Chapter One

“Hurry, Jade!” Danny Cameron urged his sister as they raced down the gravel road on their bikes. His legs pumped furiously as his feet slammed down on the pedals. He was out of breath. His chest strained and his throat was dry and sore. Fear gave him extra strength but he stayed beside his little sister. He couldn’t leave her to face the bullies alone.

“I’m coming,” Jade cried. Panic clenched her throat, and her words came out high and squeaky.“Wait for me!”

Gravel crunched under their spinning tires and sent rocks flying into the ditch. Together, they turned down the last gravel road before the approach to their farm. Their land stretched out on either side and wheat,

short and spiky, waved in the wind. The farmhouse was visible across the field. If only they could have gone cross-country, it would have been so much shorter.

Frightened, Danny chanced a look over his shoulder. Zach and the boys were fading back, their bikes gleaming in the bright sunlight.“Looks like they’re too scared to come any closer,” Danny panted. He was glad that he and Jade had seen them first, and had gotten such a good head start. He didn’t know what would have happened if those boys had caught up. Zach, the school bully, had never liked Danny and it was becoming a bigger problem, especially this summer. Zach and his gang had begun to come farther out of town and nearer to the farm, always looking for trouble.

“We’ll get you next time!” Zach’s voice echoed in the distance.“You better watch out!”

Slowing their bikes, their breathing laboured, Danny and Jade pedalled toward home.“I’m glad they’re gone,” Jade said angrily.“They’re so mean! I wish Mama and Papa would buy us a cellphone. Then we could call whenever Zach bothered us.”

“You know we can’t afford those kinds of luxuries,” Danny said, repeating a phrase he had heard his parents use over and over lately.“What with the drought and all, the farm’s not doing that well. You know that.” He sighed as he wiped sweat off his forehead.“Come on, let’s get home.”

“I’m tired,” Jade complained, stopping her bike and flopping down on the tall grass beside the road.“This old bike is hard to pedal, and the wind is getting stronger. I need to rest.”

Danny started to argue. He was afraid that Zach and his gang might come back, but he could see their dusty trail as the four bikes raced back toward town. They were probably off to bo