《The Arizona Kidnapping (A Glendale Brothers Adventure)》 1. A Train Trip David closed his book with a frustrated squint. The sun blasted through the train¡¯s panoramic window and stabbed at his eyes, making it impossible to focus on his new book. After reading the same paragraph for the fourth time, he gave up and took in the view unfurling outside the window. A flat and wide-open landscape, painted in different shades of yellow, moved slowly across the window. In the distance, mountains topped by a spotless sheet of blue sky made everything seem impossibly large. Occasionally there was a cattle ranch or a gas station bordering a lonely road to add interest to the unspooling image. As he leaned back in his seat, his reverie was broken by the sound of shouting in the next car over. ¡°You think I¡¯m stupid? I know when someone¡¯s pranking me.¡± David looked down the aisle and saw a train conductor telling off a sandy-haired boy who seemed at a loss for words. The conductor was berating him loudly and the boy, who couldn¡¯t get a word in, was getting visibly agitated. Robbie was David¡¯s twin brother, and he sometimes struggled to speak when he was nervous or startled. But that didn¡¯t mean he was a pushover. If David didn¡¯t intervene soon, there was a good chance that Robbie might overreact in some way. People were staring and Robbie¡¯s fists hung at his side and were beginning to tighten. Just as David began to slide out of his seat, his father passed him briskly, walking towards the commotion - David abandoned his plan so his father could deal with it. Reaching the man, who by now was waving his finger in Robbie¡¯s face, their father put his hands up and spoke up. ¡°Hold on a minute. That¡¯s my son. What happened?¡± The conductor pushed his glasses onto his nose defiantly and huffed his cheeks with indignation. ¡°Your ¡®son¡¯ opened the door to the bathroom,¡± he said pointing to a sliding door behind him. ¡°While I was in there¡­¡± He looked around the train car, noticing the faces staring back. ¡°¡­ doing my business.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure that was an accident, right Robbie¡±? He put his hands on his son¡¯s shoulder and began rubbing it to comfort him. Robbie¡¯s chest heaved with emotion, but as he looked into his Dad¡¯s eyes, he stopped to take a deep breath before speaking. ¡°I didn¡¯t know someone was in there. I just pulled on the door and it opened. I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± ¡°Oh, well, if you didn¡¯t mean to, why were you laughing?¡± Robbie turned to his father and shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I was nervous, I guess. It was an accident,¡± he protested. Tears were welling up in his eyes. ¡°I believe you Robbie, it¡¯s ok,¡± Dad reassured him. Then he turned to the conductor once again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that happened, but my son wouldn¡¯t do something like that on purpose. Anyway, why didn¡¯t you lock the door? How¡¯s he supposed to know someone¡¯s in there without trying the door first?¡± The conductor huffed and puffed, wanting to be in the right and blame Robbie, but he was running out of excuses. Robbie, still not sure how to defend himself, felt safe knowing that his father knew him well enough to defend him so confidently. The conductor turned to touch the lock on the sliding door and it drooped down as if missing some component. ¡°I guess¡­ I think¡­ the lock is broken.¡± He began to sound less angry as he realized he was in the wrong. He turned back around to face Dad and Robbie. Now embarrassment was settling in. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that until now.¡± He was visibly sheepish now. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, son,¡± he said to Robbie. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to speak to you that way. You just surprised me.¡± ¡°S¡¯ok.¡± Robbie knew he needed to accept the apology graciously, but he was still angry. He just walked back to where he had been sitting and let Dad finish talking to the conductor. ¡°You ok?¡± David asked his brother, as Robbie sat on the seat the opposite side. He didn¡¯t answer, and David knew that he should just give him some time to cool off. Robbie was usually a very gentle boy, but when he got very emotional, he sometimes got overwhelmed and couldn¡¯t think straight. He especially hated being accused of something unfairly. But at least he felt grateful that his father had stood up for him. He took out his pencil and his sketchbook from his backpack and resumed his work, trying to get the correct proportions on the muscly bicep of a superhero he had been drawing since their train had left Flagstaff that morning. Sketching always relaxed him. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. David pointed to the sketch and complimented him. ¡°I like it! Is this a new character you¡¯re working on?¡± Robbie smiled and considered it for a moment, and then he shrugged. He had started the drawing not quite knowing where he was going with it. Dad, in the meantime, had finished speaking with the conductor, shaken his hand, and now passed the boys on his way back to his seat. David followed him with his eyes as he joined their mom and the boys¡¯ grandparents several rows behind them. Robbie paused his sketch and looked out the window for a long moment. ¡°I like the view outside,¡± he said to David, but not really expecting a response back but David nodded in agreement. Robbie had recently started learning from his art teacher about the use of different colors to create the illusion of distance in landscape paintings. Now he was observing in real life how objects at different distances did seem to be colored differently, proving his teacher¡¯s point. Arizona was beautiful in its own way - and a stark contrast with the busy landscape back in Los Angeles. The valleys of Los Angeles were much greener, and filled with buildings and freeways and cars. Arizona felt much bigger and emptier. It reminded him of the cowboy movies he had grown up watching with his dad. That was probably part of why their dad had insisted on this trip to the Grand Canyon. He had kept saying that he had always wanted to see the desert southwest in person. ¡°Hey,¡± David suggested. ¡°You wanna go check out the snack car?¡± David was starting to feel a pang of hunger, and he knew that Robbie was always ready for a snack. His brother readily agreed and put his sketchbook away again. They walked back to where the rest of their family were sitting and let them know where they were going. ¡°It¡¯s only 10:30 in the morning, are you hungry already?¡±, their mother teased them. ¡°We¡¯re growing boys,¡± David teased back. Their grandfather ¨C nicknamed Chief - put down his book on the writings of Epictetus and gave them his blessing, ¡°You know what? Why don¡¯t you guys take a look at the snack situation and then come back and tell us what they have? Maybe there¡¯s a menu you can bring back with you so we can all get something later.¡± The boys turned around with eagerness but, as they did so, their dad halted them. ¡°Hang on guys¡­ I think we¡¯re gonna reach the next stop in a few minutes.¡± He was looking at a map of the train¡¯s route that he had taken out of his jacket pocket. ¡°Desert Station¡­¡±, he said, pointing to his map. ¡°It¡¯s the last stop for a while. After that, it¡¯s about three hours until the next station. Do NOT get off the train, understood?¡± He put on the serious face he always used when he wanted to make sure they were paying attention. David rolled his eyes just a little bit, which was his sign to show his parents that they were being too cautious. ¡°Yeah Dad, we know. Where would we even go?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just making sure we¡¯re all on the same page¡± his dad insisted. ¡°We¡¯re eleven years old. Geez!¡± Dad gave David his warning glance which the boys knew meant ¡®don¡¯t push it¡¯, and David flashed him a cheesy smile and turned around with Robbie in tow. Dad joined back in the conversation with the rest of the family. The boys cantered down the aisle in search of the snack car, happy to stretch their legs and enjoying the rumbling sensation the train made beneath their feet. Most people were either chatting with their friends or reading their devices. After traversing three cars they came to the one they had been looking for: the snack car. Instead of seats, this car had a serving counter, behind which were shelves filled with sandwiches, snacks, candy, and even some magazines. There was a lady in her twenties there who was reading something on her phone but she perked up when they arrived. ¡°Oh, hey guys, what can I get for you?¡± ¡°Mmm¡­¡± David thought for a moment. ¡°I think we need to a few minutes to decide.¡± ¡°Sure. I have cold sodas under the counter too, if you just want a drink.¡± David nodded and he and Robbie surveyed all the options with relish, each pointing out to the other one their preferences. Eventually they settled on a candy bar for David, and a muffin for Robbie, which David paid for with money the boys received from their parents for helping with household chores. As David put away his wallet, Robbie walked to the next car down from the snack car and sat down in an empty seat that had a little table. He began to nibble on his muffin with the delight he was infamous for in his family. David was about to tell him that they should go back to their seats instead, and eat there. But since their parents knew where they were, he dismissed the thought. He sat across from Robbie and began unwrapping his candy bar. But just as he savored his first bite of the chocolate, Robbie tapped his hand. David looked up and Robbie¡¯s brow showed concern as he quickly flicked his head to silently tell David to look behind him. David turned around and saw a man and a young girl who had just entered the car and were now walking towards them. The girl seemed to be about Robbie and David¡¯s age. He looked too old to be her father, and he didn¡¯t bear any resemblance to her. David understood why Robbie had pointed them out to him. Something felt wrong. ? 2025 Gil Pedro Bento. All Rights Reserved. 2. A Secret Message The man held the girl¡¯s hand in a tight grip, while she followed meekly with slow and heavy steps. She seemed to be wearing a backpack. Maybe it was heavy and tough to carry, David reasoned. But he immediately knew that wasn¡¯t it. The girl didn¡¯t want to go with him. He also became aware of the train slowing down and heard a few honks from the conductor¡¯s horn. They must be nearing the station that Dad had mentioned. An explanation began to coalesce in David¡¯s mind: the man and the girl were going to get off at the next station; the man was not this girl¡¯s father; the girl did not want to go with him. His stomach tensed up, which he knew was his body¡¯s way of getting ready to take action. But his head didn¡¯t know what to do. And that¡¯s when the girl lifted her head up and the boys saw a look of terror on her face. She said nothing, but her eyes searched up and down the aisle as she walked, as if wanting someone to intervene. That¡¯s when she locked eyes with David, and then Robbie. Both boys stared unabashedly at her and it seemed as if her tired eyes had found new life suddenly - someone had noticed her, finally. She looked all around her again but all of the passengers seemed to be talking, looking out the window, or reading their devices. No one was paying attention except the two boys. She fingered a crumpled ball of paper inside her pocket with her free hand and made up her mind: it was now or never. As the man and the girl passed near the boys¡¯ seat, she shouted and turned around: ¡°Oh no, I think I forgot something in my seat.¡± The man instinctively turned back and as he did so, she flung something out of her pocket which bounced off the table between the boys and landed on the floor, near Robbie¡¯s seat. The man turned his head back without noticing what she had done and noticed a few people looking at them with curiosity. He got frustrated. ¡°What? Are you sure? No, we have everything. C¡¯mon.¡± He grabbed her arm roughly as if to remind her not to play any tricks. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We need to get off or we¡¯re gonna miss our bus¡±. He smiled a fake smile and shrugged at the passengers who had been watching ¨C as if to say ¡®kids, you know¡­¡¯ - and, since the girl said nothing else, they turned back to their distractions. The man kept walking and led her down through the snack car. On the intercom the conductor announced the impending stop: ¡°Desert Station¡± and the train began slowing to a stop. Robbie and David looked at each other and, as soon as the man was slightly further away, Robbie grabbed the object the girl had thrown. It was a balled-up napkin. When he unfurled it, it had something in roughly-drawn ink letters that Robbie immediately turned to show his brother. David¡¯s heart jumped as he read it: ¡®HELP! PLEASE!¡±. ¡°What¡¯s happening¡± Robbie asked with concern, not quite knowing why his brother should know. David gave him a helpless shrug that screamed, I don¡¯t know, wanting to run out of his seat and say something, but not being totally sure what to do. Was she being kidnapped? He looked several rows behind him to see if any passengers noticed anything. He should say something to them, but what if it was all a joke? He¡¯d feel really stupid if the whole thing was an elaborate prank. And his parents were a few cars away ¨C it would take him a while to get to them. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. He heard the hiss of the train as it came to a full stop and as he looked down the aisle the men and the girl had just left the snack car and were beginning to make their way out of the train and down a step ladder between the cars. He looked at Robbie and his breathing got faster and shallower his head and his heart went to war with each other. His heart said: She¡¯s in danger. What if that was you? Or Robbie? But his head said: This is something for adults, the train¡¯s about to leave, and your parents don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening. Don¡¯t be foolish. Finally, he couldn¡¯t take it any longer. He looked Robbie in the eyes and said ¡°Stay here!¡± With this, he dropped his candy bar down, ran down the aisle through the snack car, yanked his body in a sharp right turn to the door, and flung himself down the step ladder to the platform. The small station¡¯s platform was totally empty and he stopped suddenly, not knowing which way to go. On his left was a ticket booth, but it looked closed. He ran across the platform, in the direction of the town, but as he turned the corner of the station, all he saw were a few parked cars some distance to his left and a woman walking on the other side of the street. His heart beat furiously as he turned to look back at the train, assuming it would start up again anytime. It was still there, unmoving, though he heard the engine running. How much longer did he have? Then he heard the sound of an engine starting and saw a white pickup truck coming out of a side street. He took a few quick steps forward to see better and inside the truck he saw the man from the train. But now there was another man with him, driving the truck. Where was the girl, though? As their vehicle turned onto the main street and away from him, he finally saw her sitting between them ¨C no doubt about it. Suddenly the train¡¯s horn boomed through the air in two quick bursts and David¡¯s heart almost popped out of his chest. It was leaving. Immediately after, there was a ringing sound that he knew meant the doors were going to close. That¡¯s when he saw Robbie jump off the train. When David had left the train, Robbie hadn¡¯t known what to do except to go get his parents, who were several cars down from them. He had started running down the aisle and past the snack car, but in the next car after that, he was stopped in his tracks. An elderly man and his wife were blocking the aisle with their luggage and walking very slowly in his direction. He was stuck. He briefly considered climbing over the seats to go around them but most of the seats were filled with people and he wouldn¡¯t be able to explain to them what was happening. He had turned around and gone back to the door that David had left from and had decided to stand guard at the door. As he had watched David helplessly wander about the station, he also knew the train would be leaving soon and had made up his mind he would not leave David alone. When he had heard the ringing of the train, and one of the train workers had come by to gently remind him to step away from the door, he nodded and backed away from the exit. But as soon as the employee turned around, he jumped down the ladder onto the platform and ran after his brother. David felt a mix of relief and alarm as he saw Robbie running towards him, and the doors of the train closing behind him. Just as Robbie reached him, the train started up and began to leave the station. Robbie collided into him and gave him a big hug - it felt really good to have him there with him. Then they both turned to look at the train as it took their parents away and left them behind. ? 2025 Gil Pedro Bento. All Rights Reserved. 3. The Middle of Nowhere ¡°Ok, don¡¯t panic.¡± David said out loud. Robbie furrowed his brow, not quite understanding. ¡°I¡¯m not panicking,¡± he protested. David couldn¡¯t help but smile at his response. It was true that his brother worried less than him. But on the other hand, Robbie didn¡¯t always think ahead as much as David did, and he assumed that David would know how to get them out of trouble. Robbie had had a lot of challenges as long as David could remember. It had taken him a really long time to learn how to speak - he hadn¡¯t said his first words until he was almost five. And although he could speak now, he still struggled with learning in general. He attended special classes at their school to get extra help with all of his learning difficulties. Learning to talk, read, and think ahead, especially about complicated things, had come much harder to Robbie than to David. So Robbie still relied on David a lot to help him understand the world. What Robbie didn¡¯t realize was that David didn¡¯t always know what to do either ¨C and he had to figure it out as he went. ¡°Good, because there¡¯s no reason to panic,¡± David finally responded with a semi-true sense of confidence. ¡°But Mom and Dad might be freaking out, when they figure out we¡¯re not on the train. Let¡¯s find a place that will let us use their phone - and the bathroom¡±. Robbie joined him as they walked around the station and entered the main street. The smallness of the town became even more evident. Two streets met in a corner at the station and both were empty of almost any people, with several storefronts boarded up. However, one block down, there was a pharmacy. ¡°Let¡¯s go there,¡± said Robbie pointing to it. As they left the station, they noticed a sign at the end of the platform that said ¡®Welcome to Desert Station¡¯ ¨C which David muttered out loud. ¡°Huh?¡± said Robbie. ¡°This town is named Desert Station. I remember the man on the train saying the name too.¡± They walked into the pharmacy and an older man stood at the counter, seeming surprised to see them, but friendly enough. ¡°Well, hey there fellas.¡± He cocked his eye in curiosity. ¡°You new in town?¡± David did his best to explain to the man what had just happened and the man listened attentively, widening his eyes with surprise here and there, as David recounted everything that had happened from seeing the girl to their being stranded. ¡°You kids got cell phones? Or did you leave ¡®em on the train.?¡± David and Robbie looked at each other as if thinking the same thought. ¡°Our parents won¡¯t let us have phones yet ¨C they said we¡¯re too young,¡± Robbie said. ¡°Would have been really nice to have them right now.¡± He said sarcastically. ¡°Well, we need to get your parent on the phone ASAP. Do you know their number?¡± The boys nodded yes and he turned around to get his phone from the back of the store. David wished he had his own phone right then. Some of his friends had cell phones already. But his parents thought the boys were still too young to have their own. They worried about what all the screen time was doing to kids¡¯ attention spans. David felt frustrated by this. But, on the other hand, their parents gave them a lot more freedom than some of their friends¡¯ parents. He and Robbie had been walking to school by themselves since they were eight. Some of their friends still weren¡¯t allowed to walk to school by themselves. Mom and Dad trusted them, though. They had always taught the boys to be street smart, how to ask for help and, of course, they made sure the boys memorized their phone numbers in case of an emergency. Robbie tugged on David¡¯s sleeve to ask him something and whispered: ¡° ¡®Hey a Say¡¯¡­ what¡± ¡°Huh?¡±, David didn¡¯t understand. The man said ¡° ¡®Hey a say¡¯ something¡­¡± David was confused until finally it hit him: ¡°Oh. A¡­S¡­A¡­P.¡± He repeated. ¡°It means, ¡®as, soon, as, possible¡¯.¡± He used the sign language gestures to emphasize each letter to Robbie. Robbie¡¯s family had learned sign language in order to communicate with him before he had learned how to speak. But Robbie and David still occasionally used signs when they didn¡¯t want to be understood by other people. It was like a secret language between the two of them, and they sometimes used it to get out of sticky situations. Stolen novel; please report. The man came back with his phone and unlocked it before handing it to David. David dialed his mom¡¯s phone number nervously, worried about how his parents would react. Did they even know the boys were gone yet? His mother picked up immediately. ¡°Hello? Who¡¯s this?¡± She sounded very alarmed. She must already have noticed they were gone. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s me, David.¡± ¡°Where are you? Are you ok? Where¡¯s Robbie? Is he with you?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m ok. Robbie¡¯s with me. We¡¯re ok. We¡¯re in Desert Station¡±. ¡°What happened? Why did you guys get off the train? We were worried sick!¡± At this point, David stumbled over himself trying to explain everything, and the order in which it happened. But eventually, he was able to get it all out. At the end of the story, he knew what his mom wanted to hear, so he reminded her one more time. ¡°But we¡¯re ok, Mom. Robbie is with me, and we¡¯re ok. We¡¯re calling from a pharmacy near the train station. The man who works here let us use his phone.¡± His mom asked David to put the man on the phone. Turns out his name was Bob Willis and he owned the pharmacy, and his demeanor reassured the boys¡¯ mother. They discussed some details, like his name and number, and the location of his pharmacy, and what the closest highway was. It turned out the town was very isolated and their parents¡¯ best hope for getting back would be taking a return train trip back to Desert Station once they reached the next stop. But their train wouldn¡¯t come back until evening. Bob assured the boys¡¯ parents that he would have the local sheriff pick them up and make sure they could wait somewhere comfortable and safe until they could be reunited. Then he gave the phone back to David. Dad was on the line. ¡°David, Mr. Willis is gonna call the sheriff, and he¡¯ll take you and Robbie somewhere safe to wait for us. It¡¯s gonna be a long day but the sheriff will take care of you, so you just let him know if you¡¯re thirsty or hungry or need anything, ok?¡± ¡°Ok, but what about the girl from the train? I think she¡¯s really in trouble Dad. Who¡¯s gonna help her?¡± ¡°Well, when the sheriff comes to pick you up, you can tell him all about it, and see what he thinks. He¡¯ll know what to do. This is a big person¡¯s job now. You guys did great.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°I really wish you hadn¡¯t left the train like that, but I understand you wanted to help, and that¡¯s an honorable thing. I¡¯m proud of you for doing that. But remember, you¡¯re in charge now, and you have to look out for yourself and your brother first. So don¡¯t get into more trouble, alright?¡±. ¡°Yeah.¡± David felt glad his parents weren¡¯t too upset with him, but he also felt sad thinking about the girl and what might have happened to her. He wasn¡¯t sure if the sheriff would take him seriously. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°OK. Do me a favor. Call us again once you¡¯re with Sheriff Norton so we know you¡¯re still ok. Talk to you soon. Love you kids!¡± And then David heard a chorus of ¡®Love you guys¡¯ from Mom, Gigi, and Chief in the background. David handed the phone back to Mr. Willis, who then used it to call the sheriff and give him the rundown of what had happened. David asked Mr. Willis if he and Robbie could use the bathroom and he pointed them to a room in the back of the pharmacy. When they came back, he was talking with a middle-aged lady who looked at them curiously and said to them that it was nice to see some new faces in town and she heard that they were on an adventure. ¡°Can I buy you boys a soda, or a snack?¡± ¡°Oh, no thank you¡±, David said. ¡°I have my own money.¡± Mr. Willis shut him down. ¡°Your money¡¯s no good here. You¡¯re our guests now. We¡¯re gonna take care of you boys.¡± Then he turned to the lady, who had taken out her purse, and waved her away. ¡°That¡¯s ok Linda. It¡¯s on the house.¡± Then he looked at the boys again. ¡°Anything you want. Soda, candy, chips, sandwiches, it¡¯s on me. It¡¯s my special, ¡®welcome to Desert Station¡¯, 100% off discount, one-time deal¡±, he finished with a smile and a wink. The boys thanked him and looked around the store for a bit while Linda finished up with Mr. Willis. ¡°Well, this thing with the girl is really bothering me Bob.¡± Linda frowned to herself. We get unsavory types around town now and then, and usually Sheriff Morton handles any trouble-makers. But¡­ I don¡¯t like this business with a girl who might be kidnapped. That worries me more. I¡¯m gonna keep an eye out and let everyone know so they can too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea Linda.¡± She left and the boys asked Mr. Willis if they could have a Slurpee each. He walked over to the machine and poured them out. ¡°So I heard your name was David, from talking to your Mom and Dad,¡± he said as he hand each of them the Slurpee. ¡°But what¡¯s your name?¡± Robbie - who had just taken a Slurpee from Mr. Willis¡¯ hand - seemed to freeze in place and his eyes began to close, as if he were about to fall asleep. David had noticed what was happening and immediately ran behind him, catching him just as his body collapsed. ? 2025 Gil Pedro Bento. All Rights Reserved. 4. David Steps Up ¡°Start a timer,¡± David said frantically. He gently lowered Robbie to the ground and kneeled so that Robbie¡¯s head could rest comfortably on his lap. Robbie¡¯s eyes were half-open but he appeared to be unconscious. Next to David, their Slurpees had broken open where they had dropped them and had begun to ooze an eerie red goop on the linoleum floor. ¡°What happened?¡± Mr. Willis aid with alarm. ¡°Did he faint?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a seizure. Start a timer ¨C please,¡± David repeated, more forcefully. ¡°I need to know how long the seizure lasts.¡± Mr. Willis checked his wristwatch. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ uh¡­ ten fifty-three.¡± ¡°Ten fifty-three¡­ Ten fifty-three,¡± David repeated, trying to commit it to memory. Then he thought of something better. ¡°Can you please write that time down Mr. Willis?¡± He looked up as he said it and noticed the man still trying to process what was happening. He wasn¡¯t taking action yet. ¡°My brother has epilepsy. I know what to do. He¡¯ll probably come out of it in five or ten minutes - but if he doesn¡¯t, he might need some rescue medication.¡± Mr. Willis went to his counter and found a notepad and pen to write down the time. ¡°OK, I got it. It was ten fifty-three.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± David said as he gently tapped Robbie¡¯s cheeks so check for any signs of awakening. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t come out of it in ten minutes, we¡¯ll need some rescue medication. Do you have any?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Mr. Willis said confidently. ¡°It¡¯s a staple. Sometimes people get seizures after a head injury, so we always have some in stock. And even if I didn¡¯t, I¡¯m sure Dr. Marcos ¨C our town doctor - would have some. But do you know how much to give him?¡± ¡°No, but I just want to have it ready in case the ambulance doesn¡¯t have any with them. I think they¡¯ll know how much they should give him.¡± ¡°OK, well¡­ let¡¯s call Doctor Marcos first.¡± Mr. Willis ran his hand through his hair as he considered their options. ¡°The ambulance will have to come from Ranch Creek, and that¡¯ll take a long time. Doctor Marcos is close by and he can probably stop whatever he¡¯s doing and get here in a few minutes.¡± David agreed that that was a good plan. Although he was nervous, he took some comfort from knowing that epilepsy ¨C the condition that caused people to have seizures ¨C was not so rare. He figured that, even in a small town, any doctor worth their salt would know how to revive someone having a seizure as long as they had the rescue medication available. After Mr. Willis had called the doctor, who had assured them he could be there in less than ten minutes, Mr. Willis brought a box of the rescue medication from the back of the pharmacy. As it turned out, however, this seizure proved to be short. Around the six-minute mark, Robbie began to come to again. He moved his eyes back and forth, and then he moaned for a minute while wiggling his arms and legs. He tried to sit up and David helped him by pulling on his shoulders. ¡°You ok?¡± David asked with tenderness. Robbie didn¡¯t answer right away ¨C he seemed to be in a daze, as if trying to put together what happened. Mr. Willis, and a customer who had walked in during Robbie¡¯s spell, both smiled with relief. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°What happened?¡± Robbie finally managed to stammer. Just then, a short and plump man in his fifties walked in briskly, carrying a red duffel bag with a large white cross on it. He immediately saw the boys and got down on one knee next to Robbie. He didn¡¯t bother with introductions. ¡°Is this the boy who had the seizure?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± responded David. ¡°He just woke up. It was about six minutes long ¨C right Mr. Wilis?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± confirmed Mr. Willis as he nodded. ¡°Hey buddy,¡± the doctor said gently to Robbie. ¡°Looks like you went to sleep. Can I listen to your heart for a second?¡± Robbie nodded, though he was still in a daze and didn¡¯t try to be friendly. Doctor Marcos removed a stethoscope from his bag and began to check Robbie¡¯s heartbeat and other vital signs for a about a minute. Then he turned to David. ¡°Has this happened before?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± David said with confidence. ¡°He¡¯s had epilepsy since he was one year old. He used to take medication but his doctor said he could stop taking it last year. He hadn¡¯t had any seizures since he was seven. ¡°I see,¡± the doctor observed. ¡°Well, you should definitely take some rescue medication with you, just in case. And you should go see your doctor again, to consider whether your brother might need to go back on his daily medication. A lot of kids grow out of epilepsy. But sometimes there are recurrences. Maybe his brain just wasn¡¯t ready yet.¡± ¡°I have to keep taking medicine again?¡± asked Robbie, in a disappoint tone. ¡°Well,¡± said Dr. Marcos cautiously. ¡°It¡¯s possible. But your doctor would know better, since he knows your history much better. You should check with them once you go back home. I guess you boys are from out of town?¡± Mr. Willis offered Robbie a water bottle and the boy gently rose to his feet and sat on a nearby chair. David and Mr. Willis chatted with Dr. Marcos, telling him about their vacation, the girl on the train, and how they had come to be there. The doctor also vowed to keep an eye out for the girl, or those men who had taken her. In the meantime, he assured the boys that Robbie would be fine along as he followed up with his doctor back in Los Angeles and had some rescue medication on hand ¨C just in case. Mr. Willis said that he wouldn¡¯t give them any rescue medication yet - it could be ruined in the intense Arizona heat. He said that when their parents picked them up - he¡¯d come back and get some from his stock, even if his store was closed already, so they could resume their trip. And - as long as the boys stayed in town for the rest of the day - he¡¯d never be too far away to bring it to them if they should need it in the meantime. Having done all they could, Dr. Marcos left ¨C after profuse rounds of thank-yous from the boys and Mr. Wilis. Then, at Mr. Willis¡¯ suggestion, the boys walked outside to sit on a shaded bench outside the pharmacy and sip on a new round of Slurpees, which he still refused to let them pay for. It was just past eleven in the morning and the infamous Arizona heat was already beginning to bake the town. The icy cold of the Slurpees felt pleasant in contrast with the warm breeze licking at their skin. Robbie was feeling bummed out about his seizure, and wondering whether he¡¯d have to go back on his medication ¨C he didn¡¯t want to go back to worrying about passing out again. He¡¯d had enough of that when he was younger. David was thinking about Robbie¡¯s seizures too, and felt proud of himself for having known what to do. But he also wished his brother didn¡¯t have to deal with it. Now that they were without their parents, he knew it was even more important to watch out for him. Still, knowing that there was nothing else they could do, he tried to push away the anxious thoughts and focus on the adventure they were having. He looked up and down the street and took in the scene with curiosity, reminding himself that they were in a totally different part of the country, and once they left, they wouldn¡¯t get a chance to come back anytime soon. Just as they were finishing their frozen treats, a police Jeep pulled up and a middle-aged police officer wearing a cowboy hat and sunglasses exited the vehicle. He had a sheriff¡¯s star on his chest, just like in a cowboy movie. As he walked up, he took his sunglasses off and stuck them in his shirt pocket. Then he greeted them with a smile and a booming but friendly voice. ¡°So. Are you the visitors from Los Angeles?¡± ? 2025 Gil Pedro Bento. All Rights Reserved. 5. All Good People Are Alike The ride in Sheriff Morton¡¯s jeep wasn¡¯t very long, but the town had turned out to be a little bigger than it had initially seemed. The boys were shy and, after the initial introductions, David hadn¡¯t known what to say. But Sheriff Morton was friendly and good at talking to everyone. Soon he was telling them all kinds of facts about the town. ¡°This must feel like the middle of nowhere to you boys¡±, he said with a chuckle. ¡°Especially coming from LA. This used to be a mining town. Back¡­ maybe¡­ a hundred or years ago or more. Copper ran out some fifty years ago. Turns out there wasn¡¯t as much as they thought. But this little town sprang up around it and a bunch of ranchers moved in in the meantime. So, it kind of went from being a mining town to a ranch town.¡± He glanced at David, who had been listening but said nothing as observed the town go by outside the window. He thought maybe David hadn¡¯t understood. ¡°Ranches are¡­ you know. Like, places where they raise cattle, for beef.¡± David nodded, saying ¡®Oh yeah, I know¡¯, and Sheriff Morton continued. ¡°It¡¯s still not as busy as it was in the days when the mine was open. But, it¡¯s big enough for me.¡± He concluded reflectively. ¡°There¡¯s only two trains a day now, so that¡¯s why you¡¯re stuck here for a little bit today.¡± He chuckled. It suddenly occurred to David that sometimes adults needed assurance that kids were listening. He knew he should say something. ¡°I think it¡¯s nice here. I like the desert, and it¡¯s really different than back home.¡± The sheriff made a slightly surprised face to himself. ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s boring?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. If it¡¯s peaceful enough and you know the people¡­ I think everywhere can be a nice place to live. My dad grew up in a small town, kind of like this. He really likes where he grew up.¡± ¡°Oh, where d¡¯your dad grow up?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Well actually, he¡¯s from Portugal. He came to America when he was ten, and then he grew up in New Jersey after that.¡± David replied. ¡°Oh,¡± Sheriff Morton was surprised again. It was not what he expected to hear. ¡°I got a sister who lives in Nashville¡­ Tennessee. Her church group took a trip to Portugal last year, actually. She said it was really nice¡­ friendly people.¡± ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± David agreed. ¡°I¡¯ve been there a couple of times. But¡­ I think most people, in most places are nice¡­ Once you get to know them.¡± Sheriff Morton glanced at David, continually surprised by his positive attitude. He was starting to take a liking to this plucky young boy from California and his quiet, gentle brother. ¡°Yeah, I guess so David. I think you¡¯re right. Maybe all good people are alike, everywhere¡­¡± He snorted as if clearing something out of his nose, and then his tone became more business-like. ¡°Now tell me about this girl. I¡¯m not convinced that you saw what you think you saw, to be honest. Not that you¡¯re lying, but you could have made a mistake, you know? Tell me all the details, from when you first saw her.¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. It only took two minutes for David to retell the story, which Sheriff Morton listened to without interrupting. ¡°You don¡¯t have the little note that she left you with, do you? The note saying ¡®Help¡¯?¡± David grunted in frustration. ¡°No. I wish I did. I must have dropped it when I ran after her.¡± He turned to his brother, who had been listening a bit, but mostly taking in the view. ¡°Robbie, you don¡¯t still have the paper with the writing, do you?¡± Robbie shook his head no. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ok.¡± David assured him. ¡°Well,¡± Sheriff Morton continued. ¡°It¡¯s definitely fishy, for sure. We¡¯re pulling up to the police station here, and I¡¯ll introduce you boys to our admin, Stevie - she¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re comfortable. I¡¯ll get on my radio and put out an alert to my deputies and to the next town over, Ranch Creek, to keep an eye out for these characters. Even if this whole thing is a misunderstanding, I wanna make sure everything checks out.¡± They parked in front of a small police station and got out. Inside was a small office with an open counter and a woman in her forties, with big curly hair and lots of bracelets on her wrist, stood up from her desk and came to greet them when they came in. ¡°Hey Stevie,¡± the sheriff said as he took off his hat. ¡°Here¡¯s our boys from LA. Take good care of them, alright? I¡¯m gonna get on the horn and put out an alert about these folks with the girl.¡± Stevie was very warm. ¡°Sure thing. I¡¯ve been looking forward to meeting these guys. Wow, did you really come here all the way from Los Angeles? That¡¯s so cool.¡± She was very warm and the boys took a liking to her immediately. David nodded, slightly embarrassed by all the attention. But he also understood that people in small towns are curious about outsiders - it was the same when he visited his dad¡¯s family in Portugal and lots of strangers wanted to meet them. ¡°Yeah, we did. We kind of ended up here by accident,¡± he responded. ¡°I¡¯m David, and this is my brother Robbie.¡± Robbie waved to Stevie shyly. ¡°It¡¯s so nice to meet you guys. I know this is not as exciting as LA, but I think you¡¯ll find we¡¯re very friendly around here. Say, while the Sheriff was picking you guys up, I had an idea. My cousin has a caf¨¦ across the street. I could walk you over there, and introduce you. And you guys could have some lunch. What do you think?¡± The boys agreed but, just then, someone called on the phone and Stevie went behind the counter to pick it up. The boys couldn¡¯t make out exactly what was being said, but Stevie sounded upset. As the call concluded she said ¡°Yes, of course. I¡¯ll have him go right away.¡± She went into a back office where the Sheriff had disappeared to, and after a minute they returned together. Sheriff Morton was in a hurry and already had his hat on again. ¡°Someone fell off his roof and he¡¯s hurt pretty bad. I gotta grab one of my deputies and go pick up this man and take him to the hospital in Ranch Creek, that¡¯s almost an hour away, so I¡¯ll be gone a while.¡± He checked his pockets for his wallet and keys as he spoke. ¡°You guys stay with Stevie and just go along and have some lunch. I¡¯ll be back later this afternoon.¡± He walked out the door and shouted behind him. ¡°You¡¯ll be in good hands!¡± Then he got in his jeep, his tires squealing as he did a quick u-turn, and sped down the road. ? 2025 Gil Pedro Bento. All Rights Reserved. 6. A New Clue ¡°Oh, I hope he¡¯s ok.¡± Stevie fretted. ¡°The man who fell was my friend from high school¡¯s dad. He¡¯s getting a little too old to be up on a roof... Anyway,¡± she turned to the boys. ¡°Let¡¯s get you guys some snacks or something.¡± They crossed the street to a small restaurant with the name ¡®Sally¡¯s¡¯ on the window front, in big gold lettering. When they walked in they were met with the immediate smell of something fried and delicious. David was looking forward to getting something in his belly after all that excitement. Robbie¡¯s energy, meanwhile, also escalated as he took in the smells and realized how hungry the day¡¯s events had made him. In one corner, a mailman, still in uniform, had a sandwich and a coke while reading his phone. Behind the counter was Sally - Stevie¡¯s cousin. She was in her fifties and wore her hair up in a bun. Her hair was a mix of dark and grey, and her cheeks were flushed, probably from the heat coming out of the kitchen. She greeted Stevie and the boys with a big smile. ¡°Who are these handsome young gentlemen?¡±, she said playfully. ¡°Do you have two sons you never told me about?¡± she teased. ¡°It¡¯s a long story actually,¡± Stevie replied. ¡°But, the long and short of it, is that they got off the train going to the South Rim this morning, and their parents¡­ didn¡¯t. Bill picked them up and brought them to the station, but then he had to leave ¡®cause Jenny Martinez¡¯s dad fell off the roof. Bill had to go pick him up to take him to the hospital in Ranch Creek.¡± ¡°Oh no,¡± Sally¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°He can¡¯t be going up on the roof, like he¡¯s not almost seventy. Is he ok?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know how bad it is. But¡­ I have to get back to the radio - there¡¯s no one else at the station right now. But can you feed these boys and I¡¯ll come back later to pick them up and settle the bill?¡± ¡°What bill?¡± she waved her hand and sucked her teeth in a mock dismissive tone. ¡°Get out of here.¡± Then she turned to the boys with a wink. ¡°You know our VIP guests don¡¯t pay. Go on. They¡¯ll be fine with me.¡± Stevie left and Sally told the boys to sit wherever they wanted. They chose a table by the front window, which let them look out at the street, and Sally gave them a rundown of the menu. They both decided to get burger and fries with a coke. After hearing how much Robbie loved to draw, she brought them each a pocket-sized notebook with a short pencil, like the one she had to take customers¡¯ orders. Robbie was happy to get back to his superhero drawings, but David stuck his pencil and notebook in his pocket and was content to watch a muted tv on the wall while they waited for their food. Twenty minutes later Sally came over with their food but then rushed away as it started to get busier - it was now close to noon and the lunch rush at the small caf¨¦ had begun. The boys ate their meals with gusto, allowing the fat and the salt of their fries soothe the nerves from the morning¡¯s events. They had devoured their burgers and were finishing the last of their fries when Sally, sweaty and relieved that lunch-time rush was over, came and sat next to them just as they were returning from the bathroom. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°So, can I ask you guys all about this morning? Sounds like you had an adventure.¡± David told Sally everything from the beginning, all of which she listened to with rapt attention. But as the story went on, her face began to change, and she began to look concerned. She waited for David to finish and then she said: ¡°You said the girl was about ten years old, and had black hair in a pony tail?¡± David nodded and Sally began to chew her fingernails. ¡°I think I saw her,¡± she spat out. She looked as if she were trying to visualize something in her mind and then repeated herself. ¡°Yes, it had to be her.¡± David and Robbie were staring at her impatiently and she explained herself in more detail. ¡°Earlier today a man came in to pick up a takeout order, nothing special, a bunch of sandwiches and drinks. But I¡¯d never seen him before, and I always notice strangers because I know every single person in this town ¨C pretty much.¡± She looked off into the distance as she tried to remember all the details. ¡°So the man who picked up the food didn¡¯t necessarily look like the one you saw, but I saw his pickup truck outside and I noticed there was a girl sitting by herself in the passenger seat, and she looked sad ¨C she was looking down. She had dark hair, and was about ten, like you said. I was busy with another customer but, when I looked back again, the guy who picked up the sandwiches was driving the truck away, and now there was a man on the passenger side, and the girl was between them. The second man could have been the man you saw on the train - I couldn¡¯t really get a good look.¡± She thought about something in her mind for another few seconds before concluding she wasn¡¯t fooling herself. ¡°It had to be them. And.. yeah, it was suspicious.¡± She paused, trying to see if she could remember anything else. ¡°Ok¡­ I remember they made a right on Havermeyer Road, which is that street right there ¨C you can see it from here. That road will take you out of town eventually, but the asphalt ends after a couple of miles and then it¡¯s all dirt, and very bumpy. There¡¯s a much better road out of town that everyone takes. So¡­¡± She thought about it some more. ¡°The only other thing over in that direction, besides cacti and road runners, is the old mine: Red Gully Mine. But that was shut down decades ago ¨C when I was a very young girl. I don¡¯t even remember it ever being open. Why in the world would they be going over there, much less bring a little girl? There¡¯s nothing over there except a bunch of abandoned and rusty equipment. In fact, there¡¯s signs over there telling people not to trespass and the entrance to the mine was boarded up a long time ago.¡± She paused again, thinking about the whole thing. ¡°We have to do something,¡± she declared as she put her hands on the boys¡¯ arms. She ran to the kitchen and told one of her cooks to mind the front. Then she grabbed her purse from behind the counter and motioned to the boys to get up. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go.¡± ? 2025 Gil Pedro Bento. All Rights Reserved. 7. A Rash Decision Where are we going? Robbie¡¯s expression seemed to say as he looked at David. David shrugged and repeated the question to Sally as they went. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°I have a friend down the street: Carlos. He¡¯s a mechanic.¡± David frowned, not understanding. Sally looked at him, still walking, and explained. ¡°There¡¯s no one at the police station except Stevie right now. The sheriff has to take that man to the hospital, and he¡¯s taking a deputy with him. I happen to know the other deputy, Joshua, is home sick with a really bad flu.¡± She stopped as they came up to an auto shop with the name ¡®Ramos Auto Service¡¯ on the front. She turned to the boys again. ¡°I have a bad feeling about that girl, something¡¯s not right. And there¡¯s nobody around to do anything. Carlos might be able to help.¡± She proceeded to walk into the auto shop¡¯s garage, right past a sign that said ¡®no customers beyond this point¡¯, and shouted for Carlos several times. After a long wait, a side door opened and a slightly pudgy man in his thirties stepped out- he was wearing dirty overalls. ¡°Sally, you scared the¡­¡± He stopped himself as he saw the boys. ¡°¡­pants out of me.¡± I was just using the bathroom.¡± He began to chuckle in embarrassment. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I gotta tell you something really important.¡± Then she continued with a very quick version of that morning¡¯s events. It turned out that her description of the man who picked up the sandwiches from her caf¨¦ rang a bell to Carlos. ¡°I know who you¡¯re talking about ¨C well, one of the men anyway,¡± he said excitedly. ¡°I sold him that white pick-up truck last month. He came by and told me he heard I had that truck for sale. I told him yeah - it was an old thing, I bought it at an auction and fixed it up. I told him it was running great and he paid me three thousand dollars in cash, right on the spot. I definitely didn¡¯t like the look of him but, I was trying to make my money back on the truck. Anyway, it¡¯s none of my business, I figured.¡± He looked at Sally with concern on his face. ¡°None of this adds up. Why would someone from out of town come all the way out here to buy a car? What¡¯s he gonna do with it? And what¡¯s that girl got to do with it?¡± Sally nodded in agreement. Then she paused for a second, as if not sure if she should say what she was about to say. Carlos could read her mind, though. ¡°Well, Sally, of course I wanna help. I¡¯m already involved.¡± He looked down at the ground with a worried look, as if he were playing the events over in his mind again. ¡°I gave them that truck. If those men are involved in some messed-up business, and there¡¯s a child in danger¡­ Dang, I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with myself. Anyway, you said it yourself; with the sheriff gone, there¡¯s no else right now. At the very least I should drive to the mine and see if anyone¡¯s over there. Most likely this is a dead-end, but it¡¯s worth trying.¡± He pursed his lips and looked down, as if thinking about it some more. Then he looked up and clapped his hands as if he¡¯d made up his mind. ¡°Alright, let me grab my keys and some water and I¡¯ll head over there.¡± ¡°We should go with him,¡± said David, looking at Sally. ¡°We might be able to recognize the girl better than him. ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Sally responded so fiercely that David was a little taken aback. Sally realized she had spoken too harshly and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry boys, but we don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, and you guys have gotten yourselves into enough trouble for one day. Let Carlos handle it, ok? We¡¯ll go down to the police station and let Stevie know what¡¯s going on so she can alert Sheriff Morton so he can get in touch with Carlos if he hasn¡¯t come back yet.¡± Robbie was about to protest but David stopped him. ¡°Forget it,¡± David whispered to his brother. Robbie scrunched his brow into a frown but David ignored him. Carlos came out of his shop with an empty gallon-sized plastic bottle which he held up to show them. ¡°Hey Sally, I¡¯m all out of water. Do you have any jugs at your place? This heat¡¯s brutal and I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ll be out.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll go over there now. Just meet us there and I¡¯ll have some ready for you.¡± ¡°Thanks. I gotta grab a couple of things from inside to throw in my truck. I¡¯ll meet you in a couple of minutes.¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°C¡¯mon Robbie,¡± David shouted at his brother, noticing he had lingered behind when he and Sally walked away. ¡°I¡¯m coming,¡± Robbie answered, but without moving. He was looking at Carlos as he had begun to load some equipment ¨C flashlights and rope ¨C onto his truck. After David called to him again, with a growing annoyance in his voice, Robbie finally turned around and followed him back. Sally asked the boys where they wanted to wait for their parents as they reached her caf¨¦ again. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to hang out with me, but if you get bored, you can always just cross the street and go say hi to Stevie. She probably wouldn¡¯t mind showing you around the station. And you can always come back to my place if you get bored again.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. Can we go now?¡± ¡°Sure, but you¡¯re just going across the street, ok? Only to see Stevie and then back. I¡¯m responsible for you two now, so don¡¯t go wandering off.¡± David nodded and Sally went inside ¨C then he noticed a look on Robbie¡¯s face which made him uncomfortable. The look told him that Robbie was mulling something over in his mind ¨C and it made David nervous. His brother was a bit impulsive sometimes, and found it hard to shed an idea once he¡¯d glommed on to it. Robbie noticed David looking at him and looked away before his brother had the chance to probe any further. David had the uncanny ability to guess what he was thinking more often than Robbie wanted to admit. And sometimes he wanted to keep his thoughts to himself. This time, however, David decided to ignore him, and whatever he might be thinking about. ¡°Well, should we go across the street and say hi to Stevie?¡± David ventured to Robbie, pointing the way with a nudge of his head. Robbie paused for a moment before responding ¨C he was looking straight ahead as if still distracted by some thought. ¡°Hmm¡­,¡± he said. ¡°You wanna wait for Carlos to come by first?¡± He suggested. ¡°I wanna see him leave.¡± ¡°Ok¡± David responded, still not shaking the feeling that Robbie was up to something. ¡°I guess so,¡± he concluded cautiously. The boys moved over to lean against a nearby wall and stuck their hands in their pockets as they surveyed the street, trying to spot Carlos¡¯ truck coming up the road. Inside the caf¨¦, Sally grabbed two gallon-sized water bottles from her inventory and asked her cook to make a quick sandwich for Carlos ¨C in case he got hungry. She couldn¡¯t help it - feeding people was her business. The boys had begun to wonder why it was taking so long for Carlos to show up when Robbie pointed out a dark pickup truck that was pulling up to the caf¨¦ - it was Carlos. He jumped out of the truck, waved a quick hello to them, and went inside to get his water. Robbie made a frowning face at David again, but David didn¡¯t blame him ¨C he felt the same way. They were both frustrated at being told to stay put. It didn¡¯t feel fair to be excluded from helping the girl ¨C especially when they had been the ones to first notice her. And, Robbie thought to himself - Maybe the whole thing was a mistake - a misunderstanding, like Sheriff Morton had supposed. Maybe the girl was fine and they were all worried for nothing. It couldn¡¯t possibly be that dangerous - could it - to go with Carlos? Inside, Sally told Carlos to wait just a minute as her cook Richie was about to finish a sandwich for him to take. In the meantime, a customer who knew Carlos started asking him about some car issue he was having. Carlos was anxious to get going, but since he had to wait for his sandwich, he figured he would chat for a quick minute. Outside, the boys were still feeling frustrated when Robbie pointed out something very interesting on Carlos¡¯ truck. The truck didn¡¯t have an open back, like most pickup trucks. It had a camper shell, which was a special roof on top of the truck¡¯s back, so you could carry equipment in the truck¡¯s bed without it getting wet. One of their friends back home went camping a lot and his dad¡¯s truck had one too. The shell had a movable window on the backside, so you could load gear onto the truck without opening up the tailgate on the bottom of the truck¡¯s bed. On impulse, Robbie hopped up on the truck¡¯s bumper and tried the handle on the shell¡¯s window. It wasn¡¯t locked and he turned it, with the result that the entire window opened. Then, without waiting to check with David, Robbie went inside and beckoned David to join him. David whispered fiercely ¡°Robbie, what are you doing?¡±. He looked inside the store, certain that Carlos would come out and yell at them any minute, but he was busy chatting with someone. Then, before his thoughts had time to catch up with his instincts, he quickly climbed inside the truck and closed the window they had come through. He felt certain that at any point Carlos or Sally would have seen them and would yank them out. They waited nervously, lying flat on the truck¡¯s bed, next to equipment that had been tied to the side of the truck bed. They looked at each other as they lay there quietly and eventually Robbie giggled nervously. David couldn¡¯t help giggling quietly too. He knew they shouldn¡¯t be doing this, but at the same time, he felt justified in his desire to help. After a minute or so, they heard Carlos open the door to the cabin ¨C the front of the truck get in, and turn the ignition to start the engine. The boys raised their eyebrows at each other as the truck pulled away. They couldn¡¯t believe no one had seen them. In the back of their minds, they felt bad about disobeying Sally¡¯s instructions. But, thinking about the girl, they still felt justified in making themselves part of the rescue effort. This was bigger than all of them, and helping someone in need was bigger than the possibility of getting in trouble for disobeying an adult. Plus, this was the first real adventure they had ever had ¨C and the thrill of it made them feel alive. ? 2025 Gil Pedro Bento. All Rights Reserved. 8. No Turning Back Carlos peeled out quickly, turning immediately around the corner and up the road that led to the mine. Robbie and David were caught off guard and their bodies slid down the truck bed and hit the tailgate as Carlos pulled away. They instinctively looked around them for a place to hang on to. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t a handhold anywhere. Carlos was speeding toward the mine and the boys¡¯ prone bodies slid across the truck¡¯s bed as Carlos accelerated through each turn in the road. After a few minutes, the road changed as Carlos reached the end of the asphalt and the road became dirt. The vibrations below them were even more intense and they could now feel every bump of the road as the truck¡¯s wheels passed over what seemed like thousands of little potholes. Outside of the camper shell, a thick dust cloud had begun to emanate from behind the vehicle. After banging their heads a bunch of times, the boys instinctively placed their hands underneath their skulls to prevent hitting their heads too hard on the truck bed. Suddenly there was a hard dip beneath them and their bodies were immediately hurled against the ceiling of the camper shell, smashing their heads with a double thud before crashing back down on the truck bed. They screamed involuntarily with fear and immediately felt the truck came to a sliding stop in the dirt. They heard the cabin door open and knew they¡¯d been discovered. Opening their eyes again ¨C they hadn¡¯t realized they had shut them - they found Carlos looking at them through the camper shell glass, looking dumbfounded. Then he went around the back of the truck and opened the window, still not quite believing his eyes. ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± David and Robbie looked at each other frantically. Luke tried to stammer out a few excuses but Carlos interrupted him: ¡°You could have been really hurt. Do you know how fast I was going? I didn¡¯t know you were back here. Are you guys crazy?¡± Finally, David simply said: ¡°Robbie came inside and I tried to get him back, but it was too late.¡± It wasn¡¯t totally true and, from the corner of his eye, David could tell Robbie was giving him a dirty look. It wasn¡¯t unusual for David to sometimes excuse his actions by saying Robbie got him into it. In fairness, it was true often enough, and Robbie usually didn¡¯t mind, unless he got in trouble too. But he was often given the benefit of the doubt by his parents. They knew he didn¡¯t always understand every situation he got himself into. But they also knew he sometimes liked to pretend he didn¡¯t understand certain things, which his parents knew. He had learned to be judicious in how often he employed that tactic. As it turned out, Carlos didn¡¯t have much time for their excuses. He rubbed his face up and down with his hands a few times and shook his head. ¡°Alright, hop out now, quickly. Let¡¯s put you in the front, and I want your seatbelts on. Otherwise, we¡¯re not going anywhere.¡± The boys briskly hurried inside the truck¡¯s cabin while Carlos did a tour of the truck¡¯s outside to make sure he had not gotten any flat tires from the large pothole that had caused his truck to go airborne. Then he joined the boys inside the cabin and pointed out the seatbelts to them. He turned on the ignition and then turned to them. ¡°Listen very carefully. I don¡¯t have time to go back, and¡­¡± He spat out some air from his lips in frustration. ¡°Who knows? Maybe this trip is a waste of time anyway. But I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m driving into. So, when we get there, you¡¯re gonna stay right here in the car, and you¡¯re not gonna go anywhere without my permission, understood?¡± The boys nodded and Carlos drove off again, but a little slower this time. He felt the weight of the responsibility of having these two young boys with him. At some point during the drive, he formally introduced himself and asked the boys for their names again. As they exchanged words, Carlos found himself impressed with their resourcefulness - even if he was still upset with them for having stowed aboard his truck. He decided it would probably be safe enough for them to stay in the vehicle while he scoped out the situation. He had no choice if he wanted to make haste. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. After the initial excitement, everyone got quiet and Carlos focused on the road. The landscape had slowly begun to become hillier again and they seemed to be headed towards a couple of smaller mountains. After some ten minutes, the truck began to slow down and rolled to a stop on the side of the road near a gravel driveway that sloped down into a gully and around a bend somewhere farther down. A rusted signpost on one side of the driveway displayed a faded metal sign that read Red Gully Mining Co. and, below that, NO TRESPASSING in big red letters. Carlos exited the vehicle and squinted his eyes to look down the driveway, but the bend in the driveway prevented him from seeing anything beyond a couple of hundred yards. He came back to the truck and grabbed a headlamp that was attached to an elastic band. He draped the headlamp around his neck. Then he grabbed a pocket knife that he tucked into one of his boots. He pointed to a bag that Sally had given him. ¡°Hand me that please,¡± he said to Robbie, who obliged him. Carlos took a water bottle out of the bag and took a few deep swigs. Then he put the cap back on and put it back in the bag. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna take this with me. It¡¯ll slow me down.¡± He looked down for a moment, as if collecting his thoughts. Then he continued with instructions for the boys. ¡°Ok, listen up. I¡¯m gonna take a walk down the driveway and see if I see anyone ¨C I don¡¯t wanna take the truck down, just in case there¡¯s trouble. I don¡¯t think I will, ¡®cause this mine¡¯s been shut down for decades. The mine itself was boarded up a long time ago - I guess sometimes teenagers come out here and throw rocks at the old equipment or something, but that¡¯s about it. Nevertheless,¡± he continued with a growing seriousness in his voice. ¡°It¡¯s too hot out here, and there¡¯s too much I don¡¯t know about this situation, to leave you guys here by yourselves for too long.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave the keys in the truck. Keep it running to keep the AC on.¡± Then he pointed to his wristwatch. ¡°Do you guys have watches?¡± Both boys lifted their hands to show him their wrist watches. ¡°Good,¡± he said. He took his cell phone out of his pocket and laid it on the seat. ¡°If I¡¯m not back in exactly twenty minutes. I want you¡­¡± he eyed them both in turn. ¡°¡­to use my phone and call for help. You know how to go to the contact list, and dial the number, I assume?¡± David was almost offended. ¡°Of course¡±, he said defensively. Carlos nodded. ¡°Alright, so Sally¡¯s number is in there. Sheriff Morton is in there ¨C probably half the town is in there. So, if one person doesn¡¯t answer, call the next person. It doesn¡¯t matter who you get, the point is to get someone to let them know what happened and where you are.¡± The boys nodded in agreement and Carlos continued. ¡°The code to get into the phone is 1,3,9,7.¡± He picked up the phone and showed them the keypad. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to write with right now, but if you look at the keypad, it¡¯s like you¡¯re marking the four corners of a square, starting with 1, then right to 3, then down to 9, then left to 7 ¨C like a clock. That¡¯s how you remember it, ok?¡± ¡°Got it. Yeah, we¡¯ll definitely remember that - right Robbie?¡± He turned to his brother who nodded. Robbie took pride in his ability to memorize numbers too. Carlos exited the truck again and gave them a final goodbye through the open window. ¡°Alright boys. Here I go.¡± He pointed to the bag from Sally again. ¡°Drink the water, it¡¯s probably close to one-hundred degrees already. You should drink before you¡¯re thirsty, to keep from getting dehydrated. You can eat the sandwich too, if you want.¡± ¡°Thanks! Good luck,¡± David said. Carlos winked at him and smiled for the first time since they¡¯d met. Then he turned around and began his descent down into the gully. ? 2025 Gil Pedro Bento. All Rights Reserved