by Lisa Orchard
Peering at Jackie, Sarah witnessed her friend’s eyes bugging out of their sockets and her face visibly paled in the moonlight. Sarah squeezed her arm, hoping to reassure her.
“Hello?” the gruff voice said again.
The man stood inches from where the girls lay hidden. He wheezed. Watching him look for them, Sarah felt like she was in a dream. She studied the man, trying to remember every detail.
He was muscular, but not tall. The man started rubbing his eyes and his wheezing became more pronounced—he sneezed violently several times. Sarah strained to see his face, but couldn’t make out his features in the darkness.
“For Pete’s sake,” he muttered, rubbing his eyes. He cursed before turning and making his way back toward the cabin.
“Let’s go,” Sarah whispered.
Jackie needed no further prodding, and both girls leapt from the ground and sprinted toward the two-track. They ran full tilt, raising their knees high to avoid getting tangled in the long grass. Sarah didn’t know where they were going, but her intuition told her they were running the right way. The girls ran for a quarter mile until the obscure lane dumped them out on to a dirt road.
“Now which way?” Jackie gasped for breath.
“Good question.” Sarah pointed. “Let’s go to the left. I think that’s east.”
“I’m following you. I have no idea where I am.”
Sarah nodded as she started down the road with Jackie by her side. Sweat rolled down her back and her pants stuck to her legs at the knees.
“This is spooky,” Jackie said.
“You got that right.” Sarah turned on her flashlight and shone it down the road and along the sides of it. They were surrounded by trees. “This looks like where we walked today with Scott.”
“I don’t know.” Jackie shook her head.
Sarah continued to shine her light through the trees, searching for the path they had forged earlier that day. After looking for fifteen minutes, she found it. “Hey, I know where we are.”
“Where are we?” Jackie pulled at a weed that was stuck in her curls.
“This is where we took the path behind the high school.”
“No kidding?”
“Yeah, look, there’s one of my Tootsie Roll wrappers. It must have fallen from my pocket.” Sarah shone her light on the wrapper and the trampled earth where they had walked earlier.
“Awesome, now we know how to get home.”
“Yep.”
“You know, I thought that guy was going to find us,” Jackie said.
“I did too. Did you hear him? He was having trouble breathing.”
“Yeah. I wonder what his problem was.”
“He could have asthma, or maybe some sort of allergy.” Sarah wiped her sweaty brow with the sleeve of her T-shirt.
“Maybe. Did you get a good look at him?”
Sarah shook her head.
“Both those men are involved in the bombing.” Jackie stopped and grabbed Sarah’s arm.
Sarah stopped and stared at Jackie. “I wonder who they were after.”
“I don’t know.”
“If we find out who he was, we’ll figure out who the bombers are.” Sarah started walking again and Jackie fell into step beside her.
“How do you figure?”
“Well, if we know the target, then we can find out who wanted to hurt him.”
“Ahhh.”
“Did you get a look at the other guy?” Sarah asked.
“Nope.”
“How about the truck?”
“It was dark.”
Sarah bit her lip and sighed. “Yeah, I know I thought it might have been like a dark green, or maybe a gray?”
Jackie shook her head. “I thought it was more of a blue.”
“Well, at least we know it was a pickup.”
They reached Broadway and stopped under the street light. It seemed surreal to Sarah standing beneath the light, watching the moths and the June bugs flying underneath it. The insects fought to get closer to the illumination and then swooped away when the heat became unbearable.
“So how do we find the target?” Jackie pulled Sarah away from the bugs.
“We’ll have to figure out who was in the school when the bomb went off.”
“You’re right. So, how are we going to do that?”
“We’ll need to make another trip to the hospital and talk to Ali Hameedi.”
Scuffing her shoe against the cement, Jackie nodded. “Yeah.”
“I’ll call you when I get up tomorrow, or later today.” Sarah looked at her watch. “It’s three o’clock in the morning.”
“I’m heading home to bed.” Jackie yawned and gave Sarah a quick hug.
“Me, too.”
They split up and went their separate ways. Sarah arrived home and cautiously crept back inside. She made her way to the bedroom she shared with Lacey.
Once in her room, she pulled off her clothes and slipped her nightshirt over her head. It was her favorite—it had a huge peace sign displayed on the front with the words peace, love, and chocolate surrounding it.
Exhausted, she crawled under her quilt and as her head hit the pillow, her thoughts turned to her parents. The last time she was with them flashed into her mind and brought tears to her eyes…
She remembered her anger at them for leaving her the whole summer with her aunt and uncle. As her parents had waited at the security checkpoint, Sarah sulked with her arms crossed over her chest, not speaking to anyone. Her aunt, uncle, and sister had been there. They ignored her as she gave everyone the silent treatment. Walking to the boarding gate, she lagged behind and hoped her loitering would cause her parents to miss their flight. It didn’t work and as they boarded the plane, her mother gave her an exasperated smile and hugged her.
“You’ll have fun this summer, wait and see,” her mother whispered in her ear.
“Hmmpf,” Sarah responded, and didn’t hug her mother back.
As Sarah thought back on that moment, she was filled with regret. She wished she could go back in time and have a do-over. At least she’d hug her mom back. Of course, she couldn’t, and with that knowledge Sarah cried herself to sleep.
Chapter Five
“Wake up,” Lacey said as she shook Sarah.
“Whaaat?” Sarah tried to open her eyes. My brain feels like mush.
“They found Uncle Walt!”
“What…Where…When?” Sarah struggled with her bedclothes. “Is he all right?”
“We don’t know. We’re supposed to go to the hospital. That’s all Aunt June said.” Lacey searched the floor for her shoes.
“What time is it?” Sarah asked, as she looked toward the window. Bummer, they’re boarded up.
Lacey glanced at her watch. “It’s five.”
“In the morning?”
“Yeah.” Lacey looked at Sarah as if she were on her way to Crazy Town.
Sarah groaned and swung her feet to the floor. No wonder I feel like I haven’t slept.
“Hurry up. We’re going to the hospital.” Lacey rushed around the room grabbing clothes.
Sarah stood and searched for a pair of shorts. Finding her denim cut-offs on the floor, she pulled them on. She stumbled as she went to her dresser and pulled out a pink T-shirt.
Lacey brushed her hair and put it in a ponytail. “Hurry, Aunt June’s a basket case.”
Sarah grabbed the brush and pulled it through her tangle of hair. As she stared at her reflection in the mirror, she noticed her pale face and the dark smudges under her eyes. I look like a zombie.
Sarah sighed and dropped the brush on Lacey’s bed, then grabbed her sandals. Racing up the stairs, the blood pounded in her ears. A wave of dizziness slowed her. Her steps faltered, but she recovered quickly and made her way to the kitchen. Lacey sat at the table and fidgeted with her hair while Aunt June paced.
“I’m just going to grab a breakfast bar.” Sarah opened the cupboard and fumbled around until she found the box.
&nbs
p; The trio dashed out the door and into the car. Aunt June jammed the key into the ignition and the car roared to life. She backed out of the driveway and almost hit the mailbox. Avoiding it in the nick of time, she slammed the car into drive and raced down the street.
“Don’t say a word.” Aunt June glanced at Sarah out of the corner of her eye.
Sarah giggled. “About what?” She peered out the back window, expecting to see another hubcap rolling in the road.
Lacey looked at Sarah. “What are you looking for?”
“Nothing.” Sarah grabbed her arm and gave her a reassuring squeeze.
The worry line seemed to be a permanent feature on Aunt June’s face these days. It appeared again as she drove through the streets of Harrisburg. Sarah sighed as she realized her aunt was gripping the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. This is bad. Taking a deep breath, Sarah squelched the fear that was trying to take over her body.
“What did the police say about Uncle Walt?” Sarah asked as she shifted her gaze back to the road.
“Not much. They found him, he’s alive, and they’re taking him to the hospital.” Aunt June kept her eyes on the road, but she gripped the steering wheel even tighter and her lip trembled with suppressed emotion.
“He must be hurt.” Sarah gave her aunt a sideways glance.
Tears welled in her aunt’s eyes. “That’s a good possibility.” She pulled into the parking lot and parked the car.
As she climbed out of the vehicle, Sarah noticed that the gray hue in the sky was growing lighter. Morning was on the horizon.
The anxious family walked into the hospital. Sarah was surprised to see the normally peaceful hallways teeming with people. They clogged the lobby, making it difficult for the family as they tried to make their way to the reception desk. When they reached the reception area, they were met by another line of people who were there for the same reason. Sarah was shocked by the bedlam. Groaning, she sagged against her sister.
Lacey patted her arm. “It won’t be too long.”
Aunt June finally reached the nurse. “I’m here to see Walter Bennett.”
The nurse typed on her keyboard. “Ahhh, they’re prepping him for surgery. You need to go up to the second floor and go to the surgical waiting room. I’ll call and let the doctor know you’re here.”
“Surgery?” Aunt June’s upper lip quivered. “Why is he being prepped for surgery?”
“The surgeon will explain everything.”
Sarah grabbed her aunt’s sleeve. “Let’s go.”
She allowed Sarah to pull her toward the stairwell, then she took the lead. Aunt June stumbled on the stairs. Sarah grabbed her arm and stabilized her. No one spoke as they climbed. It seemed to take forever to reach the second floor. Sarah’s stomach churned and she felt nauseous.
Once they were on the second floor, a friendly nurse pointed them in the direction of the surgical waiting room. They walked in to find a surgeon pacing.
“Doctor?” Aunt June asked.
“Yes…you must be Mrs. Bennett?” The doctor held out his hand for her aunt to shake.
Aunt June shook his hand. “Yes, yes I am.”
“Your husband is being prepped for surgery. He has had extensive head injuries and we need to stop the intracranial bleeding and relieve the pressure on his brain.”
“I s-s-see.” Aunt June searched for a chair and slumped into it. “What does all this mean? Is he going to have brain damage?”
“It’s too soon to tell, but the sooner we get the bleeding stopped and the pressure relieved the better his chances. Do we have permission to proceed?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
“Good. I’ll send someone down with some forms for you to sign.”
“All right.” Aunt June dropped her purse and put her head in her hands. Taking a deep breath, she jumped up and grabbed the doctor’s arm. “Doctor?”
He stopped and pivoted toward her. “Yes?”
“How long is this surgery going to take?”
“It’s hard to say. I’ll send someone out in a couple of hours to give you an update.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
Aunt June sat back down and sagged in her chair. She closed her eyes and sighed. The girls exchanged fearful looks.
Sarah plopped down on a divan and grimaced. “This isn’t comfortable at all.”
Lacey nodded. “I know.”
Sarah slumped against the arm of the couch and sighed. Her body seemed heavy and her eyelids threatened to droop. She scanned the room to keep from falling asleep. Looking into the faces of the other people who were in the waiting room, she saw worried expressions. Most of the people had been there all night. Sarah could tell by their rumpled clothes and the soda cans on the table. As she sighed again, Sarah pulled her feet up around her. As she leaned her head on the armrest, her eyelids closed.
Sarah woke with a start and realized that she had sprawled out on the couch in her sleep. She looked around and spied her aunt talking with the doctor.
Sarah sat up and rubbed her eyes. “How long have I been asleep?” She swallowed and licked her dry lips.
“About three hours,” Lacey said.
“What’s going on?”
“Uncle Walt’s out of surgery, finally.” Lacey sighed and shifted in her seat. “I guess now all we can do is wait.”
“What do you mean?”
“We have to wait and see how successful the surgery was.”
“What do you mean?” Sarah asked, warning bells ringing in her head.
“Well…you know…we have to wait and see if there’s any brain damage,” Lacey whispered as she watched Aunt June.
Sarah felt like she had been punched in the stomach. The thought of her uncle having brain damage was too much. Her stomach churned and she was having trouble breathing.
“I’ve got to find a bathroom.” Sarah stood and rushed out into the hall.
Lacey followed her. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, this is just a lot to deal with.”
“I know.”
“Where’s the bathroom?” Sarah scowled.
“Just down the hall and to the left,” Lacey said as she stopped following her sister.
Sarah made it to the bathroom just in time to vomit. She rinsed her mouth out and then wiped it with a paper towel. Running more cold water, she washed her face. Tears ran down her cheeks. It had never occurred to her that Uncle Walt wouldn’t be all right. Taking a ragged breath, Sarah grabbed more paper towels and wiped her face. She raked her hand through her hair and studied her reflection. Her face was pale and the dark smudges under her eyes gave her an owlish appearance.
Sarah took a deep breath that turned into a sob. She leaned against the sink and cried. After a few minutes, she clamped her teeth together, stifling any other sobs that might escape. Grabbing more paper towels, she wiped her face a second time. Now isn’t the time for crying. She ran her hand through her hair again, then left the bathroom and made her way back to her aunt and sister.
When she walked into the waiting room, Sarah found Aunt June and Lacey talking in hushed tones. She hurried over to hear the conversation. “What did the doctor say?”
Aunt June cleared her throat. “Well, they’ve stopped the bleeding and put him on an intracranial pressure monitor.”
“What’s that?”
“It helps relieve pressure on the brain.”
Sarah gulped. “Is he going to wake up? Is he going to be…you know…be all there?”
Tears welled in Aunt June’s eyes. “We don’t know.” She shook her head. “We won’t know the extent of the brain damage until he wakes up.”
“So he is going to wake up?”
“Yes, Sarah, he’s going to wake up.”
“Oh no! Poor Uncle Walt!” Lacey shrieked as she burst into tears.
“Lacey, shhh…it’s all right.” Aunt June pulled her close.
Lacey calmed down after a few minutes and dried her eyes with th
e hem of her T-shirt. Her hands trembled as she twisted her shirt in her fingers.
Sarah’s body went numb The waiting room seemed to close in on her and her ears seemed stuffed with cotton. All the sounds she heard were warped as if they traveled in slow motion.
Aunt June sighed. “Well, the doctor said he probably won’t wake up for at least two hours.” She stopped and ran her fingers through her hair. The familiar worry crease appeared between her brows. “Why…why don’t we get something to eat? You girls must be hungry, right?”
“I don’t know if I can eat. I just got sick.” Sarah gave her aunt a bleak look.
“Why don’t we get out of the hospital, anyway? Fresh air would do us all some good.”
“Yeah,” Lacey nodded. “I am kind of hungry. Maybe we can stop at Hinkle’s.”
Aunt June bit her lip. “Yeah, let’s just get out of here. We can’t do anything just sitting here.”
Sarah sighed. “Maybe I’ll get a ginger ale.”
The family stood and made their way out of the waiting room and down the hall. Sarah grimaced, as the thought of food turned her stomach.
Bright sunlight blinded her when she walked out of the hospital, and she blinked several times until her eyes adjusted to the illumination. The sun warmed the top of her head and her shoulders.
As Sarah climbed into the car, it hit her with the force of a punch—Uncle Walt may have to learn to drive again. She choked back a sob, hiding it from her aunt and sister. Aunt June started the car and they were on their way to Hinkle’s.
The restaurant was alive with activity. Even though a bomb had the town reeling, it couldn’t stop people from gathering at Hinkle’s. The restaurant was the watering hole for the small town of Harrisburg. People wandered in to discuss family news or share gossip. It was a jolly place, usually filled with animated conversations and laughter, but not today.
Sarah caught bits and pieces of the discussions as she waited. Patrons talked about the bombing, and even though the restaurant was busy, it was subdued. The twinkle of Christmas lights that decorated the walls year round couldn’t liven up the atmosphere today. A wave of grief washed over Sarah and tears welled in her eyes. Will this town ever be the same?