Sleepover Stakeout (9780545443111) (8 page)

The
stranger screamed.

Then we screamed.

(Hey, when you yank open a door and some dude is standing there with his fist raised in the air, and he starts yelling … it's just a reflex to yell back.)

Then I took in his red jacket, matching hat, and the box he held in one hand while the other seemed frozen in the air, ready to knock on the door that was now wide open.

“Girls!” I yelled. “It's only the pizza guy!”

They all stopped screaming, then the pizza guy stopped screaming. The fist he'd meant to use for knocking on the door now clutched his poor heart. Between ragged breaths, he said, “One … large … half plain, half … pepperoni?”

“Yes, that's us,” Darcy said apologetically. “Sorry about the aggressive door opening. We're, uh, really hungry.”

“Ten bucks,” he replied, obviously wanting no small talk. I didn't blame him for wanting to get out of there, and away from the creepy four girls staring at him as quickly as possible.

Mrs. Doshi had given Maya fifteen dollars. She held it out and said, “Keep the change.”

He didn't even say good-bye. And almost ran away, tripping again on one of the steps and letting out another “oomph.”

We attacked the pizza like we hadn't eaten in a week. No talking, just noshing, until all that was left in the box were crumbs and grease. Mystery solving makes girls hungry, I guess.

I leaned back in the chair and patted my full belly.

Darcy did the same. “That was fanny-tastic.”

Fiona daintily dabbed at her mouth with a napkin.

“So what do we do now?” Maya asked, looking eager.

“Sit here and digest,” I moaned.

Darcy sat up straight, her eyes sparkling. “How about I show you my new toy?”

“Oh!” Fiona gave a little clap. “I forgot about that. Let's see it.”

Darcy wiped her hands with a napkin and went into the corner where we'd tossed our overnight bags. She unzipped hers and pulled out a bunch of items. “Flashlights,” she called out, holding them up. “And … these babies.”

With a flourish, she lifted up a pair of heavy-looking binoculars that were like nothing I'd ever seen.

Maya's eyes widened. “Are those night-vision goggles?”

Darcy beamed. “They sure are. No one can hide from us now. Even in the dark.”

“Are they real?” Fiona asked.

Darcy nodded proudly. “You bet.”

I reached out and held the night goggles for a second. They were super heavy. I couldn't help but smile. Darcy and her spy gear. “Where did you get them?” I asked.

“Remember last month when my mom and I flew to California to visit my cousin? They were in the
SkyMall
!”

“That catalog that's in all the seats?” Fiona said.

“Yeah! Turns out it's full of surveillance stuff. It was like a dream come true.” She took the goggles back from me and held them in her arms like a baby. “I knew they'd come in handy someday. They'll definitely get some use tonight!”

Fiona went to her bag and started rummaging through it. “I brought equipment, too.”

I scrunched up my forehead. What could Fiona have brought for a sleepover stakeout?

She whipped out a pink cosmetics case and said with delight, “Makeover time!”

Darcy's jaw almost hit the floor. Then she spoke slowly, “We're … on … a … spy … mission.”

Fiona put a hand on her hip. “Hey, we have to do
something
to pass the time. And I can do makeup quietly.”

 

Midnight
came and we all were wearing lip gloss — even Darcy — and had our nails done. Fiona's were pink, mine were blue, Maya's were red. Miraculously, Darcy had agreed to have hers painted purple, though she wouldn't move from her post even while they were being done. She'd had the goggles on all night and stared out the window, waiting to catch our villain in the act.

But now we were all makeupped out and getting tired, though we needed to stay awake.

Darcy let out an impatient groan. “This is around the time we heard the voice last week. When is it going to happen?”

I felt the same way. I didn't want this whole night to be a bust. My hand went to my mouth in an attempt to stifle a giant yawn.

“How about a game of Would You Rather?” Fiona suggested.

That could be fun. I went first. “Would you rather be able to read minds or have visions?”

Maya said, “Read minds! That would rule.”

“Now someone else ask a question,” I said.

A snicker came from Darcy's darkened corner of the room. “Would you rather eat dog poop or a live bee?”

“Eww!” Fiona wrinkled her nose in distaste. “That's too disgusting. New question.”

Darcy laughed. “Okay. Would you rather be rich and ugly or poor and hot?”

Fiona gasped. “Oh, that's so hard! Maybe rich and ugly because I could always cover up my ugly with designer outfits.”

Darcy and I rolled our eyes at each other in the darkness, and smiled. Then I searched my mind for a question with a little more depth. But before I could open my mouth, Fiona asked, “Would you rather have one best friend or a bunch of not-as-close friends?”

Darcy quickly said, “One best friend.” She hesitated, looking straight at me, then said, “I feel like —”

But she didn't finish her sentence. The monitor had started to crackle.

My
chest tightened. We all scrambled over to the monitor and circled around it.

A voice pushed through the crackling. “Come on … this … thing …” Static hissed for a long moment, then the voice came back again. “Please … help me …”

The voice sent a trail of ice down my spine. Not just the words, but the tone. The person was panicked and scared. This wasn't a prank. If it was, the person on the other end deserved an acting award.

“I think it's a guy,” Darcy whispered.

“Yeah, a boy,” Maya added.

We all leaned in closer as if that would make the monitor reveal its secrets.

“Please … is anyone out there?” Crackle. Hiss. “I'm hurt.”

I bolted to my feet. “We have to go out there.”

“Wait.” Darcy shot out a hand and held my arm. “What if it's a trap? From TDB?”

She had a good point. But I wasn't going to sit inside here and do nothing while someone out there begged for help. I stared into her eyes. “We
have
to check it out.” And she nodded because she knew it was the right thing to do.

Fiona and Maya were still huddled on the floor. “Us, too?” Fiona asked sheepishly.

“Yes,” Darcy said. “The more people we have, the quicker we can find this person.”

Fiona and Maya shared a look and then slowly stood. We each grabbed a flashlight from Darcy's bag of tricks. Darcy had the goggles up on her forehead, ready to pull them down over her eyes when needed. We slipped into our sneakers as quickly as possible and ran outside.

Utter darkness was creepy enough, but it was even spookier with four flashlights bouncing around the gloom, casting shadows over the trees at the edge of the woods. A shudder ran through my body.

I told myself to be calm. I thought about Zane nearby in his house. I cast my eyes up at the thing that relaxed me most — the night sky — and gasped.

Darcy was immediately at my side. “What is it? What did you see?”

She was probably hoping for a giant clue, but it was much less dramatic than that. “I just …” I could barely find the words. “The stars have never looked so clear to me before.”

It was like my whole life I'd been sky-gazing through a dirty telescope. Now someone had cleaned the lens.

“Glasses aren't so bad now, are they?” Darcy said. I didn't have to see her to know she was smiling.

“Yeah,” I agreed. This moment alone was worth getting glasses.

“You guys,” Fiona said nervously, bringing me back to Earth.

“What?” Maya whispered.

“I'm kind of scared. I feel like we're being watched.”

I scanned the yard in a slow circle. There were many places to hide. Behind a bush, around a corner, not to mention in the trees. Anyone could be out there. And we didn't even know who or what TDB was.

“Did someone just go into the woods?” Darcy said, her voice trembling. “I think I see someone standing in the woods. No, wait, it's just a tree.”

“Dude, you're creeping me out,” I said, rubbing my arms against the chill.

“I'm creeping myself out,” Darcy replied.

“I don't think we should be out here,” Maya whispered.

Fiona nodded. “Let's go back in.” Then she covered her mouth with her hand as a stream of giggles leaked out. Darcy raised one eyebrow.

“It's a nervous laugh thing,” I explained.

But, no, I'd already decided we weren't going back in. Not when we'd gotten this far. And not when someone out there might need help. “Come on, guys,” I said. “Nothing actually scary has happened. We're just freaking ourselves out.”

Where this bravery came from, I didn't know. I wished I could bottle it and save it for class presentations. Public speaking: Now that's scary stuff.

I took charge. “Everyone search. Look for a person or some equipment that could transmit, like another monitor or a walkie-talkie or radio of some kind. Remember to look with your eyes
and
your ears.” I started pointing. “Maya, you take the front yard. Fiona, you take the sides. Darcy, look all around the backyard.”

“Where are you going to look?” Darcy said.

I held out my hand. “Give me the goggles. I'm checking the woods.”

Maybe it was the new confidence my glasses had given me. Maybe it was impatience and wanting to know what was going on. I didn't know for sure why, but I was filled with a clear and sudden sense of courage.

Darcy handed me the goggles. “Be safe.”

The girls all ran off to search their assigned areas. And I took my first step into the woods. They were darker than dark. Even the light of the moon didn't help much. Had I made a mistake? I knew I could always shout over to my friends if need be.

With trembling hands, I slid on the night-vision goggles. Thankfully they were big enough to fit over my glasses. And suddenly the air around me turned from deep black to an eerie green. I looked over my shoulder toward the yard and could see Darcy examining the back deck. She was only a green blur, but bright in the darkness. This was good. No one could hide from me.

If someone was out in those woods, I'd find them.

Dried twigs and dead leaves snapped and crackled under my shoes as I walked deeper into the woods. With each step, I scanned left and right, my widened eyes looking for any sign that I wasn't alone. Night bugs buzzed, and I swatted at something that flew too close to my face.

A sound cut through the air.

A sob? A soft cry?

I listened, keeping still. A breeze picked up, shaking the tree branches. Their dying leaves dropped down around me like falling snow. And on the wind came a word.

“Help….”

My stomach clenched. I spun in the direction of the voice and charged ahead. My feet were trampling the ground, making all sorts of noise.

I stopped to get my bearings and the voice called out, “I'm over here! Please!”

It was clear now that the voice was young and male. And, though he couldn't see me coming, he could hear me. And he desperately needed help.

I came around two large, thick trees and skidded to a stop.

I adjusted the night-vision goggles to make sure what I was seeing was real.

Fear slithered around me like a snake.

Darcy may have been right. I might have just fallen into a trap.

I
shoved the goggles up on my forehead and pulled the flashlight out of my pocket. I needed to see this in bright light. I flicked on the switch and aimed it onto Slade Durkin.

From his position, lying on the ground, he looked up at me. His eyes were wet and shiny. With my flashlight blaring in his face, I could clearly see him, but he couldn't see who I was. Still, he wasn't surprised that a shadow with a flashlight was standing over him in the dark woods. It was as if he'd been expecting me.

But if I'd just fallen into a trap, I would've expected a smug look on his face. He would've jumped up and yelled, “Gotcha,” and then his older brothers would've jumped out from behind the other trees.

But none of that happened.

Slade looked up, red glassy eyes squinting against the harsh glare of the light. Then he sniffled and said, “I'm out of the group. I don't want to be one of the Danville boys anymore. I quit.”

The Danville boys …

A shiver ran down my spine, and everything clicked into place.

In the mall, when Slade had said those cruel things to me, his older brothers proudly told him he was a true Danville boy. And hadn't Mrs. Wolfson said something about those Danville boys daring each other to bang on her door?

“TDB,” I said aloud. “It stands for The Danville Boys.”

Slade jerked backward, surprised by my voice. “Who is that?”

“Who were you expecting?” I countered.

He put his hand up to shield his eyes from my flashlight. “Norah Burridge? Is that you? Can you help me up? I twisted my ankle real bad. I can't walk.”

“Answer my question first,” I demanded. I liked having a bit of power over Slade for once. “Who are The Danville Boys?”

He sighed. “If I tell you, will you help me get out of here?”

“Yes,” I promised. I was so excited that I had put it all together, I wanted to run back to Maya's yard and tell everyone. But I had to get to the bottom of this first.

“TDB is kind of like a secret society,” Slade explained, wincing as he shifted a little on the ground. “You can get picked to join once you hit seventh grade, but you have to pass certain tests before you're a full member.”

And his older brothers were clearly members. “What do they make you do?” I asked.

“Scary things, stuff to test your courage.”

“Like what?”

He hesitated, apparently not wanting to spill
all
the society's secrets.

“I can walk away and leave you here,” I said, taking a step back. “I don't owe you anything after the way you've treated me.” Part of me felt bad saying that — Slade did look so scared and alone. But I wanted answers.

He put his hands up in a begging gesture. “Okay, okay. I'll tell you.” He took a deep breath. “First, I got a note saying I was ‘next.'”

Just like Hunter's note.

He continued. “A couple weeks after that, I got another note, saying I had to meet TDB at a certain time and place. I went and they told me about the society and how I had been chosen, but I had to pass the tests to prove my worth. The first test was easy … knock on the Old Witch's door.”

I shook my head. Poor Mrs. Wolfson.

“Then, another night, I had to steal a lawn ornament from someone's yard. Some gnome thing.”

I remembered Maya's neighbor, his extensive garden gnome collection, and the spot that looked like one was missing.

“Then everyone for their last week has to pass the final test alone. Tonight was my night.”

“What's the final test?” I asked.

“The Danville Boys blindfold you and walk you out somewhere. You don't know where you are. Then they leave you.”

I gasped. “That's awful!” Even for
this
group of bullies.

“It's not that bad,” Slade said. “They leave a walkie-talkie with you in case of emergency.”

For the first time, I noticed the abandoned walkie-talkie lying on the ground beside him. Another shiver of realization went through me. So there had been other boys. But always the walkie-talkie.

“Why didn't you ask them for help when you hurt your ankle?” I asked.

He looked down. “I did. No one answered.” He added sadly, “I tried every channel. Something must be wrong with it. That's why I got so scared and started acting … not so brave.”

I didn't know why I was about to try to make Slade Durkin feel better, but I couldn't help it. “Slade, it's not that you weren't brave. They did it to you on purpose.”

He tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

“Darcy, Fiona, and I have been helping Maya out with a case. For the last few Saturday nights, she's picked up scary voices on the baby monitor in her house.” I pointed in the direction I thought Maya's house was.

“Saturday nights is when TDB does their final tests,” Slade said.

“Yeah, and each night we've heard some poor kid in the woods, all alone and scared, begging for anyone to help him.”

“Not just me?” Slade asked.

“No,” I said. “It must be part of the test … to scare you as much as possible. They give you the walkie-talkie, but they either shut theirs off or they listen to you begging for help and leave you alone anyway.”

Slade's face distorted. He looked crushed. “They'd do that?”

I opened my arms, gesturing to the woods around us. “They just did.”

A twig snapped somewhere behind me. I stopped and listened quietly.

Were those the sounds of footsteps?

I spun in a slow circle with the flashlight, but the bouncing glow lit up only small areas. I slipped it back into my pocket and pulled the night-vision goggles back down over my eyes to get a fuller view.

“What are you doing?” Slade said, his voice high and tight now that he was plunged once again into darkness.

But not me. I saw everything in that eerie shade of green. As the sounds grew louder, my breaths started coming faster. My legs wanted to run, but I couldn't leave Slade alone.

From behind a tree, a blur zoomed toward me like a green ghost.

“Don't worry,” a menacing voice said. “We always come back.”