CHAPTER 10: CUT OFF
Bo and Jeffrey were cycling next to each other on one of Redington's main roads. On one side of the road there was a high fence, impossible to get over. On the other side were large office buildings, separated from each other only by small alleys that were all a dead end. Behind the fence construction work was going on for yet another office building. Large pieces were directed through the air and placed with extreme accuracy by large yellow cranes with black stripes on the sides. It was Jeffrey who broke their silence.
"You're mad at me, because I like Shirley, aren't you?" he suddenly said. He wanted to straighten this thing out, just in case his plan failed. Bo gave him a surprised, but irritated look and almost crashed into a lamppost because of it. He corrected his mistake just in time.
"No! Where did you get that idea? How many times do I have to tell you we're just good friends?" he asked all at once. Bo was immediately sorry for lying about this again. Jeffrey sighed.
"I just know it…The way you sometimes look at each other…and it's pretty much written all over your face…" he explained. He looked over his shoulder for a short time and then turned back. Jeffrey started to cycle faster and Bo just did the same to keep up with him.
"What? Are you reading my mind too? Just leave it, I don't like her that way." Bo shot back. Damn, why couldn't he just tell him the truth?
"Sorry…" Jeffrey said. He looked back at Bo and noticed the car he'd seen before had come closer to them, but still hadn't made an attempt to pass them. "I think we're being followed." he informed Bo. "We have to go faster." Breathing even more heavily, they increased their speed. Again Jeffrey looked back. The car now came to speed with screeching tires and started to chase them. Jeffrey's heart was panting, as was Bo's. After a few seconds, that seemed to be more like just one second, the car was just 3 feet away from them. The two boys suddenly made a sharp turn and ended up in a dead end alley. They dropped their bikes and tried to grab hold of the rusty, metal emergency staircase above them. But it was too late just 10 seconds later the car came into sight blocking their way back out of the alley. Two muscular men holding nasty looking guns exited the vehicle.
"Get down!" the larger one commanded. Bo and Jeffrey stopped their attempts to reach the staircase. They turned to the two thugs, breathing heavily because of their speedy cycling trying to avoid the same people.
"Finally, we got them!" Simmons said to his companion with a triumphant grin. He waved his gun up in the air. (No one could see it, because the car blocked every view of the alley.) "Hands where I can see 'm please." he commanded. Bo and Jeffrey had no choice but to do as they were asked. Jeffrey's sweaty face, that was already from the physical exertion he had, turned even more crimson as he narrowed his eyes in anger.
"What do you want?" he growled at the man. Bo just sighed, hoping to regain his breath without getting shot for moving. Simmons burst out in laughter.
"What we want?" He poked his mate in the side. "Do you hear that?" The other guy didn't move a muscle. Slowly the sound of Simmons' laughter died out.
"It's not important what we want…It's what Mr. Brown wants that counts." Simmons said mysteriously. Jeffrey still wasn't sure what Simmons meant.
"And why exactly is that?" he asked, fearing the answer. However, the answer surprised him altogether.
"To talk to you!"
"What's with the guns? He could have just asked us…" Simmons smiled again and this time his co-worker joined in, grinning from ear to ear. Simmons waved his gun in the air, not really caring about the safety of his actions.
"These?" he asked. "Just a precaution for people who try to get away… Now follow us…if you treasure your lives." Jeffrey and Bo didn't move. Then Simmons and his mate pointed their guns at the two young detectives.
"Please?" he added in a falsified, polite tone. Thinking it was better to live a bit longer, Bo and Jeffrey got into the car as instructed. Simmons' large and smart co-worker went into the back with them just in case. After Simmons had made sure everything was OK in the back of the car he slammed his door shut and started the engine. A few seconds later they had driven off. The only sign of Bo and Jeffrey ever being in the alley were their abandoned bikes.
TO BE CONTINUED…