Zach stopped dead in his tracks.

His anger turned to fear as he realized what had happened. Joey and his pal had probably left Zach and attacked his older brother right in his father’s hotel! Jason was dead! Oh, God! Without realizing what he was doing, Zach started running, forcing his heavy legs forward, unaware of the sight he made, unafraid of the police with their riot sticks and guns. His footsteps pounded on the wet cement and he dashed across the cross streets, ignoring the early morning traffic, mindless of the brakes squealing and the horns honking as he flew toward the hotel.

Jason. Oh, God-

“Hey, you!” a loud male voice yelled.

Zach didn’t pay any attention. He sidestepped between two parked cars.

“Kid, I’m talkin’ to you. Stop!”

Zach was barely aware of anything except the fear that gripped him and a burning sensation in his shoulder.

“Police! Freeze!”

He skidded to a stop as the words sank in and whirled on the two officers who approached him. They emerged from one of the cars, their weapons drawn, no-nonsense written all over their features.

“Hands in the air! Do it!” Zach slowly raised his one arm. The other hung limply at his side. “Shiiiit, look at him, will ya, Bill?” the one with the loud voice said. “Looks like our boy here got himself into a fight. What happened to you? Haven’t seen a little girl, have you?”

“What?” Zach figured they must be talking about Sophia, but he kept his mouth shut. Something wasn’t right and he didn’t trust the cops.

The stocky officer-Bill-smiled without a trace of humor in his suspicious eyes. “Don’t you know who this is, Steve? It’s the Danvers kid. The one who’s supposed to be missing.”

“Zachary?”

“Yeah, so what?” Zach snarled.

The policemen exchanged glances and Zach’s blood ran cold as ice. The tall one, Steve, said, “So where’s the girl?”