Free Back Before Dark by Tim Shoemaker Page A

drive through Rolling Meadows without seeing Gordy.”
    Cooper wanted to make up for the lack of hope he saw in Lunk’s eyes. “After we find him, the guy will be a celebrity.”
    Lunk nodded like he agreed. “What’s next?”
    Cooper had been working on that one ever since Frank’n Stein’s. “We can go door to door down School Drive. See if anybodysaw the minivan after we lost sight of it. Maybe somebody saw it turn a corner.” If the van turned east, away from Route 53, that would confirm the theory that the van stayed in the area.
    It was a shot in the dark. He knew it. And by the looks on the others’ faces, they felt the same way. What were the chances somebody noticed a silver minivan? The backpack on the roof was the only thing that would have made it stand out. And by the time the kidnapper made his getaway, it was getting dark enough to easily miss a detail like that.
    The last thing they could afford was to waste time. “Or we can bike over to Northwest Community Hospital. Cruise through their lots.”
    Hiro brightened at that suggestion. “It’s only a couple miles away. A perfect place to dump a hot car.”
    “And pick up a new one,” Lunk said. “Let’s check it.”
    They had to do
something.
Cooper pushed off and headed east down the sidewalk along Kirchoff Road. He felt jumpy, like he’d had a double dose of 5-hour Energy. As long as he kept moving, kept looking, kept the search alive, he felt okay. But stopping drove him nuts.
    Hiro wheeled up beside him. “A parking garage may be our best bet.”
    Cooper’s thoughts exactly. Switching cars in a more open parking lot would have been insane. Dumping the car would be easy enough, but transferring Gordy? Impossible. A parking garage was a different story.
    Cooper patted his pocket for the phone. If they saw the minivan, he wanted to call the police pronto. Or maybe after looking through the windows himself.
    Hiro’s phone rang with a new ring tone that wasn’t a ring but was actually a cop’s voice, deep and tough, repeating part of the Miranda rights. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you.”
    Lunk looked at Hiro in disbelief. “Really?”
    Sometimes Hiro’s face was easy to read. She seemed to say
he’d
better remain silent. She stopped pedaling, coasting to a stop nearly in front of Taco Bell, and answered the phone. Cooper circled back and pulled up beside her. Lunk did the same.
    Phone in her hand, Hiro shrugged at Cooper and mouthed the words “my Mom.”
    Cooper used the opportunity to check his own phone. No new messages or texts. He sent Mom a quick text explaining where he was and when he thought he’d be home.
    He didn’t want to listen in on Hiro’s conversation, but he decided to hang there for a moment and be sure it didn’t have to do with Gordy.
    “Of course I’m being careful,” Hiro said. “I’m with Coop. And Lunk.” Her face clouded, and she shook her head. “Nothing’s going to happen, Mom. We just finished the flyers. Now we’re going to check parking lots. Look for the minivan.”
    Cooper’s stomach tightened. Hiro’s mom was pulling in the reins. The very thing he dreaded might happen.
    Tyler King walked across the parking lot from the Global Gamer. He nodded at Cooper. “I got an okay from the boss to put the picture on the website,” he said. “I should have it up tonight.”
    “Thanks,” Cooper said. What else could he say? The guy was trying to help, but a picture on the Global Gamer website didn’t sound real promising. The truth was, all the flyers they’d posted seemed to be a shot in the dark.
    Tyler opened the door to Taco Bell and disappeared inside.
    Cooper turned his focus back to Hiro. Tears were pooling in her eyes now. She swiped them away and squared her shoulders. “Mom, please. It’s still early. I need to do this.”
    She looked down, probably hoping