Gem Stone

by Dale Mayer

  The two hired muscles moved toward him in a threatening matter. The one she thought of as Dumpty said, "Yeah, I'm hungry. We eat kids like you for breakfast." Humpty snorted his agreement.

  "Yeah. Well, I don't doubt – given the size of your gut – that you do overeat, but I got to tell you, I don't taste good at all. But feel free. If you can catch me, fatso," he taunted as he backed up. He smirked, his white teeth flashing in the darkness.

  Dumpty lumbered in his direction. Mark waited until Dumpty was almost within touching distance, gave him the finger and bolted.

  "Son of a bitch." Dumpty ran after him, while the two other men leaned against the car and laughed.

  Crap. How to get rid of those two assholes? As Gem watched, her brain worked furiously.

  Reid walked up to the men. "Hi. Did you two find Misty? I've been looking everywhere for her."

  The two men walked around the front of the car, effectively stopping him from looking in the car windows. "No. The sheriff has been called in, so we're leaving that to him."

  Gem snorted under her breath. Like hell. She wouldn't leave her worst enemy's fate to law enforcement.

  Reid walked past them and their car, as if heading to the house. He glanced inside the car. Almost to the end of the rear passenger windows, his steps faltered. Then he jumped to the driver's side and pulled the door open, reaching for the trunk latch. The men jumped him.

  Reid screamed.

  Holy Shit. He had the highest, girliest scream Gem had ever heard. She raced toward them.

  "Rapist. Sex offender!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Reid broke free. "Run!" she screamed. "Run, Reid."

  He didn't need any urging and bolted behind the closest house. Humpty raced after him. The boss grabbed Gemma. Stephen came at a dead run. "Hey, what's going on?" he shouted.

  "We have to check their car for Misty," she yelled.

  "Get the hell away from there." The third man grabbed her by the arm, yanked her away from the car and spun her around. Gem pulled her arm free from his grasp and ran around the car to the trunk. "Pop the trunk, Stephen."

  Stephen pulled open the driver's door and then reached for the trunk button.

  "Don't you touch the car…"

  Lights came on from the closest neighbor. Didn't mean anyone would come and help though, as Gem certainly knew – but at least they were attracting attention. The other houses were too far away.

  She launched herself on the back of the gorilla as he made another lunge for Stephen, all the while screaming, "Get the trunk open!" She tried to hang on to the brute, but his suit was slippery and fit snug enough she couldn't grab much material.

  Then she couldn't say anything because the mammoth male she'd jumped, spun her off his back, turned and pinned her back against the car. Her head slammed against the roof, hard. She was going to have a bump in the morning. Hell, she'd be covered in bruises.

  Reid ran up, panting, and even in the darkness, she saw the tension in his face. She glanced behind him. No one. The road and acreage was empty, just like it always was. Good. He'd lost the guy chasing him.

  It was hard to breathe with her ribs squished by the mammoth. He smelled too, of some horrible over-strong aftershave. Then he lunged after Reid and she could breathe again. She tried to make a run for it, only to be snatched up in a bear hug and squeezed. While she gasped for air she clawed at the arm banding her ribs. She screamed, "Pop the trunk, damn it!"

  Stephen raced to the trunk. Reid jumped out from the front of the car and joined him. "She's not in here."

  "Shit. Where could they have taken her?"

  "Somewhere close," she gasped. She raked her nails into the man's arm. She couldn't get through his jacket deep enough to cause any harm though.

  "Have to find her. Hurry."

  Stephen asked, "What about you?"

  "I'm fine; get going."

  The teens scattered. She frantically wiggled to get free again.

  "You're not going anywhere. Not while I'm here." Her attacker shifted to get a better grip. She squirmed and with one final twist, she freed a hand and shoved her fingers into his eye.

  His grip loosened just a fraction. "Bitch!" he yelled as he reflexively lifted one hand to his eye.

  That was enough. Gem broke free and ran. She didn't dare turn to see if she were being followed. She assumed she was. Gasping for breath, and hating the stitch already forming in her side, she ran through the field. Running flat out, an idea hit her. There was one other place close enough that they could have stashed Misty in that short time they'd had. Not many people knew about it. She should have thought of it earlier.

  Stupid. Stupid.

  She glanced behind her, but the asshole had given up the chase – if he'd even started. Big guys like him could rarely run far. She gave three sharp whistles, alerting the other kids about where she was. In the far distance, police sirens sounded. Thank God.

  Never at ease around cops, she'd be happy to have their help tonight.

  Keeping to the darkness, she tried to pace herself, but her breathing was labored and pain stabbed her side more with each step. She didn't dare stop. She had to find Misty.

  The cop cars rounded the corner. One stopped by the black vehicle and the other passed it, heading toward the home.

  Gem stopped. "Help! Over here," she screamed. One of the cops raced out of the vehicle in her direction. Gem stepped forward slightly. A sound rustled behind her.

  Without making sure what or who made the sound, she screamed and ran as if they were all after her. Maybe they were. She didn't look back.

  Racing forward, she headed to the spot she had in mind. Please let Misty be there. Stumbling in the near darkness, she pushed herself on…behind a tree, under the deep branches of another, around to the left to the path. Then through the tall grass, past several large boulders, around the large tree and finally, she reached the place.

  An old pump house, or well house – whatever the hell that was – stood up on the bank beside the creek, partially hidden, surrounded by trees and overgrown bushes. The smell of the mud and water hung heavy in the night air. The creek used to be a large river but something to do with redirecting the flow further up the source – for hydro power or some such thing – had dropped the level to creek status.

  She ran up and pulled on the door. The knob turned, but the door refused to open. A new lock hung on the hasp. Since when? She'd been here a last week and there'd been no lock…

  "Gem?" The voice came from the shadows. Mark.

  "Here," she called back and then she slipped behind the pump house to hide. She didn't know for sure who'd arrive first, the men, the police or Mark. The darkness and cool night air distorted the voices coming at her. Her name was called out again.

  This time Mark was almost on top of her. He was breathing hard as he arrived at her side. Right behind him was Reid, followed by several cops.

  "Oh, thank God." She turned to the pump house and called, "Misty. Misty it's Gem. Are you in there?" No answer.

  She moved to the front of the pump house and pointed out the lock. "This is new. Please, someone get this off. I think Misty's in here."

  Multiple voices rose higher and higher as everyone asked questions. Finally, she'd had enough. She gave one strong sharp whistle that brought everyone to silence. "First we check, then we ask questions."

  Mark squeezed her hand for reassurance.

  "Christ," she whispered to Mark. "I feel like I'm going to be sick."

  Mark bent her over at her knees and told her to try to catch her breath.

  "Breathe. We'll get the lock open and check it out. Calm down. The cops are here. Everything will be fine." Even with those reassuring words, the doubt lacing his voice matched the doubt in her mind.

  "I'm going to need a crowbar or bolt cutters to cut this off." A young deputy studied the shiny lock, shaking his head doubtfully.

  God, he was innocent.

  Gem shook her head. "Reid, can you pop this?"


  "Yeah, probably. If I could see better. Anyone got a flashlight?"

  Multiple lights immediately lit up the area. Reid stepped up and bent over the lock. He knew locks. Any kind and any size. A little too well apparently, as that's what got him sent him to juvie.

  He pulled something out of his pocket and two anxious minutes later, he popped the lock open. "Easy." He removed it and stepped back. The young deputy stepped forward to pull the door open. Flashlights lit up the interior.

  Misty lay crumpled and bound, on the cold floor.

  Gem cried out. Squeezing between two others, she raced to her friend. She placed two fingers to Misty's neck and was relieved to feel a strong pulse beating under her fingertips. Gem dropped her head in relief.

  "She's alive!"

  Chaos ensued.

  The deputy tried to move Gem back outside but she refused. Instead she flattened herself against the wall, barely giving him space to check Misty for injuries. Someone else called for an ambulance. Gem took one look at what should now be considered a crime scene… She groaned. If there'd been any clues here, they were long gone. As characters on her favorite TV show would say, this scene was now beyond contaminated.

  She picked up the flashlight and gave the small room a quick once over.

  "Hey, shine that light back here," a deputy demanded.

  Gem turned the light in the deputy's direction. "Sorry, I wanted to make sure there was nothing important here."

  "I already checked. The place is empty.

  "Except for us." Crouching, she lay a gentle hand on Misty's head. Somewhere inside, her friend slumbered. Maybe that was for the best. Maybe Misty would be lucky and not remember this night.

  "Go back out and stay with the group. We're going to need to talk to everyone once we get this little girl taken care of."

  Great. Like she wanted to talk to the cops about anything. Although, if it put these bastards away for what they'd done to Misty, she'd do it gladly. "No problem. You take care of her. She's not like the rest of us."

  "The rest of you?" The deputy gave her a sharp glance as he pulled off his jacket and covered the prone girl.

  "Yeah. Misty's sweet, naively so. She's friendly, bubbly."

  "Oh. What are the rest of you?"

  Mark answered from the open doorway. "Society's rejects."

  The deputy stood up and reached for the flashlight. He shone it over Mark's grim face, then shone it on Gem's face, spending a moment longer, studying her. Then Reid and Stephen, crowding up against the door, were given the same cursory once over. "Why do you say that?"

  "We're all from juvie. So's Misty, but she's different. We're finishing our time and learning to live in a society that doesn't want us."

  "Is that right?" The cop glanced back at Gem.

  She nodded. "Pretty much. We're the first place anyone looks if they want a scapegoat. But Misty's one of us. We would never hurt her."

  "That may be, but someone sure as hell tried to."

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Gem hated hospitals almost as much as she hated authority. At the moment both were necessary parts of her life. The doctor had given her a clean bill of health although why she'd had to be checked over she didn't understand. Since when did anyone worry about a few scratches from running through the brush? It was Misty who needed their help. She was still out cold and wouldn't be released tonight. The nurses had assured Gem she would survive though.

  Apparently, she'd been knocked out with drugs that were still working their way through her system.

  The hospital teemed with extra people. Including the three men who'd arrived at the home, uninvited, earlier that evening. She'd tried to tell the young deputies the three men had been involved in Misty's kidnapping, but no one was listening. Figures. No one gave a damn what Gemma and her friends had to say.

  "Gemma? We're ready."

  She looked up. A very tired looking John stood in front of her. His world had been shot to shit along with everyone else's. Standing up, she followed the group to the van. A million questions buzzed inside her head. She leaned back and closed her eyes once she'd settled inside. Thankful they'd located Misty, now she was looking forward to a bit of shut-eye in her own bed...

  Until the van drove straight to the local sheriff's office.

  Great. They were in for another few hours of futile criticism and questioning. She knew she was considered to be trouble and clarifying that was all they were going to care about.

  At least Misty had been found. Gem felt numb to the rest. What would happen, would happen. As much as she didn't want to go to yet another home or facility, if that's what happened, then…whatever. She could tolerate anything for a year. Misty couldn't though. She wasn't as tough. Now Gemma regretted that she hadn't really appreciated Misty when they'd had time to enjoy life together.

  At the station, they were shepherded into a large conference room where the young deputy sat down to wait with them. For what?

  Gem glanced over at Mark. He caught her look, returned it with a one slight quirk of his lips. He knew how to play the game. A quick glance around at the others showed they weren't too interested in being here either.

  A second deputy, a huge bull of a man walked in with the sheriff. The two wore genial smiles on their faces.

  Great. Though they were sure to meet both types, she recognized that the 'good cops' had arrived. Not. Gem snorted. They'd probably decided a honeyed approach would get more cooperation from them than lemon this time of night.

  As if either would work.

  She slumped down in her chair and watched the scene unfold.

  "Sorry to have to bring you in at this hour. We know you're all tired so we're going to get through this as fast as we can. John will be able to take you home again as soon as we're done."

  Like hell. That would only happen if none of them said anything incriminating while there.

  "We're going to speak to each of you about what you saw and what you did this evening. Finding the girl is a huge step in the right direction, but we don't want this sort of thing to happen again. Therefore, I need to know what you know so we can catch this kidnapper." The sheriff shuffled some papers on his desk. "Your friend is going to be fine, by the way, but we can't speak with her until she wakes up and that's not going to be tonight." He motioned toward the big deputy.

  "Ian, take the others out. We'll be talking to you one at a time. You've all been through this before, so this won't be anything new."

  Gem quirked her lips in a half sneer, noticing a similar look on Mark's face. There it was – the reference to their less-than-savory history. Didn't matter how much any of them had worked to get past it and move on; they'd always be criminals in the eyes of society.

  Narrow-eyed, Gem watched as all the other kids were removed from the room by the big deputy, leaving her with John and the sheriff. Great. She was first up. She half smiled at the look Mark tossed her way as he walked out.

  "Gemma Stone. Could you please start in the beginning and tell us exactly what you know?"

  "About what? About the strangers who came to the house and followed me to the bathroom?" That brought a quick frown to the sheriff's face. John opened his mouth, thought better of it and shut up.

  "Or when they did a search of the house? Or after that when they tried to stop us from going outside to look for Misty?" Gem knew already how this interview would play out, but thought she'd give them something to think about first.

  The sheriff studied her face for a moment. "You seem to have the wrong idea here. Those men were trying to help and they had your best interests at heart."

  She just barely held back a snort. As if.

  "Right. That's why they wouldn't clearly identify themselves. And when the one did show me ID, he didn't leave it out long enough for me to fully read it. No explanation. Nothing. As you pointed out, we've all been here before. We don't believe anyone, especially those three goons."

  John's face wrinkled as if he had a belly full of gas. "Gemm
a, let's keep this nice."

  Gemma didn't even look at him. John meant well. He'd given them a decent place to live and they all appreciated the change in their surroundings, but none of her friends were under any illusions. There wouldn't be a happy end to this evening. Not for them.

  "We're not going to discuss these men. Suffice it to say, they've been cleared by our office. I can see however, that their behavior may have given you the wrong impression…and that set off the mess of events that followed."

  "Ya think?" The police said they'd cleared these men. Still, Gem knew law enforcement when she saw it, and the three men weren't it. They might be secret government team shit, but she doubted it. She recognized their type. They were thugs.