Under the Boardwalk by Barbara Cool Lee Page B

next to her. "Have a seat."
    He didn't move. Finally, she looked up.
    Kyle looked like someone had just slugged him in the stomach. All the color had washed out of his normally ruddy complexion, and his ever-present grin was gone, replaced by a look of grim self-control.
    "What's the matter? Are you hurt?" She jumped to her feet. "My God, what is it? What's wrong?" She gripped his arm. "Kyle, please tell me what's the matter."
    He appeared, with some great effort, to get control of whatever powerful emotion had gripped him. He cleared his throat and straightened up, shrugging off her hand.
    "Windy and Zac are both missing."
     
    ~*~
     
    CHAPTER FOUR
     
     
    "I'm really sorry, Zac," Windy said.
    "I know," he mumbled.
    "Does your shoulder hurt a lot?"
    "Not too much. But remind me never to get on your bad side."
    "I didn't mean to hit you with the chair. I was trying to get that guy."
    "I know. Forget it."
    They were tied up again, this time on the floor with the zip-ties wrapped around some heavy pipe coming out of the wall. No chance of breaking free now. The man had learned not to underestimate them after her last stunt.
    Her little brother was right next to her, his injured shoulder resting against hers. She felt the warmth of him, and a surge of anger washed through her. She was the big sister. She should be able to save them. She wished Kyle was here. He would know what to do.
    "Did you get a good look at the guy, Zac?"
    "Sure. I think I've seen him somewhere before. Don't know who he is, though."
    Windy leaned back, resting her head against the cold pipe. There had to be a reason for all this, but she couldn't figure it out. And she was pretty sure their lives depended on figuring it out, and soon. "But why did he bring us to this place?"
    "This place?" Zac said. "Don't you know where we are, sis?"
    "You mean you know? You know what's going on?"
    "Of course, Windy. We're under the boardwalk."
     
    ~*~
     
    "What do you mean, disappeared?"
    Kyle paced back and forth in front of her, clenching and unclenching his fists. "Vanished, vamoosed, disappeared. I mean Zac's gone." He stopped pacing and faced her for the first time. "Lord, Hallie, anything could have happened. He's been missing since yesterday, I figure. Since that phone call or maybe even earlier."
    He was all coiled energy, restless and wild. She took him by the hand and led him to the bench. He sat down.
    "Slow down a minute," she said. "I don't understand. How do you know he's missing?"
    "He didn't show up for work today."
    Hallie sighed. "Is that all? Relax, Kyle. So he's off goofing around—kids do that kind of thing. It doesn't mean anything's wrong." Still, that tension in him scared her.
    Kyle stood up and began to pace back and forth in front of her again, talking half to himself. "No, see, he left a message on the answering machine at home yesterday. He said he was spending the night at his friend, Brandon's."
    "So—they got to goofing around and he forgot about work. I still don't see why you're so upset. You're not making any sense."
    Kyle stopped and took a deep breath. "Okay. Look. This is the deal. I went to Brandon's house to pick Zac up this morning. No one's there. Turns out Brandon's family left for a vacation back East a week ago. Then I came back here and talked to Sandy—the office manager—and she said Zac left work around noon yesterday and never came back. Yesterday afternoon he called and left a message on my answering machine saying he was with Brandon, who's in Vermont. Zac went to a lot of trouble to lie to everybody, and I've got to figure out why." He fell silent, staring at the ground.
    "And Windy? What does she have to do with this?"
    "She hasn't been seen by anybody in San Juan Bautista. It was a lie, too."
    Hallie sat down on the bench. "I knew it. I just felt it in my gut. Something was off yesterday."
    "I know. And I didn't listen to you."
    Around them the afternoon crowd swirled. The sun was out, and the air was filled