Olympus: It's Not Just a Game

Chapter 8

Mr. Huber came down the stairs, "His money is gone," he announced.

"He probably used Uber," Noah suggested.

"Good point," his father replied. "I wonder whether privacy laws cover runaways." He looked up Uber's number. 

As he waited for the phone to answer, he asked Mr. Huber, "Did he take a knapsack or anything? And what shoes was he wearing?" Karl's father went off to check. Mr. Avery got a customer service rep on the phone and started working his way up the food chain. He was on the third manager's supervisor before he got the answer he was looking for. Yes, they had picked up a young man at that address over an hour-and-a half ago.

"Where did you take him?" asked Mr. Avery urgently. His face fell at the answer. He hung up the phone and said, "Let's go, we've no time to lose."

"Where did he go?" they chorused.

"To the bus station!"

The two cars raced through suburban streets toward the city center. Each minute seemed an eternity. Jacob rode with his father, waiting for the storm of anger to break. But his father was strangely meek. Mr. Avery had exerted a remarkable influence over him. Jacob wasn't sure he liked it. "Dad, what are you going to do to Karl when we catch him?"

"If we find him," his father answered, dejected. "Who knows if we'll do that?"

"Are you going to let him get away with this?" Jacob demanded.

"I'm not going to let him," Mr. Huber answered, "but I don't know if I can stop him. He could be anywhere by now."

"Come on, Dad, this isn't like you!" Jacob urged. "You're not going to let a kid make a fool of you, are you? In front of all these Averys?"

"I've already made a fool of myself," he replied dejectedly.

"I don't think so!" Jacob answered (not very honestly). "Karl's the fool. He's tangling with the wrong man! He's messing with you!"

"That's true," his father agreed. "He shouldn't be messing with me."

"Right, Dad," Jacob agreed. "You've gotta show him who's boss!" He hesitated. "What are you going to do to him when you catch him?"

"He'll wish he'd never been born," Mr. Huber answered, through clenched teeth.

"How about beating him 'till he can't sit down?" Jacob suggested.

"Now, Jacob, I've never hit you children, and I'm not going to start now. But by the time I'm done with him, Karl will wish he could get off with just a beating!"

"You show him, Dad!"

The Averys pulled up to the bus station first. "Nancy, Noah," barked Mr. Avery, "when we park, run right to the loading dock and charge onto the first bus you see. Tell the driver we're looking for a runaway. Check every seat, and I mean every seat! If he sees you coming he'll try to hide." He thought for a minute, "Check the restroom, too."

"What if there's somebody in it?" squeaked Nancy.

"Cope," Mr. Avery laughed. He pulled up outside the bus station, flipped on his flashers, and double-parked the car. "Let's go!" he shouted. Mr. Huber pulled up right behind him. "Dan!" Mr. Avery shouted, "I've got the kids checking the buses. We've got to go in both doors separately, or he'll see us and run out. I'll take this door, Dan, and you take the far one." Mr. Huber raced down the sidewalk—he was in surprisingly good shape—and they burst into the bus station simultaneously.