Timmy

CHAPTER ELEVEN: CAUGHT!

CHAPTER ELEVEN: CAUGHT!

For what seemed like an eternity, Angel just sat there trembling under the prop table staring at the small bag of white powder. She had found the answer she was searching for only it left her stunned with terror; she realized her life was in real danger.

  “What am I going to do?  This is too big for me to deal with alone; I have got to tell someone! Only who can I go to?  Who can I trust?”

  Voices echoing from down the hall jolted Angel back to her senses and she scrambled out from under the table, forgetting the fallen table leg. She hurried to the door, stuffing the small package into her pocket.

“Evidence!”

  Peering out, she spotted four shadows approaching her from the end of the narrow, dimly lit hall. She was literally shaking, feeling trapped. It was as if Angel were caught in the same, terrifying nightmare Timmy had described to her and the girls the day before. It was a dead end hall which meant there was no possible way for her to get passed, let alone reach the nearest stairwell without being seen. She needed to come up with a plan. “Think fast, Angel!”

  An idea quickly came to her mind, but it would test her all of her acting skills to the extreme.  With her heart pounding in her throat, she crept out into the hall, easing the door back to where she had found it. She walked slowly towards the approaching shadows, desperately trying to ignore the bitter taste of fear in the back of her throat. She kept her eyes up at the ventilation shafts as she walked as she did when following the knocking to Timmy’s hiding spot. “Well, here goes nothing. Let’s just hope I’m as good as Mr. Stravis says I am.”

  Stone and the three bouncers stopped talking upon seeing her approach, seemingly oblivious to their presence, and quietly waited for her to reach them. As she came close enough, Stone sternly demanded, “What are you doing down here, Angel?”

  Angel jumped, letting out a startled scream, most of which was genuine, and raised an unsteady hand to her chest.  “Oh, it’s you, Mr. Stone.” She tried to look relieved. “You startled me.”

  “We’ll do more than startle you if you don’t tell us why you are walking around in the basement alone.” Pointing an accusing finger at her, Max threatened. “This area is off limits to children without an adult escort.”

  Angel took a step back, her heart now pounding in her ears, as she spotted the infamous tattoo of a single rose engulfed in a flame on Max’s right wrist. All the color left her face but she managed to tear her eyes away from the man’s wrist before anyone noticed her stare.

  “Back off, Max.” Calmly, Stone scolded. “There’s no reason to frighten the child.” He turned to Angel. “You were told from day one that the basement was off limits, why are you down here?”

  “I- I saw a strange b- boy run this way.” Desperately hiding her panic, Angel stuttered. “I figured he was that little specter everyone’s been talking about since none of the other performers are here yet.” She gulped. “I followed him down but lost him somewhere in the other hall.”

  Stone grunted. “And what are you doing here so early?”

  “My mom had an early court date today and she dropped me off here early.  Brandy said I could help Jeff and Jason out with their drills until the other performers arrive.  That’s when I spotted the boy run down this way.”

  Stone studied Angel suspiciously for a long moment while she struggled to maintain a calm expression.

“He believes me; please make him believe me!”

  Finally, Stone’s face softened as he said, “Well, I’ll tell you this now; you won’t catch him. We’ve already tried and we are a lot more experienced when it comes to catching people.”

  “I’ll bet.”

  “We will forget we saw you down here alone, this once.  Just do not let any of us ever catch doing it again.  The rules we expect you children to follow are set for your own protection, understand?” Angel quickly nodded. “Okay, move along.”

  Angel gladly walked past the four men and hurried up the stairs, her heart still pounding in her throat. “That was too close! I just hope they bought it.”

  “Do you buy that?” Raising an eyebrow, Wayne asked.

  Stone grunted. “We’d better check the store rooms.”

  The four hurried down the hall and froze upon finding the door to the first store room open ajar.

  “Blast it, Max!” Furious, Wayne yelled. “I thought you said all of the doors were locked tight!”

  “They were locked!” Annoyed, Max countered. “You were there when I tested the last one!”

  Stone pushed the three men aside, thrust the door open, and rushed inside to find that all of the prop furniture was exactly where they had left them the night before.  He let out a low sigh of relief but it froze in this throat, threatening to choke him, as he spotted a table leg lying on the floor with one of the many small packages protruding from it.

  “It seems we will have to deal with young Angel McCarther after all.” Scowling, he said. “How unfortunate; I was beginning to like her.”

  “We should get rid of her before she talks to someone, Mr. Stone.” Urgently, Al pressed. “We can take her with us and dump her somewhere.”

  Stone shook his head. “No; Jeff and Jason Stravis are likely aware that she came down here. If she does not return soon, they’ll have everyone down here looking for her.  We can’t risk being caught loading a truck with props, it would arouse too much suspicion.”

  “So how do you suggest we handle her?” Morbidly, Max inquired.

  Stone smiled cruelly. “I believe that poor Angel is about to become the unfortunate victim of a tragic accident of improper maintenance.”

  Upon reaching the first floor, Angel closed the door leading down into the basement then hurried down the hall, not daring to look back. She ran through the empty lobby; her footfalls hauntingly echoing as she stumbled up the stairs into the dark auditorium. Inside, on the stage, Jeff and Jason were still running drills; they paused as Angel entered in a full sprint with tears shining in her eyes.

  “She looks as if the devil himself was after her.” Concerned, Jason stated. “I wonder what’s up.

  Angel moved as fast as her legs would carry her passed the seemingly countless rows of seats to the stage where she scrambled up one of the side stairs, onto the stage floor. She darted passed a concerned Jeff and Jason, oblivious to their presence, with the dead look of a deer in the headlights on her face. She quickly, desperately scanned the vast dimly lit auditorium for Stone and his men before she scrambled down into the prompter’s box. There, she locked the door leading below stage before finally stopping to rest against the far wall where she slowly slid to the floor and began to cry hysterically.

  Never before had Angel felt more afraid for her life.  She was shaking so uncontrollably that, for a moment, she thought she would soon fall apart at the seams.  She tightly hugged her knees, curling herself into a tiny ball and began to slowly rock herself back and forth. As she sat there, struggling to regain her composure, she could not help wonder how Timmy managed to survive for so long with such a horrible feeling.

  “Where are you mommy?” Crying, she whispered.

  “Angel?” On the stage, Jeff asked. “Are you okay?”

  The only response that came was the echoing sounds of Angel’s panicked crying which drove the two boys to the opening of the prompter’s box.  They peered inside to find Angel curled into a tiny ball against the opposite wall of the door, breathing unevenly from her crying as she gently rocked herself back and forth, staring blankly out into space.  Jeff called to her a number of times, trying to get her attention, but she would not respond. “Wow; she is really out of it.” Turning to his brother, he said. “Do you think she found something?”

  “I don’t know.” Frowning, Jason stated. “If she did, I don’t think she much liked what she found.”

  Jason called out Angel’s name at the top of his lungs and she let out a short scream, jumping to her feet.  She pushed herself tight against the wall and looked up at the two boys with sheer blind panic in her eyes. She was trembling, sweating; there was no color in her face and her hands were reaching out for something, anything to grab. At the moment, she did not see Jeff and Jason; she only saw Stone and Max, each leveling a gun to her head.  She opened her mouth to scream but she could not find the breath to do so.

  “Easy, Angel.” Slowly, calmly, Jeff soothed. “It’s us; Jeff and Jason.”

  As Jeff’s voice reached her, the images of Stone and Max slowly melted away and Angel saw Jason and Jeff looking down at her.  She looked at the two for a moment, her mouth still opened as if to scream, then slowly slid back down to the cold wooden floor, trembling and crying. Jeff shook his head, his concern rising. “Oh, man; she’s scared out of her mind.”

  “Just like Timmy was when we first found him.” Darkly, Jason added. “Talk about dejavu!” He sighed. “Got any ideas?”

  After a moment of thought, Jeff said, “Get her a glass of water from the cafeteria. I’ll go below and see if I can’t talk her out of there.”

  Angels’ lips trembled as she saw the two boys begin to walk off and she gasped, trying to find enough breath to speak. Finally, her voice broke through and she hoarsely cried out, “Don’t leave!” She choked on a sob. “Please! Please don’t leave me alone!”

  “What got you all shaken up, Angel?” Whipping back around, Jeff asked concerned. “Did you find something?”

  “I- I know why Timmy’s parents never came back.” Whimpering, Angel stammered. “I know the secret they were killed to keep.”

  Jeff and Jason exchanged startled looks. “Well, what is it?” In unison, they demanded.

  “I can’t tell you!” Panicked, Angel wailed. “They’ll kill you; just as they killed Timmy’s parents!” she choked down another sob. “They are going to kill me, I just know it!”

  “Kill you for what?” Startled, Jason pressed. “What in heaven’s name did you find in that basement!?!”

  Angel shook her head, tears falling. “I can’t. I- I just...”

  “It’s okay; you don’t have to tell us anything just yet.” Firmly but kindly, Jeff said. “For now, just give me your hand; let me help you out of there.”

  Angel half raised her hand but then pulled it back, frightened.

  Jeff let out a low sigh. “Come on, now. The prompter’s box is not a good place to hide. Let us take you someplace where you can get a hold of yourself and we can talk in private.”

  Slowly, hesitantly, Angel rose unsteadily to her feet and took Jeff’s hand, allowing him to gently guide her out of the prompter’s box onto the stage floor. Once there, she fell into his arms and held him tightly as she trembled and sobbed uncontrollably.  Jeff exchanged a worried glance with Jason then began to slowly rock her back and forth, trying his best to calm her. “You are going to be okay, Angel. You’re with friends now.”

  “Just don’t leave me.” Sobbing, Angel pleaded. “Don’t leave me alone.”

  “Don’t worry; we won’t let you out of our sight. I promise.”

  “Let’s get her outside.” suggested Jason. “She looks like she could use some air.”

  “Good idea.”  He turned to Angel. “Come on, the fresh air will do you some good.”

  Jeff and his brother swept Angel off the stage and through a private hall to the lobby where they were surprised to see all of the other performers walking in from outside.

  “Surprise, guys!” Happily, Tarra called. “Brandy called us up last night and said we should get here early.” She giggled. “Stephanie is feeling a lot better; that over the counter medicine really did the trick, I...” She froze upon noticing Angel’s panicked expression. “Uh, did we miss something?”

  Jeff turned to Angel who shook her head. “Not here.”

  “What’s up?” asked Scott.

  Moments later, inside the grand hall, the young performers gathered, curious to hear what was going on.

  “Okay, Angel; this is the safest place in the whole theater.” In a comforting tone, Jeff said. “The boys and I can rush you off in any one of twenty different directions from here, no problem.”

  “Please, Angel.” Worried, Stephanie begged. “Tell us what’s wrong.”

  “I- I know the secret Timmy’s mom and dad were killed to keep.” Still shaking, Angel whispered. “I know what they found.”

  Startled but morbidly curious, the children all moved in closer so they could hear. “What did you find?” Firmly, Tarra demanded.

  Angel again shook her head, miserably. “I- I can’t.  I- I...”

  “Come on, Angel.” Forcibly, Race stated. “Whatever it is, we’ll back you up one hundred percent.”

  “If anyone thinks of hurting you, they’ll have us to deal with.” Cracking his knuckles, Scott chimed in.

  The others quickly agreed and Angel, after looking about, reluctantly reached into her pocket and produced the small bag of white powder…

**********

    Below them, inside the basement, Stone and the three bouncers hurried back and forth, loading the truck with several pieces of prop furniture and equipment.

  “Assuming the girl found anything; we have to assume she will tell someone about what she had found down here.” Keeping watch, Wayne remarked. “We have to step it up.”

  Max grunted. “It’s complete madness up there right now with final preparations underway. Even if she finds the courage to tell anyone, they will be too busy to pay her any mind.”

  “It really doesn’t matter who she tells.” With a hint of satisfaction, Al stated. “We will be set up at our new location by this time tomorrow. Besides, we will have everything gone with this last trip; it will be her word against ours.”

  “An allegation from a ‘high profile’ actress is enough to spark a full investigation of this theater and everyone connected to it.” Angrily, Stone grumbled. “That is, if she has any evidence to speak of.” He paused to close the rear doors of the truck. “I have thought out a way to find the boy so he can be permanently dealt with.”

“What of the girl?” Impatiently, Max questioned. “She knows too much.”

“Use your head, Max.” Irritated, Stone snapped. We need to first relieve her of any evidence she might have.” He turned to Al. “That is where your fine skills come in handy. I’m entrusting you to get it done, just make certain you are discrete.  After that, I will arrange an accident that will eliminate any chance of her exposing our operation.”

**********

  “I found it with hundreds of others just like it stuffed in the leg of a prop table inside a basement store room.” said Angel, inside the lobby.

  “What is it?” asked Leuey.

  Alex swallowed hard. “It’s cocaine, an illegal drug.  It’s very addictive and deadly.”

“How do you know about all of this?” Worried, Ken asked.

  “I’ve seen Cruel, the guardian of the old orphanage, selling that poison on the streets while I was hiding in this theater.  I’ve also seen the people he sold it to.  Those who get hooked on this garbage will do almost anything to get more and those who sell it will stop at nothing to keep the business going.”

  The color quickly ran from all of the children’s’ faces as they began to understand the severity of Angel’s discovery but their fear quickly turned to anger as they thought of what Timmy had gone through for four years, waiting, hoping that his parents would come back for him.

  “That was why Timmy’s mom and dad had him hide inside the crawlspace.” His rage building, Leuey whispered. “They knew that they were not going to come back!” he held down an angered sob. “They knew they were going to get killed!”

  “Put it back in your pocket, Angel.” said Alex. Angel did as she was told as Alex then turned to the others. “So, now we know for certain.”

  Tears fell from Scott’s eyes as rage flashed within them. His face grew three shades of red as he curled his trembling hands into shaking fists.  “Stone and his bouncers; they’re behind all this!” Fuming, he whispered. “We need to call the cops!”

  “Timmy’s parents must have stumbled upon someone’s smuggling operation; just as Angel had.” Gulping, Race said. “There are police officers right outside, holding back the press.”

  “Just as we had.” corrected Tex. “All of our lives are in serious danger at this point.” He turned to Alex. “I’m with Scott and Race; we have to go to the police with this.”

  “Just wait until I get my hands on them.” whispered Paul, enraged. “I’ll- I’ll...”

  Alex hushed the group quiet. “Everyone relax.  We’ll get them but we have to do it carefully.”

  “What’s your plan, Alex?” Curious, Tarra asked.

  “We will wait until the end of our production to drop the bomb on them.  The theater will be full of people and police by that time, there will be no place for them to run.”

  “Assuming they stick around for opening night.” Crossing her arms, Karen pointed out. “I’m not sold on that plan.”

  Alex turned to Karen with a dead serious expression that would shake a grown man. “If you want to go tell the police outside what Angel found, you be my guest.” Darkly, he said. “However, it is an unlikely story to find drugs stuffed inside prop furniture in a Broadway theater.” Karen sighed, frustrated but gave an impressed look as Alex added, “I plan to accuse Stone and his men of the murder of Timmy’s parents and let the drugs be the ‘icing on the cake’ to put them away for a very long time.”

  The other children gave their approval to Alex’s plan but fell silent as they spotted Brandy entering the grand hall. “You all made it!  Good, my husband would like you to start right away, I...”  She again noticed their serious expressions and let out a weary sigh. “Not the long faces again!  I really wish you would tell me what’s bothering you!  I might be able to help.”

  The children exchanged looks then turned as a small group of adults, their parents, walked into the lobby from outside. “We were just getting into character, Brandy.” said Alex, turning back to her. “We don’t want to lose that fire.”

  “Come on, guys!” Suddenly excited, Tarra called. “I’ll race you all to the dressing rooms!”

  The other children were quick to take her up on the challenge and dashed passed Brandy before she could say another word, leaving her to greet their parents.

  “Relax, mom.” said Jason running after the group with Jeff close behind. “We’ll make sure they don’t get lost.”

  “Don’t worry, Angel.” Running at her side, Tarra said. “Tonight is going to be one Stone and his goons will never forget!”

  “We don’t have them yet.” Sternly, Alex warned. “We will all have to keep a very sharp eye on Angel until this is all over.  Stone and his men have already proved that they are willing to go to any lengths to keep their operation a secret.”

  The others nodded in agreement but it was of little comfort to Angel as she swallowed down a fearful lump in the back of her throat. “I just wish I knew where my mom was right now.”

**********

  Elsewhere, inside a small courtroom, miles away from the theater, Maria and Samuel embraced in front of a judge as Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Rita Pizano of the Italian restaurant applauded.

  “Congratulations, you two.” Smiling, Rita said. “And, might I say, it’s about time you got back together.”

“Thanks, mom; I’m glad you could come at such short notice.”

“I’m always here for you, dear.” Kindly, Rita said. “Never forget that.” She sighed. “I just wish Martha was here to see this.”

Maria teared up. “I miss my little sister too, mom.”

  “All of those problems that lead to that terrible break up seem so petty now.” Taking Maria’s hand, Samuel said. “That trial last week painfully reminded me how much I really missed you. I don’t know what possessed us to separate in the first place.”

  Maria blushed slightly. “I don’t really remember myself.  It seems so long ago.  But let’s promise each other one thing right now.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Let’s promise each other that, no matter what happens from now on, we’ll work it out.”

  Samuel smiled, kissing the golden ring on Maria’s finger. “I promise.”

  “When are you two love birds going to tell the little lady?” Smiling, Mr. Thomas asked.

  Samuel and Maria looked at each other and smiled.

  “We’ll tell her at the end of her first performance.” said Samuel. “That way, everyone, including the theater staff can join in on dropping the bomb on her.”

  “Won’t she be surprised?” asked Maria. “Tonight is going to be one she won’t soon forget!”

**********

  Inside the crawlspace of the theater, Timmy woke abruptly from another nightmare and rocked himself back and forth on his bed of costumes until he heard the voices of the children echoing from the ventilation shafts.

  “Angel!”

  He rolled off his bed and scrambled through the trap door into the small storeroom where he crawled into the ventilation system. He hurried silently through the maze of narrow tunnels, stopping at a vent over the girl’s dressing room.  Looking inside, he was relieved to find all of the girls dressed and ready for final rehearsals. Only Stephanie seemed to be distressed; Timmy could not help wonder if she was still sick.

  “What’s wrong, Steph?” Noticing her worried expression, Lauren asked.

Stephanie shuddered. “I’m scared.”

  “About what; the drugs Angel found?” Raising an eyebrow, Rachel asked. She scoffed. “Forget about it; we won’t let anything happen to you.”

  Inside the vent, Timmy let out a near inaudible gasp, his face turning a ghostly white. Trembling, he reached deep into the front pocket of his tattered pants and retrieved an old, tiny package filled with a fine white powder. As he studied it, his father’s voice echoed within his mind… “So this is what you had been up to! Did you seriously think I wouldn’t figure it out!?”   

  “It’s not that.” said Stephanie. “I’ve missed two days of rehearsals and Mr. Stravis is expecting me to give a performance like the one Timmy gave when he took my place.  To make matters worse, today is the last day of rehearsals. I don’t know if I will be ready in time.”

  The girls exchanged worried looks but froze upon hearing Timmy’s voice echoing from a vent in the ceiling. “Watch the prompter’s box.”

  “How long have you been up there?” Blushing, Tarra demanded.

  “Watch the prompter’s box.” repeated Timmy.

With that, he moved on, through the maze of vents.

“He’s gone.” Sighing, Angel said.

  “I’ll say.” Shaking her head, Rachel stated. “He scares me at times.”

  “What do you think he meant by watch the prompter’s box?” Curious, Karen wondered. “How do you think he plans to help Stephanie this time?”

  Angel shrugged. “I don’t know.  He’s managed to help her twice before.  I’m just scared he’s going to make one big risk too many.”

  Inside one of the many secret passageways, Timmy paused to take another look at the small package of white powder, fighting back a heavy sob. “Angel knows, she knows!  I can’t let her out of my sight now.” he shivered, sobbing. “I don’t want to have to wait for her too!”

**********

  Elsewhere, in a small office, Stone sat down with Karen’s father, Todd Jackman from New York Social services. “Thank you for agreeing to see me at such short notice, Mr. Jackman.” Serious, Stone said.

  “You told me over the telephone that you had an idea to catch this theater’s little specter.” His eyes intently onto Stone, Todd said. “I am open to any suggestions; this is not a very good place for anyone to live, especially not a little boy.”

  Stone gave a rueful smile as he grudgingly nodded. “Well, my men and I have tried to catch this boy without much success.  He’s fast, clever, and knows every inch of this theater. However, he can’t escape the eyes of a dog.”

  “I’m sorry, Stone.  I don’t follow you.”

  “Every time the boy comes near the stage, the dog who plays the role of ‘Rags’ follows his every move.  By watching the dog, we can find and catch the boy.”

  Jackman grunted, following Stone’s reasoning.  “It sounds like a good plan, Stone; but why would he come that close to the stage?  He doesn’t strike me as one to take risks.”

  “He has been as close as the prompter’s box.  And, he was on the stage as well.”

  Mr. Jackman seemed startled. “What!?!”

  “Allow me to explain.”

  Stone told Mr. Jackman the events that led to his suspicion that Timmy had taken the place of the youngest actress when she became ill from something she had eaten.  He also told him why he believed the boy had taken her place on the stage and managed to fool everyone, including him, until he saw the boy running among the high catwalks to return to his elusive hiding place somewhere inside the theater.

  “So, Angel did see someone inside the prompter’s box two days ago.” said Mr. Jackman, after Stone had finished his story. “But why did the boy take such a huge risk?”

  “My guess is that the boy had developed a sense of attachment towards the two young ladies.” said Stone.  “Living inside this theater alone for so long, he’s probably never really seen a girl before that day they first entered the theater.”

  Jackman smiled slightly. “That makes sense. Do you really think your plan will work?”

  “Well, I know the boy will be keeping his eye out for my men and I; but you might be able to catch him off guard.” Stone smiled. “After all, it is for his own good.”

  Jackman was silent for a moment before he asked, “Where would you like me to be?”

**********

  Back to the dressing rooms, the girls and boys marched out, ready for the final rehearsals, and met each other in the hall.  They each nodded at each other, knowledgeably as Brandy quickly gathered them together.

  “Timmy told us to watch the prompter’s box.” Carefully, Angel whispered to the boys. “I think he’s going to try to help Stephanie again.”

  Alex simply shook his head. “He’s already taken two risks to help her.  Why stop now?”

  “Come along, kids.” said Brandy. “I know you’re all excited, but we have a few hours before the doors of the theater open and my husband wants all of you to spend most of it rehearsing.”

  The children followed Brandy through the hall and down the stairs, keeping Angel and Stephanie in the middle of their group as they went.  Angel turned to Stephanie, who returned her gaze and gave her an uncomfortable smile.

  “Don’t worry, Stephanie.” she whispered. “I think Timmy has a little crush on us, he won’t let anything bad happen.”

  “I’m not worried about us.” whispered Stephanie. “I’m scared for him, what if he gets caught?”

  “He has been living inside this theater alone for four years without getting caught; I really don’t think he is going to let that happen now.”

  Stephanie smiled. “You’re right, Angel.  I guess I shouldn’t worry so much.”

  Angel smiled back, hiding her uncertainty. “I just wish I could believe that.”

  On the stage, the children took their places and waited for Mr. Stravis to give them instructions.  Angel looked over at the prompter’s box and suddenly remembered locking the door leading to below stage.  Worried, she looked at Alex but turned as she caught some movement out of the corner of her eye to find Timmy discretely waving at them from the prompter’s box. “How…”

  Timmy, as if sensing her question, held up an old set of keys for her to see.  From back stage, Jason watched him with Jeff at his side and shook his head. “Our specter friend is full of surprises.”

  Jeff nodded. “Let’s just hope he doesn’t run out of them.”

  Elsewhere, inside the girl’s dressing room, everything was strewn about as Wayne searched the room for any evidence Angel might have had.  After he had searched the entire room, he took out his portable radio. “It’s not here.  If she has anything, she must have it on her person.”

  Standing at stage right, Stone replied into his radio, “Understood.”

  “However, I did find a full notepad, describing the death of the King boy’s parents inside her purse. This can only mean that she and Timmy…”

  “That she and Timmy have been talking.” finished Stone. “Good work, Wayne. Destroy the evidence you had found and get back down here before you are seen.”

  He returned the radio to his belt and signaled Al at stage left.  Al nodded and searched the stage for his opportunity.

  “Okay, everyone, settle down.” said Mr. Stravis. “I am very proud of each and every one of you.  I have never had a cast such as this; never.  You work so flawlessly with each other; I am convinced the fire I saw in Angel three days ago has spread to everyone on my staff.”

  The children exchanged excited looks then turned to Timmy, inside the prompter’s box, who smiled, giving them a ‘thumbs up’ sign.

  “Just don’t let it go to your heads.” warned Mr. Stravis. “We still have a few hours left before the people start pouring in and I want everything to be perfect.”

  “I’m all set, Mr. Stravis.” said Todd Jackman, walking passed the curtains, onto the stage.

  The children’s excited expressions quickly changed to that of concern while, inside the prompter’s box, Timmy ducked down as the dog, Rags turned in his direction but he was not fast enough to escape the eyes of Karen’s father who saw the dog staring at the prompter’s box.

  “What are you doing here, dad?” asked Rachel. “You don’t have a part in this musical.”

  “Allow me to explain.” said Stravis. “Mr. Smith, who had been playing the role of Mr. Scheme, just called.  He is stuck in traffic and he will not be able to get here in time for the last minute rehearsals.  But Mr. Jackman was kind enough to offer his services as a temporary stand in.”

  “In other words, kids,” said Jackman, “I will be taking Mr. Robert’s place on stage until he can get here.  Don’t worry, I’ll try not to embarrass you.”
Karen gave him a weak laugh then thought, “Great! What are we going to do now?”

  “Let’s get started then.” said Stravis. “We’ll start at the top and go from there.  Places, please.”

  “One moment, please.” said Al, walking onto the stage.

  “What is it, Al?” asked Stravis, sternly.

  Al walked over to Angel, with the other children watching him closely, and discretely reached into the side pocket of her costume, found the tiny package, and took it from her as he whispered into her ear.  “Your costume is ripped in the back. I’d have Brandy look at it real quick; I don’t think you want it to fall off on you.”

  His move went unnoticed to everyone around him, except for Timmy, whose sharp eyes caught him from inside the prompter’s box.  “They took her proof.”  He retrieved the tiny bag of powder from his pocket and looked at it for a moment as a plan formed inside his mind. “They have Angel’s proof, but not mine; they haven’t won yet.”

  “What’s going on, Al?” demanded Stravis as Angel hurried towards left stage, blushing.

  “Angel’s costume is torn in the back, sir.” said Al, discretely placing the small bag into his own pocket. “But Brandy has it under control.  Angel should be ready in a moment.”

  “Okay, okay.  Get off the stage.” he turned to the children. “If you would be kind enough to take your places, boys, we will get started.  Angel should be ready to rehearse by the time we reach scene two.”

  Timmy remained hidden inside the prompter’s box as the boys took their places and the rehearsals began with the girls keeping a sharp eye on Angel.  Soon, it was the girls' turn to take their places. They walked out onto the stage and found Timmy watching them from inside the prompter’s box.  He mouthed, 'Follow my lead'. and the number began. Stephanie followed Timmy’s moves, trying her best to duplicate them all, and was very surprised by how well she did.  She was even able to copy all of his facial expressions exactly.

  “Stephanie is a natural.” thought Angel, with a sense of awe. “She’s going to be just fine.”

  As the rehearsals continued, Todd watched from stage left and was surprised to find the boy mirroring every move the youngest actress was making from inside the prompter’s box.  Then, he remembered Stone telling him that he had suspected Timmy of taking the girl’s place while she was sick.  Considering this, he was impressed.  “What a remarkable young man.” He then turned to Stone, who was watching from stage right, and pointed at the prompter’s box.  Stone nodded and took out his portable radio.

  “The boy is inside the prompter’s box, Max.” he said. “Be sure to go quietly, we don’t want him to get away this time.”

  As the boys took their places on the stage to perform short end of the stick, Timmy continued to aid Stephanie, ignoring the risk of being caught.  Not long into the performance, the risk he had ignored became very real.  He heard the door leading to below stage quietly rattling, someone was testing the door.  Timmy looked about, desperate; there were no ventilation vents inside the prompter’s box.  He was trapped.  The near inaudible click of the door being unlocked reached his ears and he turned, his heart skipping a beat as a silent gasp escaped his lips.  Watching the door slowly swing outward, Timmy knew that there was only one option left.  Despite the risk, he had to run out into the open.

  The door opened all the way, revealing the square form of Max, who lunged in at Timmy, but he was not quite fast enough.  Timmy jumped up, barely escaping his grasp, and quickly rolled out of the prompter’s box, onto the stage where he made a mad dash for the curtains, leading back stage.  His desperate move came so suddenly to those on stage and in the audience that even Stone was forced to hesitate.  He was quick to recover, however, and he immediately took pursuit with the three bouncers and half of the stage crew following.  Todd Jackman, however, remained on stage while Tom took pictures of every moment from the audience.

  “He really does exist.” said Brandy, surprised. “And to think, I always thought Jeff and Jason were just making him up.”

  “After him!” barked Stone, backstage “One thousand dollars to the man who catches that kid!”

  Timmy managed to dodge all of the men in the darkness of the back stage area, praying that none of them would think of turning on the lights.  He ran through the curtains, back onto the stage, with the intention of quickly slipping Angel his tiny package of proof before vanishing into the ventilation system through the vent below stage.  However, upon reaching the stage, he found himself running right into the arms of Todd Jackman.  Timmy let out a loud gasp and dived for the floor, sliding passed him, between his legs, then ran for right stage, where Angel was standing.

  “Quick move, son.” said Todd. “But not quick enough.”

  He pulled a small gun out of his costume pocket, leveled it at him and fired.  A small dart flew forth and caught Timmy in the shoulder where he had been shot four years earlier.  The sound of the gunshot echoed in his mind as he abruptly changed direction and slipped the tiny package into Stephanie’s pocket, just before passing out and collapsing onto the stage floor.

  “You shot him!” screamed Rachel as Jeff and Jason ran out onto the stage. “You killed him!”

  “He’s not dead, honey.” said Todd, walking over to Timmy, lying on the floor. “You know me better than that.”

  “What did you hit him with?” demanded Jeff .

  Todd gently pulled the tiny dart out of Timmy’s shoulder and showed it to the children. “It’s just a mild tranquilizer, kids.  He will wake up in about a half an hour with nothing more than a mild headache.” He looked at the children curiously. “I have this odd feeling that you kids know a lot more about this boy than you’re leading everyone to believe.”

  “We know more than we’d like to.” admitted Jason.

  Just then, Stone and the other men piled through the curtains and froze, surprised to find Timmy lying motionless on the stage floor. “I don’t believe it.  You actually caught him.” He nodded at Todd. “Good work, Mr. Jackman.  My men and I should be able to  take it from here.”

  “No, Stone.  This is a matter for the New York social services, of which I am the only present representative.”

  Stone nodded, giving a seemingly polite grin.  “Of course, Mr. Jackman, I didn’t mean to over step my authority but I am the head of security here and it is my job to make certain that the boy is picked up by the proper authorities.”  He looked at Timmy. “How long will he be under?”

  “He will be unconscious for an hour or so.  There shouldn’t be any major side effects, except for a colossal headache.”

  The children turned to Jackman, curious.  What he had told Stone was not what he had told them.  A quick wink from him, however, told the children that he was on their side and they quickly focused their attention back onto on Timmy.

  “He is going to be okay, isn’t he?” asked Stephanie.

  “Of course he will.” said Stone. “We just want to make sure he gets all that he deserves.”

  Scott frowned, clenching his fists. “I’ll bet you do.”

  “I’m going to call my good friend, Fred Coperstone from human services and have him pick up the boy.” said Todd. “He will make sure he is well taken care of.”

  “That’s fine.” said Stone. “My men and I will wait for him in the back.” He looked at the two reporters, sitting in the audience. “There’s really no need to turn this incident into a complete media circus.”

  “I agree.” said Stravis. “I don’t want this production to go under after all of the work everyone had put into it.”

  Todd nodded and left the stage.

  “Let us greet Fred.” suggested Jeff. “Jason and I get along with him very well.  And, we know a little about this kid, we may be able to help Fred deal with him better when he wakes up.”

  “That’s fine.” said Stravis. “Just stay out of Stone’s way, that kid looks pretty strong, Fred will have his hands full if he wakes up early and decides to give him trouble.”

  “Don’t worry, sir.” said Stone. “I’m sure your sons will not be any trouble at all.” He then turned to Angel. “Would you care to join us?”

  Angel cringed and the other children quickly moved to surround her.  Stone let out a small laugh. “I guess not.” He turned to John. “There is a small office in the basement, not too far from the side entrance.  My men and I will move him there and wait for your man to arrive so all of your young performers may continue their rehearsals.”

  “That’s a good idea, Stone.” said Stravis. “Just send my sons back once the boy is in the hands of human services.”

Stone took Timmy up into his arms. “Don’t worry, sir, we will do just that.”

  “They’re taking him away!’ whispered Stephanie, crying.

  “I know, Steph.” replied Angel. “But there’s nothing we can do about it right now.”

  Stravis nodded and Stone led Jeff and Jason off stage with the three bouncers following.  As they left, two folded pieces of paper fell out of Timmy’s limp hand.  Stephanie, seeing this, quickly picked them up and stuffed them into the side pocket of her costume with the tiny package Timmy had discretely given her.  She had caught a glimpse of it as he put it there and knew what it was, she only prayed no one else had noticed.

  John cleared his throat. “Well, now that we have had our share of excitement, shall we continue?”

  Brandy, who was sitting next to him, hit her husband in the back of the head. “Everyone take a five minute break." she said. "We will continue then.”

  “What was that for?” asked John.

  “Can’t you see how worried those kids are, dear?  I can guess now why they have been so serious lately.  They knew about that boy and, apparently had grown attached to him.”

  Stravis looked at the children, wandering aimlessly on the stage, then turned back to his wife.  “But how could they know about him if he hadn’t shown himself until now?”

  “You’re forgetting, dear.  Half of those children up there were orphans and they were all known to hide in this theater until you and I bought it.”
With that, she rose from her seat and walked up to the stage with John following her, uncertain.  As Brandy stepped up onto the stage, the children all looked up at her, silent. Their faces were serious but none of them could hold back the tears that were forming in their eyes.  Brandy felt the urge to cry with them but she managed to compose herself as she knelt down to face them.

  “I believe it is past time for you children to tell us the whole story.”