Part Six

5:35 PM

"Thanks Mom." Jenna's eyes looked puffy, like she'd been
crying. "I'll eat in a minute, okay?" Without another word she went up
to her bedroom.

Amanda looked at Lee. "Did something else happen today?"

"You could say, that, yeah." Lee handed Amanda the card that
Jenna had given him before entering the house. "For starters, she
knows that Suzanne was murdered. She received a card and a photograph
telling her so."

"Oh my gosh."  Amanda put her hand over her mouth as she
looked at the card and the photograph. "Lee, this card is-I mean, I
saw the crime scene photos, but this-"

"I know." Lee placed a hand on Amanda's shoulder. "And what
happened in the locker room after that dance team practice didn't
help. Someone turned off the lights and trapped her in there."

"They trapped her in the locker room?" Amanda saw the
troubled look in her husbands' eyes and knowing that there had to be
more to the story.

"Yeah, I heard her shouting so I picked the lock," Lee said. "Jenna
told me that she'd heard someone whispering her name, so I told her to
stay put while I went to check it out. As far as Jenna knows, I found
nothing."

"What did you really find?" Amanda asked, not sure that she wanted to
hear the answer.

"Some ropes, a gag and a very sharp butcher knife," Lee said. "I also
found the dead body of Agent Whitaker-he was the one who was assigned
to protect her inside the school."

Looking at her husband, Amanda could see the same horror that she felt
reflected in his eyes. "You're sure that Jenna knows nothing?" 

Lee shook his head. "Hopefully she never has to know-Lord only knows
what some creep was planning to do to Jenna if I hadn't come in time."

Amanda took Lee's hands into her own, realizing that he was shaking as
much as she was. "But you did get there in time," she said. "That's
what matters, Lee. You saved her."

Lee nodded. "Now I just need to keep her that way," he said. "I'm
going to make a few phone calls-Amanda, can you-?"

"I'll pack a couple of bags for us," Amanda said. "What about Jenna?"

"Already packing, I hope," Lee said. "I told her to plan for at least
three days."

"Is that how long you think it will take?"

"I don't know," Lee admitted, rubbing his face with one hand. "The
leads haven't gone anywhere so far-there's nothing."

"Don't worry, they'll find something," Amanda said. 

Hopefully before something finds us, Lee thought to himself. His arms
wrapped tightly around his wife, pulling her body close to his.

5:45 PM

"Thanks, Billy," Lee said. Amanda was putting their bags near the
door. "Have there been any new leads?"

"Francine thinks she has a line on this Dennis Johnston character,"
Billy said, "But she's still gathering the details. Gino checked out
Amanda's car and you were right, Lee. The airbag had been tampered
with so it wouldn't deploy."

"Thanks, Billy," Lee said. "Let me know when you have any more
information, okay?"

"Will do, Scarecrow," Billy said. "Just take good care of my
Goddaughter-and yourselves."

6:00 PM

"I think so." Jenna zipped up her bag. "It's almost completely
full, anyway. Where are we going?"

"Bethesda," Dad said. "There's someone waiting outside to take us, so
we better hurry. Hey," he bent down to pick up something from her
bedroom floor and handed it to her-it was her old Scarecrow doll. "You
forgot this."

"I thought you said essentials," Jenna said.

Dad got a strange look on his face. "You don't think he's essential?"

Part of Jenna wanted to say that she was a little old for dolls now,
but something about that particular doll had always been a comfort to
her. She took it from him, tucking it under it under her arm and Dad
smiled. "Let's go," Jenna said, trying to sound a lot braver than she
felt. Dad turned off the light in her room and together they went
downstairs. Mom was waiting for them by the door. There were two
duffel bags in her hand and Dad took the larger one, putting it on his
shoulder.

"Your dinner's in the car," Mom told Jenna as together they all
went out of the house and down the front steps. "I don't know if you
feel much like eating, sweetheart, but just in case."

Jenna was about to thank her when she heard a strange booming noise.

"Get down!" Dad was yelling, and by the glow of the streetlights
Jenna could see that there was suddenly a gun in his hand and that he
was firing back, like somebody in one of those cop shows that Jenna
watched on TV. What was he doing?

More booming noises, reminding Jenna of the fireworks last Fourth of
July-and Mom was screaming at her to get down. Jenna felt something
hit her leg, and gasped as it stung. She felt her mother's arms around
her, pulling her down to the ground. Something warm and wet was
running down her leg but she didn't feel any pain beyond a dull
burning sensation.

"Sweetheart?" her Mom's voice sounded like it was coming from a long ways away.

Jenna tried to move her leg but her muscles didn't seem to

want to obey her command and the pain was starting to grow so much

"Lee, she's been hit!" her Mom shouted. Jenna felt someone pressing
something onto her lower leg. The last thing she recalled was hearing
mom's voice telling her to hang on and that help was on the way before
the pain and darkness overtook her completely

TBC