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| Chapter One | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| It was a hot day in July and sixteen year-old Trixie Belden and her best friends, Honey Wheeler and Diana Lynch, were at the Wheeler's lake cooling off. They had been in the lake for a good part of the day and Trixie and Diana had made plans to spend with Honey since both of her parents were away on a surprise business trip. Honey's older brother, Jim, had a job in New York City for the summer and was staying at the Wheeler's apartment in the City. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| After an hour more of cooling off and horsing around, Diana made a very Mart-like statement. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'm starving." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh, help!" yelped Trixie as she sat up on the raft in the middle of the lake. "She's starting to sound just like him! Quick, Honey, we need to save her while we can!" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Trixie and Honey simultaneously grabbed Di and shoved her off of the raft. She hit the water and came back up with a big sputter. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Trixie! I bet that you're just as hungry as I am!" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Trixie had the grace to look sheepish. "Well, I am a little hungry. Why don't we pack a basket and take it on a trail ride?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Sure," said Honey. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As the girls passed the stables, Di noticed that Regan's old Dodge truck was gone. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Where's Regan?" she asked Honey as a warm summer breeze blew her soaked tresses around her head. With one hand she deftly gathered her hair behind her head and held it as she peeked into the door of the stables. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I think he said something this morning about going into town with Dan and picking up feed. He should be back in just a little while." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Would he mind if we took the horses out while he's gone?" asked Trixie. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No," said Honey truthfully. "Not as long as we groom the horses when we get back and clean the tack." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As they rounded the corner of the stables to fully view the Manor House, Trixie?s sharp eyes caught upon something that looked out of place. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Honey, your parents weren't expecting visitors, were they?" asked Trixie. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No, I don't believe that they were," said Honey, puzzled. "But the business trip came up very unexpectedly this morning, so it's possible that they were and in the rush of packing they forgot." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well, there's a red Toyota and a box van in the driveway," said Trixie, her keen eyes gazing around to take in their surroundings. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As they neared closer to the vehicles, Diana frowned. "There's no one in them. Surely they wouldn't be in the house, we're the only ones home." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What about Celia," asked Trixie as she took in the details of the cars, quickly memorizing the plates on both the Toyota and the van. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "She left with Tom to take Mother and Daddy to the City," explained Honey, "and it's Cook's day off." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I really don't like the looks of this," Trixie said as the three girls let themselves into Manor House. As soon as they stepped inside, they glanced around the hall. Not seeing anything suspicious, they went into the family room. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Ummm, Honey, I think we have a problem," stated Trixie as she quickly took in the contents of the room, or rather, lack thereof. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh my God!" said Honey, and with good reason. Inside the large entertainment center, the Wheelers large screen plasma T.V., DVD player, X-Box and accompanying games, plus DVDs, were missing. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I think," said Trixie slowly, "that it would be within our best interests to get leave. Now!" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The three girls started back through the family room, but froze as they heard someone coming down the staircase. They tried to reverse their path to head out another door, but were quickly stopped by a greasy-haired man with many vulgar tattoos. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Now, where are you three pretty little things going? It's so nice of you to join us," leered the ugly man as he quickly grabbed Diana's arm and shoved a gun up to the side of her head. "Now, you two nice little ladies are going to walk over to the couch over there and sit down, or your friend is going to be a little less pretty." He shoved Diana in the direction of the blue couch with Trixie and Honey quickly scampering ahead of him, fear for their friend trailing them like thunder. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Hey, boss!" called out Greasy, as Trixie was calling him in her head. "Some pert little things decided to join our outing. You think we have time to play?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| An evil chuckled sounded from the staircase where a man in heavy work boots was taking his time making his way downstairs. "All work and no play makes for a very dull afternoon," he stated lazily. "I do believe that we can make time." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The man reached the bottom of the stairs, and he and Trixie gasped in recognition at the same time. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You!" the man snarled as he menacingly made his way to where Trixie was trembling in fear on the couch. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Go on to Chapter Two | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Author's Notes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Return to Misc Stories Index | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||