Cage Raiders
Shane stood over the metal sheet and scratched the dusty clay away with the toe of his sneaker. "How long do you think it took him to bury it?"
The "it" he was talking about was a fast pony that had once set fire to the streets and gone under the name of Boss 429...no one knew exactly how long the car had been in the canyon or what had happened to its owner. ~ from Cage Raiders
Life had seemed pretty normal for Andrew, his little sister, Clara and his two best friends, Manny and Shane until the raccoons came. Sure, there were some nutty neighbors, like Gloria Allman next door who tried to kill a raccoon with her bare hands to save her last chicken. And there's creepy, old Brian Colter down the street that no one likes. Rumor is he killed some guy and buried his muscle car, a Boss 429 in the hard-pack of the canyon behind the house. But, no one can prove it -- until the four kids embark on a nighttime cage raid that leads them to evidence that could put Colter away for life. Trapped in the killer's shed, they may not make it home alive.
Cage Raiders is a story of courage and heroic life-changing events that strengthen the bonds of friendship.
Cage Raiders is a story of courage and heroic life-changing events that strengthen the bonds of friendship.
Excerpt from Cage Raiders:
Colter smiled at the boys through nicotine-stained teeth that incessantly chewed some never-disintegrating crumb at the tip of his tongue. It was a thin-lipped smile that resembled a sneer at its warmest. His eyes squinted with the effort.
“You boys been down in the canyon.” It wasn’t so much a question as an observation. His eyes settled on the knife in his hand and he flicked a nail against its edge before looking up at the boys. “What were you doing down there?” He set the knife on the table beside him and his eyes remained on the boys as he lifted his glass. A flinty smile touched his rheumy eyes as he drank.
Andrew’s breath caught. “Nothing. Just walking around.”
Colter grunted in answer. All attempts at humor left his face. “You boys need to be careful down there.”
“Yes, sir,” Andrew nodded.
“This is a very old town with a long history and a lot of connections,” Colter began. “Good and bad. And if you go poking around the wrong place, you boys are going to get yourselves in a lot of trouble.”
Manny’s hands balled into fists and color touched his cheeks. “Like what?” The restrain in his voice contradicted the challenge of his stance.
Colter’s smile stretched greasily across his face and he turned his palms to the sky. “I wouldn’t know, son. Just giving you some friendly advice. You read things in the paper sometimes.” He shrugged. “Wouldn’t want to see nothing happen to you youngsters. That’s all.”
Colter smiled at the boys through nicotine-stained teeth that incessantly chewed some never-disintegrating crumb at the tip of his tongue. It was a thin-lipped smile that resembled a sneer at its warmest. His eyes squinted with the effort.
“You boys been down in the canyon.” It wasn’t so much a question as an observation. His eyes settled on the knife in his hand and he flicked a nail against its edge before looking up at the boys. “What were you doing down there?” He set the knife on the table beside him and his eyes remained on the boys as he lifted his glass. A flinty smile touched his rheumy eyes as he drank.
Andrew’s breath caught. “Nothing. Just walking around.”
Colter grunted in answer. All attempts at humor left his face. “You boys need to be careful down there.”
“Yes, sir,” Andrew nodded.
“This is a very old town with a long history and a lot of connections,” Colter began. “Good and bad. And if you go poking around the wrong place, you boys are going to get yourselves in a lot of trouble.”
Manny’s hands balled into fists and color touched his cheeks. “Like what?” The restrain in his voice contradicted the challenge of his stance.
Colter’s smile stretched greasily across his face and he turned his palms to the sky. “I wouldn’t know, son. Just giving you some friendly advice. You read things in the paper sometimes.” He shrugged. “Wouldn’t want to see nothing happen to you youngsters. That’s all.”
All photography and art work by Silvia Nena, unless otherwise noted: ~*~
