7.

Over the next few days, the girls spent time in their riding lessons and happily going on hacks every afternoon. Atlas seemed very happy to be home. He was always excited to hang out with his friends in the paddock at the end of the day.

One afternoon after taking care of their horses, they decided to go to JBs for a hamburger.

They were sitting in their favorite booth waiting for their orders to arrive, when suddenly two men in ski masks barged in waving guns around.

"Alright," snapped the leader, "Nobody has to get hurt and nobody will as long as you all do as you're told."

He turned his gun on Chewie, who had his hands up. And threw him a bag.

"All the money in the register in that bag now!"

"Okay, Okay, just be cool, man," said Chewie as he began emptying the cash drawer

Just as Chewie was putting the last of the money from the cash drawer in the bag. The other guy who had edged around to where he could see behind the counter suddenly spoke.

"Hey, there's a big safe back here!" he said

The gunman looked almost crazed like Chewie had lied to him.

"Open it!" he snapped at Chewie

"I can't," pleaded Chewie, "Only the owner has combination to that safe!"

"I don't believe you," the man shrieked getting even more agitated, "OPEN IT!"

"I can't, I tell you!" cried a terrified Chewie.

The gunman who had been growing more and more agitated suddenly went over the edge and pulled the trigger.

The gun went off and just as quick everything froze.

The girls looked around and realized that time had stopped around them. they guessed Evie had decided to step in. they turned and looked at Evie. She nodded.

"Watch me work." She said smirking slightly

Evie got up and walked over to the gunman he was standing there with his arm extended. She stepped past the frozen muzzle flash and up to the bullet that, though frozen in mid-air, had been well on its way toward Chewie's forehead.

Evie reached out, took ahold of the bullet and turned it around to it face the man who had fired it. then she angled it down slightly.

Then she walked over to the other gunman she removed the bullet from his chamber and took the clip out of his gun. Then she took his belt off and tied it around his lower legs.

After she finished her task, she turned and walked back over to the table with the girls.

"Stevie," she said turned toward her, "get your phone out and as soon as I restart time, call the police."

Stevie nodded and pulled out her phone.

Evie's eyes flashed with that white light again and time resumed.

The gunman cried out in pain as he was struck in the kneecap by his own bullet. He dropped to the floor and lay there moaning in pain. The other gunman, startled by the turn of events, jumped and because his legs were tied together promptly threw himself off balance and fell. He hit his head on the counter and was knocked out.

Stevie was on her phone in an instant and within a minute or two the police were their taking the men into custody.

Commissioner Starr was there talking to Evie. All Stevie had to do was mention on the phone that the commissioner's daughter was there and the police all responded in record time.

"You know," Commissioner Starr said to his daughter lowering his voice, "The detectives are still trying to figure out how that guy shot himself in the knee from five feet away!"

Evie shrugged.

"A ricochet?" she said smirking up her father.

He just smirked back at her and went back to work. Evie walked back over and sat down with her friends.

"Everything okay?" asked Carole

"Oh yeah, don't worry." Said Evie, "And I found out something interesting."

"What?" asked Lisa

"Dad told me that this is the fourth robbery they've had in this shopping center in the last month, which makes a dozen or so here on the main drag in the last two months!" replied Evie

"A crime wave, in this town?" said Stevie, "But why?"

"That my friend is the million-dollar question." Replied Lisa

To Be Continued…Please Review