Finders Keepers (16 page)

Gibbs slipped his arm around Ellie and pulled her to her feet, and with the help of another goblin, she and Taylor were escorted to a door in the wall—one she hadn’t noticed from her earlier visit.
 
It was the exact same off white that the walls of the lounge were and had the appearance of a storage closet.
 
Probably the storage closet Gibbs had mentioned to her before.
 
Before they were even out of sight Sky turned his back on them and returned to his stool in the other room.
 
Ellie watched him over her shoulder until the windowless door slammed shut on them.
       

***

           
Ellie sat crouched down in one of the narrow aisles of the library, scanning the books on the bottom shelf.
 
This was a familiar place to be.
 
She’d been at the library at least once a week through the summer.
 
She reached up and ran her fingers along the spines of the books.
 
She’d read most of the titles already.
 
A shadow dropped down on her and she paused to look up.

           
A cute boy with long, black hair smiled down at her.
 
He held up a piece of scrap paper, a recycled part of the old card catalog, with a scrawled number on it.
 
“I’m just looking for a book, but don’t worry about me.”

           
Rocking back onto her heels, Ellie pushed herself into a standing position.
 
Her hand flew up of its own accord to slap him, but just before she actually hit Sky, she realized there was no bandage binding her hand.
 
She stopped and looked at her palm, her mouth ajar.
 
The boy cocked his head to one side revealing a white stripe that started at his temple and continued on over his ear.
 

           
He said, “Are you looking for something specific or just browsing?
 
Maybe I could help you look or recommend something good.”
 

“I…I…”
 
Her words echoed in her head but her tongue and lips never actually formed them.
 
It was like she was in her dream and watching her dream at the same time.
 
The sound muted and she saw the boy laughing and turning his card over so as to write something on it with his little half pencil.
 
Seven numbers.
 
That was her cell phone!
 

The scene changed and she found herself pacing in front of her front door, occasionally peering through the small glass blocks that flanked both sides of her front door.
 
When she saw nothing, she’d scurry down the hall to where a huge mirror hung, check her hair and makeup for the hundredth time and then zip back down toward the door.
 

A pizza delivery guy pulled in front of the house, his music blaring, and jumped out of the car with his red pizza bag.
 
He didn’t bother to turn off his car and Ellie didn’t wait for him to ring the doorbell.
 
The guy was probably only a little older than Ellie but he wore a thin mustache which made him seem ages older, which was probably the point.
 

“Delivery for a Miss Ellie Brown.”
 
Ellie nodded and he ripped open the Velcro and handed her a pizza box.
 
“Already paid for.
 
Have a nice day.”
 
He trotted back to his car and burned rubber screeching out of her driveway.
 
She sat down on the front step and laid the box open on her knees.

Four hot dogs and two bags of chips were on the inside.
 
She blinked several times to make sure she was seeing what she was seeing.
 
The note read
Happy anniversary
.
 
Meet me on the back porch
.
 
Ellie searched for the receipt.
 
What was the date?
 
Did the delivery guy even give her a receipt?
 
The small paper was scrunched up in her back jean pocket.
 
August 14.
 
Why did she know that date?

She almost turned to go back in the house.
 
A huge part of her wanted to run down the hall, through the family room, and out the sliding glass door.
 
The small, but more determined part told her she must not.

Because this was not real.
 
The first time she saw Sky he was leaning over the nurses’ station.
 
And the last time she’d seen him, he watched with cold, emotionless eyes while Dodge carved her up.
 
She shook her head.
 
It slushed around like a half full water bottle.

“Ellie?
 
Ellie?
 
Can you hear me?”

If she followed Sky to the back porch maybe she would figure out why she felt so close to him.
 
As if she knew him.
 
There was moment of hesitation, then she dragged open her lids and blinked muzzily.
 
Taylor sighed loudly.
 
Sarah frowned.

           
After Ellie was fully coherent again and able to sit up, the three girls discussed a plan for escape.
 
Sarah’s aid in Ellie’s earlier escape from Gibbs earned her
her
current sentence of 24 hour supervised captivity in the storage closet.
 
Her fiery eyes told the girls all they needed to know how she felt about it.
 
She’d been under lock and key since Ellie’s departure from Goblin City two nights before.
 

The plan revolved around Zak because as Sarah informed Ellie and Taylor, “He is double-crossing Gibbs and the gang.
 
He messed with the bomb the first time.
 
He will help us.”

Ellie shifted on the hard ground.
 
“Lola said she was the mole.”
 

Sarah flipped her pigtails.
 
“Impossible.
 
Lola could never be the mole because her sun rises and sets by Sky.
 
She’s been in love with him since she was seven, and they’ve been together since they were both thirteen.
 
She's marked you know.”
 

“Marked?” Ellie said at the same time Taylor screeched, “They’ve been what?
 
Then what the crap has he been doing going after Ellie?”

           
What right does he have to be protective of you?
 
As far as I can see, he’s spoken for.
 
Sky’s words echoed in her head.
 

           
Sarah patted Ellie on the arm.
 
“You’re just a human girl.
 
You’re a toy… a pet.
 
You know how boys are.
 
It’s a possession thing.
 
I thought you learned that lesson already.”
 
She crossed her legs and leaned back against the wall.
 
“Lola only told you she was the mole so that she could trick you into coming back.
 
She probably figured Gibbs would kill you for escaping and she would be queen bee again.”
 

           
“He didn’t kill you for helping me.”

           
"I'm a goblin,
chica
.
 
We don't kill our own kind."

           
Gibbs
.
 
Ellie’s blood boiled thinking about him.
 
He locked Sarah up.
 
He stood by and watched Dodge carve her up.
 
Gibbs was scum.
 
And Sky who she’d considered her protector, was pond slime.
 
Even Manny was on her hit list.
 
How well could he possibly be treating her best friend if Taylor was ready to hand him over on a silver platter?
 
But more importantly and urgently, it was obvious Lola wanted her dead.
 
“We need to get out of here.
 
How soon before we can talk to Zak?”
 

           
Sarah squinted her eyes as if trying to determine time.
 
With palms upturned, she shrugged her shoulders.
 
“He was supposed to bring my breakfast.
 
I thought he’d be here by now.”
 
She whipped a thin red cell phone out of her pocket.
 
“His last text just said to be ready and that he’ll get us all out.”
 
Taylor raised an eyebrow at the phone.
 
Sarah grinned smugly.
 
“I told you he was the one.
 
He sneaked it in my scrambled eggs the first night I was in here.”

           
As if on cue, the lock on the door turned and then the door squeaked open revealing a backlit child-size goblin.
 
The light from the common room temporarily blinded Ellie and she, along with Taylor, shielded their eyes with the backs of their hands.
 
The goblin smiled at Ellie, but without any of the mischief she’d associated him with before.
 
He actually looked very tired.
 
His eyes drooped and were slightly sunken into his head.
   

           
“Gibbs wants Ellie,” he said.

           
There was no doubt what he meant, but the words caused her heart to skip a beat anyway.
 
If only.

           
Taylor latched onto Ellie’s arm.
 
“She doesn’t go anywhere without me.”

           
“This is the blonde bombshell, eh?”
 
He looked Taylor over thoroughly, so much so that even Ellie blushed on behalf of Taylor.
 
He did not share his assessment verbally but the previous resigned expression on his face transformed into a wicked smirk.
 
His gaze shifted to Sarah and his expression changed again.
 
This was tender.
 
“As soon as Gibbs is distracted, it’s a go.
 
You’re ready?”
 

Sarah nodded.
 

“If all goes as planned, this will be over in a few days and you’ll be able to come back.”
 
He touched her arm.
 
Sarah nodded again.
 
Her movements were solid, but her eyes looked unusually glassy.
 

“Just think,” he said, “you’ll get to walk through the malls when they’re actually open.
 
Samples, sales clerks, sales…”
 
He drifted off but his efforts were not in vain because they earned him a small smile from Sarah.
 
Blame it on hanging out way too much with goblins, but whereas Taylor wore a puzzle frown, Ellie knew exactly what Zak was saying and why he was trying so hard to comfort her.
 
Sarah was going to have to go aboveground, and unless Gibbs was stopped, she’d be stuck there forever.
 
The shopping would be mouth-watering, but Ellie knew, just as Zak and Sarah did, that aboveground was a dangerous place for goblins.
 

Zak gestured for Ellie then, and that’s when she realized.
 
The escape plan was not for her.
 
Suddenly, there was not enough saliva in her mouth to swallow the lump in her throat.
 
She
was providing the necessary distraction.
 

She dug her teeth into her bottom lip and winced when she tasted blood again.
 
Forcefully, she pried Taylor’s fingers from her arm.
 
“It’s all right Taylor.”
 
She gave Zak a meaningful look.
 
Don’t you dare worry her.
 
Out loud she said, “It’ll be safer if we split up.
 
I’ll meet you up top.
 
My mom’s expecting you for her fake Thanksgiving dinner, you know.
 
Unexpected holiday plus my dad home equals whipping out that 12
lb
turkey she’s had in the freezer for the last six months.
 
She’ll probably make you do the sweet potatoes like last year.
 
Dinner is at 4 o’clock and prep starts at noon.
 
Don’t be late.”