"Ok,ok enough stalling, I guess your old enough but remember we just need to let you know that... That you can't tell max about this,he's to young to understand this.if he's even a-ok so I've been talking for to long,stalling again......" Mum says. "Just please tell me" I say. "Fine,ok so your dad and I,we used to know a guy...his name back then was John and he had a small troop,they were all like us and they would go around looking for food. Until one day.." Mum stops for a second. "Want me to take it from here?" Dad asks,putting a hand on mums shoulder.

She nods and he continues for her. "Until one day,we caught him stealing from farms,they was Taking animals. He was even Taking cows we confronted him about it....... And he turned,it was like something inside him snapped,he recruited more wolf hearts for his group and advanced to towns, we tried to talk him out of it but.....well he burnt our old house down....he renamed himself to John -bolder. I just don't get it why he went well... Crazy. So we moved away from the area and ever since then...he has had something in for us. Now,he's back. He has been known to take people or wolfs hearts who are against him captive,the note...its from him you see and well I guess he has found us. " dad says.

"So now the plan is to get as many wolf hearts as we can to take him down. Including that boy in there, if we can convince him enough" dad gestures to the kitchen
I stay silent,taking in all the information I have just had said to me.

After a while I say "so...he has max and my auntie?" Mum nods. "I...I'm going to the phone to call some people we know." Dad says. I nod. "Come on,let's go to your uncle to help 'persuade' this 'jack'" mum says. I nod and get up from my seat. We enter the kitchen cautiously. My uncle has 'jack' sitting in a chair on the table across from him.

"Ehm" mum clears her throat loudly and my uncle looks at her. "She knows" mum says quietly. Uncle Paul nods and gets up from his seat,watching 'jack' every second. "We.....we found this,it's from John." Mum says,handing my uncle the note. I watch 'jack' as my uncle and mum talk quietly.

He looks up at me then away in shame,I guess. "I.....I..I...I'm sorry" he mutters. "Yeah?,sneaking into our house and spying on us,hec, I could've been naked you know,if I didn't notice you" I say. He looks up at me then away when I say the last sentence. "What were you thinking?!" I continue.

"That....I.....that I..." He starts. "That I,that I..." I mimic rudely.
"That I, that i...that I could get help" he says. "What was that you said?" My uncle asks. 'He must of been listening'. 'Jack' clamps up and turns away. I give my uncle a look that says I can handle/do this.

My uncle goes back to talking quietly. "Look,i don't like you and you probably don't like me or them but this is important,why was you seeking help?" I say. He turns his head and looks at me. His hair covers one eye-he needs a hair cut. His brown visible eye looks at me,trying to read me but I keep my look stern and demanding. "Ok I was seeking help to hide" he says.

"From who?" I ask. He doesn't answer me. "This is very important,if you was going to hide from who I think you was,he has my auntie and nine year old brother,nine!" I say.

"H...his name is j....j..j.j......John Bb....Boulder " he says. "I-" mum cuts me off. "Come on,time to check on your father."she says. I nod and walk out of the room. "Sit tight!" I hear my uncle say as he locks the door and we walk into the lounge room to my dad.

"Ok so.....I got hold of Linda and brad......Markus and Amy, grant and Samantha oh and I also got hold of Nic." Dad says. "Ok so that is  ten of us" my uncle says. "Ehm, eleven,twelve if 'Jack' agrees" I say. "Oh no way,it's to dangerous for you" dad says. "Oh really,I should get credit for getting to 'jack'" I say. "Oh yeah?, what exactly did you find out then hmm?" Dad says. "Well.....he was in our house because he needed help, he knows about John and his troop" I say. "That's not much though,but if you want to come and rescue your brother and auntie then you have to prove yourself ok?" Dad says. "Fine ok" I say. "Ok,lets eat" mum says.

"Ok so.....let's see,we have,salad-" "nope" I interrupt. "Hmm,we have some left over soup in the pot" mum says. "Sounds good" dad says. Mum goes and grabs the soup from the kitchen where 'jack' is then closes the door, she  prepares the soup why we all sit in the lounge. "Ok,I'm thinking we go out Tomorrow morning" my uncle says. "Yeah good idea. Maddie, go and help your mum please" he says. I role my eyes and walk into the kitchen.

There is four bowls of soup sitting on the counter with read next to them. "Uh mum,if we want his trust,I think that we should at least feed him" I say. I don't have to say who 'cause she knows. "Yeah ok,here give this to him but remember DO NOT let him out" she says. I nod and take a fifth bowl from her,along with some water.

I walk up to the door,and unlock it silently. 'Jack' sits at the table. He sits up when he sees me. "Ah,here. But don't think we are letting you off the hook,I'll be back in five" I say,placing the soup and water on the table. "Is 'jack' actually your real name?" I ask. "Uh well.......I.......I don't know yours.....so...I'm not gonna answer that" he says. I slam my fist  down hard on the table. "Don't play smart ass with me " I say. "Sorry, but my name is jack,jack Sullivan I swear to it, what's yours" he says. "Well JACK, I still don't know if I can trust you, you could be working for him" I say. I walk out of the room and lock the door.

"Look Maddie, We don't have much time, if we decide you can come,there's no backing out. But I doubt that you will come" dad says. "But we need to have an advantage in numbers" I say in a pleading way.

"Maddie,eleven of us will not be enough to have a numbers advantage, John.. Well he has hundreds of wolf hearts on his side,experienced,trained and 'bred' to fight, we wouldn't stand a chance against them,ok?" He says. "Well, yeah but the more of us the better, if Jack and I are included then it'd be twelve, in fact I be we can round up some more of us to help fight, and couple of us could spy on them, I bet that some of the troupers are held there against there will, and if we could break 'em free, I bet they'd fight against John, they'd know all his secrets, and if I can convince jack then we'd have heaps" I say.

"Look, I know you want to come but I don't think it's safe enough,there'd be more then five hundred there" dad says.

"Aw, come on, give the girl a chance, she might be on to something "  my uncle says from behind dad. He always seems to pop up out of nowhere. "Please?" I add to my uncles words.

"Please go upstairs so us adults can 'talk' in private " my dad says. "If you wanna talk,talk now,in front of me" I say,crossing my arms over my chest. "Go upstairs" he demands, I sigh and walk up the stairs, I stand by the top railing,hoping to hear their conversation. I'm out of sight because the wall is in the way.

"Look,she's to young"
"Only because your keeping her young"
"That makes now sense at all"
"Just think about it"
"It's not safe there"
"It won't be safe here, I'm sure they'll start a raid soon, they'll start with this house,to be honest it'd be safer for her to be with us"
"You do have a point"
"Of course I do!"
"Don't brag,old man"
"Jealous are we?"
"No"
"I can see that my winning arguments and persuading skills didn't past down to you then"
"Whatever"
"Ok,ok this is getting immature, let's discuss with your mum then if she agrees,we'll tell Maddie"
"Ok"

I head to my room,afraid of being caught.

I look through my stuff,  to draw things but I just can't sit still. I know that my auntie and  my brother are out there somewhere and that tomorrow I might have a chance to get them back.

Finally twenty minutes of being in my room there's a knock at the door. "Come in" I call out. "Hey" mum says. My uncle and father step in behind her. "Hi" I say. "We've been talking and we've decided to allow you to come with us tomorrow but please listen to us and don't disobey me. It took a lot  of persuasion from these two to convince me" she says. I nod. "Thank You, what time will we leave tomorrow?" I ask.

"At six, better to be early" my uncle answers.

------////----
Later that night we gather all the expensive stuff and put them in backpacks. I have a brilliant idea. We made fake jewellery and goods. We painted and sanded rocks to look like fruit. I even paint some small rocks gold and put them in an old box under my bed, hidden away.

At seven o'clock I grab a plate of pork chops and enter the kitchen to where Jack is. I close the door behind me.

"Ok, so I need to talk to you." I say, placing the food on the table. Jack looks up at me. "Ok, so is John holding anyone you know?" I ask. He nods. "You want them back?" I ask. He nods, looking at the floor. "Well, there's a chance we can get them, my brother and my auntie and your friends or family back tomorrow morning only if you agree" I say.

"He.. He has my seven year old sister and.....And my mum. " he says. "For how long?" I ask. "A few days" he answers.

"Ok... I'll come" he says finally. "But on one condition" he says. I look at him in his eye. "-that I can get them and go, be gone" he says.

"Fine by me, but... You must listen to my dad and uncle" I say. He nods. "Well, we leave early so, be ready" I say, lighting the fire and walking out of the room. I lock the door and head up to my own room to sleep. I set the alarm and fall asleep.

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A/n
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