Maiocxx

Tales from the World of Cody and Lucas

Kidnapped Canaries

Prolog

Almost from the beginning of Tim's life with his mom Amanda… well he considered her his mom, no matter… and little sister Jenny, everyone remarked about the beauty of his voice. So the choirmaster at Concord Cathedral, Leo Mosley, lost no time recruiting him.

Tim enjoyed the attention and the company of the other choirboys and soon was singing solos and was well on the way to becoming 'Head Boy'. Even our old friend, Henry Ashworth, was lavish with his praise.

Not that this was the total of Tim's life… he excelled in school and loved football (soccer), and he eagerly looked forward to his periodic trips to Alice Springs to visit his dad and big brother, Drew. He continued to visit his friends at the pecan farm, too, often accompanied by Jenny, both dressed 'Sandywater' style… or less. Amanda had long since become inured to young teens running about naked and she had grown to trust both her own kids and Master Brogan and his boys.

But Tim's voice had begun to attract the unwanted attention of a certain group of 'admirers'.

The Kidnapped Canary

"He's been kidnapped!" registered partially on my sleep-befuddled brain as I picked up the ringing phone… seldom used, especially in the middle of the night… from our bedside table.

"What? Mom?" Still groggy, I handed the instrument to my wider-awake dad.

"Amanda? What is it?"

"He's what? Are you sure?"

"Yes, we'll be there as soon as we can."

Ringing off, he told me, "Tim and two other choirboys were kidnapped on the way home from choir practice last evening. She wants us to come right away."

Now fully awake, I tried to 'tune-in' to my mom, but she was lost in the 'static' of millions of other voices. It would take the skills of my lover, Li, to sort out that mess.

Who came dashing into our room.

"Has someone been kidnapped? Tim?" He paused for a moment and then, "Yeah, I can 'read' her and she's about 'round the bend. An' I can 'read' Tim, too… he's being held somewhere and he's frightened to death. I tried to comfort him… told him we would rescue him… but I don't think it did much good."

"Guys!" It was Master Keldhar now 'speaking' to us. "You had better get to California ASAP and find out more about what happened. Li, can you transport David and Drew there?"

"Piece of cake!" replied my irreverent partner.

We quickly dressed… it was late spring in California, so we didn't have to give much thought to what to wear. We both took Dad by the hands… he had never 'traveled' this way before and was a bit nervous… and Li 'jumped' us all right into the living room of the little house on Palaverdes Street.

Unfortunately, the three of us appearing suddenly out of thin air after sort of a thunder-clap, did not add to Mom's peace of mind. Dad immediately took Mom into his arms to comfort her while Li and I dealt with my thoroughly traumatized little sister, Jenny.

At length, things were calm enough for her to tell us what happened.

"The choir is getting ready for a big concert at the Cathedral and so practice has been running late. Leo told the boys… oh, yes, there are two others, Danny Morgan and Bobby White… to hurry home. And they greeted several shop owners along the way."

"With coins in hand, I'll bet,"

"But then, they just disappeared!" she began to weep, again. "The police have been searching all day and all night. The asked me and the other parents not to contact anyone, but I just couldn't…"

"I understand completely," said Dad. "You did the right thing." Turning to Li, he asked, "Can you locate them?"

"Yeah! He's on a ship… an Iranian ship… well out in the Pacific. While the keystone-cops here have been searching the wrong place, the kidnappers made their escape."

"Why would they take them there?" Jenny asked. "What do they want?"

Both Li and I had the same thought… sexual slaves as Li answered, "I don't think it's money."

As the awful implications of his answer became clear, Mom and Jenny burst into tears once more and Dad shook his head sadly and sighed, "It's their singing voices. They want them as trained 'canaries' for some rich bastard in Iran."

Dad made several calls to the local police with little success… they simply did not believe Li's 'fix' on their location, still hewing to their incorrect assumptions that the boys were being held locally for ransom.

Li and I returned to Alice to enlist Master Keldhar's assistance. While he carried some weight with the British Foreign Office, it took some days for them to accept Li's assertion as to where the boys were. Actually, the Iranians themselves gave their deception away when they summarily ordered all traffic to stay away from their ship and sent their only missile submarine to escort it.

Several feeble attempts to intercept and board the vessel fizzled out when the government in Tehran threatened immediate war if their ship was disturbed in any way..

The ship and the sub steamed steadily westward.

Despite anxious pleas from both of us, our Master forbade us mounting any kind of rescue. "We have to give the diplomats some leeway," he told us. "We simply can't afford to engulf the whole middle-east in war over three choirboys."

Li managed to use his powers to somewhat stifle my intemperate reply, "It's not just some choirboys… it's my brother you're condemning to slavery!"

He looked directly at me and said in deadly serious voice, "I said, NO! End of discussion!"

Several more weeks went by with no change in the situation. The ship was now deep in the Indian Ocean, drawing ever closer to the Straits of Hormuz and their home port. "We can't just stand here and do nothing!" I raged at Li. "While those lily-liveried wimps in the Foreign Office just wring their hands!"

"OK," he finally agreed. "We'll just have to disobey Master Keldhar and suffer the consequences."

As soon as 'New Moon' was over the ship's location, we made the 'jump', landing somewhat noisily on the freighter's top deck.

Li jumped to his feet and I followed as we ran toward the hatch leading to the lower hold. Suddenly, he shouted, "Marzeh!" and crumpled to the deck with a dart in his leg. And instant later, I felt a dart hit my rear and everything went black.
Author's note: marzeh:(in our world) a spice commonly used in Persian cooking. (In their world) a preparation used by the desert tribesmen of Burundistan to protect their children. Ingested or injected, it blocks the paranormal powers of a person and… in sufficient strength… renders them unconscious.

Consciousness came slowly and I found myself lying on my belly naked with my hands shackled behind my back with my feet drawn up to meet them… hogtied with metal cuffs. My right hip hurt awfully and I was afraid it might be broken.

Looking about, I could see Li similarly trussed… not that it was necessary. Even a small dose of marzeh rendered him out for days. Huddled together, shackled to the opposite wall were Tim and his two compatriots.

"Drew!" wailed Tim, "Are you OK?"

Before I could answer, the toe of a boot prodded me. "You were very foolish and now you and your friend will pay for your stupidity. I doubt very much if Ayatollah Rafsanjani will be interested in your miserable hides, but you may be useful in convincing these whelps to cooperate."

And he left me to the darkness, telling the three boys Li and I would be sold into slavery once we reached port.

"Are you OK, Tim?" I asked.

"Yeah, pretty much we're OK. They beat the soles of my feet and they hurt like hell, but that's all." The other two… Bobby and Danny… told similar stories. "They want us to sing for some creep, but we refused," all three assured me.

"Do they feed you?"

"Yeah! Some kind of slop." Well, at least they weren't being starved.

It was several hours later our 'guard' returned with two other crewmen. By that time my arms and shoulders had really started to cramp and my hip felt no better. "We don't want to mark the skins of these pretty boys, so we can't beat them," he told me. But we can use you instead."

"Hang him up," he directed the crewmen.

They released my hands and feet, but re-shackled my hands in front of me. Pulling me up by my hands, they hung my cuffs over a hook high up on the wall, leaving me facing the wall, with my feet several centimeters off the floor. The pain in my shoulders built until I thought I couldn't stand it.

Addressing the three boys, our guard snarled, "This is what your foolish defiance will cause your brother!"

I felt a line of fire across my lower back as I heard a whip strike land. It literally took my breath away and before I could even scream, another line of fire hit the tops of my legs. This time, I did scream!

And, all of a sudden my arms and hip didn't hurt quite as much as I concentrated on my flaming backside. I don't remember much after that… I guess I passed out. But Danny told me later that I screamed like a little girl!

The next thing I remember was lying on the floor with my head in Tim's lap. My cuffs were off, but my back, ass and legs hurt like nothing I had ever felt before. All three boys were clustered about me crying and Tim was trying his best to comfort me.

They were interrupted by three of the crewmen. Two of them held me down while the third… I thought they were going to split me in half.

After that, the boys and I slept in kind of a huddle.

When we awoke, Tim bawled his heart out as Bobby told me, "We couldn't let them beat you to death, so we agreed to sing for them. Maybe they'll leave us alone, now."

Wishful thinking!

Our chief tormentor came striding into our 'cage'. "Well, good news. The Ayatollah liked your singing. So much, in fact, he wants to preserve your voices."

I felt numb at that statement as I knew what he meant. "No, please not that!" I begged.

"Shut up!" and he slapped me across my rump right where his whip had cut me. Turning to the boys, he continued, "You will all be castrated so your voices will not change."

"We'll start with you, my little blonde," he announced, indicating Bobby. "Secure them!"

While several of the crewmen held the wildly struggling boy, the rest of us were shackled to the wall again. While three of the crewmen held the screaming boy, a fourth one grabbed Bobby's balls and used a shears to snip them off. He then applied a hot iron to cauterize the wound.

Fortunately Bobby had passed out and the rest of us were released to care for him.

***

Meanwhile, back in Alice Springs, Keldhar, David, Eric and Peter were aghast at what Li and I had done.

They had about given up hope when young Robbie Wilson came to them with a proposal. "Master, you must let me try to rescue them."

"No! I won't risk losing any more of you!"

"Hear me out, please!" Robbie begged him.

"All right," Keldhar sighed.

"You know that I can move people and objects almost as good as Li can. And when I teleport, I can do so silently. And marzeh, for some reason, does not affect me."

"Yes, I know all that, but…"

"Don't you see? I can get them back! The Iranians won't be expecting another attack!"

Keldhar looked at him with tears starting to form. "Do you really think you could get them back?"

"Yes, Master. And I just have to try. Please let me. I've thought about this and I will take a helper along to disable the crew of the ship."

"Who will you take?"

"It's best you don't know," he replied. "Please trust me on this."

***

We were all busy trying to care for poor Bobby… and ourselves… while Li blissfully slumbered on. They had given him two more doses of marzeh, so he would probably be out for weeks.

I guess several days had gone by and we were all paralyzed by the fear that another of the choirboys might be cut. Bobby's wounds were not healing well and he spent all the time in my arms weeping… whether from pain or for what he had lost I could not tell. The pain in my hip made me a bit out of it, too.

But, in the middle of the night… I guess it was night, how could we tell… I suddenly found someone crouched beside me. "Robbie! How did you? Why are you?" I whispered, trying not to wake the others, especially Bobby who was feverish.

"To take you home, of course, you crazy idiot. I could read enough of you so I could jump directly here instead of onto the deck. I have a helper watching the deck to take care of any roaming crew members. An old friend of yours, by the way. Just returned from visiting his people with a fresh supply of darts."

"Tu'a!" I gasped. "But why him?"

"Cause he can take care of any interruptions without a sound. Your Dad is waiting on the flight deck of the Arc Royal which has been shadowing this ship ever since it entered the Strait. I'm to take you all there, hopefully, without alerting the crew or the sub."

***

On the deck above, Tu'a had hidden himself under one of the overturned stern lifeboats, propping it up so he had a clear view of the entire deck. A crewman exited from a side door and walked toward the companionway, carrying what seemed to be medical supplies.

Selecting a dart from his quiver, he drilled it into the man's chest. Pffft! Without a sound the crewman crumpled to the deck.

He was followed a few seconds later by another crewman, carrying what looked like a gelding knife. Stumbling over the body of his mate, he fell to the deck as the knife went flying. Tu'a made sure he did not rise.

A window on the bridge above opened and the first-mate leaned out, shouting something unintelligible. When he received no reply, he leaned far out to see what was wrong. Another 'pffft' and he fell to the deck far below.

The helmsman ran to the same window and fell back inside with one of Tu'a's darts in his forehead. As in all well-run vessels, the door to the bridge was kept locked to prevent intrusions which meant the ship was not in anyone's control and there was no way for another crewman to enter to correct the situation.

This is great fun! Tu'a thought to himself. Haven't lost any of my skill! he grinned.

***

Meanwhile, Robbie was busy transferring the five of us to the awaiting carrier. I insisted he take Bobby first and then Li, followed by Tim and Danny, and lastly me. But I could see he was getting more fatigued with each transfer.

I landed on my butt on the Arc Royal's deck and was immediately scooped up by Dad who already had Tim in his arms. No words were spoken… the three of us just stood there in a tight hug as the medics tended to Li, Bobby and Danny.

By this time Tu'a had darted a big portion of the ship's crew… even several who had tried to sneak up on him from behind… and the pile of bodies was growing. The few remaining crew members huddled inside as the captain struggled unsuccessfully to regain control of his ship. With no one in control, it began to veer slowly to the left, and would soon cross the path of the trailing submarine.

Robbie finally returned from his last trip to bring out Tu'a and we could all see he was exhausted. When one of the medics tried to help him, he waved the rating off. "I have one more thing to do!" he gasped. "Help me, Drew!"

I freed myself and, despite my pain, crawled over to him and took his hand. "What are you going to do?" I asked him.

"Just watch"

I could feel him drawing on my power. For a few moments nothing happened. Then, with the ship beginning to drift across its path, the sub suddenly surfaced and, at high speed, buried its bow into the side of the ship.

For a few moments, there was only the sound of rending metal and cries of the crewmen. But then, the sub, and all its missiles and the ship went up in a huge fireball… and explosion… strong enough to rock Arc Royal.

I caught Robbie as he passed out. Laying him gently on the deck with his head in my lap I could see a satisfied smile on his face. "What could he have done?" I wondered. He later explained, "When we passed that last high outcrop, I noticed a hornets' nest in one of the trees on top. All I did was to teleport the nest into the sub's control room. The rest was their panic and stupidity."

Truthfully, the Iranians could not understand why their only missile sub had decided to destroy itself and the recriminations went on for months. There had been no visible hostile action on anyone's part, so there was no one to blame… only the stupidity of their own crews. They could not very well admit to the kidnapping.

Arc Royal immediately launched rescue boats, but they were unable to get anywhere near the wreck.

We were all loaded into a waiting air-evac jet and flown non-stop to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia on the east cost of British North America. The hospital… more commonly known as CHOP… a terrible name for a hospital for kids… would be where we would all be treated and where our parents waited anxiously.

Bobby, the most seriously injured, was immediately started on antibiotics and MHT … mail hormone therapy… and his parents were assured he would develop physically quite like other boys. But, he would never be able to father a child unless… at some time in the future… he was fortunate enough to receive a transplant… one that worked.

Emotionally? Well that's another story.

Danny and Tim were soon able to go home, their superficial wounds treated and they weathered the trauma of captivity rather well. Unfortunately… or fortunately, depending on your point-of-view… they missed the concert for which they had practiced so hard. Actually, neither returned to the choir much to Leo's distress.

I spent five weeks in a body cast to allow my cracked hip-bone to kit… which it did with little complications. After a 'nap' of two days, Robbie was fully himself again and able to help care for the rest of us.

There was great concern how Li would recover from the nefarious drug. He finally began to awake after three weeks and gradually became alert again. But it would be several months before he regained full use of all his powers.

But, at last, we were ready to go home. The 'oasis' that is Alice Springs never looked quite so inviting!

We all… including Robbie… slept together that night in the 'big bed' in Eric and Peter's quarters, although 'sleep' was not exactly the proper term. For Li and I knew we would have to face the considerable wrath of Master Keldhar in the morning.

As I confessed to Li some weeks later, I could now vividly appreciate the feelings of utter despair that Garret Quinlen had felt when his plan to rescue Leif had gone so badly. And Dad, Eric and Peter could understand Gavin Deverill and the other residents of Sandywater… their feelings over that same incident: appalled by the danger their boys had faced but intense pride.

Robbie and us and our dads assembled in Keldhar's office the next morning, awaiting the explosion we were all sure was to come. We did not have to wait long.

After praising Robbie and thanking him for his brave efforts, Keldhar dismissed him and turned his attention to his unruly students.

"HOW, IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, COULD YOU HAVE ATTEMPTED SUCH A FIASCO?" he roared. "ESPECIALLY AFTER I SPECIFICALLY FORBAD YOU TO?" Focusing on Li, he continued, "I SUPPOSE THIS WHOLE NEAR DISASTER WAS YOUR DOING, LI SOON?"

"NO!" I broke in, "IT WAS MY IDEA… SIR! DID YOU THINK WE WOULD STAND IDLY BY WHILE TIM AND THE OTHERS WERE HEADED FOR SEXUAL SLAVERY TO THAT MADMAN?"

"YOU? I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT BETTER OF YOU. PERHAPS I HAVE BEEN WRONG! DID YOU NOT UNDERSTAND YOU COULD HAVE ENGULFED AN ENTIRE REGION IN BLOODSHED BY YOUR FOOLHARDY ACTIONS?"

"WELL, WE HAD TO DO SOMETHING!" shouted Li, entering the fray. "OUR VAUNTED GOVERNMENT CERTAINLY WAS NOT DOING ANYTHING EXCEPT WRINGING THEIR FEEBLE HANDS."

"OH, SO NOW YOU KNOW BETTER THAN SEASONED DIPLOMENTS HOW TO CONDUCT FOREIGN AFFAIRS?"

At that point, Peter broke in, "I think this whole matter would be better served if you all stopped shouting at each other."

There was absolute silence for a few minutes.

"Master," I implored, "we simply could not stand by and watch my little brother being enslaved and do nothing. We disobeyed you, but we are not children any longer. Yes, it proved to be a mistake… not the last one I'll ever make, I assure you."

"And you certainly weren't doing anything. You did nothing until it was our hides that were in danger," added my lover.

"Li!" snapped his father, "That's quite enough! You…"

Keldhar waved him off as he bowed his head. After a few moments, he looked up with tears streaming down his cheeks… the first time any of us had ever seen him weep. "He's right, you know. And I fear I may have lost their trust."

"No Master," I assured him. "But please try to see things from our point of view."

"We owe you our complete trust," added Li. "And you shall have it."

Keldhar looked over to where the white-faced dads stood. "The boys are right. They are not children any longer and I must allow them to follow their own consciences. But understand, though I mean you no disrespect, I have always considered both of them to be my spiritual sons… the ones who will carry on the mission of this school once I have fled from this scene… And I could not bear the thought of losing them."

"Thank you, Master," both Li and I answered.

Their world was sunny again, with just a few clouds on the horizon.

The End