Amanda exchanged glances, and together they launched themselves at the policemen.
“Help us,” cried Amanda.
Jaci threw herself at the feet of one of the men. “We’ve been kidnapped. Please, take us away!”
The officer looked down at her in total silence, and then all the men burst out laughing.
He hooked his boot on Jaci’s shoulder and shoved her. “Get off me.”
“Stupid girls,” Homer snarled, reaching out and backhanding Jaci across the face. “These are The Hand’s police. Didn’t he tell you he has his own force? Wolves among the sheep?”
Understanding washed over her, and Jaci felt the blood drain from her face.
“Now get in the bathroom and get cleaned up. One at a time. And don’t try any more stupid stunts.” He shoved Jaci and Amanda back toward Sara.
Still chuckling, the fake officer placed his hat back on his head and Grey escorted them out of the room. Homer kept his eyes on Jaci and Sara.
Sara looked at Jaci and shook her head, her hazel eyes hooded.
Jaci leaned against the white wall and studied her dirty fingernails. It was hopeless. How to get away when they were shadowed every minute?
Amanda came out of the bathroom, and Sara went in. Poor Sara. She hadn’t said more than a word since returning during the night.
From the other room, the phone rang.
“Claber, come watch them!” Homer hollered. “I’ve gotta get the phone. It might be Truman with Sid.”
“Right,” Claber yelled from the higher floor.
The guard turned to the girls. “Don’t move.” With that, he trotted away.
As soon as his back was turned, Amanda yanked open the bathroom door. Sara stood by the sink, washing her face, eyes wide. Amanda grabbed Jaci’s forearm and thrust her inside, then closed the door and locked it.
“Quick,” she said, “we have to hurry.” Amanda rushed to a window over the toilet and pushed it open.
“There’s no screen,” Jaci said, stating the obvious.
“And it’s not locked. Go, go, go, go.” Amanda climbed through.
Jaci scrambled after her. There was a bump outside the bathroom door, and she paused with one leg out the window.
“Hey, Sanders?” came Claber’s voice. “Was it this bathroom?”
Jaci dropped to the ground outside, then reached up to help Sara. They pulled her through the window, and Amanda closed it.
“Run!” said Jaci.
The forest was about ten yards in front of them. They made a mad dash for it.
“Hurry, hurry,” Jaci gasped aloud as they ran. “Don’t stop.”
“They’ll search the house first,” Sara said. “They won’t know we were all inside the bathroom.”
“They’ll know,” Jaci panted, “when they check and it’s locked.”
“Don’t talk,” snapped Amanda. “Just run. And pray there’s no dogs.”
Chapter 9
Amanda came to a sudden halt, panting and holding her side. “Stop,” she gasped. “I can’t keep running.”
Jaci and Sara pulled up and walked back the few feet to her. Jaci, out of breath, grabbed a tree trunk for support. She was an endurance runner, not a sprinter, and she welcomed the break. She had already tripped over a branch, fallen on a rock, and scratched her face going through thorns. “They’ll be right behind us.”
“Maybe we should split up?” Amanda suggested.
“No!” cried Sara.
Jaci reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “We’ll stick together. Find a place to hide and lay low until nightfall. Then we can keep going.”
“Are you sure?” asked Amanda. “Wouldn’t it be better to get away as quickly as possible?”
“We can’t just hurry down this mountain. We’ve got to think. They’ll be waiting at the bottom for us.”
Amanda nodded. “Okay. Let’s find a place to hide—a tree, overhang, cave, something. Go.”
In an instant they were off again. Jaci prayed as she stumbled over the undergrowth. “Please, Lord. Please, Lord. Please, Lord.” She never formed a deeper thought.
As she ran around an uprooted tree, she tripped.
“Oh!” Her
“Help us,” cried Amanda.
Jaci threw herself at the feet of one of the men. “We’ve been kidnapped. Please, take us away!”
The officer looked down at her in total silence, and then all the men burst out laughing.
He hooked his boot on Jaci’s shoulder and shoved her. “Get off me.”
“Stupid girls,” Homer snarled, reaching out and backhanding Jaci across the face. “These are The Hand’s police. Didn’t he tell you he has his own force? Wolves among the sheep?”
Understanding washed over her, and Jaci felt the blood drain from her face.
“Now get in the bathroom and get cleaned up. One at a time. And don’t try any more stupid stunts.” He shoved Jaci and Amanda back toward Sara.
Still chuckling, the fake officer placed his hat back on his head and Grey escorted them out of the room. Homer kept his eyes on Jaci and Sara.
Sara looked at Jaci and shook her head, her hazel eyes hooded.
Jaci leaned against the white wall and studied her dirty fingernails. It was hopeless. How to get away when they were shadowed every minute?
Amanda came out of the bathroom, and Sara went in. Poor Sara. She hadn’t said more than a word since returning during the night.
From the other room, the phone rang.
“Claber, come watch them!” Homer hollered. “I’ve gotta get the phone. It might be Truman with Sid.”
“Right,” Claber yelled from the higher floor.
The guard turned to the girls. “Don’t move.” With that, he trotted away.
As soon as his back was turned, Amanda yanked open the bathroom door. Sara stood by the sink, washing her face, eyes wide. Amanda grabbed Jaci’s forearm and thrust her inside, then closed the door and locked it.
“Quick,” she said, “we have to hurry.” Amanda rushed to a window over the toilet and pushed it open.
“There’s no screen,” Jaci said, stating the obvious.
“And it’s not locked. Go, go, go, go.” Amanda climbed through.
Jaci scrambled after her. There was a bump outside the bathroom door, and she paused with one leg out the window.
“Hey, Sanders?” came Claber’s voice. “Was it this bathroom?”
Jaci dropped to the ground outside, then reached up to help Sara. They pulled her through the window, and Amanda closed it.
“Run!” said Jaci.
The forest was about ten yards in front of them. They made a mad dash for it.
“Hurry, hurry,” Jaci gasped aloud as they ran. “Don’t stop.”
“They’ll search the house first,” Sara said. “They won’t know we were all inside the bathroom.”
“They’ll know,” Jaci panted, “when they check and it’s locked.”
“Don’t talk,” snapped Amanda. “Just run. And pray there’s no dogs.”
Chapter 9
Amanda came to a sudden halt, panting and holding her side. “Stop,” she gasped. “I can’t keep running.”
Jaci and Sara pulled up and walked back the few feet to her. Jaci, out of breath, grabbed a tree trunk for support. She was an endurance runner, not a sprinter, and she welcomed the break. She had already tripped over a branch, fallen on a rock, and scratched her face going through thorns. “They’ll be right behind us.”
“Maybe we should split up?” Amanda suggested.
“No!” cried Sara.
Jaci reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “We’ll stick together. Find a place to hide and lay low until nightfall. Then we can keep going.”
“Are you sure?” asked Amanda. “Wouldn’t it be better to get away as quickly as possible?”
“We can’t just hurry down this mountain. We’ve got to think. They’ll be waiting at the bottom for us.”
Amanda nodded. “Okay. Let’s find a place to hide—a tree, overhang, cave, something. Go.”
In an instant they were off again. Jaci prayed as she stumbled over the undergrowth. “Please, Lord. Please, Lord. Please, Lord.” She never formed a deeper thought.
As she ran around an uprooted tree, she tripped.
“Oh!” Her
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