toughest kid in my seventh grade class,” Mandy continued. “He knew how to ride a motorcycle because his brother worked at a dealership. Kenny had already brought five motorcycles to Jerry’s house. He made everyone feel safe. He’d go out and get us food and water. Gradually, other classmates joined us. He taught us all how to ride. He’d lead us on raids at stores like Target and Walmart. If anyone got in Kenny’s way, he…”
Jordan didn’t need Mandy to finish the sentence.
“We eventually moved into three houses on Berkley Street. It was Kenny’s idea. He had us build a barricade at both ends of the street. We never questioned him. He had saved our lives and made us feel safe. I worshipped him. I would have done anything he asked without question.
“One day, he told us that anyone under the age of nine was nothing but a drain. They ate food and drank water, but they couldn’t contribute to our survival. They couldn’t fight. They were too young to steal. He told us that living with them jeopardized all of us. Of course, I knew it was wrong, but I never said anything. There were four kids under nine in our house, including Sammy. Kenny ordered the older brothers and sisters to put them on the backs of our motorcycles.”
Tears streamed down Mandy’s cheeks.
“We marched them into the woods. I told Sammy to stay there. I made up some story and said I’d come back for him soon. He kept calling for me as I walked away.”
Mandy fired up the motorcycle. “I know what you’re thinking, I’m a monster who murdered her baby brother. You’re right. I am.”
He wasn’t thinking that at all. He was wondering what he would have done in the same situation. All of a sudden, Jordan didn’t know.
Mandy put on her helmet, and he saw his reflection in the dark mask that hid her face. He hadn’t moved a muscle while she was talking.
“Wait,” he said.
She shifted the bike into gear and pulled away. The throb of the engine shrank to a pinprick of sound and then to silence.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Abby smiled at Timmy, sitting on the floor.
“Can I bring this with me?” he asked, clutching the Jenga game.
“Absolutely!”
“Awesome!” Timmy hurriedly stuffed the game into his backpack as if afraid she might change her mind.
She, Timmy, and Mel had moved to the O’Brien house next door soon after Mandy and Jordan left for the yacht club. Brad’s gang wouldn’t think to look for them there, but Abby had a second, more personal reason for suggesting they switch houses. She couldn’t bring herself to go upstairs where her mother’s body lay, and she didn’t want Mel or Timmy to go up there, either.
Abby continued searching for items on Jordan’s list. She hit the jackpot in a closet where she found a box of old ice skates. The skates produced a total of about ten feet of lacing.
She glanced out the window every few minutes. Kids still passed by in waves, but the gaps between the clumps were growing longer. Every time she spotted a tall boy, she asked Mel if it was Brad.
Together, she and Mel scrounged up about half of what Jordan wanted. Along with the laces, they found plastic garbage bags, which could serve as rain jackets, keep stuff dry, or plug a leaky hull.
Timmy caught more crickets in the backyard, and Abby ripped up a garbage bag and packed individual pouches of bugs for each of them to carry.
Hearing a motorcycle, Timmy charged out front. Abby figured it was good news that Mandy was returning so soon. She’d been gone less than an hour.
When Abby stepped onto the porch, she noticed a front door closing in the house across the street. A figure darted out of sight. She didn’t get a good look at the person other than to see that he or she was wearing a baseball cap.
Mandy had dismounted her motorcycle and was speaking to Timmy. His head bobbed up and down. “Yes,” he cried in response to whatever Mandy had told him. She gave him a bear hug, and he pushed back from her. She tousled
Jordan didn’t need Mandy to finish the sentence.
“We eventually moved into three houses on Berkley Street. It was Kenny’s idea. He had us build a barricade at both ends of the street. We never questioned him. He had saved our lives and made us feel safe. I worshipped him. I would have done anything he asked without question.
“One day, he told us that anyone under the age of nine was nothing but a drain. They ate food and drank water, but they couldn’t contribute to our survival. They couldn’t fight. They were too young to steal. He told us that living with them jeopardized all of us. Of course, I knew it was wrong, but I never said anything. There were four kids under nine in our house, including Sammy. Kenny ordered the older brothers and sisters to put them on the backs of our motorcycles.”
Tears streamed down Mandy’s cheeks.
“We marched them into the woods. I told Sammy to stay there. I made up some story and said I’d come back for him soon. He kept calling for me as I walked away.”
Mandy fired up the motorcycle. “I know what you’re thinking, I’m a monster who murdered her baby brother. You’re right. I am.”
He wasn’t thinking that at all. He was wondering what he would have done in the same situation. All of a sudden, Jordan didn’t know.
Mandy put on her helmet, and he saw his reflection in the dark mask that hid her face. He hadn’t moved a muscle while she was talking.
“Wait,” he said.
She shifted the bike into gear and pulled away. The throb of the engine shrank to a pinprick of sound and then to silence.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Abby smiled at Timmy, sitting on the floor.
“Can I bring this with me?” he asked, clutching the Jenga game.
“Absolutely!”
“Awesome!” Timmy hurriedly stuffed the game into his backpack as if afraid she might change her mind.
She, Timmy, and Mel had moved to the O’Brien house next door soon after Mandy and Jordan left for the yacht club. Brad’s gang wouldn’t think to look for them there, but Abby had a second, more personal reason for suggesting they switch houses. She couldn’t bring herself to go upstairs where her mother’s body lay, and she didn’t want Mel or Timmy to go up there, either.
Abby continued searching for items on Jordan’s list. She hit the jackpot in a closet where she found a box of old ice skates. The skates produced a total of about ten feet of lacing.
She glanced out the window every few minutes. Kids still passed by in waves, but the gaps between the clumps were growing longer. Every time she spotted a tall boy, she asked Mel if it was Brad.
Together, she and Mel scrounged up about half of what Jordan wanted. Along with the laces, they found plastic garbage bags, which could serve as rain jackets, keep stuff dry, or plug a leaky hull.
Timmy caught more crickets in the backyard, and Abby ripped up a garbage bag and packed individual pouches of bugs for each of them to carry.
Hearing a motorcycle, Timmy charged out front. Abby figured it was good news that Mandy was returning so soon. She’d been gone less than an hour.
When Abby stepped onto the porch, she noticed a front door closing in the house across the street. A figure darted out of sight. She didn’t get a good look at the person other than to see that he or she was wearing a baseball cap.
Mandy had dismounted her motorcycle and was speaking to Timmy. His head bobbed up and down. “Yes,” he cried in response to whatever Mandy had told him. She gave him a bear hug, and he pushed back from her. She tousled
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