GHOST SITTER
(Part 5)
It was well after 10pm
when Josh and Tara, having snuck out again and gotten Robin's spare key out of
her car, made it to Dallas/Fort Worth
International Airport. They parked in the lot, then got out and stood looking
at the car apprehensively.
"You think she'll notice?" asked Josh, as they examined a large dent in the
front left side.
"Not unless she's
got eyes," replied Tara, sarcastically. "I told you to slow
down!"
"Well, I told you to
watch the road!" retorted Josh.
"Oh, forget it!
Let's just go in and find Robin and Kathy," sighed Tara. "We've
checked all other terminals with flights from Pittsburgh; she's gotta be in
this one."
They passed through a set
of sliding doors and a metal detector to the waiting area. "Are you sure
you know what she looks like?" Josh asked.
"Yeah, I do, you
just keep your eyes open for Rob," said Tara.
They gazed around for a
few moments more, then Tara pointed to
a girl sitting tiredly on a bench in the middle. "That's her. Do you see
Robin around her?"
"Nah," said
Josh. "Maybe she gave up."
"I dunno," Tara responded with a shrug.
"Let's just get Kathy and explain it to her."
"Yeah, maybe she'll
drive better than you!" added Josh.
Kathy Martin brightened as
she saw the two approaching. "Tara, right?" she
asked. Tara nodded and she added, "And you must be Josh."
"Yeah, how'd you
know?" he asked.
"With all the
pictures and letters she's sent about you two, I'd know you from a mile
away," Kathy smiled. "So, where is Mouse, anyway?"
"Well, we gotta
explain that part," said Tara, sitting down next to Kathy.
"You're gonna love
this one," nodded Josh, sitting on the floor.
After explaining
everything from the moment Josh had splashed the potion on Robin to the
present, Tara and Josh sat back to allow Kathy to take it all in.
"I don't believe
it!" she gasped.
"I knew you
wouldn't," said Josh.
"No, I do, but I'm
just really surprised," replied Kathy, shaking her head. "See, I'm an
aspiring fiction writer. I guess
writing about strange things happening to people is one thing; having them
happen for real is another." She sat back for a moment, then said,
"Well, what do we do now?"
"We were kinda
hoping you'd know, since you’re the closest thing to an adult who actually
believes us," shrugged Tara.
"Well," she
began, "I guess the first thing we oughta do is find Robin. Can you see
her around here, Josh?"
"Nope," he
replied.
"Then she's gotta
still be at that shop, if she ever made it," said Kathy. "Anyway,
it's as good a place to start as any."
"Then we better head
over there," said Tara.
"I'll drive!"
shouted Josh.
"Uh, maybe we better
take a cab," laughed Kathy.
"You can't drive,
either?" asked Tara.
"I don't even have a
permit," replied Kathy.
"Well, at least let
me lock the car up," said Josh, holding his hand out for the key. Tara
handed it to him and Kathy said,
"We'll call the cab
company and wait out front, so just meet us there."
Josh nodded and ran out
of the lobby to the street and toward the car. A small moving van was parked in
front of it, so he went to walk around it. Almost immediately, the doors opened
and a man jumped out of the cab and headed toward him. He wasn't sure what made
him feel nervous about the man, but Josh looked at him for a moment, then
turned to run back to the gate. Instead, he ran into a tall Japanese man in
black, dropping the car key as he did. The man smiled down at him and placed a
hand on his shoulder.
"What's the hurry,
young man?" he asked, his teeth incredibly white.
Josh's eyes opened wide,
along with his mouth, but the other man grabbed him from behind before he could
yell and put a hand over his mouth. Swiftly, they opened the back and threw him
in, relocking it after they had gotten him inside.
"Help! Lemme out
here! Somebody help!" he began hollering.
"Josh?" came a
voice.
"Robin, is that
you?" he replied, looking around in the darkness.
"Yeah, where are
you?"
"By the door! Where
are you?"
"I'm in the corner
by Mr. Tishaki."
Josh fumbled around in
the dark towards her, nearly tripping
over him as he did. He knelt down beside the man and said, "Mr.
Tishaki?"
"He's out
cold," said Robin. "They shot him with a tranquilizer dart at the
store."
"What are you doing
in here?"
"I made it to the
store and these guys were ganging up on Mr. Tishaki," said Robin.
"They shot him with the dart and put him in this truck, but when I tried
to get in and check on him, I accidentally got locked in here, too."
Joshua, however, was only
partially paying attention. He had knelt on something hard and was picking it
up as Robin spoke. He couldn't see it, but it felt like a small rod of glass.
Curious, he tucked it in his pocket to look at later. "What's he doing in
here?" he asked, gesturing in the dark to the unconscious man.
"What we're all
doing in here is what I wanna know," replied Robin. "Where are we
right now?"
"The airport,"
said Josh. "We came to pick up Kathy."
"How?"
"Your car."
"Jo-osh!" she
wailed. "How could you..." The van lurched into motion and she said,
"Quick, get up and start yelling again; maybe somebody outside'll hear
you."
"Alright,
so you and Robin and Mr. T..." began Jake.
"Mr.
Tishaki," corrected Josh.
"Right,
him. You're all in this van and Kathy and Tara are doing what?"
"They
found my key on the ground and tailed us in Robin's car."
"I
thought you told me before Kathy couldn't drive, either?"
"I
know."
Jake
sighed. "About how long did all this take?"
"Well,
we drove around for a while and then we finally stopped. I guess it was about
15 or 20 minutes later. The guys who threw me in got into the back with us,
then they opened this hole in the floor and made me climb down it. Robin fell
down it, 'cause she couldn't hang on to anything."
"Down
to the ground?"
"No,
down underground. Like, this hole in the van connected to this underground
tunnel. We went into this big grey hallway and they took Mr. Tishaki into one
room and put me and Robin into another."
"Could
they see her?"
"No,
but she couldn't get out, either, 'cause they locked the door."
"So
then what happened?"
"Well,
Robin and I sat and waited for a while to see what was gonna happen..."
"I still can't
believe you took my car after I told you not to, man," sighed Robin.
"If we hadn't taken
your car, Kathy'd still be at the airport and you and Mr. T would be here by
yourself and nobody'd know where you were," Josh replied.
"Oh, I see! So, now
we're both here with Mr. T and nobody knows where we are. Good thinking,
Josh!" said Robin sarcastically. He made a great show of pretending to
laugh at her joke and she did the same to him. "So now what do you propose
we do, O Wise and Omnipotent One?" asked Robin.
"I say we find a way
and blow this pop stand," said Josh, standing up and looking around the room
for an escape route. The only things in the room, however, were a bench, a
small vent and a long mirror near the top of the 10-foot high vaulted ceiling.
"That looks like an
observation window," said Robin, looking up.
"Looks like an
ordinary mirror to me," said Josh, checking his reflection.
"It's supposed
to," said Robin. "An observation window is a double sided mirror that
people can watch you through without being seen. See, on the other side of that
mirror, there might be somebody keeping an eye on us."
Josh looked up
thoughtfully for a moment, then said, "If I could just get enough of a
running start, maybe I could hit the window with my shoe and break it. Then I
could turn the bench upside down and be outta here."
"Unless somebody's
up there," added Robin.
"I'll take that
chance."
"What about
me?"
"What about
you?" Robin gasped in exasperation and he laughed. "I'm just kidding,
I'll come down and unlock the door to let you out."
"Well, give it a
try, man," said Robin, sitting down and relaxing. "But you better be
careful."
"No prob," said
Josh, already setting the bench underneath the window. He took off one of his
British Knights and limped over to the corner, then ran full tilt at the bench.
As soon as he did, he ran partially up the wall, getting incredible traction
until his socked foot hit the wall. He slipped, lost his momentum and landed
spread eagle on the bench below.
"Omigod, my
nards!" he gasped, his face strained in agony.
"Great plan, poor
execution," replied Robin, shaking her head. "I give it a thumbs
down."
"Very funny,"
muttered Josh, with a groan.
"Hold yer water for
a second, I think somebody's up there in that observation room.
"I don't
see..."
"Young man, whom are
you speaking to?" came a voice over a set of speakers. Josh looked around
in surprise.
"I told you,"
said Robin.
"Yeah, I know,"
he replied. "None of your business!" he shouted, looking up at the
mirror.
"Oh, but it is my
business," came the voice. "I am Yushiro Tishaki, brother to the man
who has given you use of the soul potion. My brother does not seem to be as
willing to divulge the whereabouts of his antidote for the potion as you might
be to save your friend."
"What friend?"
"Why, the one who
has spilled the soul potion on herself. We know she is having a most trying
time and wish to help her."
"Like heck you
do!" yelled Josh. "If you were gonna help her, why did you kidnap
us?"
"Us?"
"Josh, no!"
gasped Robin. "If he finds me here, he won't need you anymore!"
"Oops," said
Josh, sheepishly.
"Give me the
infrared heat scope," came Yushiro's voice, suddenly, as if he'd just
thought of something. A small periscope
lowered down from the ceiling. There was a moment of silence, then he said, "Gentleman,
I believe we have captured more than one mouse in this trap. I want you to
monitor the conversation this boy is having and try to get the frequency of the
responses."
"Responses,
sir?" questioned another man in the background.
"Yes, responses. The
scope shows that we've accidentally captured the girl who had the soul potion,
too. The moment you get her voice on line, get rid of the boy." said
Yushiro.
"What if she doesn't
talk?"
"Then follow the
sound of her breathing," came the slightly exasperated reply. "I
shall inform my brother of the new developments."
"They're gonna kill
me!" Josh gasped, turning to Robin in a panic.
"Not if they can't
hear me," said Robin.
"Okay, don't
talk!" said Josh. "And don't breathe!"
"I'm working on
it!" snapped Robin.