The Secret of Glow Hill

By Craig D. Burrus

If you haven't met Chris and Luke yet, you're in for a wild ride! Their last adventure put them in a pretty 'hairy' situation, leaving some unfinished business they need to take care of. Shadow Lake was just the beginning. Now the boys must continue to piece together clues in hopes of understanding yet another of the area's most puzzling phenomenons, Glow Hill. How it got its name is obvious, but what's behind it? Up to this point, no one could explain its existence, let alone gather the courage to go near it. That was before the 'Legend Busters' put their heads together.

Join the young sleuths as they find themselves up to their necks in danger, strange characters and unbelievable circumstances. Are you up to the challenge? Come find out. Chris and Luke could certainly use some help uncovering The Secret of Glow Hill.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Nov 30, 2000
• ISBN: 9781475968071

Craig D. Burrus

Craig D. Burrus is the author of The Mystery of Shadow Lake and The Secret of Glow Hill, the first two books in the Legend Busters series. He is an engineering manager and business owner with two grown children, Reginald and Melissa. He and his wife, Renee, currently reside in Dallas, Texas.

Book preview

The Secret of Glow Hill

All Rights Reserved © 2000 Craig D. Burrus

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the publisher.

Authors Choice Press

an imprint of iUniverse.com, Inc.

For information address:

iUniverse.com, Inc.

5220 S 16th, Ste. 200

Lincoln, NE 68512

www.iuniverse.com

ISBN: 0-595-15368-2

ISBN: 978-1-4759-6807-1 (ebk)

CONTENTS

Chapter 1 The Disappearance

Chapter 2 A Clue

Chapter 3 The Gadget

Chapter 4 The Test

Chapter 5 A Change of Strategy

Chapter 6 More Company

Chapter 7 Over a Barrel

Chapter 8 Two Fish Out of Water

Chapter 9 Nuts

Chapter 10 Roameo

Chapter 11 Teamwork

Chapter 12 Betrayed

Chapter 13 The Plot

Chapter 14 No Turning Back

Chapter 15 Chaos

Chapter 16 Making Sense

CHAPTER I

THE DISAPPEARANCE

Things had been relatively calm in Jefferson County for the last nine months or so, but my buddy Luke and I had some unfinished business from the previous summer that needed to be resolved. Luke was due to show up any minute now, and I was anxious for him to arrive. I had outgrown my little mini-bike, and Luke was having engine trouble with his motorcycle, so we were reduced to traveling on foot. Used to be, I could always tell when Luke arrived by the familiar sound of his engine, but now I had to pay closer attention, as to not have him waiting outside the gate for too long.

Pretty soon, I saw a silhouette emerge at the end of Ashley road, undoubtedly belonging to my friend. Hey Chris! he greeted.

Hey Luke! I responded enthusiastically. I rushed to the front gate to let him in, excited about the prospect of a new summer adventure.

What’s up? Luke inquired.

Nothing much, I answered.

How’d it go the other day? Luke asked. I had just recently taken my driver’s test, and Luke wanted to know if I had gotten my permit.

Got it right here! I said, proudly displaying the results of my accomplishment.

Cool, Let’s roll! Luke said.

What do you mean? I asked.

I mean get the keys from your Dad and let’s go for a ride! he explained.

Man, are you crazy? This is a PERMIT, not a LICENSE! I exclaimed.

Permit, license, what’s the difference? Let’s go, you’re wasting daylight!

Hold on man! You know my Dad will never go for that. He goes by the book, I explained.

You can’t drive without an adult until you’re sixteen.

I drive and I don’t even have a permit! Luke bragged.

Well, you’ll be driving by yourself! I responded, rather surprised by Luke’s claim. There’s no way I’m gonna’ get caught doing something like that!

Relax, Luke said smiling. My Dad only let’s me drive up and down the old dirt road behind our house. I was just testing you.

Somewhat relieved, I realized that our entire conversation thus far was only a diversion from the underlying question that was on both our minds. Heard anything about ‘The Hill’? There, I said it.

No, how ‘bout you? Luke responded.

Nothing, I said. ‘The Hill’, as we referred, was a legend of sorts in these parts. Its proper name was ‘Glow Hill’, dubbed for the mysterious light emitted from its midst during the evening hours of each day. Our previous attempt at uncovering its secret was thwarted by the appearance of another phenomenon yet to be solved. This ‘appearance’ was that of a young woman, clad only in a white night gown, whose mysterious arrivals coincide with the lighting of ‘Glow Hill.’

You know we HAVE to find out what’s going down over there, I stated.

Yeah, I know, Luke responded.

It’s been a long time since we’ve been out after dark. You think your folks will cut you loose? I asked.

It’s not ‘my’ folks we need to worry about, Luke replied.

What are you trying to say? I asked, knowing full well what he was implying. My parents were in fact the strict ones. Every since our little encounter last summer, my folks had kept a pretty tight reign on me.

It’s been almost a year, maybe they’ll loosen up, Luke said hopefully.

Maybe so, I said. I guess there’s only one way to find out.

It took a lot of prodding by Luke to get me to approach my father about an overnight campout, but it was the only way we would be able to investigate ‘The Hill’. After much hesitation, I reluctantly went back into my house to seek my father’s blessing. I found him in the dining room performing one of his dreaded chores… paying bills. In one bone-headed instant, I interrupted his task without any regard to the seriousness of my father’s money flowing right through his fingertips. Uh Dad, can I spend the night camping out by Luke’s place? I asked, suddenly realizing that this was not an opportune time to make such a request.

Just be back in time for breakfast, He said.

What did he say? I thought. Dad, I just asked if I could stay out after dark and it sounded like you said yes, I responded.

That’s right. Is there a problem? he asked.

No Sir! I answered. Thanks! I should have been ashamed of myself for taking advantage of my father’s distractions, but there was a mystery to be solved!

I bolted out the front door to tell Luke the news. I found him peering over the fence towards Clearwater Road, straining to get a look at a dark colored truck that was entering the main highway. Who’s that? He asked.

I don’t know, I responded. I’ve never seen him before.

What’s that he’s hauling? Luke inquired, referring to the odd-looking contraption resting in the bed of the pickup. As we observed, the vehicle in question made its way across the highway onto Ashley Road.

Where’s he going? I wondered out loud.

I don’t know, but he can’t be headed far, Luke noted.

Let’s follow him, I suggested.

How? We’re on foot remember? Luke reminded.

That’s OK. Like you said, he can’t be going far, I reasoned.

Completely forgetting about our planned campout, we took off in hot pursuit of the unidentified visitor. Luke was much quicker than I was, but I made up for it with my longer strides. Neither of us however, was a distance runner. After about a quarter of a mile running as fast as we could, both of us were exhausted. Man! I gasped. Where did that guy disappear to?

Well… Luke paused as he gathered his breath. He couldn’t have gone down our road. There’s no dust flying.

You’re right, I said, acknowledging his observation. That means he must have headed towards ‘The Hill’.

Well, what are we waiting for? Luke said.

I for one am waiting for my lungs to shrink back into my chest cavity, I said, still trying to catch my breath.

There’s no time! Luke declared. We have to move now! Knowing he was right, I followed his lead as he took off down the road.

Glow Hill only lived up to its name when it was dark, so we weren’t too overly concerned with being in any kind of danger. However, had we known what we do today, we may have reconsidered our position. We finally arrived at the top of ‘The Hill’ stumbling to the brink of collapse. OK, I gasped. "Where is he?

I don’t know, Luke said. There’s no sign of him.

Where could he have gone? I asked. There’s no sign of dust on any of the old dirt roads. We searched for any evidence of a passing vehicle, with no luck. Just when we were about to give up hope, the noise of an engine interrupted the normal array of sounds found in the woods.

Now we just looked over the top of that hill and there was no vehicle in sight! Luke said.

Well, there’s obviously one there now, I quipped.

Quick, let’s hide! Luke said with urgency.

We slipped into the bushes lining the side of the road, using the tree line to camouflage us. Emerging from the other side of the hill was the same truck we had been tryingto follow, minus its cargo. Hey, what happened to that thing he was carrying? I asked.

He must have dropped it off somewhere, Luke said.

OK, but where? I asked. There’s nothing down there but the Thomas’ place. Nobody’s been down there since the Sheriff busted up that illegal gambling operation they had going, I added.

I don’t have all the answers, Luke said, somewhat annoyed. I just know he had the thing, and now he doesn’t. So where is it?

I don’t know yet, but we’re going to find out! I said, rather determined. Come on! Bound and determined, we set out to find where the mystery cargo might be.

We searched the shoulders of the road, looking for anything out of the ordinary. After a few minutes of stumbling around, Luke discovered something significant. Hey look! He exclaimed. I found tire tracks. Indeed, he had found a fresh set of tire tracks leading off from the main road.

Where do they lead to? I asked.

I don’t know. They seem to be heading straight into the woods, Luke replied.

But there’s no road there, I observed.

I know that, you know that, but apparently nobody told the guy driving that truck! Luke cracked.

"There’s got to be a logical