Along Came a Wolf (The Yellow Hoods #1)

Tricky Prey - Chapter 6, Part 1

Richy nearly dropped the telescope. "There are men on horses! And smoke! I think—I think they have guns!"

Elly started jumping up and down—a nervous habit she'd had since she was little. "Um, um, um," she repeated. After a moment, her eyes lit up and she grounded herself. "Okay—I know what we're going to do."

She raced downstairs to the wall of cabinets. Opening one particular empty cabinet, she knocked out its secret back panel and grabbed one of the three pairs of dull-gray metal rods. The rods were each a foot and a half long, with a small handle near one end.

"I've got my sticks. I'm going down to get her!" Elly said, furiously cranking one of the handles.

Elly had discovered the sticks a month before. Unlike her fellow Yellow Hoods, Elly had a natural feel for the sticks, and had quickly figured out how to use them effectively. The sticks felt solid and perfectly balanced in her hands—neither too heavy, nor too light. She practiced with them every day.

"You're planning on going down there?!" Richy's deep blue, almond-shaped eyes were open wide. "That's crazy! What am I supposed to do—stay here and watch you both get shot or run down?" He was freaking out and breathing fast.

Elly was concerned Richy might pass out if she didn't do something; he'd passed out once before. She looked at Richy and said slowly and sincerely, while stroking his tousled hair, "Richy, we need you. I need you."

Richy started to calm down. "But... we're just kids."

For a moment, Elly felt like that simply stated truth might erase her own courage. "No, Richy—we're not. We were kids.

"Just think of that game we always play. The one where we pretend someone is chasing one of us, and the rest of us must come to the rescue."

Finished with her first stick, Elly started cranking the second, while keeping her brown eyes locked on Richy.

"Um... okay." Richy seemed to be accepting the idea.

"Your mission, Richy, is to find some town guards. Bring them to Tee's grandfather's house, okay? We're going to save her. You're going to be a hero. We've done this a million times before."

Richy took a breath and nodded. "I know, but—" he said, starting to panic again.

"We'll be okay. I promise." Elly gave him a light-hearted wink and smile. She wished she felt as confident as she sounded.

With a final sigh, Richy said, "Okay—get help. Go to Tee's grandfather's house. Got it. Wait... why his house?"

"Because when Tee's the one playing the hunted kid, that's where she pretends to go." Elly then deftly placed both charged shock-sticks into her homemade yellow cloak's special pockets and then flipped up her hood.

"This'll all work out. I promised, remember?" said Elly. She dashed out of the treehouse, grabbed the wooden handlebar of the pulley system, and started flying down the mountain.

Richy nodded to reassure himself. "I can do this. Elly's going to distract the horsemen and not get killed.

"Everyone is going to be fine," he repeated to himself before finally racing off at top speed in search of the town guards.