hiding the night before. I hurried toward it.
“Steffi!”
14
Secrets Revealed
A petite figure squirmed on the ground, her
hands tied behind her back and her feet bound. Even with the burlap bag over her head, I
recognized Steffi.
Kyle pushed past me and tugged the bag off. He gathered Steffi into his
arms. “Are you all right?” he demanded.
Steffi just gasped and squirmed. I knelt behind her and examined her
wrists. Rough twine went around and around them until the ends joined in a complicated
knot. “Hold still,” I said. “I’ll get this off.”
Steffi stopped squirming but she was still trembling. The knots were
unbelievably tight, probably because Steffi had struggled against them so much. My
fingers stung with splinters from the coarse twine.
Steffi twisted her head around. “Get these
things off of me!” she croaked.
“I’m working on it.” I glanced at Kyle. “Give her
some water.”
Someone handed him a water bottle and he held it for Steffi. She took a
few swallows and started coughing. I wasn’t having any luck with the knots, but I
remembered my pocketknife. I slipped off my backpack, found the knife, and started
sawing through the twine. Finally it came apart. Steffi’s wrists were rubbed raw
underneath.
Steffi brought her hands in front of her and started shaking them out as
Tom freed her ankles. She hopped to her feet and paced. Everyone was asking questions,
but she didn’t answer. She grabbed the water bottle from Kyle and took a long
drink. Finally she took a deep breath and snapped, “All right, all right!
I’m fine. Just really, really mad.”
“What happened?” Kyle asked.
“I heard a strange noise. A kind of tapping. I waited a minute, but
no one came into view. Finally I stuck my head around the corner. Before I could see
anything, that bag came down. I got in a few good kicks, but they grabbed me and tied me
up.”
“They?” I asked. “More than one person?”
She nodded. “Two men, I think. I didn’t get a look at either
of them, and they didn’t speak. But one personpinned my arms
while the other tied my feet. I’m pretty sure I kicked that one in the face. He
grunted, or at least I think it was a man. The one holding me definitely was.”
“Can you remember anything else about them?” I asked.
“The one holding you, was he tall? Did he have any particular smell?”
She paused in thought. “The only thing I could smell was that nasty
burlap bag. But the one holding me was definitely tall. At least as tall as Kyle, but
skinnier.”
Two men, one at least six feet tall and thin. “It sounds like those
two guys who showed up yesterday,” I said.
Kyle muttered something and turned away. “The jacket! They got our
fossil.”
“Of course,” Steffi said. “You didn’t think they
went to all this trouble just for me?”
Kyle smiled crookedly and took her hand. “I must admit, I actually
forgot about the fossil for a minute.”
She grinned up at him. “I’m okay.”
Tom picked the walkie-talkie up off the ground. “So now what? What
do we do?”
I looked around at the others. Everyone stared at Steffi and Kyle, looking
shocked and confused.
“How long ago did this happen?” Kyle asked.
“Maybe ten minutes after you left,” Steffi said.
Kyle scowled. “They must have been watching,
and they waited for me to leave. We thought we were safe, once the sun came up. I
can’t believe it.”
“They had to have had a vehicle,” I said.
Steffi nodded. “I think one of them stayed here while the other went
to get it. A few minutes after they tied me up, I heard the engine. Then some grunting
and thumps. Then they drove off.”
Bess climbed the path up the bluff, to where the off-road vehicle had
parked the day before. She studied the ground and called down, “I’m sure
there are new tracks here, from the same tires.”
Kyle groaned. “There’s no point in trying
“Steffi!”
14
Secrets Revealed
A petite figure squirmed on the ground, her
hands tied behind her back and her feet bound. Even with the burlap bag over her head, I
recognized Steffi.
Kyle pushed past me and tugged the bag off. He gathered Steffi into his
arms. “Are you all right?” he demanded.
Steffi just gasped and squirmed. I knelt behind her and examined her
wrists. Rough twine went around and around them until the ends joined in a complicated
knot. “Hold still,” I said. “I’ll get this off.”
Steffi stopped squirming but she was still trembling. The knots were
unbelievably tight, probably because Steffi had struggled against them so much. My
fingers stung with splinters from the coarse twine.
Steffi twisted her head around. “Get these
things off of me!” she croaked.
“I’m working on it.” I glanced at Kyle. “Give her
some water.”
Someone handed him a water bottle and he held it for Steffi. She took a
few swallows and started coughing. I wasn’t having any luck with the knots, but I
remembered my pocketknife. I slipped off my backpack, found the knife, and started
sawing through the twine. Finally it came apart. Steffi’s wrists were rubbed raw
underneath.
Steffi brought her hands in front of her and started shaking them out as
Tom freed her ankles. She hopped to her feet and paced. Everyone was asking questions,
but she didn’t answer. She grabbed the water bottle from Kyle and took a long
drink. Finally she took a deep breath and snapped, “All right, all right!
I’m fine. Just really, really mad.”
“What happened?” Kyle asked.
“I heard a strange noise. A kind of tapping. I waited a minute, but
no one came into view. Finally I stuck my head around the corner. Before I could see
anything, that bag came down. I got in a few good kicks, but they grabbed me and tied me
up.”
“They?” I asked. “More than one person?”
She nodded. “Two men, I think. I didn’t get a look at either
of them, and they didn’t speak. But one personpinned my arms
while the other tied my feet. I’m pretty sure I kicked that one in the face. He
grunted, or at least I think it was a man. The one holding me definitely was.”
“Can you remember anything else about them?” I asked.
“The one holding you, was he tall? Did he have any particular smell?”
She paused in thought. “The only thing I could smell was that nasty
burlap bag. But the one holding me was definitely tall. At least as tall as Kyle, but
skinnier.”
Two men, one at least six feet tall and thin. “It sounds like those
two guys who showed up yesterday,” I said.
Kyle muttered something and turned away. “The jacket! They got our
fossil.”
“Of course,” Steffi said. “You didn’t think they
went to all this trouble just for me?”
Kyle smiled crookedly and took her hand. “I must admit, I actually
forgot about the fossil for a minute.”
She grinned up at him. “I’m okay.”
Tom picked the walkie-talkie up off the ground. “So now what? What
do we do?”
I looked around at the others. Everyone stared at Steffi and Kyle, looking
shocked and confused.
“How long ago did this happen?” Kyle asked.
“Maybe ten minutes after you left,” Steffi said.
Kyle scowled. “They must have been watching,
and they waited for me to leave. We thought we were safe, once the sun came up. I
can’t believe it.”
“They had to have had a vehicle,” I said.
Steffi nodded. “I think one of them stayed here while the other went
to get it. A few minutes after they tied me up, I heard the engine. Then some grunting
and thumps. Then they drove off.”
Bess climbed the path up the bluff, to where the off-road vehicle had
parked the day before. She studied the ground and called down, “I’m sure
there are new tracks here, from the same tires.”
Kyle groaned. “There’s no point in trying
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