Running Scared

Running Scared by Gloria Skurzynski

Book: Running Scared by Gloria Skurzynski Read Free Book Online
Authors: Gloria Skurzynski
Ads: Link
went forward and interrupted two men in an act of theft, he could be in greater danger than just waiting in a cave until rescue came.
    The younger one, Ryan, was saying, “A hydromagnesite surface is only about a tenth of a millimeter thick. Inside, these little balloons are filled with a kind of gas. If you didn’t know they were hollow, you’d think they were pearls. That’s what they look like, sort of—about the same size as large pearls.”
    â€œThey’re worth a lot more than pearls, my man.”
    â€œThat’s exactly why I have to be real careful cutting them loose. One bad move, and they could be crushed.”
    Ashley whispered. “What should we do? Wait here till they’re done, and then follow them out?”
    â€œDo nothing. Just keep quiet,” Jack whispered back. “They’re crooks. They could have guns.”
    The man with the deeper voice asked, “So how do you know about these caves and rocks and stuff?”
    The answer drifted back, “I’ve been a caver since I was six. My dad started me out here, exploring Carlsbad, then all the other caves here in the Guadalupe Mountains. That’s why my dad would kill me if he knew what…. Hey, you know what? I’m feeling pretty bad about it, too.”
    â€œDon’t go all soft on me.”
    Ryan answered, “I can’t talk anymore. I gotta concentrate on what I’m doing.”
    So, Jack thought, they had stumbled onto criminals. First he’d gotten them lost, and now he’d brought Sam and Ashley face-to-face with a new and different danger. His breath caught as he realized the trouble they could be in.
    Ashley grabbed Jack’s arm and whispered, “This is great. Now we’ll be able to get out of here. We can follow these guys out.”
    Jack considered this. It was true Ryan said he was familiar with Carlsbad and the Guadalupe Mountains. But would it be safe to try to trail after two cave robbers? The one with the deep voice had even been in prison!
    â€œCome on, Jack, it’s the only way. I think we ought to sneak up a little closer to them,” Ashley went on softly. “Why?”
    â€œWhat if they start to leave and we don’t know it—then we’d miss our chance to follow them. Jack, you know we can’t stay here. Look at the candle.”
    When Jack saw there was hardly more than a quarter inch of wax left, he realized she was right. They needed to get close enough to the robbers to know when they were about to leave the cave, yet keep out of their sight in case they turned out to be dangerous.
    â€œOK,” he whispered. “But we gotta be really careful.” Bending down so that his lips were next to Sam’s ear, he asked, “Do you understand what’s happening? Those are bad guys, but when they get ready to leave, we can follow them. As long as they don’t see us.”
    Though Sammy nodded, Jack could feel him trembling.
    â€œSo we’ll stay real, real quiet. I’ll go first, then you, then Ashley.”
    The three of them crept forward. As soon as they reached the point where Jack noticed dim illumination farther ahead, he blew out the sputtering candle, both to save the little bit of it that was left and to keep the men from noticing it. Sam clutched his hand in a painful grip, digging his fingernails into Jack’s palm. When Jack pulled his hand away, Sam clutched the back of Jack’s sweatshirt instead.
    Each step was a conscious decision, a careful lifting of the foot and an even more careful placing of it on the cave floor. Jack knew that Ashley was moving as cautiously as he was. But Sam, clinging to Jack’s belt now, shuffled along behind him, terrified of the dark. Then, one of them—it must have been Sam—kicked a stone.
    â€œWhat the crud was that?” the deep-voiced man demanded.
    â€œSounds like something fell,” Ryan answered.
    â€œNothin’s gonna fall

Similar Books

Grady's Wedding

Patricia McLinn

Trust Me

Brenda Novak

Parallax View

Allan Leverone

Hostage Taker

Stefanie Pintoff