Carolyn Keene - White Water Terror

They set out, with Tod and Mike in front, followed by George and Bess, Mercedes, Sammy, Ralph and Linda, and Ned and Nancy. The trail was even more difficult than it had been the night before, a switchback that zigzagged up a mountain, through dense woods. The underbrush hung over the faint path like a thick green canopy, shutting out most of the sun, and even in the daylight the shadows seemed ominous. The day before, Nancy had developed a blister on her right heel, and it was rapidly getting worse, making walking even more difficult.

“Did you get a chance to talk to Mercedes last night?” Ned asked Nancy, helping her over a fallen log.

“Well, I tried,” Nancy said with a sigh. She bent over to adjust her tennis shoe, trying to relieve the pressure on her blister. “I didn’t get anywhere. She really clammed up. But she did say something interesting. When I asked her about Paula’s family, she said she didn’t want to drag up the past.”

Ned looked at her. “So she does know something.”

“Right. But whatever it is, she’s not going to tell me.”

“Do you suppose she’d tell me?”

“I don’t know. It’s worth a try.”

“I might be able to catch her off guard.” He grinned. “Or I might be able to use some of that charm that Sammy seemed to enjoy.” He ducked the playful punch Nancy threw at him.

“Listen, Ned,” Nancy said, “all joking aside, I think it’s a good idea. Why don’t you try to catch up to her now and see what you can find out?”

“Okay, I will.” Ned put his hand on Nancy’s shoulder. “But you’ve got to promise to catch up with Ralph and Linda and not hang around at the back of the group.”

“I promise,” Nancy said as Ned began to jog ahead. When he reached the curve in the path, he turned and waved, and Nancy waved back.

She wasn’t worried-Ralph and Linda were somewhere ahead, within calling distance. But her blister was really beginning to hurt her. Nancy sat down on a rock and unlaced her shoe. Maybe the blister was getting infected. Sure enough, her whole heel was red and inflamed. She would have to try to catch up to Mike, who was carrying the first-aid kit, and see if he had a bandage.

Nancy was lacing her shoe up when she felt that prickle between her shoulder blades-the prickle that always meant she was being watched. She turned around. No one was in sight-but had she heard a rustling in the dense leaves? She got up and began to hurry down the trail, suddenly feeling very vulnerable and wishing that she hadn’t let the others get so far ahead.

“Wait!” a rough voice commanded.

Nancy stopped, then turned, her heart in her mouth. There, lurching clumsily toward her through the thick underbrush, was Max! His shirt was ripped in several places, he wore a two-day stubble of beard, and there was an inch-long gash just above his right eye. He carried a heavy tree branch like a club, and his eyes were wild and staring.

Nancy started to run. She had to get away! Max was crazy. He would kill her!

“Don’t run!” he shouted, stumbling after her. “I have to talk-”

At that moment, Nancy tripped over a tree root and went sprawling. She struggled back to her feet just as Max reached her.

“You can’t get away,” he said, panting. “I won’t let you!” He swung the club around. That was the last thing Nancy saw before the world went black.

For a minute Nancy thought the loud chirping in her ears was a noisy bird perched on a branch just over her head. But she soon realized that the sound was coming from inside her head. The side of her head hurt, and she tried to raise her hand to explore the ache with her fingers. But her hands were fastened tightly behind her back!

Without moving a muscle, Nancy opened her eyes cautiously, just enough to see. She was on her side in a clearing. Her back was resting against a granite boulder, and her cheek was pressed against a pillow of pale green moss. The ground was thickly carpeted with pine needles, but whatever Max had used to tie her with was cutting into the circulation at her wrists, and her fingers felt numb.

Max was crouched on the ground five or six feet away, whittling a spearlike point on a long straight stick and coughing intermittently. Nancy closed her eyes and tried to formulate some sort of logical plan of action through the painful throbbing in her head.

She didn’t hear any voices. That could either mean the others hadn’t yet discovered she was missing or that Max had dragged her so far off the trail that she wasn’t able to hear them.

Using her numb fingers, she explored the binding around her wrists. It didn’t feel very strong or heavy. Perhaps she could saw through it with a piece of jagged rock. She felt along the boulder at her back. Yes, there was a sharp, protruding seam, where the rock had weathered and split.

Very carefully, she began to push the rope up and down against the seam of the rock, trying not to move her shoulders. She peered surreptitiously through her lashes. Max had raised his head and was listening intently, as if he heard something in the distance. There was a look of fear on his face.

Nancy felt a surge of hope. Maybe Ned and the others were looking for her.

Max got painfully to his feet and picked up his club. When he moved away, out of the line of Nancy’s vision, she heard the sound of his footsteps scuffling through the dry leaves and began sawing at the rope frantically.

When her hands came free, Nancy didn’t move. Surprise was her only weapon. She had to get Max to come near enough to her so that she could catch him with one unexpected karate blow. But where was he?

In a few minutes, Max returned and leaned over to pick up his crude spear.

“O-oh,” Nancy moaned, stirring a little. She could hear Max move toward her. “Nancy?” he said. She moaned again, more faintly this time.

“Nancy?” He bent over her and touched her shoulder. “Are you okay?” he asked in a worried voice. “I didn’t mean to hit you so hard, really. I just wanted to talk…”

Suddenly Nancy opened her eyes and leaped up. Taken by surprise, Max stumbled back, off balance, his mouth open. Nancy jumped at him, aiming a quick, hard blow to his solar plexus, and Max fell with a loud “Oomph!” He hit his head against a rock and went limp.

Nancy spun away and began to race through the woods. Her head still hurt, and she felt slightly dizzy and disoriented.

She slowed down to a walk, thinking maybe she shouldn’t run until she figured out which direction to go in. A puzzled frown came to her face as she remembered Max’s words. What was he talking about when he said that he hadn’t meant to hurt her-that he just needed to talk? She stopped, hesitating.

“Nancy! Nancy, where are you?” It was Ned’s voice, and he sounded frantic. “Nancy!”

“Here, Ned!” Nancy called. “I’m here!” She ran toward the sound of his voice, still calling his name.

“Oh, Nancy!” Breathlessly, Ned burst through a clearing and enveloped her in a huge hug. Bess and George were with him.

“What happened to you? Where have you been all this time?” Bess asked anxiously.

“We told the others we’d be looking for you-Linda was glad to have the rest,” George said.

“But, Nan…” Ned began.

“What?”

“Why did you leave the trail?”

“I didn’t leave the trail,” Nancy said, feeling the knot on the side of her head. “Max came up behind me and hit me over the head. He carried me pretty far into the woods and tied me up, but I managed to get loose and catch him by surprise. I got away just a few minutes ago.”

“Oh, I’m so glad you’re safe,” George said, hugging her. She turned to Bess. “See? I keep telling you Max is dangerous.”