Chapter IV
Andrea was pacing the length of her living room, looking out the window each time she came to it. "I'm worried about those three; it's been an hour. They should be back by now. Sure, Aaron can be elusive but Scott and Kitty should have found him; the town's not that big."
"Do you think we should go looking for them?" Tabby asked. "They might be in trouble."
Tabby and Andrea started out and headed down Main Street in the direction Aaron, Scott, and Kitty went. Every few minutes, one of the girls would ask if someone had see one of their friends. All clues led to an abandon warehouse. The girls found three sets of footprints and a set of paw prints.
"The paw prints and one set of footprints are Kitty's; the other two are Scott and Aaron's." Tabby pointed out. "The problem is that they don't go in or to a side; the only ways to go are up or down, and the only one who can fly is Kitty." Tabby looked around for a moment then pulled Andrea back. She then put a heavy rock where Andrea was standing. The rock soon disappeared into a hole that had appeared in the ground. Tabby quickly shoved a nearby plank into the hole.
"I think that's where they went." Tabby explained. She and Andrea looked into the hole and Tabby asked, "Do you think we should go down? After all, they might need us." Andrea nodded. "You go first; I'll be right behind you."
Andrea closed here eyes and jumped. Tabby quickly looked around and jumped, grabbing the plank on the way. She landed next to Andrea, who had landed by an open door. Tabby noticed two men tied up at the base of the wall. She pointed them out to Andrea and said that Kitty had defiantly been here; she was the best at knot tying in the group.
The two girls walked down the long hallway and around the corner. They heard voices coming from behind the door.
"Write the note to your girlfriend." a man shouted.
The answer was mumbled by two voices but a third was strong. "We won't do it." it stated. "My sister and best friend will find us. I know them; Andrea and Tabby will find us. They won't leave us to die."
"Fine," the man said, "make your friends suffer for your insubordination, boy. When, and if, they do find you they will suffer too."
"Don't hurt them. If you want to hurt someone, hurt me!" the boy ordered. "I won't risk them again. Let them go; I'll stay."
"No, Aaron! You can't do that! I won't lose you." a girl said. Kitty and Aaron were in there, but where was Scott? "I almost lost you once because of your stupidity, I won't do it again. You're not doing this!"
"I have to; this is my mess, so I'm going to fix it. I don't care what happens to me as long as you two are safe."
"How heroic! But that won't save them. Try all you like; they're going to die as well. Then if someone does find you, you'll be dead and I'll be far away from here." the man told them.
Unknown to the man, though, Aaron was calling for Andrea telepathically. Then, knowing she was outside the room, he continued his heroics. "Tabby and Andrea will find us. As a matter of fact, I bet they're on their way right now; we've been gone quite a while."
"So, you'll be dead when they find you." A door on the opposite side of the room opened and slammed.
Before Scott and Kitty had come, a scarce hour before, Aaron had been tortured into telling what he was doing snooping around.
"I wasn't snooping; I was looking for a way out." he had told them many times. The men hurting Aaron didn't believe him they whipped him still more. He was tied up in a corner when Kitty and Scott burst into the room. They, too, were tied up and put in the corner where Aaron sat silent, ignoring his pain. Kitty tried her best to help him, but Aaron shook her off. One man was left in the room because his partners had been tied up by Kitty and Scott and the others had left. When Andrea and Tabby reached the outside door, the man was trying to force Aaron, Scott, and Kitty into writing a note for the two girls. When the man had left, Aaron got in touch with Andrea. He told them that the man was going to kill them and they had better rescue them soon.
The man soon came back and Aaron tried to buy them some time. "You really mean to kill us, but why them? They mean nothing to you; they want nothing of you. I'm the one you want, remember." Aaron was trying to convince the man to release the other two. "They know nothing; I know all." Scott and Kitty tried to contradict Aaron but he went on. "Let them go and kill me. They can't conceive what you might be thinking but I, I can."
"Interesting offer, but I refuse it. You three are too young to understand. You, Aaron, I believe they called you, would have been a great lawyer, but you'll never get that far. I think your girlfriend there should die first." Someone moved around just before a loud BANG! A gun had went off. The two girls rushed in and tackled the shooter before he could shoot again. The gun was knocked from his hand and he was tied up. Kitty, Scott and Aaron were untied, but special care was taken with Aaron.
Aaron had been shot in the arm. His clothes were singed, his arm broken, and he, himself, was withering in pain. He was brave though, for the bullet had been aimed at Kitty and he jumped in the way to save her life, but risk his. They could also see the red welts and tears where he had been whipped.
"Aaron, if you can hear me, thank you so much. The only way I know how to repay you is to save your life." She turned to the others, tears streaming down her face, and said, "Let's get him out of here. We can't let him die here after he risked his life for me. I won't let him die." The group knelt by Aaron and gently lifted him up.
When they started out of the room with their prisoner, Scott stopped them. "Why don't I just teleport us out of here?"
"You little liar! You said you couldn't teleport." Kitty cried.
"I lied; so what. We found Aaron, so let's leave." Before Kitty could reply, Scott teleported.
Light filtered into Aaron's room as the four friends entered. The prisoner had by given to the police, with a brief explanation why, and Aaron was seen by a doctor, though it was late in the night. As they feared, Aaron's arm was broken, but it wasn't as bad as it seemed. It would eventually heal, given time and rest, so Aaron was to move it as little as possible.
"He does have a slight fever, but nothing serious." the doctor had told them. "He will awaken in a few hours and want to move his arm, but don't let him. If he gets any worse call me. Good night."
Andrea, Kitty, nor the others remember a time when they were most worried about Aaron. He was always the brave and sneaky one; he could easily out maneuver the adults, but a gun was too fast for even him. They saw him, in his room, not as the proud young man they all knew, but as a helpless little child, fitful in sleep.
Aaron had a good reason to be fitful, for he was having an evil dream, one that he would not soon forget.
In this dream Aaron was running over a meadow, following the screams of Andrea, Kitty, Tabby, and Scott. He followed them into a forest where the shots are coming from as they died out. He turned and saw his four friends, laying on the forest floor bleeding from shot wounds. He ran to them and pleading they're not dead. Then behind him he heard a sound. He spun around and was hit with something in the shoulder. He was pelted and defenseless.
"Quit shooting me!" he yelled as he gasped for air. "What have.. I done to.. you?" No one answered him. As more things hit him, Aaron fell to his knees then to his side. He thought he was dieing and would never see his friends again. "Leave me alone!" he gasp as he fell into darkness.
Aaron opened his eyes and all was dark. He looked around and saw the others sleeping around him. Kitty was to is left and Andrea was on his right. What happened? The last thing I remember was jumping in front of Kitty, then Andrea and Tabby ran in. Aaron saw his arm and fully remembered what had happened. He remembered that he had jumped in front of Kitty and took the bullet meant for her. Aaron tried to think as he drifted back to sleep.
The sun rose turning the sky pink and golden as it drifted through Aaron's window. It played on Aaron's face and around his room. Andrea, Kitty, Tabby, and Scott were in the main room working, when someone knocked on the door. Kitty opened the door and gasped in surprise.
"Who is it, Kitty?" Andrea asked. When Kitty didn't answer. Andrea turned towards the door. She was surprise to see a blond girl standing in the door. "Randi what--what are you doing here?" Andrea stammered. "I thought you were in Cericina!"
"I was, but I wanted to come back and see you." the girl replied. "You never answered my letters." The girl was about Andrea 's height; she wore a blue shirt and black jeans. "Plus,"she added, "I heard about Aaron on the edge of town. What was he thinking? Jumping in front of the gun like that!"
"Saving my life!" Kitty exclaimed. "If he hadn't jumped in the way, I wouldn't be standing here." Randi whirled around to face the furious girl. "He was brave and I appreciate that. If it was you he would have done the same thing!" Kitty stormed off to Aaron's room.
Randi talked about her travels and life in Cericina, while helping with chores. Kitty walked through, a while later. As she passed the kitchen, Randi said, "Kitty, I didn't mean to sound so sarcastic. You're right, he would have done the same thing for me or anyone else. So please don't be mad at me." Kitty walked out, ignoring Randi.
Kitty strolled down the slowly filling streets. There were shops filled with antiques, camping supplies, food, and much more. Near the center of town there was a grocery store. Here Kitty bought the items on a list that Andrea had given her earlier. When she left, Kitty was instantly distracted by a large crowd. She watched in amazement as a young child did magic tricks. She continued and turned down the street Andrea lived on when she heard something in an alley. She quietly investigated, watching for any signs of movement. As she turned back to leave, Kitty felt a sharp prick in the back of her neck. She heard something as blackness fell around her.
Randi had followed Kitty down the alley. She turned the corner in time to see a man jump over the back wall, with an unconscious Kitty in his arms. Randi looked over the wall, then raced back to the house. Kitty, though still alive, was captured by the enemy, who ever they were.