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Chapter 13

  "Here", Josh whispered. He handed Zane a pair of rubber gloves. "Put these on."

   "Why?", Zane asked, but he still took the gloves.

   "We can search the house without having to worry about fingerprints", Josh answered, slipping on his pair. "This way no one will know we were even here."

   Zane nodded. "Good idea", he whispered as he slid his fingers into his gloves. If the person responsible for Erin's disappearance comes back, they won't be able to know we're on to them.

   Zane sighed softly. I just hope whoever's responsible hasn't hurt Erin.

   Zane followed Josh to the back of the house. They checked the door only to find it locked. When they tried the windows, they were successful in finding one of them unlocked. Slowly and quietly, both boys opened the window just enough for them to crawl through. Josh, being the tallest, went in first, then he helped Zane through.

   The house was quiet. Eerily quiet. Zane and Josh stood up and looked at their surroundings. They were in the kitchen; there was counter in the middle of the room, not too far from a circular dining table with four chairs. To Zane's surprise, a breakfast meal was still there, almost untouched. "What do you think happened here?", Zane asked, walking over to the table.

   "I don't know", Josh answered, following him. He stuck his finger into the coffee. "It freezing!", he whispered.

   Zane picked up a piece of bacon and broke it in half. "This is stale", he whispered back, setting the pieces back onto the plate. "What made them get up and leave?"

   "Not sure", Josh answered, wiping his finger on his pants. "Let's check out the rest of the house."

   The boys walked through the first floor, being careful not to miss anything. Everything seemed fine. They checked the upstairs, only to get the same results.

   "I don't get it", Josh muttered as he sat down on Erin's bed. It's hot pink and orange sparkling sheets were smoothed out and tucked into the mattress. "Everything seems normal. Apart from the breakfast scene."

   "Well, we know they left in the middle of breakfast", Zane replied, looking around the large room. Her white walls were covered with posters of bands and movies that Zane didn't even recognize. Except for Evanescence and Lindsay Stirling.

   "But who took them?", Josh whispered.

   "The terrorists?", Zane asked.

   "Maybe", Josh sighed, "but why would they take a whole family in broad daylight? And how did they do it? They would have had to have-"

   "Wait!"

   Zane rushed over to the nightstand. It was white with pink spray paint splotches all over it. On it was a small lamp, which shadowed an alarm clock and a book. Zane picked up the book and read the cover. "This is the Bible!", he exclaimed. He faced it toward Josh. "It's the same as mine. Only my cover is red."

   Josh took the book from Zane. "This is the book with the prophecies?", he asked. "I didn't know she read this. She never mentioned reading it."

   "Neither did I", Zane replied, "but now we know that this book had something to do with Erin's disappearance. Now we have a lead!"

Slam!

   Both boys froze. Somebody was running around the first floor. No, somebodies. There was mumbling, and something broke. Zane's heart nearly jumped out of his chest when he heard a deep voice boom, "Zane Kealer! Joshua Rogers! You're under arrest for breaking and entering government property! Come out with your hands over your head!"