Chapter 8

"This is Callie," Vicki asked, "You were right Joe. She's not willing to stay out of anything. What is she doing here?"

"Guess," Joe replied, "I'm surprised, but not too surprised. This is just like Callie to come down without telling us." Frank wasn't even paying attention, but was instead helping Callie sit up.

"Are you all right," Frank asked her. Callie nodded and slowly got to her feet. Frank looked at her anxiously.

"I'm fine," Callie said, "You can clearly see that I'm all right. What I want to know is what happened."

"We don't know," Joe said, "We got this weird note telling us to come here."

"So this is your girlfriend," C. J. asked, turning to Frank, "How did she get up here? Did your parents tell her where you had gone? And how did these people find out?"

"Wait," Callie said, "I did find out from your parents Frank and then I took the next flight up here. I was about to get a rental car when someone hit me from behind. The next thing I know, this girl is here." She pointed to Vicki.

"I was trying to help," Vicki said, "I found you out here. As I said before, I'm Vicki Silver."

"C. J. Summers," C. J. introduced herself, "You should have been here earlier, Joe nearly got beat up by Vicki here."

"Really," Callie asked, "I didn't think someone like Vicki would be able to take Joe down. Then again, there's a time for everything." Vicki only glared at her.

"What are you doing here," Frank asked her, "I thought I told you to stay in Bayport. You know what happens on our cases. Why did you come?"

"Because," Callie said, "I wanted to come up here. There's no way you're keeping me out of another mystery this time."

"Come on," Joe said, "You're always getting in the way of one of our cases, even by being here now. What reason do you have for wanting to get involved?"

"I have plenty," Callie replied, sounding more like herself, "and I don't think I have to explain it to you Joe. Now, why else are you guys here? I wouldn't expect anyone to come down here without a better explanation than we got a note. What's really going on?"

"Never mind," Vicki said suddenly, "All I can say is that it has to do with a case we are all working on now. I want to look around some more. Something doesn't seem right about this."

"I agree," C. J. said, "Why lead us here unless there was a trap? No one is here. I think something is up. Where is everyone?"

The group looked around now, as if expecting someone to walk towards them. Seeing nothing but the blank walls of the shack, they all turned and stepped outside again. The silence was even heavier than before, replacing the feeling of dread that had temporarily left. Shadows loomed everywhere, making the grass look brown instead of its usual rich green. Everyone was on the lookout.

The group then split up, Frank and Callie together and everyone else by themselves. Fortunately, Vicki and C. J. had brought their miniature flashlights along. Soon enough, C. J. dropped to her knees and searched carefully in the grass around her. Underneath some of the grass was a small piece of wood, square in shape. "Vicki," she called out, "I think I found something."

Vicki rushed over to her friend, everyone else following closely behind, "What is it?" C. J. showed her the piece of wood. Vicki took it and flipped it over. A familiar picture was carved into it. She gasped when she saw what it was.

"What's wrong," C. J. asked, alarmed at the look on her friend's face, "Does it remind you of something?"

"Yeah," Vicki said, and motioned for Joe to join her, "Look at this Joe." She showed it to him, "Is this familiar?" He nodded.

"What about it," C. J. asked, getting more confused by the second, "Tell me."

"We found a tile exactly like this outside my house," Vicki explained, looking at the snake on the square, "We found it right after getting this note on the doorstep. Also it was right before we were shot at by someone in the bushes."

"You were shot at," Frank asked, "How come I didn't hear anything? I was only on the second floor."

"They were using a silencer," Vicki said, "We could barely hear the shots ourselves."

C. J. finally spoke again, "How come you didn't tell us sooner? It seems you would tell your best friend if you got shot at, am I right?"

"We didn't want you worrying," Joe replied for Vicki, "Besides, in all the excitement, we forgot all about it. Sorry."

"How could you have forgotten..." C. J. was immediately interrupted by Frank, "What were...?"

"I thought I heard voices," he said, "It could be the men from earlier." Now it was time for Callie to ask something.

"What men," Callie asked, "I thought this was just a case. What's going on?"

"Shhh," Vicki said, "It's bigger than you think. Just be quiet, okay?" Callie stopped talking, but looked at Vicki in shock, as if telling her to be quiet was a criminal offense.

Joe motioned for Vicki to move forward and stepped out, "We'll check this out," he said, ignoring the looks that Frank and C. J. gave them, "Don't worry, if we need help, you'll know."

Vicki behind him, the two stood up and walked in the direction where the voices had been last heard. They had come from the bushes along the far fence. Vicki and Joe had just reached them where they each felt a pair of hands, shoving them forward!