Fool's Gold by Eric Walters

that man. “Is that you, Jack?”
    â€œIt’s me.”
    â€œI didn’t expect to hear from you so soon. It’s been less than twenty-four hours, and I gave you three days.”
    â€œYou want the gold and we want our mother. There was no point in waiting any longer than we had to,” Jack said.
    We did want her back as soon as possible. We also knew that the more we probed the camp the greater the chance we would get caught. We’d travelled the length of the creek, right down to the lake, and it was unguarded. The creek was still the best choice, and there was no point in looking any farther.
    â€œSo, I’m assuming that you’ve found a way in.”
    â€œWe know how to do it.”
    â€œExcellent. Where shall I have my men meet you?”he asked.
    â€œWe’re not meeting them anywhere until we know our mother is safe,” Jack said.
    â€œShe’s safe.”
    â€œWe want to talk to her.”
    â€œYou’ll be able to talk to her as soon as you get here with the gold.”
    â€œWe’re not meeting your men and we’re not bringing you any gold until we know that she’s okay,” Jack insisted.
    â€œYou’re not in any position to be dictating terms to me,” the man said, his voice now ominously angry.
    â€œThat depends on how much you want the gold,” Jack pointed out.
    â€œAnd that depends on whether or not you ever want to see your mother alive again,” he threatened.
    â€œUntil we talk to her, we don’t even know that she still is alive.”
    The man started to chuckle. His laughter was even more frightening. “Hang on,” he said.
    Jack slipped his hand over the mouthpiece. “I think he’s gone to get her.”
    Seconds turned to a full minute, and I was starting to feel more and more anxious.
    â€œHello, Jack?”
    â€œMom!” we both yelled out.
    â€œGeorge, are you there too?”
    â€œWe’re both here. Are you okay?” Jack asked.
    â€œI’m fine.”
    â€œThey haven’t hurt you, have they?” Jack asked.
    â€œNo. They’ve been treating me well … as well as you can treat a prisoner. Are you boys all right?”
    â€œWe’re fine. We’ll be there by tomorrow.”
    â€œBoys, you can’t risk—”
    â€œSatisfied?” the man said, his voice replacing our mother’s. “She’s fine, and she’ll stay fine as long as you continue to cooperate. Now, where and when do my men meet you?”
    â€œThey should come along Highway 2 until they hit Corbett’s Creek. It’s just outside of Whitby before you come to Oshawa. There’s a spot for them to pull off the road just east of the creek. They need to be there by seven o’clock. Can they do that?”
    â€œThat’s no problem.”
    â€œAnd they need to bring a rubber raft big enough to hold four people.”
    â€œThat might be a little more difficult to come by,” he said.
    â€œDifficult or impossible?” Jack asked.
    â€œWe’ll arrange it. My men will be there at seven. Anything else?” he asked.
    â€œNothing. Except I have a question.”
    â€œGo ahead.”
    â€œThese two guys you’re sending, how do we know that they can be trusted?”
    â€œYou have nothing to worry about, they’ll cooperate with you fully.”
    â€œNo,” Jack said. “I mean, how do you know you can trust them? How do you know they won’t just get the gold and then take off, leaving all of us high and dry?”
    The man laughed. “No worries.”
    â€œYeah, I know you’re saying that, but I don’t want to go to all the risk of getting the gold out and then have these guys take off. How do I know they’re trustworthy?”
    â€œYou know for the same reason we can trust you to do what we agreed,” he said.
    For a second I wondered if that meant that he had their mothers hostage, but I knew