Too Young (The Jewel Project #1)

Chapter 1.2 - Hunted

Freider Grant's dark eyebrows joined as he surveyed his sons. A strange light crept in his muddy-brown eyes. Sam swallowed and shifted in his seat. The entire corny-movie-detective-office furniture his dad had filled the room with didn't help the feeling that he had somehow ended up in a bad movie.

"Are you sure?" Freider asked, his tone even. His hands balled into fists around a piece of paper that had been lying on top of his open file.

"Yes, we're sure," Jerry said almost hysterical. "They chased us through half of the mall."

"Shouldn't we go to the police?" Sam asked, glancing from his father's frown to Jerry.
Freider stood and turned to the window, clasping his hands behind his back. "You did good, coming to me first."

Jerry threw Sam an I-told-you-so look. Sam tried to keep the annoyance off his face, but this wasn't the reaction he'd expected. His father wasn't half as surprised and concerned as he should be. He acted almost as if he'd been expecting something like this to happen and was bummed that it finally did. "Dad, what's going on? What did those men want with us?"

Freider's right hand twitched. Sam squinted and noticed the piece of paper still lodged in his father's fist. What was on it that made Freider so nervous?

"I... I don't really know." His father walked back to the desk and leaned his fists against it.

"You sure don't seem surprised."

"I'm not surprised. I'm shocked." Freider's eyes narrowed. "And why are you so judgmental?"

Jerry shot Sam a warning look, but he ignored him. "I'm not judgmental. I just think we should go to the police."

"I'll take care of that. You and Jerry should go home."

"Go home? We didn't even tell you what happened properly!"

"Sam, let's just go," Jerry said quietly.

"No! Someone tried to kill us and that's his reaction? Go home?"

"Sam!" Freider's voice cut through the air like a whip and Sam flinched. After a few second, Freider sighed and slouched in his seat. "Don't make this harder than it has to be. Trust me to take care of this and go home."

"Shouldn't we...?" Jerry's voice died as if he was afraid of upsetting his father. Freider turned to him, frowning and Jerry cleared his throat. "Shouldn't we take some precautions?"

"Yes. You should from now on actually listen to what I tell you and not linger after school. I thought you knew better. I'm very disappointed in you, Jerry."

Jerry lowered his eyes and mumbled, "We were just buying books."

"You were out in the open and vulnerable."

"We're out in the open and vulnerable in school, on the street, everywhere." Sam narrowed his eyes. "You knew."

"I'll take care of everything." Freider waved them away. "Now go home."

Sam didn't budge. "What do you plan to do?"

"That's up to me. You're fifteen, Sam. You're not old enough to understand. Or argue with me." Freider put emphasis on the last words to make sure he got the message.

Jerry stood and backed a few steps toward the door. Sam weighed his chances and decided to quit while he was ahead. He might still get some information.

"Okay, Dad. Thanks. We'll see you at home."

Freider nodded and picked up the phone.

Sam nudged Jerry out of the office and pulled the door behind him, leaving it cracked the tiniest bit. He scanned the waiting room. The desk belonging to Mrs. Martin, his father's old secretary, stood empty except for a plate of homemade cookies.