Chp 13 I Want to Break Free!
Zack and Bailey looked at each other and then back to the smoke that was coming from below them.
"I hope not." Bailey said.
"I think it is. I wonder if that is what is wrong with the ship." Zack said.
"We need to tell Mr Moseby." Bailey said.
"We need to find Cody. If there is something wrong with this ship I want to know where my brother is." Zack said.
"Let's go and tell Moseby and then head to the games room." Bailey said. They ran through the ship in hopes of finding both Cody and passengers were talking about the ship. They stopped and asked a few class mates if they had seen Cody. All of them said no but would keep an eye out. Moseby was the first one they found, he was on the phone, pacing the floor of the reception area.
"Okay...........will do...........okay." He said. He turned it off and looked to Zack and Bailey.
"You two again." He said."Don't you have homework to do or something?
"Actually yes but............" Zack said.
"I haven't the time for all this hassle now Zack."
"Look Mr Moseby, there is smoke coming from some levels below." Zack said. He took him to the side that they had stood on and they peered over. The smoke was coming out thicker then before.
"Oh my." Moseby said. "Okay no one panic, I need.........we need...........um..........I..........." Moseby stumbled.
"Shouldn't someone go and check that out." Bailey said.
"Oh right yeah. Someone.......check......it...........my poor ship." Moseby said.
"Now is not the time to panic Moseby." Zack said.
"Right, no panic, no reason. The ship is just smoking............argghh" Moseby yelled. Zack and Bailey covered their ears.
"Moseby!" Zack yelled. Moseby looked at him.
"It's okay. I am sure it's fine. That was Mr Tipton on the phone, he is sending some help and I have sent some stewards to go and check the extent of the problem, I guess I had better send someone to check out the smoke. We might need to evacuate the ship."
"Really? Is it that serious?" Bailey asked.
"It's better to be safe then sorry as they say." Moseby replied.
"I still haven't found Cody." Zack said.
"I wish I could help you Zack but I must............"
"We know, you have to figure out what is wrong with the ship." Bailey said. "We have London and Woody helping us." Moseby turned to Zack.
"You will find him, try not to worry. Cody is sensible and I am sure he is okay. If it helps I will get someone to make an announcement for Cody to contact us. If he is sat somewhere studying, he will hear it and reply."
"Thanks Mr Moseby."
"I think of Cody as one of my own so it is worrying that he is missing." The ship shook again and once again the group found themselves on the floor.
"This is getting a bit silly." Zack said. He got up and looked as Bailey got up. Moseby got up slowly.
"Everyone okay?" Bailey asked.
"Sure." Zack replied. "Moseby........Moseby!"
"Okay, I am okay........I will sort it." Moseby said. He walked off and the teens looked at each other.
"You really think there is something horribly wrong with this ship?" Bailey asked.
"I have no idea. But the sooner we find Cody the better."
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Cody stood there looking at the broken door, the handle in his hand.
"This type of thing only happens in comedy movies." He said. He went to the door and looked at it, hoping to see something that may help. But there was nothing. The door was stuck in place. It was a big solid door and he had no hope of budging it. But he tried it. He pushed his shoulder up against it. It didn't move.
"Not helpful Cody." He said rubbing his now sore shoulders. Maybe if he kicked the door near the handle it might dislodge it. He stepped back and kicked hard. It didn't move and Cody stumbled back, pain shooting up his leg.
"Ow!! That wasn't good either. I am going to be achy in the morning." He thought.
He looked at the hinges of the door. Maybe he could undo them and loosen the door so he could push it down. But they were rusty and old. No chance of unscrewing them. Now he had ruled out the hinges, the handle......as that was currently in his hand.
It was a thick door and ramming it would probably break the item used to ram it, or even break bones in his body. He played with the handle. Maybe he could fix it back on? He examined the door handle and tried to attach it back on. But the whole handle seemed to have become rusted and had lost all its grip. He went over to the drawers on the desk and looked through them. He wasn't sure what for but if he found something that looked like it could help, he was going to use it. But the drawers were all empty.
He sat down in despair, he knew he would never hear the end of this from Zack. He would make jokes and embarrass him as usual. Cody would have to think up a good story to explain it all. He leant back and realised he was sat on something. His cellphone. He pulled his phone from his pocket. But he couldn't get a signal on it. Maybe he could send a text message. He wrote a 'help me' message to Zack and tried to send it but it wouldn't go.
Damn it, he thought. Okay don't panic, what do they do in the movies? Normally they find an escape hole somewhere. Okay, there must be one somewhere, he thought. He looked around the room. All there was in front of him was the chair, desk, a bed and some shelves with books on them. He looked up to the ceiling and around the corners, but nothing.
Then his eyes stopped when he saw a vent in the ceiling, partly hidden by the shelves. Just like the vents in the hotel. He was used to crawling through them and knew he could find a way out from them. He dragged the chair over and got on it. He reached up but he was slightly short of reaching it. He looked to the shelves, he knew they would be too unstable to take his weight.
Maybe he could get the vent open. He needed a long stick, like a broom. But he couldn't see anything. He decided to try the shelves, maybe he could gently lean on them.
He reached up but a loud sound shook the boat.
He was thrown from the chair and hit the ground.
He didn't move.