Back Before Dark (7 page)

B
y 6:00, Cooper had checked in with his Mom a handful of times and posted the last flyer. He’d already folded one up and kept it in his pocket to show neighbors. For a moment, the three friends looked at each other. Hiro fingered the necklace at her throat. The miniature of her dad’s Chicago police star. Probably wishing he was still alive. Believing somehow
he’d
find Gordy. And he probably would.

Lunk was harder to read. But then, he had plenty of experience hiding his feelings under a tough mask. Maybe it was the result of having had an abusive dad, or the fact that he’d moved so many times that Lunk never really made friends. But even after months of Cooper trying to be a friend to him, Lunk hadn’t fully loosened up. And right now Lunk definitely had a guarded look about him. Whatever he was thinking, he was keeping it to himself.

“I like it,” Hiro said. “Nobody can drive through Rolling Meadows without seeing Gordy.”

Cooper wanted to make up for the lack of hope he saw in Lunk’s eyes. “After we find him, the guy will be a celebrity.”

Lunk nodded like he agreed. “What’s next?”

Cooper had been working on that one ever since Frank’n Stein’s. “We can go door to door down School Drive. See if anybody
saw the minivan after we lost sight of it. Maybe somebody saw it turn a corner.” If the van turned east, away from Route 53, that would confirm the theory that the van stayed in the area.

It was a shot in the dark. He knew it. And by the looks on the others’ faces, they felt the same way. What were the chances somebody noticed a silver minivan? The backpack on the roof was the only thing that would have made it stand out. And by the time the kidnapper made his getaway, it was getting dark enough to easily miss a detail like that.

The last thing they could afford was to waste time. “Or we can bike over to Northwest Community Hospital. Cruise through their lots.”

Hiro brightened at that suggestion. “It’s only a couple miles away. A perfect place to dump a hot car.”

“And pick up a new one,” Lunk said. “Let’s check it.”

They had to do
something.
Cooper pushed off and headed east down the sidewalk along Kirchoff Road. He felt jumpy, like he’d had a double dose of 5-hour Energy. As long as he kept moving, kept looking, kept the search alive, he felt okay. But stopping drove him nuts.

Hiro wheeled up beside him. “A parking garage may be our best bet.”

Cooper’s thoughts exactly. Switching cars in a more open parking lot would have been insane. Dumping the car would be easy enough, but transferring Gordy? Impossible. A parking garage was a different story.

Cooper patted his pocket for the phone. If they saw the minivan, he wanted to call the police pronto. Or maybe after looking through the windows himself.

Hiro’s phone rang with a new ring tone that wasn’t a ring but was actually a cop’s voice, deep and tough, repeating part of the Miranda rights. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you.”

Lunk looked at Hiro in disbelief. “Really?”

Sometimes Hiro’s face was easy to read. She seemed to say
he’d
better remain silent. She stopped pedaling, coasting to a stop nearly in front of Taco Bell, and answered the phone. Cooper circled back and pulled up beside her. Lunk did the same.

Phone in her hand, Hiro shrugged at Cooper and mouthed the words “my Mom.”

Cooper used the opportunity to check his own phone. No new messages or texts. He sent Mom a quick text explaining where he was and when he thought he’d be home.

He didn’t want to listen in on Hiro’s conversation, but he decided to hang there for a moment and be sure it didn’t have to do with Gordy.

“Of course I’m being careful,” Hiro said. “I’m with Coop. And Lunk.” Her face clouded, and she shook her head. “Nothing’s going to happen, Mom. We just finished the flyers. Now we’re going to check parking lots. Look for the minivan.”

Cooper’s stomach tightened. Hiro’s mom was pulling in the reins. The very thing he dreaded might happen.

Tyler King walked across the parking lot from the Global Gamer. He nodded at Cooper. “I got an okay from the boss to put the picture on the website,” he said. “I should have it up tonight.”

“Thanks,” Cooper said. What else could he say? The guy was trying to help, but a picture on the Global Gamer website didn’t sound real promising. The truth was, all the flyers they’d posted seemed to be a shot in the dark.

Tyler opened the door to Taco Bell and disappeared inside.

Cooper turned his focus back to Hiro. Tears were pooling in her eyes now. She swiped them away and squared her shoulders. “Mom, please. It’s still early. I need to do this.”

She looked down, probably hoping Cooper didn’t notice the tears. Cooper scooted ahead on his bike to give her some privacy.

Lunk pulled up beside him. “Not sounding good.”

A minute later Hiro pocketed the phone, wiped her cheeks and joined them. “I have to go home. I’m really sorry.”

Cooper nodded. “Nice try. She wouldn’t budge, eh?” Hiro shook her head.

“We’ll ride shotgun to your house, then we’ll peel off from there.”

“No,” she said. “Check Northwest. And text me whether you find something or not.”

Cooper nodded toward Lunk. “First, we escort you home. Then we’ll check the lot.”

Hiro shook her head. “You’ll be wasting time.”

“And you’re wasting time arguing.” Cooper was not going to let her stubbornness win this time. “If you think for one second that Lunk and I are going to let you bike home alone, you’re not nearly as smart as we think you are.”

Cooper glanced up at Lunk.

“I’m with you, Coop.” He smiled. “Except the part about me thinking she was smart.”

Seeing Lunk smile in such a good-natured way took Cooper off guard. He’d changed so much the last few months. It was harder for Hiro to accept him into their group—but she was trying in her own ways.

“Okay. Okay.” Hiro raised her hands over her head and let them fall to her side. “You two are worse than my mom.”

Lunk snorted. “And twice as determined. Let’s get moving. Coop and
I
have some
police
work to do.”

Hiro’s mouth opened slightly, and her eyes narrowed into a glare, which made Cooper smile. Lunk definitely knew how to press that girl’s buttons.

“Try to keep up,” Hiro said. She spun her bike around and stood on the pedals.

Cooper and Lunk laughed and gave her a head start.

“She’s a firecracker,” Lunk said.

Cooper pushed off and started after her. “With a short fuse.” They followed close behind her down Meadow Lane and up School Drive. She took the same route that the minivan had
taken. Keeping up wasn’t a problem with Cooper’s bike. Lunk’s BMX took a lot more effort, though. Sweat poured down his face, and his dark hair grew wet around the edges.

Cooper raised his chin to feel the full force of the wind rushing in his face. It had been nearly twenty-four hours. Was Gordy still alive? He had to be. Had to.

When Hiro pulled into her driveway she turned around. “Okay. I’m here—now
go.
” She dropped her bike and waved them off. “I’ll be praying.”

And it was just like her to be doing exactly that.

In a tight circle in the street, Cooper waved and leaned into the pedals. Lunk pulled up alongside him but didn’t say anything. Maybe he figured Cooper needed to process things a bit on his own. Or maybe he sensed Cooper needed to find a ray of hope—but Lunk couldn’t think of anything remotely hopeful to say.

I
’ll be praying.
Lunk kept rolling Hiro’s words around in his head while he pedaled alongside Coop. Did she really think praying would make a difference? If God really cared, why did he let this happen? Let so many bad things happen?

They turned into the entrance of Northwest Communtiy Hospital. Lunk saw the tension on Coop’s face the moment they wheeled into the multi-level parking garage.

“Let’s ride it to the top together,” Cooper said.

Lunk motioned. “Lead the way.”

Cooper scanned left, then right, constantly checking both sides of the aisle. They ramped to the second level. Then the third. Lots of minivans. None of them silver.

When they reached the rooftop, Cooper’s shoulders slumped. No sign of the minivan.

Cooper wheeled to the end of the row, turned, and put a foot down. “I had high hopes for this one.”

Lunk nodded. Hope was dying. It was on life support, and Coop didn’t realize they’d have to unplug it soon.

Suddenly Cooper’s head dropped and his whole body shook with silent sobs. “God, where is he?” He looked tortured in the deepest part of his soul.

Lunk didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to say. But to him, it all came back to why did God let bad things happen to decent people? Like Gordy, who was probably dead. And Cooper, who was dying by degrees.

Cooper pulled himself together without saying anything. Not that Lunk needed an explanation.

Lunk had cried himself to sleep many nights when Dad was living at home. Before they moved to Rolling Meadows. The last time he cried was after his dad left for good.

“Let’s go back down real slow,” Cooper said. “Check one more time. Then we’ll check the other lots.”

Lunk nodded and let Coop take the lead. They rode down the ramps from one level to the next, scanning the parking spaces.

Lunk’s mind drifted to the assembly at school, thinking about all the kids who raised their hands, who wanted to help. Would they have been as anxious to help if it had been Lunk who was missing? Would girls have huddled together, crying over Lunk like they had for Gordy? Would guys like Cooper break down at the thought of losing him? Not likely.

No, they wouldn’t. In fact, some would be relieved. His mom would grieve, though. He was all she had. But beyond her, who would really care? Why did the decent ones have the worst things happen to them?

They rounded another level, coasting down the ramp. No silver minivan. No clues to lead them to Gordy. “God,” Lunk whispered. “If you’re really out there and you really care, which I’m not so sure you do, how could you let this happen?” His throat burned.

Lunk was going through the motions searching for Gordy. Looking for a van that didn’t exist. Not in Rolling Meadows, anyway. If the van was sitting in a parking lot someplace, it was more likely in Wisconsin or Indiana, depending on which way the kidnapper headed. If the van was in town, it would have been found by now. By the cops or Gordy’s dad.

Yeah, Lunk was definitely involved in the search effort. But it
wasn’t because he felt there was any real hope of finding Gordy. It was more about being a friend to Coop. Until Coop came to grips with reality. Until he accepted what Lunk already knew. Gordy was gone, and he was never coming back.

Coop had the lead, and he pedaled down to the next level in the concrete parking garage. “We still have three or four more levels,” he said over his shoulder.

Did he really believe it would make a difference? There could be twenty more levels, and they weren’t going to find that minivan. Lunk hung back a bike length or two. He wasn’t looking at the parked cars so much. He kept his eyes on Cooper.

Cooper swiped at his cheeks. Knocking back tears, no doubt. Was he beginning to accept the truth? You wouldn’t know it by watching him. Coop stayed on high alert, looking from one side to the other as if he might see the silver minivan at any moment. Desperately searching for a trail leading somehow to Gordy. Like so many were doing. Coop’s dad. Gordy’s dad. Their entire families. The police. Hiro. Kids at school. All of them on a useless, hopeless quest.

Now Lunk felt his eyes burning. If God was real, then he was no better than his own dad—hurting decent people. Cruel. “Why didn’t you take me, God?” He felt tears pooling. “You should have taken
me.
Less people would have cried.”

H
iro sat at her desk and stared at her dad’s leather Chicago Police jacket hanging in the open closet. Her mom’s talk had
really
been about dying young. The fact that terrible things happen to decent people. Like her dad. And now something terrible had happened to Gordy.

Her mom would be keeping a close eye on her—and that didn’t exactly work when it came to looking for Gordy. Hiro understood, but her mom didn’t understand that she
needed
to look for Gordy. This had nothing to do with trying to be a cop herself. Ever since her dad died, her mom had tried to discourage Hiro’s dreams of being a cop. Gordy was her friend, and Gordy was in trouble—so doing nothing to help wasn’t an option. It was as simple as that.

Hiro walked to the closet and felt the thick leather sleeve. “If you were here, Dad, you’d understand.”
Or would he
? No, the truth was, Dad would have put her on a short leash too. But her dad would have joined the hunt himself. And that would’ve made all the difference.

She slumped into her chair and thought about Coop and Lunk. They must have finished checking the hospital parking lots long before now. Did they find the minivan?

She checked her phone. No messages. Which could mean anything—good or bad news. Why hadn’t Coop texted her?

All they had was bad news, especially the fact that no ransom call had come. She checked the time on her phone. Nearly eight o’clock. They’d passed the twenty-four hours mark. A ransom demand would be good news at this point. It would mean Gordy was still alive—and probably unhurt. If a call didn’t come tonight, they would all have to face the fact that Gordy wasn’t coming back.

She didn’t want to go there. Didn’t want to consider that possibility, but if she was going to be a cop someday, she’d have to get used to considering all the options. How did Detective Hammer put it? Keep all the options open.

And if there wasn’t a ransom call, then Gordy wasn’t abducted so some low-life could squeeze ransom money out of his parents. It was something else. Gordy could be a victim of the growing human trafficking business in America—in the world, really. He’d be sold to the highest bidder. If that was the case, the guy who kidnapped Gordy was a modern-day slave trader.

If Gordy died, he wouldn’t be the only one. It wouldn’t be a single grave he’d lie in. A big part of his family and friends would be buried with him—including Coop.

A thought popped into her mind. Immediately she flipped open her laptop and did a search. Within fifteen minutes, she had more information than she wanted. Her stomach felt sick. With trembling hands she picked up her phone and dialed Coop.

He answered on the second ring. “Sorry, Hiro. Should have called sooner. There’s nothing at Northwest. Lunk and I are just sitting at Frank’n Stein’s.” He sounded defeated.

She wasn’t going to make him feel any better. “Coop.” Hiro didn’t know where to start. “I think I might have something.”

“Tell me,” he said with urgency in his voice. Hope or fear?

“Not over the phone. I need to show you.”

He paused, like he was thinking through different scenarios.

“We’ll be there in five.”