If Angels Fall

SEVENTY-EIGHT

Zach’s eyes adjusted to the dimness under the tarp.

The rumbling hum of the twin Mercuries pushing theboat, which leaped and skipped over the water’s surface, was deafening, rattlinghim alert.

That rotten taste was in his mouth again. His headhurt, his leg was throbbing, and he was hungry. Danny and Gabrielle were lyingon the deck with him, stirring, as the vibrations shook their bodies.

The boat was moving fast.

Ouch — something was sticking him in the groin — what?He reached into his underpants, remembering his pocketknife. He still had it.He tightened his fingers around it. Okay, he sniffed, don’t sit up, just take alook around, see what’s going on. What’s that? He looked down at what wascausing the painful pressure on his lower leg.

Heavy, yellow plastic rope was tied around his ankleand encased in a cast of silver duct tape. Zach followed the rope. It wascoiled in a nearby bundle, knotted and heavily taped to four cement cinderblocks. Danny and Gabrielle? It was the same with them; rope and tape aroundtheir ankles, tied to the blocks. Another line ran from the bundle away fromthe tarp. Holding his breath, Zack lifted the tarp slightly, following the linealong the deck to the front of the boat where it ended in a taped knot aroundthe creep’s ankle.

They were all connected. What was it for? Zachstruggled to understand. Suddenly, it hit him, harder than anything in hislife: The creep was going to kill them all!

Zach wanted his dad. Where was he? Don’t scream! Wherewere the police? Didn’t anyone care? Don’t move! Aren’t they looking for us?Think! Just think! Where are we going? Think! C’mon! He rubbed tears from hiseyes and felt — the knife! Yes! He felt the knife in his hand. Okay. He coulddo something.

He shifted closer to the rope and opened the blade. Itshrank next to the diameter of the heavy rope, like a steak knife against anoak tree. He sniffled and began sawing away. The tiny blade was sharp and cutinto the rope, but it was going to take forever. Damn! He might not have timeto cut Danny and Gabrielle free. He concentrated. He could stab the creep. No.The blade was too small. Panic washed over him. Think, Zach! Think!

Cut the rope and jump out? He could swim. For howlong? What about sharks? What about Danny and Gabrielle? He didn’t know. Hedidn’t know anything, only that he had to do something quick. If he tried hardenough, he could cut through one piece of rope. Which one? He moved closer tothe bundle, examining the coils. One line connected the cement blocks to thelines wrapped around the children’s ankles. Which one? He double-checked theweb of rope. Okay. Here goes.

He gestured to Danny and Gabrielle to keep still andquiet, then he gripped his knife and began slicing through the yellow rope.