by Lisa Orchard
Lacey placed a plate of pancakes in front of Sarah. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” Sarah picked up the syrup and poured a healthy amount over her pancakes. The smell of the hot cakes mixed with syrup wafted past Sarah’s nose. Her stomach rumbled. “Man, I’m hungrier than I thought.”
Aunt June gave her a tired smile, but said nothing. Lacey sat down with her own pancakes and soon the only sounds in the kitchen were of silverware scraping plates.
Sarah looked up and noticed Aunt June staring off into space. “Are you all right?”
Startled, Aunt June met Sarah’s gaze. “Yes dear, I’m just worried about your uncle.”
“We are too.” Sarah glanced at Lacey, who nodded. “I think he’s going to be okay.”
Aunt June smiled. “Absolutely.” She took another forkful of her breakfast and chewed thoughtfully.
Sarah glanced at her sister before clearing her throat. “We haven’t heard a word about the bombers.”
“No…I haven’t either.” Aunt June sighed and rubbed her eyes. “I couldn’t sleep last night so I watched some TV and there wasn’t anything about them on the news.”
Sarah cringed. “But there wasn’t anything about another bombing either, right?”
“No, there wasn’t.” Her aunt shook her head vehemently as if she were trying to shake morbid thoughts from her mind.
“We’ll see if we can find anything out when we talk to the Fibbies.”
“Fibbies?”
“The FBI.”
Aunt June cracked a smile. “You sure have the lingo down.”
Sarah laughed. “Yeah.”
“Okay girls, I’m heading down to the hospital. Remember you’re meeting me there after you talk to the Fibbies.”
The Cole girls exchanged looks—Lacey tried to hide the grin that was bursting out on her face behind her hand. Sarah pursed her lips, stifling the bubble of laughter that was forcing its way out. It was funny to hear her aunt say the word “Fibbies.”
Aunt June caught them struggling to hide their laughter. “What? It’s not cool for an adult to say ‘Fibbies’?”
The two girls cracked up laughing.
Aunt June snorted. “Apparently not.”
At that moment, Sarah caught a glimpse of her aunt the way she used to be, carefree and full of laughter. For just a second, Aunt June relaxed and the worry and fatigue left her face. She looked young and lighthearted, and Sarah saw the girl her uncle had fallen in love with.
“Okay, girls. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.” Aunt June stood and turned away from the table. As she did so, Sarah watched as the weight of the world seemed to fall on her aunt’s shoulders, and the worry returned to her face.
Tears welled in Sarah’s eyes. “Yeah, we’ll see you soon.” She swung away and wiped her eyes. She didn’t want her aunt to see her cry.
“Yeah, we’ll see you,” Lacey called out.
After Aunt June left, Sarah and Lacey cleaned the kitchen then raced to separate bathrooms to take showers.
Sarah dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans and a simple yellow T-shirt. She pulled a brush through her hair, before rushing up the stairs. Her fingers tingled with anticipation. We might find out where Mom and Dad are today.
Wrapped in a towel, Lacey came down from her aunt and uncle’s bathroom. “I just have to put some clothes on.”
“Hurry.”
After a few minutes, Lacey reappeared wearing jeans and a lime green T-shirt that brought out her green eyes. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, secured with a bright green ribbon.
“Hoping to see Scott,” Sarah teased.
“Tsk, shut up.” Lacey made a face at her sister.
“Okay, let’s go.”
The girls grabbed their jackets and walked out into the brisk air. Pausing to zip her jacket, Sarah glanced at the sky. Dark, angry clouds swirled past. The rain had stopped, but the dark clouds promised more rain later in the day. Sarah shivered and zipped her jacket all the way to her chin.
“Let’s get our bikes,” Lacey said, pulling Sarah from her trance.
“Good idea.”
The girls grabbed their bicycles from the garage and began pedaling their way to the police station.
Sarah’s hair flapped in the wind as she stood to pedal. When the wind shook the rain from the trees lining the street, a few raindrops snaked their way down her neck, sending chills through her body.
When they reached the station, Sarah guided her bike into the parking lot. Lacey glided in behind her. The girls parked their bikes in the rack and made their way to the door.
Sarah glanced at her sister out of the corner of her eye and suppressed another bubble of laughter. Lacey primped, nervously patting her hair and adjusting her jacket.
Lacey caught Sarah staring. “Shut up.”
“I didn’t say a word.”
“You don’t have to. I know what you’re thinking.”
“You can’t read my mind,” Sarah retorted, struggling to keep from laughing.
“I can read your expression, though.” Lacey glared at her sister.
Sarah got her giggles under control. “Let’s go talk to the Fibbies.” She pulled open the door and walked into the lobby. She approached the officer behind the reception desk. Lacy was right on her heels.
“Officer?” Sarah asked.
He looked up and stared from beneath gray bushy eyebrows. “Yes?”
Sarah flinched when she met his piercing gaze. “Is Agent Gray around?”
“I’m not sure. Can I tell him who’s asking?”
“Sarah and Lacey Cole.”
Without another word, he picked up the phone and after a second spoke into the receiver. He turned away from the girls and Sarah strained to hear the conversation.
He turned back and hung up the phone. “He’ll be right out. Why don’t you girls take a seat?”
Sarah nodded and then faced the puke green couch. She sighed—waiting was not her strong suit. Trudging over to the uncomfortable couch, she sat down and patted the seat next to her. Lacey followed her and flopped down beside her.
“Jackie was meeting us here, right?” Lacey asked.
“Yep.” Sarah gazed at her sister and cracked a knowing smile. “Did you call Scott?”
Lacey looked her in the eye and flashed her own grin. “You bet.”
“So, I take it he’s meeting us here, too?”
“Yep.”
Sarah and Lacey exchanged a knowing look and then cracked up laughing.
The laughter eased some of Sarah’s tension, and a wave of gratitude washed over her. It dawned on her that she was growing closer to Lacey. It was different than the bond that she shared with Jackie, but it was just as strong.
Jackie walked into the police station and pulled Sarah from her thoughts.
“Hey, girlfriend.”
Sarah stood. “Hey.”
“Hi, Jackie,” Lacey said.
“Did you find out anything?” Jackie asked.
Sarah shook her head. “Not yet. They’re looking for Agent Gray right now.”
Scott walked in the door, looking worn-out, and the Super Spies were complete. Sarah glanced at Lacey and witnessed her sister blush and smile.
“Hey,” Lacey said shyly.
“Hey.” Scott blushed and cracked a goofy grin.
“You guys are so gross.” Jackie grimaced and pretended to vomit.
“Yeah, I mean really, talk about puking.” Sarah giggled.
“Shut up,” Lacey and Scott said in unison.
Agent Gray walked into the lobby, stopping the harassment. He wore another gray suit, but it wasn’t rumpled and he had on a clean shirt. His face was pale and his eyes were bloodshot. Sarah could tell he hadn’t gotten much sleep the previous night.
“Hello, kids. What can I do for you?”
“We were wondering if you caught the bombers yet?” Sarah shifted her weight from one foot to the other and played with her zipper.
“Yeah,�
�� Jackie piped in. “We haven’t heard anything on the news.”
“We went to the location of the last ping on their cell phone. They weren’t there and they haven’t used that phone again today.”
“Are you serious?” Sarah asked. She bit her lip as tears filled her eyes. “I mean you were so sure last night.”
Agent Gray sighed and pursed his lips. “I know…but this isn’t an exact science. Pinging just gives us the general location.”
Sarah groaned. “This stinks. I thought for sure those guys would be in jail by now.”
“I know, but we’ve got the area staked out, so if they return we’ll grab them.”
“But can’t you trace the cell phone and find out who they are? And then just go and arrest them?”
“No, this was a prepaid phone. There’s no way to trace it.”
Sarah paced. “That means they could still set off another bomb.” Her heart leapt in her chest and she chewed on her thumbnail. “Do you still have agents up at the hospital?”
Agent Gray took a step toward Sarah and put his hands on her shoulders. “Yes. Your uncle is safe.”
Sarah bit her lip to stop the trembling. “Thank you.”
Agent Gray smiled at her. “You’re welcome.” He dropped his hands and ran them through his short-cropped hair. “Now, if there isn’t anything else, I need to get back to work.”
Sarah grabbed his arm. “There is one thing.”
“What is it?”
“I was wondering if you could ping my parents cell phone?” Sarah held her breath, waiting for the agent to answer.
He sighed and ran his hand through his hair again. “I can, Sarah.” He seemed to hesitate as if he were searching for the right words. “I’ll do it, only because it may be connected to this investigation.”
Sarah inhaled a ragged breath and nodded.
“Do you have the number and the provider?”
Sarah nodded again and pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. Her hand shook as she handed the paper to the agent. It contained the information he needed. There’s no turning back now.
“You know, Sarah…you may not like what you learn. They may be dead.”
Sarah gulped. “I know, I thought about that.” She hesitated and then took a deep breath. “But I think not knowing is worse than anything else.”
Agent Gray gave her a smile. “I agree.”
“Hey, you’ll let us know if you find the bombers, right?” Jackie piped up.
“Yeah…yeah…as soon as I find out anything, I’ll let you kids know.” Agent Gray took a few steps toward the hall leading to the interrogation rooms. “Now you kids stay out of trouble.”
“We will,” Sarah said.
The other Super Spies waved to the agent, before huddling around Sarah as if they were planning a conspiracy.
“So what do we do now?” Jackie asked.
“We’ve got to find those men.” Sarah chewed on her thumbnail.
“How do you plan on doing that?” Jackie asked.
Sarah stared at Jackie as she concentrated. “Well…we need to find out if there are any terrorist organizations in town.”
Jackie furrowed her brow and dipped her head toward Sarah. “Yep. We need to talk to Scoop.”
“Let’s head outside and give him a call.” Sarah walked toward the door.
The rest of the Super Spies followed her as she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and punched in Scoop’s number. She put the phone up to her ear and listened for the ring. Strolling toward the light post that stood in the center of the parking lot, Sarah couldn’t wait to hear his voice.
“Hello,” Scoop boomed into the phone.
“Hi, Scoop.”
“Sarah Cole, how are you?”
“I’m fine.”
“What can I help you with?” Scoop chuckled. “As if I didn’t already know.”
Sarah giggled. “You know us too well.”
“I do.”
“We need to ask you some questions. Can you meet us at Hinkle’s in about fifteen minutes?”
“I was on my way to the hardware store, but I’ll meet you there first.”
“Okay, see you in fifteen.” She closed her phone and gazed at her friends. “Scoop’s meeting us in fifteen minutes at Hinkle’s.”
“Cool beans.”
“Awesome.” Lacey twirled her hair around her finger and gazed at Scott. “Maybe Scott and I should go up and check on Uncle Walt, while you guys meet with Scoop.”
Sarah winked at her sister. “Good idea.” She faced Scott. “You can ride my bike, then we’ll meet at the willow tree in an hour.” Sarah turned and grabbed Jackie’s arm. “Come on, Jack, let’s head to the diner.”
The Super Spies walked toward the highway. Scott and Lacey pushed their bikes until they reached the corner, then they mounted them and pedaled toward the hospital. Sarah and Jackie made a beeline for the restaurant.
The chill was still in the air and Sarah pulled her jacket tighter around her. She kept a vigilant eye out for the green truck. Now that she knew the bombers hadn’t been apprehended her anxiety turned up a notch.
The girls reached Hinkle’s and scurried inside. Sarah took in the twinkle of the Christmas lights and her mood brightened a little. She stopped at the hostess station and glanced around, looking for Scoop.
“He’s not here yet,” she said.
“He’s an old man,” Jackie reminded her. “He’s slowing down in his old age.”
The hostess appeared and motioned to the girls. “Follow me, girls.” She walked down the aisle and stopped at a booth by the window. “Is this all right?”
Sarah nodded and sat down. “We’re waiting for one more person.”
The hostess smiled. “I’ll let your waitress know.”
Sarah faced the door, hoping to spy Scoop the minute he walked through it. Gazing around the restaurant, she noticed there were a few patrons sipping coffee and reading the paper. It was just after the morning rush and the staff was enjoying the lull. They chatted leisurely as they went about wiping tables and taking dirty dishes to the kitchen.
Sarah leaned forward and caught Jackie’s eye. “I looked up ‘terrorist’ on the Internet last night.”
“You already told me last night, remember?”
“Oh, that’s right, I forgot.” Sarah frowned and rubbed her forehead. “Are there any political groups around town?”
“Beats me. I’m not into politics.”
“Yeah, you’re into shopping.”
“How could you forget that?” Jackie smirked.
“I don’t know.” Sarah rolled her eyes. “Oh, thank goodness…Scoop just walked in. Hopefully, he can shed some light on all of this.” She pointed to a portly man with snow-white hair.
Jackie whirled in her seat and glanced over her shoulder. “Yep, that’s him.”
Scoop waved and then ambled over. “Hello, Super Spies.”
“Hi, Scoop,” the girls responded in unison.
As he pulled a chair up to their table, a waitress appeared and asked what they would like to order. Everyone ordered lemonade and she hurried away to get their drinks.
When she left Scoop ran his hands through his thinning hair and gazed around the restaurant. He then turned his attention back to the girls and asked, “How can I be of service?”
Sarah leaned forward and whispered. “The FBI thinks the bomb was set off by terrorists.”
“Are you serious?” He dipped his head and met Sarah’s gaze.
Sarah gave him a solemn nod. “Have you heard of any terrorist groups around Harrisburg?”
“No, I haven’t.” Scoop stroked his chin and frowned. “Why would there be terrorists here?”
“We don’t know.” Sarah glanced at Jackie and shrugged.
“Terrorism usually involves countries that are fighting over major issues like religion, borders, or oil.”
“None of those things have anything to do with Harrisburg,” Jackie piped in.
Sco
op nodded. “You’re right, we aren’t a political hotspot. I think the FBI is barking up the wrong tree…unless they’re talking about domestic terrorism. What made them think it was terrorists in the first place?”
“I guess because of the type of bomb that was used.” Sarah frowned and gazed at Scoop. “What’s domestic terrorism?”
The waitress appeared with their drinks and Scoop waited until she left before he answered. “It’s terrorism practiced in your own country, against your own people.” Scoop stared at Sarah as if he were trying to read her mind. “You say the FBI thought it was terrorism because of the bomb that was used?”
“Yep.” Sarah took another drink of her lemonade.
“There’s got to be more to it than that.” Scoop’s brow furrowed and he continued to stare at Sarah. “Did they say anything else?”
Sarah drummed her fingers on the table. “No, but they were really interested in the fact that my parents disappeared, and then a few months later the high school is bombed.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Do you think there’s a connection?”
“It’s pretty far-fetched.” Scoop gave Sarah a gentle smile. “Could there be something else besides your parents that might make the FBI think this is a terrorist attack?”
Sarah wiped her eyes and frowned. “Well, what about the target?”
Scoop raised his eyebrows and stared at Sarah. “You know who the target is?”
“No…but so far there are two people up at the hospital who survived the bomb, and the bombers are after someone at the hospital. It’s either Uncle Walt or Ali Hameedi.”
“Well…we know your uncle isn’t a terrorist.”
“Right, so maybe this Ali Hameedi is,” Sarah said.
Scoop stared at her. “You just might be on to something.”
“For real?”
“Yeah, I’m going to ask around about this guy. What was his name again?”
“Ali Hameedi, ” Sarah answered.
Scoop’s burning curiosity suddenly infected Sarah. Who is Ali Hameedi? Is he some sort of terrorist? Are these bombers after this teacher, and Uncle Walt is just an innocent bystander? As these questions burned through Sarah’s mind, the heat of dread rushed through her body. Ali Hameedi is still at the hospital, and so is Uncle Walt.
Chapter Thirteen
Sarah sprang from her seat. “We have to get to the hospital.”
