Every muscle in my body went still. My heart thumped in my chest, so loudly that I feared Mrs. Mayhad would hear it. I held my breath to offset any potential noise. My eyes stayed on the glowing light until it had disappeared down the stairs. Her shuffling footsteps faded into the darkness. All of the air I had been holding in escaped my lungs in a rush. That was way, way too close.

"Why is she up?" Calico whispered. It concerned me that Calico was asking this question. She always carried herself like she was in control of the situation. The thought that she was just as clueless as I was unsettling.

"Not sure," Cougar said. "Probably just getting some water." I could hear the tension in his voice, which led me to believe that he was more concerned than he let on.

"Should we go now?" I asked.

Instead of replying, Cougar peeked his head around the corner.

"At least it's not Mr. Mayhad," Calico said.

"True, but she still could go upstairs and wake him."

"But is this really an issue now that we have what we came for?" Calico pressed.

Cougar gave her an annoyed glance. "We need to follow Raven's instructions. He usually knows what's best."

"Usually," Calico emphasized. "Not one-hundred percent of the time."

"If we can get out of here undetected, don't you think it will be an asset to us?" Cougar snapped.

I could hear rustling downstairs. A light was flicked on, scattering the darkness on the walls. I peered around the corner of the staircase. I craned my neck to see past the front entrance. My eyes fell on Mrs. Mayhad in the kitchen, as she fumbled through a cupboard.

"She doesn't appear to be leaving the kitchen anytime soon," I murmured.

The others stopped bickering and peered over my head, since they were both at least half a foot taller.

The stairs above creaked.

"Oh no," Cougar breathed. He grabbed the back of my blazer and forced me behind the wall. I almost chided him for being rough with my designer jacket, but stopped myself. Mr. Mayhad passed by, feet thumping on the stairs.

"Now what do we do?" Calico whispered fiercely.

"There's got to be something..." Cougar said.

"Maybe a window?" I suggested. The other two didn't so much as glance my way.

"We just need to get this box to the car," Calico said. Her eyes fell on me. "Hmm, maybe you're right."

My eyes popped open. Me? Right? That's a first.

"Yeah, I'll open a window, and you'll climb down through a tree. Then you can put the box to the car."

I suddenly wasn't so keen on this plan afterall. The thought of heights made me queasy. And besides, how could I possibly climb down a tree holding a box in hand?

"That actually works out perfectly," Cougar said. "Good idea, team."

Something about him calling me a part of his 'team' made me shiver. I didn't want anything to do with these criminals, much less 'be on their team.'

"But what about you?" I protested.

"It's not us we're concerned about," Cougar countered.

"You keep an eye on the Mayhads, I'll open the window for Jordan," Calico said. Cougar nodded and returned to his perch.

I followed Calico back into the study. She peered out of the blinds of the central window.

"This one has a tree right by it," she said. She tried to unlatch the window in order to pull it up, but it didn't budge. She unclipped pliers from her belt. I was stunned by how easily she pried the lock open. She must do hand workouts or something.

Calico lifted the window up and removed the mesh screen. Brisk air rushed from the opening.

"Just climb down that tree. I'll radio Parrot and let him know that you're coming." Calico set the wooden box in my hands. "Don't drop the box under any circumstances whatsoever."

I nodded numbly, not wanting to think about what awaited me. My hands tingled in apprehension. I feared that I would drop the box at any moment. Calico darted from the room, shutting the door behind her.

It's okay Claude. Everything will be fine.

Slowly, I pivoted my body so that I stood in front of the window. My pulse was racing even more than when I had been in the hallway. I hated heights. They were another fear under my bed. I had never even thought about climbing a tree, not even as a child.

Come on Claude, it's not that bad. At least, I don't think it is...

You're not going to die! You're not going to fall to your death. That's...irrational! Yes, that's the word. You're being irrational.

But deep down, I knew that I was just trying to make myself feel better. I knew that I was going to fall to my death the moment I stepped onto the limbs of the tree.

A hazy memory floated into my mind. My brow wrinkled. I set the box down on the desk and reached into my pant's pocket. My fingers settled on a crisp piece of paper. I pulled out the fragment of parchment.

Your safety is of utmost importance to us.

Oh really? It is? Because I don't feel very safe right now, and no one is trying to help me.

Call us toll free if you ever need any assistance. We'll get you out of any jam you need.

125-266-8906

Right now felt like a pretty bad jam. And now was the only time I would have to call for help since the gang wasn't watching me. Before I had even realized that I had made up my mind, I reached for the phone sitting on the desk and began dialing. I held my breath as the phone rang on the other end of the line. Please answer!

A femine voice answered. "Hello, you have reached The Civic Criminality Detective Agency, Washington D.C. area. How may I help you?"

"Hello? This is Claude Wintsor. I was given this number at the airport."

"Claude Wintsor?"

"Yes. Now listen, I don't have very much time to talk. I've been mistakenly kidnapped by a gang under the impression that I'm some famous hacker named Jordan Bledou. They're forcing me to pull a whole bunch of illegal jobs over the next twenty-four hours. If I don't comply, they'll kill me or turn me over the police or something...I don't really know. I'm just really concerned about the way things are going right now. Is there any way that you can get me out of here?

"What is the name of the gang?"

"I don't know, but the leader is called Raven."

"Oh!" the woman exclaimed. "They're a notorious mafia group in this part of the country!"

"Really?"

"Yes, we'll send in help right away. Where are you?"

"I'm in Oxford, North Carolina, but we're about to leave. I'll try to let you know of our next destination, but to be honest, I don't know when I'll get the opportunity to call you again."

"That's alright. We'll do our best."

"I have to go now," I said, glancing towards the door. If these people were a dangerous, criminal gang, I didn't want them coming after me. "Oh, uh, one last thing. They currently want me to escape through a window and climb down a tree carrying a box of things."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling foolish about the next question I was going to ask. "Look uh, do you think it's safe?"

The other end was silent for a moment. Then, the woman said, "Oh yes, most definitely. Just hold on tight to the branches."

I couldn't tell if she was being sincere or not, but I took it to mean that she was being honest.

"Okay, thank you. Bye."

"Bye."

I hung up the phone. Before I had the chance to change my mind, I inserted my right leg through the window. I instantly regretted my decision. The cold air hit me, chilling my bones. Every last nerve in my body prickled in terror. My leg dangled, suspended in the air. The only thing keeping me grounded was my left foot, still making contact with the floor in the study.

You're not going to fall. The lady said so. I was lying to myself, I knew it. I knew that I was about to go plummeting to my death.

I squeezed my eyes shut. I swung my leg in all directions, but I felt nothing but air. Then, my foot smacked something hard. Don't look down, I reminded myself as I cracked a single eye open. My foot was resting on a thick tree branch, twisting outwards like an outstretched arm.

A tree can't save you, I scoffed. And yet, in a way it was.

I eased myself out of the window and onto the branch. I grasped the box tightly in one hand, the other I kept firmly wrapped around the trunk of the tree. You're not going to fall. You're going to get through this.

I inched my way so that I straddled the tree branch. My whole body was on edge, skin tingling. In spite of the cold, my palms were clammy with sweat. I feared that if I moved, I would slip and fall into whatever lay below.

What did lie below? I wondered.

I almost turned my gaze downwards, but quickly remembered that that wasn't the smartest move. There's nothing below you, Claude. Nothing at all. You aren't even in a tree! You're on the ground, safe and sound.

I must have really lost my rocker. But somehow, imagining myself on the ground, just sitting in a wooden easy-chair back at my apartment, helped to ease my stress. I exhaled. I looked at one branch below me, stretching out from the main trunk.

That's all you have to do, I told myself. Just get to that branch.

With one arm firmly planted on a higher branch, I eased my leg out from stradling the tree. I inched my way towards the lower branch. My nerves erupted again, burning with every movement. My arms threatened to drop me at any moment. I clung to the upper branch so tightly that I feared it might snap from the strain.

My foot made contact with the branch. I had safely climbed down a level! Now, I just had to figure out how to sit down on the next branch. My arm was stretched up to keep me stable. I needed some way to switch hands. I wrapped my arm with the box around a nearby branch and released my other hand. I fell forward, my chest hitting the tree trunk.

Ow!

My hands were starting to hurt from holding onto the rough bark. I hope I don't have splinters.

I made my way down another branch, then another, using the same awkward tactic. I was approaching my eighth branch when I heard a siren wail in the distance.

Police! They're onto us!

My pulse raced, adrenaline pumping into my veins. But in spite of the rush, I was suddenly too paralyzed to move. Brain not working. Can't go any further.

I suddenly realized something. Maybe if I stay up here in this tree, the police won't find me, or take me to prison! Unless the others rat me out...

That was probably what would end up happening. It was just my luck that these hardened criminals wouldn't follow 'the code.' I guess I'm not really one of them.

Not that it was a bad thing. I wanted no part of their gang or crime. All I wanted was to go home.

"Yo Jordan," a voice called from below. I nearly looked down, but I figured I better not for fear that I might faint with fear.

"Who's there?" I whispered.

"It's Parrot. We got to go, man."

"Yeah I know, but I'm kind of in a bind right now."

"How so?"

"It's going to take a little while to get down from here," I said.

"Why? We're already behind schedule."

"Well, first, I have to unfreeze my legs. They are numb and won't move..."

"Are you injured?"

"No, I'm afraid of heights." Parrot grunted from below. "Then, I need to try to get down."

"Why don't you just jump?"

"And break my neck? No way!"

"Why would you break your neck?"

"Because I'm in a tree! I'm going to die if I try to jump from this height!"

I heard Parrot chortling from below. I glared into the darkness.

"What's so funny?" I demanded.

"See for yourself." I allowed myself a quick peek at what lay below. Much to my astonishment, I was only a few feet from the ground. I felt my face growing hot. I climbed down as quickly as I could. In the moonlight, I could see that Parrot was smirking at me. I glared at him and shoved the box into his hands.

"I would have been down sooner if you hadn't given me this box," I declared. I suddenly felt very self-conscious about how unskilled I was. It's not like it's good to be skilled at crime.

"We'll go out the back way." Parrot broke into a run across the stone patio. I tried to catch up, but naturally, I was much slower. Parrot glanced back at me and sighed.

"Come on, we're already behind schedule. We don't want the boss to get mad when we get back."

And we don't want to be caught by the police, I added silently. Though I was beginning to wonder whether it would actually serve in my best interests if the police caught me. I could tell them that I was just trying to infiltrate the gang and was going to turn them in. I had never intended to commit a robbery, but they forced me to do it in exchange for my life. Wouldn't that technically make the robbery an act of self-defense? And we had that right under the Constitution...I think. I had never done well in government or history classes. Math and Science were the areas I excelled in.

I forced myself to catch up to Parrot nonetheless. We ran into the back alley where the others were waiting for us. Cougar eyed me suspiciously.

"What took so long?" he questioned.

"I found him in a tree," Parrot said. He flipped his hair out of his face. "The man's afraid of heights."

Cougar rolled his eyes. "Alright whatever. Just hop in. We've already wrapped up everything on our end."

I decided not to ask about the police. I didn't want them to think that I had been the one to inform them. Had the agency in Washington D.C. traced my call and sent the police to help?

It was too late for them to help now. Falcon was already pulling out of the alleyway. I fell back into my seat, exhausted. Might as well sleep. You need all the shut eye you can get. Before I knew it, my eyes were closed and I was fast asleep.