This is for Yanicchi who wanted a story about Rex's kids getting kidnapped and Rex coming to the rescue. Sorry, it's not exactly what you're expecting. Hope you like it anyway.
I've been stalking profiles secretly. (Sorry. I tend to do that. I'm sure people do that to me as well.) Anyway, my point is many of your favorite books are YA novels. My favorite stories are high school staples like To Kill a Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice, Where the Red Fern Grows , and "The Outcasts of Poker Flat".
This story is based on a short story called "Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry.
"Where's my daddy?" Rafael frowned at the two strangers in front of him.
"Uh, yeah kid your dad is uh coming to pick you up soon." One of the two men who was playing cards said.
"Can I play?" Rafael asked as he reached out for the cards in the middle..
"No!" The other man slapped his hand away.
Rafael cradled his hand. His eyes teared up and his lower lip trembled.
"Aww, look what you did Bill! You done made him cry." The other man glared at his partner.
"Did not, Hank!" Bill protested.
With that Rafael let out a wail to wake the dead.
"Okay, okay… shhh…shhh. Do't cry I was uh just joking. You can play." Bill quickly threw some cards toward Rafael.
Rafael sniffled and wiped his nose on the back of his sleeve. He picked up the cards.
"What's going on in here?" A man demanded as a metal door opened abruptly.
"Nothing, boss. Just…Just playing with the kid." Bill said patting Rafael on the head. Rafael bit his finger.
"Yeow! Why you little…" Bill made a movement toward Rafael who shrunk back in fear.
"Bill! What are you doing?" The boss snapped. He moved over to the two men and pulled them aside. "Look we just need to keep the little brat quiet and calm until the ransom comes. Then we can get rid of him."
"Not a moment sooner." Bill grumbled.
"Look, Bill we just need to keep the little tyke entertained." Hank said confidently. "Don't worry boss, I got this."
The boss glared at his henchmen. "You better!" He turned on his heels and left.
Hank turned to Rafael and gave a fake smile. "Hey kid, you wanna play some cards with Uncle Hank?"
"I'm not kid. My name is Rafael. Why are you so fat?" Rafael said with his hands on his hips.
Hank's face turned bright red. "Listen you little…" Hank snapped reaching for him. Rafael kicked him in the shins.
"Ow! You…" Hank hopped around in pain.
"Now, now Hank…" Bill now grinned at his partner. "We need to keep the kid entertained."
"My name is Rafael! You don't want me calling you baldy and fatso, do you?" He challenged the two men.
"How about I call you…" Hank started to say.
"Okay, how about we play some cards." Bill interrupted him. He sat down and shuffled the cards. Hank muttered darkly but sat down, shifting his chair away from Rafael. Rafael pushed a crate over and scrambled up. He sat on his knees. He watched as Bill shuffled the cards.
"What are we playing?" Rafael asked.
"Poker." Bill answered.
"How do you play that?" Rafael asked innocently.
"It's easy." Bill explained the hands. Rafael listened intently.
"Okay, I think I get it." Rafael nodded enthusiastically.
"Great." Bill muttered as he passed out the cards.
Rafael looked at his cards. "Gin!" He yelled throwing down his cards.
Bill glared at him. "This is poker."
"Oh sorry. POKER!" He yelled throwing down his cards.
"No, you try to get the highest hand!" Bill yelled.
"You mean like this?" Rafael stood on the crate and held his cards up high.
"No! You du… No! I mean the cards have to form hands!" Bill cried.
"Like this?" Rafael folded the cards to make them look like fingers. "I win!" He jumped off his crate and began shouting. "I win! I win! I win!" He skipped around the room with his cards waving in the air.
"SHUT UP!" Bill screamed. "That's not how you play!"
Rafael stopped moving. "I'm hungry."
"So what?" Bill grumbled trying to relax.
"So you have to give me food!" Rafael said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"No we don't." Hank scoffed.
Rafael looked from Bill to Hank. He then let out an ear splitting screech.
The two thugs covered their ears.
"Quick give him food!" Bill yelled at Hank.
"What?" Hank asked with his ears covered.
Bill, probably out of survival, rummaged through his pockets and produced a half eaten bar of chocolate. He shoved it in front of Rafael's face. Rafael immediately stopped screaming. He took the bar and peeled back the cover.
"Eww, I don't like peanuts." He wrinkled his nose. He tossed the candy onto the floor.
"Hey! If you don't want it I was gonna to eat it!" Bill scrambled to pick the bar off the floor.
"I want candy!" Rafael demanded.
"I'll give you candy." Hank raised his hand up.
Rafael kicked him in the shins again. Hank doubled over in pain. Rafael ran off.
"Hey get back here!" Bill ran after him.
"Nah, nah, can't catch me!" Rafael taunted.
Bill ran after him. Rafael climbed up some of the crates. He stood on the top.
"Get down here!" Bill demanded.
"Make me!" He did a raspberry.
Bill growled as he started to climb on the crates to get Rafael.
When he was almost to the top, Rafael bounced stepped off his head and landed neatly on the ground below. Due to the sudden pressure, Bill lost his balance and fell to the ground. He lay on his back stunned. Rafael looked down on him.
"You okay, mister?" He inquired. "EEP!"
Hank had grabbed him from behind. "Got you little creep!"
Rafael bit his finger.
"YEOW!" Hank yelped as he let go of Rafael who in turn kicked him again.
"I know let's play soccer next!" Rafael said cheerfully.
"Hey Hank?" Bill whimpered.
"Yeah Bill?" Hank gasped from the floor.
"This ain't worth it."
"Agreed. Let's just high tail it out of here before the boss figures out we're gone."
Bill rolled over and ran to the door.
"Hey? Where are we going? Let's play some more!" Rafael started going after Bill.
"No! Stay away you little monster!" Bill yelped as he scrambled to the door.
Hank outran him. He swung the door open. He was met by a pair of red metal fists.
"Where's my brother?" A little girl asked menacingly.
"He's right here. You can have him!" Bill jumped over the fists and ran away. Hank was right behind him.
"Wait! I want to play more!" Rafael stomped his foot.
Violeta rescinded her hands. "Hmm, that was a new record. Three hours."
"That's it? I thought it was longer. I didn't throw up this time." Rafael said.
"Maybe you shouldn't kick so much." Violeta suggested.
"I guess. That fat guy can really run." Rafael observed.
"Yeah." Violeta agreed.
"There's a third guy." Rafael remembered.
"Eh, I knocked him out." Violeta motioned to the back. A pair of feet stuck out from behind some boxes.
"Was it hard to find me?" Rafael asked as he took her hand.
"Nah, I just followed your sonic signal." Violeta shrugged as she held his hand. They walked out of the warehouse together.
"Does mom and dad know?" Rafael asked.
"No, they think we're still in the backyard." Violeta said. She held up the ransom note.
"What are we going to do tomorrow?" Rafael wondered.
"We can see if we can find anymore kidnappers. But we're running out of people." Violeta told him.
"Awww," Rafael's face fell.
"But we can always look for muggers in the park." Violeta suggested.
"Cool!" Rafael brightened up.
Violeta formed her bike. Rafael hopped on and strapped on the helmet Violeta made for him. They rode off into the setting sun.
Please do not try this at home. These are professional EVOs… who like to troll bad guys. Hoped you like it Yanicchi.