On the Run Read online

  “Really . . . ?”

  Mom didn’t like the man’s tone. She liked it even less when he started toward them. Maybe he walked, maybe he floated. She couldn’t tell in the dark.

  “Oh, but I will get sssomething from you,” he hissed. “If not your cooperation . . . then at leasst their weaknessesss.”

  “Their weaknesses?” Dad asked.

  “Yesss.” He arrived and hovered over Mom. She pulled back. “You will tell me their weaknessesss, and I will ussse them.”

  “What do you mean?” her voice trembled. “Use them for what?”

  “Why, to dessstroy them, of courssse.” His long fingers shot out and wrapped around her head. She tried to scream but could not find her voice. Her eyes began to shudder.

  “Ssshow me,” he hissed. “Ssshow me your oldessst.”

  Before she could stop herself, thoughts of Zach raced through her mind. His sense of humor, his over-inflated ego, his weakness for girls.

  “Yesss.” The evil voice seemed to come from inside her head. “Yesss, I ssshall ussse that.” Then he started to laugh. It was ugly. Menacing. “Yesss . . . yesss . . .” His laugh grew louder and louder, filling her head until she collapsed onto the floor and heard nothing at all.

  “So what do we do?” Piper asked. She and Elijah sat in a booth across from Zach in the diner. “I saw a Help Wanted sign in the window. Maybe I could get a job.”

  “You don’t know how to be a waitress,” Zach said.

  “I could learn.”

  “I got something better.” Zach pulled his hand from his coat pocket and produced a wadded gum wrapper and their life savings of $1.47.

  “Great,” Piper groaned. “That’ll do us a lot of good.”

  But Zach wasn’t listening. Instead, he turned to Elijah. “So what do you think, little guy?”

  Elijah looked at the money and smiled.

  Zach held it closer.

  “What are you doing?” Piper asked.

  “Remember back in the RV how he multiplied the burgers and fries so we had enough to eat?”

  “Yeah . . .”

  “So, if he can multiply burgers and fries, he can multiply money.”

  “Zach . . .”

  “What?” He held the money closer. “Come on, fella, do your thing.”

  “Isn’t that kind of . . . dishonest?”

  “What’s dishonest about it?”

  At last, Elijah reached for his hand.

  “There we go, that’s right. Just touch it and . . .”

  But instead of taking the money, the boy picked up the wadded gum wrapper.

  “No, no, no,” Zach said. “The money . . . we need money.”

  Elijah looked at him, grinned, and set the paper on the table.

  “No.” Zach shook the money in his hand. “This! ”

  Elijah began playing with the wrapper.

  “This! Eli, we need more of THIS!”

  But Elijah was too busy playing to hear.

  Piper covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. Elijah looked up at her. His eyes sparkled like he understood.

  Maybe he did.

  “Hi, there.”

  Piper turned to see their waitress. She was about Zach’s age, with black hair, black clothes, black fingernail polish, and some major black eyeliner. She was definitely Goth, but underneath all that makeup she was probably cute. And by the way she flirted with Zach, she was definitely interested.

  “Can I take your order?”

  “Yeah,” Zach shrugged. “I guess we’ll just . . . uh . . .” He glanced down at his money. “We’ll just split some fries.”

  “That’s it?”

  “All we have is a dollar forty-seven.”

  “But you’re hungry, right?”

  “Oh yeah, big time.”

  “Right.” She gave him another smile and started scribbling on her pad. “That’s three deluxe burgers, three sides of fries, three milkshakes, and one hot apple turnover.”

  “No, you don’t understand. We can’t afford — ”

  She flipped her hair to the side. “I understand perfectly. And what the boss doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”

  “What?”

  “It’s on the house, big guy.”

  Zach could only stare. Come to think of it, that’s all Piper could do too.

  The waitress flashed another smile. “It’s the least I can do for a hottie like you.” She turned and started off.

  “I’ll be back.”

  Zach broke into a grin and nodded. “Right. We’ll, uh, see you soon.”

  “Zach,” Piper whispered, “we can’t do that.”

  “Why not?” Zach said, still impressed with himself.

  “Because she’s ripping off the restaurant to feed us.”

  “Oh well.” He shrugged.

  “Oh well? That’s all you can say?”

  “Hey, it’s not my fault I’m such a hottie.”

  Piper rolled her eyes and groaned.

  The Enemy Closes In

  Socover ISBN 9780310711940

  Zach meets a runaway who dabbles with the supernatural, and Elijah comes to their aid while another evil force closes in—the foul Shadow Man. But Shadow Man is no match for heavenly forces watching over them.

  Available now at your local bookstore!

  Trapped by Shadows

  Socover ISBN 9780310711957

  Elijah is captured, and his family must enter the Abyss to save him. The deeper they plunge into the caves, the greater the danger to them all, but they are not alone. Heaven is on their side.

  Available now at your local bookstore!

  Chamber of Lies

  Socover ISBN 9780310711964

  Zach, Piper, and Elijah are reunited with their parents. But when Elijah is lured into the Chamber, he must face the Shadow Man in a bale for his soul. Only heaven can help him now.

  Available now at your local bookstore!

  NIV Adventure Bible Book of Devotions

  By Robin Schmi Socover ISBN 9780310714477

  Get Ready for Adventure!

  Grab your spyglass and compass and set sail for adventure! Like a map that leads to great treasure, the NIV Adventure Bible Book of Devotions takes kids on a thrilling, enriching quest. This yearlong devotional is filled with exciting fictional stories about kids finding adventure in the real world. Boys and girls will learn more about God and the Bible, and be inspired to live a life of faith—the greatest adventure of all. Companion to the Adventure Bible, the #1 bestselling Bible for kids.

  Available now at your local bookstore!

  NIV Adventure Bible

  Socover ISBN 9780310715436

  In this revised edition of The NIV Adventure Bible, kids 9-12 will discover the treasure of God’s Word. Filled with great adventures and exciting features, the NIV Adventure Bible opens a fresh new encounter with Scripture for kids, especially at a time when they are trying to develop their own ideas and opinions independent of their parents.

  Available now at your local bookstore!

  Perfect for boys ages 9 to 12, the 2:52 series is based on Luke 2:52“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Focusing on four primary areas of growth, this guiding verse can help boys become more like Jesus mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially – smarter, stronger, deeper, and cooler.

  Boys Bible: The Ultimate Manual

  Hardcover ISBN 9780310703204

  Finally, a Bible just for boys! Discover gross and gory Bible stuff. Find out interesting and humorous Bible facts. Apply the Bible to your own life through fun doodles, sketches, and quick responses. This and many other products available on www.luke252.com!

  Available now at your local bookstore!

  The Star-Fighters of Murphy Street Series

  By Robert

  West Introducing the Star-Fighters of Murphy Street: three unlikely young heroes bound for some of the zaniest escapades you can imagine.

  There’s a Spaceship in My Tree: Episode I<
br />
  Softcover ISBN 9780310714255

  Newly arrived from California, thirteen-year-old Beamer MacIntyre feels like an alien in this bizarre Midwestern town. Strangest of all is the spaceship-shaped tree house in his yard.

  Aack of the Spider Bots: Episode II

  Softcover ISBN 9780310714262

  Star-Fighters Beamer, Ghoulie, and Scilla follow a strange clanking sound in their cave labyrinth and stumble onto a screaming one-eyed monster that chases them into a huge cavern enclosing a fully animated miniature world.

  Escape From the Drooling Octopod! : Episode III

  Softcover ISBN 9780310714279

  The Star-Fighters, under attack from pink goblins and Molgotha, a drooling giant octopod, must save a girl locked in a “pink palace.”

  Available now at your local bookstore!

  faiThGirLz!TM

  the beauty of believing

  A Lucy Novel

  Wrien by Nancy Rue

  New from Faithgirlz! By bestselling author Nancy Rue.

  Lucy Rooney is a feisty, precocious tomboy who questions everything—even God. It’s not hard to see why: a horrible accident killed her mother and blinded her father, turning her life upside down. It will take a strong but gentle housekeeper—who insists on Bible study and homework when all Lucy wants to do is play soccer—to show Lucy that there are many ways to become the woman God intends her to be.

  Book 1: Lucy Doesn’t Wear Pink

  ISBN 9780310714507

  Book 2: Lucy Out of Bounds

  ISBN 9780310714514

  Book 3: Lucy’s Perfect Summer

  ISBN 9780310714521

  Book 4: Lucy Finds Her Way

  ISBN 9780310714538 Available August 2009!

  Available now at your local bookstore!

  Visit www.faithgirlz.com, it’s the place for girls ages 9-12.

  About the Publisher

  Founded in 1931, Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Zondervan, a division of HarperCollinsPublishers, is the leading international Christian communications company, producing best-selling Bibles, books, new media products, a growing line of gift products and award-winning children’s products. The world’s largest Bible publisher, Zondervan (www.zondervan.com) holds exclusive publishing rights to the New International Version of the Bible and has distributed more than 150 million copies worldwide. It is also one of the top Christian publishers in the world, selling its award-winning books through Christian retailers, general market bookstores, mass merchandisers, specialty retailers, and the Internet. Zondervan has received a total of 68 Gold Medallion awards for its books, more than any other publisher.

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