Creighton plodded up the steps to the front door and fished about in his pocket for the iron key. As he softly inserted the key into the lock, he heard the boards of the porch creak behind him, and he half turned, puzzled by the sound.
A pair of hands seized his arms, pinning them behind his back, and a stout arm clamped around his neck, forcing his head back. He opened his mouth to cry out, but a crumpled cloth was crammed between his teeth, then another cloth was pulled tight over it and tied in place. Before he could get a glimpse of his assailants, a third band of fabric was put over his eyes.
Squirming frantically, he lashed out with his legs at the attackers. There was a muttered curse as one of the kicks connected. Something solid struck him hard on the right knee and he doubled over in pain, with a gasp that drew the ball of cloth into his throat, gagging him. As a final indignity, his wrists were bound together, like a condemned man’s, with rough cord. Then he was half carried, half dragged from the porch and off into the night.
“Readers will be swept along by this what if? adventure.”
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review