A Change In Time Saves Nine

Chapter Four

"She came to see you. You should've stayed home with her." Kayla accused her older brother.

"She never mentioned anything about coming to see me." He shot back at her.

"Okay then, if she isn't in love with me, she's in love with Keira or Kim." Was his sister's sarcastic reply. He only rolled his eyes.

They were already outside the house and they fell behind Keira and Candice and from where they were, they could hear her babbling to their sister about God-knows-what, gesturing wildly with her hands.

Kim had obviously gotten tired of his siblings' banter and had long moved ahead of them all, exclaiming at any new information he heard from the people and running back to give his siblings a lowdown. Most things he told them about were things they already knew about since the last month when the report of the kidnap was a daily issue in the newspaper.

"You guys, come check this out. Mr Park says he was here through the entire shoot out."

Mr Park was an emigrant from South Korea and though it hadn't been long since he arrived in their town, he knew about almost everything that took place there, even if he was always in his little automobile shop all day. The kids suspected that it was probably because he knew so many people that he always got insider information.

Kim waved them all over to where he and the short man stood directly opposite his shop. Surprisingly, when people like this were described, it was a given to say that they were bald or they had receding hairline but this wasn't the case for Mr Park. There didn't seem to be any hair missing on his head. He looked like he was in his forties but he sure spoke like he was a very experienced old man and although he didn't speak exactly perfect English, he was very good at conveying his gossip to people.

"I saw the woman. You know, very mad woman that beg for alms. I always knew she was fake and I plan to get her myself until the police caught her." He exaggerated a lot and they knew he was a wimp to actually do what he said he planned to do.

"You mean, the crazy woman was behind all the kidnaps?" Kim acted as the interviewer. He seemed more excited to hear about what happened.

"Yes, only one crazy woman that beg for alms we know here." The man rolled his eyes in an overdramatic way. He also had a thing for sarcastic replies.

"She had a mission but the police caught her. I was here." He pointed to a worn chair that overlooked the road.

"I see crazy woman who have always sat there, she starts running and police chase her. Some people come out of van and start to shoot. I think it was police van first but I see they shoot at police even when they wear police clothing." The man spoke animatedly, leaving no time to breathe.

"Everyone run and me too until real police came and shoot back and more real police until they caught the criminal."

"Wow, lot of things sure went down in such little time." Keith remarked.

"She took a little kid." The old man continued as he gestured with his hands the height of the kid around the area of his waist.

"Little boy about five year old and the police find out." His face looked morose as they all listened attentively, trying to understand him as best as they could.

"More people work for her and the police can't catch them all. Not yet." He wiped his face as if he was in sorrow.

"What happened?" Candice was the first to voice out the others' thoughts. "The police are working hard. This case is going to be closed soon. There's no need to look so sad."

Keira understood the man's expression then. The news hadn't said anything about them rescuing the victims yet. "Wait, what did they do to those they kidnapped?"

The man's expression turned vey sour.

"Very brutal things they did to them. Very horrible." He shuddered.