“You got it.”
Dana hopped back into the car and they pulled down the road. Steve turned his attention back to the shed. He peered over the edge of the arroyo and surveyed the lay-out.
“Hey,” he shouted. “Anybody here? I’ve brought the money.”
Fred shouted from behind the building. “Walk up and leave it at the shed. Then go back across the arroyo. Make sure you don’t look back.”
“No deal. I want to see the kids first.”
“They’re in the shed and they’re scared. You better hurry.”
Fred’s voice sounded strange, strained. Steve noticed it more than he had on the phone. “Okay, I’m coming,” Steve said.
He ran down the wall of the arroyo and up the other side, and then zigzagged to the shed. When he banged on the door, the boys began to scream.
Fred rang his cell phone. “See. They’re okay.
