Short Story / My Story (Analysis)
Tomorrow’s Promise© Trouble at Dock 3: Chapter 1 Steven Hoheneder
Fifteen-year-old Dan Jenkins walked the piers of Petersen’s marina on his nightly routine building checks. He carried a flashlight in his hand, a small notebook in his shirt pocket, and good sense. Dan checked the doors and windows to make sure they were locked. Dan jotted a quick note in his electronic pocketbook and continued. The pocketbook worked like a PDA but much better. He could send his regular reports as he finished them on a private carrier frequency to his uncle who would monitor his progress much like instant messaging.
Dan stood 5’9” tall and was slender. His long black hair draped over his ears and hugged the nape of his neck. His skin was lightly tanned. He wore a short sleeve blue jacket over a white polo shirt. He also wore knee-low jean shorts and low-cut black Converse All-Star sneakers. Dan was a good kid, a hard worker, and had a pleasant welcoming smile. He played bass guitar for his school band. He won scholarships in music to attend any of the top music schools of his choice; he hopes to attend Julliard in New York, or Berklee College of Music in Boston, after graduation.
Chirp…Chirp…
Dan heard crickets chirping in the tall grass. This was music to his ears after a long hectic day. His uncle kept him busy. His work was hard from time to time, but he was lucky that his uncle gave him the job. After all, he wanted to work so he could save money for a car; he would like to get a 2124 Summit, a popular sports car that his friends have talked about at school. It was in the general shape of a mustang but with the doors of a Lamborghini. Its cost, fortunately, wasn’t nearly as high as most of its fancier “cousins.”
Dan saw the starlit midnight blue sky. The bright moonlight sparkled like diamonds on the water. The cool breeze blew gently. The waves gently sloshed on the shore.
Dong! Dong! Rung bells on buoys as they swayed gently on the Atlantic Ocean.
Floating streetlamps lit walkways along the grounds of Petersen’s Marina, a large marina located on the coast of New Jersey. The lamps were lit by Flarelights, a new energy efficient bulb guaranteed to last for eight years; the longest shelf life of any light source. Flarelights were used in every conceivable lighting apparatus. An old lighthouse kept a constant vigil; it was tall and was painted red and white.
As Dan neared Dock three, a bright light flooded the area. He trotted to the dock to find out why the light was on. Dan crept like a lion promenading in the tall grass being careful not to be spotted. As he grew closer, he saw moving shadows in the lights and voices. Dan turned off his flashlight and hid behind empty rusted barrels. Dan watched as men carried boxes to a gray camouflaged truck. He counted about twenty men; they wore dark clothes.
“Hurry up; we have a deadline to keep,” a man shouted.
Dan noticed two men who stood apart from the crew. One man wore a captain’s cap, shorts, and dark shoes. He was tall, average build, and had thinned sideburns. The other man looked about six foot tall, and was slightly stout; he wore a dark jacket over a Hawaiian-print button-down shirt, dark pants, and dark shoes.
Dan heard a door open nearby. He turned and saw a man come out from a building near him. As Dan turned back, his hand brushed something.
Clang! A metal pipe had fallen off the barrel.
The man heard the noise and called out, “Who’s there?” The man turned on his flashlight and quickly moved around the barrels.
Dan scrambled to his feet and tore off.
“Hey!”
Clump…clump…clump…Dan heard the sound of his pursuer’s shoes as the man ran after him.
Boom Boom…Boom Boom…Dan’s heart pounded like a war drum. His breathing became heavy and agitated.
Dan heard the man’s footsteps behind him; they seemed to be getting closer. He ran as fast as he could. Dan couldn’t let the man catch him.
“Ugh!” The man grumbled as he stumbled over something.
Dan didn’t look behind him. He conjured every last bit of stamina and disappeared around a corner into an inky black space.
“Come out…cough…kid,” the man said as he struggled to catch his breath.
“Who was it Rod?” Another voice called out.
Dan saw another man approach his colleague. The man was as just as tall, had dark red or brown hair; it was hard to tell. The man was dressed like the others. The man’s hair was wavy and the ponytail was short.
“Some…kid,” Rod replied as he panted. “He’s…he’s gotta around here somewhere.”
“Did you get a good look at him?” Rich asked.
It was hard for Dan to stay quiet especially with people on his tail. If looks could kill, he’d be dust.
“I only s…saw him for a second,” Rod replied.
“John said we’re done. Let’s go,” Rich said. “We’ll find him eventually.”
After the men were gone, Dan collected himself.
Who were those guys? Dan thought. Whoever they were, they didn’t care for anyone snooping around in their business.
After a few minutes, Dan climbed out of his hiding spot and looked around. Satisfied that the men were gone, he headed home. His heart beat returned to normal. He never ran so hard before; he thought he’d collapse in the middle of the chase. Dan saw the kitchen light on at the back door as he drew near the house.
Quietly, Dan turned the door and opened it with a creak. After he closed the door behind him, Dan tiptoed into kitchen. He then felt something cold cover his mouth.
“Mmm!” Dan cried. He threw his hands up and tried to pull the hand from his mouth. Again, his heart started to beat wildly.
“Relax Dan, it’s me, Uncle Nate,” the man said and released his grip.
“Relax, huh?” Dan asked as he struggled to catch his breath and calm down.
“What’s wrong pal?” Uncle Nate asked.
Dan caught his breath and said, “It’s nothing.”
“It must be a big nothing for you to react like you did,” Nate said.
“I was checking something strange at dock three; I saw people there,” Dan said.
“What people?” Nate asked.
“I saw people loading boxes into a truck. There were about twenty of them,” Dan said.
“I think you’re just tired, pal. If I would have scheduled them to be there, I would have checked it out before they would do anything.” Nate said.
“I swore I saw them Uncle Nate,” Dan interjected.
“Okay, let’s go and check it out,” Nate said.
Dan followed his uncle out of the house and to the dock.
“I was here. I saw the men unloading boxes from the ship and loading them on a truck,” Dan explained.
“The boat’s not here now,” Nate said. “Come on, let’s get back; we’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
Nate and Dan returned to the house. Dan went to his room. He turned on a small fan near the window, kicked off his shoes, climbed into bed, and went to sleep. The window near his bed was cracked open; the cool sea air filled the room. He heard the chirping sound of the crickets near the house.
Chapter Two
A pleasant surprise
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Dan awoke to an alarm clock. He shut it off and rubbed his eyes. He glanced at the alarm clock readout: 7:00AM. He climbed out of bed, grabbed clothes that lay on a chair, and scurried to the bathroom. The bare wooden floor was cold to his bare feet. He closed the bathroom door, undressed, and showered. After he dried off, he threw on a white shirt, blue khaki shorts, and he was still barefoot. He headed for the kitchen. As he entered, he could smell the sweet aroma of bacon and eggs. Dan dropped his sneakers on a chair and went to the refrigerator; it had two doors and a water/ice dispenser on the side. The ice dispenser could make shaved, diced, or shaped ice. A note written in his uncle’s trademark scribble was taped to the door.
Dan,
Gone on my rounds. Warm plate in micro
There’s fresh O.J. or milk. See you soon. Love ya
Dan took out a plate, removed a plastic wrapping, and put it in the microwave, inputted time, and pressed a button. A microwave could stir food as it cooked. He heard the door behind him creak as it opened.
“Hey kid, how did ya sleep?” Nate asked.
“Okay,” Dan said and asked, “What are you looking for?”
“I’m looking for…ah, there it is,” Nate said as he scooped up a ring of color-coded keys. “When you come to the store, check the bulletin board; I have a list of things for you to do after your route.”
“Okay Uncle Nate; will do,” Dan said as he took the plate from the microwave and sat to eat.
“Are you feeling alright?” Nate asked.
“I’m good.”
“I’ll see you soon,” Nate said and left.
After Dan ate, he laced on his sneakers, and left the house. It was cool that morning. He jogged to his first station and started to work. He cleaned the bathrooms, changed light bulbs when needed, and mopped the floors. Next he checked lighting posts to make sure the bulbs lit up, changed them when needed, and cleared any cobwebs. This usually took him fifteen minutes to twenty minutes to do; he was done in ten. He passed dock three on his route. His heart started to pound when he remembered the chase. After he finished, he headed to the store. It was a white building with black painted wooden beams and a wide glass window. He opened the door and walked in; it was dark.
The room lit up and a gleeful cry rang, “surprise!”
Dan saw Jesse and Mark Wilcott, and his uncle who stood beside a table; a white cake and gifts surrounded it.
“What’s going on?” Dan asked.
“Happy birthday to you…Happy birthday to you,” everyone sang.
“You guys,” Dan said and beamed.
“Come and blow out the candles,” Nate said as he led Dan to the cake.
Dan blew out the candles; everyone cheered.
“Did you make your wish?” Jesse asked.
“Yep. My wish was that you guys would be here so I could see ya; I miss you,” Dan said as he hugged his friends.
“We miss you too. It’s been a while,” Mark said.
“Your hair is longer,” Dan said.
Mark had long dark brown hair, brown eyes, and light brown freckles on his cheeks. Jesse had long brown hair that draped over his ears. He has brown eyes. Jesse loved to annoy Mark like any little brother, but he admired him. They wore shorts, short sleeve shirts, and low-cut sneakers. Mark was fifteen and Jesse was fourteen.
“How does it feel to be fifteen, Dan?” Jesse asked.
“Alright I guess,” Dan said. “Where’s your friend you told me about?”
“He’ll be here tomorrow. Are you going to open your gifts?” Jesse asked.
Dan opened his gifts, ate cake, and talked.
“Thanks guys,” Dan said. “After I clean this up, I’ll show you around.”
“You’re welcome Dan,” Jesse said.
The boys pitched in to clean up and then left the store.
“I have to clean these lighting posts so people can see at night. I change the bulbs when they need it,” Dan explained as he led them on the tour. “I have to check the fuel tanks; some of these boats are gas hogs.”
They toured the whole marina in an hour.
“Can we look in there?” Jesse asked as he thumbed in the direction of dock three.
“There’s nothing to see there. No one has used that dock for years.” Dan replied. “It’s mainly used for storage.”
Mark looked at Dan who had a blank stare. “Something wrong, Dan?”
“What?” Dan asked.
“I asked if something’s wrong. You look a little spooked,” Mark replied.
“I just saw something strange happen there last night,” Dan replied.
“Like what?” Jesse asked.
“Wait,” Dan said as he looked around. “As I was finishing my rounds last night, the lights from dock three lit up. I went to check it out…”
On a boat nearby, a man had been fixing something on the deck. He peered over the side and saw three teenage boys talking together.
“Have you seen these people before Dan?” Mark asked.
“Not before last night,” Dan replied.
“What were the boxes like?” Jesse asked.
“All I can say is that they were bigger than my uncle and thinner,” Dan replied.
“What about the ship?” Mark asked.
Dan closed his eyes and thought back. “It was a big ship. I didn’t pay as much attention to it as I did the men. It was very strange they were there. My uncle doesn’t schedule any shipments at night.”
“We should check out the logs to see if there are any records about any unusual shipments,” Jesse said.
“Speaking of which, we should get back; I still have chores to do,” Dan said as he turned to leave.
“Could we help?” Jesse asked.
“Sure. I don’t see why not. It would give us more time to talk. How long can you stay?” Dan said.
“We can stay a couple of weeks,” Jesse said.
“Cool,” Dan said.
The boys talked as they returned to the store. They used to go to the same high school. A year ago, Dan moved to New Jersey. While he wasn’t thrilled with the move, it brought him closer to his uncle.
The man watched as the boys walked away. He then slipped inside to make a call on his cell phone.
“Hello,” Rich said.
“It’s Blake. I think I saw the kid Paul told me about,” the man said.
“You sure?” Rich asked.
“I heard them talking about a ship and boxes. The next time I see him, I’ll get a picture and send it to you,” Blake replied.
“Where did you see him?” Rich asked.
“Petersen’s Marina,” Blake said.
“Keep an eye on him,” Rich said.
As the boys reached the store, the front door swung open.
“Hey Dan, watch the store. I have to go out for something,” Nate said as he hurried past them.
“Okay Uncle Nate,” Dan said.
Jesse watched the man get into his car, a silver blue Mustang with custom headlights, and drove out of the marina. He liked Mustangs; he hoped to get one when he has his license.
The boys walked inside the shop. It was big. It had a grocery line, fishing and boating supplies, and tools. In refrigerators, fish bait of every kind was stored. Flare lights lit the store. It had a dial that a person could turn to adjust the brightness. Classic rock music played in the background from a radio.
“This is a cool store; you’ve got nice stuff,” Jesse commented.
“Where does your uncle keep the logs?” Mark asked.
“In the computer back here,” Dan replied. “Everything is on computer.”
“I’ll take a look,” Mark said as he sat at the computer and typed.
Mark was good at computers, but Nick was the genius. Nick lived and breathed computers. Nick lived with his uncle, Jake Hansen, a highly respected detective. Nick was an average teenager. He didn’t wear glasses except to read. He had many projects that kept him busy. He didn’t have many friends except Jesse and Mark.
“What do you think these people are up to? It must be something illegal,” Dan asked.
“How do we know it’s illegal? We don’t know what’s in those boxes is dangerous or illegal,” Jesse said.
“Let’s just say something illegal is going down; what could it be?” Dan asked.
“It’s hard to tell…wait a minute…Mark, do you remember dad showing us those boxes at the museum?” Jesse asked. “Those boxes Dan described could hold paintings.”
“Sure, but they could also smuggle drugs, guns, whatever,” Mark replied. “We won’t know unless we could see inside those boxes.”
“Oh, okay, let me break out my x-ray glasses,” Jesse said.
Dan chuckled.
“There’s something strange going on if they’re that secretive about it,” Jesse replied. “We should try to find out everything we can.”
Ding…ding…The door’s bell chimed. An elderly couple walked in.
“Hello son. Is the manager here?” The man asked.
“No, but I can help you,” Dan replied.
“My wife can tell you what we need,” the man said.
Dan turned to see the woman sign. Dan smiled and signed, “I’m sure we have that; let’s look.”
Jesse was astonished by their friend’s skill. He didn’t know Dan could sign. He turned to Mark, “Did you find anything?”
“I found one name that shows up occasionally,” Mark replied. “I’ll keep on checking. This ship comes in the daytime. The cargo listed robotic parts.”
“But you don’t think so?” Jesse asked.
“We won’t know for sure `til we check it out,” Mark replied.
Jesse looked at the screen. There were many columns: one for the date, a second for the name of the ship, and so on. A search engine helped locate files easier.
“What’s up guys?” Dan asked when he regrouped with them after the couple left.
“We found something. A ship named “Siren’s Song,” appears a few times each month and disappears. I wonder if there’s anything in the newsdisc about stolen art,” Jesse said.
“I’ll see if it came yet,” Dan said as he left the store and headed toward the house.
As he was fetching a disc from the mailbox, he stopped. He looked around as if someone was watching him, but all he saw were the residents on their boats talking or watching the sea.
“I’m back,” Dan said as he entered the shop and loaded the disc into the computer’s disk tray.
“How do you know sign language, Dan?” Jesse asked.
“One of my teachers; he used to be a court interpreter,” Dan replied.
“You’re a pro at it,” Jesse said.
“Thanks,” Dan said. “Oh here we go.”
As they skimmed the headlines, Dan spotted a story.
“Click on that, Mark,” Dan said.
Mark clicked on the link. The screen changed, and in bold, the headline read:
RARE PAINTINGS STOLEN
PARIS, FRANCE (AP): A group of thieves ran off with nearly a quarter of a million dollars worth of rare paintings from a storage building. The paintings were stored there before security could transport it to the Louvre. The thieves overpowered security officers, locked them in the storage building, and made off with the paintings. The men wore masks, the security officers told the press.
“This might be something,” Mark replied.
“I’d almost bet those guys I saw stole the paintings and brought them here to sell to people,” Dan said.
“Probably, but proving it won’t be easy,” Mark said.
“Prove what? What can we do? We’re not detectives,” Dan replied.
“But we are,” Mark said.
“Boys, it’s lunchtime. You can take it to the house and eat. I can take it from here. Any customers come in?”
“I took care of it,” Dan said, “Come on guys.”
Dan and the others left the store.
“We’re a part of the “Tomorrow’s Promise” program; have you heard of it?” Mark asked.
“It’s where kids go to become detectives,” Dan replied.
Blake heard familiar voices and looked around the corner. He heard them after he finished with a phone call on a payphone. He took out his camera and snapped a few pictures of the boys with a digital camera.
As the boys ate lunch, they talked and listened to hard rock music.
“Where’s the library, Dan? We should check articles there too,” Jesse asked.
“It’s just a mile or two in town. I’ll ask Uncle Nate if we could go tomorrow. You guys can go even if I can’t,” Dan said.
“Could you get the key to dock three so we could check it out?” Mark asked.
“I’ll ask my uncle when we go to the store,” Dan replied.
“Mm, these sandwiches are out of this world,” Mark said.
“How long has Nick’s uncle been a detective?” Dan asked.
“I think about twelve years,” Mark said.
“Cool. Do you think we’ll be able to catch those guys?” Dan asked.
“It won’t be easy, but I’m sure,” Jesse replied as he tried to keep the good mojo flowing.
After lunch, the boys headed to the store.
“How’s it goin’ Uncle Nate?” Dan asked as he walked in.
“Fine, pal,” Nate said with a smile, “what’s up?”
“Could I get the key to dock three? We want to look around,” Dan said.
Nate grabbed his keys, took a key off the ring, and said as he handed it to Dan. “Here you go. Just don’t lose it; it’s my only copy.”
“I won’t and thanks,” Dan said.
The boys left the store and headed to the dock.
“I sure hope we find something,” Jesse said. “We need all the leads we can get.”
Dan opened the gate with the key and the boys entered. There were three buildings; the largest stored oversized items. Fragments of wood, metal, and fabric lay on the ground randomly throughout the yard.
“We should split up and look around; we’ll cover more ground,” Jesse suggested.
“Good idea, bro. Dan and I will go this way,” Mark said.
“I will go this way. Let’s meet back here in a half hour,” Jesse said.
“Alright,” Mark said.
Jesse walked around building three. As he turned a corner, he noticed something rectangular and colorful on the ground. He stooped to his knee, picked it up at the edges, and examined it. It was a card with an illustration and a title, “The Magician.” He recognized it; he knew it was a Tarot card when he watched a tv program about it; he put the card in his shirt pocket and continued to look.
“What are we looking for Mark?” Dan asked.
“A piece of clothing, fingerprints, or anything unusual that may be a clue,” Mark replied.
“Aren’t there times when you don’t find fingerprints?” Dan asked.
“If the perps wore gloves then yeah,” Mark answered. “We look for strands of hair. With DNA testing, police can identify a suspect much easier.”
“Cool, this is like C.I.S.,” Dan said.
“Did you guys find anything?” Jesse asked Mark and Dan when they regrouped.
“No. Dan showed me where he was when he watched the men. I don’t have our equipment to dust for prints or any of Nick’s gadgets to help in locating them,” Mark said.
Blake watched the boys.
“I found this card on the ground,” Jesse took out the card from his pocket and laid it on a tall wooden box.
“The Magician,” Mark read.
“What do you think it means?” Dan asked.
“I’m not sure. I know it’s a Tarot card,” Mark said. “I saw a program about psychics, and they use these cards.”
“Let’s go. Nick can help us when he comes,” Jesse said.
Dan locked the gate as they left the dock and headed to the house.
Jesse heard a snapping of a twig as they left the grounds. He turned and saw a man with a camera. Jesse found his behavior odd. He felt someone grab him.
“Hey! What the…?” Jesse cried.
“Look where you almost ended up,” Mark said.
“Oh jeez,” Jesse said as he saw how close he was to falling in the water.
“Were you daydreaming?” Mark asked.
“I guess,” Jesse said.
Mark and Jesse helped Dan with his chores.
Blake returned to his boat and called Rich on his phone.
“It’s Blake. I’m sending you some pics of those kids.”
“What kids?”
“There are two other kids with him. They said they were part of this detective program for kids,” Blake replied.
“So our young pests think they are detectives hmm? We shall see,” Rich said.
“What should I do?” Blake asked.
“Keep your eye on them,” Rich said with a sneer.
“Will do,” Blake said.
Chapter Three
Nick’s turn at bat
Friday morning was cooler than usual. Dan wore a long sleeve blue t-shirt, blue jean shorts, black socks, and his low cut black sneakers. Dan checked the lampposts and changed bulbs. As he worked, he got that sick feeling as if he was being watched.
“Excuse me,” a voice called.
Dan nearly lost his balance; he grabbed something to catch himself.
“You okay kid? Sorry to scare you.”
“Yeah, I just didn’t expect anyone to be around,” Dan said and turned to see a tall dark haired man who had a ponytail and looked somewhat intense.
“I was wondering if I could get a light bulb,” the man said.
“The store isn’t open now. I can get one in ammph!” Dan said and felt something cold cover his face.
He felt the man roughly pull him behind a building near them.
“Stop struggling and listen. You and your friends are getting too nosy. Stop watching us, kid; we don’t want to have to hurt you,” the man said.
“Mmm,” Dan whined quietly. He saw the man’s gloved hand over his mouth. This guy must be with those guys, Dan thought. How did they find me?
“I’m going to let you go. Do not turn around or follow me; understand?” The man said.
Dan nodded. The man took his hand taken away from Dan’s mouth. He stood still. Dan heard the man’s footsteps leave the area. After he composed himself, he continued to finish his duties.
“You’re done already kid?” Nate asked when he saw Dan.
“Yea,” Dan said.
“Are you okay? You sound shook up,” Nate asked.
“I’m fine,” Dan replied and noticed that the closed sign still hung.
“What’s with the sign?”
“You guys can go to the mall. The store won’t be open today. I’m expecting some people for a meeting at eleven,” Nate said.
“Thanks.”
“You’ve earned it. Taylor will be over at nine o’ clock to pick you guys up,” Nate said.
“This is great. I’m gonna check on the guys,” Dan said and ran to the house. Nate smiled as Dan shown his cheery side again.
“Hey Dan,” Jesse greeted when he saw Dan breeze in the kitchen. He wore a red shirt with blue lining around the collar and sleeves, jean shorts, and lo-cut red sneakers.
“What’s goin’ on?”
Dan calmed himself and said, “Hey guys, I’ve got good news. Uncle Nate said we could go to the library.”
“That’s cool,” Jesse happily exclaimed.
After Mark finished eating, he and the others left the house and headed toward the main gate. They saw Nate talking to a dark haired man in a restored orange 1969 Dodge Charger.
“Guys, this is Taylor.”
“Hey boys, climb on in,” the man said with a southern drawl. He was casually dressed and wore sunglasses.
The boys climbed in and closed the doors.
“I’ll see you at noon guys,” Nate said. “Be nice to Taylor; he’s doing us a favor.”
“We will sir,” Jesse said.
“Good. You boys have fun,” Nate said.
Taylor started the car and drove it out of the marina and headed toward town. It took roughly twenty-five minutes to get to the library. He pulled alongside the library, a two-story gray-white painted building. The library looked more like city hall than a library. The front doors had a stainless steel frame with thick glass windows.
“The mall is a few blocks that way,” Taylor said as he pointed. “I’ll pick you up there at twelve-thirty or so. It’s a quarter to nine now. ”
“Okay, we’ll see you soon,” Jesse said as he shut the door after he and the others climbed out
After the car left, Mark and the others climbed the steps, opened the door, and stepped inside. A big checkout desk stood in front of them. Some areas of the library looked modern. There were three bronze spiraling staircases and three elevators. Carts with empty film cases were placed randomly throughout the library. Paintings and framed posters of old films hung on the walls around the library. Signs hung on film cameras that pointed to various departments.
“This place is cool. It’s like being in a movie studio,” Jesse said as he made a face in one of the camera’s lenses.
Dan smiled and explained, “It was an old film studio that went broke a few years back. The city decided to revamp it rather than tear it down.
“Come on Humphrey Bogart, let’s go,” Mark joked as he grabbed Jesse’s shirt by the collar and pulled him away.
The boys saw a bank of computers that had an electronic card catalog and the most reliable internet access in the area. Young children played in an enclosed quiet area. They walked into the newspaper room. There were CD racks that archived older newspapers as far back as the first paper edition, nearly a century ago.
“All newspapers are on interactive CD’s,” Dan said.
“Let’s get to work,” Jesse said.
The boys sat at the computers, loaded discs, and typed. Search results read:
Subject: Smuggling 24 articles
1. Smuggling Heroin- AP – Police busted a rival gang suspect…
2. Smuggling guns…
The boys clicked on links left and right.
“There are articles about smuggling, but nothing about art,” Dan said.
“Here’s a video about smuggling paintings,” Jesse said.
“Let’s see it,” Mark replied.
Jesse clicked a link. The light dimmed, projector lights lit up, and an image of a news reporter was projected. Enhanced videos on News Discs have made presentations more exciting. For example, you could click on a speech by Abraham Lincoln and see him and touch him.
They watched as a reporter talked.
“Turn it off, Jesse,” Mark said. “This isn’t what we’re looking for.”
“Let’s keep looking,” Jesse said.
Dan typed in a search bar and an article appeared:
STOLEN MONETS (KR): Police have been on a massive search of a gang who has…
“Oh yeah, check this out guys,” Dan said.
The boys gathered around Dan’s monitor and read. They were unaware of a man who was watching them from behind a book. The man stood and walked nearby.
“Good work, Dan; copy this off,” Mark said.
The boys watched as the laser printer copied the article. Blake watched the boys.
A loud cry and crushing sound broke the silence.
The boys looked up when they heard the commotion. They saw a man lying on the ground after he fell over a mop bucket. Soapy water spread out. People came to see if the man was okay.
Dan saw the man’s face. It was the man Jesse told him about.
“Someone’s watching us guys,” Jesse said.
“You think?” Mark said and turned to Dan. “Are you okay, Dan?”
“Do you think the guy could be mixed up with the art thieves?” Dan asked.
“Maybe,” Mark said as he looked at the time on his watch. “It’s almost ten o’ clock. What say we head to the mall and grab some lunch?”
“That sounds good,” Jesse said.
The boys left the library.
“I think we should stop looking into this,” Dan said.
“What do you mean Dan? Did something happen?” Mark asked.
“No,” Dan replied.
“Was it that guy? Did he say something to you?” Mark asked.
“It’s not him,” Dan said and told them about the encounter this morning.
“We’ll have to be more careful,” Mark strongly advised. He leaned to Dan and softly spoke. “Everyone gets scared, but you can’t let anybody scare you into doing something you know is right.”
“We’re checking to see if the M.O. is the same, right?” Jesse asked.
“Yes,” Mark said.
“What does M.O. stand for?” Dan asked as they ascended the steps to the mall.
“Motus Operadi. It’s a consistent pattern about how a crime is carried out like a way someone steals or kills; they usually leave something behind,” Mark replied.
“In other words, we’re looking for common threads,” Dan said as he pressed a button that opened the door.
“Right,” Mark replied.
“Let’s eat first,” Jesse said.
The boys headed to the food court. There were people in lines. The room was filled the scents of hot food, indistinct chatter, and machines whirling.
Each boy inputted his order and got their food within a few minutes. You paid with a credit card. Only one attendant was present to make sure the machines worked correctly. They sat at their tables with their food on their trays and drinks in special mugs, which you put in a special garbage container after you were done. The containers are cleaned and sanitized as they are taken through a chute and wrapped in bunches for the businesses to use again the next day; this greatly reduced on waste.
“Mmm, this is great. How’s your food, Dan?” Jesse asked.
“Mine’s good,” Dan replied.
Two girls watched the boys from two a table behind Mark.
“The boy with the black hair is cute,” Gina said. She was short, blond-haired, and blue eyed. She wore trendy clothes.
Dan heard giggling and looked behind Mark and saw two girls at a table. One of the girls mouthed, “You’re cute.”
Mark looked up from eating and saw Dan’s red face. He followed Dan’s glance and saw two girls.
“He’s cute too,” Rene said.
Mark turned to Dan. “You know them Dan?”
“I’ve never seen them before,” Dan replied.
“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Mark teased.
“Ooh, Danny’s in love,” Jesse teased and hummed the wedding march.
“Shut up,” Dan punched Jesse’s arm.
They laughed.
They put their trays away after they had finished and checked out the stores. Dan bought some shirts, pants, and a new pair of shoes for school. The others bought shirts and video games. When they finished, they walked out of the mall.
“There’s Taylor’s car,” Dan said.
The boys climbed in and shut the doors.
“How did it go guys?” Taylor asked as he pulled from the curb.
“Dan found a girlfriend,” Mark said.
Taylor chuckled. “Oh he did, huh?”
When they arrived at the marina, the boys climbed out.
“Thanks for taking us sir,” Mark said.
“Sure thing boys. Take care of yourselves. Take care of your uncle, Dan,” Taylor said.
“I will,” Dan said. “Would you be able to bring us somewhere if I asked my uncle to call you?”
“I don’t see any problem with it. When?” Taylor asked.
“I’ll let ya know,” Dan said.
“Okay son. Take care.”
The boys headed to the house.
“Oh hey, Mr. Jenkins,” Jesse greeted when he saw the man in the kitchen.
“Hey guys, how did it go?” Nate asked.
“Good. Dan found a girlfriend,” Mark said.
“He did, huh?” Nate said.
There were two girls. One of them was making eyes at him; he turned deep red,” Mark teased.
“I did not,” Dan said and playfully hit Mark.
“Okay guys, stop,” Nate chuckled, “Wear clothes you don’t care get dirty and meet me at the store shed.”
“We’ll be right there,” Dan said.
After the boys changed clothes, they left the house to meet Nate. They wore sandals, old shorts, and shirts. Nate handed them brushes and paint cans.
“Come on boys,” Nate said as he led them to faded colored posts.
Nate opened the paint cans and demonstrated how to paint. “I’ll come back later to see how you’re doing,” Nate said.
“Your uncle is pretty cool, Dan,” Jesse said as he pulled back his hair from his eyes.
“Yeah he is,” Dan said as he took a brush, dipped it in a can, and started to paint.
Jesse and Mark helped Dan paint while they waited for Nick. They talked about old times. They used old-fashioned paint cans and brushes. Most people used LazrPaint, a kind of high-speed painting tool. Painting went quicker than the old way, there was less mess, and the paint dried quicker.
“Hey guys,” Nick said.
Dan pulled his hair from his eyes and saw Nick. He was sixteen-years-old, slim, and blond haired. He was dressed in shorts, sandals, black t-shirt, and carried a duffle bag. He wore a necklace with an upright pentagram; he practiced Wicca, an Earth worship religion.
“Hey Nick,” Mark said. “How are ya?”
“Good. What’s up guys?”
“Nothing much dude; we’re just painting,” Dan said.
Nick chuckled and asked, “Each other or the posts?”
“Nick, this is Dan Jenkins; he used to go to our high school.” Jesse said.
Dan stood and extended his hand. “Hi Nick, it’s great to meet you.”
Nick shook Dan’s hand and said, “Same here.”
“You sure did a good job painting. Stop fooling around and finish up the posts,” Nate groaned.
“Sorry Uncle Nate. This is our friend, Nick,” Dan said.
Nate turned to Nick and said, “Hello, I’m Nate Jenkins; I’m the harbormaster. I’m sorry you had to hear that, son.”
“Hi, I’m Nick,” Nick said and shook the man’s hand.
“Glad to meet you Nick,” Nate said.
“Same here, sir,” Nick replied.
“I’ll be back in an hour. There’s one more job for you to do after you’re done with those,” Nate said.
“Okay uncle,” Dan said.
“Wassup?” Nick asked after the man left.
“We think we have a case,” Mark said.
“I’ll help you guys. You can explain it to me while we paint. Where’s another brush?”
“At my feet,” Dan replied.
The boys were barefoot. Their shoes were set to the side so they wouldn’t get paint on them. Nick listened as the boys told him about the ship, the boxes, and their encounters.
“Are you guys taking a break?” Nate asked.
“No, we’re done,” Mark said.
“Good job guys. I’m sorry I yelled at you, but paint costs a lot. Take the cans back to the shed and make sure they are covered. Clean the brushes and yourselves.”
“Okay,” Dan said.
After Nick helped his friends, they headed to the house for supper; they ate pizza.
“Here are the logs, Nick,” Mark said as he handed the hard copies to Nick.
Nick skimmed the logs.
“This is a good start. It would help to get some identifying marks or numbers to check out whether the ship docked elsewhere,” Nick said.
“Dan, Mark, and I checked out dock three yesterday. I found this card on the ground; we were hoping you could help us with it,” Jesse said.
Nick looked at the card. He didn’t wear glasses or contacts.
“This card, “The Magician,” tells us to be aware of things around us,” Nick explained.
“It sounds like a warning to me,” Dan said.
“Not necessarily Dan. You can read Tarot cards different ways depending on which way the card is laid,” Nick said and dug in his duffle bag.
“A few days ago, I made something. These will help us keep in touch,” Nick said and handed Mark and Jesse two items.
“Nice watches,” Jesse said.
“They’re more than watches; they’re communicators. These will help us hear each other from up to twenty yards away. In case you can’t talk, this gray button,” Nick said as he pointed to a gray triangle on the side, “this’ll activate a Morse Code mode. Press this round button to send a message.”
“Morse code hasn’t been used since 2115, Nick,” Mark replied. “Even if someone still uses it, they’ll know something’s up.”
“A chip inside encrypts and decrypts the message when you send and receive it.”
“Ingenious. How will you know what we’re saying?” Jesse asked.
“Each watch shows what you’re saying,” Nick replied.
“You should tell your uncle what we know so far Nick,” Jesse suggested.
“I will, but we still have to prove that what Dan saw was legit,” Nick replied.
“Hang on. I remember seeing the name of the boat, “S-Siren’s Song.” The ship was painted red and black and it was as big as some of the boats we have here,” Dan said.
“That’s the name of the ship in the logs,” Jesse said. “Anything else you can remember?”
Dan tried harder but shook his head, “sorry.”
“That’s okay,” Nick said.
“Siren’s Song? What’s a siren?” Jesse asked.
“Sirens were supposedly mermaids who lived on a rocky island at sea. It was said if you listened to their song, you’d be mesmerized and would crash your ship,” Dan replied.
Nick looked at Dan and smiled, “Good one, Dan. How did you know that?”
“I read about it in a Digi Book,” Dan replied.
“How do we take these guys down?” Jesse asked.
“We have to catch them in the act and get proof,” Nick said.
“I have a camera, but how do we know what we’re taking pictures of is the real deal?” Dan asked.
“My dad knows people in the art community,” Nick said.
“Dan, please come to the store,” Nate’s voice came in on Dan’s walkie-talkie.
“I’ll be right there,” Dan answered.
“I’m gonna send a message to Uncle Jake. Maybe he can check other ports,” Nick said.
“I wonder if the people who bought the paintings know they were stolen. It’d be sweet if we could talk to some art dealers,” Mark said.
“We can find names of private collectors in the area and go ask them. Even private collectors should be able to spot a fake,” Jesse said.
The boys left the house and headed to the store.
“Oh good, you’re here. I don’t know what she’s saying and her hus…” Nate said.
“It’s cool, Uncle Nate; I got this,” Dan said and signed. “Hello, Mrs. Alden, what can I do for you today?”
The woman signed.
“I need fishing supplies for my nephew,” Dan said as he interpreted.
Nate followed Dan and Mrs. Alden. Dan showed the woman what the store offered and answered any questions. He was impressed.
“I think we should ask people if they’ve seen anything suspicious at dock three,” Jesse suggested as he and Mark waited.
“That’s a good idea,” Mark said.
“Here I am. Uncle Jake said he’d check things on his end,” Nick said. “What’s going on?”
“Dan’s with a customer. Jesse suggested we should ask the residents about dock three,” Mark said.
“Let’s go,” Nick said.
“Shouldn’t we wait for Dan?” Jesse asked.
“Why?” Nick asked.
“I thought that if he could follow us, he might want to get in the program,” Jesse replied.
Dan said and signed, “Thank you and come again.”
The boys left the store and Mark looked around.
“Dan and I will go this way. Jesse, you go that way,” Mark said.
“I’ll take this side,” Nick said.
The boys split up and walked down piers, and talked to various people on their boats.
“Hello sir,” Jesse said to a dark skinned man who was working on his boat. He was tall, slim, and looked like a track runner or football player. “I was wondering if you’ve seen anything peculiar at dock three lately
“How peculiar are we talking about?” The man spoke with a Louisiana accent
“Anything small details will help,” Jesse said.
“No I didn’t son. I don’t come here that often. I’m sorry I cannot help you. I don’t mean to be rude,” the man said.
“Thanks, sir,” Jesse said and left.
“Sure thing, kid,” the man said and reconvened his activities.
Jesse canvassed his section with minimal success. He wondered if the others made any progress.
“What did you find out Jesse?” Nick asked when they regrouped.
“I couldn’t get much of anything,” Jesse sadly reported.
“Same with us,” Mark replied.
Later that night, the boys gathered and talked in the guestroom. Nick opened his laptop and turned it on.
“If only we knew some names of these people Dan saw, I could check with Interpol. We already know the name of the ship; Uncle Jake said he’d check with…” Nick said as a jingle rang and a dialog box popped up on the screen.
- Hi Nick, how are you doing? Are you having fun with the boys?
- Yeah. Everyone says hey. What did you find out about the ship?
- I found three ships with that name. If you can find out any other identifying marks or numbers, it will help narrow down the search. If you can find out any names, I can check with Interpol.
- We were going to ask Dan’s uncle’s friend if he would bring us to some private collectors to ask them if they’ve bought any paintings from anyone. We think these people stole the paintings from the Louvre for private collectors.
- Good thinking, guys. Whatever you boys do, be darn careful, blessed be
- Blessed be! Nick typed.
The dialog box disappeared.
“What’s “Blessed be,” Nick?” Dan asked.
“It’s our sign-off phrase,” Nick replied.
“If we could only get close to the truck,” Jesse said. “We could see if the paintings are there. We could photograph them and get the proof.”
“I could make a diversion, but you’d have to be quick,” Nick said. “I don’t know how long; it will work.”
Dan looked at his watch. “We’ll go ask the collectors tomorrow. It’s about time for me to start my rounds. I gotta change my clothes.”
The boys changed their clothes in Dan’s room. Jesse put on a maroon shirt, knee-low light brown khaki shorts, no socks, and lo-cut black Converse sneakers. Mark wore a red shirt, green khakis, no socks, and Van’s sneakers. Nick wore a red button-down short sleeve shirt, jean shorts, and lo-cut red Converse, and Dan wore his white polo shirt, jean shorts, no socks, and lo-cut black Converse sneakers.
“I’m on my way to do my rounds,” Dan said when he and the boys passed the kitchen.
“We’re going to help Dan; is that cool?” Jesse asked.
“Sure, just be careful,” Nate said.
“Uncle Nate, could you please call Taylor and ask him if he’d be willing to drive us somewhere tomorrow?”
“Sure, but where would you go?” Nate asked.
“It’s for an investigation we’re doing,” Jesse said.
“An investigation?” Nate asked.
“We’re investigating…” Jesse said as a hand clapped over his mouth.
“My brother has a vivid imagination. He thinks he’s Joe Hardy,” Mark said.
Nate chuckled. “I used to read the Hardy Boys a long time ago boys. Yeah, I’ll call Taylor and ask him.”
“Thanks Uncle Nate.”
“Sure, kid,” the man said and kissed Dan’s head.
Chapter Four
Our plans
Dan showed his friends what to do; he did the rest.
“That didn’t take very long,” Nick said.
“This doesn’t take nearly as long as it does during the day,” Dan said. “Let’s get back and see if Uncle Nate called Taylor.”
The boys headed back to the house.
“Taylor can take you guys tomorrow, but I need Dan here; it’ll be a busy day tomorrow; Saturdays are always busy.”
“Okay, Uncle Nate,” Dan said and turned to his friends,” Dan said.
“It’s cool, Dan. We’ll tell you what happened,” Mark said.
“Thanks,” Dan said. “Let’s get to sleep.”
The boys went to their rooms and slept.
Saturday morning was cool like yesterday. Dan grouped his duties so he could get his work done as quickly as he could. He finished at quarter after eight. He headed to the store to check what he had to do next. He restocked the bait, price grocery items, and sodas, and swept the floor. He drank a red crème soda it while he worked. The radio played rock music.
“Great music, huh kid?” Nate asked.
“Yeah,” Dan replied.
One of many qualities that drew him closer to his uncle was their love for heavy metal music.
“I see you’re getting your duties done faster lately,” the man said.
“I thought if I could get my duties done quicker, maybe I’ll have more time later,” Dan said.
“I’ll see what I can do later,” the man said and smiled. “So how have Mark and Jesse been? It’s been a while since you’ve seen them.”
“They’re great,” Dan said.
“That’s good. I arranged them to be here for your birthday,” Nate said.
“Thanks. You rock unc.”
Nate chuckled. “Thanks pal.”
The store opened at ten o’ clock on Saturdays; it opened an hour later. It was open a few hours on Sunday. Dan helped his uncle with restocking and counting money; he made sure they would have enough change for today. He had his bike ready in case he had to ride out and get some change at the bank located a couple of miles later.
Knock! Knock!
Dan looked up from writing and saw Jesse and the others.
“Can I let them in?” Dan asked.
Nate nodded.
Dan pressed a button and the boys walked in.
“Make sure the door closes okay?” Dan said.
Nick secured the door behind them. The boys were dressed in shorts, short sleeve shirts, and low-cut sneakers. Dan wore a red t-shirt, green khakis, and his black sneakers.
“How’re ya guys doing?” Dan asked.
“Good. You sure blew out of the house,” Jesse said.
“Yeah. I wanted to get the morning duties done quicker, I’ll have more time later,” Dan said.
“We’re going to town and see if we could talk with some art collectors and see what we can find out.”
“Taylor called me. He said he could bring you at noon; he’s busy this morning,” Nate said.
“Thanks, sir,” Jesse said.
“You boys are so polite,” Nate said.
“Thanks,” Mark replied.
“Is there anything we can do?” Jesse asked.
“No, we’ve got it guys,” Dan replied.
The boys helped Dan until noon when Taylor came in his orange Charger.
“We’ll see you later,” Nick said as they left the house and went to the man’s car.
“Hi Taylor,” Jesse greeted.
“Hi son,” the man said with a smile. “Where am I taking you?”
Nick handed the man a short list with addresses he looked up while on line.
“I can do these,” the man said. “Isn’t Dan coming?”
“He has to work,” Nick replied.
“That’s a shame. He is a good boy. He used to call me Uncle Taylor when he was little,” The man asked as he started the car and drove out of the marina.
Taylor drove to the first address. Nick and the others climbed out, went to each house, and interrogated the residents.
“Ma’am, my name is Nick Hansen, and these are my friends, Mark and Jesse Wilcott. My friends are part of the “Tomorrow’s Promise” program. We want to ask you some questions,” Nick said as he shown their program ID cards.
“What can I do for you?” A slender woman asked. She looked fifty-two-years-old; she was dressed in aerobics attire.
“We are asking art collectors whether they have bought paintings from any unusual collectors or groups. Who buys paintings for your house? Do you always buy from the same person or group?” Nick asked.
“My husband buys the paintings. We buy from many people,” the woman replied.
“Do you have certificates of authenticity?” Jesse asked.
“Yes. What is this about?” The woman asked.
“We’re investigating a ring of art thieves. We think a group took them from the burglarized storage building in France,” Mark said.
“First of all boys, we don’t buy anything without getting certificates of authenticity first,” the woman said. “And what you’re insinuating is insulting.”
“We don’t mean to insult or insinuate anything, ma’am,” Jesse said. “We would like to see the paintings and the certificates.”
“You seem like good kids, but until I see a warrant, I’m afraid you cannot come in,” the woman said. “Good day.”
“She wasn’t too cooperative,” Jesse said.
After the door was shut, the boys headed back to the car. They climbed in Taylor’s car.
Taylor continued to the next address.
“We’re not getting anywhere,” Jesse said. “Mr. Hansen would have an easier time.”
“When we get back, I can email Uncle Jake; maybe he could check it out,” Nick said.
“Are we going back to the marina?” Taylor asked.
“Yes sir,” Jesse replied.
“Alright,” Taylor said.
Taylor said as he started the car and drove back to the marina.
“Thanks again for taking us mister,” Jesse said as they climbed out of the car.
“You’re welcome, son; take care. Say hi to Dan and Nate for me,” Taylor called.
After the car left, Mark, Jesse, and Nick headed to the store.
Ding…ding…The bell rung.
“Hey boys, how are ya?” Nate asked.
“I’m fine. Where’s Dan?” Jesse asked.
“In the back by the dairy,” Nate said as he wrote some notes on a PDA.
The boys headed to the back. They saw Dan looking at cans.
“Hey, get back to work,” Jesse teased.
“Oh, hey, guys. What do you mean get back to work?” Dan asked. He wore a crème colored apron over his good shirt. He wore jean shorts and his low cut black sneakers. “What happened?”
“We couldn’t get much from the collectors,” Mark replied.
“Now what?” Dan asked.
“I say we go to the dock and see if those guys show up. If we can get proof that the paintings were stolen, then we’ll have them,” Mark said.
“If we can get our hands on one of the paintings or an inventory sheet, something that would verify the paintings’ authenticity and legalities if any, then we’ll have a case,” Mark said.
At nine-thirty, the boys walked out with Dan.
“We’re going to help Dan,” Jesse said.
“Sure boys, just be careful,” Nate said.
“We will sir,” Jesse said and smiled.
The man smiled at Jesse. “You’ve got a cute smile.”
“Thanks. See ya later,” Jesse said as he followed the others outside.
Mark and the others helped Dan with his watch duties. Dan told them what to do; they worked fast and finished by ten o’ clock.
“Let’s check out dock three,” Nick said.
The boys headed to the dock and found a spot where they could observe the men unnoticed
“Do you think they’ll show up tonight?” Jesse asked.
Mark heard a noise. “Shh, I hear something coming.”
The boys saw a dark colored truck enter the area; it had a canopy on the back.
“That’s the truck I saw,” Dan whispered.
Nick took out a pair of special binoculars and looked through them; he could see the back of the truck.
“There’s nothing in the back,” Nick reported.
The engine shut off and two men climbed out of the truck. A blond haired man turned on the lights. The other man was brown haired.
“When’s our ship coming in?” Rod asked.
“They should be here soon,” Rich said.
“That’s the guy who chased me,” Dan said and pointed to a man who took something out of his pocket.
“You and your cards, I swear,” Rich groaned.
“I have to practice you know,” Rod said as he looked through his cards. “I’m missing a card; it must’ve fallen out the last time we were here.”
“We don’t have time to look for it now; here they come,” Rich said.
The boys saw a ship approaching the dock slowly.
“Come on Rod,” Rich said.
Jesse felt his nose twitch. He put his hand over his mouth to stifle the sneeze.
The man heard a noise to his left. He turned on his flashlight and pointed it in the alley.
The boys ducked.
“Come on, Rod,” Rich urged.
The boys watched the man leave.
“That was close,” Dan said.
The boys watched as the men carried boxes from the ship to the truck. Nick looked on the hull of the ship. He saw WH0078SS and the name of the ship written on the hull. Nick tried to memorize the numbers. He then opened his hand-held laptop, turned it on, and waited for a minute. He then typed and clicked.
“The program’s ready. Dan, give me your camera; I’m going to get a quick picture of the boat so we’ll have proof,” Nick said.
Dan handed his thumb-cam to Nick. It used thumb drives for its main memory. You can hook in another thumb drive for extra storage, but the on board memory size was sufficient.
“Be careful,” Dan advised.
Nick left and snapped pictures of the boat’s hull. He ducked when he heard footsteps approach.
“Rich, get Todd and Paul. I think we have visitors. I was positive I heard and saw something or someone in the alley by the truck,” Rod said.
Nick knew he had to warn his friends, but he would have to wait until the men were away so they wouldn’t hear him.
“Where is Nick? I can’t see him,” Jesse whispered.
“We should tell the cops about this,” Dan said.
“We need proof or they’ll think we just made it all up; we haven’t built enough credibility yet,” Mark said.
“I think I should tell Uncle Na…” Dan said as he turned around. He saw the blunt black muzzle of a gun in his face; his eyes grew wide with fright.
“Shh, Dan, someone will hear…,” Mark said as he turned around. He saw three men standing over them and held guns.
“Okay you guys get up and don’t yell,” Rod ordered.
The boys stood.
“Put your hands behind your backs,” Rich ordered.
The boys turned around and put their hands behind them as they were told. Rich whipped out rope from his pocket and wound them around Jesse’s wrists. The other men tied Mark and Dan’s wrists.
“Agh! Hey, that’s tight,” Jesse groaned and winced his eyes.
“Shut up and let’s go,” Rich ordered as he grasped Jesse’s arm and tugged him along.
“Come along you two,” the other men said as they tugged them along as well.
As Nick returned to their hiding spot, he heard footsteps and saw moving shadows. He hid and watched helplessly the men roughly led his friends away. He saw rope tightly binding their wrists together. As soon as the men were far enough away, he turned on his laptop and called home.
- Hey Nick, what’s going on? His uncle answered.
- Call the cops. Send them to Petersen’s Marina. Dock three. Men have the guys. Nick quickly typed.
- Okay, Nick. Whatever you do, be careful.
- I will. I’ll take care of things here. Blessed be
Inside a warehouse, Captain John Mullen and Uri Call waited inside for the pullout signal; they heard a door open.
“Come on, let us go,” groaned Dan.
“Shut up,” one of the men rasped.
Dan looked up at the man with a snarl.
John saw the men with the boys at their sides and asked, “what’s going on?”
“We caught these kids watching us,” Rod said.
Dan’s face went flush; he recognized the man. “It’s you.”
“Hey kid. I see you didn’t heed my warning,” Uri said to Dan.
John handed the men a length of rope and said, “Here, tie `em to the chairs.”
“Okay kid, sit,” Rich said and shoved Jesse in a chair.
“Hey,” Jesse groaned as he watched the man wound white mooring rope twice across his chest and around the chair.
After Dan and Mark were tied, Rod said, “We should find out if anyone else knows about us.”
“Good idea,” Rich said and turned to Jesse.
“Does anyone know about us kid?”
“No, it’s just us,” Jesse said.
“Don’t lie to us kid,” Rich rasped.
“I’m not,” Jesse said.
Outside, Nick looked around for his friends. He raised his arm to press a button on his watch when he spotted a man headed toward the largest building. He followed the man as close as he could; he hoped the man would lead him to his friends. As he neared the building, Nick snuck up to a window. He looked in and saw the men with his friends; they were tied in high-backed chairs with rope.
“John, everything’s in the truck; we’re ready to pull out,” the man said.
“Thanks Hank,” John said.
The boys watched as the man reached into a black bag and took out a roll of wide gray duct tape from the bag. Their eyes widened and they shuddered.
“Here, Rich, shut `em up, and let’s get going,” John said as he tossed the roll of tape to Rich.
“It’ll be a pleasure,” Rich said as he picked at an edge.
Sssssssmuck! Rick pulled a long strip of tape, tore it off, and passed it to Rod. He then held each end of the tape and brought the sticky side to Jesse’s face and laid the tape firmly over his mouth. Jesse looked at the man with a scowl on his face.
Rich smirked at Jesse and the boys. The tape stretched past their cheeks.
“There, that’ll keep `em quiet,” Rod snickered. “They look better gagged, don’t they?”
John shook his head and said, “Yeah, they’re adorable, now let’s go.”
Rich opened the bag and dug around. He took out a small black box that had wires and explosives attached.
“What are you doing?” John asked.
“Gotta make sure they can’t blab to the cops,” Rich said as he turned on the device. A digital counter lit up.
The boys looked at each other with wide eyes.
“Are you nuts? Just leave the brats here. By the time anyone finds them, we’ll be long gone,” John rasped.
The boys listened to the men argue. They moved their wrists to test the firmness of the ropes. The rope across their chests felt tighter than the rope that bound their wrists.
“Do you want them to be fingering us as the art thieves?” Rich rasped as he set five minutes on the timer. “Trust me; it’ll be safer for us.”
“Hurry up and let’s go,” John ordered.
“Right,” Rich said pressed a button; the timer started to count down.
“Bye bye, boys,” Rich said.
5:00…4:59…4:58…The counter beeped.
“Mmmm,” Dan cried.
The boys watched as their captors hurried past them. After the door slammed shut, the boys got busy wriggling at the ropes around their wrists.
“Mmmph!” Jesse cried as he fought hard to loosen the ropes.
Jesse stopped after he found wriggling around would not be enough. He remembered his knife in his back pocket.
“Mph Mmph!” Jesse grunted under his gag. He stretched his arms to reach it; his eyes
winced from the pain. The rope across his chest made this part of the task more daunting.
“Mmph,” Jesse groaned.
Exhausted, he stopped and looked around the room for something that he could use to cut the ropes around his wrists.
“We won’t have to worry about those brats anymore after the bomb goes off,” Rich said as the men climbed in the driver’s side and started the engine.
“Did you see their faces when you brought out the bomb? You sure scared them good,” one of the other men snickered.
The boys heard their captors talk outside, doors open and shut, and the engine starting.
Those jerks! Jesse thought, but he turned his mind back to their only objective—get free and get out of the building before the timer runs out.
Mark struggled as well. The cords around his wrists were also taut. His hair flopped in front of his face as he moved his head. He hoped that he would be able to find a way to get himself free and then free Jesse and Dan. He worried about his little brother. Although they were young, they felt capable to find their way through almost anything. They got their resilience and resourcefulness through their parents and grandfather. Being tied up and gagged by the criminals was bad enough, but the thought of being blown up took the cake. Their grandfather always told him that nothing is ever as bad as it seems if you are vigilant and keep trying.
Nick knew he had to help his friends somehow. He tried to find the open door the man he followed had entered. He couldn’t fathom losing his friends; he wouldn’t forgive himself if something happened.
Mark struggled against the rope around his wrists. They seemed to be loosening, but not as much as he’d like. He turned around and looked where Jesse’s wrists were. He set his feet on the floor and tried to move himself backward toward Jesse. The scraping noise of the chair over the floor attracted Jesse’s attention. Jesse saw Mark move toward him and wondered what Mark was thinking. Mark pushed with all his might. Mark was starting to work up a sweat as he pushed the chair along the floor when Mark was tight against Jesse, he felt for the rope that bound Jesse’s wrists.
“Mmmph,” Mark groaned as he worked hard to loosen the rope; the rope didn’t seem to budge.
Jesse felt Mark’s fingers as he worked to free the rope.
Hurry, Mark! Jesse thought.
As the truck approached the gate, the men heard sirens and saw cars block the entrance;
the blue and red lights flashed and the sirens stopped blaring. Rich stopped the truck.
Officers climbed out of their cars and pointed their weapons. Their cars were outfitted with a new kind of anti-piercing coating; not even armor piercing bullets or grenades could penetrate the coating.
“Get out of the truck, drop your weapons, and get on the ground,” shouted a police officer over the blow horn.
The men climbed out and then opened fire. The officers fired and hit the men. The remaining men gave up. The officers collected and handcuffed them. A car approached one of the buildings and stopped.
“Where are these boys Detective Hansen told us about?” Sergeant Reilly asked when they climbed out. He then saw a figure by a window.
“Kid, yeah you, get over here,” Sergeant Reilly shouted.
Nick approached them and said, “My name’s Nick Hansen. I am Detective Jake Hansen’s nephew. I’m glad you’re here.”
“What are you doing here?” Sergeant Reilly asked.
“I’m trying to find a way to get inside to rescue my friends; these jerks have them tied up inside this building,” Nick said.
“Go,” Sergeant Reilly ordered.
The boys looked at the timer again; it read 1:32…1:31…1:30…Time was running out.
Dan heard a noise to his right and looked; he saw an officer.
“MMMph!” Dan cried as loud as he could.
The officer looked and saw three boys bound to chairs and gagged with duct tape.
“Over here,” shouted the officer.
Mark and Jesse saw the officers approach them.
“Mm…mph!” Jesse cried as he jerked his head in the direction of the bomb.
A lady officer followed the boy’s motions and saw the black device.
“Free the kids; I’m going after
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First off, i really liked this story. I was a little put off to start, but then i went back to the notes for readers and realized that you are writing a mystery story for kids and this succeeds spendidly. The action is sucinct. Your dialogue works really well for this genre, and it was a joy to read. Brought me back to my indian in the cuppard days.
Criticisms. Even with it being literature for young adults, “i tend to cringe a bit at non ‘said’ dialogue tags,” grumbled the reviewer. Watch out for this. A little bit works just fine, but if you overuse use the “he groaned” “she rasped” etc, it starts to take away from the flow. You are borderline at this point. I would reccommend cutting out about 20% just to be safe. Said always works. If people can remember your dialogue tags, they aren’t remembering the the story.
Sometimes the narrator repeats what the characters will soon or already will say. Noticably early on with “chirp chirp… the crickets chirped.” You don’t need both. Also, watch out for your word repitition. Best way to catch this is to read your story out loud.
I’m serious though, this was good. Just clean it up a tad.
Cheers,
James
and ps, some of the end got cut off… “Free the kids; I’m going after… is the last we get
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