunt. Her eyes had dark circles under them and her lips were chapped. The worry frown had become a permanent feature.

  “No change.”

  Sarah stared at the floor. She didn’t know what to say. Her lip trembled and her eyes welled with tears.

  Aunt June put her arms around Sarah, hugging her fiercely. “Everything’s going to be all right.”

  Sarah sobbed and nodded. “Yeah.” She pulled away from her aunt and sniffled, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. “Uncle Walt’s tough.”

  “That’s right, and the doctors told me this isn’t uncommon for someone who’s had a head injury.”

  Aunt June put her hand under Sarah’s chin and forced her to look her in the eye. She gave her a tired smile. “Keep your chin up. Your uncle wouldn’t want you crying about this, you know.”

  Sarah gave her aunt a tremulous smil
e. “I know.”

  “Where’s Lacey?”

  “She’s down in our bedroom, talking to Scott.”

  “Did you eat something?”

  “Yes.”

  Aunt June sighed and her shoulders slumped. “I’m beat. I’m going to bed, so I can get to the hospital early tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, I’m going to hit the sack soon, too.”

  “Don’t stay up too late.”

  “I won’t.” Sarah cracked a grin. Why do adults always say that, when they know we’re going to do the opposite of what they say?

  She watched her aunt disappear up the stairs. She moved slowly, as if each step sucked the energy from her body.

  Sarah ambled into the kitchen and grabbed another soda. Glancing at the clock, she realized it was a quarter to eleven. She wanted to call Jackie back and rushed toward the stairs.

  She met Lacey just outside their bedroom door. “Are you off the phone?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Did you find out anything?”

  Lacey brushed the hair out of her eyes. “Yeah, they’ve got a list of the people in Harrisburg with license plates beginning with GLF. They’re starting the search for them tomorrow.”

  “That’s it?” Sarah frowned.

  “No.” Lacey smirked. “They found a print on the cell phone you found in the firefighter’s jacket.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Yeah. All the jackets were accounted for when they did an inventory.”

  “That means whoever was wearing that jacket was not a fireman.”

  “Yep.” Lacey glanced up the stairs. “Is Aunt June home?”

  “Yeah, she’s going up to bed.”

  “I’m going to run up and say goodnight to her.”

  “Okay, I’m calling Jackie back.” Sarah grabbed the phone from her sister and dashed into the bedroom.

  Plopping down on the bed, she called her friend’s cell phone.

  Jackie answered on the first ring. “Hey, girlfriend.”

  Sarah laughed. “How’d you know it was me?”

  “My phone tells me the phone number of who’s calling.”

  “Cool.”

  “Yeah, it’s a great way to screen calls. So…did you find out anything?”

  Sarah sighed, and reported to Jackie what Lacey had told her.