Page 35 of Guarding Colton’s Witness

“I think he’s okay,” the girl said as Matti took him from her.

“Matti,” Sam said as he wrapped himself around her and buried his face in her neck. “The mean man tried to take me.”

“It’s okay, sweetie. I have you now and you’re safe.” At least one of the men would be behind bars.

“He’s getting away,” the girl said.

Matti gasped at seeing the man running toward the car. He jumped in, and the car sped away.

The two boys came over. “We tried to hold him down, but he was like trying to wrestle a greased pig. Impossible.”

“You okay, kid?” the other boy asked.

Sam lifted his head. “You saved me.”

“They sure did,” Matti said. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

Both boys shrugged as if saving a child from being kidnapped was no big deal. It was. It totally was. Two police cars screeched to a halt, and she turned toward them. The uniformed officers exited their cars and headed their way. She knew both of them.

“Matti,” one said at seeing and recognizing her. “What’s going on?”

When the three teens started to walk away, she said, “Wait. You guys are heroes, but you’re also witnesses and need to give a statement.” They stopped, and the other two girls joined them.

“Hi, Jackson. Tucker. A man tried to kidnap Sam. Can you call dispatch and tell them to send Wyatt over if he’s available?”

“Sure.”

While he was doing that, one of the girls who’d stayed behind said, “I got it all on video.” After Jackson finished with dispatch, she held out her phone.

Both officers leaned in to watch the video. “Who is that man?” Tucker asked. “Do you know him?”

“No, but I know of him,” Matti said. “He’s part of Wyatt’s case.”

“Dispatch said he’s on the way,” Jackson said. “So let’s wait for him.”

Amy walked up, holding Robbie’s hand. “That was so scary. Robbie’s upset, so I’m going to take him home.”

“Okay, but first, I need to ask him what the man said to them.” She was familiar with police procedures, having so many cops in the family, and they’d want to compare what Robbie remembered with what Sam did. She set Sam’s feet on the ground but kept her arm around him. “Can you tell the nice policemen what the man said to you?”

Robbie lifted his eyes to the two officers. “He asked if one of us was Sam. I said, ‘He is,’ but Sam said, ‘Don’t tell him.’ But he didn’t say it fast enough, so I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to.” Tears filled his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey,” she said. “You didn’t know, so you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I’m not mad at you, Robbie,” Sam said.

She was proud of Sam for saying that. He could have been bratty toward Robbie for what happened. “Is it all right if she takes Robbie home now?” she asked the two cops.

“I need your contact information,” Jackson said to Amy. “The detective on the case might need to follow up with you.”

Amy gave him her address and phone number, then she left.

When a ping sounded that she had a text, Matti read the message from Ryan. He’d sent one earlier that she’d somehow missed. She texted him back.

At the park with Sam. Something happened. Might be here a while. Call you later.

Chapter 16

Ryan was walking out the door of his apartment to go to Matti’s when he got a text. He frowned as he read it, then ran to his car as he texted back.