The Abduction by Gordon Korman

Author:Gordon Korman [Korman, Gordon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2013-09-03T04:00:00+00:00

In the shadow of the swing set where he and Meg had once played, Aiden confronted the FBI agent who had contributed more than anyone else to the Falconer family’s sorrows.

Harris listened patiently as Aiden told him of the incident at the school where Meg had brought down the American flag.

The tall man took a sip of his coffee. “An accident — freak hit with a baseball bat.”

“Now the same thing has happened in Alexandria,” Aiden persisted. “Two flags, side by side. That can’t be a coincidence.”

Harris shrugged. “Vandalism. Happens all the time, especially in a district like Quincy that’s all factories and warehouses. Nobody lives there. The whole area empties out at night. There’s nothing to connect that act to Meg.”

Aiden was growing frustrated. “You’re not listening. Meg got into a lot of trouble over that flag thing. She knows I’d remember. This is a message from her. I’m positive.”

The FBI man tried to be kind. “I hear what you’re saying. But you have to admit it’s pretty flimsy. Ever been to Quincy? It goes on for miles — hundreds of buildings, half of them abandoned. It takes manpower to search an area like that — manpower I don’t have and couldn’t get if I asked for it. Not on a hunch.”

Aiden knew his theory sounded far-fetched. But there was something inside of him — something tied to Meg — that was sure this wasn’t just a hunch. “Picture it, Agent Harris. She gets away from her kidnappers for just a few seconds. No one’s around; everything’s closed; no way to reach a phone. And then she sees these two flagpoles.”

Harris hesitated. It was a long shot — the kind of conjecture that could only come from a desperate family member. Yet there was a tiny part of the improbable story that rang true. As fugitives, the Falconer kids had depended on each other 1,000 percent — so much so that they were often thinking with a single mind. If Meg had the chance to send a message, it made perfect sense that she’d send it to her brother. If the kidnappers were near, she couldn’t use a signal they’d be able to catch. She’d have to choose something only Aiden would know was a signal….

“Tell you what,” he said finally. “I’ll call over to Alexandria PD. I’ll let them know what’s going on, ask them to keep an eye open.”

“That’s no good!” All of Aiden’s frustrations exploded. “That’s like saying while you’re writing parking tickets, if you happen to notice a kidnapped girl tied up in the backseat, report it! If you won’t do this right, I will! My dad and I will go over to Alexandria and search those warehouses ourselves!”

“Your father,” Harris reminded him, “has agreed to play things my way, because that’s what’s best for Meg. I know you think we’re all idiots at the FBI. But this is not my first kidnapping. A case like this requires calm professionalism, not going off on a wild-goose chase after a lead that’s probably nothing.

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