Flip by Erin Gilgenbach (novel24 .TXT) 📖

I jumped up, the way he talked made me think of a bull dog in those old cartoon.
“Not much to look at in here is there?”
“Silence, who said that you could speak?! Not me, now sit on that stool and be quick about it. I don’t have all day to talk to simpletons in diapers.”
My cheeks burned as I stood there but I did not move.
“Did you not hear me?! I said SIT ON THE STOOL!”
Spit flew from his mouth and landed on my shirt but I did not move. His face was as red as a cherry and his nose seemed to stick out three feet long when his face was red. “I don’t think,”
I said “that you should yell at your gests.”
“YOU THINK, YOU THINK, WHO SAID YOU COULD THINK. WHO SAID THAT YOU COULD TALK!! NOW SIT DOWN!!”
He hit me across the face and I took a step back. I felt where he hit me and in the dim light I looked at my hand to see blood on it.
“Now sit.”
He tried to say it in a calm voice but it ended up sounding horse and high pitched. I sat, what was I suppose to do? Get killed, ok maybe not that bad but still.
“Now what is your name how do you now Harper and what has she told you.”
“Luke, Friend, nothing”
I folded my hands in my lap and smiled, just in time to get slapped again. I almost fell off the stool but somehow I managed to stay on top.
“You insolent boy, what are you trying to hid. Tell me the truth or your little girlfriend gets hurt.”
“She’s not my girlfriend!”
“Silence!”
This time he hit me in the ribs with his cane. I went sprawling onto the floor.
“TELL ME NOW!!” I clenched my ribs and moaned.
“All I know this that she sent me a text. And that’s all!” “Where is your phone?”
I struggled to pull my phone out of my pocket but then hesitated sliding it over the floor to him. In the end I slide to him a frown deep on my face. He picked it up gingerly, it made me sick. He cares more for that dumb phone then for how he treats humans and right then I hated him.
“Where is Harper?”
The man seemed lost in his own world as he stared at the phone like it was a million dollars.
“WHERE IS HARPER?” He looked up startled
“Oh her, she’s in the other room you can she her later.” Then he walked out of the room without a glance back.


* * *


I sat there a long time before Mr. Crane came in. By then I was sitting on the stool trying not to seem too scared. He went and sat behind the desk, then stared at me for awhile before speaking.
“Harper I was just talking to your boyfriend.”
“Luke” I said in barely whisper. He didn’t seem to hear me because went on.
“Fool boy, but I got what we needed and that’s all that matters. Now who stabbed you, are they still alive, and what is the name of the lady who helped you?”
I swallowed; I didn’t want him to know about Pat.
“Smith, yes he’s alive.”
I stopped hoping that he forgot the last one.
“Who helped you Harper?”
I didn’t move; I braced myself for the hit that I knew was coming. Thwap. I fell to the floor and groaned as my side throbbed.
“Tell me now Harper, you know what I will do. Why do you even try to resist? It always ends the same way. Sometimes you get your way but not this time.”
He walked over and kicked me hard several times then hit me with his cane. He leaned down close to my ear and whispered.
“I know that you could stand this for weeks but this time you have a weakness.”
“And what would that be?”
“Your little boyfriend is not as strong as you. He will brake easy, and when he begs for you to stop us what will you do? Will you stand there as we silt his throat? Some friend you are.”
“You wouldn’t.” my voice was horse.
“Want to bet?” With that he pulled out a walkie-talkie “Jones, bring in the bait.”


4

The next thing I know some guy in gasses….. Why am I using that as a description? There all wearing glasses; every one of them even the girls, well most of them anyway. OK so this BIG guy comes in and starts dragging me to…. somewhere. All of a sudden I’m in a room just like the one I left, but. . . . . is that Harper?! Then the guy grabs me and puts a knife to my throat. I straggle but all I get is a little cut on my neck. That other guy is here to Mr. Big shot and his cane.
“Now Harper it’s your choice do you want to help some stranger or save your boyfriend from dieing?”
My eyebrows shot up; is he for real? Would he kill me? By the look on Harper’s face I think that he would enjoy it. “As I said it’s your choice I’m sure that you’re boyfriend wont mind dieing for the good of that stranger that you met.”
He smiled broadly and then took a knife out off his belt. “This will be very enjoyable, seeing you friend squirm like the little bug that he is.”
He kissed the blade and started walking toward me.
“No wait I’ll tell you, just leave him alone. I’ll tell her name.”
Harper shouted, she looked defeated and I could see a tear sliding down one of her cheeks.


* * *


I sat down and put my face in my lap trying to keep the tears from coming. Out of all the things that Mr. Crane asked me to do this was the one thing that I hated doing. Betraying someone like that, because they would most likely become like me forced to do work for these people like some slave. How can someone do that to someone else? I just don’t understand and maybe I never will. I felt Luke put an arm around me and gently pull me up to my feet. He put his arms around me in comforting hug. I let myself cry into him and be comforted for a short time before I pushed away and whipped away the tears. My whole body ached with all that had happened
“Thanks, sorry about pulling you into this, I hoped that they wouldn’t. But I guess it was just a very small hope.”
I sniffled and whipped my runny nose with my sweatshirt sleeve.
“It’s ok; I’m glad that I’m here for you. If I wasn’t here how long would you have gone through that?”
“I don’t know, as long as it would take till they gave up. Days, mouths, depends on now stubborn Mr. Crane was feeling.”
“You would do that for someone you don’t even know?” “I don’t want them to end up like me. Trapped into doing something because someone makes you, I know that everyone thinks that the FBI is so great and that’s what every little kid thinks is the best thing in the world. But it’s not! It’s the worst thing in the world for me and I don’t want anyone to end up here because of me!”
“Harper, its ok you don’t..”
“NO, it’s not ok I just sold out an old lady to these people! I how do you think she’s going to make it in this place?!” We stared at each other and all of a sudden I could see how different we were. Me and my dad living alone and barely talking to each other besides ‘Hi and bye’, him and his big family of nine brothers and sisters and a good mom and dad and in there house talking to each other is like all they do. All of a sudden we were from different worlds, I could see how completely different we truly are. He took a step forward and looked me in the eye.
“But I want to understand, help me to understand Harper.” “Luke, I… I can’t, it’s complicated.”
Just then the door opened and a guard came in.
“You may go back to your homes, follow me please.”


* * *


I sat at home and wondered at what had happened. It was all so fast, one moment everything was fine then the next I was at an FBI base then I’m back home and my parents’ think that I was sleeping the whole time.
Weird, I just wish that I could help Harper; she’s so scared when it comes to that place. I’ve never seen her afraid in my life, what are they doing to her? I’ve got to help her out of there, before it’s too late. I should give her a call to see if she’s alright. I wonder if they dropped her off at her house or just said that. Oh no, why did I leave her with those maniacs? Stupid, stupid if she gets hurt it will be my fault. I ran to the front door and I opened it and ran through the house looking for the phone.
“Honey this that you? Where have you been?”
“I was just out for a walk, where’s the phone?”
I said as I ripped the cushions off the couch.
“Are you ok Luke, you look like you didn’t sleep last night.”
“I had a hard time falling to sleep last night. Where’s the phone?”
“It’s on