Book 2-Alex Bishop in Follow That Mystery

Alex Bishop in Follow That Mystery

                                                                                     Chapter 54

                                                                             The Best Laid Plans

     Several teens stopped in at Principal Fuller's office after the assembly to name names of bullies, who were either tormenting them or their friends.  The principal was good to his word and took immediate action by calling said bullies to his office, and after having a serious talk with them, called their parents in for a conference the next day.

     He informed the bullies that they would be carefully watched for the rest of the day by the officer who regularly policed the building, and teachers and their fellow students, to make sure that they behaved themselves.  All that week many teens appeared in Principal Fuller's office to tell their stories of being bullied and giving the names of their tormentors.

     On Friday of that week, after having meetings with the victims and their parents and the bullies and theirs, Principal Fuller made a decision.  He told the parents of the bullying teens that their children would not be able to return to school after that day until each of them, were set up with an appointment with a accredited counselor who could help the teens changed their behavioral patterns.

     This counselor would keep in touch with Principal Fuller as to how each teen was responding to the therapy.  Principal Fuller warned the teens and their parents that if there was just one more instance of bullying, that boy or girl would be suspended for a week of school, and would have to do their lessons on the computer at home.

     The parents of the teens who had been the victims of these bullies were very grateful for the steps Principal Fuller took to make the school a bully free zone.  And they agreed that the teens doing the bullying needed help to change their bad behavior.  Jed, Avery, Alex and the others were very happy with the outcome of Jed and Avery's decision to get involved and try to make a difference.

    

     That Friday afternoon after school, Dawn told Alex and the others that she had bought some spirals to drop off at the shack, as the group had used up all the others.  Dawn, Alex and the other North Side Detectives were going out for hamburgers and fries anyway so they all said they'd just go along with her.  And so they did.

     When they got there Dawn was the first one to reach the door; the others were strolling along  talking about something funny that had happened to Fletch in one of his classes that day.  Everyone was laughing, except Fletch who was very embarrassed by the whole thing.  Dawn went to put her key in the lock, when she found that the padlock was missing and the door was slightly ajar.

     She quickly ran back to where her friends were still meandering down the path.  "Hey guys," she said in a semi hysterical voice, "There's someone in the shack.  The padlock is missing, and I heard two male voices inside."  Her friends gaped at her and Jed said, "Follow me boys.  You girls should maybe stay here for now."

     All the guys agreed that Jed had a good idea.  So Jed, Stan, Ben, Alex, Lee, Chet and Fletch slowly crept down the path and up to the front windows.  Jed was the first to look in.  Then he ducked back down and motioned for the others to move to the side of the shack.  "What is it?" Lee asked.  "You won't believe it," Jed said, "Larry and Will are in there," he said, shock all over his ruddy face.

     "What?"  Alex said, then gaping at him.  "I swear," Jed said, holding up a hand as if taking an oath.  The girls couldn't take the waiting game anymore, so came up behind the boys unannounced and giving them a start.  Fletch held his chest and said, "Man, you all scared me to death."  Lee chuckled softly.  "What's going on?"  Anna asked.  "Yeah.  We were worried something terrible had happened," Dawn told them, creeping over to Chet's side.

     Everyone of the boys took turns explaining the situation.  When they were done Glenna said, while whipping out her cell, "We need to call Detective Burns now!"  "Yeah.  Call him now," Alex said.  "But move father back into the woods so there's no chance Larry or Will can hear you."

     Glenna did as she was told and walked back to a clear place in the wooded area, void of brambles and trees and out of sight of the windows in the shack.  In the meanwhile, everyone else stationed themselves by twos outside the shack's windows, and Alex and Jed stood by the door.  Glenna joined Lee and Stan by a side window when she was done with her call.  "And," Lee asked her.  "He's on his way," she said on a grateful sigh.

     Stan sneaked around and told the other groups the news.  "Well, I guess we just wait," Fletch said nervously.  The words were barely out of his mouth when he, Jed and Alex heard chairs being moved around, and heard Larry say, (Jed recognized his voice) "We'd better get going.  Our ride will be here in fifteen minutes.

     "Oh boy," Fletch uttered with a worried look on his face.  Then Alex and the others heard Will say, "We can wait in the tower till he gets here.  This place gives me the creeps."  Alex, Jed and Fletch quickly gathered their friends together and Alex, not telling them why, led them to the back of the tower.  When they arrived Dawn said in a bossy voice, "Okay.  Why are we here?"

     But then her question was answered as Will and Larry came hurrying over to the door of the tower,  Dawn and Anna had to duck back behind it so they wouldn't be seen.  "Never mind," Dawn said.  Alex just smirked at her.  "What are we going to do if their ride gets here before the police do?" Ben asked.

     "We'll somehow have to stop them from leaving," Jed said with a shrug.  Fletch was standing next to Ben and they looked at each other, horrified.  Alex saw their faces and said, "Chill guys.  They aren't armed.  "But their friend may be," Ben said.  Alex and the others glanced at each other, now a little shaky themselves.

     "Where's Detective Burns?"  Glenna asked in a trembling voice.  "He said he'd be right here."  "I heard a couple of trains in the distance.  Maybe he's delayed because of that,"  Dawn said with a shiver.  Fifteen minutes went by and neither Detective Burns nor Larry and Will's friend had shown up.

     "This is not going according to plan,"  Dawn said, glaring into space.  "Great observation Miss obvious," Lee said, with grin at her.  Now she glared at him.  "I say we guys go in now and take them," Stan put in.  "Actually, that sounds like a good idea," Lee agreed.  "We could take them back to the shack," Alex said.  "That's where Detective Burns expects them to be."

     "Are you all nuts!"  Fletch said, in a soft voice, but by the look on his face, his meaning was loud enough.  "Don't worry Fletch," Jed assured him.  "Stan, Ben and I can take those two on a bad day."  "Well, okay then," Fletch said in relief.  Jed, Ben and Stan were about to head around the tower when a black S.U.V. pulled into the parking lot.  Fletch faced his friends and said with a great deal of terror on his freckled face, "Uh oh."

                                                                                 End of Chapter 54