Trixie’s neck hurt. So did her head. Her entire body was stiff. She tried to roll over, but couldn’t. She wondered where she was. As she opened her eyes, she saw water rushing past in the river. Everything that happened the night before rushed back to her head. She knew she needed to get loose. Aristotle and Marcus would be heading to Jim’s school that night. She tried to wiggle her fingers, but couldn’t. She had a feeling the circulation had been cut off because of her bonds.

She tried to wiggle her fingers to get the blood flowing. She had to get out of there.

I can’t believe I let this happen, Trixie thought. When I was on the phone with Jim last night, I should have told him what I was seeing. I shouldn’t have ended the conversation. If I had told him what I saw, maybe I wouldn’t be in this position now. But I can’t worry about that now. I need to get loose and get into town. I have to stop those two before they get to the Academy.

Trixie struggled for a while but finally stopped when she realized the bonds were tight. She closed her eyes and tried to figure out another way to get loose. She had to come up with something and soon.

*****

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when she jerked her head up. She looked around and realized she hadn’t been dreaming. She was tied to a tree near the river.

“Trixie! Where are you?!”

That has to be my imagination, she thought. No one is out here calling my name. I need to figure a way out of here.

She leaned forward and rubbed the handkerchief that had been shoved in her mouth against the rope. After a few minutes of struggling, the handkerchief fell around her neck. She let out a breath, but her mouth felt as if the handkerchief was still there.

“Please, Trixie! Answer me! Where are you?!”

Jim, she thought. That’s Jim voice.

“Jim,” she mumbled. She couldn’t talk any louder. She had to let Jim know her whereabouts. She knew she had one choice. Bob, bob-white, bob, bob-white.

Her call was answered.

“Trixie!”

She turned her head as Jim stepped around the tree. She was glad to see him. He leaned forward and kissed her quickly. When he pulled back, he said, “Let me get you loose.”

Within minutes, Trixie was sitting on the ground. Jim was rubbing her wrists trying to get the circulation flowing.

“How are you feeling now, Trix?”

“Better,” she said huskily. She picked up the water bottle Jim had brought with him and took a sip. Her mouth was still dry. “How did you find me?”

Jim slid closer to her. “I know you’re wondering, but I think that can wait. You need to be checked by a doctor.”

Trixie shook her head. “There’s no time.”

“There’s plenty of time.”

“No, there isn’t,” she insisted. She needed to tell him what was going on. “I saw the two men. They are planning something for tonight.”

“We already know that.”

Trixie started getting angry because Jim wasn’t listening. She knew she had to prove it to him. She took a breath, trying to remain calm. She touched his lips as she said, “You need to listen to me.”

He nodded and she pulled her hand away. She went on to explain what she overheard after she followed Aristotle into the alley. She told Jim how they spotted her and chased her into the woods before tying her to the tree the night before.

When she finished, Jim asked, “Are you sure they said ‘academy’?”

“That’s what they said. They need to be caught before they head to the school.”

“Hold on a sec, Trixie. I don’t want you going up against them by yourself. You already did and look what happened.”

“Jim, we can’t let them get away with this. Who knows what they are planning?”

“But you can’t do it by yourself!”

Trixie looked at Jim and knew he was right. She couldn’t handle this alone. She said quietly, “I know.”

“What?” He asked, “Could you repeat that? I wasn’t sure I heard you correctly.”

She stared at Jim and could see he was trying to keep a smile off his face. But he couldn’t. She knew he was kidding.

“Come on,” Jim said, getting to his feet. “Let’s go to the station and fill Chief Molinson in.”

“He’s not going to be happy to see me,” Trixie said reaching her hands up to Jim so he could pull her to her feet.

“I think he will be.” Jim pulled her up and wrapped his arm around her waist.

“What do you mean?”

As they slowly made their way through the woods away from the river, Jim explained what happened. “After the way you hung up the phone, I was a little angry with you. But I knew you were onto something. I tried your phone several times, but you had it off. I finally called your parents, and they told me how you caught Bobby stealing.”

“I bet Moms and Dad were livid.”

“They were not happy with your brother. They told me you were supposed to go to the station, but hadn’t arrived. So, from how quickly you ended the call and how you didn’t show up at the station, I knew something was wrong.”

Trixie smiled. “You know me so well.”

“I do, and I did exactly what you did.” He looked at her. “I knew you were last seen leaving the area where the rides were, so I followed the trail. I spent most of the night searching town for you, but my search came up empty. This morning, I ran into Mike outside Wimpy’s. He quickly told me he had seen you running toward the woods and I figured this was where you were. So, I headed for the woods, searching.”

“I’m glad you found me.”

“I’m just like you,” Jim said. “You found me when I ran away and this time I found you.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Come on. Let’s get going.”

Three hours later, Trixie was seated beside Jim in an interrogation room at the station. They were waiting to come up with a plan to deal with the two men. As they sat there, Trixie thought back to when they first arrived. Chief Molinson had been surprised to see her.

“What happened to you?” he asked as she sat down.

As she explained, a paramedic entered the station and checked the burns the ropes that had held her had left. The paramedic put some salve on the wounds before bandaging her wrists. The chief insisted she relax, as they came up with a plan. She was surprised the Chief had been willing to help her come up with one.

“Trix,” Jim said, bringing her back to the present.

She looked at him as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Did you say something?”

“Are you all right? You seem distracted.”

“I’m fine.”

Jim pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. “Don’t worry. We’ll get these guys.”

“I know. I just wish I knew why they are aiming at the Academy. What could be there that they would want?”

“I don’t know. The school was built from the foundation up. There couldn’t be anything buried there that they could want.”

“There has to be something.” Trixie got to her feet and started pacing. She had a feeling there was something she was missing. She knew Aristotle had spent time in prison. That’s it, she thought. The prison! She quickly turned and left the room.

“Where are you going?” Jim asked, getting to his feet.

Trixie moved through the station until she spotted an open computer terminal. She quickly logged on and searched for Aristotle’s name. She wondered if she was correct.

“What are you looking for?” Jim asked, as he looked over her shoulder.

“I think I saw a connection when I looked him up before. There’s something there that I can’t remember. Maybe I can find it.”

Trixie pulled up the file and started reading the information she knew. Her eyes stopped when she saw the name of the prison: Attica.

“Jim, what prison is Jonesy at?” Trixie asked, not taking her eyes off the screen.

“Attica,” Jim said.

Trixie closed her eyes. That’s what I thought.

“Oh no,” Jim groaned. Trixie opened her eyes and looked at Jim. His face was pale. He pulled a chair over and sat down beside her. He looked at her. “I can’t believe he is still interfering with my life.”

Trixie picked up the phone and called one of her contacts at the Bureau. She had to know if either of the men had been located near Jonesy while in prison. She knew that if they had been, that would give them a reason to aim at Jim’s school. She reached her contact and requested the information.

As she set the phone down, she looked at Jim. She had a feeling he was trying to process what was going on.

“Any ideas?” Chief Molinson, asked coming toward them.

“We may have a connection,” Trixie said and told the Chief what she suspected.

“We need proof,” Chief Molinson said.

“I know. I have some calls into friends trying to get this information.”

“All right. Any ideas on how to catch them?”

Before Trixie could respond, the phone beside her rang. She grabbed it and listened to the person on the other end. After a couple minutes, she closed her eyes and set the phone down.

“What is it, Trix?” Jim asked.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. “The two of them were in cells close to Jonesy’s.”

“We need to stop them,” Jim said.

“And we will,” Trixie said. “We know they are planning to go to the school. But we also know where they are going to meet. We just have to catch them before they do anything.”

“We can actually detain them for what they did to you,” Chief Molinson said.

“Let’s just stop them,” Jim said.

“But we need a plan first,” Chief Molinson said.

Trixie looked at them both with a smile. “I have one.”

Around eight o’clock, Trixie was standing in the woods. She was in the shadows watching, as the crowd started gathering for the fireworks show. She saw families setting out blankets on the ground. Others were putting their lawn chairs out, talking with neighbors.

Trixie scanned the people searching for Aristotle and Marcus. She wanted to see the two of them behind bars.

That’s where they belong, she thought as she rubbed her arms. They will be better off if the police catch them instead of Jim. He is so angry at them for what they did to me.

She looked around the woods, trying to spot the other officers that were handling surveillance. She couldn’t see them, but knew they were there. Chief Molinson had called all the officers in the department to work that night. He wanted the extra people in case there was trouble. She was glad he thought of it.

As it got darker, she kept her eyes out for Aristotle and Marcus. She was determined to stop them before they did anything to Jim’s school. She was glad Jim insisted the staff bring all the students to town for the display. No one was to be left behind. They didn’t want any of the children in danger in case the two men did show up there.

A little while later, Trixie noticed movement in the field. She watched the area and realized it was Aristotle and Marcus. They were standing off to the side. She had a feeling they were talking.

Trixie slowly made her way through the woods toward the two men, not making a sound. She wanted to sneak up on them before they spotted her. She glanced at the people that would be setting off the fireworks. They were oblivious to the two men walking nearby. She saw one of the workers set a lit gas camping lantern on a tree stump and walk away.

Focusing on the two men, she slowly exited the woods behind them.

As she got closer, she heard Marcus say, “We should go and take care of this now.”

“We’ll go in a minute.”

“Are you sure the money Jonesy told us about is in the school? He could be lying to us.”

“He wasn’t lying. He’s had this place watched for a long time. I trust him. We’ll get the money and share it with Jonesy once he’s released.”

“I’ve got a better idea. We’ll take the money and leave. We don’t need to share with him.”

That’s what they’re after, she thought as she moved closer, unnoticed.

“We can’t take it all,” Aristotle said. “If we don’t give Jonesy something, he’ll come after us.”

“You know, part of me feels there’s no money there,” Marcus said.

“If that is the case, we could ransom the little lady we left in the woods.”

“Good idea,” Marcus said.

Trixie had heard enough. “That could work if I was still tied to that tree.”

The two turned quickly and stared at her. She could see the shock on their faces. She asked, “Aren’t you glad to see me?”

“How did you get loose?” Marcus asked.

“I tied those knots,” Aristotle said. “You shouldn’t have gotten loose.”

Trixie smiled. “I’ve very good with knots.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Now, are you two ready to go to the station willingly, or do you want to make this difficult?”

“You have nothing on us,” Marcus said.

Trixie stared at Marcus. She was really beginning to dislike him. “I have the bruises from being tied up to prove it.”

“You got those marks from that red-headed moron you were with the other night,” Marcus said. “As I said, you have nothing on us. No one will believe you.”

“We’ve heard all about you,” Aristotle said. “It’s quite interesting that this town is really willing to talk about its residents. They told us all about how much you and the chief of police don’t get along. I doubt he believes anything you say.”

Trixie’s smile grew bigger, knowing how wrong they really were. “If you think the chief doesn’t believe me, would I be standing here, talking to you alone?”

She watched their eyes go wide, as they realized she was telling the truth. In that moment, the two of them took off in different directions. She wasn’t going to let them get away. In a split second, she knew whom she had to go after. She followed Marcus.

He ran between the people sitting on the ground, waiting for the fireworks to begin. Trixie pushed herself to run faster to catch up to him. She wasn’t going to let him get away. Marcus turned again and she followed. She was unaware of the people moving out of their way and the police falling in behind her in pursuit.

He led her toward the fireworks. Trixie watched Marcus jump the stump where the gas camping lantern was set. She jumped the stump, but hit the lantern with her foot. She landed and continued running.

She had only taken a few steps when an explosion knocked her to the ground from behind.

“Trixie!”

Another explosion rocked the ground. She covered her head with her arms. She felt someone wrap arms underneath her after rolling her over and lift her into the air. The explosions continued behind her. She opened her eyes as she was carried quickly through the darkness.

“I’ve got you.” It was Jim.

He finally stopped walking and set her down on the ground. He kept his arm around her waist.

“Where’s Marcus?” she asked. “And Aristotle?”

“Relax. They’ve been caught. Look.”

Trixie turned and saw both men were being led in her direction in handcuffs. When they were close enough, she saw they weren’t too happy.

“I told you we shouldn’t have done this,” Marcus said. “I knew this wouldn’t work.”

“Be quiet.”

“Why should I? I’m going back to jail because you had this stupid idea!”

“Shut up!”

“Get them to the station!” Chief Molinson bellowed as he came up to them. The officers led the two men to waiting police cars as the Chief looked at Trixie. “Belden, you’ll need to fill out a report at the station.”

“I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Fine.” He started to walk away, but stopped. He turned to face her. “Good work.”

Chief Molinson walked away, leaving her staring at his back. She couldn’t believe she had gotten a compliment from him. She felt Jim squeeze her shoulder. She let out a breath and looked at him.

“Were you hurt at all?” he asked, touching her cheek.

“I’m fine.”

She turned around. She saw the firefighters were putting water on the fireworks so there wouldn’t be any more explosions. Families were gathering their belongings; children were crying.

“Was anyone hurt?” Trixie asked as her gaze returned to the firefighters.

“No.” Jim wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “It was good that Molinson had everyone ready in case something happened.”

Trixie closed her eyes and let out another breath. The two men were caught. They admitted they found out about Jim’s school from Jonesy. Now, they would be going back to jail. Everything had turned out all right.

“Trix,” Jim said softly turning her to face him. She opened her eyes and looked at him. “I have to agree with the Chief.” She stared at him. “You did a good job tonight.”

“Thanks.”

Jim pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. She held Jim tight. She was glad it was over.

Two weeks later, Jim and Trixie were sitting in the park having a late picnic supper. But they weren’t alone. Honey and Brian had returned from their honeymoon a few days earlier and had agreed to join them. Now, Trixie and Jim were waiting for them to arrive. Trixie was leaning her back up against Jim’s chest with his arms around her. They were looking at the different constellations.

“They should be here soon,” Trixie said tilting her head up.

“The longer they take, the more I like it.” Jim leaned over and kissed her.

“Don’t you two ever stop?” a voice asked behind them.

They turned their heads and saw the newlyweds making their way toward them.

“Welcome home,” Jim said, as they settled on the blanket.

“Are you glad to be back?” Trixie asked, sitting up.

“Part of me is,” Honey said. “But part of me wishes the honeymoon didn’t end.”

“So,” Brian said, “Were things quiet here while we were gone?”

“Yeah, what happened?” Honey asked. “How was the celebration? No one has told us anything.”

Trixie glanced at Jim as she took the food out of the picnic basket.

“How did it go?” Brian asked. “Was it enough of a success that it will continue next year?”

“I think it was successful,” Trixie said.

“I agree,” Jim said. “It was a bang of a fourth.”

“We’ll just have to make sure we stick around next year to experience it,” Honey said.

Brian nodded. “So, how have you two been doing?”

“We’ve been getting along,” Jim said. “Come on, let’s eat. I haven’t had anything to eat since lunch.”

“If you were so hungry you could have gone ahead and started without us,” Honey said.

“Ignore him, Honey,” Trixie said. “He’s fine. He didn’t tell you that he had lunch at three o’clock.”

“Hey,” Jim said, giving her a slight push.

“Come on, let’s eat,” she said.

As they dug into the food, Trixie had a comfortable feeling. She was glad her best friend and sister-in-law was back and they could get started on their agency. She was looking forward to their dream coming true.

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