The cruise ship had just reached its destination and docked when, as promised, the captain quietly surrendered himself to the authorities. “Uh, who’s going to steer the ship back if the captain is in jail?” Mason asked, a hint of concern in his voice. “Don’t worry about that,” the captain replied confidently. “My co-captain, Eric, can manage it. I’ve been training him to take over when I eventually retire.” 

“Mom, Dad,” Mackenzie chimed in, “we’ll be fine on our own if you two want some time alone.” 

“We appreciate that, honey. Thank you,” Melissa responded with a warm smile. “Just make sure you two stick together.” 

“And be back at the ship by 5:00,” their father added sternly. 

“We will, Dad!” Mackenzie assured him, and with that, the siblings dashed off to explore the island.

As they wandered through a shopping district, they stumbled upon a young boy in tears. “Is everything okay?” Mackenzie asked with concern. 

“My brother was taken by some men, and I fear it may be my fault,” the boy replied, sniffling. 

“Why do you say that?” Mackenzie inquired. 

“I might have taken something that belongs to my parents without asking first,” the boy said, revealing a valuable-looking bracelet. 

“I see, but what does that have to do with your brother being kidnapped?” Mackenzie pressed. 

“That’s what I don’t understand,” the boy admitted. “Could you please tell us your name?” Mackenzie asked gently. 

“Oh, sorry! My name is Jerome, and my brother’s name is Miguel,” he said. 

“Nice to meet you, Jerome. I’m Mackenzie, and this is my brother Mason,” she introduced them. “Don’t worry; we’ll help you find your brother and stop these kidnappers.” 

Mason turned to his sister, anxiety etched on his face. “This seems a bit beyond our scope, don’t you think? Shouldn't we let the police handle this?” 

Mackenzie raised an eyebrow. “May I remind you, we’ve already thwarted an illegal pet-smuggling operation, disrupted a money-laundering scheme, and prevented a potential kidnapping while also stopping a couple of jewelry thieves just moments ago? At this point, I’d say nothing is out of our jurisdiction.” 

“Okay, you’ve got a point,” Mason conceded.

“Jerome,” Mackenzie said, her tone earnest, “can you show us exactly where your brother was taken?” 

“Yeah, it’s not far from here,” Jerome replied, leading them to the spot where he and Miguel had been enjoying ice cream before the abduction. 

“Jerome, where are your parents in all of this? Have you told them your brother was kidnapped?” Mackenzie asked, concern growing. 

“I haven’t had the chance. Everything happened so fast,” Jerome explained. “After he was taken, I tried to follow the men, but I lost them and then ran into you two.” 

“What I don’t understand is why they would take your brother if you were the one with the bracelet, which I assume is what they were after,” Mackenzie pondered aloud. 

“Jerome, I know you probably don’t want to hear this right now, but I think we should talk to your parents and tell them everything that happened.”

You're right; I should have done that from the start. Come on; I'll show you where I live. Jerome led the twins to his house, where he explained everything that had happened to his parents.

"Sweetheart, are you okay? What do you mean your brother was taken? And who are your friends?"

"My name is Mackenzie, and this is my brother, Mason. We’re actually detectives where we come from."

"I think he was taken because of this," said Jerome, pulling out the bracelet.

"Jerome, I've told you a thousand times not to touch my jewelry! It's very expensive," Jerome's mother responded.

"Ma'am, can you think of any reason why anyone would want this bracelet or why they would take your son?" Mackenzie asked.

"Well, it is an expensive piece of jewelry, but I doubt it's valuable enough to warrant kidnapping," Jerome's mother replied hesitantly.

"I might have an idea of who these men are," Mason interjected. "I did some research, and it turns out the men who took your son are wanted in seven countries for stealing priceless artifacts, including art and jewelry, which they sell at auctions around the world. That bracelet is part of a collection worth a fortune."

"That's it!" exclaimed Jerome's father. "I'm calling the police."

"I wouldn't recommend that," Mackenzie cautioned. "I know you’re worried about your son, but involving the police could put him in even more danger. My brother and I will figure out a way to get him back, so please don’t worry."

"And why should we trust you? You’re just kids," Jerome's father questioned.

"Let’s just say this isn’t our first encounter with dangerous criminals," Mason replied confidently.

"Jerome, do you remember which direction the people who took your brother went when you chased after them?" Mackenzie asked.

"You chased after them?!" Jerome's mother exclaimed in alarm.

"That wasn't a smart thing to do, son," Jerome's father added sternly.

"I know, Dad. I’m sorry. Next time, I'll come straight home. As for which way they went, follow me, I’ll show you," Jerome said.

The three of them set off to the location where Jerome's brother had been taken.

"This is the spot. We were having ice cream on that corner over there," Jerome explained.

“Now, show us the direction you went when he was taken,” Mackenzie said.

"When I chased after them, I went that way," Jerome indicated.

"Let's head in that direction, then," Mackenzie suggested. Eventually, they found themselves back at the place where they had first met.

"This is where you said you lost them, right? Did you at least see where they went from here?" Mackenzie pressed.

"I think they went around that corner over there," Jerome replied. They all moved around the corner and approached the shopkeeper to see if he knew anything about the vehicle that had driven by.

"Excuse me, sir, we're looking for a potential kidnapping victim. Did you see anything unusual happen?" Mackenzie asked.

"I did see some men driving down the road in a peculiar-looking vehicle not long ago," the shopkeeper replied.

"Can you describe the vehicle?" Mackenzie inquired.

"It was a black armored truck," the shopkeeper said.

"Did you see how many men were inside?" Mackenzie followed up.

"I only saw two in the front, but there could have been more in the back," the shopkeeper informed them.

"And did you see which way they went?" asked Mackenzie. The shopkeeper pointed to the left of his shop.

"Thank you for your help," she said, and the three of them headed in the direction indicated by the shopkeeper.

"Oh, kids," the shopkeeper called after them, "one more thing I forgot to mention: one of the men got out of the truck to buy something."

"Do you remember what it was?" Mason asked eagerly.

"I think it was a piece of jewelry, but nothing that seemed particularly important," the shopkeeper replied, pondering.

With the information they had received, the kids raced in the direction the shopkeeper had indicated until they spotted a truck that matched the description. Upon opening the back doors, they discovered it was empty. Hearing footsteps approaching, they quickly hid inside to see where the situation would lead them. To their astonishment, they were taken to a large airplane hangar filled with boxes upon boxes of stolen artifacts, where Jerome’s brother was tied to a chair.

“Jerome, wait. I understand how you feel, but we can’t rush in without a plan,” Mackenzie advised. “Do you still have the bracelet?” she asked. 

“Yes,” replied Jerome.

“Good. Let me take a look at your backpack for a moment,” Mackenzie said, and Jerome handed it to her. "What exactly is your plan, Mackenzie?" Mason inquired. 

“You’ll see,” she replied confidently. “Hey, mister!” Mackenzie shouted, “You want the bracelet? I’ve got it right here!”

“That’s your plan?” Mason exclaimed incredulously. 

“Let Miguel go, and you can have it,” Mackenzie proposed, tossing the backpack toward the man. As the man released Miguel, he dashed toward his brother, and the four of them fled, only to find authorities waiting outside. “Did I mention I also sent an anonymous tip to the authorities while we were in the truck?” Mackenzie noted with a hint of pride.

Once the guards realized the bracelet was a fake, they took off after them, leading to their eventual capture by the authorities. “When did you pick up a fake bracelet?” Mason asked. 

“While we were talking to the shopkeeper; I thought it might come in handy,” Mackenzie explained.

“What made you so confident that would work?” Mason pressed.

“To be honest, I didn’t,” Mackenzie admitted. “I wasn’t sure what I would have done if it hadn’t.”

“Mackenzie, it’s almost 5:00. We need to get back to the ship now,” Mason reminded her urgently. 

“Mason and Mackenzie,” Jerome said gratefully, “I can’t thank you enough for helping me rescue my brother.”

“We’re happy to help, Jerome,” Mackenzie replied, “but if we don’t get back to our ship, we’re in serious trouble.” 

Mason approached one of the officers. “Excuse me, is there any chance we could get a ride back to our ship? It’s too far for us to walk.”

“Of course! Hop in; we’ll fly you back in our helicopter,” the officer replied. The twins, along with Jerome and his brother, climbed aboard for the ride. 

“Thank you, officer,” Mackenzie said enthusiastically.

“We appreciate your help in capturing those men,” the officer responded. “We’ve been pursuing them for quite some time.” 

“Okay, you two, this is your stop,” the officer announced. “Goodbye, Jerome; goodbye, Miguel; take care!” Mason said as they reunited with their parents.

“Well, it looks like you two had quite an adventure if you’re coming back by helicopter,” their mom observed. 

“You could say that,” Mackenzie replied. “I’m sorry we almost missed the boat. We ran into a bit of trouble, but it was nothing we couldn’t handle.” 

“After everything we’ve experienced on this cruise, I think I’m finally ready to just relax and have some fun,” Mackenzie added.

“I’m on board with that,” Mason replied eagerly. “Last one down the waterslide is a rotten egg!” Mackenzie declared as their parents followed right behind them.

“Well, what do you know?” their mother remarked. “She’s actually having fun. See, honey, you just needed to lighten up and give it some time. How about you and I relax by the pool while the kids are busy having fun?” Melissa suggested. 

“I like that plan,” David agreed. The rest of the vacation was filled with family bonding and enjoyment.

A week later, the Barnes family returned home from their vacation. The moment Mason stepped out of the car, he made a beeline to see Olivia. 

“Uhh, where do you think you’re going?” their mother asked.

“To see Olivia! Her two weeks of being grounded are up,” Mason replied excitedly.

“Her two weeks may be over, but yours are just beginning. Remember, you’re grounded for sneaking out to see her,” their father reminded him sternly.

“Aww, man,” Mason said, disheartened. “I was hoping you’d forget after everything that happened this week.”

“Nice try, young man. We don’t forget that easily. Now, let’s get inside,” their father instructed. 

The family retreated into the house, ready to unwind after a long vacation, while the twins decided to take a break from solving mysteries—at least for a little while.