Trapped! by Peg Kehret Read Free Book Online Page B

Mary’s driveway and was backing up to the pigpen. Again, he left the truck door open when he got out.
    Alex and Rocky had cut across the yard and were already standing in front of the pen. Mary had gone inside.
    “I ain’t got all day,” the man said. “You sure you kids don’t have a key to that gate?”
    “I don’t have one,” Alex said.
    “Neither do I,” said Rocky.
    They knew Mary had the key, but they weren’t going to mention that.
    Mrs. Sunburg and Mary came out of the house together. “What’s going on here?” Mrs. Sunburg asked.
    “That’s my pig,” the man said. “I came to get her. I have a rope and a ramp. I’ll put her on my truck as soon as y’all open the pen.”
    “Can you prove this pig belongs to you?” Alex asked.
    “Prove? I don’t need to prove anything. It’s my pig! Iwas driving down the road when she fell off my truck, and when I went back to get her, she was gone. Stole! My brother saw on the TV news that some kids found her and took her to Valley View Estates. This is Valley View Estates, ain’t it?”
    “It is,” Mrs. Sunburg said.
    “Well, then, that proves the pig’s mine. Now if you’ll kindly open that lock, I’ll take my property and leave.”
    “The fact that this is Valley View Estates doesn’t prove who owns the pig,” Mary said.
    The man glared at her.
    “I’ve called the animal rescue group that delivered Piccolo here,” Mrs. Sunburg said. “They have custody of this pig, and they entrusted her to me. I can’t let her go.”
    “Then I’ll have to take her without your permission because she belongs to me.”
    Mrs. Sunburg folded her arms across her chest. “If you touch that pig, I’ll call the police.”
    “Police!” He spit out the word as if it tasted bitter. “Why would you call the cops?”
    “Because you broke the law by not keeping the pig safe in your truck,” Alex said.
    “You also left the scene of an accident,” Rocky said.
    “I wasn’t in any accident. It’s not my fault if the stupid pig jumped off the truck.”
    “The police gave custody of this pig to the FoothillsAnimal Rescue,” Mrs. Sunburg said. “You’ll need to discuss the matter with them or with the police.”
    “I ain’t talking to no cops,” the man said.
    While the people argued, Pete crept out from under his bush and slowly approached the open door of the truck. The distinct odor of a fried-egg-and-cheese sandwich wafted out of the cab, making Pete curious to see what Hogman might have on the seat. Had he just come from Mad Dogs Café or McDonald’s? Was there a bite or two of sandwich left in the wrapper, lying on the seat?
    Pete stood on his hind legs and stretched up to look inside the truck. He froze, forgetting all about a possible sandwich. What he saw in the truck was a far worse horror than anything he had ever seen or could have imagined. The fur rose along the ridge of Pete’s spine, and his tail bushed out to twice its normal size
.
    “Hey! Get away from my truck, cat!”
    Pete jumped at the sudden shout, then raced away from the truck as fast as he could run. Behind him, he heard the slam of the truck’s door. Pete climbed the nearest tree, clung to a low branch, then peered down through the leaves. Although he knew he was safe, the memory of what he’d seen made his heart pound and kept every nerve on edge.
    The man sat in the truck now, talking through the open window. “I’ll be back,” he said, “and I’ll have someone with me, to help load MY pig. The gate on that pen had betterbe unlocked when I get here because I’ll have my wire cutters in my pocket, and I’ll use them if I need to.”
    He started the engine, turned around on Mrs. Sunburg’s grass, and drove off.
    Mr. Kendrill, his hair still damp, rushed across the yard beside Benjie. He buttoned his shirt as he approached. “I was in the shower,” he said. “I came as fast as I could. What happened?”
    As the others explained, Benjie started to cry again. “That