The Super Spies and the High School Bomber (28 page)

She thought back to the days before she moved to Harrisburg and remembered the soccer games and slumber parties she had attended. They had seemed so important then. Now, they seemed trivial. Sarah sighed and smoothed her shirt before she walked out of the bedroom.

The sound of the shower became apparent as she trudged by the bathroom. Sarah knew Lacey would be ready soon. As she strolled back into the kitchen, she checked her phone.
What was taking Scoop so long to call back
?

Jackie pranced into the kitchen, fluffing her curls. “Are you all packed?”

Sarah shook her head. “How many days should I pack for?”

“Pack for the whole week.”

“The whole week?” Sarah grumbled. “Do you think it's going to take that long to catch the bombers?”

“You never know.”

Sarah groaned and stomped downstairs. She packed quickly, not paying much attention to the clothes she threw into her duffle bag. Suddenly, she was angry. Angry with the bombers for turning her life upside down.
Who do these people think they are
? Taking a deep breath, she clenched her hands, and willed herself to calm down.

After taking a couple deep breaths, Sarah grabbed her duffle bag, and raced toward the stairs. She collided with Lacey in the corridor.

“Hey, watch it,” Lacey sputtered.

“Sorry,” Sarah called over her shoulder as she raced up the stairs. Stopping, she peered at her sister. “You need to pack a bag, too.”

“Okay.”

“Hurry.”

“Okay, Mon Capitaine.” Lacey gave her sister a mock salute.

Sarah rolled her eyes. “Just hurry.”

When Sarah reached the kitchen, she found Jackie sitting at the table. She was wearing a bright red V-neck shirt with sequins on the front and a pair of jeans. Sarah stifled a giggle.
What a goofball.
“Way to keep a low profile.”

Jackie stuck out her tongue. “I like it.”

“Okay, disco queen.”

“What's wrong with disco?”

“Disco's dead.”

“It's making a comeback.” Jackie flashed her runway smile.

“No way.”

“Way.” Jackie nodded. “And I'm a trend-setter.”

“Whatever.” Sarah rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Any word from Scoop?” She sat across from Jackie and placed her duffle bag at her feet.

Jackie frowned. “No, not a peep.”

“That's strange, he's usually really good at calling back.”

“I know.”

“Did the Fibbies get any pancakes?” Sarah giggled nervously. “I totally forgot about them.”

Jackie snickered. “Yeah, Lacey took some to them while you were in the shower.”

“Good.”

The phone rang. Sarah jumped and then answered it. “Hello?”

“Sarah?” Scoop asked.

Sarah cracked a smile. “Scoop! We were wondering when you were going to call.”

He chuckled. “Well, I got the information you wanted. I've got a list of all of Randy's classes for his high school years.”

“Awesome.” Sarah gave Jackie the thumbs up sign. “Why don't we meet at Hinkle's and we can go over it.”

“That sounds good, but I can't meet until noon.”

“Okay, noon at Hinkle's.”

Sarah disconnected the call and then punched in her aunt's cell phone number. She listened to it ring and was surprised when it went into voicemail. Frowning, Sarah left a message for her aunt, asking about Uncle Walt and to call her as soon as she could.

“You look worried,” Jackie commented.

“I'm just surprised that I didn't get in touch with my aunt,” Sarah said with a frown.

“A lot of times people have to turn their phones off when they're in the hospital.”

“True.”

Lacey walked into the kitchen, dressed and carrying her duffle bag.

“Let's hit the road.” Jackie stood and motioned for the Cole girls to follow her.

“Wait, what about Lily?” Lacey asked.

“I can't believe I forgot about Lily.” Sarah groaned. “We'll have to take her with us.” She looked at Jackie. “Is that going to be all right with your mom?”

Jackie shrugged. “I don't know. But what can she do? Once Lily's in the house, I'm sure she won't kick her out.”

A wide grin burst out on Jackie's face and she winked at Sarah. The two girls cracked up laughing, while Lacey shook her head.

“Let's go, you guys,” Lacey grumbled.

“I'll get her kennel,” Sarah said.

“I'll help,” Jackie piped up.

After the girls secured Lily in her kennel, they climbed the stairs and found the FBI agents sitting in the living room. When the men spied the girls, they dropped their papers and stood.

“Are you girls ready?” Agent Stone asked.

“Yeah, as ready as we'll ever be,” Sarah answered.

The agent's eyes were red and his face had that unhealthy look of someone who's been living on fast food and coffee for too long.

“Let's go, then.” Agent Stone stood and fished in his pocket for the keys.

The girls followed him out to the non-descript gray car parked in front of the house. Sarah stifled another giggle.
Gray! Are you kidding me?
She cast a sideways glance at Jackie. Her friend's eyes widened with suppressed amusement and she bit her lip to keep her giggles under control. Averting her gaze, Sarah stifled another chuckle, knowing the Super Spies were going to share a long laugh about this later.

The breeze was cool on Sarah's face. She shivered as she climbed into the car, thankful for her jacket.

“All buckled?” Agent Gray asked.

“Yep,” all three girls said in unison.

“All right, where are we going?”

Jackie leaned forward and gave the agent directions to her house.

Sarah laid her head back against the seat and closed her eyes, then opened them wide. “Have you had any news?”

Agent Gray looked at her in the rearview mirror and shook his head. “Not yet.”

“Boy, I thought you guys were experts at this.”

A ghost of a smile appeared on the agent's face. “Well, some criminals are pretty smart.”

“Apparently.” Sarah rolled her eyes.

Jackie smacked Sarah's leg. “Be nice.”

Sarah looked out the window. The rain from yesterday had drained away the heat of summer. The sky was a dull slate color and it seemed like the leaves on the trees had lost some of their brilliance. The fall colors seemed muted to Sarah as if there was a fog in the air.

The agents pulled up in front of Jackie's house. Agent Gray parked the car and turned around to face the girls. “Okay, there will be agents guarding the house until the suspects are caught.”

“Okay, thanks so much,” Sarah said.

Jackie and Lacey nodded their thanks, and then the girls climbed out. Glancing back, Sarah saw the agents waiting to make sure the Super Spies got inside safely.

Jackie reached the porch first and fished in her pocket for her key. “My parents are probably still at church.”

“Yeah, let's hurry. I want to get up to the hospital and see Uncle Walt,” Sarah said, as her stomach twisted into a knot.

“Okay.” Jackie opened the door wide and walked into the stately home.

Sarah admired the deep red carpet that lined the hallway and the white and red velvet wallpaper that covered the walls. It seemed like Christmas whenever she walked into her friend's home and Christmas was her favorite holiday.

Breathing deeply, Sarah picked up the scent of cinnamon. “Hey, it smells like your mom made cinnamon rolls.”

Jackie sniffed the air. “It sure does. Do you guys want one?”

“Yes,” Sarah and Lacey said in unison.

They made their way into the narrow kitchen. Jackie turned on the light and Sarah realized the kitchen was the smallest room in the house. Oak cabinets lined the back wall. The room housed the fridge, stove and dishwasher, but there was no space for a table.

Sarah spied what she was looking for sitting on the counter opposite the inside wall—cinnamon rolls.

“Ahhh…here they are.” Jackie grabbed three plates and placed them on the counter. Then she cut three cinnamon rolls from the pan and placed them on the plates. “Dig in, girlfriends.”

Sarah bit into her cinnamon roll and savored the taste of the cinnamon and glaze. She closed her eyes and, for a moment, the whole world fell away. There were no more bombers. Uncle Walt was fine and her parents were still around. Sighing, she leaned against the counter, allowing herself to relax.

When Sarah opened her eyes, reality seemed to smack her in the face. The bombers were still at large. Her parents were still missing, and Uncle Walt was still in the hospital. Exhaling a sigh, Sarah pulled herself up and squared her shoulders. The sound of Jackie's voice jangled her nerves.

“What time is it?” she asked.

Sarah winced and gazed at her watch. “It's eleven. We should get up to the hospital and check in with Aunt June.”

Sarah's phone rang. “Hello?

“Sarah?” Aunt June voice sounded through the phone.

“Oh, hi Aunt June.”

“Are you coming up to the hospital?”

“Yes, we're on our way there now.”

“Good. I've been worried about you girls. Did you have a good night?”

Sarah frowned as the memory of the previous night invaded her brain. “Yeah,” she lied and crossed her fingers. “We'll be leaving in a few minutes. We'll see you in a few.”

“Okay, “ Aunt June said before disconnecting the call.

“Let's go,” Jackie crowed.

“I hope we don't run into the bombers,” Lacey whimpered.

Sarah put her arm around her sister and stifled a groan. “I don't think we will. They know the Fibbies are on to them. They'll stay out of town.”

“They were in town last night.” Lacey glared at her sister.

“I know, but they were almost caught last night, too.”

“Yeah,” Jackie piped in.

“Let's go, guys. I want to check on Uncle Walt.” Sarah placed her duffle bag on a chair.

“Why don't you put your bags in my room?” Jackie said. She glanced at Lily's kennel. “We can put Lily in there too.”

“Does your mom know we're staying the night?” Lacey asked.

Jackie shook her head. “No, but once I explain the situation she'll be okay with it.”

“Cool.” Sarah picked up her bag.

After depositing their bags in Jackie's room and making sure Lily was comfortable, the girls set out for the hospital. As they walked, anticipation ran through Sarah's body, and her fingers tingled.
I hope Uncle Walt's awake
. She crossed her fingers and whispered a silent prayer. A car pulled up next to the girls. Sarah's heart skipped a beat. Twirling, she glared at the driver. “Oh…it's you guys.”

“Where are you girls going?” Agent Gray asked.

“To the hospital,” Sarah said.

The agent sighed and unlocked the doors. “Climb in. I'll give you a ride.”

The Super Spies climbed into the back seat. Agent Gray accelerated and the girls were on their way.

When they arrived at the hospital, they thanked the agents before they walked inside. As she strolled, Sarah realized three days had flown past. She had thought of little else since the bombing occurred.
Will Harrisburg ever be the same? Will the people in this town ever feel safe again?
It saddened her to think these thoughts. She clenched her hands.
I hope this is almost over
.

When they reached Uncle Walt's room, Sarah stopped. She faced Jackie and Lacey. “I'll go in first.”

Lacey gulped. “Let's all go in.”

Jackie nodded. “Yeah, they'll kick us out if we're not supposed to be in there.”

Sarah took a deep breath. “Okay. Let's do it.” She walked to the door. Pushing it open, she stared at the bed. Her heart beat with cautious hope.

Aunt June was standing at the side of the bed and she held Uncle Walt's hand. She turned and gave Sarah a smile.

Sarah moved her gaze to Uncle Walt. His head was still encased in white bandages.

Uncle Walt shifted his focus and moved his head slightly. He met Sarah's gaze and gave her a lopsided grin.

Tears welled in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. “Uncle Walt?”

“Hello, Sarah.”

 

 

Sarah sobbed. “You can talk! You know who I am!”

Uncle Walt attempted a nod.

Lacey squealed and ran around Sarah and Jackie. Reaching her uncle, she stopped and gingerly stroked his arm.

Sarah wiped her eyes and made eye contact with her aunt. “So, what does the doctor say?”

Aunt June cracked a wide smile and her eyes welled with tears. “He'll make a full recovery.”

Sarah made her way to her uncle's bedside. She stifled a sob as relief flowed through her body. Her legs and arms suddenly felt light, as if all the heavy tension had vanished.

She sighed and stared at her uncle. The realization that it was a miracle he was alive was not lost on Sarah. New tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. Blinking rapidly, she kept them from spilling down her cheeks. “It's so good to see you awake.”

Uncle Walt focused on Sarah. “It feels good to be awake. Although, I have a horrible headache.”

Sarah took a ragged breath. “I'm sure they'll give you something for that.”

Her uncle smiled. “Yes, I'm sure they will.”

Sarah glanced behind her and saw Jackie slipping from the room. Her friend was giving the family some time alone.

Sarah spun back toward her uncle and listened to the animated conversation he was having with her aunt and sister. She loved the sound of those voices. They were joyous.

After twenty minutes, Uncle Walt claimed fatigue. The family left so he could rest. They stood in the hall, huddled together discussing his recovery.