The abduction

Chapter 18

Late in the volleyball game, Chase realized that the only way to avoid Daphne was to avoid his house altogether. He could almost see her sitting in the family room in the basement, watching the big-screen TV, waiting for him and Theo to arrive so she could order an extra-large pizza from Santo’s.

When the game was over, Chase rode his bike to Guff’s Frozen Yogurt near the city library on Main Street. He ordered one scoop of banana, found an empty booth by the front window, and called home. Daphne answered after the first ring.

“It’s me,” he said. “And look, we have a problem. Theo and I stopped by his house to check on his dog, and the dog is real sick. Must’ve eaten something weird. Throwing up, crapping all over the place; the house is a mess.”

“Gross,” Daphne gushed.

“You wouldn’t believe. Dog poop from the kitchen to the bedroom. We’re cleaning up now but it’ll take some time. Theo’s afraid the dog might be dying, and he’s trying to get in touch with his mother.”

“That’s awful.”

“Yep. We may have to take him to the vet emergency room. Poor thing can hardly move.”

“Can I help, Chase? I can drive Mom’s car over and get him.”

“Maybe, but not right now. We gotta get this place cleaned up while we’re watching the dog. I’m afraid he’d make a mess in her car.”

“Have you guys eaten?”

“No, and food is the last thing we’re thinking about right now. I’m about to throw up myself. Go ahead and order the pizza. I’ll check in later.” Chase hung up and smiled at his frozen yogurt. So far so good.

Judge was still asleep on the rear seat, snoring softly as the miles flew by. Theo came and went, napping occasionally, wide-eyed one moment and dead to the world the next. He was awake when they crossed the state line into North Carolina, but he was asleep when they rolled into Chapel Hill.

His 9:00 p.m. text to his mother read: Going to sleep. Real tired. Luv.

He assumed his parents were in the middle of their long dinner, probably listening to endless speeches, and that his mother would not have the chance to reply. He was right.

“Wake up, Theo,” Ike said. “We’re here.” They had not stopped in six hours. The digital clock on the dash gave the time at 10:05. The GPS above it took them straight to Franklin Street, the main drag that bordered the campus. The sidewalks were packed with noisy students and fans. UNC had won the football game in overtime and the mood was rowdy. The bars and shops were crowded. Ike turned onto Columbia Street and they passed some large fraternity houses.

“Parking might be a problem,” Ike mumbled, almost to himself. “That must be Frat Court,” he said, glancing at the GPS and pointing to an area where several fraternity houses faced each other with parking lots in the center. “I’d guess the Kappa Theta house is somewhere in there.”

Theo lowered his window as they eased by in heavy traffic. Loud music filled the air as several bands played from the houses. People were shoulder-to-shoulder, on the porches, on the lawns, sitting on cars, hanging out, dancing, laughing, moving in packs from house to house, yelling at each other. It was a wild scene, and Theo had never seen anything like it. There was an occasional fight or drug bust at Stratten College, but nothing like this. It was exciting at first, but then Theo thought about April. She was somewhere in the midst of this huge carnival, and she did not belong here. She was shy and quiet and preferred to be alone with her drawings and paintings.

Ike turned onto another street, then another. “We’ll have to park somewhere and hike in.” Cars were parked everywhere, most illegally. They found a spot on a dark narrow street, far away from the noise. “Stay here, Judge,” Theo said, and Judge watched them walk away.

“What’s the game plan, Ike?” Theo asked. They were walking quickly along a dark and uneven sidewalk.

“Watch your step,” Ike said. “We don’t have a game plan. Let’s find the house, find the band, and I’ll think of something.” They followed the noise and were soon entering Frat Court from the back side, away from the street. They moved into the crowd, and if they looked a bit odd, no one seemed to notice-a sixty-two-year-old man with long, gray hair pulled into a ponytail, red socks, sandals, a brown plaid sweater that was at least thirty years old, and a thirteen-year-old kid wide-eyed in amazement.

The Kappa Theta house was a large, white stone structure with some Greek columns and a sweeping porch. Ike and Theo made their way through a thick crowd, up the steps, and around the porch. Ike wanted to scope out the place, check out the entrances and exits, and try to determine where the band was playing. The music was loud, the laughter and yelling even louder. Theo had never seen so many cans of beer in his young life. Girls were dancing on the porch as their dates watched them and smoked cigarettes. Ike asked one of the girls, “Where’s the band?”

“In the basement,” she said.

They inched their way back to the front steps and looked around. The front door was being guarded by a large young man in a suit who seemed to have the authority to decide who got inside.

“Let’s go,” Ike said. Theo followed him as they moved toward the front door with a group of students. They almost made it. The guard, or bouncer, or whatever he was, threw out his arm and grabbed Ike by the forearm. “Excuse me!” he said rudely. “You got a pass?”

Ike angrily yanked his arm away and looked as though he might slug the guy. “I don’t need a pass, kid,” he hissed. “I’m the manager of the band. This is my son. Don’t touch me again.”

The other students moved back a few steps and for a moment things were quieter.

“Sorry, sir,” the guard said, and Ike and Theo marched inside. Ike was moving quickly, as though he knew the house well and had business there. They walked through a large foyer, then a parlor of some sort, both rooms crowded with students. In another open space, a mob of male students was yelling at a football game on a huge screen, two kegs of beer close by. The music was booming from below, and they soon found a large stairway that gave way to the party room. The dance floor was in the center, packed with students engaged in all manner of frenzied jerking and shuffling, and to the left was Plunder, pounding and screeching at full volume. Ike and Theo drifted down in a throng of people, and by the time they left the stairs, Theo felt like his ears were bleeding from the music.

They tried to hide in a corner. The room was dark, with colored strobe lights flickering across the mass of bodies. Ike leaned down and yelled into Theo’s ear. “Let’s be quick. I’ll stay here. You try and get behind the band and have a look. Hurry.”

Theo ducked low and wiggled around bodies. He got bumped, shoved, almost stepped on, but he kept moving along the wall on the far left side. The band finished a song, everybody cheered, and for a moment the dancing stopped. He moved faster, still low, his eyes darting in all directions. Suddenly, the lead singer screamed, then began howling. The drummer attacked and a guitarist lurched in with some thunderous chords. The next song was even louder. Theo passed a set of large speakers, came within five feet of the keyboardist, and then saw April, sitting on a metal box behind the drummer. She had the only safe place in the entire room. He practically crawled around the edge of the small platform and touched her knee before she saw him.

April was too shocked to move, then both hands flew up to her mouth. “Theo!” she said, but he could barely hear her. “Let’s go!” he demanded.

“What are you doing here?” she yelled.

“I’m here to take you home.”

At 10:30, Chase was hiding beside a dry cleaners, watching from across the street as people were leaving Robilio’s Italian Bistro. He saw Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd, then Mr. and Mrs. Coley, then his parents. He watched them drive away, and then wondered what to do next. His phone would ring in a few minutes, and his mother would have a dozen questions. The sick dog routine was about to come to an end.