Wild Rescue (13 page)

Chapter 48

The most fun part of the day
was when Mr. Forster went onto the football field and we all lined up for a chance to knock him in the dunk tank. There must have been 20 people who failed, with Mr. Forster taunting them, before Duncan sailed a fastball into the center of the target and everybody whooped. Mr. Forster went into the tank like a rock and came up sputtering and laughing.

I dunked Mr. Scarberry, our band director. He stayed under the water and raised his baton above the surface. It was pretty funny.

The cooks came outside and cheered the kids on. Several even bought chances to sink teachers and administrators. Mrs. Garcia, the Lunch Lady, missed the target by a mile but ran up and smacked the lever with her hand, sending the assistant principal into the drink.

By the time the last bell rang, girls were crying and hugging teachers they couldn’t stand the rest of the year. Others sniffled as they signed yearbooks. I couldn’t understand it. We were going to see all of these people in a couple of months, except for the eighth graders, and to be honest, I was glad they were leaving.

The one person noticeably absent was Boo Heckler.

I sidled up to Duncan and put an arm around him, and he smiled. I figured by the time of our first sleepover the whole stolen-items caper would be over and I could tell him why I hadn’t chosen him as my buddy at Happy Canyons. Then everything would be back to normal.

“So, where do you suppose Boo is?” I said.

Duncan stepped back quickly. “You haven’t heard? He got sent to juvenile hall for doing something to mailboxes. And he has to repeat eighth grade next fall. I hear he’s pretty ticked and looking for whoever ratted him out.”

No one but the police knew it was Ashley and me.

“I can’t imagine next year with Boo in our classes,” Duncan said.

Unfortunately, I could.

Chapter 49

I couldn’t breathe
when Bryce told me about Boo Heckler. I felt sorry for his teachers.

Everything looked okay with the alpacas. I collected the Morrises’ paper and mail and put them in the house, then joined Bryce in the garage. We filled Buck’s food bowl.

When we went back outside smoke was coming from Denise’s yard. A couple of cars were parked outside, and people were setting up a volleyball net.

“Looks like a party,” Bryce said. “You should go see what’s for dinner.”

“I should send Buck,” I said.

As we mounted up to head home, I said, “You sure you’re going to be all right in that truck tomorrow? It could get hot.”

“Already figured that out. I have water bottles in the freezer. Gonna move them to the truck before morning.”

“How are you going to get up in time?”

“I’m going to sleep in the truck under a blanket. Sam will never even see me.”

Chapter 50

I waited
until everyone had been in bed a couple of hours before I grabbed my favorite blanket, my empty backpack, and my cell phone and crept downstairs to the refrigerator. Every second I was sure I was being too loud and that Sam or Mom would come investigate.

I filled the bottom of the backpack with the frozen water bottles, then put in some apples, a couple of sandwiches, two candy bars, and some small bags of chips from the pantry. It wasn’t until I was outside that I could breathe again.

Sam had left the truck windows down, and it was chilly. I stowed my stuff under his seat and stretched out on the backseat. I could have turned the key halfway and closed the windows, but he kept the keys on the dresser in the master bedroom, and I wasn’t about to risk sneaking in there. It was so cold that I wished I’d brought my sleeping bag. I set my phone on vibrate, then tossed and turned the whole night. I guess I slept some, but it didn’t feel like it.

The sun was almost up when I heard the front door. I scooted onto the floor behind the front seat and made sure I was covered. Sam got in, closed the door, and burped. I had to clamp my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing.

Sam drove toward town, keeping the windows down the whole way. He finally stopped and got out. I stayed still as a statue, then peeked over the back of the seat. We were in front of one of the garage doors at Carhardt’s. Sam was inside talking with the owner. When he headed back out, I ducked again and heard a familiar honk behind me. It had to be Mom picking him up.

I’m in!

Chapter 51

As soon as I woke up,
I called Bryce’s cell phone. The phone picked up, but he didn’t say anything. A few seconds later he whispered, “That you, Ash?”

“Where are you?”

“Still in the truck. Sam just left with Mom. There’s a guy coming—hang on.”

My heart pounded. I imagined someone mistaking Bryce for a thief. A door closed. The truck started.

“Bryce, get out of there,” I said.

The phone crackled as Bryce moved. Then I heard a door close.

“Okay, he’s gone,” Bryce said. “He just backed into the parking lot. And he put the windows up.”

“It’s gonna get hot in there.”

He told me it would be a nice change from a cold night.

I clicked on the computer weather channel. “Supposed to hit 80 degrees today.”

“Ugh. Unless I can get some air, I might need to bail.”

“Call me at the farm if you need me,” I said.

Chapter 52

Sam’s truck had tinted windows,
so that blocked some of the heat. Best of all, I could peer out at names on guys’ shirts without their seeing me.

When things started heating up I took a drink from one of my water bottles. I started feeling short of breath, so I climbed into the front seat and turned the key until it beeped. Then I rolled down the front windows a few inches. The wind made a nice breeze through the truck.

Twenty minutes later a sandy-haired guy whose name tag read Eddie jogged to the truck. I hunkered down as he jumped in and pulled into the garage.

Guys yelled to each other over the country music blaring on the radio. Somebody reached in and popped the hood. I listened to the
clink
and
clank
of hammers, the
brrrrrffffftttt
of some tire machine, and the
clunk-clunk-clunk
of the oil pump.

I peeked at my watch. Ashley would be at the farm by now, but I didn’t dare call her. Someone might hear me.

I tried to match voices with names. One guy talked about fishing and camping trips, another about an old car he was fixing. The owner came in every now and then to check on people’s work. They all seemed to know what they were doing.

Could any of these guys really be robbing people in Red Rock? Who would steal in the same town he worked in? He’d have to be awfully dumb or really bold.

My phone vibrated. The readout showed it was Ashley, but there was no way I could talk now.

Someone phoned Sam, told him what they’d found wrong with the truck, and said they’d have to keep it overnight.

Great
.
How am I going to get home?