Chapter 4
Communicating with Cody
Cody! I've been worried sick. Where are you? Zack asked now excited of hearing his brother again by a method he didn't know it existed.
I don't know! Cody responded and Zack thought he was really nervous and fearful; my kidnappers tied me up and blindfolded me. His voice was tense and demonstrated much fear. But at the same time it showed curiousness.
Well, are you okay? Zack asked worryingly and bit his lower lip which was already chapped. Cody did not answer immediately but instead waited several seconds. There was a low sound which was Cody's hum that meant that he was thinking furiously.
Well, let me think-I was abducted, tied to a chair and-no! I am not okay! You have to get me out of here! Zack I'm scared Cody urged in a loud whisper.
Of course you are and so am I, Zack agreed rubbing his elbow and trying not to face Roger who was watching him closely.
Zack said, Okay, just tell me something. When the lights went off, I heard a scream-which was yours-and then a sound of a car; it was the car in where you were taken in. Did you saw its plates? Hoping that he will say a plate number, Zack listened closely waiting for Cody to speak the number so all their troubles would be gone.
No, Cody answered bringing his twin's hopes down sharply. But you tell me something, how can you communicate with me if I can't communicate with you? Cody asked.
That part is easy you just have to close your eyes and focus on me, this agent that is helping us he has a twin which can communicate with him and he showed me how to do it; Zack explained.
Suddenly, Cody stopped communicating with him, forbidding Zack to speak to him. Cody couldn't speak with Zack anymore and it had all become silent inside his mind. Soon, Zack thought in just hearing what Cody was hearing and he thought that will work to figure out why Cody stopped speaking with him.
"What did he say?" Roger asked.
"Shhhhh," Zack quieted. Zack heard voices which came from Cody location.
"Okay if the boy's family hasn't paid the money by Friday, we will take him to a little swim to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. And probably shoot him, just for fun, and we will get the fortune of his that should have been mine a long time away. But if they decide in handing the money over, I'll say to leave a suitcase filled with money at the park. " The first voice said.
What fortune? Zack thought.
"Phuh-fuh-ph-phuh-uh," Cody groaned. He couldn't speak well because of the black piece of fabric stuffed in his mouth, but the words were, "You will never get away with this!"
Cody as well as Zack listened to footsteps coming closer, "Shut up boy," the voice said as a hand slapped him on the face. "Tom, start connecting the machine to the phone, you know the one that changes your voice and that other one that makes the call untraceable!"
"Oww! what! They can't and they won't!" Zack exclaimed rubbing his cheek. He looked at roger who was sitting at Zack's bed to calm the pain that had been caused for standing up for more than an hour.
"What happened?" Roger solicited with his face more relaxed now that the pain had left leaving behind a fresh sensation on his foot.
Still rubbing his cheek, Zack responded, "They are planning to drown Cody in Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir on Friday." With that Zack went to his calendar and saw the day. It was Wednesday! He turned around and looked at Roger.
"We need money from the government. We need to pay the kidnappers as sooner we can." Zack spoke as he sat down on the carpet that was on the door.
Roger started to think and said, "We won't provide the kidnappers money." His face was serious and somber but deep inside; Zack could see that he was worried.
"But-but why not!" Zack stammered standing up in one jump.
"Because," he explained, "if we give them the money they will still drown Cody and-"
Riiiiiiiiiing! Roger's words were drowned by the sound of the phone ringing. Roger connected the phone to a machine and signaled for Kurt to answer.
"Hello." Kurt answered spooked and anxious.
"Shut up and listen!" it was the same low voice that had called earlier.
"What do you want; I just want my son back now!" Kurt commanded so loudly it forced everyone in the Martin home to cover their ears. .
"You won't get him back unless you give me what I want and what I want is four million dollars, I told you that earlier, and I want them before Friday, or your son will sleep with the fish, in Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir! If you decide in giving the money, leave a suitcase under the Big Maple Tree at Liberty Park, tomorrow! " He shouted and hung up. A little after that, Zack started sobbing quietly.
"Mr. and Carrie," Roger started speaking "calm down, we have hope, your son here, and I'm well aware of this, that you know your son can communicate with his twin am I right?" Mr. and Carrie looked at each other in surprise,
"Well, umm, yes you are right Mr. Venture." Carrie responded. "But how do you know this?" she asked making a gesture with her hand.
Roger pointed at Zack, "When he told me what had happened I noticed it immediately, I had the conclusion that the boys were twins and they could communicate with each other, after all I'm a detective." He explained as he walked around the room staring at the worried family.
"Okay, but how is that going to help us rescue my beloved Cody?" Carrie asked, holding back tears.
"Well, that's the risky part, we'll send police to inspect every house, again because we had tried that before, and-"
"Wait a second," Kurt interrupted Roger, "you said you had tried that before, did it work?"
"Yes we were looking for a stolen diamond and we found it, as I was saying, Zack will communicate with Cody and tell him that when someone knocks he will make every sound possible to get the police's attention, and then we'll send reinforcements to go and get Cody back." Roger explained.
"But Zack can only hear, feel, see, and think what Cody is doing, not communicate with him" Kurt said.
"Oh that, I already demonstrated Zack how to communicate with his twin" Roger informed. Carrie gave a squeak of joy.
"Well, let's put this plan into action." Kurt announced.
Soon, Roger was calling the police headquarters and Zack was trying to communicate with his brother, but he was so tense that when he closed his eyes he couldn't even concentrate one bit and he decided in calling Janice and tell her what had happened.
Janice's mom responded, "Hello."
"Yes, Mrs. Murphy, can I speak to Janice, please."
"Sure, I'm sorry, who is this?" Mrs. Murphy asked.
"This is Zack Martin, Cody's brother." Zack answered. There was silence for several seconds until Janice answered.
"Zack?" asked Janice in a sweat and lovely voice which Zack had heard Cody thought that it was as if there was a concert of beautiful music. Janice indeed had a sweet voice but comparing it to a concert with lovely music was too much.
"Yes this is Zack." Zack assured.
"Oh, Zack I thought you were Cody, may I speak with him? I have to say sorry to him because I didn't went to his birthday party but something about the family showed up and I couldn't go, well, I least I didn't go and Jessica did," Janice clarified in a very pleasant voice.
"Actually, Janice, that's why I called you, Cody can't speak to you because he has been, umm, he has been umm-"
"Has been what?" Janice asked, her voice tone now changing.
Zack took a long breath and spoke the words he could not tell, "Kidnapped, Cody has been kidnapped." Zack explained.
"Yeah right Zack I almost fell for that one, you are just like Jessica. Now may I speak to Cody?" She asked.
"Janice, you think I will be playing with that, Cody has been kidnapped."
With no doubt, Zack had convinced Janice. "When did this happen?" She asked worriedly.
"Just yesterday," He answered and looking at his feet expecting to not worry Janice but he had done that since he said that Cody could not come to the phone and speak with her because he was kidnapped.
"Well, did they ask for a ransom?" She asked.
"Yes they did. And it's four million dollars," He informed.
Suddenly, Janice wasn't speaking anymore but Jessica was. "Hi, Zack, how are you, did you find Cody?" Jessica asked in a high sophisticated voice. Usually the Murphy sisters spoke on pretend voices.
"I am okay, but Cody isn't and somebody else found him," Zack spoke seriously but not trying to scare Jessica who now was wide-eyed looking at her sister.
"Why- who found him." Jessica asked looking on another direction to not to alert Janice-who already knew the news-with her worried face. Janice attempted to watch her sister's face but she always moved the other direction and then she became tangled in the phone cable.
"It wasn't us for sure, but kidnappers." Zack sighed somberly and by just saying the word, he felt his stomach went up to his throat and for a few seconds he couldn't breath.
"Oh dear," Jessica passed the phone back to Janice who immediately snatched the phone and began speaking.
"Zack, your family has to pay the ransom as soon as possible" Janice urged and started sobbing so silently that Zack couldn't hear her.
"Oh, yeah Janice four million dollars are going to appear just like when a clap my hands." Zack yelled slightly as he snapped his fingers and the shoved his hand into his pocket.
There was silence for a few minutes and Zack was about to ask if she was still there but Janice began talking again. "Well, you could ask for money of relatives I just want Cody to be safe and quickly." There was a dead silence this one a few more minutes longer than the last.
"Well, if there is any news please call me," Janice pleaded and hung up. Zack could picture Janice with tears streaming down her cheeks and Jessica comforting her.
Zack climbed the stairs, went into his room and started focusing on his twin, but he could still not get the thought of Janice crying, off his mind and he started feeling guilty for making her cry.
By the time Roger had ended calling the police, Zack had barely focused. Again, he had done the same he had done earlier, blocking the modern world out. At last, he was communicating with Cody. "Cody, Cody, is you sleeping?" Zack asked. Cody, who was tired, had indeed fallen asleep. Zack tried again and again but it was useless and then he thought in screaming in his mind. "Cody, wake up!"
"Huh-what who, oh it's you Zack," Cody answered tiredly.
"Look, Cody, I have a plan, when someone knocks, it will be the police, make sure to make a lot of-"
"Knock, knock, knock!" there was a sudden knock on the door that didn't let Zack finish what he was saying. Cody had already fallen asleep again.
Silently, the two men picked Cody up and hid him in the cellar. They locked Sue in the closet again who this time didn't wrestle because she was fast asleep and Sam was again hidden in the cupboard who didn't noticed and just yawned and almost making the material inside his mouth fall to the ground. One of the men, Jake, unlocked the door and looked surprised to find the police standing in front of him. "Good night gentlemen, mind if we inspect the house. Three local children are missing and we want to make sure they aren't here" the officer informed as he held his cap with his hand in order not to let it fly away with the wind that that gusty day had.
The palms in the vicinity of the kidnappers home were crooked with the ferocious wind so were the trees and some branches lay scattered on the street making it difficult for the drivers to drive peacefully in the shade of the night.
"Sure, I don't mind, if a child is missing I would personally attempt to help." Jake lied as he nervously let the officers in.
The police stayed in the house for about half and hour. They went from room to room inspecting every corner and they reached the closet where Sue was hidden and tried that door but it was locked. The officers asked why it was locked and Jake again lied and said that there was were he hid the birthday presents for Tom. And then they reached the cupboard were they had hidden Sam and again they asked why it was locked and this time Tom said that that was the place were he hid the gift exchange presents so the police did not mind in opening it.
"Gentlemen we must be leaving now; we didn't mean to disturb, good night gentlemen." With that the officers left Marching out the door and closing it behind them with a loud hit.
Unfortunately, Roger's bright plan failed. And, Cody, Sue, and Sam were still in hands of those despicable men.