The Last Stop

Todd watched the last magical school bus pull away from the depot, its rainbow exhaust fading into the evening sky. He checked his wristwatch—6:47 PM. His own bus to Maple Street was supposed to arrive ten minutes ago.

The Enigmatic School Bus Depot stretched around him like a carnival that had lost its crowds. Glowing bus signs flickered overhead: "Dimension 7," "Ancient Rome Express," "Ocean Floor Adventure." Empty now, except for Todd.

He cupped his ear, listening for the familiar rumble of engines. Instead, he heard footsteps echoing from the shadows between the bus platforms. Heavy boots. Getting closer.

"There's the kid," a man's gruff voice carried across the depot.

Todd's heart skipped. He pressed himself against a support pillar, trying to stay hidden. Through the dim lighting, he spotted three figures approaching—two men in dark jackets flanking a woman with short black hair.

The woman pointed directly at Todd's hiding spot. "Grab him. Make it quick."

Before Todd could run, strong hands seized his shoulders.

The Van's Secret

Todd struggled against the grip on his shoulders, but the men were too strong. They dragged him toward a white van parked behind the depot's main building.

"Stop squirming, kid," one of the men muttered.

The woman with short black hair walked ahead, pulling keys from her pocket. "Get him in the back. We need to move before someone notices."

As they approached the van, Todd heard something that made his heart race. The first man's thoughts came through clearly: *Boss lady doesn't know we're supposed to deliver him to the old laundromat on Fifth Street first. She thinks we're going straight to the warehouse.*

The second man's mind was even more revealing: *Hope she doesn't find out we changed the plan. The boss at the laundromat pays better than her anyway.*

Todd's eyes widened. The woman didn't know her own men were planning to double-cross her. They were taking him somewhere else entirely.

The van door slid open with a rusty screech. Inside, Todd spotted rope, duct tape, and a small cage designed for transporting animals.

"In you go," the woman said, not knowing her carefully laid plans were already falling apart.