Bradley Denton - Blackburn

"I went there for birthday cake."

"Then you can go there again. But you have to promise to be careful crossing the streets." He paused. "Mom might not want you to go by yourself."

"Would too!"

"All right. Go to Chrissie's house and put this on the doorstep." He took a folded piece of paper from a pocket and handed it to her. He knew its words by heart:

Todd Boyle look in Baby Tina's room and be at field south of Clay Hill by Potwin Road at 1:45 P.M. to take her home or else we will kill her and your dad will kill you. Bring this to prove identity, signed, Some Friends. P.S. We are from Emporia so if you don't show up or if you call fuzz we will take her to beef plant. Wantoda fuzz Johnston is drunk on Saturdays and won't answer anyway and if you call sheriff they will take three hours and she will be hamburger.

Jasmine unfolded the paper and stared at it. Jimmy had written the note in cursive, and Jasmine couldn't read cursive yet.

"After you put it on the step," Jimmy said, "ring the doorbell and run away. This is a secret message, so you have to run before anyone sees you. If anyone does, say that you saw some men drop the paper. Can you do all that?"

"Uh-huh."

"Tell me what you're going to do."

"Go to Chrissie's. Put the paper on the porch and push the doorbell. Then run back here and you help me find Doll-Baby with the puppy."

"Right. Get going, Agent X-9."

Jasmine refolded the paper and left. Jimmy didn't like sending her off alone, but it was the only way.

When Jasmine was out of sight, Jimmy took off his backpack and brought Baby Tina out for some fresh air. She squalled worse than ever. She was moist and red.

"It's okay," Jimmy said, jiggling her. "Hush, little baby, don't you cry. James is gonna sing you a lullaby…"

After a few minutes Baby Tina calmed down. Jimmy replaced her in the pack.

The kite was flying at the full length of its line when Jasmine returned. Kyle Thornton was with her, and he was immediately interested in the rod and reel. Jimmy had stuck the handle into the ground and braced it with clods. The shaft was propped on a forked stick, and it quivered with the wind. The monofilament, barely visible, curved upward in a blue arc. It was as tight as a banjo string.

"Neat!" Kyle exclaimed, reaching for the reel.

Jimmy pushed Kyle away, knocking him down. Kyle blinked, about to cry. Jimmy had never been mean to him before.

"Sorry," Jimmy said. He held out his hand. "You can't touch anything."

"I won't," Kyle said, pouting as Jimmy helped him up.

Jasmine shielded her eyes with her hands and gazed up at the kite. "Hey, what's that?" she asked. Her mouth opened wide.

A hoarse cry came from the road. Jimmy turned and saw Todd Boyle charge into the field. Todd's face was flushed, and his eyes were wild.

"You kids stand back a ways," Jimmy said. Staring at Todd, Jasmine and Kyle did as they were told.

Jimmy stood still until Todd was almost on him. Then he dropped and rolled forward. Todd fell over him, just missing the rod and reel. The rod shimmied, and the kite dipped. Its tail swung heavily.

"I'd be more careful," Jimmy said, standing. "You might make it crash."

Todd leaped up. "What did you do to her?"

"I didn't do nothing."

Todd held out the note. "Then what's this, you fucker?"

Jimmy snatched it away and tore it up. He let the wind take the pieces. "Nothing," he said.

Todd grabbed Jimmy's shirt. "Where's my baby sister?"

Jimmy pointed at the giant kite.

A pink form was suspended from it. The kite was so high, and the day so bright, that no features could be seen. But the drawing on the kite was clear. The baby was in the grip of an eagle.

Todd gaped.

"There were two men," Jimmy said. "I was across the road, and I saw them. I didn't know it was a baby they had until it was in the air, and it wiggled and bawled. When they got it up where it is now, they left. I came over, but I've been scared to do anything."

Todd turned back to Jimmy and let go of his shirt. Then he punched him in the face.

Jimmy didn't flinch. The sudden pain in his nose shot into his eyes, but he forced them not to cry. He was used to sudden pain. He was getting better at not crying.

He pointed again. "Is that your baby sister?"

"I'm not stupid! A kite can't hold a baby!"

Jimmy looked up at the kite. "I dunno. It's awful big." He made his eyes widen. "Jeez, look! She just squirmed!"

Kyle began crying. "She did! I saw her!"

Jasmine stared up with an expression of horror.

Todd looked at Kyle and Jasmine, then at the kite. The change in his face made Jimmy want to yell like Tarzan.

"That ain't my sister!" Todd said. His voice trembled. "She weighs too much! She weighs eight pounds!"

"But, God, it's a big kite," Jimmy said.

Jasmine began to cry with Kyle.

"A baby weighs too much!" Todd said.

The wail of an infant came down from the sky.

Todd bumped against the rod and reel, and the baby flailed in the eagle's claws.

"She's still squirming!" Kyle cried.

The wail came again.

Todd yanked the rod and reel from the ground. As the kite started to pull him forward, he cranked the reel frantically.

Far up, the line snapped and floated toward earth in a squiggle. Kyle and Jasmine screamed. The kite shot northward, and the baby jerked.

Todd made a noise that was part moan, part whimper. He dropped the rod and ran across the field.

The wailing from above continued.

Kyle and Jasmine started to run too, but Jimmy caught them each by an arm. "There's nothing you can do," he said.

Todd reached the Potwin road and ran north down the middle of the pavement. Jimmy watched him shrink.

The wailing became weaker, and weaker, and stopped.

The kite vanished behind Clay Hill.

Jasmine kicked Jimmy in the leg. "I hate you," she said. "You put Doll-Baby on your stupid kite."

"That was a real baby," Kyle said, sobbing.

"Doll-Baby's a real baby," Jasmine said indignantly.

Jimmy released their arms and picked up his fishing rod. He brushed dirt from the reel. "I'll find Doll-Baby for you now," he said.

"Liar."

He began to reel in the line. "I said I'll find her. You don't even have to help." He looked at Kyle. "And you don't have to feel bad. I'm sure that baby wasn't real."

"It was crying."

"It was fake. I saw the men put a tape recorder in its stomach."

"Oh," Kyle said.

The broken end of the line reached the tip of the rod, and Jimmy stopped cranking. "Mom was going to make oatmeal cookies," he said. "I bet if you guys went to our house, you could get some. I'll stay here to look for Doll-Baby."

"I'm not supposed to go home by myself," Jasmine said.

"Kyle'll go too."

Kyle tugged Jasmine's arm. "Come on," he said. "Cookies."

Jasmine allowed herself to be dragged along, but she glared back at Jimmy. "I still hate you."

"Big deal," Jimmy said.

He watched to make sure they crossed the Potwin road safely, and then he looked north. Todd was climbing Clay Hill. As Jimmy watched, Todd fell twice.

Jimmy let the pain of his hurt nose get through and make him cry.

"Serves you right," he said.

The south wind sang through the catwalk. The whole tower was vibrating with an intensity that Jimmy had never felt before. As he cut the fishing line that held the backpack against the boards, he said, "Worth the climb, wasn't it?"

He opened the flap. As the sun lit Baby Tina's face, she opened her toothless mouth wide. Her eyes shone. She liked this vibration, this brilliance. She was smiling, maybe for the first time ever. And because no one was watching, and no one would know, Jimmy lifted her from the pack and hugged her. There was mealy yellow stuff on her legs.