“Also remember that Sara was born in New York,” Jaci added.
“Yes!” Ricky said, snapping his fingers. “In Little Falls. And we were also born in Little Falls. Shortly after our parents’ death we moved to Johnsburg to be with our grandmother.”
“The problem is,” Amanda said, “Sara doesn’t know anything about her birth family. Not even if she had siblings.”
“Yeah. All I know is that my parents died in an accident.”
A slight frown darkened Ricky’s features. “Certainly the state would’ve kept us together. Not let her be adopted out.”
“The state wouldn’t let Grandma take any more kids,” said Neal. “Remember? They kept trying to take us away from her?”
Jaci noticed a phone booth at the gas station a few yards away. “Okay. It’s time to get to the bottom of this. Let’s call.”
They marched over to the phone. Sara hesitated.
Jaci picked up the phone and rattled it at her. “Come on. Call home, tell them we’re okay. Ask your questions.”
Sara took it and dialed, the tip of her nose turning pink. She paused, taking a few deep breaths.
“Sara,” she said into the phone. “Operator,” she mouthed to her friends. Then her face paled.
“It’s ringing! Mom?” She began to cry. “Yes, it’s me. No, no, we’re okay. Mom, I love you. We’re—what? We’re going to find help. I think we’re going to the police… Um-hum… Uh-huh… Yes.”
She wiped her tears with the back of her hand. “I know. Mom, some—some bad things have happened.” She sobbed and put a hand over her mouth. “Mom—Mom, listen to me. I have a question for you.”
Sara paused, and then snapped, “Mother! I don’t have time. This is really important. Do I have any family left alive? From my biological parents?”
There was silence, and Jaci realized she was on her tip-toes, straining to hear what was said on the other end.
Neal leaned back. “If the call’s being traced, time is important. She needs to get off now.”
Jaci nodded, her heart sinking. “Sara. Let’s go.”
Sara clutched the phone tighter. “I need to know now. Was I an only child? Wasn’t there anyone else?”
Jaci stepped up to the pay phone and put her finger on the hook. “Sara. I’m going to hang up.”
Sara didn’t look at her but started speaking faster. “I have to go. We’ll call you from the police station. Mom, I’m going to go now.”
She blinked several times. “Bye, Mom, and tell Daddy I love him too. Bye!” She hung up the phone and dropped her head into her hands.
Neal stared at her. “Well?”
She lifted her head and wiped her face. “Mom—my mom—she doesn’t know for sure. She thinks I had two brothers. Twins. But she’s not sure. They’ve spent my whole life pretending like no one else existed.”
“You’re our sister.”
“Yes, I-I think I am.”
October 18
Little Falls, New York
Carl pulled out the fax he had received from Idaho. The chief had called his cell phone and ordered him to the nearest police department to make a secure call. As soon as he got to the Little Falls police department, Carl had called back.
“The girls made contact,” Chief Miller said, his low voice punctuated with excitement. “Sara Yadle called home.”
Sara. Abigail Collins. “Yes?” Carl leaned into the phone. “Where are they? Are they alright?”
“Elizabeth Yadle took the call. Sara, Jaci, and Amanda are fine. She said they might be going to the police.”
A thrill of joy had warmed Carl at those words. The girls were all still alive. Focus. “Where are they?”
“Sara didn’t say.”
“She didn’t say?”
“Mrs. Yadle said she was in a hurry to get off the phone.”
But they were alive. And going to the police. “What about those missing boys? Were they with them?”
“Mrs. Yadle didn’t mention them. You can call and get the details of the phone call, if you want.”
“No, it’s not important right now. I’ll catch the next flight out of here and organize an alert.”
“Why would you come home? Chances are they’re still back east. You’ll be able to reach them quicker if you stay where you are. As soon as they’re picked up, however, get them onto a secure charter flight and bring them home.”
“No problem.” Carl already had that in mind. He wasn’t leaving these girls out in the public eye for any longer than he had to. Immediately he put a plan into action. They were out of the forest, so he called off the search parties.
Right after he did so, he got a call from the sheriff of Herkimer county.
“Herkimer county?” Carl echoed. Should he know that name?
“Yes. It’s a large county, taking up most of the north and west of the park system.”
Ah. Someone from inside the forest. “Yes?” He felt only the slightest interest. The girls were out, and his mind was elsewhere.
“It might not be anything,” the sheriff said, his deep voice gravelly, “but we found a body.”
“A body?” Quickly he recalled the conversation with his boss. All the girls were found. Was it one of the boys? “A boy?”
“A man. It happens from time to time. A hiker comes in, doesn’t register, no one knows where he is. He falls down, gets hurt, dehydrated, and we find him later.”
“All right.” Carl nodded, his attention fading. “Something about this one is unusual?”
“It looks like he was bludgeoned to death. We ran a check on his ID, and it’s fabricated.”
Carl pulled out his notepad. “I’m working on something else right now, but I want to get back with you. What number can I reach you on?”
The sheriff gave his number, and Carl tucked the information away. This could be related.
That aside, he called Idaho and asked Monica to make a fax with the girls’ pertinent information and send it to all police departments in New York and Pennsylvania. He couldn’t imagine the girls being anywhere else, but just in case, a fax was also sent to each state police department.
Now Carl hovered around the Little Falls police department, trying to stay out of the way. They had been very helpful, letting him set up a kind of office. His hard plastic chair sat by a fax machine on top of a cardboard box. They had even pulled over a telephone and plugged it into the landline.
But the phone hadn’t rung and no faxes had come in. Carl resisted the urge to call Idaho Falls again. That’s where he should be, but it was unlikely the girls were going to make contact with a police department out west.
The fax listed the numbers for the Idaho Falls police, the Little Falls police, and the FBI. Every police department on the list had confirmed receipt. He could do nothing else.
He read over the girls’ details again. Sara Yadle. Fourteen. Blond hair, hazel eyes, Caucasian female.
Jacinta Rivera. Fifteen. Brown hair, brown eyes, Hispanic female.
Amanda Murphy. Fifteen. Red hair, green eyes. Caucasian female.
Each name had an individual picture attached.
He tried to imagine what they looked like now. More than a month of camping. Thin, emaciated, dirty. Perhaps sick, even physically hurt.
He sat down in his plastic chair and stared at the phone, willing it to ring. If only he knew what city they were in.
Chapter 32
It didn’t snow that night.
By noon they had reached Rome. The outward sprawl of houses and the sounds of engines and horns honking indicated a large population.
“Look at all the places to eat,” Jaci said as they turned down a street.
“All right, here’s the plan,” said Neal. “Let’s get some food first. Then, I want us to find a clothes store and everyone buy a coat and a sweater. And me a pair of shoes.”
They started down the street, and Sara grabbed Jaci’s arm. “I don’t think we should go to the police.”
&nbs
p; “It’s okay. We’re far from Canada now. The police will help us.”
Sara shook her head. “We’ll have to separate from the boys. We’ll be vulnerable.”
This wasn’t about being afraid of the police. It was about leaving Neal and Ricky. She put an arm around Sara. “It won’t be for long.”
Sara didn’t look convinced, but she let Jaci pull her along.
They found a Subway for lunch, and there they asked for directions to the police station.
“Go left on St. James,” the cashier told them. “Just up the street. You’ll see it.”
After eating they headed up to St. James.
“Look, a clothing store,” Jaci said, pointing to a store called Erin’s Way. Skirts, boots, shirts, and chunky necklaces dangled from the window mannequin.
Half an hour later, they congregated at a street corner, waiting for the walk signal to turn on. Donning their new jackets, they appeared remarkably normal.
Neal had kind of a beard thing going on. It matched his gray jacket, making him look like the outdoors-y type.
Jaci’s navy blue jacket fit snugly, with only a lime-green V over the chest as an accent. The warm fleece sleeves stretched all the way to her palms. She wrapped her bony arms around herself, appreciating the warmth.
“Let’s talk about going to the police,” said Neal. “Are we sure it’s the right thing to do?”
“How can it not be?” Jaci asked. “They must be looking for us.”
“Yeah,” Amanda chimed in, wearing a pink vest-jacket. “They’ll protect us and make sure we get home.”
“You know what it means for us,” Ricky interjected. “This is where we part ways. They’d ship us to a juvenile detention center for sure.”
The light changed to a walk, but nobody moved.
“Let’s do this, then,” Jaci said. “Don’t come in with us. After the police have called our parents, you call Sara’s parents. Her parents can ask for custody of you until the courts can decide what to do with you. Like foster parents. Then you come into the police station and join us, once you know that’s been done. They should let us stay together.”
Ricky nodded thoughtfully. “Might work.”
Neal asked, “How will we know if Sara’s called her parents?”
Jaci shrugged. “Give it an hour or two. They won’t wait longer than that.”
“Okay.” Ricky nodded. “Yeah, we can do that.”
“Good,” Amanda said. “That’s settled. Can we go now?”
Sara balked. “I’m telling you, I don’t want to go. I don’t feel right about it.”
“Then don’t come,” Amanda responded. “Stay with the boys. We’ll be fine.”
The light changed to a walk for the second time. Amanda threw her arms up and started across.
Sara shook her head, biting her lip. “I can’t. Something’s wrong.”
“What do you mean?” Jaci asked. She was starting to get nervous.
“I don’t know. I just don’t think we should go.”
“What if she’s right?” asked Ricky.
“Well, I guess we’ll find out when we talk to Sara’s parents,” Neal said.
“And if something’s gone wrong?”
“Sara. You girls need someone who can protect you. Ricky and I can’t.”
Jaci watched Neal’s face. He was afraid for them. He knew something he wasn’t telling them.
Sara blinked back tears. “You can more than the police.”
Ricky squeezed her hand. “It’ll be fine.”
“And if it’s not?” she repeated, pulling her hand away. They reached the other side where Amanda waited, her stance impatient.
“Then we’ll find a way to help,” Neal assured Sara. “We won’t be with you, so we’ll be able to help.”
“What can you two possibly do against a police force?”
“You might be surprised,” Ricky said, giving Neal a sly smile.
“And what is a police force possibly going to do to us?” Amanda shot back. “Let’s go.”
“All right,” Neal said, stopping on the sidewalk in front of the station. “This is where we say goodbye.”
“For how long?” Jaci asked.
“Not long,” Ricky said. “Either we’ll be joining you in there, or we’ll all catch up in Idaho. Soon.”
Sara turned on Neal, who had the orange backpack strapped to one shoulder. “Don’t lose that. It’s all we have left.”
He nodded. “I won’t.”
Jaci thought of all the tree bark inside. Not exactly valuable.
“Can you remember my phone number?” Sara asked Ricky.
“Yeah.”
“My mom’s name is Elizabeth. My dad is Mike. The phone number is two-oh-eight, three-five-six, four-three-one-nine.” She looked at Neal. “Help him remember.”
“Uh-huh.” Neal mouthed the numbers to himself. “Got it.”
“Don’t wait too long to call.”
Ricky nodded. “Right. We’ll call.”
“Okay.” Sara took a deep breath and gave them both a shaky smile. “We’ll see you later.”
Neal reached over and hugged her. “Take care.”
Jaci looked at Ricky. She wanted to say something. But what?
Their eyes met. He licked his lips. “Well. Goodbye, Jaci.”
“Bye.”
“Come on, let’s not make a scene,” Amanda said, grabbing Jaci’s arm and pulling the girls toward the building.
Jaci clutched at Ricky’s hand, grasping his fingers for a moment before they slid away. Her throat ached.
Amanda opened the doors to the building and Jaci turned around, leaving Neal and Ricky behind. She focused on the tiled room in front of her, the silver elevator behind the white reception desk in the middle of the room.
Jaci stepped up to the clerk, the other girls falling in behind her. She tugged on her ponytail and cleared her throat. “Excuse me?”
The clerk looked up, blinking her clumpy black eyelashes. “Yes?”
“We’d like to speak to someone in your police force. We’re in trouble, and we need help getting home.”
The clerk looked them up and down and then picked up her desk phone.
“Sergeant Gates? I’ve got three girls down here asking to speak to an officer. Oh, okay. Sure.” She hung up.
“Someone will be right down. Why don’t you have a seat?” She gestured to a number of chairs against the wall.
“Sure,” Jaci said. She moved in the direction of the chairs. She gripped one and lowered herself into it. Sara’s nervousness was contagious. She glanced at the elevator behind the clerk’s desk, at the security scanners in front of the entrance.
“We’ve got to get out of here,” Sara said. “Before it’s too late.”
The elevator chimed and a portly man stepped out. He smiled at them and said, “Hi. I’m Lieutenant Hansen. If you’ll come with me, please?”
Jaci stood and the others followed her lead. Her head throbbed. If they were going to change their minds, it was now or never.
He escorted them down a hall and came to a stop at a room, which he unlocked and motioned them in. He stepped inside with them and grabbed a metal chair. He straddled it and faced them.
“We know who you are, and you’ll be safe here. We’ve been expecting you since yesterday. You’re in police custody now. We won’t hurt you. Do you need anything? Water? Food?”
Jaci exhaled, feeling her heart rate slow down. They were safe. “What happens now?”
“We have a task force waiting for you in Pennsylvania. One of our sergeants there has been put on your case. We’re keeping it quiet for now, just in case the wrong eyes and ears are looking for you. Once we turn you over to his custody, he’ll help you get safely reunited with your families.”
Jaci smiled at Sara. See? she wanted to say. Everything’s fine.
Sara didn’t look relieved.
“Can we call our families?” Amanda asked, popping her fingers.
Li
eutenant Hansen frowned. “No. We can’t let it leak yet that you’ve been found.”
He stood. “I’ll be back for you in a few hours.”
Something tickled Jaci’s mind, and she blurted out, “You said you were expecting us. How?”
He shrugged. “The department in Pennsylvania called and said you were coming. I don’t know how they knew.”
He walked out of the room and closed the door, locking it behind him.
“Wait,” Sara called, but the door was shut.
“Sara,” Amanda said. “It’s okay! Look.” She gestured around the room, which was furnished with a sink, a toilet, and two bunk beds. “They’re going to take care of us.”
“You’re a fool, Amanda,” Sara snapped. “Why didn’t he ask us any questions? What are our names? Where did we come from? How can he help us?”
“The police must be on top of things. Of course everyone’s looking for us. He recognized us.”
“He’s been expecting us?” Jaci echoed. “Someone said we were coming? How? Who would have known?”
She felt a heavy pit in her stomach. “We didn’t even tell Sara’s mom.”
Sara trembled. “The Hand. He found us. He traced our call, and we’re going right into a trap.”
“The police can’t be corrupt,” Jaci said, shaking her head.
“Well, someone somewhere is corrupt,” Sara said, her voice full of scorn. “And now we’re trapped.”
“It’s not hopeless yet,” said Amanda. “Ricky and Neal are still outside.”
“A lot of good that does us. We can’t even get a message to them,” Jaci stated.
A gloomy silence descended. Jaci sat down on the floor, head in her hands. Amanda looked around the room, for once seeming desperate and scared. Sara just stood with a blank expression on her face.
Chapter 33
Lieutenant Hansen returned after a few minutes. He and two other officers guided the girls behind the station, loading them into a mid-size SUV police cruiser.
“Don’t worry,” Hansen said, his smile warm. He placed one hand on the back door. “We’ll have you safely home to your families soon.” He slammed the door, and the cruiser roared to life.
None of the girls said anything for the longest time. Sara curled into a ball on the bench, dropping her head and rocking back and forth.
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