The Super Spies and the Pied Piper (6 page)

“Hmmm…” Sarah looked at the rest of the Super Spies. She wasn't sure what else to ask and it didn't look like her companions did either. “Thanks for all your help.”

“You're welcome. You kids have a good day.”

“We will,” Sarah said before she made her way out the door.

Once out on the street, Sarah glanced around and then motioned for the rest of the Super Spies to huddle around. “Did you hear Hank? He says he thinks he's seen Dad around town.”

“How can that be?” Lacey asked with wide, frightened eyes.

“I don't know.” Sarah bit her lip and shook her head.

“Why haven't they called us?” Lacey's eyes filled with tears as she fidgeted with the hem of her T-shirt.

“I don't know.” Sarah chewed her thumbnail, eyes locked with her sister.

Lacey's eyes filled with questions and Sarah averted her gaze, unable to answer them. The Super Spies stood in an uncomfortable silence as the Cole girls reined in their swirling emotions. Sarah reached out and hugged her sister. “We'll get it all figured out. You'll see.”

Lacey sniffled and dried her eyes.

Alex glanced at his watch and cleared his throat. “I hate to spoil everyone's fun but I've got to get back home in time for dinner.”

“Yeah, we should get out of here before that guy comes back,” Scott said as he cast an uneasy glance down the street.

Sarah released her sister and glanced around. “Okay. I guess we should head back. Do you think we could come back tomorrow after school and do some more digging?”

“Sure. Why not?” Alex shrugged and gave her a wide grin.

The group hustled across the street to Alex's car. He unlocked it and the Super Spies climbed inside.

“Lace, does the last name Robinson sound familiar to you at all?” Sarah asked.

Lacey glanced at Sarah as she twirled her hair on her finger. “No, not at all.”

Sarah sighed and stared out the window. “There must be some connection between the Robinson family and Dad. But what is the connection?”

“We'll figure it out,” Jackie said giving Sarah a quick squeeze.

She turned back to the view out the window. A black four-wheel-drive pickup caught her eye as it cruised slowly through town. When she glanced at the driver, shock ran through her body like a bolt of electricity. “Isn't that the guy who was following us?”

Alex frowned. “Yep.” He glanced back at Sarah as questions danced in his eyes.

She squinted at the driver and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. “Duck down!” She whispered in an urgent tone.

All the Super Spies ducked down as the Stalker passed. He continued through town and didn't slow down or turn around. A wave of relief washed over Sarah as she watched the truck continue its journey. Popping back up in the seat she said, “I don't think he saw us.”

Alex came into view from behind the seat. “You're right. He would've turned around if he saw us.” He faced forward. “Okay guys, let's buckle up. It's time to go.”

Scott, who sat in the front seat next to Lacey, watched the black truck drive out of sight. “Crap. I wish I had been able to make out his license plate.” He made eye contact with Sarah and she read the quiet alarm in his eyes.

“Didn't catch it, huh?” she asked.

“No. I couldn't duck down and get it at the same time.” Scott cast another dark look down the street where the black truck had disappeared and then turned around in his seat.

After everyone had their seatbelts buckled Alex started the car and pulled out of the parking space. He did a U-turn on Main Street and headed toward home.

Once Alex merged onto the highway he picked up speed. The Super Spies were quiet as they sped toward Harrisburg. Sarah's mind swirled with questions.
What was the connection between the
Stalker
and her father? Who was he?
As she struggled to make sense of the events of the day she shifted in her seat and glanced out the back window. A wave of hysteria flowed through her veins when a black pickup truck loomed into view.

“Alex! I think that guy is tailing us!” Sarah cried.

“What?” Alex exclaimed and peered into the rearview mirror. His eyes widened and he bit his lip. “Are you sure it's him?”

“No… but it sure seems awfully coincidental, don't you think?”

“It's him,” Scott said in a voice mixed with anger and desperation. “We've got to get off the highway.”

Alex pressed his lips into a grim line. “I've got a mile before the next exit. I'll pull off and we'll see what he does.”

Sarah glanced at Jackie, then shifted her weight and stared out the back window again.

“Do you really think it's him?” Jackie asked in a low voice as she watched out the back window with her.

“I've got a funny feeling it is,” Sarah said, swallowing the lump of fear that rose in her throat.

As Alex increased his speed, Sarah relaxed. She glanced at Jackie and gave her a smile. “We'll lose him for sure now.”

Jackie gave her a quick nod and shifted so she faced the front seat again. “It's time to get back to shopping.”

Sarah rolled her eyes and glanced out the back window one more time. A sense of dread filled her body like water filling a balloon. Her limbs seemed heavier and her movements were slow and uncoordinated. Craning her neck, she gasped as the black truck picked up speed and barreled down the highway toward them.

“Alex!” Sarah screamed. She glanced forward and caught Alex's eye in the rearview mirror. “He
is
following us!”

Alex's lips pressed together, forming an angry slash. “I saw that too. Don't worry we'll lose him.”

Sarah ducked down in the seat. She couldn't stand it and had to lift her head, so she could watch the Stalker. Jackie turned around too, and both girls watched as he drew closer. Sarah could make out his hulking form behind the wheel.

“Alex, go faster!” Sarah screamed.

“Yeah! Go faster!” Jackie piped up.

“Floor it!” Scott yelled.

The car leapt forward as Alex stomped on the gas. Sarah prayed they would reach the exit in time to make an escape. Her heart thundered against her rib cage as the Stalker continued to gain on them.

The motor screamed as Alex increased his speed again and the car shook as it tried to meet the demands of its owner. Sarah was sure the vehicle would leave parts of itself all over the highway with the deep shudders running through it.

“I'm going to take this exit coming up!” Alex yelled.

Sarah gulped. “He's going to see us get off!”

“I don't know what else to do!” Alex shouted above the roar of the motor.

“Scott can you call your dad?” Lacey screamed as she pulled on his arm.

“I can try. But there's not much he can do. He's a city cop.”

“Just try,” Lacey shrieked as tears coursed down her cheeks. “That guy is crazy!”

Scott didn't answer, but he fumbled around until he got his cell phone out of his pocket. He flipped it open and his shoulders slumped in defeat. “No service.”

Sarah glanced forward as Alex swerved at the last minute and got off the highway. He slowed the vehicle as they approached a stop sign. Looking back out the rear window, Sarah's heart raced. The Stalker was right behind them.

“What in the world does he want?” Lacey cried. Tears welled in her eyes and her voice cracked with the strain of the situation.

“I don't know,” Sarah answered.

The Stalker drew closer and Sarah's blood ran cold.
What are we going to do?

“Which way should I go?” Alex asked in a voice tinged with urgency.

“Turn left!” Scott shouted.

Alex cranked on the wheel and turned sharply onto a dirt road. Sarah was heaved against Jackie as she heard the tires grind on the gravel and spew dirt everywhere. The seatbelt cut into her stomach and bile rose in her throat. She righted herself and went back to her original position, staring out the back window.

“He's not stopping at the stop sign! Step on it!” Sarah yelled.

Her heart lurched in her chest and her stomach twisted into a painful knot as the black truck tore through the stop sign and barreled down on them. Panic shot through her system like a speeding train and her mouth flooded with saliva.
Don't puke now
.

Sarah swallowed her nausea and stared out the window. She grabbed Jackie's hand and squeezed tight. The girls held hands as the truck drew closer.

Its grill loomed, filling the back window with its shiny metallic grin. Gulping, Sarah huddled closer to her friend. She clenched Jackie's arm as her friend turned away from the back window. Alex's car fishtailed to the right then the left as the Stalker's front bumper collided with the back bumper of the Brown Bomb. The screech of metal against metal filled the air and Sarah clenched her teeth and covered her ears.

Alex yelled out and then stomped on the gas.

Sarah glanced out the back window and was confronted by the grill of the Stalker's truck. “He's right behind us!”

“I know!” Alex yelled. “I can't go any faster!”

The Stalker rammed the back of their vehicle again sending its back end fishtailing to the left. Sarah's seatbelt pulled her up short and slammed her back against the seat. She tried to balance herself, but couldn't quite make it with the erratic movement of the vehicle. Leaning on Jackie she again tried to regain her balance. She heard the thunk of the door opening and then the rush of air as the door swung wide.

Alex swerved and the engine screamed its protest. Sarah was yanked back by her seatbelt and she grabbed Jackie's arm. Holding tight, she whispered a brief prayer of thanks for the seatbelts while the tires spewed gravel everywhere. Some of it entered the car, dusting Sarah and Jackie in a gritty mist.

The car fishtailed again and Alex skidded to a stop. The engine knocked and then stalled. He turned the key with a frantic hand. The engine cranked in protest but wouldn't start. “I think it's flooded!” Alex panted as he continued to crank on the key. He looked out the rearview window and his eyes widened, filled with panic.

Sarah turned and peered out through the haze of dust they had kicked up. Her stomach clenched in a nauseated knot and her body seemed to flush with sudden heat. She could just make out the form of the black truck barreling toward them.

“Alex! Get the car started!” Sarah screamed.

“I'm trying! It's flooded!”

“Hold the gas pedal all the way to the floor and then turn the key!” Scott shouted.

Lacey huddled closer to Scott and covered her ears and started sobbing.

“Hurry, Alex!” Sarah shrieked, grabbing Jackie's hand and holding on tight.

“Hurry!” cried Jackie. She made eye contact with her friend and Sarah noted the fear mirrored there.

The girls ducked down, bracing for the impact. Sarah squeezed her eyes shut and clung to Jackie with both hands.

Alex screamed in frustration and cranked on the key one more time. The engine roared to life. Cheering with relief, he put the car in gear and floored it. He pulled away and the Stalker shot past, disappearing in a cloud of dust.

Straightening out his car, Alex shot forward in the opposite direction. He kept glancing in the rearview mirror searching for their Stalker as he drove away.

Sarah held Jackie's gaze. “Good thing there wasn't any traffic on the road.”

Jackie took a deep breath. “Yeah. Good thing.” She coughed and waved her hand through the dust that had entered the car. “Ugh. I can't breathe with all this dust in the air.”

Sarah gave her friend a quick nod and then turned her attention up front. “Lace, are you all right?”

“I think so,” Lacey answered in a shaky voice.

“I'll get back on the highway and take the next exit off,” Alex called above the roar of the motor. “I want to check the damage to my car.” He merged onto the highway; the car shook from the exertion and the engine screamed its protest.

Sarah sat up and took a deep breath. She straightened her blouse and adjusted her skirt. Glancing out the rear window, she exhaled a sigh of relief when she didn't see the black truck. Taking another deep breath, she leaned her head against the seat and let her body go limp.

“What is up with that guy? He's a total freak!” Jackie grimaced as she tried to tame her wild curls. “I mean really, hitting the back of our car? What's up with that?”

“I have no idea,” Sarah said, biting her lip. “But he knows something about my parents.”

“That was totally scary,” Lacey whimpered from the front seat.

Scott put his arm around her and soothed her. “Don't worry. We'll get to the bottom of this.”

Questions swarmed through Sarah's mind like bees coming home to the hive.
Who is the
Stalker
? What is his connection with my parents? Where are my parents?
She shook her head and grabbed Jackie's arm. “That guy went into the spooky house, right?”

“Yep.”

“So his last name must be Robinson, right? I mean he walked in the front door like he owned the place, right?”

Jackie nodded, sending her curls flying. “That's right.”

“So all we have to do is find the connection between the Robinson family and my parents.”

“Right. So how are we going to do that?”

Sarah sighed and furrowed her brow. “I don't know yet. I'm still working on it.”

“There's an exit in about a mile. I'm going to pull off there,” Alex announced. He stepped on the gas and the car shuddered in protest.

They sat in a tense silence as they drove toward the exit. The car shook as it made its way down the highway and Sarah prayed it would stay together long enough to get them back to Harrisburg.

Alex took the next exit. Sarah cast a nervous glance out the rear window. When she didn't see the Stalker she gave Jackie a relieved smile and squeezed her arm. “He's not back there.”