Part One

I woke up in the morning, after a fitful night of sleep.

“Britney?” I called out to my nanny who had spent the night because my parents were on a business trip.

“Oh, hi, Sophie!” I heard a strange, female voice call from downstairs. “Britney had to go, but I’m here — my name is Brooke!”

What is happening? I feel nervous and scared. Will this Brooke be nice or mean? Why was she here? She’s probably hiding something… I wandered down the stairs, still in my bathrobe, where this “Brooke” was drinking coffee. She stayed lounging in her chair.

“What do you want for breakfast?”  

“I’ll have pancakes,” I said.  

While she was baking them, I took a better look at Brooke. She was tall with long, blonde hair and way too much makeup. But if you looked at her closely, she had about eight piercings, which made me wonder what she did besides babysit. And then she put the pancakes in front of me, sprinkled with toasted walnuts.

“You know I am allergic to all nuts, right?” My eyes were bulging, and my face turned red.  “Didn’t my mom tell you?!”

Brooke seemed to panic. She hesitated for a minute.

“Uh, they were for me.”

“Then why did you give them to me?”  I said firmly.

“Well, then make your own breakfast!” she yelled. “Uh, I mean, I will make you something else that’s nut-free.”  

Something definitely was not right.

“No thanks,” I said. “I am just going to go to my room.”

I wasn’t really going to stay in my room when there was a stranger that I didn’t trust, who thinks that she can all of a sudden come into my house and babysit me! I decided to do what any normal eleven-year-old girl would do and called my Uncle Frank. However, there was no answer.  He always answered his phone. I called again — still no answer. Finally, on my third try, he picked up.

“Yes, Sophie?”

“Something fishy is going on here, Frank!” I whispered. “Come and get me!”

“Give me twenty minutes,” he said.

I looked at my phone. “That’s at 9:15 — I’ll be there on the curb waiting for you!”

Then out of nowhere, I heard some music with the words, “I hate kids, I hate kids, I hate kids.” It kept going, and I realized it must’ve been her phone ringing. I snuck down the stairs to investigate, careful so she wouldn’t catch me. I took a peek at her phone and it read, surprisingly, the fake grandparents of Sophie.

I heard them talking about a letter that Brooke was trying to keep from me and how she hid it under the loose floor board in the kitchen. I thought to myself, I knew she was not my babysitter! I have to stay and hear more of the conversation to know what’s really going on. So I listened more and heard that Brooke was supposed to take me to England so I could go see the people that were trying to take me. I listened more.

I thought to myself, I have to get out of here.           

Part Two

I packed as fast and as secretly as I could. It was almost 9:15, and I was ready to tell Fred everything. I decided to escape out the window because my room was on the second floor. By now, I was so worried she had found out what I was going to do, that it took me forever to get the letter. It is hard when you find out someone’s true identity and you know that they’re dangerous. When I finally had the letter in my hands, I opened it, and it read:

Dear Sophie,

We think you are ready to know who we really are. We’re spies. And every time we told you we were doing architecture in different countries, we were really on a spy mission. Our organization is called the Insiders. And when we get back, we will explain everything. But for now, don’t open any of the doors.

I thought to myself, Why? I mean they’re overprotective, but why?

Also your grandparents have been missing.                         

Love,

Mom & Dad

What? My parents were spies?  So they were trying to tell me that my parents, the nerdiest, most overprotective couple in the world, are spies?  Ha ha, very funny. I didn’t believe it for a second, and who would name their spy organisation the Insiders?  Well, I guess with all that traveling, it kind of made sense.  Still, why didn’t they tell me before?  My heart started pounding out of my chest, and that’s when the shaking began.  

Part Three   

I was starving — I should have asked Fred to bring me some food! I had an idea of how I would escape. But it was a risky one.

First, I’m going to sneak downstairs and get a banana for the trip. Then, I’m going to shove that in my bag and sneak out my bedroom window. There is poison ivy beneath the window, but I’ll manage. Next, I’ll build a clothes chain with extra clothing I didn’t pack. Last, I will sneak to Fred’s car and try to dodge Brooke’s sight.

And that’s when everything started to go wrong.

I started to sneak down to the fridge, but before I reached it, Brooke caught me and asked me what I was doing.

“Just getting a banana for breakfast,” I said nervously.

I was still shaking, but not enough for her to notice. Step one: Get the banana. Check. By that time, I was so scared I would forget something that I made a list for myself. Then, I tied my extra clothes together and made a chain. Step two: check. Next I tied the rope of clothes to the window so I could climb down easily and not worry about falling. Step three: check. Last, when I was on the ground, I took a sigh of relief, not noticing the poison ivy I had stepped in when I had come down. I didn’t care though. All I did care about was getting to Fred and not being noticed.

But then, all of a sudden the sprinkler turned on, which caught Brooke’s eye. She came out and looked to see what had happened, and then she went back inside to try to shut it off. When she came out, I had to hide in the thorn bush. But when Brooke wasn’t looking, I ran to Fred’s car, by then crying with fear. Once I got into Fred’s car, I explained everything. He seemed shocked, but even I was shocked too when he told me that he was sworn not to tell that they were spies. I was kind of upset that he wouldn’t tell me. I thought I trusted him, but then I remembered how overprotective my parents are.

I told Fred to drive me to Alaska, where my parents were on a business trip, or mission. I still had a hard time believing they were spies. Finally, I got Fred to take me to Alaska because I guess he understood what I was going through. As we were about to leave, suddenly I heard another car turn on. It was Brooke, and since I had told Fred about her and how she was working for these people that kidnapped my grandparents, we had to go. She was speeding, which made us have to speed too because we didn’t want to get caught. I’d never gone that fast in a car. 

We headed to the airport to catch the flight at one o’clock. It was about a half hour from our house. When we got there, we rushed to buy tickets before Brooke could stop us.

Part Four

When we got the tickets, we also went to the lost and found clothes to borrow for some disguises. Although it was gross, we didn’t want to risk getting caught. It was 12:56, and we were about to board the flight when Brooke came up to us. I told Fred to stay back and that I would talk to her, but he wanted to stay right behind me in case she tried to take me.

“Why did you run away? I thought we were having fun. I made you a nice breakfast… ”

“Which I couldn’t eat,” I interrupted, which made Brooke lose her temper.

She started screaming at me. She hollered, “I tried to do everything for you! Do you know how hard it is to please you… ”

“I know that you’re not my babysitter. I heard you talking on the phone. I heard everything, and I don’t want you to take me to the people who took my grandparents,” I interrupted again.

She was furious. It seemed like she was going to explode with anger. At first I got nervous, so did Fred, so he picked me up. It was one o’clock, and the plane was about to fly away. We jumped on the plane just in time, but so did Brooke. We had first class tickets because it was just the two of us, but, thankfully, Brooke didn’t.  The plane ride was ten hours and forty-five minutes to Alaska from California, so it seemed like forever. Also Brooke was on the plane too, which made me more anxious. What if she caught me? Is something bad going to happen if she uses the bathroom in first class and is so close to me that she just takes me? All these uncomfortable thoughts spinning in my head just made it harder for me to relax. Fred seemed relaxed, but I knew he wasn’t.

“So, Fred. I’m nervous. Are you nervous? Cause I can tell that you’re a little nervous. When I’m nervous, I talk fast, but this time, I just have so many things to talk about in my head. You know, I have this and that and information about someone trying to kidnap me. I’m not nervous. What are you talking about? You don’t know I’m nervous. How do you know I’m nervous? It’s not like I’m talking fast or anything.”

“You’re nervous, but it’s okay. I get nervous too, sometimes. And I am a bit nervous now. But if we both just sit back and enjoy the six hours we have left, we’ll be alright. And don’t worry, as long as I’m here, no one will hurt you.” And then he mumbled to himself, “At least, I hope not.”

Part Five

Six hours later…    

We got off the plane, and I was so happy, and Fred was too. But we still had to make a run for it so Brooke wouldn’t catch us. We rented a car to drive to where my parents were. I needed answers, and I was getting very impatient. I still couldn’t wait to see them. That feeling of happiness didn’t last very long because there were so many things to worry about. For example, if Brooke caught me, and I got taken for good, and if I didn’t find my grandparents or my parents, I would be stuck with my uncle. Not that that would be a bad thing, but I really did miss my parents. Meanwhile we were driving to Juneau, Alaska, and we finally found the hotel where my parents were staying at.

  We went into the hotel and got my parents’ room number. The number was 315. When we got there, we knocked on the door and started searching for them. They were nowhere in sight. By now, so many things were happening, that I was so scared. I didn’t want to talk because if I did, I would start crying. But I did anyways. I wanted to tell Fred that we should leave, but before I could say anything, he came up to me with a note in his hand and a shocked look on his face.    

“Here, Sophie. I think you should see this,” said Fred.

I took all the courage I had left in me and opened the note.

Dear Sophie,

If you are reading this, we are not at the hotel and you are searching for us. Don’t worry. We’re at your grandparents’ house, and when you come over, we’ll explain everything to you. Oh, and how is Brooke? We told her to make your favorite pancakes with walnuts. Hope you liked them! The address to you grandparents’ house is 26 Telegraph Creek.

From,

Your parents

“This letter doesn’t seem as real,” I said.

“I agree, but we should go to their house just in case. Because what if your parents and grandparents are there?”

“Obviously someone kidnapped my grandparents. But since I’ve never met my real grandparents, I don’t know which one’s which. What if they try to trick me?” I said with fear.

Part Six   

“It will be alright. As long as I’m here.”

There was always something different about Fred, but right now he seemed more sad — like he was hiding something that he didn’t want to. When we finally got to Telegraph Creek, I started to look for the number 26. By the time we found their house, it was already getting dark out. Fred knocked on the door, but when it opened, no one was there. I don’t know what had happened — maybe there was a robbery, or maybe this was not their real house.  

But before I could investigate, Fred, out of nowhere, said, “I’m sorry.” But there was no time for that because one minute I was standing there, trying to search for everyone, and the next minute, I found myself tied to a chair, in a room with a bright light glaring at me. I heard people talking. I had no idea how much time had passed.

They were talking about my parents and grandparents. It seemed like someone saw me, so they came into the room. I couldn’t see those people because the lights were shining on me, so I told them to come into the light. There were four people. I saw Brooke, Fred, and a couple. Fred? What was he doing there?

At first I thought they might be my grandparents, but then I realized they looked nothing like me; my mom told me that I have my grandpa’s brown eyes and my grandma’s dirty blonde hair. So I had a sense that they were the kidnappers.   

But, boy, was I mad at Uncle Fred!

“I thought I trusted you, Fred. After all we’ve been through, this is how you repay our family?”

“I’m sorry,” Fred said, not looking me in the eye.

It seemed like he felt bad.  

“But I’m broke — and being poor makes my life very hard. And when I asked your parents for money, they said no.”

“But, but…”

“Shut up, Sophie.”                                                                                                                       

“I am so tired of listening to you, and do you even know how hard it is to put up with you?” interrupted Brooke.

“I always knew you weren’t my babysitter. I never found you to be such a good actor,” I said.

Brooke lunged at me, but Fred grabbed her and held her back.

I learned a few things while I was in kidnapping. The main fact I learned was the couple that kidnapped my parents’ names. Their names were David and Barbara, which was very useful information. I also learned that Brooke had anger issues, and most importantly, to never trust the person you feel most safe with.

They kept me there for another day with no food, water, and no bathroom breaks.

Luckily, I found out where my parents and grandparents were. They were in the same room. I was so excited because I also found a way to escape.

Part Seven

I always kept a pocket knife with me, so once I was able to reach and get it, I cut the rope, my skin with it. Ouch! When I was free from this chair-dungeon place, I had to sneak to my parents’ room. But when I finally found it, my parents and grandparents were not there. I think they were moved to another room, I thought to myself. But it was just a trick. There were security cameras everywhere.

Then out of nowhere, I was caught and taken to the real room where my parents and grandparents were. I was so happy when I saw them and finally met my grandparents. They did look like me! But they also looked sad and unhappy that they were with my parents. And then, out of nowhere, my parents blasted me with questions like:

“Are you okay? Did Brooke hurt you? I never knew Fred was a traitor.”

But that was only the first blast of questions.  They started again.

“Why is your hand bleeding? Do you feel faint? Do you need to go to the hospital after the mission?  Honey, talk to me. Honey, tell me.”

 “I’m fine, you guys. Let’s get out of here — I still have my pocket knife with me.”  

After I cut them free, we snuck out to the car and took off to the airport, once again not noticing that Brooke was driving behind us.

Will they escape? Did they complete the mission? Will they ever find out who the mastermind of this enterprise really was? And what about Fred?