He started toward the rear wall, ready to leave. But he had taken no more than a few steps when he froze in his tracks, his heart racing wildly.
From outside, behind the building, he could hear the sound of approaching footsteps in the dry leaves—the same quick footsteps he had heard inside the building.
Chapter 11
Bill Beckney’s cat had cornered a mouse in the concrete manure pit one afternoon the year before. The mouse ran from one side of the pit to the other trying to avoid the cat’s claws.
Ronnie remembered the picture all too vividly now as he stood with his feet frozen to the floor and his heart beating like a tom-tom, and the sound of the footsteps coming closer and closer with each second. Only now he was the mouse!
He knew there wasn’t a chance that he could escape. The door was padlocked on the other side, and even the key in his pocket couldn’t help him. The opening in the wall through which he had come would place him face to face with his opponent.
He had to hide, but where? Anywhere, just as long as he did it quickly!
His legs and feet came to life again. He swung about, holding up the candle as he searched for a place large enough to hide. The flickering light picked out the fireplace.
He started for it quickly. Behind him, small creaks and thumps told him that the section of wall was being removed. Doubling over, he swung his body into the fireplace. The acrid smell of stale, wet ashes struck his nose. He straightened up and blew out the candle.
Suddenly light flooded the fireplace. The section of wall had been completely removed. Looking down, he saw his feet and legs illuminated as by a floodlight. He knew he couldn’t stay where he was if he wanted to remain hidden.