Chapter 6 - Case Two:1

A/N: The museum of tolerance is a real place, by the way. It's pretty famous, and we were required to attend when we were studying World War Two. It's actually a really cool place - and really sad. It focuses mainly on the persecution the Jews were forced to endure, as well as racism and other inhumane abuses.

Chapter Five - Case 2:1



“Okay everyone, make sure you have you lunches and put them in the crates as you get off the bus. Find your buddy and stick together. Remember, if you get lost in the museum, find a security guard or one of the workers with the name tags, alright?”

“We're not little kids,” Ryan mumbled, sliding down farther into his seat as their teacher, Mrs. Tani, started to get kids off the bus. “We're thirteen!”

“Rye, cheer up,” Ryiza grinned at her brother. “At least it's not another art museum.”

“Why can't we go to the natural history one?” Ryan got up, grabbing the brown paper bags with `Ryan Dynne' and `Ryiza Dynne' along with `Room 108' printed in large blocky letters. They hopped off the yellow, aged bus that smelled of burned rubber and plastic.

He tightened his sweater tied around his waist, and looked up at the large sign announcing Museum of Tolerance. He pulled a face, and when Mrs. Tani looked around the ground he pretended to be absorbed in the nametag across his chest.

“Now pay attention. I want you all to write a paper about what we see today and compare it to what you already know about the Holocaust,” she announced. “And be respectful!”

Ryiza tugged at her brother's sleeve. “C'mon, Rye. Mom said we had to go.” They fell in step with the rest of their class, entering the double doors and meeting their tour guide in the lobby.

Half-way during the video on the use of gas chambers, the lights all went on and an intercom turned on. A lady's nervous voice started, “Will all visitors please exit quickly and orderly. Meet in your groups in the park, and please take attendance. Account for each person. Thank you.”

Ryan looked at his twin, frowning. “Fire?” she guessed.

“No, an alarm would have gone off,” he replied. Mrs. Tani hurriedly called for everyone to get into two lines next to their buddy and follow the tour guide. The voices of their classmates echoed about inquiring about what was going on, as the patter of rapid footsteps marked their exit out of the museum. When they reached the park, connected to the museum, their teacher gathered them into a group and started calling out names.

Ryan looked around at the other groups littering the grass, noting that most looked like other school classes. He chimed “Here!” after his name, and Ryiza copied immediately after him. Some adults in guard uniform were moving from group to group.

“Hey, Rii.” Ryan nudged his sister's side. “Look.” He pointed at the grown-ups. “What are they doing?”

“I guess they're making sure we're all okay?” she suggested.

“No…I don't think so.”

A moment later one of the uniformed men made their way to their class. Ryan tugged on Ryiza's arm, and the two crept close enough to hear.

“Are all the kids here your students, ma'am?” he asked.

Mrs. Tani looked at the group for a moment before replying, “Yes. These are all mine.”

“Any missing?”

“No, no, they're all here.”

His face revealed frustration and worry, as he instructed her to wait with `the kids' and not to leave before thanking her and moving to the next group. Ryiza turned to her brother. “That was weird,” she commented, crossing her arms.

“I'll say.” Ryan watched the guards for a minute as he mulled over the short conversation. “They're looking for someone,” he finally announced.

Ryiza agreed. “But why? They shouldn't have to clear out the whole place…”

Mrs. Tani turned to her class. “Kids, there's a slight emergency, so everyone sit down on the grass,” she instructed politely. “Don't go to other groups or to the bathroom without asking me first, okay?”

There came a collective protest from the students, but they obeyed. An hour later, the lunches were passed out to keep them busy.

Ryan pulled out the lunchables pack and frowned at it. “I don't like swiss cheese.”

“Here, this one's cheddar.” Ryiza switched their packs. “I think mom just mixed them up. She was in a hurry this morning.” She set about making the cracker sandwich and nibbled at it.

Ryan busied himself with squirting CapriSun into his mouth, stopping shortly to call out in surprise, “Mom's here!”

Both Ryiza and Ryan clambered to their feet and started to run to her, but were stopped short by Mrs. Tani. “And where are you two going?”

“That's our mom!” Ryan pointed at her.

Mrs. Tani frowned. “Isn't she a special investigator.”

Ryiza beamed with pride. “The best!”

She let them go, and they ran up to their mother who looked relieved to see them. “Ryan, Ryiza, are you two alright?” she asked.

“We're fine mom,” Ryan frowned. “What's wrong? Why are you here?”

She sighed and shook her head. “It's hard to explain. The governor's son was visiting the museum today.”

“Okay…” Ryiza looked worried, already expecting the next words.

“He's disappeared. His guardians claim he was with them one moment, and just gone the next.”

“Kidnapped,” Ryiza mumbled.

“Yes, and since it's the governor's kid…” Amy shook her head. “What a mess.” She spotted her partner arriving in the car. She put her hands on her children's shoulders and directed them back towards the school groups. “You two. Stay with your teacher.”

“How old is he?” Ryan immediately asked.

Amy emphatically shook her head. “No! N. O! This is a high profile case-“

“About a kid,” Ryiza pointed out. “Wouldn't we know a lot?”

“You two-“ She looked at her partner, already questioning the boy's guardians. She looked back at her twins with a mischievous grin. “Just pretend you're waiting for someone or something.”

They both mirrored her smile, edging close enough to hear.

“So you were in front of the American flag exhibit-“

“Yes, yes, and Terryl asked why the flag had so many stars,” the guardian made out through stifled sobs. “The guide replied that they probably didn't know how many stars the flag had, and then he led the class into the next room and we got there and Terryl was gone!”

Amy looked at both the guardians for a moment before asking, “And you didn't see anyone following you or looking at-Terryl, is it?”

“No, no.” The second guardian, a man with a bushy beard, shook his head. “The museum complied with our request to have some space between Terryl's class and the other groups. There wasn't anyone around.”

“That they knew of,” Ryan mumbled to his sister, looking away from the small group towards the school kids.

“Trent, pull the security tape starting when Terryl entered the building,” Amy instructed her partner. “Have you received any threats or the like?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Ordinary?” Ryiza asked.

“Well, if he's an important kid, then there's going to be threats on his life regularly,” Ryan explained.

“Has Terryl been acting strangely lately?” Amy asked.

“Well…he had a few arguments with his sister that were starting to get really bad.” The female looked at her partner, who nodded. “Otherwise, he's a mild-mannered boy. We didn't think it was really unusual…just sibling rivalry, you know?”

“Oh yes, I know,” Amy replied, a hint of humor in her voice.

“We do not have any rivalry,” Ryiza sulked.

“Except over video games.”

“Alright. I think that's all we have for you two now. We'll need a full description of Terryl, including his clothes.” Amy handed them some paper to write on, and turned to Trent. “Get statements from the family about any unusual activity around. Ask his teacher and his friends if they've noticed anything about the boy. I'll go talk to the tour guide.”

Ryan and Ryiza started to follow her, but that was the moment that their teacher called, “Ryan! Ryiza! We're getting on the bus now!”

Ryan shot a pleading look to his mother, but she pointed her finger towards the class. “I'll let you know at home,” she stated. Ryan and Ryiza glumly got back on the bus and into their assigned seat, while the teacher took roll again.

“Kidnapped, huh…” Ryan tapped the window for a moment. Ryiza's stomach growled, and she put her hand against it.

“We didn't eat our lunches,” she disappointedly observed.

“We'll eat when we get back,” Ryan returned. “Alright. So the trip to the museum wasn't a total loss.”

Ryiza laughed before asking, “Do you think we'll have to write that essay now?”

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