“If Van Slyke isn’t watching, we could slip behind the car,” David said. “Then you could go to one side and I to the other. We’ll open the front doors simultaneously. You pull Nikki free and I’ll aim the shotgun at Van Slyke.”
“Good Lord!” Angela groaned. “Don’t you think that’s taking a lot of chances?”
“Tell me a better idea,” David said. “We have to get her out of there before he drives off with her.”
“Okay,” Angela said reluctantly.
After crossing the street a good distance back from the Cherokee, David and Angela approached the car from behind. They remained crouched down as they moved in hopes of remaining undetected. Eventually they arrived at the very rear of the vehicle and squatted in its shadow.
“I’ll first slip alongside to see if the doors are locked,” David whispered.
Angela nodded and took the shotgun.
David crawled along the driver’s side of the car until he was even with the rear door. Rising slowly, he saw that none of the doors were locked.
“At least something is going our way,” Angela whispered once he came back and told her the good news.
“Okay,” David whispered. “Are you ready?”
Angela gripped David’s arm. “Wait,” she said. “The more I think about your plan, the less I like it. I don’t think we should go up on separate sides. I think we should both go to her door. You open the door, I’ll pull her out.”
David thought for a moment, then agreed. The main idea was to get Nikki away from Van Slyke. With Angela’s plan there was more chance they’d succeed. The problem then would be how to handle Van Slyke once Nikki was safe.
“Okay,” David whispered. “When I give the signal we do it.”
Angela nodded.
David took the shotgun from Angela and held it in his left hand. He moved around Angela so that he was at the right side of the car. Slowly he rounded the car and started crawling along its side, holding the gun up against his chest. When he came abreast of the rear door, he turned around to make sure Angela was right behind him. She was.
David prepared to spring forward by positioning his feet directly under his torso. But before he could give the signal to Angela, Nikki’s door opened and Nikki leaned out and looked back. She was startled to see David’s face so close to her own,
“What are you guys doing?” Nikki asked.
David leaped forward and pulled the door completely open. Nikki lost her balance and tumbled from the car. Angela sprang forward and grabbed her, dragging her onto the grass. Nikki cried out in shock and pain.
David trained the gun on Van Slyke. He was fully prepared to pull the trigger if need be. But Van Slyke didn’t have a gun. He didn’t try to flee. He didn’t so much as move. He merely looked at David; his expression was completely blank.
David warily moved a little closer. Van Slyke remained seated calmly, his hands in his lap. He did not seem to be the agitated psychotic that he’d been less than an hour earlier.
“What’s happening?” Nikki cried. “Why did you pull me so hard? You hurt my leg.”
“I’m sorry,” Angela said. “I was worried about you. The man you’ve been sitting with is the same man who was in our house last night wearing the reptile mask.”
“He couldn’t be,” Nikki said, wiping her tears away. “Mr. Van Slyke told me he was supposed to talk with me until you came back.”
“What has he been talking about?” Angela asked.
“He was telling me about when he was my age,” Nikki said. “How wonderful it had been.”
“Mr. Van Slyke’s childhood wasn’t wonderful at all,” David said. David was still intently watching Van Slyke who still hadn’t moved. Keeping the shotgun aimed directly at Van Slyke’s chest, David leaned into the car for a closer look. Van Slyke continued to stare back at him blankly.
“Are you okay?” David asked. He was at a loss for what to do.
“I’m all right,” Van Slyke said in a calm monotone. “My father took me to the movies all the time. Whenever I wanted.”