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laughed, a sound that sent chills down Mark's back. "I'm not letting you go out there. You'll get lost. You're nothing but a city punk. The country around here will eat you up in no time."
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    Mark glared, but it was Gem, who spoke up. "Get out of our way. We're going to find our friend."
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    "So you know where she is, do you?"
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    Undercurrents swirled around them.
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    "No," she snapped. "But I'm going to make sure you don't either." She bolted past him to the front door. Dumpty stepped in her way, a big grin on his face. Mark went with his instincts. He no longer had any doubts that these guys knew what happened to Misty. He needed to find her and fast. Before these assholes took off with her.
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    He bolted for the big bay living room window with the missing screen. He heard a startled shout behind him. Within seconds, he had the window opened and had jumped through. He hit the ground running. He was lost to the darkness before anyone figured out what he'd done.
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    ***
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    Gemma couldn't help it. She laughed. The looks on the men's faces were beyond stunned. The three goons raced to the window where Mark had jumped. That's when she motioned the other two toward the front door and as fast as Mark had disappeared, the three opened the door and lost themselves in the thickening darkness outside.
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    Hidden behind a Blue Spruce, Gemma waited and watched. The men streamed out behind them, but the teens were younger, faster and a whole lot more savvy than they were.
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    Keeping a wary eye on the men, she glanced around for the other kids. They'd scattered. Streetwise, they knew these assholes presented a bigger danger than any other night predator.
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    Misty wasn't like them. She wouldn't survive as easily. Naïve in some ways, yet worldly in others, she was an open, friendly girl – but almost stupid. Curiosity always got her into trouble. Gem had no doubt these men had kidnapped her friend. She didn't know why. And if they had, where could they have stashed her?
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    There'd been no time to take her far. Unless more people were involved. If so, Misty could be stashed in a vehicle speeding to town as they searched.
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    No. She had to believe Misty was close by.
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    Anything else was too horrible to contemplate.
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    Moving silently, Gem slipped around the back of the house. She was still a ways away from the backyard. Searching the area, she realized how deceptive everything looked at night.
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    The men had to have a vehicle somewhere. They weren't dressed to walk miles. Maybe theirs was the truck she'd seen earlier. If she could locate it, that vehicle would be the first place to check. Chances were good Misty would be in the cab. She winced at the visual that jumped into her mind.
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    Gem had to find her. And fast.
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    Keeping to the opposite side of the road from where she'd seen the men, she backtracked and raced to the closest neighbor's house. Hiding in the shadows, she raced from outbuilding to house to garage until she had a clear view of her current home. John stood on the front porch while Doris stood beside him, wringing her hands. The icy stranger, the leader or boss man, was with them but looked to be leaving. She didn't trust him one bit. Though his ID looked official, that was worth fifty bucks in her world.
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    Loser. Kidnapper.
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    Guilt prodded her. She shouldn't have taken Misty out this evening. But Gem had no idea things would go bad – and certainly, not this bad. There'd been no explanation of the EPA men's visit beyond looking for kids that had caused trouble at the creek tonight. What were the men doing there anyway? What kind of trouble did they think the kids had been into? Not that they would tell her if she asked. Adults never gave the kids respect or information. Even so, these men should have given John an explanation.
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    That she and Misty had been followed back to Misty's room was likely…but why?
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    She really hated