The Super Spies and the High School Bomber (34 page)

Sarah smirked. “True, your fashion sense saved us again.”

“I love hearing those words. Can you say that again?”

“Shut up.”

Jackie's hands were free and she bent to untie her ankles.

“Hey, hand me the cell phone,” Sarah said.

After giving the phone to Sarah, Jackie finished untying her feet.

Sarah walked to the window and started dialing 9-1-1. “Crap, no service.”

“How come the bomber had service but we don't?” Jackie asked.

“He probably has a different service plan.”

She sighed and gazed around the room. Spying the door, she said, “Hand me that nail file.”

Jackie picked it up off the floor and handed it to her friend. “What are you going to do now?”

“I'm going to try and pick that lock.” Sarah strode to the door and examined the keyhole.

“Do you really think we'll get lucky twice?”

“I don't know,” Sarah shrugged. “But what have we got to lose?”

“True.”

Sarah focused her attention on the lock. After examining it for several minutes, she faced her friend. “By chance do you have a bobby pin in your purse?”

“Let me look.” Jackie pulled the strap from over her shoulder and rummaged around inside her purse. After a few seconds, she pulled a bobby pin out and held it up for her friend.

“Awesome!” Sarah crowed. She pulled a small piece of purse fuzz off and went to work on the lock with the nail file and bobby pin.

She worked for several minutes, manipulating her tools. She sighed when her first few attempts failed. Her hands trembled and she willed them to stop shaking. She took a deep breath, and tried again.

The sound of the lock sliding free sent relief surging through Sarah's body. It rushed so fast that she stumbled back and almost fell down.

Jackie steadied her, and then Sarah reached out with a trembling hand and turned the knob.

When the door opened, Sarah stared at Jackie in disbelief. “We're free!”

After both girls did their happy dance, they peered out into the woods. Sarah's stomach fluttered as she stared at the fading light.

Sarah shivered. “We've got to get moving.”

“I have no clue where to go,” Jackie said, as she hesitated.

“We're safer out in the woods than we are here, waiting for the bomber to come back.”

“I guess…”

“Jack, what do you think is going to happen if we wait here?” Sarah gave her friend the eagle eye. “Think about it. He told us everything. Do you actually believe he's going to let us go?”

Jackie's eyes widened as she gulped. “I don't know.”

“Besides,” Sarah continued. “If we keep moving, we'll stay warm.”

Jackie pulled on a curl. “What happens if we meet up with Randy?”

Sarah glanced down at her feet. “We'll stay off the trail…and just walk alongside it.”

“All right, let's go.”

After the girls walked a few feet down the path, Sarah stopped and tried to call 9-1-1 again. “Still no service.”

Sarah kept her phone on and held it in her hand as they hustled off the path. They followed the trail, but stayed hidden from view by traveling a few yards off it.

The Super Spies walked for twenty minutes. Night had fallen and both of them were desperately trying to keep warm. Sarah stopped and tried to call 9-1-1 again, but still no service.

The sound of voices stopped the girls. Sarah exchanged a look of alarm with Jackie. “Quick, let's hide behind that tree.” She pointed deeper into the woods to a large evergreen.

They huddled behind the tree as the voices grew louder. Flashes of light pierced the darkness and it dawned on Sarah that whoever was walking toward them had flashlights.

“Who do you think it is?” Jackie whispered through chattering teeth.

“I don't know.”

They became silent and the voices grew louder. Sarah strained to hear what they were saying, but they were still too far away.

“Is it the bomber?” Jackie whispered.

“Can't tell.”

Sarah froze as the voices drew closer. The hair on the back of her neck prickled and her heart beat frantically against her ribcage.

Jackie grabbed her friend's arm and squeezed. Sarah held her breath. She stared at her friend for a moment and then faced the trail.

Sarah spied the flashlight beams and the voices were clearer. She stared as a group of men walked into her line of vision.

“I don't believe it. It's the FBI!” Sarah exclaimed. She leapt from behind the tree. “Help! Help!”

All eyes turned toward her.

Agent Gray sprinted to the girls. “Are you all right?”

Sarah nodded as she gasped for breath. “Yeah.”

Jackie had followed her friend. She pulled on her curls as the other FBI agents trailed behind Agent Gray.

“The bombers are Randy and Mike Ferguson,” Sarah said.

The FBI agent frowned. “Where are they?”

“We don't know. Randy Ferguson brought us here and said he'd be back. We haven't seen Mike.”

“Where's here?”

Sarah pointed down the trail. “There's a cabin about twenty minutes away.” Her teeth chattered as she spoke and she was shivering uncontrollably.

The FBI man took off his jacket and put it around Sarah's shoulders. “Bill, give that young lady your coat.” He pointed to Jackie.

After Sarah and Jackie were wrapped up in the FBI agents' jackets, Sarah asked, “How did you find us?”

“We pinged your cell phone.” Agent Gray smiled and tousled Sarah's hair.

She laughed and smacked her forehead with the heel of her hand. “You pinged my cell phone. I should have known.”

“That pinging thing is pretty awesome,” Jackie said.

“You got that right.”

“Show us where that cabin is.” Agent Gray put his arm around Sarah.

“This way.” Sarah motioned for the agents to follow her.

With the help of the flashlights, the group made it back to the cabin in record time. Swarming the dwelling like bees coming home to the hive, the agents searched the tiny structure in a matter of minutes.

“You're sure he was planning on coming back?” Agent Gray asked.

Sarah pursed her lips. “Yes, but he didn't say when.”

The agent nodded before stepping away and speaking into his mouthpiece.

While he spoke to the other agents, Sarah surveyed the forest. It was a cool, clear evening and the stars twinkled in the sky. She could see her breath when she exhaled.
Winter will be here in a few months.
Sighing, she realized there was no breeze and if they weren't here, making all this noise, it would be silent in the woods.

Agent Gray stepped forward and tapped Sarah on the shoulder. “We need to get statements from you girls.”

“Yeah,” Sarah said, as she took one last look around. “I should call my aunt.”

“I've already spoken with her. She knows you're all right. She'll meet you at the station.”

“Thanks.”

“Let's head down there now.”

Just as the agent turned to lead the way, the sharp crack of a stick tore through the atmosphere. Everyone froze.

“Everyone out of sight!” Agent Gray whispered into his mouthpiece and then grabbed Sarah and Jackie by their arms and hustled them behind the building.

 

 

Sarah's heart thundered in her chest as she listened to the night. The sound of snapping twigs broke the silence. Then a beam of light bounced off the trees growing on either side of the cabin.
He's back
.

A clear voice boomed into the night. “FBI! Freeze!”

“Hands in the air!”

Sarah peeked around the corner and saw a startled Randy Ferguson standing with his hands held above his head. Agent Gray dashed toward him and handcuffed his hands behind his back.

The next thing Sarah picked up was Agent Gray reading the bomber his Miranda rights. Her legs suddenly lost their strength and she leaned against the cabin. She took a couple of deep breaths.
It's really over
.

There was a flurry of activity as the agents gathered around the bomber and escorted him through the woods.

Agent Gray lagged behind, waiting for the two Super Spies to catch up. When they reached him, he gave them a smile. “Good work, girls.”

Sarah beamed. “Thanks.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Jackie echoed.

The FBI agent and the girls walked through the woods. Their footsteps rustled the leaves beneath their feet. The sound seemed amplified to Sarah as if the whole forest had grown silent to watch them pass.

She glanced at Agent Gray and asked, “You can give us a ride home, right?”

“Absolutely, but we still need to take you to the station and get your statements.”

“Okay.”

The group wandered the rest of the way in silence. When they reached the cruisers, Randy was placed in one car and the girls in another.

Bouncing down the two-track, Sarah felt like a wet noodle. One of the bombers had been caught. It was only a matter of time before the FBI located his brother, and Uncle Walt was going to be okay. She sighed and leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

Sarah woke just as the cruiser pulled into the police station. She glanced at Jackie and gave her a guilty smile. “I didn't realize how tired I was.”

Her friend snickered. “You were snoring.”

“No way.”

“Way.”

Shrugging, Sarah turned and gazed out the window. She was too tired to argue with her.

The girls were escorted to separate interrogation rooms. Sarah sat in interrogation room two. She looked at her image in a two way mirror; a girl with a pale face and shock-filled eyes stared back. Studying her reflection, Sarah looked for differences in her face. She felt changed by this whole experience, but nothing in her reflection spoke of any transformation.
The metamorphosis must
only be internal
.

Agent Gray walked in. “Okay, Sarah. We need to get your statement and then you can go home.”

Sarah sighed and nodded. She told Agent Gray the whole story about her abduction in front of the school.

When she finished, she asked, “Do you have enough to put Randy and Mike in jail?”

“We're still gathering evidence against them. The problem we have is Randy's saying he did this by himself, and Mike isn't talking.”

Sarah shook her head. “Randy must have had help. Otherwise, how did he get both Jackie and I in the truck?”

“I know what you're saying, but neither one of you girls saw him do it.”

“What about someone at the school? Some of the other kids?”

Agent Gray sighed. “That's going to take some time.”

Sarah gazed down at the floor and blew air through her lips. She looked at the agent and sat up straight in her chair. “I know how you can get him…for the bombing anyway.”

Agent Gray leaned forward and looked Sarah in the eye. “How?”

“When Jackie and I were in the woods the night of the bombing, we were looking for their hideout.”

“Go on.”

“Well, he came to the hideout when we were there. We hid in the grass behind the shack and saw him.”

“Okay…but you see the problem with that is a defense attorney is going to argue that it was dark and you can't be certain it was Mike.”

“But we can,” Sarah insisted.

“How?”

“He started wheezing and sneezing like he was having a reaction. He's allergic to something that was growing behind the shed.” Sarah leaned forward and tapped the agent's arm. “Ask him if he has any allergies.” She sat back and grinned at the agent. “Oh wait! There's one more thing.” She leaned forward in her chair again. “He's got this big scar on his arm. I saw it that night, too!”

Agent Gray's lips twitched, before he cracked a wide grin. “You are a very observant young lady.”

“Well, I'm going to be a detective someday, you know.”

“Is that right?”

“Yup.” Sarah nodded.

“You're going to be a good one.” The FBI man smiled at her and then stood. “I'm going to talk to Mike Ferguson. You and Jackie are free to go home.”

“Wait.” Sarah grabbed his arm. “What about their brother Chris?”

“Do you think he was in on it, too?” Agent Gray frowned.

“Well, there was this one fireman who yelled at us when we were behind the school, the day of the bombing. I've always thought he wasn't a real fireman. I think it was Chris Ferguson.”

“Well, that isn't much to go on.”

“Compare the fingerprint you lifted off of the cell phone we found that day with Chris Ferguson's fingerprint.” Sarah smirked. “I bet a million dollars it's a match.”

The FBI agent smiled at her. “I'll do that. It may be just what we need to get all three of them.” He stood and motioned toward the door. “Now, you need to go home.”

Sarah followed the FBI agent out into the hall and wound her way to the reception area. Aunt June and Lacey were sitting on the puke green couch. They stood and embraced her when she walked up to them.

“I'm so glad you're okay,” Aunt June sobbed.

Sarah choked back a sob. “Me too.”

“I bet you were so scared,” Lacey said through her tears.

Shrugging, Sarah said, “Maybe a little.”

“Let's go home.” Aunt June put her arm around her nieces and led them out the door.

“Has Jackie already left?” Sarah asked.

“Yes. Her parents took her home,” her aunt said.

“Okay, I'll call her later.”

The group made their way to the car. They climbed in and Aunt June drove the family through the streets of Harrisburg.

“I wonder if this town will ever be the same,” Sarah said as she gazed out the window.

Aunt June sighed. “I doubt it.”

Sarah couldn't wait to go to sleep. She was bone tired from the events of the day and her own bed sounded like the softest place in the world.