"What do they mean empty handed?", Kai asked holding the note up for everyone to read, "What could they possibly want from us?"
"I don't know." Zane replied, "But I suggest we start moving." With that, Kai slipped the note in his back pocket and looked to his brothers. "Any ideas?" Kai asked. They all knew that if they wanted to get their brother back safe, they needed a plan and they needed one fast. The boys stared at each other blankly as they looked through their pockets for something of value. With no luck, they all shook their heads in disappointment.
"What if they want us?", Jay asked, "I mean, how did we even get into this situation?"
"Assassins were chasing us, and we got stuck here." Lloyd answered and rolled his eyes as if it were obvious.
"Sure, but why were we running from them? Do any of you recall a bracelet that they all wear on their wrist?" Kai though back to the affair him and Zane had with an assassin not to long ago. He did remember a silver bracelet on his wrist. He remembered seeing something metal in his palm also, but Kai couldn't see where Jay was going with this.
"Ya I remember." Kai said. Jay nodded.
"What if they're after our powers? Maybe even our lives?" Jay said calmly looking at his team mates. It was certainly a possibility but nobody wanted to believe it.
"There is only one way to find out." Zane said pushing away from the group and heading for room 205, which was down the hall from where they were standing. As he was about to turn the knob, Zane felt a warm hand on his shoulder and froze.
"Zane, let me go in first." Kai demanded pulling him away. "This whole thing is my fault."
Kai turned the knob slowly and stuck his head inside. The dark room was dimly lighted by a candlestick that sat on large, dusty book shelf. Sitting in the center of the room was Cole, looking weak and dead. He was tied to a wooden chair with his arms behind his back and his legs tied tightly together. a white piece of cloth was used as a gag and his head hung, his body only being held up against the chair by yet another rope.
Kai didn't hesitate. He ran over to Cole swiftly and silently, leaving the door behind him open in case of trouble. He got down on his knees in front of Cole and shook him gently. "Cole?" Kai whispered as he shook him again. "Cole wake up please. We have to get out of here."
Cole's eyes fluttered open and his head shot up in surprise. Kai motioned for him to be quiet, but Cole continued to mumble under the white cloth. He shook his head frantically and his eyes shot wide open in fear. Kai pulled the cloth from his mouth and Cole began to breath heavily. "You have to get out of here!", Cole shouted, coughing. "It's a trap! They want you all dead, including me." Kai gasped.
"What? Why?", Kai asked in a whisper. Cole opened his mouth to talk but then closed it and looked behind him in fear. Kai turned around to find a tall man in all black standing behind him. The door which he left open was now closed and locked and both Kai and Cole knew deep inside that they were in trouble.
"Trying to cheat huh boys?" The man said in a deep, scratchy voice. "Did you bring your friends?" ade his heart thump. "No sir, I'm alone." Kai replied looking at the locked door, thinking of his friends who were still standing right outside the door. Cole shivered; knowing that Kai gave the wrong answer.
"That's just too bad." The man said, circling him. In one motion, the man pulled out a knife, grabbed Kai by the neck and put it to his throat. "If you even try to fight me, the blade with cut through you faster than you can scream for help." Kai coughed and gagged at the man's tight grip and nodded miserably. There was nothing he could do about it.