Cursing like he’s in pain.
He reaches us. He positions the boat so that we’re dangling over it. He stands and lifts a knife. Caitlin opens her mouth, but a third scream doesn’t come.
“Don’t cut it!” I order Gord. “Unhook it instead. Or the rope will be damaged for tomorrow.”
His face is bloodied where Craven’s fist landed. He’s cradling a rib with one curled-up hand.
“Smart thinking, Chris,” he says. He eases our weight onto his shoulders for a second. Then unclips us. Thwack . We fall into the boat, still tied up.
“Ouch,” Caitlin says.
“Sorry, Caitlin,” Gord says as he uses his knife to slice Craven’s ropes off us. We’re free!
“How’d you—?” he starts to ask.
“Was wearing the new harness. Slipped the bungee rope onto it when they weren’t looking,” I say.
“So glad you’re okay,” he says, leaning forward to squeeze our shoulders as we sit up. “I’m sorry,” he adds. “I wanted that cash box so badly. I didn’t think it would hurt anyone to poke around and—”
“They tried to kill us,” I say, looking up at the bridge.
“I know. And they beat me to a pulp,” he says, lifting his torn shirt to point at bruises. “But I got myself to Craven’s boat. I called the police on my cell. And I was hoping I could rescue you if they…”
Caitlin faces Gord. “You left us without helping us out of the hatch,” she says.
Gord hangs his head. “I’m sorry. I just wanted the box. I only meant to delay you for a few minutes. I didn’t know what those two were up to.”
“Why were you up there?”
“I came up when I saw flashlight beams. I heard the pipe door slam. I went on the catwalk, looking. Then I heard you.”
“And as you ran off with the box, they caught you,” I say.
“Yes,” he says. “After they beat me up, I saw them go back onto the catwalk. And I saw them throw the money into the water.” He stares at the black water around us, a tragic look on his face.
The sound of police-car sirens shatters the night’s quiet. They’re heading up the peninsula toward the bridge. Meanwhile, a police boat speeds up the channel. It beaches on Hospital Island. Police dogs bark excitedly as they jump to shore.
“Are you a real engineer, Gord?” I ask.
He takes the oars and studies the floor of the boat. “No, Chris. I’m a draftsman and contractor. I studied to be an engineer but flunked the exam. I faked some papers when I heard your dad was looking for someone. I’m sorry. You’ll turn me in, eh?”
“Not till after the opening tomorrow,” I reply.
Caitlin looks surprised, then smiles.
Gord winks and grins. Then he rows us to the police boat.
Chapter Sixteen
“Yahoo!” screams Tom as he drops off the platform.
“That’s an enthusiastic one,” Chuck says, grinning at me. “Okay, Gord, winch Tom up,” he says a few minutes later.
“I’m next!” insists Caitlin. “Can I go upside down?”
“If you’re brave enough,” Chuck says.
“And I go after Caitlin, right?” comes a deep voice.
I spin around. I envelop Dad in a bear hug. “You made it, Dad!”
“Wouldn’t miss it for anything,” he says. His arms reach out to hug Caitlin and me. Mom is behind him, smiling.
“You did it, Chris. You really did it,” Dad says.
“Caitlin helped,” I say.
“Yeah, and I’m about to go on the jump upside down!” she enthuses.
“That’s my girl,” Dad says with a chuckle. “I swear you’ve grown in the last few weeks.”
“Look at the lineup,” Mom says, beaming. “We’ve taken in a mountain of money.”
“And this is only the first day,” Gord says, smiling wide.
I high-five him.
“Chris!” Mr. Roth has worked his way up in line. “I’m so proud of you!”
“Thanks for your help,” I say at the same time as Dad, and we laugh. As Dad shakes hands with my science teacher, Mom watches Chuck weigh Caitlin.
“Did you hear they’re going to hire a new librarian?” she asks us.
“Yeah. A younger
He reaches us. He positions the boat so that we’re dangling over it. He stands and lifts a knife. Caitlin opens her mouth, but a third scream doesn’t come.
“Don’t cut it!” I order Gord. “Unhook it instead. Or the rope will be damaged for tomorrow.”
His face is bloodied where Craven’s fist landed. He’s cradling a rib with one curled-up hand.
“Smart thinking, Chris,” he says. He eases our weight onto his shoulders for a second. Then unclips us. Thwack . We fall into the boat, still tied up.
“Ouch,” Caitlin says.
“Sorry, Caitlin,” Gord says as he uses his knife to slice Craven’s ropes off us. We’re free!
“How’d you—?” he starts to ask.
“Was wearing the new harness. Slipped the bungee rope onto it when they weren’t looking,” I say.
“So glad you’re okay,” he says, leaning forward to squeeze our shoulders as we sit up. “I’m sorry,” he adds. “I wanted that cash box so badly. I didn’t think it would hurt anyone to poke around and—”
“They tried to kill us,” I say, looking up at the bridge.
“I know. And they beat me to a pulp,” he says, lifting his torn shirt to point at bruises. “But I got myself to Craven’s boat. I called the police on my cell. And I was hoping I could rescue you if they…”
Caitlin faces Gord. “You left us without helping us out of the hatch,” she says.
Gord hangs his head. “I’m sorry. I just wanted the box. I only meant to delay you for a few minutes. I didn’t know what those two were up to.”
“Why were you up there?”
“I came up when I saw flashlight beams. I heard the pipe door slam. I went on the catwalk, looking. Then I heard you.”
“And as you ran off with the box, they caught you,” I say.
“Yes,” he says. “After they beat me up, I saw them go back onto the catwalk. And I saw them throw the money into the water.” He stares at the black water around us, a tragic look on his face.
The sound of police-car sirens shatters the night’s quiet. They’re heading up the peninsula toward the bridge. Meanwhile, a police boat speeds up the channel. It beaches on Hospital Island. Police dogs bark excitedly as they jump to shore.
“Are you a real engineer, Gord?” I ask.
He takes the oars and studies the floor of the boat. “No, Chris. I’m a draftsman and contractor. I studied to be an engineer but flunked the exam. I faked some papers when I heard your dad was looking for someone. I’m sorry. You’ll turn me in, eh?”
“Not till after the opening tomorrow,” I reply.
Caitlin looks surprised, then smiles.
Gord winks and grins. Then he rows us to the police boat.
Chapter Sixteen
“Yahoo!” screams Tom as he drops off the platform.
“That’s an enthusiastic one,” Chuck says, grinning at me. “Okay, Gord, winch Tom up,” he says a few minutes later.
“I’m next!” insists Caitlin. “Can I go upside down?”
“If you’re brave enough,” Chuck says.
“And I go after Caitlin, right?” comes a deep voice.
I spin around. I envelop Dad in a bear hug. “You made it, Dad!”
“Wouldn’t miss it for anything,” he says. His arms reach out to hug Caitlin and me. Mom is behind him, smiling.
“You did it, Chris. You really did it,” Dad says.
“Caitlin helped,” I say.
“Yeah, and I’m about to go on the jump upside down!” she enthuses.
“That’s my girl,” Dad says with a chuckle. “I swear you’ve grown in the last few weeks.”
“Look at the lineup,” Mom says, beaming. “We’ve taken in a mountain of money.”
“And this is only the first day,” Gord says, smiling wide.
I high-five him.
“Chris!” Mr. Roth has worked his way up in line. “I’m so proud of you!”
“Thanks for your help,” I say at the same time as Dad, and we laugh. As Dad shakes hands with my science teacher, Mom watches Chuck weigh Caitlin.
“Did you hear they’re going to hire a new librarian?” she asks us.
“Yeah. A younger
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