Valley of Death by Gloria Skurzynski Read Free Book Online

surveillance. We won’t lose them, you can be sure of that. Before you could even get out of this building and into your car, the California Highway Patrol helicopter will be in the air, and it’ll stay right above that pickup truck. The fugitives won’t get away. As the saying goes, they can run, but they can’t hide.”
    â€œI don’t care, I want to be there,” Steven demanded. “It’s my daughter we’re talking about!”
    Placing his hands on Steven’s shoulders, Hank guided him back into his chair and said, “This is a hostage situation, Mr. Landon, and we don’t want anyone to make any foolish moves. For now all we want to do is observe the fugitives—no confrontations. Our main job is to get your daughter back safely.”
    â€œIt’s all right, Steven,” Olivia murmured. As she laid her head on his shoulder, he put his arms around her, each of them trying to comfort the other.
    Next to Jack, Leesa sat quietly crying. Maybe she was feeling guilty over what had happened, even though it wasn’t her fault. If anybody was at fault, he thought, he was. Why hadn’t he gone with Ashley and Leesa, instead of letting them wander off by themselves? Emotions churned inside him, making him wish he had someone to reach out to, someone he could tell how terrible he felt. He glanced at Leesa and cautiously placed his hand over hers. This time she didn’t pull away.
    â€œThey’ve already done a license check on the pickup truck,” Hank was saying. “I figured it would be registered to Leesa’s father, but it isn’t.”
    Steven told him, “Leesa’s father and brother are in jail because Aaron’s parents pressed charges against them. They were arrested for assault, and as far as I know, they haven’t been released on bail.”
    Checking a computer screen, Hank said, “The truck is registered to a Robert Miller in San Bernardino County, California.”
    â€œCalifornia?” Steven repeated.
    â€œThe Unit has branches everywhere,” Leesa told them. “They must have found out you were bringing me here, and they contacted the California branch. Those men wouldn’t know what I look like, so they took Ashley by mistake.”
    â€œHow would they have known who we were or where we went?” Olivia asked.
    Steven answered, “Maybe someone spied on us at Furnace Creek last night. And followed us this morning.”
    The motorcycle, Jack thought.
    Dabbing her eyes with the sleeve of her rumpled shirt, Leesa stood up to face Hank and said, “Take me to them. It’s me they want. If I go with them, they’ll release Ashley.”
    Like puppets pulled by the same string, all three adults shook their heads. Olivia brushed tears from her own eyes before she answered, “That’s very brave of you, Leesa, but it’s not a solution. We have to let the law-enforcement people handle this their own way.” Then, after a pause,” Would you really want to go with them?”
    â€œNo!” Leesa wailed. “I don’t want to go back to The Unit. I want to find my mother. But if they’d give Ashley back, I’d go with them.”
    Olivia hugged her then and patted her long dark hair, murmuring, “It will all work out.” She didn’t look as though she believed her own words.
    The phone rang again, and this time Hank switched on the speaker phone so they all could hear what was being said. “Hank, this is Marvin reporting. The pickup truck turned off on the scenic loop road going to the old Harmony Borax Works—guess the driver thought it was a through road. When it petered out, he tried to drive across the dry lake bed, but the truck bogged down in the sand. Three occupants got out—two adult males and a young girl. Looks like the men are heavily armed. Right now they’re walking into the desert.”
    â€œInto the desert? Those idiots.