sun.
Something whizzed past my ear. It sounded like a hornet on steroids. Suddenly, Greg released me.
“Ow!” he cried.
My eyes snapped open. Greg Crewes hopped a foot or so away from me, and the hand he was going to use to pummel me into oblivion was now clapped over his right ear. An angry red stain spread across his cheeks, and tears glistened in his eyes.
I heard the hornet sound again, and something struck Greg hard, right between the eyes.
“Ouch!” the bully squeaked. He staggered. Now he covered his forehead with his other hand. The object that had struck him fell to the ground—a rock about the size of a large marble. I glanced over my shoulder, but couldn’t see where the projectile had come from.
Greg bellowed with anger. The assault only stunned him for a second or two, and now he was fighting mad. Growling, he charged Marty, Alex, and me. I didn’t know who he planned on ripping apart first.
Another rock zoomed out of the woods but it missed Greg by a couple of inches. It struck the gravel road with a small puff of dust.
Greg’s arm shot out like a striking serpent. Spinning me around, he locked his arm around my throat, putting me between the unseen attacker and himself. I’d seen this in cop shows before—the criminal using a hostage as a human shield.
Marty couldn’t move. Couldn’t talk.
“Let him go!” Alex shouted, biting back his fear. He scrambled forward, but Greg kicked at him. My brother stumbled, and his foot caught on his untied shoelaces. He had a real problem keeping his sneakers tied. He fell on his rump, bruising both his tail bone and his pride.
Alex pushed himself up, wiping his nose on the back of his hand.
“Take another step and I’ll wring his neck!” Greg tightened his choke hold on my throat and looked into the tree line. “And whoever you are out there, you fling another stone and you’ll risk hitting him.” He gave me a shake. “Now come on out of there.”
I gasped for air. I gripped his arm and tried to pry it away, but he was just too strong. My legs kicked in the dirt. Any minute now I’d black out.
Another stone flew out of the brush. This time, though, it wasn’t aimed at Greg. It zipped past us. The right-hand side view mirror of Greg’s car exploded into a glittering shower of broken glass.
“Hey!” Greg released me, and I fell forward. The gravel skinned my knees and the palms of my hands, but at least I could breathe.
Another rock flew out of the trees, this time striking the back windshield of the car with a smack!
“Cut it out!” Greg scrambled for his car, digging in his pocket for keys.
Smack! Another rock struck the rear windshield. This time, a spider web fracture spread across the glass.
“You’re dead,” Greg yelled as he jumped into the car. “Dead! You hear me?”
The engine roared to life, and Greg hit the gas, speeding down the road before any more damage could be inflicted on his precious car.
I rubbed my throat. Marty and Alex helped me to my feet.
“You okay?” Alex asked.
“I think so.”
“We got lucky.” Marty watched the road to make sure Greg didn’t come back for us.
I was about to ask him about the bully when another voice called out from the trees.
“Ask me, you were pretty stupid to rile one of the Crewes boys.” A figure stepped out of hiding. “Brave but stupid.”
A girl about my age emerged from the woods. She had red hair tied back into a long ponytail. Her eyes were green and sparkling. A thick patch of freckles ran across the bridge of her nose. She might have been cute... if she didn’t look like such a tomboy. She wore rolled up jeans that had been patched more times than Marty’s, a dirty pair of sneakers, and a checkered button-up shirt that must have come from the boy’s clothing department. She carried a slingshot, but as she approached she shoved it into her back pocket.
Marty hooted triumphantly and clapped his hands together. “I knew it! I knew it was you!” All
Something whizzed past my ear. It sounded like a hornet on steroids. Suddenly, Greg released me.
“Ow!” he cried.
My eyes snapped open. Greg Crewes hopped a foot or so away from me, and the hand he was going to use to pummel me into oblivion was now clapped over his right ear. An angry red stain spread across his cheeks, and tears glistened in his eyes.
I heard the hornet sound again, and something struck Greg hard, right between the eyes.
“Ouch!” the bully squeaked. He staggered. Now he covered his forehead with his other hand. The object that had struck him fell to the ground—a rock about the size of a large marble. I glanced over my shoulder, but couldn’t see where the projectile had come from.
Greg bellowed with anger. The assault only stunned him for a second or two, and now he was fighting mad. Growling, he charged Marty, Alex, and me. I didn’t know who he planned on ripping apart first.
Another rock zoomed out of the woods but it missed Greg by a couple of inches. It struck the gravel road with a small puff of dust.
Greg’s arm shot out like a striking serpent. Spinning me around, he locked his arm around my throat, putting me between the unseen attacker and himself. I’d seen this in cop shows before—the criminal using a hostage as a human shield.
Marty couldn’t move. Couldn’t talk.
“Let him go!” Alex shouted, biting back his fear. He scrambled forward, but Greg kicked at him. My brother stumbled, and his foot caught on his untied shoelaces. He had a real problem keeping his sneakers tied. He fell on his rump, bruising both his tail bone and his pride.
Alex pushed himself up, wiping his nose on the back of his hand.
“Take another step and I’ll wring his neck!” Greg tightened his choke hold on my throat and looked into the tree line. “And whoever you are out there, you fling another stone and you’ll risk hitting him.” He gave me a shake. “Now come on out of there.”
I gasped for air. I gripped his arm and tried to pry it away, but he was just too strong. My legs kicked in the dirt. Any minute now I’d black out.
Another stone flew out of the brush. This time, though, it wasn’t aimed at Greg. It zipped past us. The right-hand side view mirror of Greg’s car exploded into a glittering shower of broken glass.
“Hey!” Greg released me, and I fell forward. The gravel skinned my knees and the palms of my hands, but at least I could breathe.
Another rock flew out of the trees, this time striking the back windshield of the car with a smack!
“Cut it out!” Greg scrambled for his car, digging in his pocket for keys.
Smack! Another rock struck the rear windshield. This time, a spider web fracture spread across the glass.
“You’re dead,” Greg yelled as he jumped into the car. “Dead! You hear me?”
The engine roared to life, and Greg hit the gas, speeding down the road before any more damage could be inflicted on his precious car.
I rubbed my throat. Marty and Alex helped me to my feet.
“You okay?” Alex asked.
“I think so.”
“We got lucky.” Marty watched the road to make sure Greg didn’t come back for us.
I was about to ask him about the bully when another voice called out from the trees.
“Ask me, you were pretty stupid to rile one of the Crewes boys.” A figure stepped out of hiding. “Brave but stupid.”
A girl about my age emerged from the woods. She had red hair tied back into a long ponytail. Her eyes were green and sparkling. A thick patch of freckles ran across the bridge of her nose. She might have been cute... if she didn’t look like such a tomboy. She wore rolled up jeans that had been patched more times than Marty’s, a dirty pair of sneakers, and a checkered button-up shirt that must have come from the boy’s clothing department. She carried a slingshot, but as she approached she shoved it into her back pocket.
Marty hooted triumphantly and clapped his hands together. “I knew it! I knew it was you!” All
Similar Books
