Perilous (17 page)

Chapter 29

Jaci slowly opened her eyes. It was too cold to sleep any longer. She sat up. Sara and Amanda were curled up next to her.

“Morning, Jaci.” Neal gave her a weary smile from the tree he leaned against. Ricky slept on next to him.

Her body ached, reminding her of yesterday. She shuddered. “Thanks for keeping watch.”

Sara stirred and sat up, shivering. “Gotta pee.” She pushed herself to her feet.

“Don’t let her go alone,” Neal said, his lips tightening.

“I won’t.” Jaci got up. “I need to go, too.”

They made their way into the forest, their breath leaving little clouds of vapor.

“I’ll be a minute longer,” Sara said. “Go back without me.”

Jaci paused. “Neal said not to leave you alone.”

“I’m fine,” Sara snapped. “Just go!”

“Okay.”

Amanda was up when she got back. She still had her arms pulled inside the knit sweater. Morning sun filtered through the leaves, but it didn’t give any warmth.

“Be back in a moment.” Amanda stumbled away from the group.

Jaci stepped closer to Neal. He splashed water from a warped plastic bottle onto his face, then handed it to her. She took a swig of the acrid water and watched him approach Ricky, who still slept against a tree trunk.

“Ricky,” he said, tapping him with his foot to wake him. “Wake up, it’s morning.”

Amanda returned, her green eyes wide. “I think Sara’s sick. She’s throwing up back there.”

Jaci stuffed bark into the orange bag. Their food for the day. “Does she need help?”

Amanda shook her head. “She said not to worry. She told me to go away. What do you suppose she has? Next thing you know we’ll all have it.”

“I doubt it,” Neal interjected. “She’s pregnant.”

Jaci spun around. Pregnant? But she was only fourteen. She couldn’t be pregnant!

Ricky shook his head. “I don’t think that was the best way to spring it on them.”

Jaci stared at the twins. “You know this for sure?”

Neal nodded. “Yes. She told us.”

“Oh my gosh,” Amanda said. “That explains
a lot.
Wow. So she’s not—Sara’s not a virgin anymore.”

“You did not just say that,” Jaci said.

Amanda looked at her and shrugged. “What, it’s just a fact. She’s the first one of us to—”

Something inside Jaci snapped, and she lunged at Amanda. “Amanda! Shut up, just shut up.”

Ricky tugged on the orange backpack across her shoulders and pulled her away.

Jaci fought tears and clutched the bag strap. Her hands trembled from the rush of anger. “Poor Sara,” she sobbed.

Ricky gave her a hug. “She’ll be okay. She’s got you.”

If Sara noticed that everyone seemed a little quiet around her, she didn’t comment.

Jaci chewed her bark in silence, wishing she could approach Sara, but not sure what to say.

They drank the last of the water. They hoped to reach a city by lunch time.

“All right, come on,” Neal said. “Just like yesterday.” He took the lead, pushing them on at a brisk pace.

After an hour of walking, they hit a road winding its way through the trees.

“Off the road,” Neal said when Amanda stepped toward it.

“But we’ll be able to go faster.”

“Stay off,” he repeated.

Amanda made a face at him but obeyed.

The forest sloped down from the road. They stayed out of the ravine, walking sideways to keep the road in sight. There was no traffic.

They followed the road as it went south and then veered west.

Another three hours, and the forest began to thin. Pastures appeared, followed by farm houses and cows.

“There’s an old barn,” Neal said, pointing.

Jaci turned itchy, tired eyes in the direction he pointed. “How is it staying up?” She laughed at the sight of the building leaning over, half of the roof caved in.

“I don’t know,” he replied with a smile. “But it will hold for one more night.”

Chapter 30

The barn door slammed shut, raining clumps of hay down on Jaci. She bolted up, blinking, trying to see in the semi-dark.

“Brr!” Ricky stood by the door, shafts of sunlight illuminating him as he rubbed his arms. “It snowed last night.”

The rest of the group stirred, moving into sitting positions around the dried yellow hay.

Jaci hugged her arms around her knees. The pink knit sweater she wore hung loosely off one shoulder, exposing her thread-bare blue t-shirt beneath.

Ricky sat down next to her. “I think your sweater’s a little big for you.”

Jaci glanced at the sweater Silvet had given her. The old woman’s clothes had been loose even when they stayed in the cabin several weeks ago. Now, Jaci couldn’t get the sweater to stay on both shoulders

She reached a hand up and touched her collar bone, feeling the way the skin stretched tight.

“Anything out there?” asked Neal.

“Nope,” said Ricky. “Not even a cow.”

“How much snow?” Sara asked.

“Not much. Looks like an inch.”

“What now?” Jaci didn’t want to walk in the snow. She glanced down at her shoes. Her left toe was visible.

Neal shrugged. “It’s up to you guys. Head out in the snow or wait here ‘til it warms up?”

Neal had only one shoe and a sock. If Neal was willing to walk in the snow, Jaci could do it too.

Ricky rubbed his forehead. “I vote we call a cab.”

“Let’s wait,” Sara said. “It’ll warm up by noon.”

Neal focused on her. “How are you feeling today?”

She blushed a little, and shot a glance toward Jaci.

Jaci swallowed, telling herself not to cry again. “It’s okay, Sara. We know.”

Sara blinked, confusion on her face. She looked at Neal.

He nodded. “I told them yesterday.”

The brims of Sara’s eyes turned red. “Excuse me,” she said. She stumbled over her feet in her hurry to get away from them.

“I guess we’ll just sit and wait for awhile.” Ricky found a spot under a large beam of wood that had partially collapsed, throwing the hay into shadow.

Neal stood up. “I’m going outside.”

“I’m sorry,” Ricky said. “About Sara, I mean.”

Jaci gave a short nod. “We all are.”

The sun came out by ten in the morning, shining brightly enough to melt away any lingering frost. They headed out.

Neal tensed every time a car approached, grabbing Sara’s arm as if preparing to run.

“Are we running from something?” Amanda asked, lifting an eyebrow.

“Just playing it safe,” said Neal. He seemed jumpy.

An hour later they found Stinger’s Bar and Grill.

The worker served up orders in small ceramic bowls. Jaci took a moment to breathe in the aroma; hamburger meat, bacon, bread, cheese. She grabbed a tray and followed behind the others.

Neal reached the check-out register first, and glanced behind him as he held out his credit card. “Ah, we’re all together.”

The girl at the cash register took his card and examined it, smacking loudly on her gum. “You got ID?”

“Um, yeah.” He pulled out his driver’s license. “Can you tell me how to get to the police department?”

“It’s in Rome, about half an hour from here.”

“Half an hour,” repeated Ricky.

Jaci did the mental calculations. Half an hour by car. About twenty miles, depending on the speed. That meant a whole day on foot.

“How do I get there?” Neal asked.

Jaci tuned out the directions and pushed a strand of hair behind her ears. Her stomach twisted painfully. Hot slices of roast beef, pasta, and garlic bread. So many options!

“What entrée would you like?” the serving woman behind the counter asked.

“Roast beef, please.” Jaci watched Sara set her tray down next to Amanda and Neal. “Ricky. Tell me about you and Sara.”

“And for you, young man?”

“Huh?” He blinked, tossing his brown hair out of his face and looking at Jaci. “Sara?”

The woman cleared her throat.

“I don’t have any cough drops,” Ricky snapped, shooting her an annoyed look.

Jaci pointed to the macaroni salad. “That too, please. And a slice of garlic bread.” She waited while the woman placed a spoonful in a small bowl. “That’s all, thanks.”

“Just give me one of those sandwiches.” Ricky pointed. “What about Sara?”

“I don’t know.” Jaci kept her voice low. “You seem so close. Something about the two of you—actually, the three of you, you, Neal, and Sara…” It nagged at her.

“I’m not flirting. It’s different. I don’t know how to explain it.”

“Does Sara know it’s different?”

They set their trays down at a table. “Sure. Yeah.”

Jaci sat down next to him. “Forget it.” She dug her fork into the food.

Then the nagging coalesced into a solid thought, and she stopped. “Your last name is Collins.”

“Yes.” He grabbed up his sandwich and took a huge bite. “And yours is Rivera.”

“But I think—” She shook her head. “No. Let’s eat first.”

Chapter 31

Jaci tried not to eat too fast. She couldn’t wait to talk to Sara. It all made
sense.
Their closeness, the bond between them, even their
eyes
—that hazel color.

She tapped her fingers on the table, watching Ricky finish his sandwich. She pushed her chair back. “Come on.”

Amanda was talking, using her hands for emphasis, when Jaci approached.

“Sara,” Jaci interrupted, “what’s your last name?”

“Have you forgotten, Jaci?” Sara asked. “Yadle.”

“No, not that one. Your biological last name. Before you were adopted.”

She paused a moment. “Collins.”

Ricky looked at Sara. “Really?”

“Yes,” she said, giving Jaci a puzzled look.

“But you know that’s our last name too,” said Neal.

“Yeah. So?”

“Is it just coincidence?” Ricky asked.

“How should I know?”

Jaci’s excitement became certainty. “You’re related.”

Neal stood up. “Let’s head out of here and talk about this.”

The sun was straight up in the sky, casting short shadows from the shops across the sidewalk.

“It’s weird because all three of us are orphans,” said Neal. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t think much of it.”

“Also remember that Sara was born in New York,” Jaci added.

“Yes!” Ricky said, snapping his fingers. “In Little Falls. And we were also born in Little Falls. Shortly after our parents’ death we moved to Johnsburg to be with our grandmother.”

“The problem is,” Amanda said, “Sara doesn’t know anything about her birth family. Not even if she had siblings.”

“Yeah. All I know is that my parents died in an accident.”

A slight frown darkened Ricky’s features. “Certainly the state would’ve kept us together. Not let her be adopted out.”

“The state wouldn’t let Grandma take any more kids,” said Neal. “Remember? They kept trying to take us away from her?”

Jaci noticed a phone booth at the gas station a few yards away. “Okay. It’s time to get to the bottom of this. Let’s call.”

They marched over to the phone. Sara hesitated.

Jaci picked up the phone and rattled it at her. “Come on. Call home, tell them we’re okay. Ask your questions.”

Sara took it and dialed, the tip of her nose turning pink. She paused, taking a few deep breaths.

“Sara,” she said into the phone. “Operator,” she mouthed to her friends. Then her face paled.

“It’s ringing! Mom?” She began to cry. “Yes, it’s me. No, no, we’re okay. Mom, I love you. We’re—what? We’re going to find help. I think we’re going to the police… Um-hum… Uh-huh… Yes.”

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand. “I know. Mom, some—some bad things have happened.” She sobbed and put a hand over her mouth. “Mom—Mom, listen to me. I have a question for you.”

Sara paused, and then snapped, “Mother! I don’t have time. This is really important. Do I have any family left alive? From my biological parents?”

There was silence, and Jaci realized she was on her tip-toes, straining to hear what was said on the other end.

Neal leaned back. “If the call’s being traced, time is important. She needs to get off now.”

Jaci nodded, her heart sinking. “Sara. Let’s go.”

Sara clutched the phone tighter. “I need to know now. Was I an only child? Wasn’t there anyone else?”

Jaci stepped up to the pay phone and put her finger on the hook. “Sara. I’m going to hang up.”

Sara didn’t look at her but started speaking faster. “I have to go. We’ll call you from the police station. Mom, I’m going to go now.”

She blinked several times. “Bye, Mom, and tell Daddy I love him too. Bye!” She hung up the phone and dropped her head into her hands.

Neal stared at her. “Well?”

She lifted her head and wiped her face. “Mom—my mom—she doesn’t know for sure. She thinks I had two brothers. Twins. But she’s not sure. They’ve spent my whole life pretending like no one else existed.”

“You’re our sister.”

“Yes, I-I think I am.”

October 18

Little Falls, New York

Carl pulled out the fax he had received from Idaho. The chief had called his cell phone and ordered him to the nearest police department to make a secure call. As soon as he got to the Little Falls police department, Carl had called back.

“The girls made contact,” Chief Miller said, his low voice punctuated with excitement. “Sara Yadle called home.”

Sara. Abigail Collins. “Yes?” Carl leaned into the phone. “Where are they? Are they alright?”

“Elizabeth Yadle took the call. Sara, Jaci, and Amanda are fine. She said they might be going to the police.”

A thrill of joy had warmed Carl at those words. The girls were all still alive.
Focus.
“Where are they?”

“Sara didn’t say.”

“She didn’t say?”

“Mrs. Yadle said she was in a hurry to get off the phone.”

But they were alive. And going to the police. “What about those missing boys? Were they with them?”

“Mrs. Yadle didn’t mention them. You can call and get the details of the phone call, if you want.”

“No, it’s not important right now. I’ll catch the next flight out of here and organize an alert.”

“Why would you come home? Chances are they’re still back east. You’ll be able to reach them quicker if you stay where you are. As soon as they’re picked up, however, get them onto a secure charter flight and bring them home.”

“No problem.” Carl already had that in mind. He wasn’t leaving these girls out in the public eye for any longer than he had to. Immediately he put a plan into action. They were out of the forest, so he called off the search parties.

Right after he did so, he got a call from the sheriff of Herkimer county.

“Herkimer county?” Carl echoed. Should he know that name?

“Yes. It’s a large county, taking up most of the north and west of the park system.”

Ah. Someone from inside the forest. “Yes?” He felt only the slightest interest. The girls were out, and his mind was elsewhere.

“It might not be anything,” the sheriff said, his deep voice gravelly, “but we found a body.”

“A body?” Quickly he recalled the conversation with his boss. All the girls were found. Was it one of the boys? “A boy?”

“A man. It happens from time to time. A hiker comes in, doesn’t register, no one knows where he is. He falls down, gets hurt, dehydrated, and we find him later.”

“All right.” Carl nodded, his attention fading. “Something about this one is unusual?”

“It looks like he was bludgeoned to death. We ran a check on his ID, and it’s fabricated.”

Carl pulled out his notepad. “I’m working on something else right now, but I want to get back with you. What number can I reach you on?”

The sheriff gave his number, and Carl tucked the information away. This could be related.

That aside, he called Idaho and asked Monica to make a fax with the girls’ pertinent information and send it to all police departments in New York and Pennsylvania. He couldn’t imagine the girls being anywhere else, but just in case, a fax was also sent to each state police department.

Now Carl hovered around the Little Falls police department, trying to stay out of the way. They had been very helpful, letting him set up a kind of office. His hard plastic chair sat by a fax machine on top of a cardboard box. They had even pulled over a telephone and plugged it into the landline.

But the phone hadn’t rung and no faxes had come in. Carl resisted the urge to call Idaho Falls again. That’s where he should be, but it was unlikely the girls were going to make contact with a police department out west.

The fax listed the numbers for the Idaho Falls police, the Little Falls police, and the FBI. Every police department on the list had confirmed receipt. He could do nothing else.

He read over the girls’ details again. Sara Yadle. Fourteen. Blond hair, hazel eyes, Caucasian female.

Jacinta Rivera. Fifteen. Brown hair, brown eyes, Hispanic female.

Amanda Murphy. Fifteen. Red hair, green eyes. Caucasian female.

Each name had an individual picture attached.

He tried to imagine what they looked like now. More than a month of camping. Thin, emaciated, dirty. Perhaps sick, even physically hurt.

He sat down in his plastic chair and stared at the phone, willing it to ring. If only he knew what city they were in.