| |
Meanwhile, down in the garage, Sarah's father was examining the tire marks on the floor.
'Whoever took my car was certainly in a hurry,' he said turning to Mary.
'But how did they get in?' she asked, studying the heavy lock on the garage door.
Walking to the door Frank reached to examine the lock. 'Yes,' he said thoughtfully. 'How did they get in? I remember checking that door was locked last night. I always do. It's not been forced.' He turned to Mary as a thought occurred to him. 'Mary, check the front door. See if it has been forced open. That's the only way anyone could have got into the garage.'
A few seconds later, Mary returned. 'It's still locked.'
'Then how on earth did they get in?' asked Frank. 'They couldn't have had a key.'
'Are you sure you locked the door?'
'Of course I am,' snapped Frank. Then... 'Maybe...Sarah? Oh God, Sarah! Where is she?'
They stared at each other, then immediately ran for the stairs into the house. In a few seconds they were staring at Sarah’s empty bed.
'She's not here,' cried Mary. 'Oh, God, Frank. She's been kidnapped.'
'Don't be silly, Mary,' exclaimed Frank, looking at his daughter's computer. 'I spoke to her not ten minutes ago. Anyway I'm sure I would have heard something.' Going to the computer he muttered thoughtfully, 'She was working on that formula for Mr. Johnson.' He switched it on.
'Frank where is she?' cried Mary, tears running down her worried face. 'We have to call the Garda. Our Sarah's gone. So is the car. Frank what are you doing?' She frowned as she saw her husband push the disk into the computer. 'Frank?'
'Shhh a minute, love. Sarah was using this disk. If anyone did come into her room she might have had time to leave a message.'
Mary stared at the monitor as Frank searched quickly through the formula.
'Ah, here's her summary,' he said pressing the down arrow. 'This is where she was at when I left her.' He gasped aloud when he saw the words, SAY-RA I NEED YOU. COME TO ME.
With pounding hearts Sarah's parents read on.
****
The head of the science lab at Clonkilty, Gerry Parker grabbed the phone. 'What?' he barked. He was angry at being awakened. 'This had better be good!'
'Gerry it's me, Frank. Yes. Listen...'
Three minutes later Frank put the phone down. It had taken him nearly fifteen minutes to reach his boss. Turning he reached to hug his tearful wife. What on earth is it? he thought. Someone or something had contacted his daughter. Now she was missing.
****
Twenty-five minutes later a helicopter was landing on a small field a mile from Sarah's house. Two black cars with their engines running were waiting by the side of the field.
****
Meanwhile Paul’s mother was talking to someone at the Garda Siochanna. 'Yes, officer, it was a red car. A young girl was driving it. Did I what? No, I didn't get the number. It was too dark. Yes, I'm sure the car was red. Surely you'll be able to stop it. There shouldn't be many red cars driving at this time of the night. My address? What do you want my address for? Oh for goodness sake... 18 Spencer Road. Yes, yes I live here. Now will you please do something about my son, Paul? He's been kidnapped. He's...Ahhhh!' Turning to her husband she handed him the phone. 'Jim, will you speak to this imbecile.'
Paul's father was a small burly man with receding black hair. His broad chin clenched and unclenched angrily as he growled down the phone. 'My name is, Jim Patterson. Yes, with two t's. I live here with my wife, Paula and my son, Paul at 18, Spencer Road. Ten minutes ago my wife was awakened by the sound of a car braking at our front door. Are you listening? Good. A girl was driving the car. My son, Paul got into it. Paul is not in the habit of leaving home at three o' clock in the morning and going for a ride in a car with a strange girl. No. We did not have a fight. My son and I get on very well. No. My wife and my son get on very well too. No. I do not know who the girl was. Look!' Mr. Patterson roared. 'Are you going to get your finger out and do something about this? What? What direction? According to my wife they headed towards the main road for Donegal. Yes, she's sure. Yes. Yes, you do that. Thank you.' With a snarl he slammed the phone down.
'What?" Paula asked, her tired blue eyes filling with tears.
'They're putting out a call to a patrol car somewhere along the main road to Donegal. The sergeant said they should be able to stop them there.'
Paula stared thoughtfully at her husband. 'Jim I'm not going to sit here and wait until the Garda phone us. Come on. Get the car out. We're going after Paul.'
****
Guards, Joe Friel and Patrick O'Donohue were sitting in their patrol car near the round-a-bout that led to Donegal when the call came through. They smiled at each other.
'It won't be another boring night after all, Pat,' said Joe.
Pat shook his head as he exclaimed, 'A wee girl driving a car. You know what, Joe, this country's away to the dogs.'
'Aye,' agreed Joe, looking up the road. 'They should be here shortly, a red car. It'll be easy to spot. The sergeant reckons from the time the young fella left the house they should reach us in...' Suddenly he sat up straight. 'There they a...oh, bloody hell...'
Both guards gaped when they saw the red Toyota shoot past them at 125 miles an hour. Braking, with a screech, skid marks smoking on the road, the car two-wheeled around the round-a-bout then raced away towards Donegal.
'Come on, Joe!' shouted Pat. 'Start her up. Let's get after them.'
Revving as hard as he could Joe raced the patrol car towards the round-a-bout. He grinned. He loved a chase. He knew their patrol car had the horsepower to outrace any car. We'll soon catch it, he thought.
The flashing blue light behind them alerted Paul. He glanced in the side mirror at the car behind them. 'Sarah, there’s a patrol car following us.’ He turned around in his seat to get a better look through the back window.
Sarah looked in driver's mirror. As she did she felt her foot press harder on the accelerator.
'Do not worry. They will not catch you.' The alien's voice came to both of them as the car speeded up. By now the windscreen was dotted with squashed insects.
'Step on it, Joe. They're getting away!' shouted Pat.
Joe frowned, as he pressed hard on his accelerator. Their speed had dropped to 115 miles an hour. He glanced at the speedometer. The indicator was dropping fast. Two seconds later they were doing 90 miles an hour.
'Joe. What's wrong!' shouted Pat, glaring at him as the car began to splutter and jerk and quickly slow down.
'I don't know!' shouted Joe, banging his foot hard into the accelerator. 'I can't get any speed out of the flamin' thing.' He stared at the rear lights of the Toyota as they disappeared. A minute later the patrol car chugged to a complete halt.
****
Meanwhile as his mountain bike was speeding along the rough country roads Conor looked around. It was dark. He couldn't tell what direction he was going.
'You haven't far to go now, Con-or,' said the voice in his head. 'Paul and Say-ra are on their way. I think you will like them.'
Gripping the handlebars tighter, Conor thought, 'Why do you need us? I mean why us?' His hands were beginning to ache.
'There is no need to hold on Con-or, if your hands are painful.'
'No need to hold on? But I'll drive into a ditch if I let go. At this speed I'd probably be killed.'
'You will not be harmed. I will not allow you to be harmed. You can let go. Con-or, you have to learn to trust me.'
Conor eased his grip on the handlebars, but still holding them lightly he released one. The bike didn't wobble or veer into the ditch. It just kept straight on. Taking a deep breath he let go completely. He grinned with excitement as his bicycle flew on, turned a sharp corner and shot along the road steering by itself.
'I don't know why I need you.'
'What?' Connor exclaimed.
'You asked me why I need you. I don't know. I only know that I do need you, all three of you. You have to help me.'
'But how are we going to help you?' thought Conor.
'When I rise.'
'Rise? What do you mean?'
'When I come up from the bottom of the lough, the three of you have to be there waiting for me. I will need you then. There might be others looking for me. They must not find me. I need you to help me get to...'
'Get to?' said Conor. 'Where?'
'I don't know where. Not yet. But I do know I will need all three of you to help me get there.'
Conor shook his head, wondering, as his bicycle turned another corner and headed onto a narrower bumpy road.
Just then the alien felt the safety bulb give a sudden jerk. It won't be long now, it thought.
****
The Toyota raced into Donegal at 150 miles an hour, across bridges, through villages with 30 miles an hour speed limits at 90 miles an hour. It shot over small hump-backed bridges rising into the air for twenty meters before landing back on the road again. Soon it was cutting left through Letterkenny and out again into the dark countryside.
It was a while before Sarah realized she was not steering the car or using the pedals either. As the car rounded three hairpin bends on two wheels, her hands became entangled on the steering wheel. She had to let go of it. Then as the car continued on by itself as it took the last bend at an incredible speed, she let go of the wheel completely. Smiling she turned to Paul, holding up her hands just as they came to another corner.
'Watch out!' screamed Paul grabbing at the wheel.
'It's all right Paul,' the voice came to him. 'Relax. I have control of the vehicle.'
Paul gave a sigh of relief and looked at Sarah. She was still smiling at him. Shaking his head he pushed back into the seat saying, 'Where the heck are we going anyway?'
'We'll know soon enough, I think,' said Sarah, turning to look through the windscreen. 'I believe we're nearly there.'
Suddenly the car slowed almost to a halt. On the road ahead Paul they saw a cyclist.
'His name is, Con-or,' said the alien. 'Just another fifteen miles and all three of you will be with me. You will have to wait a little while when you get there though. No! Why...why I believe I'm beginning to rise now. It should take me nearly a half hour to reach the surface. Pardon me. I must decompress and acclimatize myself to your world.'
Sarah and Paul waved out to Conor as the car caught up with him. Conor frowned as he studied them, but realizing who they were, smiled back at them. The car slowed. Now car and bicycle stayed together as they turned right and headed down into a narrow dirt path that wound through turf fields.
****
Five minutes later, the car suddenly went dead and stopped. Conor's bicycle wobbled, just long enough for him to grab the handlebars, ease on the brakes and stop a few meters in front of the car.
'You will walk from here.' The alien's voice came to them all. 'It is time you introduced yourselves to each other.,.’