London Fever [Suite Life]

Chapter 14 - Obtaining an Ally

Just for fun... There's a little puzzle in the first section to this chapter. See if you can figure it out without jumping ahead to the answer =)

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London's phone dinged. That meant she received a text message. Her heart jumped--that was Cody telling her what to do next! What would he do when he finds out that she is actually going to take a plane and not some other boat or train or rank bus? She stood there at the railing of the dock in Jacksonville as she watched the ferry move on elsewhere, and after she spent eight grueling hours on that ferry. She should look at her text messages. Cody and Bailey were her friends, as well as Woody who was aboard with this also.

She pulled out her phone as the wind blew her braids and almost blew the cowboy hat right off. She held onto it as she opened her phone and stared at the message alert. "Just look at it, London."

People passed her, and as she was about to open the text message, she noticed a bit of black in the corner of her eye. Her heart pulsed and she quickly looked away, hiding her face in Bailey's hat. Those men in suites looked awfully familiar...

London quickly walked away after stuffing her phone into her ugly brown purse. It was one of Bailey's since mostly every purse that London owned was shimmery, sparkly or sequined.

London hid behind a stack of suitcases that needed to be lifted onto the ferry that was just docking. Why the heck are Daddy's men in Jacksonville?! She had to ditch her own bodyguard that her father attached to her side... Did he find out about the plan and told her father about it? Maybe he saw her sneaking away when she left her friends at the dock in Miami? No, he would have noticed. Then why were they on the same dock as her?

She peaked from behind the suitcases and saw the men. "I think I saw her go this way," one of them said and London gasped and hid again. What should she do?! She fumbled for her phone and pulled up Cody's message. As planned, it was a jumble of letters. She didn't have time to unscramble all the words! She had to figure it out for herself. She really had to think.

"'Kate weN orkY alirisen ot enstBo! 30:6 mp, barueFry 15, cakJolnsilve pAitror,'" she read with difficulty. "What the heck does this mean?" she whined. She looked around frantically for someone to help her. She spotted a cab. She ran for it and shoved someone out of the way and got in the yellow car. She looked out the window and saw that the suited men were still walking about and looking around, most likely for her.

"Where to, Miss?" asked the middle-aged man at the wheel. He had an Indian accent, like he was from India.

The men were still there, looking. "Anywhere. Just get me away from the docks! Just drive and I'll tell you when to stop."

"Okay..." the man said, a little unsure. "As you wish."

He drove on and London let out a breath. "That was close. But now where do I have to go?"

"You don't know where you need to go?" asked the driver indignantly.

"I would know if I could figure out what this text says. My friend likes to jumble up words for the fun of it and I can never figure out what he means," she lied. "He told me I have to go to a certain place, I know that much."

The driver grinned. "Oh, I see... And this friend? Is he a special friend and he want to meet you somewhere in the city?" He gave her a wink and London made a face.

"Uhg, no, not Cody. I would never date him." She recalled their fake dating. "At least real dating. I'm dating his twin brother, and I have to meet him somewhere."

"Is that the location in your text message?"

"Yes, and I can't figure it out!"

The man grinned again. "Well, it so happens that I am an expert puzzle-solver. I can pull over and have a look."