Runaways (Orphans 5)

"How's it going?" he called.

"Okay," I said. Crystal and I walked toward him. "What's wrong with your horse?"

"She stepped in a gopher hole. The vet says she'll be fine, but I've got to give her a good half-hour or so of exercise twice a day." He looked at Raven. "Think you can do this awhile?"

"Do what?" she asked.

"Just walk Pony Tail in a circle," he said.

"Me?" She looked at me and then at Tommy.

"Sure," he said. "She's a pussy cat," he added, handing her the reins.

Raven took them, looked at the horse and then at me again before starting forward, her face full of fear and excitement. The horse followed obediently.

"That's it, keep that pace," Tommy called to her. She nodded and walked on, looking as proud as I had ever seen her.

"I told Tommy I was going to explain to Butterfly about the FBI," I called to Raven, and headed back toward the house. As I passed the front of the house, Crystal came out with a book in her hand. She saw me, smiled with curiosity and then looked at Raven.

"Butterfly all right?"

"She's fine. Anita is showing her how to weave on her loom," she said.

"I've got bad news, Crystal," I began. "Tommy called the FBI. He had to."

Crystal nodded knowingly. "I figured he'd have to report us."

Before we could go inside to tell Butterfly we saw a car approaching in the distance. Probably the Child Protection Services, I thought. My optimism had a short life. It was a dark blue car and two men in suits emerged to talk to Tommy He turned and beckoned to Crystal and me. Raven was walking the horse in circles and Butterfly was still inside with Anita.

"Brooke, Crystal, this is Special Agent Wilkins and Special--Agent Milton of the FBI," Tommy said. "They want to question you about your foster father and what you girls found."

"Okay," I said. "But Raven should be in on this too."

Tommy took the horse from Raven and she joined the two of us on the porch. We told the FBI agents everything about our flight from the Lakewood House, how we found the cocaine, about where we dumped it, and what happened afterward. Tommy joined us after he had put Pony Tail back in her stall.

"Our forensic man found the residue," Agent Wilkins told Tommy "They're telling us the truth about it. What are you doing about them?"

"We've contacted Child Protection and they're coming up later today."

"Okay. We just want to know where they are," Agent Wilkins said.

We watched them leave.

"You did good, girls," Tommy said.

"There's Butterfly," Raven said, looking toward the chicken coop.

She was walking toward us excitedly, Anita at her side carrying a basket.

"I picked the es!" she cried. "By myself. You have to nudge the hens a little, but they don't peck you," she explained.

Anita stepped up beside her. There was a different look in her face. It was as if she had woken from a dream. Her eyes looked brighter and her lips softer, more willing to form a smile.

"We're going to make a cake," she said.

"I'm helping," Butterfly declared. "Right, Anita?"

"Yes," she said. "We'll have lunch in about a half-hour," she added to Tommy. "You going to be around?"