When Push Comes to Shove

WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE

$20,000 was a LOT of money! But then again, maybe it wasn’t. Trevor knew what he had to do. He’d thought about it long enough. He lit the match as he pondered his life over the last week. The flame crawled toward his fingers and the pain startled him back to reality. He dropped the match, followed it intently to the pile, and just stood there as he watched it all go up in flames! It was gone, all of it, just like that.

ABOUT A WEEK EARLIER. Trevor had reached the end of his rope. He’d tied a knot in it and had been holding on for years. He just couldn’t anymore. Something had to change. If you asked Trevor, he was failing in life, barely tolerating his desk job in his cubicle, he had very few friends, and he couldn’t sleep. He was so unsure of himself and he didn’t know why he was the way he was. Trevor was shy and reserved. Of course, nobody knew that. He was always the life of the party, if he even partied. He was always pleasant to talk to. People loved his company. But that was them. That wasn’t Trevor. People exhausted him. He was intelligent enough, but you couldn’t tell because he always seemed to spend most of his time inside his own head. He knew it too. He couldn’t help it though; he loved the person he was. For Trevor, the world inside his head was perfect. He retreated there often to escape the realities of real life. Trevor was socially awkward. He was at complete peace when he was all alone. He couldn’t stand the small-talk, the politics, the people-pleasing, the accolades, the things people talked about and referred to as “normal”. He avoided the crowd when he had to, but immersed himself completely in it when needed. Was it to feel as if he belonged? Or maybe it was for the anonymity. Even he didn’t know. The only time Trevor felt as if he was somebody, was when he was nobody. But lately, being nobody wasn’t enough! He needed a break. Badly!

Just a couple more minutes and he’d be off on vacation for 2 whole weeks! He was going to his cabin in the deep woods of Oregon. He loved the mountains. The tranquility and solitude, the soft sounds of the babbling brook, the gentle breeze in the tall pines, the smells, the colors; everything about it just conjured peace and perfection. “Ugh!”, he thought to himself, “2 weeks of pure bliss, but does Avery really have to go with me?” Yes, he did. Trevor had promised him months ago. Avery was Trevor’s best friend and workmate. As much as he loved Avery, Trevor loved the solitude more. And yet, solitude was a thorn in his side. He hated being so introverted. He knew he had to push himself to change. And that’s why he agreed when Avery invited himself on his vacation time. Avery and Trevor grew up together. Nobody knew Trevor more than Avery did. He knew what made him tick and what set him off. He knew Trevor needed this break. He knew Trevor was slowly dying inside. And Avery knew that he had to do something. Avery had asked Trevor if he could plan it all out. Trevor agreed. Trevor was the planner, to a fault sometimes. But he conceded because it was Avery, and because he knew if he planned it himself, it wouldn’t really be a vacation if all he did was think about his life and work.

Avery had planned everything! He knew how particular Trevor was, so he made sure the itinerary was scheduled down to the minute; every outing, every meal, how much sleep, EVERYTHING! He even talked Trevor into letting him pay for the flight and meals. Trevor agreed. He didn’t feel bad about it. Avery came from money. He didn’t even really have to work. He just liked to. Nobody knew how he came into money. Trevor just knew he had connections. Plus, it just made sense, since they were saving money by staying at Trevor’s cabin.

Trevor often wondered why he still even owned that thing. It was old. He inherited it from his parents. Both of his parents had died a few years back. Trevor didn’t know why he held on to it. Was it for sentimental reasons? Trevor wasn’t good at showing emotion, bottling everything in. Surely it wasn’t sentimental. Maybe it was the income the cabin brought in. He’d listed it with a rental agency shortly after his dad died. However, his visions of grandeur slowly fizzled out as he discovered how much work the place needed. Most people overlooked the listing. Actually, it hadn’t been rented out in over 2 years. Trevor was kind of nervous to see what condition it was in. He’d never had the time to work on it, especially since it was out of state. He didn’t have the money either. Maybe he could get some things done on his downtime. “Surely Avery didn’t allow for that in his plans”, he thought. Trevor’s wheels started turning as he started making plans of his own. “What if I sleep less than 8 hours? What if we hurry through a few things? What if I say I’m sick one day and stay home? Maybe I can get some things done”, he pondered. Then again, he was going to be on vacation. He thought about that some more. He couldn’t remember the last time he took a real vacation. He was always so busy. He was a jack-of-all-trades, as it were. He had a million hobbies, a full-time job he tolerated, a part-time job, and a side business. And he was pretty good at it. He was a natural at that sort of thing, at all kinds of things really. Ever since his parents passed away however, he hadn’t really taken any time for himself. It was time.

“It’s time”! Avery said. Trevor was lost deep in thought. “Trevor! Trevor!” Avery had to reach out, shake him by the shoulder and bring him back to the present.

“What?”, Trevor replied.

“It’s 3:00!”, he said. “We gotta go to your house and pick up your things still. Did you finish packing last night? The flight is at 7:00. We don’t have that much time.”

“Just about”, Trevor said. “I just thought about packing a few extra things for the woods. Can you at least tell me if we’re going to spend any time doing woodsy things?”

“No! If I tell you, you’re going to change everything. So, no!” It didn’t matter. Trevor was a little OCD about that kind of thing. He didn’t really need to ask. He was going to do it anyway. They got to Trevor’s house. “Geez!” said Avery, “how many suitcases are you taking? We’re only going for 2 weeks!”

“It’s your fault! If you would have told me, I could have planned accordingly. Why’d I agree to this? I don’t even know if it’s going to be cold or hot, if we’re going swimming, if we’re going hiking, if we’re going anywhere that I need formal wear. I had to plan for everything, because you won’t tell me anything!”

“Okay! Okay! Relax man!”, exclaimed Avery. “It will be fine! Besides, you’re there to relax! Just trust me!” They grabbed his belongings and started toward the car. Just then, Avery’s phone rang. He answered. “Hello?” There was a brief pause. “Who is this?” Another pause. “Who is this!?”, Avery demanded. Avery looked a little puzzled as the phone hung up.

“Who was it?”

“Meh, I don’t know. Just a prank caller, probably”, said Avery. “They just hung up”.

“Weird”, said Trevor as he finished putting the suitcases in the car. “Wait! One suitcase? That’s all you brought?”

“Yeah, I’m not like you. I only needed a few pants and a few shirts and some socks and stuff. Besides, I have another backpack up front with some camping stuff, tape, rope, snacks.”

“Great! Now I really feel like I overpacked!”

“Good grief Trevor! You think too much! Just RELAX ALREADY! You’re kind of starting to get on my nerves! Let’s go already!” Avery’s patience was wearing a little thin, but he knew Trevor needed this break and Avery was going to make sure he got it. Off they went to the airport. 45 minutes later, they arrived, checked in their luggage, cleared security and sat down, waiting for their flight. It was going to be a long one! Well, it wasn’t that long, but both of them had already worked an 8-hour shift. What they really wanted was to climb into bed and wake up refreshed for 2 weeks of adventure. Their flight had just arrived. They began pre-boarding. Avery’s phone rang again. “It’s that same number”, he said as he answered. “Hello?” This time Avery’s face looked a little flush. It was obvious that he was confused, as he began looking around the room. The caller hung up.

“Who was it?” Avery continued looking around the room. “Avery, who was it? What are you looking for?”, asked Trevor.

“I don’t know. They just said, “I’m watching you””. Trevor looked around for a second, also looking for an unknown face in the crowd. Nothing seemed out of place. Everyone was busy about their own conversations and mostly everyone was with their families, except a few lone passengers, and a group of students travelling back home. “It doesn’t matter. Like I said before, it’s probably just a prank caller. Probably some stupid kid. It’s Friday night. You know how it is!”

Trevor asked, “Don’t you think you should report it to security?”

“Really? Think about it. We’re getting ready to board a plane. If anyone followed us, or really was watching us, don’t you think they’d have to be on our flight. Nobody here was on the phone. Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing! Come on! We’re next!”

They boarded the plane. Trevor couldn’t help but to feel uneasy as he continued looking back, checking over his shoulder, scoping out and analyzing every single passenger on the plane. Too old! Too young. They have 3 kids. That guy looks like he’s too busy with his newspaper. That other guy didn’t even speak English. Really, it didn’t look like any single one of them could have done anything like that. Still, it was rather odd. He reached in his bag and grabbed his earphones, turned on some music, and finally dozed off. Avery was kind of relieved. Poor Trevor really needed to relax. It seemed like maybe he was finally starting to let loose. A few hours later the plane landed. It was a very smooth flight. Trevor slept through it all. Finally, Avery stood up and tapped Trevor on the shoulder. Trevor, startled from the tap, gasped loudly as he jumped up, sweating profusely. “What happened?! Are you okay? Where did they hit you?”, asked a very confused Trevor.

“Woah, woah! It’s okay! Calm down, man! You were just dreaming! Are you okay? We’re here.”

“I thought you… I thought… I! Are you sure you’re okay? Someone was after us. After you! You got shot!” Trevor looked around, realizing he was still on the plane, now everyone staring at him.

“You okay?”, Avery asked. “Relax man. You were just dreaming. You and your wild ideas! What kind of music were you listening to? Come on, we’re here! Let’s go have some fun! RELAX ALREADY! Will you? Everything’s fine! You’ll see, you’re going to have a blast! Come on, let’s go! We still have a one-and-a-half-hour drive to your house. They de-boarded the plane and were waiting at the luggage carousel. Finally, Trevor’s 500 suitcases rolled up and Avery gave Trevor an eye-roll smile. They waited a while longer. It was kind of odd since they boarded together that their luggage didn’t arrive near each other. They waited and waited. Finally, the belt stopped. Everyone was now gone, except them. Avery was a little puzzled. They walked to the nearest manned kiosk to inquire of his luggage.

“The attendant at the desk said, “I’m sorry sir, but your luggage has instructions to return to Texas.”

“How can that be? I’m here. How can I be here and my luggage be returned home?”, Avery asked.

“I’m not sure sir. But the luggage ticket reads, “Continuing Transport to Texas” in the system. Avery was beginning to look flustered. “Sir, I’m sorry. That plane has already departed back to Texas. If you’d like, I can put a call into Houston Airport and make sure that luggage is returned immediately.”

Avery thought about it a second, then said, “You know, it will be there when I get back. We can go shopping in the morning for a minute on the way to our first stop. Besides, I still have my backpack. I’m not going to let some clothes ruin our trip. We’re here for fun!” It was kind of unusual for Avery to let things go so easily. He could be as unabating as Trevor. But Trevor was tired, he didn’t care. He liked the idea. Maybe he could pick up some souvenirs wherever they stopped. They picked up their vehicle, put in their belongings and were on their way. The drive was really pretty. Too bad it was dark already. They met no vehicles on the way. The road wound through the forest in hairpin turns, up hills, across lakes. The drive would have been serene if only they could see it. Well, it didn’t matter. They could see it in the day sometime. For the moment it was quiet, just the way Trevor liked it. Avery’s phone rang. They looked at each other. “Really? Who could be calling at this time of night?” He answered, “Hello?” Trevor tried to listen.

“I’m watching you.” Cold chills ran down their backs. The caller continued, “I see you’ve landed safely. Excellent!”. Trevor started panicking! The call ended.

Avery just laughed, “You’re playing a joke on me! It was you all along, wasn’t it? Who did you tell you were coming out here?”

“Only Linda”, said Trevor, “but it wasn’t me! I don’t know what’s going on. This is just crazy. Maybe we should just go to the police right now. Maybe we should just turn around and forget all this. I don’t care if I have to pay extra to get on a flight right now! This is freaking me out man!”

“Dude! Come on! Someone’s yanking our chain! It’s probably Michael from the office! He doesn’t like you! And yeah, he’s a creep. Maybe he overheard your conversation with Linda and is just pulling one on you. Will you PLEASE stop worrying!? For crying out loud, RELAX ALREADY!”

They rolled into the driveway of the cabin. “I’d feel much safer if we checked things out before we decide to settle for the night”, said Trevor.

“Sounds good. If you’re so worried, I’ll drive around the cabin. I have a flashlight in my pack. Then we’ll go in together. I’m sure there’s a tire iron in here. You take that, I’ll take my flashlight”. They drove around. “See, nothing!”

“Okay, maybe I’m just on edge from work, but let’s check out the inside too”. They walked toward the door. The locks were intact, nothing seemed out of place. They opened the door. A mouse scurried across the floor. “Great, now we have rats!”

“It’s the middle of the woods! You’re going to have that kind of thing! Come on! Let’s finish checking things out and hit the sack! I’m exhausted!”

“Okay. Gosh, this place is a mess! We need to fix that gap under the door. Look at all this dust and cobwebs. Maybe tomorrow?”

“DUDE! GO TO BED ALREADY! We already have plans for tomorrow! First stop is breakfast! Then we’re going to the falls. Just go to bed, alright?!”

They locked their doors to their rooms. It wasn’t even 45 minutes later and Avery knocked on Trevor’s door. “You okay?” he asked?

Trevor responded, “I’m fine. Thanks for waking me up! What time is it?”

“It’s still dark. It sounded like you fell. You okay?”

“I’m still in bed”, Trevor replied grumbling.

Just then, they heard another sound coming from outside. Avery grabbed his backpack and took his flashlight out as he ran outside. Trevor froze. “Probably a bear”, he thought. “Avery?”, he whispered loudly. Suddenly Avery let out a blood-curdling scream. The sound of gunshots filled the air and you could hear tires grinding on the ground as the sound of a motor revving up as it sped away and lights flashing all around. Trevor was still frozen out of fear. He fumbled for his phone. “Avery!?”, he yelled. “AVERY!?” There was no answer. He grabbed the lantern near his bed and turned it on. He was petrified! Still, he made it to the door, and made sure it was still locked. He wasn’t going to step outside until he heard something. He tried calling the police. The line was dead. Now Trevor’s heart was pounding. He curled into a little ball between the door and the dresser. He listened. For 20 minutes Trevor trembled in this position, listening for any little thing he could pick up on. Just silence. He tried his phone again. Still dead. “AVERY!!!” Nothing. Trevor mustered up enough courage to peek out the window. He stood there barely peeking for another 20 minutes. Finally, he decided he couldn’t stay there forever, and with no other sounds, he went outside, slowly.

Avery’s backpack laid on the ground next to the flashlight. “AVERY!?” he yelled. “AVERY!?” Still no sound. There were no other signs of anything except tire marks belonging to the vehicle that had long since disappeared. Once the tires hit asphalt, the marks were gone. Trevor grabbed Avery’s backpack and ran inside, still looking over his shoulder constantly. Trevor had just made it inside when his phone rang. “That’s impossible!” he thought. “How could someone be calling me when the line’s dead?” He answered. “Hello?”

“Trevor”, said a cold, rough voice on the other end.

“Who are you? What do you want with me?! Where’s A…?”

“I ASK THE QUESTIONS HERE!”, interrupted the caller, gruffly. “Do you know why I’m calling? I’ve been waiting for you! It’s time! I have your friend. He’s fine….for the moment. But you’d better listen to me. If you want to see your friend alive again, do EXACLTY as I say! UNDERSTAND?!”

Trevor was scared! He asked softly, “What do you want?”.

“You’ll know when the time comes. For now, I’ve left something for you inside the bag your friend was carrying. And remember, don’t try calling the police. I’m in control. Your phone will only work when I want it to work. If you want to see your friend alive again, you won’t get anyone else involved.” The line went dead.

Trevor picked up Avery’s bag. It was empty, except a small package. He opened the package slowly, not knowing what to expect. Layer by layer he unwrapped it. Finally, the contents began to present themselves: a little black book, a folded document, some keys, some gloves, sunglasses. Trevor was puzzled at the contents. The folded document read, “Start here”. Trevor opened it. It read, “Instructions. Go to Port-Union Bus Station in the city. Locker 916. Use the gold key. Wear a disguise. Don’t get caught. Open the locker at exactly 12:14 tomorrow afternoon.” Now Trevor was more puzzled, but he was intrigued. Who was the caller? Why was Trevor involved? What was in the locker? What was going to happen? He opened the little black book. The first page listed the instructions again. He thumbed through it. It had some names, addresses, numbers, dates. Who were these people? These places? So many questions ran through Trevor’s mind. Trevor was exhausted. He continued analyzing the contents. As scared and confused as he was, sleep finally got the better of him, and too late, because the sun was just beginning to rise.

A few hours later, his phone buzzed. It startled him awake, as he shot straight up! “It’s time”, read a text message on his phone. The number was blocked. He looked at his watch. 11:00. Suddenly his adrenaline started racing, he still had to drive into the city, to the bus station and get to the locker! He raced frantically, getting ready, grabbing things from his luggage, stuffing extra stuff in Avery’s bag, and finally he was off. Nobody had ever made it to the city in the time Trevor did. He got to the bus station, not wanting to attract any attention, running to get to the locker. It didn’t matter. Everyone else seemed to be running late, also running. He got close to the hallway and stopped running, now eyeing every person through his sunglasses. He pulled the brim of his cap down. He’d put on the gloves that he found in the bag. Finally, he saw the locker. He was sweating now. He walked around for a minute, looking intently to see who might be watching. No takers. He reached in his pocket. He could feel the cold hard key digging into his hand as he made a fist around it. “Be calm”, he thought to himself. He took a deep breath. “916. Be calm. Be calm!” He walked over to the locker, did another look-around, slipped the key in the lock and turned. Gulp! He slowly opened the locker. He turned again. He felt so uneasy as he reached inside. Another bag. There was a note on top. It said, “Take the bag and walk slowly back to your vehicle.”

Trevor clutched the bag, even tighter than he held the key. He was sweating even more now and felt nervous as people eyed his look. He was supposed to be inconspicuous, but he stood out like a sore thumb. He closed the locker, kept his stare to the ground and walked to the car. People bumped him as the crowd grew larger. It seemed like an eternity, but finally Trevor made it back to his car. He sat there quietly for a moment, checking to see if he’d been followed. He thought about what was happening, about Avery, about his ruined vacation, and he just broke down. Everything was just too much! Finally he regained his composure and begin driving away. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do at this point, but he couldn’t stay. His phone rang. The number was blocked, yet again.

“Hello?”, he trembled.

“Do you have it?” the voice asked.

“Yes”.

“Good. I’ll be in touch in a week. Remember, you talk to nobody!”

“A week!?” The call went dead. Trevor couldn’t believe it. A week? For what? What was going to happen in a week? Trevor drove home as fast as he could. He was curious about the contents of the bag, but he was scared. The whole time he drove, he kept checking his phone. Still no signal. He kept checking his mirrors. Nobody was following. This didn’t make sense! Trevor rolled into his driveway and sat in silence for a minute, looking around. Now in the daylight, Trevor could make things out better, and he wasn’t as terrified. The place was falling apart. And for the first time, it didn’t seem as comfortable as he’d remembered. He was sick to his stomach. All he could think about was how Avery was, and that voice. That voice! It seemed so familiar, but not. Who could it be? What was going to happen? Trevor couldn’t bear the thought of waiting a week. He threw up on the spot. After a minute, he wiped his face with his sleeve. He grabbed the bag from the car and cautiously went inside. He listened intently and smelled the air, looking for any sign of an intruder. It was silent, and all he could smell was dust and pine.

Trevor walked through the house just to make sure. He found nothing. He took a seat and just stared at the bag for nearly an hour. A million thoughts ran through his mind. He finally grabbed the bag, took it to the kitchen table and emptied it out. His eyes got big as saucers. He could not believe what he was looking at. Bundles and bundles of money! What did this mean? He just stared in amazement! He was still wearing the gloves, too scared to take them off now. He thumbed through a bundle. It seemed like mostly 5’s and 10’s, a few 20’s. He estimated the total to be roughly $20,000.00. What was this? Where’d it come from? Why did the caller have him pick this up? So many questions! $20,000 didn’t seem like a lot of money. But, when it came down to it, for Trevor, it was! Cold, hard cash! His fears began to return. What was he going to do with it? Where would he keep it? Was it stolen? Who was the caller? He didn’t feel safe. He had to figure things out.

He slowly picked up the bundles, one by one, returning them to the bag. Just as he was picking up the last bundle, he saw a small piece of pink paper sticking in the middle. He pulled it out, carefully, marking the exact spot he took it from, just in case. He opened it. There was a word – PRINCESS! That word sounded familiar. He’d just read it somewhere. He remembered. The little black book! He ran to get the book. He opened it to where he’d seen the name. It read, “PRINCESS 2581”. Trevor thought and thought about this. He couldn’t figure it out. What was the meaning? What was Princess? How could he find out? He didn’t know. He was tired. All this excitement, worry and frustration just got to him. He needed a nap. He hadn’t slept much and his vacation was already ruined. He still felt ill to his stomach and he just needed to rest. He checked the surroundings again to make sure nobody was around. He locked the doors, went to his bedroom, locked it also, and fell asleep.

Trevor finally woke up again, a little disoriented. He still felt sick. It was dark. It seemed like he’d slept the whole day away. He had! It was already 9 pm. No wonder he felt sick. With all the stress, and he hadn’t eaten anything. Trevor had some snacks in his pack. He could at least munch on that. He’d have to get to the store to buy some groceries. He walked to the kitchen where his pack was. He passed Avery’s room on the way. He stopped, as he stared into the lonely and empty room. How could his friend be? He hoped he was okay. He worried for him, but something told him he was okay, at least for the time being. He had $20,000. That had to mean something. He sat down to eat as he contemplated everything. The longer he thought, the angrier he got. Angry at himself for being such a coward. Angry at Avery for not taking the call seriously. Angry at life. Angry at his parents for leaving him so destitute in the world. Angry at the mysterious caller. Angry at his job! Angry at the fact that he’d have to wait almost another week to play this stupid game that was being played on him. TREVOR HAD HAD ENOUGH!! He had to do something! He thought and thought. Finally, Trevor came up with a plan of his own. He was tired of being a pushover. He was tired of being taken advantage of. He was tired of this game. It was time Trevor took control. It was Trevor’s game now! He had 6 days. It was time Trevor emerged from his shell, from his mind, and put all his frustration to work!

Trevor finished chowing down on the snacks. He knew what he had to do. He’d have to start early the next morning. He could barely sleep any more. He tossed all night, working out his plan, devising every last detail. Finally, morning came! He took a shower and got dressed for adventure. He was on a mission. First stop, an electronics store. Trevor was smart. If anyone was going to outsmart Avery’s kidnapper, it would be Trevor. Trevor dug a hole under some loose floorboards in a closet. He put the bag with the money in it, covered everything back up, and made sure to leave it as if nothing had ever been there. Trevor grabbed some more items and put them in his pack. Finally, Trevor was off. He made a list in his head while he drove. He got to the store and meticulously scanned the shelves for things he could use: wireless cameras, a couple extra cell phones, a tracking device, a satellite GPS, some 2-way radios, some binoculars. He made a few other stops for some miscellaneous items.

Trevor returned home and started to work. He was running out of time. He dumped out all his purchases on the table, fumbling with the electronics, soldering things, taping things, taking things apart, making a plan. Trevor sat down playing with the new cell phone. He had tweaked it a bit. It could no longer be traced. And, as long as the caller didn’t know he had it, Trevor had the upper hand. He started by looking up the name he had discovered the day before. He typed, “PRINCESS!”. He tried so many possibilities and combinations and spellings. There were thousands of references to Princesses in the city. He looked at the peculiar writing on the piece of paper over and over. It was so script-like. Why? Why would someone have taken the time to write something so ambiguous, so artfully? What could it mean? He couldn’t think anymore. His eyes were hurting from so much searching. He set his phone down against his cup, tossed the paper on the table and threw his hands up, pulling on his hair in frustration. He had to keep trying! He glanced back down at the paper, now laying in front of his phone. Suddenly, it caught his attention. The reflection! It wasn’t the same. Of course! It was an ambigram! He loved those things. He knew all about them, as he was always trying to create them himself. He read the reflection carefully. ISABELLE! So clever! Trevor looked back at the book. Princess 2581. He wrote down 2581 next to the word PRINCESS! on the piece of paper. He looked in the reflection again. 1852 ISABELLE. It’s an address! He quickly entered the information into his phone. Immediately, the results came in. It WAS an address! Pair o’ Dice Pier, 1852 Isabelle Drive. It was on the coast. He had to check this place out! He immediately drove down to the coast. His heart was racing as he drove down to investigate the new clue. If anything, he could escape the eeriness of his cabin and the drive would take his mind off of Avery. When he finally arrived, he practically flew out of his car.

What was this place? It was a casino on the water! It was stunning! The architecture was impeccable! The aesthetics of the place was breathtaking! It really did seem like a paradise! Was this his next clue? Where was it? He walked around the casino for hours. So many people! So many distractions! It could be anything. The longer he walked, the more disappointed he became. He walked corridors, gardens, the pier, the bathrooms, the beach, and he couldn’t come up with anything. In a world with a million sites and views, thousands of people, hundreds of colors, and countless objects, it was beginning to look like the clue led to nowhere. Maybe this just wasn’t the place. He hung his head low as he headed back to the car, defeated. In the distance he could hear the dock master yelling out, “Last ride for a Paradise sunset”!

“What the heck”, he thought, “It’s almost going to get dark. I’ve come this far, why not?” He thought to himself, it seemed kind of selfish for him to be enjoying himself when Avery could be who-knows-where, in who-knows-what conditions. “He really wanted me to enjoy my vacation. Besides, maybe I can relax and think out my plan some more”. He walked toward the dock, paid his fee, and boarded the boat. He really enjoyed the water. He often had thought about moving closer to the ocean. He’d wasted so much of his life sulking in his own mind, that he never really had thought about what he really wanted. Maybe this was it. Maybe he was meant to live in paradise. He took a seat near the bow of the ship and took in the salty sea air. The sun was beginning to set and the clouds turned a beautiful pink orange. It was remarkable! He truly couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen anything so beautiful; maybe never! Things really had to change when this was all over, he thought. Still, he was scared. Would he live to tell about it? What was going to happen? Was he going to see Avery again? Suddenly he felt so selfish, being in such a beautiful place. His mind took him back to the task at hand. He had to leave, but he was stuck. Stuck out in the drifting boat, under a beautiful sunset, the cool breeze on his face. A wave struck the boat and splashed him in the face. It startled him. And there he saw something that made him freeze. Another boat, a yacht off shore, drifting as if it were lost. The sunset shadowed it, but he could still make out the name - The Princess Izzy! He couldn’t believe his eyes. Surely this couldn’t be a coincidence!

Trevor had to investigate! But how? As soon as the ride re-docked, Trevor headed back to his car to grab his bag. The Casino and Park would close soon. Security was pretty tight. Trevor had overheard the guys at the Blackjack table talking. Apparently there had been a previous breech in their systems and someone had broken into their vault, stealing millions of dollars. Trevor had to be careful. He hid between the cars, making his way closer to the pier. Just now, under the moonlight, he cast a shadow. It made him nervous. Trevor was running out of time. So was Avery. Trevor finally made it to the water. There was a small skiff tied to the dock. He got in the water, climbed on board, and began to push. Trevor couldn’t afford to draw attention to himself. He couldn’t turn on the engine. He knew he shouldn’t be in the boat, but he had no choice. He had to get to the bottom of this! He used the oar he found, and quietly, slowly pushed himself up as close to the yacht as possible. Trevor saw a rope hanging over the edge. A perfect opportunity. He climbed quietly. He reached the top as he hung on for a minute, listening for any sounds coming from the other side. He peeked over. He could make out a large man standing near the stern. Trevor had to be careful! He slowly and quietly pulled himself up into the boat. It was dark. Trevor’s heart was pounding, but he didn’t care! He was on a mission. He began sneaking around, looking for something. Anything! He could see a light coming from a lower deck. Trevor quietly tiptoed down the stairs. Another guard stood at the other end of a long hallway. There must have been 20 rooms on this deck. Trevor slipped into a doorway. He peeked around the corner to make sure he wasn’t being seen. He scurried across the hall to another doorway, then another, then another.

Finally, Trevor could see the source of the light. The next room was lit up. The sound of several men laughing, whispering, and sounds of metal echoed through the doorway. Trevor tiptoed closer. He was at the window. He peered over the ledge. He couldn’t make it out, but they were stuffing some kind of fish with bags. There was money, too! What was going on? Trevor tiptoed back to the previous doorway. He fumbled through his pack and found the small cameras he’d found. They couldn’t have been any bigger than a quarter. He turned them on, grabbing micro antennas sticking out of them with his teeth, and pulling them out. He quietly ripped some clear tape into small strips. He tiptoed back to the window, took the cameras and mounted them to the ledge. He didn’t know what was happening, but it definitely didn’t seem legal! Could the casino heist and this yacht be tied together? How could he know? He tried to get a better look as he pushed himself against the window. He kicked up a lot of dust that was laying on the ledge. He needed to sneeze. He was trying so hard to hold his breath, but he could not. He tried masking his sneeze as he dug his nose into his elbow. “Achoo!”

Suddenly it got quiet! He could hear footsteps coming toward him. “HEY!”, yelled the guard at the end of the hall. Trevor ran! He didn’t know where he was going, but he ran down one hallway, after another, down stairs, up stairs, in rooms, under tables, and finally found himself at a door. The whole time he could see flashlights in hot pursuit and hear footsteps and voices yelling, “Get him!” The door had a number on it. It read 2581. Trevor had to know. Did this mean something? He could hear someone coming. Trevor tried to open the door. It was locked. He was trapped. He reached in his pocket as he remembered the other key. He quickly took it out and fumbled as he slipped it inside the lock. It opened. It was dark. Trevor just stood completely motionless without so much as even letting out air. The footsteps ran buy. Trevor grabbed his phone and let a little light out. He could make out a window. There were also bags in rows. He looked inside. They were also full of money! He knew he’d stumbled across something big. He had to get out, and he needed to take this to the police. He grabbed a bag. Just then something caught his eye. It was a statue of a crescent moon on a stand. There was a gold plate underneath that read, “The full moon hides the answer”. It puzzled him.

He heard the footsteps returning. He had to move. NOW! He stood up on the stand and reached the window. He opened it, made sure it was safe, and threw the bag out. He barely squeezed through. He closed it. Just as it closed, he could see a light coming from inside the room. “NOTHING HERE!” grumbled a voice. Trevor quickly found his way to the rope. He climbed over the ledge and lowered himself. He made it back down to his boat. It was gone. It didn’t matter. Trevor had to get out of there. He sunk into the water and quietly swam to shore. All the while, he could see flashlights and sounds getting further and further away. Finally, he made it back to shore. He zig-zagged his way back through the bushes and cars, and finally he was safe in his own car. He kept his lights off as he made it out of the parking lot. He raced to his cabin, all the while his heart pounding out of his chest. A smile came over him. He thought about what he’d just done, how he cheated death. Never in his life did he think he had it in him to do something like that! A sense of accomplishment came over him.

Trevor dumped the bag onto the table for a second time. This time it was more! All large bills! There must have been over half a million in this bag! Trevor could not believe his eyes! Trevor sat and thought about things for the rest of the night. He couldn’t sleep! Finally, morning shone through the windows and Trevor opened his eyes. Apparently, he had fallen asleep at some point. He looked at his watch. 4 more days. Or was it 3? Trevor had lost count. His mind was so distracted on what he’d been up against that for all he knew, he might only have 1 more day. He began going over the happenings of the previous day, trying to piece the puzzle together. He looked in his bag and saw that some of the gear had gotten wet. Fortunately, he’d sealed some of it in water-tight bags before he went into the water. He paced back and forth the rest of the day, trying to figure it out. It was useless. There were no new clues.

Another 2 days went by and Trevor was getting desperate! What else could he do? Soon he’d get the phone call. He needed to figure this out before Avery was gone forever. His mind began playing tricks on him. The stress, the anxiety, skipping meals…everything was getting to him. He was hearing noises. Anxiety kept building! He ran to the window to look out into the darkness. Suddenly a shadow made its way across the floor. What was that? Trevor looked out the window again, now a little less intimidated, but his heart still racing. It was a raccoon in the tree. He could make out its silhouette in the moonlight. “THAT’S IT!” he shouted! He ran to find the little black book. He fumbled through the pages.

“The full moon hides the key”.

“Wait a minute” he thought. That’s the same quote that was on the statue! But it said, “The full moon hides the answer”. The book says “key”. He kept repeating it over and over in his head. Finally, it hit him. The TIDE! There must be a connection to the full moon, and the tide. He had to get back down to that peer. He wasn’t wasting any more time! He grabbed his bag, organized the contents, jumped in his car and sped back toward the coast. He made his way back to the beach, carefully watching every movement. Princess Izzy was now docked and tied to the pier. He approached ever so carefully, still trying to decipher the last clue! The moon was still full and the tide was coming up. What was the significance. He continued looking toward the boat, slowly rising with the incoming waves. The boat began to untether. Soon that boat would be over that dock if the tide came in too high.

His eyes opened big! The dock! It was about to disappear! “The moon!”, he whispered in excitement! “The tide! The dock! The full moon hides the answer!” He ran over to the dock, crawled underneath. He was chest deep in water now. He had to move quickly. He grabbed a glow stick from his bag and broke it! It wasn’t much light, but it helped! He tied his pack to the beams. He sank into the water, looking under the waves for the “answer”. He bobbed up again, catching his breath, then going under again! The rocks were scattered there. He overturned them. Nothing! He bobbed up again. The water was almost touching the dock now. He could barely get his head to a breathing space. He caught his breath before going under again. And up he came again for another breath. He gasped for air. He could see the moonlight through the beams and something flickered in the light. There on a nail, near the top of the piling, was a key! He grabbed it, barely! He had to get out from under there! He sunk into the water again, and swam out a way. Finally, he was out! He pulled himself to shore! His pack was gone. He opened his hand. There was the key. It shone like a fish in the light as he caught an inscription on it.

“3rd time’s a charm”, it read.

The tide was still coming in. It washed some debris up to Trevor. He looked out on the ocean and caught another small boat drifting in. The boat looked tattered. It appeared to have been long abandoned. It must have been a one-man boat. It was tiny! As it came closer he could make out the name. “Charming”. His heart began pounding harder. Could these clues really be coming together like this? Surely not! He had to know! He jumped back in the water! He made his way to the boat and climbed onboard. It was empty. He began looking for more clues. He couldn’t find anything! His hopes began to die again, and he gave up. He’d better not waste any more time! He had to figure out the rest of this wild goose chase before it was too late! He began climbing back out into the water when suddenly he heard a whimper. He looked around. He didn’t see anything. He hung onto the side of the boat silently, listening intently for the sound. It whimpered again. It was coming from inside the boat. Was it a cat? Trevor looked through the moonlit clouds but couldn’t make anything out. He felt around in the dark, trying to find an answer. He closed his eyes for a minute, listening. As he opened them, the light grew stronger as the cloud moved from the moonlight’s path. There he could make out a bump in the floor. He lifted the padding over the bump and saw a latch with a lock. It was a bunker. He looked in his hand. This key had to be the answer! He slowly put the key inside the lock and turned it. He was scared. He hesitated for a second. He didn’t even have a weapon to defend himself. It didn’t matter! Trevor thought about it a bit. He wasn’t going to be scared anymore! He opened the lock, took the latch and yanked open the door! It was Avery! “AVERY!” he shrieked! Avery was bound in rope and curled in a ball. He had duct tape over his mouth. Trevor could barely see anything, but he definitely knew he had found him! “AVERY!” he whispered loudly. Trevor quickly untied him. He seemed a little bit weak. It was too dark to tell if he was bruised or beaten. They had to leave! Trevor pulled the tape off of Avery’s mouth. Avery went to speak. Trevor quickly covered his mouth!

“Shhh! We have to go!”, whispered Trevor. Trevor helped Avery into the water. Trevor and Avery made their way to shore and back to the safety of the car. Trevor gave Avery the biggest hug ever! “Thank goodness you’re okay!”, he said. Avery seemed to be in shock. He couldn’t say anything. It was okay. Trevor knew he had saved his friend. Trevor drove back to the cabin. He helped Avery into the house and helped clean him up. He made him a hot soup. Avery still seemed shocked. “You need some rest”, Trevor said. Trevor took Avery under the arm and helped him to his room. Avery quickly fell asleep. Trevor sat in a chair and watched over him all night, periodically falling asleep himself. He didn’t know what lay before him tomorrow, but he knew what lay before him now. His friend was safe and sound! Trevor couldn’t have been any more proud of himself than he was right now.

Morning came. Avery woke up. He tapped Trevor on the shoulder. “Trev”, he said. Trevor woke up and gave Avery another hug. “What happened?”, asked Avery.

Trevor thought about it a second. “You don’t remember?”, asked Trevor. Avery just looked at him, confused. “Don’t worry about it”, Trevor answered. I have some business to take care of. Trevor began gathering his things. He found his cell phone. Still no call. His other cell phone he’d bought still lay there in its package. He opened it and played with it a little bit. He had an idea. He packed all their stuff in the car. He unburied the money he had hidden.

“What’s that?”, asked Avery?

“Nevermind that! You feeling better?” asked Trevor?

“Kind of. It’s still a little blurry. I feel like someone hit me on the head”.

“That’s probably what they did. You really don’t remember?”

“Not really? What are you doing? Where have I been?”

“I have some loose ends to tie up here”, said Trevor. He went out to his car, siphoned some gasoline and took it back to the house, setting it on the porch. He quickly gathered up some firewood and threw the little black book on top of it. Avery continued watching. Trevor’s phone rang.

“Hello?”

“It’s time!”, said the cold voice.

“Yes it is!”, said Trevor! “You listen to me!”

“No, you listen!”, answered the voice, sharply!

Trevor interrupted, “NO YOU LISTEN! YOU FOOL! DID YOU REALLY THINK YOU COULD OUTSMART ME?”

“You listen to me”, said the voice. “If you want to see Avery again, you’d better start listening!”

“Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!”, Trevor laughed! “You idiot!” I have Avery! You want to hear his voice? Avery, say hello!”

Trevor put the phone up to Avery’s mouth, “Hello?”.

“Now you listen!”, said Trevor. “Who are you? Why did you have me pick up this money? What was happening on that boat?” There was no answer.

“ANSWER ME!”, Trevor demanded!

“It was a set-up, wasn’t it?” asked the voice. “Someone’s using me to flush out a mole, aren’t they?”

“What mole?”, asked Trevor?

“The money was payment for a job I did”, said the voice. “I just couldn’t risk being caught. So that’s where you and Avery became a playing card. After a week, I thought it would be safe to finish my plan, retrieve the money, and be done with you two. The money was only part of the payment. I was supposed to find the rest”.

“I have your money!”, said Trevor. “If you really want it, you’re going to play by my rules now!” You’re going to come pick up the money at exactly 3:00, right here where you took Avery from. You show up by yourself! Not a moment earlier or later!” Trevor hung up the phone.

“I remember that”, said Avery! “Where have I been?”

“I’ll explain everything later”.

Trevor placed a few of the dollars strategically into the pile and scattered a few on the ground. They drove the car into a nearby clearing, far away enough from the house to not be seen, where they could hide. Finally, Trevor called the police! “Someone called me saying they were going to burn down my house! Something about stolen casino money”, Trevor said frantically. Trevor gave them his address and hung up.

“What are you doing?”, asked Trevor, growing ever more curious.

“It’s time!”, said Trevor.

“Time for what?”

$20,000 was a LOT of money! But then again, maybe it wasn’t. Trevor knew what he had to do. He’d thought about it long enough. He lit the match as he pondered his life over the last week. The flame crawled toward his fingers and the pain startled him back to reality. He dropped the match, followed it intently to the pile, and just stood there as he watched it all go up in flames! It was gone, all of it, just like that!

“Let’s go!”, Trevor said as they ran into the woods. A car came barreling up the road at that moment. Frantically, the man jumped out of the car, seeing money laying on the ground and the fire burning. Quietly, Trevor snuck up to the vehicle and placed the little black book on the seat through the window and ran back into the woods. He had written down some details in it; a chapter of his own. Off in the distance, sounds of sirens could be heard. They got louder and louder as they too sped up the road. Firetrucks, police, ambulance, FBI, you name it! In just seconds, the entire place was surrounded, and they forced the man onto the ground. Trevor and Avery just watched on from a distance in the shadows. A couple hours later, everyone was gone! Trevor and Avery headed back to the car. The house was completely destroyed.

Trevor and Avery spent the night in the car. Early the next morning Trevor’s phone rang. “Hello?”, he answered, still half asleep.

“Sir, this is Portland PD. We just wanted to tell you that your house was destroyed last night. However, we caught the man we think is responsible. Sir, do you know the suspect?”.

Trevor looked at Avery, still sleeping. “No”, he said.

“He’s insisting you know him and that you told him to go to your house. But we found a little black book in his vehicle. It has your names in it. We believe he’s been squatting at your residence and planned to hurt you. We think he’s been hiding there.”

“Hiding?”

“Yes sir, we believe there’s a link between him and the Pair o’ Dice Casino heist last week. The book led us to a backpack hidden under the pier. There was a device wrapped in a plastic casing in there that had some recording of some men on a yacht, doing some illegal activities. We think the suspect is tied to this heist. We don’t yet know the significance of the video or how it got there. The investigation will continue. Most of the money has been recovered. However. We’d like to reward you sir. The Casino is offering a reward of $20,000.00 to whomever caught the suspect”.

Trevor glanced back at the bags now sitting in the back of the car. “Thank you. I don’t think that’s necessary. It’s more than generous though! I’m just thankful you’ve caught him”. Their call ended.

“What now?” said Avery?

“How’d the guy that kidnapped you know your name?”, said Trevor.

Avery was quiet for a second. “I don’t know”.

Trevor squinted his eyes, in wonder. “I have an idea”, said Trevor. I know a place. A place we can relax down by the water, watch the sunset. We’re on vacation!”

“To be honest, I’m kind of ready to get out of here. I’d even go back to work”, said Avery.

“Heck no! I have other plans. To heck with that place! Let’s go have some adventures!”

“I need some clothes”, said Avery.

“I got your clothes right here”, said Trevor as he patted the bags.

It was apparent Trevor was a changed man! Trevor had been through a lot in the last week! He’d done things he never thought possible! He found a little black book. He found $20,000! But he found a lot more than that that summer! Trevor had found himself!

Avery looked at Trevor from the corner of his eye and smiled. “Mission accomplished!”, he thought.