Jordan is pulled deeper and deeper into the mystery of the MacGuffin's disappearance as more and more suspension is cast on him and his friends. Then, just when it seems he has a new lead, disaster strikes.

The Case of
The Missing MacGuffin
A Jordan Hailey Story
By Jan S
The Next Chapters

Thank you, Kristina and Daphne and all who read, voted and commented on the first part of this story, for all of the help and encouragement!
Copyright  © 2009 by Jan S

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4: Suspense

8 am; Saturday morning. Almost invisible I passed down the streets as they came awake. Old men walked across lawns to retrieve newspapers unaware of what had happened during the night. Women gazed out of windows oblivious to the differences in the world. Children chased balls across lawns not knowing that today was not just another Saturday morning.

My feet pounded the hard pavement, step, step, step. I seemed to be just one more person training on the suburban streets, but each step was taking me further and further from the past; deeper and deeper into The Case of Missing MacGuffin.

And closer to the scene of the crime.

The phone had rung at seven-thirty this morning, early for a call on a Saturday, even in my house, but it was a good time to run in August, and it only took me twenty minutes to convince my body of that.

My father was still on the kitchen phone kitchen when I got downstairs. He held up his hand to tell me to wait. While I drank my orange juice I realized that he was talking to Ms Lu and something had happened with Blair.

As soon as he hung up, he said, "Were you with Blair last night?"

"Most of the time. What's happened?"

"The police came and got her about seven this morning. You weren't involved in it, were you?"

"NO! And neither was she, Dad. You can't think that. Can't you do something."

"I really can't, Jordan. I know her too well to get involved at all. You understand that."

"But she was with me the whole time we were at the park. She couldn't have taken the MacGuffin!"

"The MacGuffin? Is that what this is? I didn't even know that yet. I going to find out what the police want her for. But that is as far as I can go.

"I'll be busy today, but your mother has some plans for you. Go do your run, and hurry back."

"I need to do some things this morning, and I have to do something to help Blair, Dad."

"Stay out of it, Jordan. I don't want you mixed up in it. Understand. I thought you were kind of getting tired of her anyway. And I heard you two had a fight last night. So stay out of it."

"When a man's partner is - in trouble - he's supposed to do something about it. It doesn't make any difference what you thought of - her. She was your partner and you're supposed to do something about it. And it happens we're in the' ..."

"Detective business," my father said, trying to cue me past a pause.

"...same high school," I said. "Well, when one of your organization gets - arrested - it's - it's bad business to let them get away with it, bad all around, bad for every - student - everywhere."

He laughed and said, "Don't get your name in the paper."

Now I was jogging to the country club. The first thing to do is investigate the scene. That's the way it is always done, and I needed information. Information about what the police knew, or thought they knew. Information about what had really happened.

I made plans as I jogged. I would go into town as Hailey Jordan, the girl. I really had no choice. The cops expected a girl to come and get the bikes, and a girl should show. If they suspect her of being Blair's accomplice, they would only be more suspicious if she didn't. Also, my father told me to keep my name out of the paper and, if Hailey Jordan was in town, then Jordan Hailey wouldn't draw any attention, right?

At least until after the strip search.

I veered off the bike trail and began a loop of the golf course, jogging along the paved cart path.

The scene of the crime was easy to spot. About a dozen people stood, walked, or crawled around in an area marked off with yellow tape.

A second story window had been broken, even the sash was splintered. Near the window was a single fir tree; its branches barely reached the window sill. I could only look from a distance, but I couldn't see how someone could use those limbs to climb into the room.

I was going to turn around at the fifteenth green and make another pass by the building when I saw a small red pickup pull up to the garden shed at the back of the course. A man with red hair got out of it. That must be Red Kipperman.

He carried a long green pole from the back of the truck into the shed and came back with a wooden crate. He placed the crate carefully on the front seat of the truck.

The MacGuffin! It had to be.

Someone yelled, "FORE!" I had stopped where the path crossed a fairway. I started running towards the shed again, but Kipperman jumped into the driver's seat of the truck and came towards me, cutting across the grass.

I turned around and went the other way. The truck got onto the paved path and kept following. Kipperman must have recognized me.

I didn't panic, but I sped up and I cut across the fairways and than raced towards the park and the public trail. I climbed the fence and then look back. Kipperman drove straight over to a cop, and the policeman dashed to his car and drove off.

That police car was coming up the boulevard as I came out of the woods. I shifted into a full sprint now, cut a corner and dodged cars to get to the other side of the road and the Burger Haven parking lot before the cop got there. I ran past the storefronts, dodging most of the window shoppers, shoving a few out of the way and hurdling two strollers.

I ducked around the building and into an alley just as the cop saw me and blasted his siren. I ran down the alley and I crawled through a well known hole in the fence

I was on the trail again. The officer saw me but couldn't follow. With his siren wailing, he sped off. He was going to try to cut me off at the next road crossing!

I worked my way through some brush to get to the strip mall on the other side of the path. I ran behind the McDonald's and ducked behind the dumpster gasping for breath.

Two cruisers moved slowly up the road, their lights on. One of them made a slow loop around the McDonald's. In a gap between the buildings I saw another police car roll slowly down the next street. There were at least three of them looking for me now, and they were fanning out towards my neighborhood.

I stayed as far from the roadway as I could and went the other direction -- fast. I was now heading towards the far end of the park, away from my house.

I had on red nylon running shorts, a yellow Lakers' jersey, and one of my red baseball caps. I would stand out anywhere, but the park, full of other runners and cyclists, was better than the streets.

Just as I got ready to dash across the boulevard again, I saw them, one on each side of the road, and both moving towards me. I spun around looking for a tree or car to hide under.

Then I heard someone call me. I glanced back and saw Andy's maroon Toyota. Damn, I didn't want to deal with that now.

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5: Confrontations

"I'm not going to jump you," Andy yelled. "Just get in."

He didn't need to go that far to be as annoying as all hell, but still I needed to get out of sight.

I was bent over and huffing hard as Andy smiled and said, "I had a vision of you last night. You had pink lips and big eyes and smelled like Tracy, and you kissed me."

"Were there pink elephants floating around my head too?" I said, still out of breath. "What are you doing up, anyway. Your head should feel like a balloon full of rocks."

"I couldn't tell my father I was hung over, could I? I've thrown fifty footballs through an old tire and run thirty forty-yard sprints, most of them sideways, this morning, Hailey. What have you done?"

He was at a stop light, and his hand was on my thigh; he spread his fingers apart, and the smallest one found its way under my shorts.

I grabbed the finger; it was as thick as my thumb and longer than my palm. I moved his hand back to his side of the car and said, "Run about four kilometers and then did an eight hundred meter steeplechase."

"That's a weird training program you've got. Jordan, are you really not gay?"

He was trying to surprise me with the sudden question. It worked, but I made an effort to not move, to neither shake nor nod my head.

Suddenly he put his hand on my shoulder and pushed me forward hard. "Tie your shoe!" he said.

As my head went below the dashboard, I saw the police car going through the intersection.

"How did you know they were looking for me?" I asked as I sat back up.

"I was in the drive-thru when you jumped into the dumpster. Why are they after you?"

I told him it was only behind the dumpster and asked him how much he remembered about last night.

"Everything, Jord. But especially your kiss, and the reason for it. I didn't really pass out, but when the girls started dressing you up I decided to watch. It was strange, pretending to be drunk for a cop, but it worked out. I don't think your disguise would have worked on me."

"What if we had just left you?"

"Nah. I know Tracy better than that. Actually this worked out better than anything else could have. And you did look good, babe."

I scowled at him, "That's not your type, I thought."

"Don't know. I might expand my interests, and I knew who you were. Are you really not gay?"

"Fuck you, Andy. Just fuck it. It wouldn't matter if I were or not. The only reason you can be around me is because I'm your girl friend's friend's friend. If the girls aren't close by, I can't be either. If that had been a linebacker or coach back at that intersection I'd have had to hide under the dashboard too. Image! And trying to get your pinkie on my winkie isn't going to change that."

This time Andy was the one to avoid any reaction. I went back to the important subject. "OK. So you know about the MacGuffin? This guy named Kipperman is saying that Blair and I took it. The cops arrested her this morning."

"Holy shit. Kipperman is a real asshole all right. I know guys that have worked for him. But if the cops are after you, Jord, you should just stay inside -- lay low."

"I've got to help Blair. And I've got to go get my bikes back; the cops have them."

Andy stayed quiet until the car pulled onto my street then he said, "I want to help you help Blair."

"Could you give me a ride to town center in about an hour? And not give me any shit. And keep your hands fucking off me. I'll try to be invisible."

"I'll try and do all that."

I went inside and soaked my head under the shower for a long, long time. The song, "I kissed a girl", kept running through my head, and it made me think of Tracy and of her kiss last night. When I was holding my breast on, waiting for the glue to set, I heard it again and remembered Blair's phone was still in the little pink pack that was sitting on the back of the toilet.

I couldn't get to it before it stopped ringing, but I pushed recall and Tracy answered at once.

Before I could say anything, she said, "About time sleepyhead. I've been calling and calling. Did you forget we have plans for today, lover?"

I said, "Tracy, it's not Blair. It's Jordan. I still have her phone."

"Oh, Jordan. Can you run over to her house and get her then."

"Tracy, the police got her this morning."

"What? Oh, God, oh God! We have to do something. What have you done so far? Make your father let her go!"

"It doesn't work like that. But I'm going to go down there and get the bikes and see what is going on."

"OK. Jordan, all right. Uh - call and tell me what happens. Bye."

Ah, the good old Tracy had returned.

I ran down the stairs once I was dressed, but this time my mother was in the kitchen. I told her I was meeting someone and needed to hurry. That worked just as well as expected -- not at all.

"Jordan," she said, "We need to go to the store today and get you some things for school next week."

"Mom, I'm going to be busy helping Blair. Remember, I'm a junior. You don't need to come with me to buy binders and crayons anymore."

"Don't be stupid, Jordan! You have a birthday in a week and there is something you have been begging for for years, and it requires me to sign a contract. I thought you would want it the first day of school and to be there to argue about how many extras it has."

"A phone!"

"Yes, and, Jordan, if you still want to get your ears pierced, we decided you can do that today too. But was that just for the costume convention you went too? I think that has kind of gone out of style for boys, hasn't it?"

"No. Some people still do. But there's a place that will put in keepers -- so you can change the studs while the holes heal -- that's where I want to get it done, and it's not at the mall."

"And mothers aren't welcome there. They still can't do it without my consent. Jordy, we will go to the mall, get the phone, and then I'll take you to that place, sign the papers and leave. After that you can do the things you need to do."

"I need to meet someone right now though, Mom. That all sounds great, but I really have to do this for Blair."

"What is it you plan to do to help Blair?"

"I'm just going to talk to some people, Mom. That's all, and they won't even know who I am. Really. I have to do something for her!"

She sighed in a way I've never seen anyone else sigh. "Jordan, don't take chances, but I appreciate your commitment to her. Let's meet somewhere in few hours then, OK? I only offer because I still like you in spite of spending sixteen years with you. I've forgotten exactly why though."

"Gosh, thanks Mom," I said.

How could I pull this off? I had planned to take off my hoodie and put on some makeup in Andy's car. But Mom's plan meant that I'd have to change back some how, somewhere. I couldn't see how it could be done; I couldn't see how I could get back into the house if she was waiting for me either.

Then Mom said, "And, Jord, don't worry about how you are dressed when I pick you up." She reached over and grabbed the lace edged collar of the pink top I had on under the black sweatshirt.

After a deep sigh, I said, "Mom, I'm just wearing that for Blair. It's just a disguise so I can find out what is going on."

"I see, Jordan. It is all right. I've only seen pictures of you on cross dressing day at your camp, and a glimpse of you getting out of that truck last night. I wouldn't mind seeing the real thing -- I think -- maybe -- I wouldn't mind."

"I don't think Dad would feel like that about it, even if he knew it was just a disguise."

"Jordan, I won't tell you he would be happy. I won't even promise he would never yell about it. I will promise he will never beat you because of it, or throw you out, or stop loving you because of anything like that."

There was an awful lot of potential drama that wasn't covered in that promise, and we both knew it.

I said, "It is just a disguise. That is all."

She said, "OK, Jordan, this is the real problem. He would not care what you are, as long as you are an honest and good person, except for one thing. Some men, and you father is one of them, get very attached to their Y genes. They think the X's get all mixed up and don't count, but the ones on the Y chromosomes always stay the same and give them immortality as long as their sons have sons who have sons forever. It is mostly the fear that you will choose to not have children that bothers him, Jordie."

"Geez-Us, Mom! Actually, it is only mitochondrial DNA that last forever, and that is all from the woman anyway."

"OK, get out of here. Now I've got to look on the internet to figure out what you just said, and it isn't about science, and you know that, Jordan."

"You're not gonna freak out if you see me looking like a girl? I really am just doing it to help Blair, you know. Promise."

"I never said that I wouldn't freak, but I'll do it all on the inside -- at least when we're in public. Let's say about two at the Starbucks near my office. Get me an iced grande skinny latte if I'm late. And please just don't get into trouble!"

I finally got out the door, and Andy was already out front. It was ten after ten, and Mr. Friend had said he would be at the police station until eleven.

Andy didn't reach over to pet me when I got into his car this time, but he had reached across to open the door for me.

I took off my hoodie that hadn't hidden anything from my mother. When Andy saw the pink top with shell sleeves and laced hems, he said, "Very pretty color, Jordan." Those were the first words he had spoken.

I was also wearing some tight straight leg jeans with embroidery around the pockets, and red and white thongs. I had a royal blue nylon back pack that I never used. It had my school's name, Northfield High, on it in yellow and was semi-uncool but could be used by girls in a pinch.

I took out the makeup and used the visor mirror to put on the lip gloss. I used a little blush to make it look like I had more cheek bones too. Andy kept turning his head way too often. Makeup in the morning was not common in my group, but I thought I needed the help.

I made him pull into an empty parking lot. I didn't think I could do my eyes when the car was moving.

As he watched me, Andy said, "You're real good at that. Do you do it a lot."

"I did tech for the school play last year and helped with make up. That and Halloween stuff."

"And?" Andy said.

"Cross dress day at summer camps. OK?"

"And??"

"Once at an Ani-con thing."

"And?"

I just stared at him that time. He said, "Blair said you went to that Anime thing as Sensei Yekosue. I thought that was why you had white hair."

"I went the second day with my sister as his female form. OK?"

"Wish I had seen those," he said with a huge grin.

"Andy, knock it off. You don't like girls. Remember?"

"Gawh, Jord, it would have so many advantages though. If it were full time. But -- I don't know. Might as well be straight if it is full time, huh?"

"Being straight has its advantages. And its disadvantages."

"Like what? I don't know of any."

I shrugged. "There are some."

"And how would you know?"

I didn't answer that.

When I put the makeup into the pack, Andy raised my arm up and shook his head. "You have shaved there! But you have a few wild hairs. There are some little scissors in a first aide kit in the glove box. Cut them, Jord."

"Can't. I have to change with the cross country team sometimes. It's not that much."

"Go ahead and do it, Jord. The cops might get suspicious of hairy pits and that top. Cross country types aren't going to go crazy about it; that's the reason they don't play football. You will look better."

Andy got out of the car at the town hall; that was a surprise.

"You're coming?" I asked.

"Yeah, a girl that looks like you wouldn't go anywhere alone. What name do you use."

"Hailey Jordan," I said.

He laughed. "Very clever. Let me hear your voice."

"I didn't really pick it, Andy. The cop and Tracy did, sort of," I was using my high pitched Bacall.

Andy smiled and took my hand. His hand was huge, and I noticed there was comfort to be had in holding onto something so strong.

Half, or more, of the people at the front desk of the station recognized Andy. He started to ask about Blair, but I jumped in and said I just needed to talk to Lieutenant Stern about my bicycles.

The talkative receptionist ignored me and answered Andy. She said that Blair had been released -- that was a relief -- but that she was to stay in her house or at school until the case was settled.

I pretended to know nothing and asked what case she meant. She talked on and on, but either did not know what information the cops had, or was cleaver about hiding it.

Eventually we got the directions to the Lieutenant's office. Her door said, "Director -- Juvenile Unit." Andy opened the door and we found ourselves right in her office.

"Damn it! Knock!" the detective barked at us. Mr Friend was standing behind her and looked startled.

I said, "Sorry, we thought there would be a waiting room, Ma'am. We're sorry."

"What do you want?" That time she was growling.

"You told me to come by this morning and talk to you about our bikes, Ma'am."

"I also told you to come with your parents. Not the quarterback."

"Yes, Ma'am. Andy gave me a ride. My mother and father both have to work today."

"And what do your parents do Ms Jordan -- on Saturday."

"They're both lawyers, Ma'am. They work every day of the week usually."

The cop sat up a little straighter. My parents had always told me to tell the police that they were attorneys right away. That was because I would have the right to see a lawyer even when I wouldn't have the right to see a parent. I always knew there would be other effects too without being told.

Mr Friend spoke up. "I don't think you need to keep - umm - Jordan, considering the information you have now, do you, Lieutenant."

"No. Go on and leave. I'm sure you have important things to do. Wait. Who were you and this Lu girl with last night, what boys?"

"Only Andy. He was the only boy we were with, Ma'am." Mr Friend almost laughed when I said that. I guess because I didn't include myself as one of the boys, but I assumed that she meant besides myself, or would have if she knew I was a boy.

"Did you see a boy wearing a red baseball cap?"

"No, Ma'am. I didn't see anyone wearing one." Well, there weren't any mirrors in the pavilion, and even that wouldn't have been actually seeing myself, right?

"All right, go."

I said, "My bikes?"

She started to write a note. "They are at the property warehouse on Sunset. Do you know where that is?"

Andy said no, and the Lieutenant put the address at the bottom of the note.

This was too damn easy! What was going on? Andy grabbed my hand and tried to pull me from the room, but I said, "Mr Friend, could I talk to you for a minute? Please."

In the hall I asked about Blair. All he would say is that the police now thought it was an inside job, but still believed Blair abetted it in some way.

I told him that she couldn't have because she was with me from the time we left the house until we got to the dance.

"Yes, Jordan. And they think a boy also helped. Do you know what that means? Listen, I need to talk to you at some length -- not about this, or your new look -- about your class schedule and the advanced classes you are taking. Will you be at the football scrimmage tonight? I'm sure Andy would like you to watch and would give you a ride home. You can do that, can't you, Andy?"

I had never even been to a game, and going to a scrimmage was for real die hard fans, but Andy wasn't even trying to hide the fact that he liked the idea, so I said I'd be there.

Mr. Friend said, "Good, good. Well you be dressed in this style tonight? You don't seem to be recognized in your new outfits."

I just shrugged, but I hoped I'd have the chance to change before I went to the high school stadium.

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6: Respite, with Backstory

"Yes, this is Sunset Boulevard. It's about five o'clock in the morning... ' " I said as we turned onto the street with that name.

"Yeah," Andy said, "Oh, that's one of you movie things, huh? But this is Sunset Drive and it's almost noon."

It was a street of plumbing supply stores, self storage places, and body shops. The town government warehouse was a huge metal building between a spa/hot tub shop and a lot full of totaled cars. The only person at the warehouse was eating a sandwich and didn't bother to either help or hassle us.

The cars back seat folded down to pass through to the trunk, but the bikes barely fit. I made damn sure to look in the trunk first. I didn't want to get soaked again, but Andy's gun wasn't there.

I told him, and he said, "Huh! Looking for revenge, Hailey? You would have a long walk, or bike ride, if you did that, no matter how cute you are. My sister must have taken it. She won't leave my shit alone."

We got the bikes in with one sticking out and the lid tied down, but there wasn't enough room to put two large boxes back in. Andy said they were just the old bottles and newspapers to be taken to the recycling center.

"My mother makes us carry it around if we forget to put it out for the trucks. Just leave them by the building," he said.

"Hey, we can't just leave them sitting here."

He laughed at me and said, "Tree hugger too, huh. Our name isn't on any of it, and it won't be any problem for anyone, they recycle here too." He tossed the tags that had been tied to the bikes on top of the boxes and we left.

So now I had the bikes back. I had gotten Blair out of jail; well, she was out anyway, even if still under house arrest. I used Blair's phone and left new messages at her house and on Tracy's cell.

"Now we have to find some information about Kipperman -- find a way to prove he did it," I said.

"NOW we have to get lunch! I know a great burger place near here."

"Andy, we haven't gotten anywhere on this case, and I don't want to go places with lots of people, no matter what Mr Friend said."

"NOW we have to get Lunch, Jordan. I'll buy. You're not likely to be recognized at this place. We're in the Ferral High school district."

The place was called Big D's and looked like a dump from the outside, but the inside was mostly clean. It was twelve-thirty but the place wasn't crowded. Eight people sat at three tables. Three more sat on a bench waiting for to go orders, and a delivery guy was filling a thermos chest. Two waitresses in pink uniforms were out front, and two men in aprons and paper hats were working behind the pass-through counter.

The older waitress and the cook both knew Andy. I was starting to get used to that; still seventeen, and he was a local celebrity. Andy sat next to me in the booth and ordered two double burgers and a large onion rings. I had a "salad burger"; a pile of lettuce, grilled onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheese on an open bun. We got malts because they were real malts.

"The day is shot," I said. "There is no way we're going to get anything on Kipperman. I have to meet my mother at three."

"Yeah, and I'm supposed to run drills with my father today before the scrimmage tonight. What are we going to do with the bikes, Jord? My sister is going to be using the car later."

I hadn't even thought about that. And the cops had destroyed my lock too. We decided to try to leave them at Tracy's garage on the way to my mom's office.

The football coach was running the practice scrimmage on a game day schedule, so the team would know what to expect when the real games started next week. It began with a team dinner at five thirty, and Andy wouldn't be available until ten or eleven.

"Take it easy," Andy said. "We will figure it out. We know it is Kipperman. Some of the ball players work for him sometimes. I'll see if they know anything tonight."

"Thanks, Andy, I know you don't care for Blair much, but I have to do something."

Andy put his arm around my shoulder, and I let him. I even leaned my head against his chest, I don't know, some how it seemed OK to do that now, and I was feeling very low about getting so little done for Blair.

"Lu is OK. I don't have anything against her," Andy said with shrug.

The waitress brought our food. "What's Tracy going to say when I tell her who you brought in here, Andy?"

"No, no! Don't tell on me, Maggie!" Andy said, laughing.

I moved Andy's arm and said, "We're just friends. Tracy's a good friend of mine too. Andy just gave me a ride, and she will be OK with that."

"Uh-huh," Maggie said and left.

I laughed and said, "Your neon sign in the closet is amazing, Andy. Everyone in town knows you, but nobody knows about you. Except that tons of people do know all about you. Must be nice."

"Yeah, well it helps that some people just won't see, but the people who know about me aren't the ones I spend most of my time with or the ones I want it to be a secret from."

"Yeah, but that's hard to pull off."

"Not so much, Jordan," he said. "High school's two worlds, maybe more, but they're in two groups. The geeks, dweebs, and queers; and the jocks and preps. 'Course most of the girl jocks are in the first group, but not all of them."

"Right, cheerleaders aren't ever queer. Look at Tracy. And neither or preps or jocks."

"Exactly. That is how it works." he said and smiled. "What one group knows doesn't get to the others much. There's also the stoners, and they actually talk to both groups, but no one listens to them. They don't even listen to each other."

"I never thought you were so analytical, Andy."

"Oh, football is an analytical game, you know. Got to read those defenses and all that. -- And then there are some other games I play."

Andy reached over and fingered my sleeve. I let him and smiled. I said, "OK, so you only let the socially inept know your secret. People like me, huh?"

"Some people in those groups are zoned, Jord. Some are just antisocial, or withdrawn. It amazes the jocks that anyone will put up with people like that. And the jocks figure you're a geek just because you're of the short persuasion."

I laughed and said, "Who persuaded me? Anyway, I'm not that short, almost twentieth percentile."

"Uh-huh. You're shorter than Lu by a couple of inches, and she's Japanese."

"She's half Chinese. My father had a huge growth spurt when he was seventeen, got him all the way to five nine. I still have hope, but my mother is short too. And that's a year away still anyway."

Now he laughed, amused by my ambition of reaching five nine I think. "You are about as far from socially inept as anyone I know, Jord. You just let all the crap roll off of you. Even my crap. I try to do that, but it all just eats at me."

Sitting next to Andy in the booth was like being in a hole. I had been sitting on my legs just to get high enough to look around him and see his face. When I finished eating I noticed that one leg had gone to sleep.

"Ouch," I said as I moved it, "my circulation should be better than that. That run this morning was not a good idea."

"Give me you leg," Andy said, "I've been massaged by real pros."

"OH!" I said. "You do have a wide range of experience!"

"Not that kind of pro! Trainers and college managers. Like that. While you go to geek camps and study physics and philosophy and how to cross dress every summer, I'm at football camps, learning the skills of my trade, and being watched by scouts."

"Ohhh," I said, mimicking admiration, but I put my legs into his lap and let him rub them. He did have a good touch.

"You really don't know, do you? Jord, I've gone to university camps since I was twelve; they are by invitation. I have my own page at ESPN dot com, and more on the scouting sites. I've already been offered scholarships to twelve schools, Jord. One offered my father a job. I ain't just a local big snot; I'm legit national hot shit."

Andy's father was an insurance salesman, but I knew he'd once been an assistant coach at a small college and was involved with the sports programs run by the town parks department.

"You're kidding? Real good schools too, huh?"

He laughed and said, "The best. Some that have been to bowl games ten years in a row, even some recent national champions."

Those wouldn't be any of the schools my parents would call 'good', but I wasn't in Andy's line of work. "So where are you going?" I asked.

"Not going to say yet. Hell, I have to be careful about what colors I wear these days." He nodded at his hand on the table, and I looked at it. It was laying palm up, his thumb against his two middle fingers and the index and little finger suck out. I guess that meant something that I was supposed to recognize. Andy said, "But it depends on who they sign this year. I don't want to be a backup for three years."

I hadn't known about that world, even my father wasn't that much of a sports fan.

He said, "My sister is pissed as hell, of course. She has a ton of basketball scholarship offers too, but thinks some of them are just to get me interested. Her scouting grades aren't as high as mine. Now she will only look at the schools that don't have good football programs, and that leaves out the last two women's champs."

"I didn't know she was that good either. You two must have picked some really good genes, huh. Not just height ones."

"And an asshole father too. I think we started training before I started school. We are his dream, Jord. Maybe if Cindy hadn't been so good, I wouldn't have worked so hard, and vice versa, and we could have been a family rather than a training camp."

My legs were still in Andy's lap, and his hand had just wandered up past my knee. I pushed it back down and said, "It's just my calf that's sore, Andy," but I leaned into his chest again almost getting into his lap. Andy's wasn't such a great life after all.

"But, Jord, I've seen guys that are lots, lots worse off. I actually do like my father and, if I get injured or wash out as a player, I'll still get to come home for thanksgiving dinner. I know people who probably wouldn't."

I stroked Andy's hand which was on my thigh again. He said, "Do you like boys more when you are dressed like that, Jord. I really could get used to it if you do. Do come to the practice in drag, then I could show you off. And you won't get made by the jocks. I promise, not with that hair. Most wouldn't know you from Adam without your baseball cap."

I shoved his hand away and sat up, but I couldn't help smiling.

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7: Combat

A loud voice said, "Lookie here! To what do we owe the honor of your presence on our side of town, Chekhov?"

Three giants, two much bigger than Andy, had come in. They were wearing Ferral High t-shirts, orange and black, with the sleeves cut off.

"Hey, Jojo, just getting lunch," Andy said.

"Heard you'll had some excitement last night. Gonna be a hard week for Northfud, losing the MacGuffin and the biggest game of the year."

Andy said, "Would be --- if that could happen." Both of them were smiling so far.

I said, "How did you know about the MacGuffin? They kept it out of the papers."

The Ferral player looked at me for the first time, and said, "I heard. I was doing some work for Red. He told me all about it." He sat down in our booth.

Andy put his arm around my shoulder again; I put both my hands on top of his and held his fingers. I didn't care for our visitor.

"So really, Andy, how you'll think you're gonna do?"

Andy said, "I think were going to do real well in a real good game, Jojo. You don't think I'm going to say something you can tack to your bulletin board, do you? Or do you want to hear our game plan?"

"Nah. We don't need it."

The two bigger goons had pulled chairs over to sit near our booth. One of them said, "Boy, Chekhov, she's even smaller than Tracy. You sure like them tiny don't you. Can't you handle a full sized woman?"

Andy just starred at him. His arm got a little tighter against my shoulder.

The biggest giant said, "Yeah, you must do it dog style, or you would squash her."

I felt myself blush; I really, really didn't want to.

Andy said, "Shut up, Pike! This isn't one of your Ferral girls. Show some class."

"Ohhh," all three of them said.

The mid-sized oaf said, "Maybe Andy just likes mouth jobs. But I don't think her mouth could even hold mine. I'd choke her."

The biggest one, Pike, said, "Andy must be really tiny where it matters. Huh, Chekhov?"

Andy slowly said, "I asked you to shut up in front of Hailey." He sat up very straight and stiff; I held his hand tightly to keep him from standing up.

Maggie came over and said, "I've had enough of this crud. Jojo. Get them out of my place. You're malts are on the counter. Drink them somewhere else and don't any of you come back here anytime soon."

After they picked up their drinks, the midsized goon said, "Maybe we will let you have the MacGuffin back after we cream your asses Friday."

Maggie said, "Your lunches are on the house, Andy. I'm sorry about that. They aren't bad boys, just assholes. But, Andy, stay away from here until after the game, OK?"

Andy said, "I will, and it's not your fault. We will pay for lunch."

Maggie refused the money, but Andy said, "If I take a free pen, my father blows a gasket, Maggie. He thinks the NCAA has spies watching, just trying to trap me in an infraction."

"Hell they might," she said and took the money, but she made us wait until the others had time to get far away before she would let us go.

Andy began eating everything I'd left on my plate that wasn't green. He told me that those three jerks were defensive players for the Wildcats, and that they had only been trying to make him get angry enough to play mad on Friday night. He said they were actually his friends most weeks, but I didn't buy that.

Jojo's a linebacker, one of Ferral's best players. The biggest one, Pike, is a defensive tackle, just a wall and not a very good one. The third one's named Hancock, a defensive end and fast for his size. Andy thought that if the Wildcats ever sacked him, that would be the guy that did it.

Blair's phone rang, and said the call was from 'home'.

"Blair! Where have you been?" I said.

"At home, sleeping. I just got up," she said.

"Blair, what happened? What are we going to do?"

"I'm going to meet Tracy and go to the mall. Then she wants to watch the scrimmage tonight. What are you doing? When can I get may phone back. And why did you take it, Jordan."

"Tracy brought it over to me last night. Remember? I didn't mean to, Blair. What happened with the cops?"

"They pounded on the door real early and then took me downtown. They asked me all about that white jacket, but I told them I had lost it. They made my mother look all over for it, and were going through all my stuff. Finally she said she wasn't doing any more until they got a warrant, and that was when they took me in.

"It wasn't a big deal though. We just sat in a room for about two hours; they asked me about thirty times what I'd done last night and made me look through a year book and point out everyone that was there last night. They wanted to know who was wearing a baseball cap, and I named about four boys. Then that lieutenant came in and said I could go. I came home and went back to bed. Hell if I know what is up, Jordan. I don't think any of them have a clue either. Now, when can I get my phone?"

"They've decided it was an inside job. But, Blair, they still think we helped with it. I think some of the Ferral kids must have been in on it. We need to nail Kipperman somehow. And fast. How can you just be going to hang at the mall, Blair? And one cop said you were under house arrest or something too."

"They didn't tell me or my mom about it, if I am. Anyway, they can't do that. That would take a judge, right?"

"Yeah, but isn't your mother steamed?"

"Only with the cops. And with your father. And about me not having my phone."

"Well, he can't really get into it; you know that, Blair. Don't you? We have to talk to this guy, Kipperman."

"Don't worry about it, Jordan. It will work out. I got to go, Tracy is on her way to pick me up. The phone, Jordan?"

"Andy and I are going to leave the bikes at the garage for awhile. I'll leave the phone there too. OK? We need to get to this Kipperman, Blair!"

"Good. Just calm down about Kipperman, already. He has a truck at the garage and is going to pick it up at closing time. Five-thirty. Tracy and I are going to talk to him then. If you really want to, you can watch, I guess."

Watch?!! "I want to do a lot more than watch. Of course I'll be there."

"OK, guess I'll see then. Bye."

Blair was still pissed at me. I still didn't know why. I closed the phone and sighed. Andy put his hand on my shoulder and said, "What's up?"

I just shook my head and said, "They've set up a meeting with Kipperman for five. At least they have gotten something done today."

"So have you, Jord. You got the bikes. Found out it was an inside job."

"I think those three 'friends' of yours know something, Andy."

"Could be. Kipperman might have used them for stooges. They fit the part. They should be gone by now; let's go."

Andy put his hand on my shoulder as we left the restaurant. That would look right, so I let him.

The three Ferral oafs hadn't left, however. They had cut the ropes on Andy's trunk and the biggest one was on my sister's bicycle, riding in circles around the parking lot. He was so big he made the tires look flat.

"Get the fuck off that!" I yelled. Andy clutched my shoulder, and I shook his hand off.

"Or what?" the fat boy said.

I grabbed the handle bars and said, "Off! Before you crush it, jerk."

"Hailey, wait!" Andy screamed.

"Fuck you!" the guy on the bike yelled. He put his foot out and pushed me away with it.

I didn't need this. Not today. Not right then.

I took a step back, jumped, and did a crane kick right into his giant gut.

He groaned and let the bike fall. He lunged for me, and I tried to knock his foot out from under him. All I managed to do was kick his shin as I slipped past him.

He turned around and took a swing at me. I love it when people throw punches like they are throwing baseballs. As the fist went over my head, my leg was in front of the knee holding all his weight, and I pushed on his back. He fell fast and hard, and didn't know how to do that. When he got up, his hands were bloody where the asphalt and gravel had bit into them.

I sensed the second guy, the end, behind me. I turned, and he had both arms out trying to get me in a bear hug. I ducked, but he was faster than I'd expected, and he caught my head in a half nelson.

Andy ran over and knocked him off me.

Jojo yelled, "Stop! It was just a damn joke!"

"And so was steeling the MacGuffin, huh?" I yelled.

The largest Ferral boy charged Andy with his arms wrapped across his chest. He pushed with his forearms just as he reached Andy, and Andy was knocked to the ground on his back.

Jojo hollered, "Hancock, Pike. Back off!"

I did a flying leap and both my feet landed on Pike's back, somewhere near his kidneys. He fell, but he fell on top of Andy.

The other one came over, and I hit him with a round house kick to the stomach, but it didn't knock the breath out of him some how.

I had never done this stuff for real before, or this hard. I didn't really want to seriously injure them, and that thought distracted me. Jojo came up behind me, took a kick to his ribs but grabbed my foot and threw me over.

The fat guy was kneeling over Andy and pulled his arm back to slug Andy in the face while he was down. Jojo grabbed his arm and said, "Get in the damn truck, Pike."

Pike said, "The hell!" and swung his foot at Andy's stomach. Andy pulled his leg up and took the kick with his thigh. I ran over and gave Pike a two handed jab between his shoulder blades.

He screamed and swung both arms around. He almost hit me, but I jumped back -- and landed in Jojo's grasp.

Pike growled. He yelled, "Fucking assholes!" He raised his leg high and brought it down hard onto Andy's right hand.

I swear I heard the bones smash.

Jojo threw me to the ground and yelled, "In the damn truck, Fuckups! Run!"

Pike and the other lineman climbed into the bed of a red pickup with oversized wheels. Jojo got in the front and peeled out of the parking lot. As the tires screeched through the turn onto the street, Pike yelled, "The MacGuffin. Your star quarterback The district championship. There ain't nothing you Northfucks have we can't take!"

I ran and sat beside Andy. I took his head into my lap and stroked his cheek. He must have been in shock; he was laughing. His hand was a mangled black, blue and red mass.