Broken Wings 2 - Midnight Flight, Andrews, C. [classic books for 10 year olds .TXT] 📗

them, which Robin identified as a dark brown stallion, looked like he was dreaming of jumping the corral and galloping off toward those mountains in the distance.

“We had two horses on my grandfather's farm,” Robin said. “He called them Buck and Babe. They weren't really riding horses, but when I was little, he would put me on either one and, holding the reins, lead me about. It was practically the only fun I had on that farm and one of the few times he acted like a real grandfather instead of a soldier in the army of God or something. I remember that sometimes I would catch him looking at me as if he expected to see Satan's face emerging out of mine. He expected me to do bad things. After all, I was mother darling's daughter. I guess he'shappy now that he was right. It probably has made him even more of a fanatic. I pity my grandmother.”

“What would happen if we got on the backs of some horses and rode out of here? You think we could ride to somewhere?”

“Horses aren't camels,” Robin said. “They need water, too, and we wouldn't know which way to go.”

“We're so damn trapped,” I muttered. “Maybe no better off than Posy if she is in that basement.” I glanced at the hacienda. The very thought of being a prisoner in the darkness below for so long put a chill through me, even in this heat.

Natani emerged from the barn, saw us, but kept walking toward a water trough. Using a hose, he filled it. I glanced at Robin and then approached him.

“Hello, Natani,” I said. He nodded. “I bet you have seen many girls like us come and go.”

He nodded again, turned off the water, and began to wrap the hose neatly around its holder.

“Are there any other girls here now?” I asked, eyeing Robin. “Besides the five of us, I mean?”

He didn't answer. He tightened the faucet, then stood and looked out at the horses, who had lifted their heads and started toward the water trough.

“I see only what I see. You must see only what you see, too,” he finally replied, and went back into the barn,

“What's that mean? I see only what I see?” Robin asked.

“I think he's afraid to say anything,” I said, nodding. I looked back at the house. “I don't know about you, but I'd like to find out if she's locked up down there.”

“What for?” Robin folded her arms under her breasts. “What could we do about it anyway? We can'tdo anything for ourselves, much less for someone else. Forget about it. That's what he meant when he said see only what you see. Don't go looking for things you can't see. He didn't live as long as he's lived poking his nose into someone else's business.” She started away to join the other girls.

I watched the horses drinking a moment, then followed Robin. Gia looked up when I sat. I could see Robin had told her I had spoken to Natani.

“You're not playing with fire,” Gia said. “You're playing with TNT and I'm telling you now, we're not going to get blown up with you.”

“Oh, let's stop talking about her. Let's just relax,” Teal said.

It was difficult to let ourselves relax. I could see everyone had nerves as taut as tight guitar strings. The breeze, playing through us, sounded the same high-​pitched note. Gia lay with her eyes closed. Teal stared at the horizon, dreaming of floating out there, I'm sure. Robin had her head down, and Mindy played with blades of grass like a little girl, forming shapes. No one spoke. A door slammed and we all looked toward the house. The three buddies laughed at something, then got into the van and started away.

“Where are they going?” I asked.

“Wherever it is,” Teal said with some excitement seeping into her voice, “it's close enough for them to get there and back quickly enough. I knew there was someplace. I knew I wasn't imagining those lights.”

“Forget it,” Gia said.

“Why?” Teal asked.

“It's nothing. It's an Indian trading post off the reservation. They can get magazines, candy, cigarettes, but not much else. There's nothing to do there and it's milesand miles this side of nowhere. This is the Mojave Desert.”

“They have more than cigarettes,” Mindy said, her lips twisting.

“How do you know?” I asked.

She didn't reply.

“Gia?”

“We know. We heard them talking about it.”

I stared at her and she looked away. “How did you hear them talking about it, Gia? Was that something you heard when you were in the basement?”

“No.”

“Then how?”

“We just heard.”

Mindy laughed and Gia threw her an angry look. She smiled and shook her head.

“What else haven't you told us?” Robin asked.

“Nothing.”

“Oh, tell them,” Mindy said.

“So now you want me to talk, is that it, Mindy? You're no longer worried about being betrayed?”

“It doesn't matter anymore, Gia. What else can they do to us that they haven't already done?”

“They'll think of something.” After a moment Gia turned back to me. “One night, we went spying on them. We went around the rear of the hacienda and climbed up on the lower roof. We could look into their windows. We just wanted to see how well they lived, how nice their bedrooms were compared to our barn.”

“And?”

“We saw them partying.”

Mindy laughed. “Partying?”

“That's what it was,” Gia snapped. “They had someweed. Probably got it from some Indian or something. They were laughing and enjoying themselves.”

“And they had a magazine with pictures of naked men.”

“You're kidding!” Teal said, coming to life.

“Does Dr. Foreman know?” Robin asked.

“What do you think?” Gia replied.

“You could tell on them,” Teal said quickly. “Or threaten to tell on them.”

“Oh, that would be terrific. Get them in trouble and that way they won't be as hard on us,” Gia mocked.

“Well, I just thought . . . what do you think, Phoebe?”

“I think I'd like to make friends with them and be invited to their bedrooms,” I quipped, and held my serious expression just