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“Shut up old lady,” Stan says. He looks at you and Fred. “Go tie her up. Ill keep watch out here.” You take Mrs. Ellison back into the store. Fred heads for the refrigerator. “I need food. You tie her up.” “A tourist might come by,” you whisper to Mrs. Ellison. She nods. “Go back to Henry’s cabin first,” she says as you tie her hands loosely behind her back. “Look at—“ “What are you two talking about?” Fred growls, hurrying over to inspect the rope around her wrists. “A baby could get out of this in thirty seconds!” He tightens the knots. Then Fred shoves you out the door and steps back inside He flips the sign in the window to CLOSED. Your heart sinks. There’ll be no chance of a tourist finding Mrs. Ellison now. “Let’s go, kid,” Stan says, giving you a shove. “You lead. And hurry up.” Your mind is full of questions. Is there really a fire alert? Is Mrs. Ellison trying to warn you away from the ridge? Or did she mean that, because there is an alert, the Forest Service will be patrolling that area? And why did she tell you to go to Henry’s cabin first? What did she want you to look at? Maybe you can leave a clue there for Jason; he’s sure to look for you. Or maybe you can lose the men in the forest.



If you decide e to go to Henry’s cabin first, turn to page 59. If you go directly to the ridge, turn to page 84.