he could run fast but he was no match for the fleeing figure.
The sliver of a crescent moon and the stars gave little light. Once the dark figure was in the shadow of the trees along the creek, Mark couldn't see him anymore. On the far side of the creek he could make out a white or light colored car parked on a field road. But he couldn't see the intruder. He looked around straining his eyes in the meager light. He heard a soft footfall behind him and started to turn around.
Something hit the side of his head and a million stars exploded in his brain as he fell and the world faded away to oblivion.
Chapter 3
"Sherry, it's Frank."
She opened the door and peered out. "Did you see him?"
"No. Mark must have. I heard him holler out back."
"I heard him, too. What could anyone possibly want? I haven't got that much. I put my money in the bank."
As they stood on the front porch waiting for the police, Frank shifted uneasily, looking toward the corner of the house. "Mark must've chased that guy to kingdom come. He should be back by now. If he isn't here soon, I'm going looking for him."
His worriment planted a seed of worry in Sherry's brain. At last they saw the flashing lights of a state police car.
"Here comes the cavalry," Frank said.
The car pulled in the driveway and stopped behind Frank's truck. The trooper shone his flashlight on the pair on the porch. "Hello, Frank. Who's with you?"
"Chad. I'm glad it's you. You remember Sherry Winnette?"
"Of course." Chad crossed the lawn and held out his hand to Sherry. "I'm Chad Wertman. Do you remember me?"
"No."
Frank interrupted. "Mark ran after the guy and he's been gone a good long while. Something must have happened to him."
Chad shone his light over the tall grass in the yard. "I can see his trail. I'll go try to find him."
Chad went off around the house following the trail in the dew-wet grass between the gardens and on between the soybean field on the left and the recently cut hay field on the right. He flashed his light from side to side to look over the fields as well as the path ahead. As he got to the trees along the creek, he shone his light around until he saw Mark lying there with blood on his face. He approached and squatted down to feel for Mark's carotid pulse. It was strong and steady. Chad let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He rolled Mark onto his back.
"Mark." He patted his face. "Mark."
Mark opened his eyes. "Chad?"
Chad reached out a hand to help him sit up. "Do you think you can stand up and walk? I'd hate to have to carry you."
"I'll manage." Chad assisted him to his feet.
Chad shone his light over the ground. "There's a piece of a dead limb." He walked over for a closer look. "It's got blood on it. Let's go back to the house."
Chad reached to the radio on his shoulder and pushed a button. "This is Wertman. Send an ambulance to the address of that break in. I got a man here with a head injury."
"I don't need an ambulance," Mark insisted.
"You were knocked out. That means you have a concussion. You could have a subdural hematoma. You are going to the hospital if I have to cuff you to the gurney."
"You've been wanting to put cuffs on me ever since you got the damn things," Mark complained.
"Did you get a good look at the perp?" Chad asked.
"Not enough light. He ran like he was training for the Olympics. Man, I've got a headache."
"That's why you are going in that ambulance when it gets here," reasoned Chad. They walked around the house to stop at the front porch where Sherry and Frank waited. "I found him down by the creek, knocked cold."
"How bad is he hurt?" Frank asked as they stopped beside the porch railing.
"Took a blow to the head. I called for an ambulance."
"I told you I don't need an ambulance," Mark protested.
"When that ambulance gets here you better be in it or I'll put you in it," his father warned.
"You and who else?" Mark asked.
"Me," Chad answered.
"And me," Sherry spoke up.
"Well, since
The sliver of a crescent moon and the stars gave little light. Once the dark figure was in the shadow of the trees along the creek, Mark couldn't see him anymore. On the far side of the creek he could make out a white or light colored car parked on a field road. But he couldn't see the intruder. He looked around straining his eyes in the meager light. He heard a soft footfall behind him and started to turn around.
Something hit the side of his head and a million stars exploded in his brain as he fell and the world faded away to oblivion.
Chapter 3
"Sherry, it's Frank."
She opened the door and peered out. "Did you see him?"
"No. Mark must have. I heard him holler out back."
"I heard him, too. What could anyone possibly want? I haven't got that much. I put my money in the bank."
As they stood on the front porch waiting for the police, Frank shifted uneasily, looking toward the corner of the house. "Mark must've chased that guy to kingdom come. He should be back by now. If he isn't here soon, I'm going looking for him."
His worriment planted a seed of worry in Sherry's brain. At last they saw the flashing lights of a state police car.
"Here comes the cavalry," Frank said.
The car pulled in the driveway and stopped behind Frank's truck. The trooper shone his flashlight on the pair on the porch. "Hello, Frank. Who's with you?"
"Chad. I'm glad it's you. You remember Sherry Winnette?"
"Of course." Chad crossed the lawn and held out his hand to Sherry. "I'm Chad Wertman. Do you remember me?"
"No."
Frank interrupted. "Mark ran after the guy and he's been gone a good long while. Something must have happened to him."
Chad shone his light over the tall grass in the yard. "I can see his trail. I'll go try to find him."
Chad went off around the house following the trail in the dew-wet grass between the gardens and on between the soybean field on the left and the recently cut hay field on the right. He flashed his light from side to side to look over the fields as well as the path ahead. As he got to the trees along the creek, he shone his light around until he saw Mark lying there with blood on his face. He approached and squatted down to feel for Mark's carotid pulse. It was strong and steady. Chad let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He rolled Mark onto his back.
"Mark." He patted his face. "Mark."
Mark opened his eyes. "Chad?"
Chad reached out a hand to help him sit up. "Do you think you can stand up and walk? I'd hate to have to carry you."
"I'll manage." Chad assisted him to his feet.
Chad shone his light over the ground. "There's a piece of a dead limb." He walked over for a closer look. "It's got blood on it. Let's go back to the house."
Chad reached to the radio on his shoulder and pushed a button. "This is Wertman. Send an ambulance to the address of that break in. I got a man here with a head injury."
"I don't need an ambulance," Mark insisted.
"You were knocked out. That means you have a concussion. You could have a subdural hematoma. You are going to the hospital if I have to cuff you to the gurney."
"You've been wanting to put cuffs on me ever since you got the damn things," Mark complained.
"Did you get a good look at the perp?" Chad asked.
"Not enough light. He ran like he was training for the Olympics. Man, I've got a headache."
"That's why you are going in that ambulance when it gets here," reasoned Chad. They walked around the house to stop at the front porch where Sherry and Frank waited. "I found him down by the creek, knocked cold."
"How bad is he hurt?" Frank asked as they stopped beside the porch railing.
"Took a blow to the head. I called for an ambulance."
"I told you I don't need an ambulance," Mark protested.
"When that ambulance gets here you better be in it or I'll put you in it," his father warned.
"You and who else?" Mark asked.
"Me," Chad answered.
"And me," Sherry spoke up.
"Well, since
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