Free Jumper by Michele Bossley Page A

all the clues.
    Grandpa and Kayla had disappeared. Bellamy was still going ahead with his plan to ship the horses.
    He had taken the truck and gone somewhere—maybe to the shed, as he claimed. But what was he doing there? Loose bolts shouldn’t be much of a problem—anyone with a wrench could take care of that. Why a special trip to the shed?
    And then the pieces came together.
    What if Bellamy had managed to lock Grandpa in the horse trailer? It would have been no big deal for Bellamy to force Kayla in there too.
    I didn’t think Bellamy would really hurt them. He could get serious jail time for that, and Bellamy was in this to make a fast buck. He just needed them out of the way long enough so he could carry out his plans. He probably drove them somewhere in the trailer, tied or locked them up, then came back to load the horses. It couldn’t be far away either, or else he wouldn’t have gotten back so fast.
    I peeked between the hay bales, my gaze landing on the log shed Bellamy had stopped at in the truck. It was at the end of the drive, nearly at the road, half visible through the bushes.
    The shed. It seemed too obvious. But, after all, there weren’t many other choices. And it did make sense—Bellamy didn’t really need to take the truck all the way down there to tighten a few bolts with a wrench. That was just a flimsy excuse to avoid having the hired guy ask too many questions.
    By the time Grandpa and Kayla managed to get free—if they could—it would be too late. I swallowed hard at that thought. Bellamy would have his money and it would be our word against his that it had been the wild mustangs that were slaughtered.
    I shuddered and clasped my hands tightly to stop them from shaking. Bellamy backed the truck up to the corral gate, and the younger man stepped out from the barn and saddled Hoser. I crouched even lower to the ground as he swung up into the saddle. Bellamy whistled for the dogs, which set offwith the younger guy and the horse right away. Bellamy busied himself setting up the ramp into the trailer, then walked into the corral, out of my line of sight.
    My stomach was so knotted with worry that I felt sick. What if Grandpa had a heart attack or something? I couldn’t just sit here. I needed to investigate that shed. Bellamy was on the other side of the barn. I’d never have a better chance.
    I took off running, dodging as silently as possible behind the bushes and bracken that edged the drive. Once I was hidden, I stopped running, creeping instead. I knew that every branch and twig snapped like a gunshot, and if I moved fast the swaying of the bushes would be a dead giveaway that someone— me!—was there.
    My heart gave great leaping thuds and I gasped for breath as hard as if I’d run a mile uphill. Calm down, I told myself. Bellamy hasn’t seen you. But I knew he would be watching for me.
    The log shed was about five hundred meters away, but when you go that distanceon your hands and knees, it seems a lot longer. When I finally gave a careful glance around and emerged from the bushes, I felt like I’d been crawling through them for more than an hour. Lucky for me, the door to the shed was on the opposite side from the barn, so neither Bellamy nor the other guy could see me from the barn.
    â€œGrandpa?” My voice was hoarse. I put my mouth right up next to the door. “Kayla? Are you in there?”

chapter sixteen
    The shed was silent and I felt my heart sink.
    Then I heard a soft shuffling noise. Grandpa’s whisper was only a croak. “Reese?”
    â€œGrandpa!” I stifled the urge to shout with joy. “Are you and Kayla all right?”
    â€œWell, I’ve had better days,” Grandpa said. “And Kayla’s pretty shook up. But we’re okay.”
    â€œCan you get us out, Reese?” Kayla’s voice sounded thin and scared.
    I looked at the door. It was bolted with a heavy cast-iron