Текст книги "NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society"

Автор книги: Michael Buckley

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Текущая страница: 7 (всего у книги 13 страниц)

Jackson was curled in a ball on the floor of the rocket breathing in and out into a paper sack. Ms. Holiday knelt over him, rubbing his back and squeezing his hand to comfort him. “Just relax, Jackson.”

“Relax?” Jackson cried through his hyperventilation. “I’m in outer space. I signed up to be a spy, not an astronaut.”

“How pathetic,” Heathcliff said.

“Yeah, maybe we should call him Wheezer,” Matilda added.

“Be nice,” Ms. Holiday scolded.

“Jackson, this is the most efficient method of transport,” Mr. Brand explained.

“He’s right,” Duncan said. “Instead of flying across the globe for hours, the School Bus flies up into the stratosphere and then back down where we want. It shortens a flight from several hours to no more than thirty minutes, allowing us to get back to school before the end of the day.”

“If the new guy’s nervous breakdown is over, perhaps we should get into our gear,” Ruby said.

The children snatched the packs from the front of the rocket. Jackson found the one with his name on it, opened it up, and pulled out a heavy wool shirt and pants, a thick lamb’s wool coat, and a small cotton hat.

“Uh, this is just a bunch of clothing. Where’s the secret agent stuff? Where’s the exploding bow tie and the camera pen?”

“Everyone’s pack is assembled for their specific needs,” Ms. Holiday said.

“How am I going to do spy stuff with all this?” he cried.

“You’re not,” Brand said. “You’re observing on this mission.”

“What?” Jackson cried. He felt the rocket turn back toward Earth, and his belly did a flip. “I’ve been training for weeks. I’m ready.”

“How many people think Braceface is ready?” Ruby said to the team. None of them raised their hands.

“The desert is sparsely inhabited, and we don’t expect you’ll meet many locals,” Ms. Holiday said. “But if you do, they will probably be of two types—sheepherders or armed tribal fighters who won’t take kindly to trespassers. Do your best to avoid them.”

“Once you get into the city, you’ll pose as street kids peddling wares in the market,” Agent Brand said. “Each of you has been briefed on your specific tasks once you’ve found Dr. Badawi’s lab.”

“Briefed? I wasn’t briefed.” Jackson said.

Brand ignored him. “Ms. Holiday, what can you tell us about the good Dr. Badawi?”

“Dr. Badawi is married to American diplomat Omar Badawi, who is currently the United States ambassador to Egypt. Her lab is in a bustling tourist corridor of Cairo called the Spice Market. To get there, you’re going to travel through the Sahara desert. The sun will be brutal, and the clothes I packed you will protect you from burning, but will also keep you warm at night, in case this mission takes longer than expected. Pufferfish, Wheezer, you’ll find extra sets of clothing in your packs, as we discussed.”

“Got ’em,” Wheezer said.

“Flinch, I’ve packed a dozen marshmallow pies and a case of juice boxes, if you need them.”

Flinch licked his lips. “You are a beautiful person, Ms. Holiday.”

“What’s this?” Matilda said as she pulled a chocolate chip cookie out of her pack.

“Oh, that’s from me,” Ms. Holiday said. “I wanted to give you all a good-luck treat.”

The herd stared at her in disbelief—they clearly weren’t used to being coddled, and they weren’t sure they liked it. But then they shrugged and started dressing for their mission. Jackson found his sheepherder outfit very scratchy. “You can spend ten billion on my superbraces, but you don’t have a couple bucks for fabric softener?” he muttered.

Once everyone was dressed, they returned to their seats and locked their safety belts. Jackson had been on planes, and always found putting on his seat belt to be tedious and silly. But the descent in the School Bus changed his mind forever. It was even more terrifying than the takeoff, like a free fall right into the ground, until the lunch lady leveled the ship off above the desert floor.

“We’re over the drop,” the pilot grunted.

“The drop?” Jackson asked.

Suddenly, Brand was out of his seat and opening the hatch at the front of the jet. The other kids followed him, each snatching a parachute from a pile stacked nearby.

“No one told me we were jumping out of a rocket!” Jackson shouted. “I’ve never done this before.”

“It’s pretty easy,” Matilda said. “All you have to do is fall.”

A moment later, she jumped out and was gone.

Heathcliff was next, then Ruby.

“Your ride will be along soon,” Brand shouted over the wind.

Ruby nodded as she jumped outside.

Flinch raced to the front, snatched a pack, and leaped outside without even putting it on his back.

Jackson screamed, sure he had just witnessed the boy’s last moments alive, but Duncan assured him Flinch was OK. “He does that every time. He’s a bit of an adrenaline junkie.”

“He’s a bit of a lunatic,” Jackson mumbled.

“You and I are going together,” Duncan said. He ran his hands up and down Jackson’s back. When Jackson craned his neck he noticed a sticky film trail where the boy’s hands had been. Then Duncan hugged him from behind. The two boys were stuck tight.

Ms. Holiday helped the chubby spy into his parachute while Jackson squirmed for his freedom.

“You realize we are all minors,” Jackson said. “You’re letting six children jump out of a plane, into the desert, in a foreign country, alone.”

“You’ll be fine,” Duncan said to Jackson. “I’ll keep you safe.”

“You ate fourteen glue sticks in art class once. I don’t think you’re the best one to protect me,” Jackson said.

“Find the doctor and bring her back,” Brand said. “Jackson, Ruby is your team leader and unless she directs you otherwise, your job on this mission is to observe.”

“Wait, maybe I should stay in the rocket!” Jackson cried, but he never finished his sentence. Duncan dragged him through the open door. Jackson’s screams were drowned out by the wind, but he could still hear them inside his head as the ground raced toward them.

“Isn’t it beautiful up here?” Duncan shouted.

Jackson just kept on screaming. Eventually, he felt Duncan pull a cord. There was a loud pop, and then an incredible flapping sound as the parachute unfolded above them. When it unfurled, the boys were jerked roughly upward. Then they began to slowly descend.

“I love this part,” Duncan said. “It’s so peaceful.”

The boys landed on the edge of a dune and tumbled face-first into the sand. As they rolled, the parachute wrapped around them so that neither could move a muscle. Jackson now knew what it must feel like to be a burrito.

As they tried to untangle themselves, the rest of the team sprang into action. They buried their parachutes, while Ruby used binoculars to scan the valley. “Here comes our ride,” she said.

Jackson turned his head in the direction Ruby was looking. He saw a lone figure walking toward them with six camels in tow.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Jackson said. “We’re riding camels to Cairo?”

“Aaagha bezzzeter chuck,” Flinch said.

“Huh?”

The hyperactive boy turned the knob on his body harness. “I said ‘camels rule, bro!’”

Ruby ignored the chatter. “Let’s move, people.”

“Uh, we’re kind of stuck!” Jackson cried from inside the parachute burrito.

“No worries,” Duncan said. “Laser watch activate.”

Duncan’s wristwatch opened and a tiny laser cannon poked out. It targeted the straps of the parachute, and moments later the two boys were free.

“I didn’t get a laser watch,” Jackson grumbled.

“I know,” Duncan said with a smile. “It’s only for the good agents.”

With the camel salesman’s help, Jackson and the others mounted their animals. Once they were safely aboard, the old man smacked Jackson’s camel on the rump, sending him racing into the desert. It turned out riding a camel was like being on a smelly inner tube trapped in white-water rapids. He fell off the furry monster a dozen times, and each time, the camel reached down and bit him. His teammates just laughed.

Worse, the sun was broiling. The disguises the librarian had given them protected against its vicious rays, but felt heavy in the heat. Jackson complained, and the others ignored him.

They had been traveling for a couple of hours when Ruby called for them to take a break. She pointed out a rocky outcropping and led the rest of the team toward it.

Jackson attempted to dismount, but his camel bucked and kicked, sending him sprawling onto the ground. He couldn’t be sure, but it seemed as if the beast was giggling at him, just like the rest of his team. He picked himself up and pulled his pack off the camel’s back. Inside he found several bottles of water and Ms. Holiday’s cookie. He decided he needed a treat and took a bite. The cookie was as hard as stone and tasted like vinegar. He wrapped it back up and put it in his shirt pocket. Clearly, Ms. Holiday could not bake.

“How long do you think we’ll be here?” Jackson asked Ruby. She ignored him. She took a school organizer out of her pack and opened it up. Where folders and rulers should have been, there was a computer monitor and keyboard, as well as a tiny satellite dish spinning in circles.

“Probably a half hour,” Duncan said. “Ruby likes to get topographic maps and weather before we get into the heat of the mission. It will take a while to link to Benjamin.”

Jackson laid back and closed his eyes. “I think I’ll take a nap, then.”

“Do what you want, but don’t expect a bedtime story from me,” Wheezer said.

When Jackson awoke, the sun was in his eyes, his mouth was dry, and he had a knife across his throat. He looked up and saw the owner of the blade—a dark-skinned man with a long beard and stringy black hair. He wore loose, flowing white pants and a green shirt and had a leather belt lined with shotgun shells. He barked something in a language Jackson didn’t understand. Out of the corner of his eye, Jackson saw more men just like him, all brandishing ugly swords and shouting threats. He didn’t have to be multilingual to know they were angry.

“Try to relax,” Ruby said to him. “No sudden movements. These are local tribal fighters and we’ve stumbled onto their land.”

“How do you know that?” Jackson said as he craned his neck to see her. She was standing behind him. A group of men had their swords aimed at her heart.

“Call it a hunch,” Ruby said.

“Where are the others?” Jackson asked.

“I sent them ahead to scout the highway into Cairo. They won’t be back for an hour,” the girl replied.

“So we’re here alone?” Jackson cried. The man holding the sword shouted at him angrily and pressed his blade closer to his Adam’s apple.

“You remember me telling you to relax, right?” Ruby said.

“So what are we going to do?” Jackson said more quietly.

“Well, we have two choices. We can die, which is what these guys want us to do, or we can fight back and die a little later. You choose.”

“Don’t you have some spy gadget or gizmo?” Jackson asked. “What about your upgrades?”

“Mine are inside my body, doofus. My allergies make me highly sensitive to danger—almost bordering on psychic. For instance, my tongue is swollen because I’m allergic to angry threats. My eyes are itchy because I’m allergic to large groups of people with swords. My ears feel clogged because I’m allergic to answering dumb questions. My ability is not going to help us much here. Why don’t you use your upgrades?”

“I don’t know how to use them yet,” Jackson said. “All I know is that I can use my braces to catch a flying car and force-feed a dog. I haven’t had a single lesson on what they can do.”

“I told Brand you weren’t ready,” Ruby said. “I wish Gluestick was here. He’s a technology guy, but I’ll do my best to explain. Your braces are made from millions of tiny robots called nanobytes. They are linked to your brain so you have control over them. If you want them to react, all you have to do is to think it.”

Jackson concentrated and he could feel the wires swirling around in his mouth, and in a flash a crudely shaped fist rocketed out of his mouth and caught the warrior leader under the chin. He dropped his saber and fell backward into the sand.

The other warriors raised their swords in the air and screamed in fury. Six strands shot out of Jackson’s mouth, all with swords at the ends. The fighters slashed with their weapons, but Jackson’s braces blocked each attack. Jackson felt like he had six musketeers in his mouth. Metal crashed into metal and sparks flew everywhere. Finally, Jackson managed to disarm the entire gang, and they ran off in fear.

“Did you see that?” Jackson cried as his braces retracted into his mouth. “I rule!”

“That was hardly worth the self-congratulations,” Ruby said.

“What? Was I the only one standing here? Those guys were going to kill us. You’re lucky I was here to save your itchy behind.”

“Let’s just get something straight!” Ruby shouted. “We don’t need your help in any way, shape, or form. Each one of us is an expertly trained fighting machine. We all know how to paralyze a man with just a pinch. You’re on this team despite the fact that all of us voted against you. Our votes used to mean something … anyway, just because we’re stuck with you doesn’t mean we’re ever going to be buddies or grateful to you for anything. You’re a bully—”

“What?” Jackson cried.

“A bully!” Ruby shouted even louder. “So you fought off a few bad guys. If you think I would do the same for you, then you’re dumber than you look. You’re on your own, and if you think you can intimidate us with a wedgie or a headlock, you’ve got another think coming.”

“So I guess you’re not going to thank me?” Jackson said.

An hour later, Matilda floated to the ground with Duncan in her arms. In the distance they spotted a streak of dust heading in their direction. When it stopped just six inches away, Jackson realized it was Flinch with Heathcliff on his back.

“Oh, I always miss the fun,” Matilda complained when she saw the piles of weapons.

“Some fighters decided to mess with Jackson Jones!” Jackson crowed. “They learned the hard way how tough I am.”

Ruby turned away. “Let’s get going. We’ve got several more miles before we get to the lab, and who knows how many more of these fighters are lurking about.”

The others were soon climbing aboard their camels.

Jackson was annoyed. “What? No pat on the back? No good job, Jackson? Where’s the gratitude?”

The others ignored him and trotted off.

Cairo was a fascinating place. Skyscrapers rose high into the air next to ancient stone buildings. Taxis and sports cars shared the roads with camels and donkeys. Men in suits rushed off to work while farmers pushed carts of exotic fruits and vegetables to market.

A policeman yelled at the NERDS team. “He wants us off the main road,” Heathcliff told the others after searching through an Arabic-to-English dictionary. “He called us filthy gypsies.”

“He’s not very nice,” Duncan said.

Ruby steered her camel down a side street, and the team followed. She led them down several crowded alleyways. Children played while tourists gawked at the buildings and snapped endless photographs. Women carried baskets of laundry on their heads as tiny European cars struggled to get past.

“Badawi’s lab is around this corner,” Ruby said as she hopped off her camel. The others followed her lead. “Intelligence says she has several armed guards, and it would be best if we can avoid them. Wheezer, you and I will need to get changed. Flinch, Gluestick, and Choppers, circle the building and try to find where those guards are positioned.”

The three boys ran off.

“What about me?” Jackson said.

“You can turn around,” Matilda said. After several moments the girls tapped Jackson on the shoulder. He spun around and found them wearing Girl Scout uniforms.

“Again, I missed the briefing,” Jackson said. “What is going on?”

Before they could explain, the boys returned. “There’s two guards on a fire escape on the west side of the building,” Heathcliff said.

“There’s two at the front door,” Duncan added.

“Nothing on the roof,” Flinch said as he opened three juice boxes and sipped them all at the same time. It wasn’t long before he was shaking and giggling from the sugar.

“OK, we’re going to distract as many guards as possible,” Matilda said.

“How do you plan on doing that?” Jackson asked.

Matilda dug into her pack and pulled out several boxes of cookies. “With these.”

“No one can resist Girl Scout cookies,” Ruby said. “As for the rest of you, it looks like the roof is the safest way inside.”

“What about me?” Jackson asked.

“You’ve got the most important job ever.”

Jackson’s eyes popped open. “Really? What?”

“You get to guard the camels.”

Jackson scowled. “I’m not used to sitting on the bench.” Ruby pointed an angry finger at him. “Then you better get used to it. You’re here to observe.”

“Forget it!” Jackson snapped.

“Listen, he can go with us,” Duncan said.

“With us?” Flinch and Heathcliff cried.

“I’ll take responsibility for him,” Duncan insisted.

“If he screws up, it’s on you, Gluestick,” Ruby said.

“No worries,” Duncan said. Heathcliff shot him a murderous look, but he kept his mouth closed.

“All right, let’s go kidnap us a scientist,” Flinch said as he clapped his hands.

The girls headed for the front door, while the boys circled around the back of the building.

“So, how do we get up to the roof?” Jackson asked, eyeing the building. It was easily ten feet tall. “There’s no rope in my pack.”

“Like this,” Flinch said as he grabbed Heathcliff and tossed him high into the air. Jackson watched as the bucktoothed spy landed nimbly on the roof of the building.

“No way you are doing that to me!” Jackson said. It looked more terrifying than the rocket.

“It’s really safe,” Duncan said, just before he was tossed as well.

“He’s right,” Flinch said. “I’ve only crippled three people. That’s a very good percentage.”

“Now, let’s talk about this,” Jackson said, but a moment later the boy’s hands hefted him off the ground and flung him high into the sky. Flinch’s toss was perfect and Jackson came down on the roof like a feather. A barfing, crying feather—but a feather nonetheless.

Flinch landed beside him, grinning from ear to ear. “Fun, huh?”

The other boys pulled off their desert clothes, revealing black bodysuits covered in zippered pockets. Duncan took out a pair of goggles, slipped them over his eyes, and looked down at the roof.

“The girls are having some luck. The guards are gone from the fire escape. I’m detecting two people in a lab on the eighth floor. Braceface, want to take a look?” He handed the goggles to Jackson.

“Stop calling me Braceface,” Jackson said as he slipped them on and looked down. He could see red silhouettes shaped like people rushing about inside the building. The X-ray sensor goggles were amazing. “So, how do we get inside?”

Heathcliff gestured to a fire escape door on the roof. “Duh!”

Jackson also pointed to the huge lock on the door. “Double duh!”

“I’ll take care of that,” Flinch said, turning the dial on his harness. He ripped the door off its hinges and tossed it aside like a scrap of paper. “Ta-da!”

The four boys hurried though the door and down the stairs.

“She’s two floors down,” Duncan said.

“Pufferfish, how’s the cookie sale going?” Heathcliff said.

“Very well,” a voice echoed inside Jackson’s head. He recognized it as Ruby’s.

“I heard her in my head,” Jackson cried.

“Communications are linked through the chip inside your nose,” Duncan explained. “If you need to talk to one of us, just focus on our faces in your mind. The chip does the rest.”

The boys continued down to the eighth floor of the building and slipped into the hallway. Before they had a chance to regroup, a guard appeared. Luckily, the team leaped into an empty room before he spotted them.

“Flinch, you and Gluestick go after Dr. Badawi,” said Heathcliff. “I’ll stay here and babysit the dead weight.”

The two boys raced into the hallway and vanished, leaving Jackson and Heathcliff alone. They sat in silence for a long time until Jackson’s curiosity got the best of him.

“Why do you hate me so much?”

“As if you have to ask,” Heathcliff said.

“Actually, I do have to ask. That’s why I’m asking.”

Heathcliff let out an impatient sigh. “NERDS is an organization like no other, because its members are chosen for their skills and abilities.”

“And you don’t think I have skills and abilities,” Jackson said. “I’m a star athlete.”

“So what? Who cares if you can throw a football? The world is not saved by touchdowns—it’s saved by ideas. This organization has always had an elite membership. Our members go on to be diplomats, scientists, and inventors—very few of them spend as much time on their hair as you do. Your very existence here is a slap in the face to every person who has ever risked his or her life as a member of this team.”

Jackson felt his face flush. “Brand seems to think I have potential.”

“Agent Brand sees himself in you,” Heathcliff replied. “But like you, he could never have been one of us. We’re the guys they call when people like Brand can’t get the job done.”

Jackson looked away. He didn’t want Heathcliff to see that his words had hurt him.

“It’s all clear,” Flinch said in Jackson’s head. “I’ve got the guard under control and Gluestick is on his way to pick up the package.”

“Good,” Heathcliff said.

“Sit tight and we’ll be back to get you,” Flinch replied.

“Choppers to the School Bus,” Heathcliff said out loud. A moment later, Jackson heard the lunch lady’s gravelly voice.

“School Bus is here.”

“Gluestick is retrieving the package. Request extraction,” Heathcliff said.

“On our way, kid,” the pilot replied.

While this conversation was taking place, Jackson heard something in the distance. It sounded like a heavy machine coming in their direction, loud and fast. He stood up and went to the window. As he peeked outside, a helicopter flew directly over the building.

“Uh, any idea who that is?” Jackson said. He studied the helicopter. It didn’t have any markings on it at all.

Heathcliff rushed to the window and craned his neck to see the new arrival. “I don’t have a clue. Team, we have an unidentified helicopter in the area. Gluestick, do you have the doctor?”

There was a brief pause and then Duncan’s voice could be heard. “Not yet. Whoever it is, I recommend you engage. It will give us more time to acquire the target.”

“Negative,” Ruby said. “Work faster.”

Jackson watched the helicopter land on the roof of the lab. A moment later, he heard heavy feet rushing down the stairs the boys had just taken. Jackson and Heathcliff raced over to the doorway and peered out into the hall. A dozen heavily armed men were running down the stairs from the roof. Among them was a young girl, no older than Jackson, with platinum blonde hair. She said something to the men and they raced down the hallway past the boys’ hiding spot.

“They’re in the building,” Jackson said. “You’ve got to warn the others.”

“I can see that!” Heathcliff snapped. “Gluestick, can you hear me? Wheezer? Choppers? Flinch? Can anyone hear me? Abort the mission!”

“It’s too late,” Flinch said. He sounded nervous in Jackson’s head. “They’re storming into the doctor’s lab now. Gluestick is in there. Where did these guys come from?”

Heathcliff frowned.

“We have to save them,” Jackson said.

“Absolutely not. You’re here to observe and we are outmatched.”

But Jackson was already running down the hallway after the armed men. Heathcliff may not have had any faith in him, but he’d show that jerk. He was Jackson Jones, and Jackson Jones did not sit on the bench.