Chapter VI
The Gang Disappears

Sally lay outside on her back, eyes open, staring blankly at the stars.

“Did you hear any time they were going to at?” Asked the deep-voiced Police Officer.

Sally shook her head. “Just that they're coming tonight,” she said.

Callie sat up. “What time is it?” She asked.

“It's eleven-o'clock,” Sally replied, looking at her wrist watch.
Callie whistled.

“We've been here for three and a half hours,” she said.

Sally nodded, then turned back to Officer Troy Kennings.

“You don't think your other Officers have fallen asleep waiting, do you?” She asked.

“They might have. You three stay right here. I'm going to check on them."

He came back a few minutes later, telling him all four were still wide awake as ever. No sooner had he said this then sound of a car came, and a moment later the four could see a pair of car headlights coming down the dirt road. It was the same, familiar little black car. Four people were in it.

The driver was Allen, the 'ghost' was Horace. The man who was going to attempt to kidnap Callie was Oliver, and so was Aaron, thief. Oliver, Aaron, and Horace jumped out and Allen sped off in the car. Police Officer, who was in charge of the Police with him for this mission, had stationed one man on the first floor, and another man on the second floor.

Oliver walked warily up the stairs. Frightening thoughts flashed through his
mind. What if he tripped and woke the adults up? He would surely be turned in. What if Aaron, who was downstairs, was caught by the adults, and he told the Police where he was? He wanted to stop, but he kept going. But suddenly he did stop. He really had no other choice. There was a gun at his temple, and if he moved one step closer, he'd be a dead man. He had no idea who had the gun at his head, because who ever it was was in the shadows, and besides, it was very dark.

At that moment the man with the gun stepped in to the moonlight that was streaming from a window. Oliver's mouth fell open. He stood there for a moment, mouth agape, barely being able to breathe because of his shock. A Police Officer! His worst thoughts. If only he could warn his friends. But, unknown to Oliver, both his friends were in the hands of Police.

“Get moving, Oliver,” the Police Officer ordered.

Oliver looked completely dumbstruck. He knew his name!

How, Oliver had no idea. He had been in prison before, but that had been eighteen years ago! Surely the Police didn't know he was the one who had robbed the bank last year!

“I just sent Fred to tell Troy that we got him. You have any trouble with Oliver, Mark?” Officer Mike asked the Officer who had Oliver in his clutches as soon as he emerged into the living room.

“Oh, sure,” Mark said, grinning. “He put up a big fight.”

Oliver glared at Mike. The door opened, and in stepped Troy, who had a handcuffed, struggling Horace by the arm.

-----

The next day, when their partners didn't return, Ike began to fear his friends had been caught by the Police, so he announced that would have to change their hiding place, or they'd be caught by the police, too. He turned to Kyle.

“Kyle,” he said. “Your the only one in this here gang that's never been in prison before. You have no criminal records. Your not wanted anywhere. You'll have to go into town today and see if you can't find out if the Police have got Horace and Aaron and Olive.”

Kyle nodded.

“When do you want me to go?” He asked.

“Now,” Ike replied. “The sooner we find out where they are, all the better.”

Once again, Kyle nodded, and out of the cave he went. When he returned less than an hour later, he reported that the three out-laws had been caught by the Police and were in prison.

“Then we'd better clear out of here fast before the cops come!” Ike exclaimed. “If they knew we were going to the Wolfpen Ridge house, there is no doubt in my mind that they know where our hideout is!”

-----

“This is where they had the meeting,” Sally announced as they walked up to the gangs ex-hideout. “They must be out somewhere. I don't see any one or anything. Not even a car.”

The Police drew their guns as an extra precaution and walked into the cave.

“Wait right here,” he commanded the girls.

He motioned for the four other police to follow, and the five Police Officers walked into the cave. A few minutes later, they returned. There was disappointment on their faces.

“Not a sign of anyone using it as a hideout.” Officer Troy reported to the girls.

“They probably got worried when their pals didn't come back last night, so they vamoosed. We'll get a detective over here. He can see if the gang left any finger prints.”

Troy drove the girls home, and Sally wrote down their phone number, gave it to him, and asked him if they might call them should anything turn up. He agreed and drove off. Of course by now Aunt Leah and Uncle Jim knew everything all the way from the ghost story, to the capture of the three out-laws.

Sally and her cousins walked inside. They found Aunt Leah sitting on the couch, knitting.

“Hello, girls,” s he said, looking up to smile at them. “How did it go? Did they capture the rest of the gang?”

Sally shook her head, and Carrie said, “No one was there. Officer Troy said that probably when their friends didn't come back last night, they vamoosed.”

Aunt Leah nodded.

“We're going upstairs to our room, mom,” Callie said. “If the Police call, it's for us. We asked them to call if anything came up.”

Half an hour later, the telephone rang. They heard Aunt Leah answering it.

They walked halfway down the stairs, then stopped, their hearts beating fast with excitement, as Aunt Leah said, “You want to talk to Sally?” She asked.

“Why, yes, I'll get her right away....Yes. One moment.”

Putting her finger over the telephone mouth-piece, she called,

"Sally, it's officer Troy. He wants to speak to you.”

Sally and her cousins crossed their fingers, hoping it would be good news, and rushed downstairs. Sally took the phone from her aunt.

“Hi, Officer Troy....Did you find anything? Fingerprints?...Oh. I see. That's too bad....Thanks for calling and letting me know. Good bye. Tell us if anything else show up, please,” she asked.

She hung up, and by the look on her face, everyone knew that something was wrong.

“They couldn't find any clues?' Callie asked.

Sally shook her head.

“No fingerprints; nothing. Officer Troy say they must have worn gloves the whole time of staying there,” Sally said, disappointingly.

“I'm sorry about that,” Aunt Leah said, feeling truly sorry sorry for her niece. “But I'm sure the Police will find them sooner or later and put them in jail.”

“I hope so,” Sally said.