Chapter 4


 Chapter Four

 

Finkel took off his glasses, pulled his shirttail from under his jacket and wiped the rain off the lenses. He put them back on and looked up at the tower just in time to see Moctor climb through the window.  "He's in," he hissed over his shoulder to the others. "It shouldn't be long now." He could sense them moving behind him, shifting their weight, shivering in the rain.

 

"What now?" Pinch whispered in his ear. Finkel smelled bubble gum, probably Bubblicious.

 

"Where'd you get the gum? I thought you were out."

 

"This is the same piece I've been chewing all night."

 

"No it's not. It smells fresh."

 

"Yes, it is. What do we do now?"

 

"We wait!" snapped Finkel, reminding himself to have a go through Pinch's pockets first chance he got.

 

"Out here?"

 

"Where else?"

 

"Why can't...." Pinch's jaw snapped shut.

 

"What's that?" whispered Recka into Finkel's other ear.  Once again Finkel smelled a fresh wad of bubble gum, Bubblicious again. But before he could say anything her arm shot across his shoulder, past his ear and pointed toward the tower.  "There!"

 

They saw Moctor at the window, but couldn't figure what he was trying to do.  The window stayed closed and Moctor moved away.

 

The next minutes dragged as Recka and Finkel caught only brief glimpses of Moctor through the window and Pinch sat curled on a large rock, flinching with each flash of lightning.

 

Finkel snapped to attention. "Did you see that?"

 

Recka gasped. "Somebody else is up there."

 

Pinch looked up.  "Huh? Where? Who?"

 

"Recka," said Finkel, "run over by Maclan and Vargas. Tell them what happened and take Maclan with you to get Jericho. Vargas needs to keep watching the front door."

 

Pinch shuddered. "We can't tell Headmaster Hornbuckle what Moctor did!"

 

Recka ignored Pinch and ran off to find Maclan.

 

It seemed like an eternity before Finkel and Pinch heard the huffing and puffing sounds approaching. A large robust man carrying a bag appeared at their lookout point.

 

"What is it?" he gasped, still wheezing. "What's the emergency?"

 

"Jericho, it's Moctor." Finkel paused for a moment, "It may be too late, but he needs your help."

 

Jericho straightened immediately, "Take me to him."