Grandfather seized Zach's jacket with a fist and pinned him roughly against the wall. He pried the phone from Zach's fingers and disconnected the call. Zach couldn't breathe, with Grandfather's fist pressed into his chest and collarbone. It hurt. Dad never did this. But Grandfather did; Zach remembered now, remembered Grandfather raging at times, shoving him to the floor or against the wall, standing over him, yelling angrily. There on the balcony, Grandfather held Zach against the building so hard that Zach could only gasp for air.
"Whom did you call?" Grandfather demanded. "Tell me!"
"Just my mom and dad," Zach answered in a small voice. He stared up at Grandfather with panicked eyes.
Grandfather pressed a few buttons on the phone and read the number on the screen. "What did you tell them?"
"I told them I was sorry."
Grandfather's eyes bore into his own. "Did you tell them where we are?"
"I don't know where we are," Zach replied. That was true, so far as it went. Had he told Mom and Dad enough that they could find him?
Slowly, Grandfather relaxed his hand, releasing Zach, allowing him to draw breath again. "That was a dangerous thing you did, Zechariah. You do not know if you can trust them. What did they tell you?"
Zach dropped his gaze to the balcony floor. "They want me to come home."
"Ah. I thought they would say that. Do you know why?"
"Because they do," Zach replied, trying to convince himself. Mom had sounded like she meant it; so had Dad. He rubbed the sore spot Grandfather had left on his collarbone.
Grandfather barked a laugh. "No, Zechariah—because they don't get paid if you escape! But if you go back home to them, you see, they get a second chance to complete their deal with McWrait. Now we'll have to leave before they trace the call and give the location to your abductors." With a grunt, he turned and gazed out across the city. "Besides, they had to say they want you home because they don't know where you are; you could be with the police, for all they know. They couldn't very well tell the police they don't want you, could they?"
That made a strange sort of sense. But hearing their voices, he had been so sure they wanted him home with them. Mom had said she didn't care about his room, that they had been searching for him all night! If Grandfather hadn't interrupted them, they would have found out where Zach was, would have come to get him—but to take him home or to send him away again?
Grandfather was watching him. "Yes, you think on it, Zechariah. I have more to tell you, but not yet. We must leave." He shut his phone's power off and pressed Zach back into the apartment.
Inside, Grandfather wiped his whole phone with a cloth, smashed it under his shoe, and threw it into the trash. Then he picked up his briefcase, put on his nice jacket, and shoved Zach out the door. "I would advise against running away," he said. "You could outrun me, but the men who abducted you are still out there somewhere, very likely searching for you. And there may be more than just the two of them. They could be anywhere, and they will have someone watching your home. It would be quite difficult for you to get there safely, I'm afraid." He paused. "And above all, do not go to the police. Hugh McWrait is so rich that he'll simply offer them so much money to give you back to him that they won't be able to refuse."
Zach took a deep breath; Mom was right, it helped to calm you down. When Mom told him things, they helped him. Why would she do that if she didn't…? "My parents do love me!" he declared.
Grandfather sighed. "This is difficult for you, Zechariah. I understand that. So perhaps we can make an arrangement. Come with me for a few hours. I rescued you, so you know you can trust me. I have an appointment this morning. Do what I tell you, and after I meet my appointment, I will take you home. We will talk with your parents and discover their true motives. If they want you, I will leave you with them. If not, I will keep you with me and protect you. Agreed?"
Zach hesitated. He wanted to go home right now. But if Grandfather was right about Mom and Dad… He couldn't be… But if he was, he would be there to keep Zach from being kidnapped again. It seemed like the safest option. And it was true: he had rescued Zach. At last Zach nodded, and Grandfather led him down the stairs to the car.
*****
The Boy Who Appeared from the Rain Page 93