Free The Monkey Howled at Midnight by Zack Norris

he was going to punish him. The Chameleon picked up a corner of his leopard-skin robe and twisted it viciously.

[ Chapter Fifteen ]
    â€œT he trail looks different in the daylight,” Cody said. He had managed to lead the police to the landing strip.
    â€œI told you that we shouldn’t have sent a kid,” said one of the officers, whose name was Fernando Bezerra. He had been making remarks from the beginning of the flight.
    Cody was glad that his dad was at the end of the line of officers. Bezerra had been calling Cody “kid” or “kiddo,” and he didn’t want his dad to hear it. From the tone of his voice, Bezerra might as well have called Cody a toddler. Cody didn’t like it, and he knew his father wouldn’t either.
    Bezerra had been quiet for a little while, but soon he spoke up again. “The police department is no place for children. We aren’t here to play. We’re here to do a job. That’s right, isn’t it?”
    If he was waiting for one of the other officers to go along with him, he was wasting his time. They all were silent.
    Cody had been holding his tongue. But he had had enough. He whirled and faced the officer. Although he was angry, he made sure to speak calmly and politely.
    â€œExcuse me, sir. I’m aware that we aren’t playing childish games. I’m the one leading the police to the warehouse and I’d appreciate some respect,” he said evenly.
    â€œ Woooo! ” The other officers sounded approval. Bezerra glared at Cody. “Are you going to let him speak to me like that, Captain Montez?” he asked. Captain Montez stroked his chin. “It seems to me that this boy managed to find the warehouse, get away, fly a plane, and lead us back here. Cody, can you take us to the warehouse?”
    â€œHe’ll get us lost,” Bezerra protested. “He just said everything looks different in the daylight.”
    â€œOfficer Bezerra, I was speaking to Cody. Once again, can you take us to the warehouse, Cody?”
    Cody glanced at Bezerra. Then he said, “Yes, sir, I can do it. I marked the trees on the trail with my Swiss Army knife. All I have to do is follow the marks.”
    He gave Officer Bezerra a hard look. “Things look different in the daylight, but it doesn’t matter.”
    â€œOkay, then,” said Captain Montez. “Listen to me, everyone. Right now the only chance we have of finding the animal warehouse is this young man. What’s most important about that is we may need his help to rescue Pino Estevez. So for now, any childish remarks about his age will stop. Understood?”
    Most of the officers said yes and a few added an enthusiastic all right , but Officer Bezerra pressed his lips into a thin line. When Captain Montez kept looking at him, he turned his head and stared off into the distance.
    â€œIs it understood, Officer Bezerra?” Captain Montez prompted finally.
    Officer Bezerra puffed out his cheeks and blew out the air. “Yes, sir,” he said. It was obvious that he didn’t like saying it.
    At the end of the line, Mr. Carson had caught wind of a ruckus. “What’s going on there, Cody?” he called.
    â€œNothing, Dad, it’s all taken care of,” Cody called back.
    As he kept on walking, Cody thought about Officer Bezerra. The man’s attitude just didn’t make any sense at all. No matter how he felt about young people, he had to understand that Cody was the only one who could lead Captain Montez to the warehouse. The only other way to locate it would be to spot it from the air, and the trees made that impossible.
    Why did Officer Bezerra hate having him along so much? Then a thought occurred to Cody. Maybe Bezerra didn’t want him along because he didn’t want anyone to find the warehouse. Maybe he was on the wrong side of the law.
    It certainly was possible. Having a police officer working with you when you were trafficking