seconds to adjust to the flood of light in the room. He squinted as he scanned the room for any sign of where he was.
A storage closet, likely in the hangar, but who knows how long ago that was.
Cleaning supplies lined the shelves and a pile of old vacuum cleaners filled one corner. He looked for something, anything to write a clue with. After about a minute, he located a red marker and decided to tear off part of a box of trash bags so he could pass along his message. He wrote the word “ Colorado ” on it and slid it underneath the bottom shelf so it stuck out just enough so that it ’ d only be found by someone who was looking for it.
Several minutes went by and Luke did nothing but stare at the cans of Ajax and bottles of Clorox. Nothing exciting — until he spotted a half-deflated volleyball on the top shelf. He leaped up and batted it down. Moments later, he decorated it just like Wilson from Castaway.
Satisfied with his creation, he lifted up Wilson and stared at it in the face. “Hey, you wanna hear something funny? My dentist ’ s name is James Spalding, ” he quipped, mimicking his uncle ’ s favorite line from the movie.
The smile on Luke ’ s face disappeared as the door swung open.
“Who are you talking to in here?” asked Dave, Luke ’ s second least-favorite gang member.
Luke slid Wilson behind his back. “No one.”
“ Get up, ” Dave said. He didn ’ t wait for Luke to comply, grabbing him by his collar and yanking him to his feet.
The volleyball dropped behind Luke and bounced once on the floor before settling and rolling toward a corner.
Dave laughed. “Who do you think you are? Tom Hanks?” He snickered again. “Get outta here. Let ’ s move.”
Luke complied and headed toward the door with Dave behind him, pushing on his back with the tip of his handgun. Then Dave released him. Luke turned to see Dave closing the door before he froze.
“What ’ s this?” Dave bellowed as he re-entered the room. “Leaving notes are we?”
Luke grimaced as Dave knelt down and fished his note out from underneath the bottom shelf. He held it up and read it. “So you think someone is coming for you, eh? And you ’ re going to let them know where we ’ re going?” Dave chuckled. “Stay right here, kid.” He locked the door and walked outside.
Luke pressed his ear against the door to see what he could ear. Nothing discernible. But Luke deduced he was talking to someone on the phone based on the long pauses in the audible voices. Then footfalls increased in volume just outside. He backed away and slumped to the floor against one of the shelves.
Dave entered the room and glanced around. He grabbed the torn box and ripped off another piece. He motioned for Luke to pick up the red marker on the floor.
“Write ‘Idaho ’ on here, ” Dave ordered as he shoved the cardboard piece into Luke ’ s hand.
Luke shook his head. “ I won ’ t do it. ”
“I think you will,” Dave said before grabbing Luke ’ s left hand and bending several of his fingers almost to the point of breaking.
“Okay, okay. I ’ ll do it, ” Luke conceded.
Dave released his hand and hovered over Luke to make sure he wasn ’ t doing anything sneaky. “Don ’ t play around with me, kid. I ’ m smarter than you think.”
When Luke finished, Dave slid the piece of cardboard into the exact spot he ’ d found the first one.
He stood up and laughed at Luke, who stared at him, mouth agape.
Dave laughed again. “No one is going to find you now.”
CHAPTER 21
AS THE WHITE KNIGHTS ’ PLANE made its final approach into the Mansfield airport, Seth Matthews stared at his team. Everyone except for Shepherd had chosen to grab a short nap. Matthews wanted to do the same, but he couldn ’ t stop thinking about Luke and how terrified he might be at the moment. He was smart enough to know that once these men got what they wanted, what happened to him was a crapshoot.
Despite Matthews ’ display of bravado and
A storage closet, likely in the hangar, but who knows how long ago that was.
Cleaning supplies lined the shelves and a pile of old vacuum cleaners filled one corner. He looked for something, anything to write a clue with. After about a minute, he located a red marker and decided to tear off part of a box of trash bags so he could pass along his message. He wrote the word “ Colorado ” on it and slid it underneath the bottom shelf so it stuck out just enough so that it ’ d only be found by someone who was looking for it.
Several minutes went by and Luke did nothing but stare at the cans of Ajax and bottles of Clorox. Nothing exciting — until he spotted a half-deflated volleyball on the top shelf. He leaped up and batted it down. Moments later, he decorated it just like Wilson from Castaway.
Satisfied with his creation, he lifted up Wilson and stared at it in the face. “Hey, you wanna hear something funny? My dentist ’ s name is James Spalding, ” he quipped, mimicking his uncle ’ s favorite line from the movie.
The smile on Luke ’ s face disappeared as the door swung open.
“Who are you talking to in here?” asked Dave, Luke ’ s second least-favorite gang member.
Luke slid Wilson behind his back. “No one.”
“ Get up, ” Dave said. He didn ’ t wait for Luke to comply, grabbing him by his collar and yanking him to his feet.
The volleyball dropped behind Luke and bounced once on the floor before settling and rolling toward a corner.
Dave laughed. “Who do you think you are? Tom Hanks?” He snickered again. “Get outta here. Let ’ s move.”
Luke complied and headed toward the door with Dave behind him, pushing on his back with the tip of his handgun. Then Dave released him. Luke turned to see Dave closing the door before he froze.
“What ’ s this?” Dave bellowed as he re-entered the room. “Leaving notes are we?”
Luke grimaced as Dave knelt down and fished his note out from underneath the bottom shelf. He held it up and read it. “So you think someone is coming for you, eh? And you ’ re going to let them know where we ’ re going?” Dave chuckled. “Stay right here, kid.” He locked the door and walked outside.
Luke pressed his ear against the door to see what he could ear. Nothing discernible. But Luke deduced he was talking to someone on the phone based on the long pauses in the audible voices. Then footfalls increased in volume just outside. He backed away and slumped to the floor against one of the shelves.
Dave entered the room and glanced around. He grabbed the torn box and ripped off another piece. He motioned for Luke to pick up the red marker on the floor.
“Write ‘Idaho ’ on here, ” Dave ordered as he shoved the cardboard piece into Luke ’ s hand.
Luke shook his head. “ I won ’ t do it. ”
“I think you will,” Dave said before grabbing Luke ’ s left hand and bending several of his fingers almost to the point of breaking.
“Okay, okay. I ’ ll do it, ” Luke conceded.
Dave released his hand and hovered over Luke to make sure he wasn ’ t doing anything sneaky. “Don ’ t play around with me, kid. I ’ m smarter than you think.”
When Luke finished, Dave slid the piece of cardboard into the exact spot he ’ d found the first one.
He stood up and laughed at Luke, who stared at him, mouth agape.
Dave laughed again. “No one is going to find you now.”
CHAPTER 21
AS THE WHITE KNIGHTS ’ PLANE made its final approach into the Mansfield airport, Seth Matthews stared at his team. Everyone except for Shepherd had chosen to grab a short nap. Matthews wanted to do the same, but he couldn ’ t stop thinking about Luke and how terrified he might be at the moment. He was smart enough to know that once these men got what they wanted, what happened to him was a crapshoot.
Despite Matthews ’ display of bravado and
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