Jacob Zalear was sitting down to dinner with Estelle Hontoas' family. Suddenly, there came a pounding on the door.

"Open up, or we'll knock this door down!"

Jacob's chair clattered to the floor as he stood up. His face turned pale. Estslle rose and beckoned to him. They left the room and headed down an escape tunnel in the back of the house. They came up in the woods out back.

"Come," Estelle said, beckoning to Jacob.

"We have practiced this often before you came. I meet my parents over by that tree."

They walked over to the tree in question to wait for Mr. and Mrs. Hontoas. They came up through the tunnel a few minutes later.

"Are you two alright?" Mrs. Hontoas asked.

"Nobody saw you?"

"yeah, we're OK, Mom," Estelle said.

"What about you? Did they hurt you, or anything?"

Estelle's father shook his head.

"No, we're alright. They only asked us questions. Too much muscle and not enough brain. They didn't even search the house!"

"Good! Can we go back home now?"

"No. I got the feeling there is someone else behind this. And that someone else is expecting us to come back. We're going to live with your Aunt Mable."