Kidnapped at the Capital by Ron Roy Page B

phone rings in five minutes!” He walked with them to the elevator and took them up to the fifth floor.
    KC let them in with her key. She prayed the phone would be ringing. But the apartment was silent. Lost and Found were asleep on the sofa.
    KC switched on the TV and used the remote to find the local news. Standing in front of the TV, she surfed between channels. “Nothing,” she muttered.
    “What are you looking for?” Marshall asked. He sat next to the kittens and stroked their soft fur.
    “I don’t know,” KC said. “But if something happened to the president, it’d be on the news, right?”
    Marshall smiled at his friend. “Of course it would,” he said. “So that means nothing bad has happened.”
    “I guess,” KC said. “But Mom would never just go off somewhere!”
    KC continued to surf, hitting all the news channels. Finally she gave up and punched the OFF button.
    She flopped down on the floor.
Everything’s going to be all right,
she told herself. But still she felt scared. And sad.
    KC thought about her father down in Florida. Maybe she should call him. Butshe couldn’t—she had to leave the phone line open.
    As if by magic, the phone rang.
    KC leaped up to answer it with her fingers crossed. Marshall ran into the kitchen and picked up the extension.
    KC reached the phone on the second ring. “Mom?” she said.
    “KC? This is the president,” a familiar voice answered.
    To KC, it sounded as if he had a stuffy nose. She was suspicious. The president didn’t have a cold when she saw him a little while ago! “Are you with my mom?” she asked.
    “No, I’m not,” the president said. “That’s why I called.”
    “Where is she?” KC almost yelled. “She was with you!”
    “No, she was with Casey Marshall,” the president said. “I came down with a cold, so I sent Casey to meet you instead.”
    “But where are they?” KC asked. “Marshall and I went to get ice cream and they disappeared!”
    “KC, I’d rather talk to you about this in person,” President Thornton said. “I’m sending a car to pick up you and Marshall and bring you to the White House. I’ll explain everything when I see you.”
    “Is my mom all right?” KC asked. “Shouldn’t I stay here in case she calls?”
    There was silence on the phone. “I can only say I think she’s fine,” the president said finally. “But she isn’t in a position to call you.”
    Now KC was really worried. Her hands felt hot and cold at the same time.
    “The car will be there in five minutes,” the president continued. “Will you be downstairs?”
    KC gulped. “Yes, sir.”
    “Before you hang up,” the president added, “have you told anyone else about what happened?”
    “Only Donald,” KC said.
    There was a pause. “Okay, but please ask him not to say a word,” the president warned. “This is top secret!”

3
Kidnapped
    Instead of waiting for the elevator, KC and Marshall ran down the fire stairs. Donald looked surprised to see them. “Did your mom call?” he asked hopefully.
    “No, but the president did,” KC said. “We’re going to the White House. He says my mom is all right. And he said, ‘Tell Donald not to say a word to anyone!’”
    Donald’s face turned pink. “The president knows my name?”
    KC nodded. “He wanted me to tell you it’s top secret!”
    “Please let the president know that these lips are sealed!” Donald closed aninvisible zipper over his mouth.
    “I think the car’s here,” Marshall said, pointing through the glass door.
    “Oh my,” Donald said.
    The car was long and black. A small American flag flew from the antenna.
    KC and Marshall hurried to the car just as the driver stepped out. Wearing a suit and tie, he walked smartly around the car and opened the rear door. “I’m here to take KC and Marshall to the White House. Is that you?”
    KC looked at the man. He was tall with very short hair. His eyes were hidden behind dark glasses. KC suddenly felt wary.
Is this guy