Chapter Eighteen: The Eyes Have It

     Trixie opened her eyes and huddled under the thin blanket. She glanced over at her friends and saw they were both facing her and that Honey was encircled in Brian’s arms. She felt a sudden rush of love and pride for the way the two supported one another.
    The Bob-Whites really know how to stick together, she thought, offering a quick prayer of thanks. When she reopened her eyes, Brian was awake, his expression warm and concerned. “Hey, Trix, did you sleep okay?”
    Trixie nodded. “How about you?”
    “We’re all right,” Brian said, resting his chin lightly on Honey’s head. “I’m sorry, Trix, I should have paid more attention to you. Maybe if I had...” he trailed off.
    “Honestly, Brian, I think this was pretty well-planned. I don’t think we could have prevented it.” The morning light showed Brian’s injuries far more clearly, and she felt a surge of anger for the people who had done this to him.
    “You were right though.”
    “I was right about someone being after Honey, but wrong about the who.” Trixie made an effort to keep her voice low. “I really didn’t think those speedsters could be responsible.” She looked around her and gave her big brother a wry smile. “Do you want to give me the daytime tour?”
     “I want to let Honey sleep a little longer, if possible, so I’ll stay put.” Brian smiled in return. “Don’t get lost though.”
Trixie grinned wider and slowly got up, carefully draping her blanket over her friend. Naturally, it did not take her long to explore the space, but she made a great show of quietly “ooing” and “ahhring”, happy to see that her antics put a smile on her brother’s battered face. Her enthusiasm was genuine, however, when she pushed open the room’s other door. “Yay,” she said, diving in and slamming the door behind her.
    Brian gave a laugh that hurt his chest, and Honey stirred against him, wriggling slightly before opening her hazel eyes.
“Good morning,” he said, gazing down at her with a loving smile on his face.
    “What’s so funny?” Honey asked, also pleased to see him smiling.
    “My sister.” Brian nodded toward the closed door.
    Seconds later, Trixie emerged. “Hi, Honey,” she said as if it were just another morning. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”
    Honey shook her head and slowly disengaged from Brian’s arms as she sat up.
    “What’s for breakfast?” Trixie asked with a grin.
    “I’m trying to decide between waffles or pancakes,” Brian replied with an answering grin.
    “I’m more in the mood for eggs,” Honey added, and the three laughed.
    Honey scrambled to her feet. “I guess we’ll just have to settle for water, water and water.”
    “The first thing I’m going to do when we get out of here is have about a week’s worth of breakfast,” Brian stated, and both girls were buoyed by his optimism.
    Honey nodded. “Me, too.” She frowned. “Do you think we can eat breakfast in the shower?” she wondered. “Cause a shower is what I want more than anything.”
    “We’ll have to put it to the test,” Brian said, and Trixie guffawed loudly.
    “What?” Brian and Honey said together.
    Trixie was laughing so hard that tears were running down her cheeks.” Thanks for the visual, brother dear. You two might get a fair bit of leeway when we get out of here, but even our broadminded parents won’t give the okay to you jumping into a shower together and stuffing your faces.”
    “I didn’t mean together,” Honey said, turning bright red, while Brian picked up the shoe his sister had removed the night before and threw it at her.
    Trixie continued to giggle and, picking up her shoe, shoved her foot into it. She hobbled over to fetch her other shoe and rejoined them. Honey reached over to hug her friend.
    “I’ve really missed you, Trixie.”
    Trixie hugged back, her blue eyes round. “I know it’s silly, but it’s almost better being here with you, than not knowing where you were.”
    “That’s exactly what Brian said.” Honey shook her head. “You Beldens are crazy, did you know that?”
    Trixie and Brian exchanged looks. “It’s a curse,”‘ Trixie said sorrowfully, and Brian added, “You just can’t fight genetics.”
    Honey, still shaking her head, fetched some water in the mugs left from the day before, and the trio passed them back and forth.
    “I wish I didn’t wake up so hungry,” she said.
    The others nodded sympathetically and Trixie suddenly began fumbling through her pockets. “Oh, oh, oh!”
    “What’s wrong?” Brian demanded. “Are you in pain or something?”
    Trixie’s sandy curls bounced as she ended her search with a triumphant, “Tada!” In her hand was a slightly squashed bar of chocolate. She tore off the wrapper, broke it into pieces and eagerly passed it to the others. They ate it slowly, savouring the taste.
    “That was good,” Honey said appreciatively, her eyes fluttering closed as the last taste of the delicious chocolate lingered on her taste buds.
    “I’ve got some chewing gum as well,” Trixie responded glibly.
    Brian and Honey both shook their heads.
    “So, how does this work?” Trixie asked, turning business-like all of a sudden. “Do they come in at the same time everyday? Do they always bring food? Do you think that now that there are three of us we might be able to take them?”
    “Not exactly, not always and absolutely not!” Brian said, not sure whether to grin or glare at his intrepid sister. “Did you fail to see? They have a gun.”
    “We’ve fought with people who have guns before,” Trixie argued.
    “In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m in no condition to fight.”
    “It’s too dangerous, Trix,” Honey added in agreement. “They told me if I tried to escape again, they would shoot Brian.” She shook her golden head. “I won’t risk that, I can’t.”
    Trixie nodded slowly. She wasn’t used to Honey voicing her opinion so decidedly. She realised that, much to her surprise, she rather liked it. “You have a much better idea of what they’re like than I do, so we should probably do as you say.”
    Brian gave his own dark head a slight shake and rubbed his ear conspicuously. “Do my ears and eyes deceive me, or is the great detective herself bowing to another’s judgement?”
    Trixie made a face. “You know you are so funny, if medicine doesn’t work out for you, you could probably try stand-up comedy as a career, not super successful, get your own television show kind of stand up, of course, more the sad, seedy kind.”
    Brian grinned. “I’m just kidding, Trix.”
    Trixie shrugged her shoulders. “Honey is my partner, you know, I always listen to her.” She posed this last statement almost as a question, with an entreating look in her friend’s direction. Trixie had often been told that she was bossy, and while she knew it was at least partly true, she hated to think that she ignored the advice of the other Bob-Whites—especially Honey.
    “Of course you do,” Honey said firmly. “We always work together. Trixie listens all the time, more often than she should maybe.” She took a deep breath. “What about the Aguileras?” she demanded. “Brian and I were talking about them the other night, and you know it was only because you listened to me that we went with them, so...”
    Trixie didn’t let her finish. “That was not your fault, Honey and you know it. What about Dan? You were the only one who really wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.”
     “Okay.” Brian held his hand up. “I know you two are pretty much a mutual admiration society, and while I agree with both of you, I think we can do better things with our time than relive the glory days of the Belden-Wheeler Detective Agency.”
    “Well, you started it,” Trixie retorted. “More or less, anyway.”
     “What do you think we should do, Brian?” Honey asked.
    Brian hooked a brow in his sister’s direction, and Trixie gave him a nod of encouragement. He took as deep a breath as his injuries allowed and leaned forward. “While I don’t think we should rush our charming hosts, I do think we should at least make contingency plans for an escape.”
      Honey automatically began to protest and Brian gave her hand a quick squeeze before cutting her off. “I don’t mean like before, I just think—” He glanced toward the door and back to the girls again. “Did either of you notice how that door is pretty slow to close?”
    Honey nodded and Trixie shrugged. “So,” she said. “I imagine they’d notice if one of us slipped out, unless you were planning on putting some lump under a blanket and getting one of us to hide and…”
    “No,” Brian interrupted before his sister got too far into her flights of fancy. “You said you had some chewing gum, Trix.”
    Trixie nodded, somewhat surprised by the conversational turn. “Do you want some after all?”
    “No,” Brian said again. “But it might just come in handy.”
    The two girls stared at him in confusion, then slowly his meaning began to dawn on Trixie. “We might, we just might, be able to distract them long enough for one of us to put chewing gum over the lock, which might, again, just might, stop the door from locking properly,” she speculated.
    Brian nodded. “I know it’s a slim chance, and it’s a risk, but…”
    “It’s too big a risk!” Honey cried. “I think you’ve both gone crazy!”
    “Actually, Honey, it’s not a bad idea,” Trixie reassured her.
    “It’s a terrible idea.” Honey glared at them both. “What do you suppose they’d do if they caught us?”
    “I don’t honestly see how they could do much more than they already have.” Brian’s tone was reasonable but determined.
    “Then you don’t have enough imagination!” Honey’s hazel eyes clearly showed her worry and annoyance. “There are plenty of awful things they could do to us.”
    “Oh, Honey, Brian and I will protect you,” Trixie promised.
    Honey let out an uncharacteristic yelp of frustration. “I’m not worried about me, you idiots,” she yelled. “They need me, I’m their meal ticket, you two are…” she hesitated.
    “Collateral damage,” Brian finished softly.
    Honey nodded. “What if they hurt Trixie? Or,” she paused as she met Brian’s serious dark gaze and then finished, “you. You can’t take another beating like that, and I really couldn’t bear it if they hurt you again.”
    Both Beldens moved closer to their friend, and she was enveloped in their embrace.
    “I love you, Honey,” Trixie said.
    “That goes double for me,” Brian added. He sat up. “Let’s at least keep it as a possibility, if we all agree and can find a safe way to do it?”
    Trixie nodded immediately, and after a while Honey added her assent. “But only if we really get the chance, not if all three are here at once.”
    “While I think of it,” Brian added, “I don’t need to tell you two that we can’t let on we think we know who they are. They’ve gone to some trouble to conceal their identities, and I don’t want to give them any reason not to let us go.”
    Trixie and Honey solemnly nodded their agreement.

    Taking things very carefully, Brian led them through the series of stretches he and Honey had been doing since their arrival. When they’d finished, Honey politely excused herself to “use the facilities,” and Trixie was left alone with her brother.
    “How are you, really?” she asked softly.
    Brian smiled at her concern. “I’m okay, Trix, considering.” He lifted his sweater slightly to reveal his makeshift bandage.
    “You sure are clever,” she said admiringly.
    “Not me,” he said with a nod toward the closed door. “Honey, all Honey.”
    Trixie clicked her tongue. “That’s pretty impressive.” A sudden thought occurred to her and she abruptly reached over to raise his sweater again. “I thought I recognised it! That’s Honey’s tank top!”
    Brian nodded, but the look he gave his sister was warning enough. “It was a smart idea, too.”
    “Yes, it was,” Trixie agreed. She looked up at her brother, her blue eyes serious. “I’m sorry, Brian.”
    “Sorry for what?” Brian asked. “I know you thought you were doing the right thing following the Whedons.”
    Trixie shook her head. “If I wasn’t so undomesticated, we would have been with you and this might never have happened.”
    Brian gave her a sympathetic smile. “Like you said to me, it just would have been a different day, or a different time, and it might have been you with Honey instead of me. I’d have hated that, Trix.”
    His sister nodded and returned the smile as Honey re-emerged from the “powder room”. 

    “I’d give anything for a toothbrush,” the honey-haired girl said with a sigh, “or a hairbrush, or a change of clothes. I am never going to take anything for granted again.”
    “Me either.” Brian nodded his agreement as he got slowly to his feet and headed toward the facilities himself. “But as a very wise young lady once said, it could be worse.” He closed the door behind him, and Honey sank down next to her friend.
    “Oh, Trixie, I feel so guilty.”
    “Why?” Trixie demanded, her blues eyes widening with surprise.
    “I’m not as brave as you,” Honey said. “In spite of everything, I was so relieved when I realised that Brian was with me and I wasn’t alone. That’s just so selfish…I’m sorry, I guess there’s still some of that fraidycat girl you met years ago.”
    “What rubbish,” Trixie said staunchly. “You never were a fraidycat, Honey, you just hadn’t been around people all that much, and everyone’s afraid of something.”
    “Not you,” Honey argued with a small smile.
    Trixie shook her head. “No, I get scared too. I just don’t have your sense. Half the time I don’t even think about what might happen. Brian said it years ago, not long after he first met you.”
    “What did I say?” Brian rejoined them, his expression curious.
    “That Honey showed real courage because even when she was afraid, she still went ahead and did things.”
    Honey looked up at him. “Did you really say that?” 
    “Something very close to it anyway,” Brian said, easing his body back down onto the mattress. “It doesn’t take much courage if you’re never afraid in the first place.”
     “That’s just what I was saying,” Trixie said, and then added, “or at least I think that’s what I was saying, or I was trying to say that. Or…”
    Brian held his hands up. “Please, I surrender; no more, Miss Belden!” He then lowered his hands and grinned at his intrepid sister.
    Trixie wrinkled her nose in response to her brother’s teasing, but before she could make a retort worthy of Mart, Brian held up his hands again, this time in a gesture of warning.

    Suddenly, the captive Bob-Whites heard the ominous approach of footsteps, and moments later, the door swung open. The three masked men entered. This time Neil carried the tray and Ken held the sleek black gun, immediately commanding attention. Neil almost dropped the tray onto the crate, not caring that its contents spilled as he did so. Lee was the last to enter, and noticing that he kept one hand behind his back, the three Bob-Whites exchanged uneasy glances.
    “So, what do you think of you new accommodations?” he addressed Trixie.
    Trixie pretended to think before answering, placing an irreverent forefinger to her cheek as she feigned contemplation. “I’ve stayed at worse places,” she replied, dropping her previous façade and narrowing her eyes at her captors in contempt.
    “Oh, well, not much longer now,” Lee said, seemingly unnerved by Trixie’s unblinking stare and the derisive expression on her face.
    Brian tore his gaze from Trixie while Trixie tore her gaze from the man called Lee, and the Bob-Whites exchanged glances again, but this time Brian chose to speak. “What exactly does that mean?”
    “I guess that depends,” Neil drawled, entering the conversation and appearing to be unmoved by Trixie’s glare. “But don’t count your chickens, hero boy, you’re not out of this yet.”
    “Things are moving, let’s say that.” Lee grinned, his composure apparently regained following Neil’s intervention, and he suddenly waved a newspaper in front of them. He unfolded it and held it out for them to see.

KIDNAPPED!!!

    The headline screamed out to the three captives. Underneath it were three photos, one of Honey, one of Matthew Wheeler and one of Honey and Brian together.
    “Cute pic,” Neil said mockingly. “Prom night, was it?”
    “Graduation,” Brian responded automatically before mentally berating himself for playing their game. His annoyance made him switch to an attacking mode, and his voice was scathing as he sarcastically asked, “Are you so dumb that the gown doesn’t give it away?”  The eldest Belden was fed up with the constant sniping.
    “From what you two have told me, he’s not all that bright,” Trixie observed, raising a sandy brow as she coolly appraised her captors.
    Neil took a step toward her, eyes glittering dangerously. “You’re no genius yourself, from what I hear.”
    Trixie refused to be goaded and switched to the offensive. “At least I didn’t go wandering off and let my key hostage escape.”
    “Almost escape,” Lee corrected snippily.
    “Really?” Trixie drawled in her best imitation of her Idaho cousin’s languorous attitude while sneaking a quick sideways look at her best friend. Sensing what Trixie was doing, Honey rose to the occasion.
     “Trixie’s right, he lied to you,” Honey said coolly, summoning the fearless attitude of the girl who had sat in that fateful hay loft in upstate New York and told Al to “scram out of it” and warned the “big boy” that he’d get hurt if he didn’t. “I found the exit.”  She paused for dramatic effect and then smiled slowly before dropping her well-timed bomb.  “And he knew it, too,” she finished triumphantly as she nodded her head toward Neil, all the while keeping her hazel eyes locked on Lee’s startled ones.
    “She’s the one who’s lying!” Neil shrieked as Lee’s jaw tightened.
    “No, she’s not,” Ken interjected suddenly. “That’s what you said when you first came back. You said to him,” he said as he gestured toward Brian with a nod of his head, “that she was gone, that she’d left him for dead.” He shook his head in amazement. “She could have got away. She only came back because Brian was in trouble.”
    “He’s right.” Lee shook his own head at Neil. “You’ve got some explaining to do.” He turned back to the young prisoners. “As for the princess and her protector, all of this self-sacrifice is so inspirational.” He cleared his throat. “We’ll leave you to enjoy your meal. I’m not sure if we’ll be supplying anything further, so make it last”
    At this last statement, Lee lifted his arm in a warning wave at his cohort.
    “I got some extra food, because of your sister,” Ken said before moving toward the doorway.
    Neil tried but didn’t quite succeed in swaggering after him, leaving Lee to follow. At the door, Lee turned around and held the paper over his face but below eye level. “Must be nice to be rich and famous,” he said and then disappeared, closing the door after the others.

     The three Bob-Whites let out a collective sigh of relief.
    “You sure got their attention, Trix.” It was hard to tell whether Brian was glad or reproachful.
    “I just figured that if we can drive a wedge between them, it might help,” Trixie said defensively, assuming Brian’s comment was a dig.
    “It did seem to rattle them,” Honey conceded, trying to keep the peace. “Ken doesn’t like how unpredictable Neil is, and even Lee looked concerned.”
   “They aren’t used to dealing with Trixie Belden.” Brian’s tone assured his sister that he was being supportive.
    “I know I probably sound crazy, but I’m still not completely convinced it’s the Whedons,” Trixie mused. “I can’t put my finger on it, but they act as if they know you better than those brothers do.”
    “I don’t know about you two, but I’m sick to death of them, whoever they are! Let’s eat,” Honey encouraged.
     With nods of agreement, they hurried over to investigate the tray’s contents. “Coffee, this time,” Brian announced, “and some cake, carrot, I think.”
    “Does he always say stuff like that?” Trixie said between mouthfuls at Honey, furrowing her brow. “I don’t know how you haven’t completely lost it by now?”
    “That would be intelligent, wouldn’t it?” Brian glared at his wilful sister. “Get myself shot and leave Honey alone in this?” he observed, waving his hand around. 
    “He really seems to hate us,” Honey said in a small, bewildered voice that reflected her sweet nature. She found hatred hard to understand. She continued, “I mean, he seems to hate the fact that we care about one another almost more than anything.”
    Brian nodded and took another sip of the provided coffee. “Exactly.  Well, too bad, because nothing’s going to change that.”
    Honey smiled, and they both turned to Trixie, expecting some kind of smart remark or quip. Trixie, however, remained silent, her frown deepening and her eyes growing rounder and rounder as her brain churned out possible hypotheses.
    “Oh, oh, oh!” she exclaimed with increasing intensity, her wide blue eyes almost comical in how round they were, but neither Brian nor Honey laughed as they eagerly waited to hear her dedications.
    “What?” Brian demanded, sounding much like his impatient “almost twin” siblings, while Honey scurried to her friend’s side.
    Trixie shook her head wildly.
    “Cut it out,” Brian said. “You’ve been here five minutes and you’ve already almost given me two heart attacks. If you have something to say, out with it.”
    “That’s him, he, whatever!” Trixie shrieked, leaping up.
    “Who?” Honey and Brian asked as one.
    “The mysterious man! On the bus!” Trixie waved her hands and did a little dance.
    Honey thought for a moment and then slowly nodded her head, “Trix, I think you’re right” she said. “There has been something vaguely familiar about him.”
    “Wait a minute.” Brian held up his hand. “I don’t know why I get stuck with being the voice of reason, but—” he stopped as he gave his sister a searching look. “How can you possibly know that? He’s wearing a ski mask for pete’s sake.”
    “I don’t know for absolute certain,” Trixie countered thoughtfully, as she resumed her seat beside them. “But I am pretty sure. Remember that’s just what he did that very first afternoon, Honey?”
    Her friend nodded. “It’s true, how could I not have noticed those eyes. Brian, when he saw us looking at him, he took out a newspaper, unfolded it and—”
    “And held it up in front of his face, just like now,” Trixie finished for her. “I’d stake my professional reputation on it.”
    “So how does that track with the Whedon brothers’ theory then?” Brian countered. “They were definitely not on that bus the day you arrived.”
    Trixie shrugged. “Maybe they’re the other two, or maybe I was right all along and it’s not them at all.”
    Brian hooked an eyebrow in her direction, and she shrugged again. “You never know,” she said, not a little defensively.
    “Fine,” Brian conceded. “Maybe you are right, but does that actually help us?”
    Trixie and Honey exchanged looks. “I guess not,” Trixie admitted, crestfallen.
    “Still…” Brian paused and smiled at his sister. “If you are right, that’s pretty good detective work.”
    “I’ll tell you this, though,” Trixie declared. “Before this is over, one way or another, those masks are coming off.”

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Author's notes:  Dana not only edits brilliantly, she also adds ideas, clarity and pieces to this story that make it far better (and gets thoughts from my brain and onto the page)
Word Count. 3970
    Disclaimer: Trixie et al belong to Random House and not to me. No profit is being made from these scribblings.