Griffin Rock's Secret: A Cody Burns Fanfiction

Chapter 26

     Cody woke by degrees, feeling floaty and calm. His eyes were heavy, but his body was stiff as the floating feeling began to subside. The fog in his brain was dispersing and he tried to remember what had happened. He attempted to wipe his eyes, but his wrists were restrained. His eyes snapped open and the drowsy calm vanished. His wrists were lashed to the arms of a chair, his chest and waist also tied down. His legs were mostly free, except for his ankles, which were restrained by metal cuffs protruding from the chair legs.

     A burst of panicked struggling proved that Cody was going nowhere, the bindings firm and strong. Everything came flooding back to him. He had been kidnapped and drugged, taken away from his family for some reason.

     As he tried to figure out where he was in the darkness, a slightly insane laugh echoed from somewhere behind him. The room was dark, but as the man stepped out from behind Cody's restraintment chair, lights turned on to illuminate the room. This didn't help Cody at all, for the place was small and filled with boxes and crates. There was a small table that had some bottles, what looked like an oxygen mask, and a small phone.

     "Ah, awake now, are we?" Quint Quarry's voice made the boy jump. "Good, good. Now we can get on to the fun part. You just stay right there while I make a little call, hmm?" The light and friendly tone scared Cody, who was expecting the usual harsh voice. As Quarry picked up the small phone, Cody realized that it was his own, and a feeling of dread started to creep in now that he was truly awake.

     Quarry started to type in some numbers, and Cody tried to move again, grunting and pressing against his bindings. Almost immediately, his head was being held against the chair by one of Quarry's hands. The other hand was holding the phone to Quarry's ear, and Cody could hear the faint ringing as the call started.

     "Ah, ah, ah," Quarry whispered in a sing-song voice. "No moving!" The pressure applied to his head to prevent him from moving was uncomfortable, but not painful. However, the fact that Quarry hadn't even looked in Cody's direction made him even more scared.

     "Cody!?" His name being called through the other end of the phone made his eyes widen in surprise and shock. He tried to call back but Quarry's hand moved from Cody's forehead to his mouth, preventing any coherent noise. He grinned hyenaishly at the boy, who was trying to shake off the hand.

     "No, I'm afraid this isn't him," Quarry replied in a calm, airy tone, the faint whimpers in the background being ignored. "However, mate, I think he does want to talk to you. But not yet. I've got something to say first,"

     As Chief Burns tried to talk to Quarry, he paid no attention to the father and instead walked over to the small table, humming softly to himself. Cody tried to get the feeling of fabric out of his mouth, some glove hairs stuck on his tounge. Picking up the oxygen mask, Quarry started to talk again, paying little mind to the concerned man on the other side of the phone.

     "Now, you know what I came to your island for, and you know I'm not gonna leave until I get it. Yes, I know you're wanting your little boy back, but-" Here Quarry paused, listening to the policeman. His face grew a little less calm and nonchalant as he fastened the mask around Cody's face. The tube attached to the mask lay on Cody's lap, snaking to the side of the chair and disappearing underneath.

     "Oh no, he's not injured. Not yet. Just a little-" the safari man gave Cody a slightly unsettling grin. "-tied up. Now, simply tell me where the Aed Mau is and then everyone will be happy."

     Cody turned his head to look at the table where the mask had lain. It made his face itch as he looked at the bottles on the table. The labels were turned away from him, but he could see that the strangely colored bottles were not empty. The straps around his head were tight and dug into his hair as he tried to move with the newly attached weight to his head. He struggled to find a way to remove the mask, unable to stand having something strapped so tightly to his face.

     "No? You don't know where it is, or you won't tell me?" Quarry's voice was now low and slightly crazed, bring Cody's attention back to the conversation. "You are playing a dangerous game, Charlie Burns. You have 24 hours before I call you again. And I cannot guarantee your little boy's safety after that, mate. Find the creature. My warning goes for both you and the F.B.I.. Think carefully." Drawing out the last two words he paused, glancing at Cody before turning the phone to video call, raising the backside of the phone up to match the level of Cody's face.

     Cody could hear his family on the other end and tried to call to them, but the mask prevented him from doing so. He squirmed with what little room he had, his mouth barely having enough space to open for breathing. The clear oxygen mask itched and he desperately wanted to get to his family and away from Quarry.

     "Oh, you want to talk to them?" Quarry asked in a mocking tone, his unhinged nature starting to show again. He leaned closer to Cody, insanity carved into the hunters face. "Well, don't worry. You will soon enough. Right now, it's time to say bye!" He faced the phone camera, an insane grin plastered on his face. Then, before Cody could do anything, Quarry shut the phone off, ending the call abruptly. Leaning away from the chair, he stood up and headed for the table. He set down the device and fingered his belt's knifes.

     Cody was shaking now, from fear and adrenaline. He had no way of defending himself if Quarry were to attack him. He tried to keep his breathing normal, but tears threatened to fall and his composure faltered. The sudden click of a button being pressed startled Cody, and he looked down to hear the sound of gas being pumped through the tube to his mask. As his mind panicked and he tried to keep from breathing in the unknown gas, Quarry walked over to stand behind the child.

    Cody froze as he felt Quarry's partially gloved hand cup around his chin, rough fingers pressing against his cheek and a curved hunting knife pressed against his scalp where his blonde hair began. His mouth was dry and his nose flared, letting more gas into his system. His mind was getting foggy as the gas slowly started to affect him. His head started to tilt down and his eyelids drooped as Quarry laughed.

     "Ah, it's so nice to see the start of a hunt fall into place," Quarry spoke in the light friendly voice again as he moved the knife across the outline of the child's hair. A whimper escaped the boy's lips as the cold metal grazed his skin. "Now, I have some work to get to, so you just sleep now. No need to worry, I'm sure daddy will come and save you, just like last time. Now, sleep." Terrified tears streamed down Cody's face before the gas fully kicked in, rendering him into a state of heavily drugged semi-consciousness, a lock of blonde hair falling to the floor.