Runaways (Orphans 5)

thin nose and deep-set dark eyes. If he had shaved

recently, he had done a poor job. Patches of stubble were on his chin and cheeks. His sideburns looked

coated with motor oil.

Raven looked at Crystal for help.

"We're going to a little town outside of

Philadelphia," she said and pointed to it on her map. "Oh, you got a map, huh?" He leaned over.

Then he looked back at his two buddies who were

paying their bill. "Be right along," he called. "I know

that town," he told Crystal. "What you want to do is

get off at the next left down here," he said pointing

through the window and up the highway, "and follow

that road for ten miles to 1-78. You can cut in here,"

he said tracing his long, bony finger on Crystal's map,

"and you'll save about fifty miles."

"Really?" Crystal studied the map intently. "Yeah, really. We're from here so we know the

shortcuts and stuff. Well, have a good trip," he said

with a smile and joined his friends.

"Thank God he's gone," Raven said in a rush,

and it was obvious she'd been holding her breath. "Maybe he wasn't as bad as we thought. And, if

he's right," Crystal said, "that would cut miles off our

trip and also give us a way to avoid heavy traffic. It

looks like it makes sense."

We gazed out the window as the three mounted their cycles, all of them looking back at us. The one with the ponytail waved and then they roared out of the parking lot. We finished our coffee, toast and muffins, paid the bill and left as quietly as we could. One of the policemen at the counter gazed at us, but

quickly went

back to his eggs.

"My stomach was doing flip-flops when that

cop looked at us," Raven said after we all got into the

station wagon. "Brooke's right. We're going to be in a

sweat every time we see a police car or a policeman." Crystal paused and studied her map again. "Let's try the shortcut he gave us. It looks like a

very quiet way and maybe we won't see any policemen for a while."