Kidnapped

Chapter 8: The Strange Caller

"Hello?" I asked. "Is someone there?" No response. The unknown caller kept breathing on the speaker phone. "What's wrong?" asked Luke.

Trembling, I hung up the phone and shoved it back in my pocket. "Nothing," I lied. "Are you sure?" Luke asked. "You look pale." "I'm going home," I said. "I'll see you some other time."

"Okay," Luke said. "Bye." I ran out of the secret room then rushed back into my house. When I came home, Charlie was still sleeping on the couch while Mom was calling her friend, Sarah from Michigan.

I tiptoed slowly up the stairs and closed the door behind me. All of a sudden, the phone buzzed again. This time, I turned off my cellphone and laid it on my desk.

Questions were popping up my mind. How did this person know my number? Who is this guy? Why is he calling me? Much to my surprise, my phone buzzed one more time.

I slowly turned my head towards it. Didn't I just turned it off? I thought. Picking up the phone, I pressed the Answer Call button and sighed. "Who is this?" I demanded. "Is this a prank?" Still, there was no response.

Just when I was about to hang up the phone, a voice cried out. "Wait!" it croaked. I halted in my tracks. "Who are you?" I asked. "My name is not important," the voice rasped. "I am your friend, here to give you some advice."

"What do you mean, advice?" I asked. "You're going to the museum, right?" the voice continued, ignoring my question. "Yes," I answered. "How did you know that?"

"In a few hours," the voice explained. "Stores are about to be robbed. And you and that boy are in deep trouble." I let out a bitter laugh. "Really?" I chuckled. "How do I know you are not telling the truth?"

"You're the detective, Nancy." the voice rasped. "Do the math." The unknown caller hung up, leaving me extremely confused. I was desperate to tell Mom and Charlie, but I was afraid that they wouldn't believe me as well as the police.

Suddenly, I wanted to learn more about the caller. The two things I know about him is that he must be either a stalker or a hacker, trying to be a good guy.

But even if he was a hacker, he could have told me through my computer or text me. And if he was a stalker, I would've heard him snapping of a camera or see a shadowed figure, standing on my lawn.

What would VelmaDinkleyorVeronica Mars would do? I thought to myself. Either of them would have done something rather than just sit on their beds, doing nothing but panic.

Maybe tomorrow I should explain the whole thing to Luke. Even though he is mysterious, Luke was my best and only friend who likes the same things I do.

"Cole," Mom called. "Come downstairs!" "Coming!" I cried out. I could hear my footsteps pressing against the soft carpet of the stairs.

After I came out of my room, there was a strange surprise: Luke showed up in the house, sitting on the cushions of the couch. His face appeared to be sullen and withdrawn.

"Hey Cole," Luke said. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" Mom gave me a questionable look then left us to ourselves. "Hey Luke," I said. "How's it going?"

"Fine," Luke insists. "Until you started freaking out." My smile fell flat. "Something is wrong," Luke sighed. "Is it?" I shook my head. "You're not looking at my face," Luke explained. "Your hands are sweaty, and you keep chewing on your lip."

I instantly stopped biting on my bottom lip. I hate it when he does that. "Fine," I groaned. "Let's talk in private." Luke nodded then followed me into the bathroom.

After I closed the door, I began telling Luke about the mysterious call I had. When I was finished, Luke's face didn't look surprised. "I have been getting the same call too," Luke admitted. "About some myth that we are going to get kidnapped or something."

"Who made that call, first of all?" I asked. Luke gave me a look. "Well don't look at me, I'm not a crime movie." Luke whined. "I know," I stated. "But you have read nearly every Sherlock Holmes franchise."

"Nearly?" Luke scoffed. "I just read one chapter of Scandal of Bohemia." "Whatever!" I hissed. "What would Sherlock do?" "Find the suspects," Luke answered. "Gather clues, and use his deduction skills."

"Right," I said. "What if we could-" Someone rapped his or her knuckles on the door. "It's me, Charlie." the voice replied. "Sorry," I cried, opening the door.

Charlie walked in and immediately notices Luke in the bathroom. "What's going on?" Charlie asked with uncertainty. "I was just leaving," Luke explained nervously. "See you Cole."

I nodded and let Luke squeeze past Charlie and scampered away. I was about to leave until Charlie blocked my path. "Exactly, what were you two doing in the bathroom?" he asked.

"Nothing," I answered. Nice answer, Cole. Now Charlie thinks that Luke and I were kissing behind his back. "I have to do my homework." When Charlie intervened, I groaned in protest.

"Look Charlie," I said. "We weren't doing anything! We were just talking about the field trip, okay?" "There's something I need to show you," he said. He led me to the living room where Charlie turned the television on and switched to the news.

"Why are we watching the news?" I asked. Charlie put a finger to his lips and made me watch the screen. "Breaking news," the anchorman announced. "It seems to be a robbery happening in two clothing and grocery stores."

"What?" I shrieked. The news flickered to the camera footages. "It seemed to be four robbers broke into Macy's and JC Penny and stole everything on site. From jewelry to fashion clothes."

"Why are you showing me this?" I asked. Charlie shut off the TV and sighed. "People think that one of the robbers was your art teacher, Ms. Pepper."

Ms. Pepper? I thought. She was a bit loony and strict, but I wouldn't think she would ever rob a bank. "Cole," Charlie said. "Did this woman try to hurt you?"

"No," I answered truthfully. "Ms. Pepper wouldn't hurt anyone." Mom came to the living room, her eyes were worn and tired. When she saw me and Charlie, she was frowning.

"What's going on?" Mom asked. I told her what happened on the news. "Dear goodness," she gasped. "We shouldn't have move to California," Charlie sighed. "We should go back to Michigan."

"No, we are not!" I cried. "We are here to start our lives over. That's what you and Mom think. Isn't it?" Charlie and Mom didn't say anything.

All of a sudden, my cellphone rang. But this time, it squirmed like an insect. I took my phone in my room where I hesitantly answered it.

"Did you see it?" the voice asked.

Cast

Robbie Kay as Benjamin Hamilton

Cole Porter as Zendaya Coleman

Elizabeth Mitchell as Willow Porter