Bindings Read Online Free

“But—”
    â€œNo buts about it,” his dad said, getting up. “You get dressed and get out there and have some fun. Skate or play ball or something.”
    â€œAll right. I’ll go outside and frolic, then,” Tim said. “I’ll get dressed on my own, though. If you don’t mind. I can do that, you know. I can tie my own shoelaces and everything.”
    â€œTim.” Mr. Hunter sighed and left the room. Tim changed into a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. He threw a sweatshirt over his head, grabbed his jacket, and left the house.
    â€œWhy don’t you go outside and play?” he muttered, repeating his father’s inane recommendation. As if a round of catch was going to solve his problems.
    Does he think I’m a little kid? When a bit of freshair might have been all that was needed to change my point of view?
    Tim kicked an empty soda can into the gutter. He calls me a recluse? Look who’s talking! I suppose when one sits in front of the telly all day, one has time to notice these things . Besides, Tim thought, bending down and grabbing a broken tree branch, Dad should be pleased about my solitary existence . Tim dragged the branch along the broken-down mesh fence surrounding an empty lot. Chip off the old block and all that.
    He tossed the stick aside. Maybe I should go talk to Molly. Feel her out . It was possible that if Tim explained it all very carefully Molly wouldn’t think he was a complete and utter loon. He knew he’d feel better if he had someone he could tell. Molly’s the best of the best when it comes to keeping secrets. Still…
    He had arrived at the edge of the park and still couldn’t decide.
    â€œMan-child,” Tim heard behind him. He turned to see a stocky man wearing a long dark overcoat and a hat with a wide brim pulled low over his face. He had a broad, sagging face with eyes that seemed too far apart. The man grinned, and Tim saw he was missing several teeth. Tim immediately had a “Trenchcoat Brigade” flashback and wondered if the whole thing was starting over again. Then thestrange man pointed to the sky. “Look up.”
    Curious, Tim looked up. A large bird circled above him—like the one he had seen at school. Then it quickly fluttered away, vanishing behind a building. “Yo-yo?” Tim murmured.
    Someone standing behind him said, “No, not Yo-yo.”
    Tim jerked sharply to one side and took off running. He suddenly knew for certain that the person behind him was going to try to grab him and that the thick man in front of him must have been the diversion. No way!
    Tim twisted and swerved and ran into the park. He quickly arrived at a thickly wooded section, leaping over heavy roots and ducking under bare branches. There were dead leaves on the ground, and Tim could hear the crunching of his pursuers’ feet behind him.
    He put on speed. In fact, he pumped his feet so fast he never saw the net that was stretched between two bushes before it had snagged him.
    â€œOof!” he cried out as he tripped and stumbled, caught in his midsection by the net. He saw that two burly men in identical hats and overcoats were gripping the edges of the strong net. When he was just inches from landing facedown on the ground, a powerful hand jerked Tim’s head back by his hair and held him upright. Tim gulped. Hefelt the cold blade of a knife at his throat.
    â€œKeep your voice to a whisper if you know what’s good for you,” a deep voice said.
    No problem , Tim thought. He was too afraid to speak.
    The men holding the net seemed surprised to see the man who was holding his knife to Tim. “What are you doing here?” one of them asked.
    What’s going on? Aren’t these goons working together? Tim tried hard not to move. Any wriggle made the man’s grip on his hair tighter, and he really didn’t want that knife blade to press any harder against his