Gifted Connections 4

“I’m trying,” I cried as I knelt beside him.

He stopped and blinked. “Who’s there?”

I looked at him in shock. “You can hear me?”

He didn’t respond. I sighed and then I took a deep breath and compelled my thoughts to him.

He nodded once more. “Dónde estás?”

My Spanish was rudimentary at best, but I understood him. “How did you get here? Inglès, por favor.”

“They will sell us,” the boy said weakly, hopelessly.

“I’m going to help you,” I promised him before closing my eyes once more.

“Call Jaxson,” Lincoln said tentatively. “You guys were able to talk to each other long before you were able to hear or talk to the others.”

I smiled at him. “That’s brilliant. Let me try.”

Jaxson, I pushed my thoughts to him.

Blake, Jaxson said in relief. How are you? How are you doing this?

I’m okay…And I have no clue. I answered him. Listen, I need your help. Tell Pops he needs to call whoever he needs to, but I need cops sent to where we are in real time. Standby, okay?

Be careful, honey, Jaxson insisted.

They can’t hear or see me, I reassured him.

“We need to find out where we are,” I insisted.

“Let’s go,” Lincoln said with a small smile.

We ran back up the steps. Lincoln went back over to the takeout bag, and I decided to try and run outside to get a house number. I ran towards the door.

“It doesn’t open,” Alex whispered out to me.

I yelped and looked over my shoulder. I forgot they were even there.

“We tried,” Alex stated. “We need to find another way out for them, and I just heard that man answer a phone. They’re almost here.”

I nodded and ran back to the kitchen. “Anything?” I asked Lincoln. “Those people are on the way.”

Lincoln slammed his palm on the counter and bugs skittered away, and I nearly squealed in surprise.

“Sorry,” he said as he ran his hand over his shorn head. “Nothing. I don’t think they even live here. No bills, nothing to indicate where we are. Just this receipt for this restaurant. It looks like they ordered delivery. If you look out the window, it looks like we’re near train tracks and there’s a billboard sign over there advertising for a strip club called Divas and Diamonds.”

“It’s not much, but if they enlist Darren’s help I’m sure our people might get pretty close, right?” I asked hopefully. “Most delivery places have a certain distance they can deliver to.”

“I’m sure they can figure it out,” Lincoln stated reassuringly. “You’re lucky Darren is one of the good guys because he’s brilliant. Scary genius, even, and if I were Jaxson, I would definitely be watching my back.”

Chapter 23

The front door opened, and three men came strolling into the room. “Are they ready?”

“When you are,” one of the men playing at the table said, standing up. “Did you bring the stuff? It may be necessary.”

“We got it. Where’s Cheddar? Tell him to give it to them. The buyers are expecting them soon, ” the man responded.