Tick Tock Terror by Melanie Jackson

Author:Melanie Jackson
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459819573
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2018-10-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

I froze. What had I been thinking? This wasn’t the perfect moment. Just the opposite. I was trespassing. If the guard saw me, he would call the cops. I’d be busted.

I doubted there was a way to climb out of juvie court.

I cursed myself for being so arrogant. I thought of Hogg shaking his head and rolling his eyes. He knew me better than I did.

Varken clapped an arm around the guard’s shoulders. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I could tell that Varken was leading the guard toward the tunnel.

As Varken had said, a metal supply box sat on the horizontal bar. Kind of coffin-shaped. Edgar Allan would have approved.

I unfastened the latch, lifted the lid. I pulled the bag from my backpack.

I thought of the raven, of the way its eyes shone. Of its smooth ebony that glinted red in the light.

I stashed the bag in the supply box. I hoped I was doing the right thing. I didn’t like the thought of the raven being cooped up. But at least it was safe.

I shut the lid.

As I climbed down, Varken jabbed his forefinger up at me. I figured he’d distracted the guard.

“You planning to hang a coat on that?” I called.

I was only about five feet off the ground. I decided not to take the footholds the rest of the way down. That jabby finger could poke an eye out. Instead I jumped sideways.

Varken fumed. “Don’t get funny with me, climbing boy. Did you hide the bag like I told you? Because if you didn’t hide it, if you just pretended to, I’ll find out.”

I stared at his finger, white and bony in the night air. It reminded me of the skeleton’s broken-off hand.

I pulled my jacket pockets inside out. I showed him the inside of my backpack. No raven.

Varken bared his yellow teeth at me. “Fine. We’re done, you and I. We don’t know each other. Now get out.”

He shuffled off.

I stared at his bent, retreating figure. If you didn’t hide it, I’ll find out. But how would he find out? It’s not like he would climb the Pendulum.

I thought of something else too. Varken wasn’t going to leave his precious package up there forever. One day he’d want it back.

He would get somebody else to climb. Some other stupid-confident kid.

Maybe he’d force Bull to do it. Bull seemed scared enough of Varken to do anything. Where had Bull gone, anyway?

I tucked my jacket pockets back in. Then I remembered. They were empty—but my jeans pocket wasn’t.

I still had to return Varken’s money.

“Wait!” I shouted.

It was no use. Varken didn’t hear me. He was on his cell phone. I watched him disappear around the roller coaster.

I ran after him.

On the other side of the coaster was a long white trailer marked PARK EMPLOYEES ONLY.

The lights were on in the trailer. I got up close. Through an open window I could see Bull at a counter. He was clanking a spoon in a steaming mug.

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