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

Автор книги: Michael Buckley

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 9 (всего у книги 13 страниц)

The Hyena sat in a dark corner of the lab with her laptop. She was busy working on her résumé and searching want ads for contract killers. She wasn’t having a lot of luck.

“Mindy, may I have a word?” a voice said behind her. Startled, the Hyena spun around and found Dr. Jigsaw standing over her. Terror swept through her. Had he seen what she was doing? Was she headed for the fire pit?

“I think it’s time to introduce you to Simon,” Dr. Jigsaw continued.

“Simon?” she asked, quickly closing her laptop.

“Follow me,” the doctor said. He led her up a flight of stairs into the glass-walled observation room that overlooked his giant satellite dish. She noticed that the henchmen and scientists below were assembling huge solar panels. Jigsaw pushed a button and an enormous television screen rose up out of the floor. It was as big as a wall. The Hyena rolled her eyes. Villains always had to have such big TVs.

A strange man with a skull mask appeared on the screen. He was the same man she had glimpsed in Jigsaw’s helicopter.

“Hyena, my name is Simon. Tell me about Cairo,” the masked man said.

Jigsaw turned to the Hyena. She stepped forward and nervously cleared her throat. “Um, when I got to Cairo there was a team of … well, they were kids, waiting for me. They were trying to kidnap Dr. Badawi themselves. The odd thing is, they didn’t seem like goons or henchmen. It was like they were trying to protect her.”

“They’re called NERDS. They are quite formidable,” Simon said.

“I’m sorry,” Hyena said. “Did you say they were nerds?”

“Secret agents with incredible technology at their disposal. They are of little concern to us,” Simon said. “Precautions are already being made to help with your next pickup.”

“Next pickup?” the Hyena said. “I got everyone on the list. There is no next pickup.”

“You’re not the only one who screws up, Hyena. It appears Dr. Jigsaw has revealed our plan to an old colleague.”

Jigsaw shuffled uncomfortably. “Someone from my past could cause some problems. It’s a bit of a long shot, but I did the math and there is a five percent probability that he could figure out our plan.”

“That’s a chance I’d rather not take,” Simon said. “Hyena, I believe this is a job best suited for your talents. Find the good doctor’s friend.”

The Hyena sighed. “And kidnap him?”

The man in the skull mask shook his head. “No, my dear. You’re getting a promotion. I want you to kill him.”

Suddenly, the screen faded to black and the odd man was gone, but the room was aglow with the Hyena’s smile.

ALL RIGHT, PAL. I SEE YOU’RE

READY FOR LEVEL 8 CLEARANCE. LET

ME TELL YOU, LEVEL 8 IS THE BEST

LEVEL. IT’S VERY EXCITING. YES,

WHEN I GOT TO LEVEL 8 MY WHOLE

LIFE CHANGED. UNFORTUNATELY,

I CAN’T LET YOU IN. NOPE. SORRY.

CAN’T BE DONE … UNLESS …

BETWEEN ME AND YOU, NO ONE GETS

TO LEVEL 8—BUT ’CAUSE WE ARE

CLOSE FRIENDS I’M GOING TO PULL

SOME STRINGS AND HELP YOU. OF

COURSE, IT WOULD BE EASIER IF YOU

WERE WILLING TO MAKE A LITTLE

DONATION TO MY PERSONAL BANK

ACCOUNT. CONSIDER IT A TIP FOR

SERVICES RENDERED.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN

“FORGET YOU”? YOU STINGY

LITTLE … I’VE BEEN SITTING

HERE WIPING UP YOUR BOOGERS,

SWEAT, AND SALIVA, AND YOU

WON’T EVEN THROW

A LITTLE CASH MY WAY?

ACCESS DENIED!

JERK!

I’M NOT TALKING

TO YOU ANYMORE.

FINE. HERE’S YOUR

LEVEL 8 ACCESS. I HOPE YOU

CHOKE ON IT.

By the end of his suspension, Jackson’s house was immaculate. The gutters had been cleared, the windows washed, and the shrubs pruned into the shapes of wild stallions. Jackson, with the help of Duncan, and the begrudging assistance of Flinch and Matilda, caught up on all his homework. There was even a moment when he was learning about past participles that they had all shared a laugh. He seemed to be breaking the shell that protected most of the team, though Heathcliff and Ruby still refused to speak to him outside of training.

When Jackson stepped back into Nathan Hale Elementary, he was feeling better about his life. The weight on his shoulders didn’t feel so heavy, and he had a renewed determination to succeed not only in his classes, but as a secret agent as well. He had a growing sensation that nothing could get in his way.

He made it three feet when Mr. Dehaven appeared in front of him. “And where do you think you’re going, Mr. Jones?”

“Uh, I was thinking class would be the first stop,” Jackson said.

Dehaven eyed him carefully. “I’ve spoken with your teacher, and we have agreed that you shouldn’t get a break because you were out for three days. So, you have quite a stack of homework to do and a quiz. I’d recommend you pass that quiz, son. It’s worth fifty percent of your grade. Currently, your other fifty percent is a big fat zero.”

Jackson nodded and hurried off to his class.

“Remember, Jones. Bull. Horns!”

Jackson made note of an interesting phenomenon in his class. When he took his mind off his former friends and his plans to regain his popularity, his schoolwork was easier. Crazier still—he was learning a few things.

In the halls he went out of his way to be friendly, especially to the kids he knew he had bullied. Most of them looked suspicious or stunned. Some refused to forgive him, but a few did. He even tracked down Stevie Lazar and helped him remove the crayons from his ears.

Then just as he was filling out his name at the top of the quiz Mr. Dehaven had warned him about, he felt a buzzing inside his nose that made him sneeze. He looked around and saw the rest of the team getting out of their seats. A moment later Heathcliff was putting the teacher into a trance.

“C’mon,” Matilda said as they filed out of the class.

“That test is worth fifty percent of my grade,” Jackson complained as he followed them into the hallway.

The others ignored him as they hurried toward the secret lockers.

“If I don’t take it, I’m going to fail,” he continued. “I’ll have to repeat the fifth grade.”

The team was still ignoring him as they all took their seats at the briefing table. Agent Brand and Ms. Holiday approached.

“It’s good to see you, team,” Ms. Holiday said. She seemed more chipper than ever,

“Yes, good to see you,” Brand mumbled. He flashed a wooden smile, then looked over at the librarian. She nodded in approval.

“What’s up, boss?” Matilda asked.

“I’ll brief you on the School Bus,” the agent said.

“Where are we going?” Flinch asked.

“Los Angeles,” Ms. Holiday said.

“Los Angeles?” Jackson exclaimed. “We were just in Egypt three days ago.”

“Welcome to the world of a secret agent,” Flinch said. “I call shotgun!”

As the lunch lady piloted the School Bus into the stratosphere, Agent Brand and Ms. Holiday began the briefing.

“Team, your destination is the home of Hector Munoz,” Ms. Holiday said.

A blue orb produced a hologram of a chubby man with thick black hair, a wide face, and plump lips. “This is him,” Brand explained. “He’s a theoretical mathematician.”

Jackson had no idea what a theoretical mathematician was, but Duncan squealed and clapped his hands.

“OK, maybe I missed the day when we discussed theoretical math,” Jackson said.

“Or maybe you’re a dummy.” Ruby rolled her eyes and received an angry glare from Ms. Holiday.

“Don’t be afraid to ask a question, Jackson,” Duncan said. “There are no dumb questions. Theoretical math is a field of study in which scientists use equations to determine what is possible, even if it is impractical. For instance, time travel is possible, but the amount of power needed to make a single trip would drain the planet of every last resource. In fact, you’d need at least a hundred more Earths to get the job done.”

“Well, if it’s impractical, why study it at all?” Jackson said.

Duncan seemed confused and Jackson suspected the boy was reexamining his belief about dumb questions. “Well … it’s so we can know.”

“Dr. Munoz wasn’t on the list,” Ruby said. “What does he have to do with all of this?”

“Uh … good observation,” Mr. Brand said. He seemed to stumble over the compliment. “Dr. Munoz was a colleague of one Dr. Felix Jigsaw.”

“The Jigsaw Puzzle King,” Ruby said.

“You’re familiar with the doctor?” Brand asked.

“Isn’t everyone?” the itchy girl asked. “He’s a legend in the world of competitive jigsawing!”

“Competitive jigsawing?” Jackson laughed. The nerds looked at him as if he were a soupy zucchini they found in the bottom of the crisper drawer. “You’re not joking?”

Agent Brand continued. “Glad to know you have heard of him, Pufferfish. Er … you are a valuable member of this group.”

“What’s going on here?” Matilda asked Agent Brand.

“Pardon me?”

“What’s with all the compliments? ‘You are a valuable member of this group.’ You never praise us!”

Agent Brand flashed another look at Ms. Holiday. “It has come to my attention that you are children and maybe I shouldn’t be talking to you like seasoned war veterans. Thus, I’m trying to present a more positive tone.”

“Did you put him up to this?” Matilda asked the librarian.

Ms. Holiday shook her head. “I have no idea what you are talking about,” she lied. Ruby scratched her arm furiously.

Brand scowled. “If we can get back to Jigsaw. He’s an expert on continental shifts in the Earth’s surface. Apparently, he and Dr. Munoz worked on a variety of projects together before Jigsaw lost his mind and had a stay at a mental hospital in Minneapolis. Dr. Munoz approached the FBI when Jigsaw was in treatment. He claimed the man was building a machine that could move continents.”

“No way!” Flinch shouted. “That explains Greenland and Hawaii!”

“Maybe,” Heathcliff said. “Still, that kind of technology is pretty advanced. What tells us Jigsaw is smart enough to do something like that?”

“He’s not,” Brand said. “But when you look at the list of big brains that have been kidnapped recently—experts on geology and advanced power sources, inventors—he might be able to put something together.”

“You think Jigsaw is behind the kidnappings?” Ruby asked.

Brand nodded. “And I think we’ve already met someone who is helping him.”

The hologram changed again. Jackson saw a three-dimensional drawing of the blonde kidnapper he had come face-to-face with in Cairo. He was stunned by the details his teammates had re-created. It looked just like her, down to her dazzling green eyes. She was so pretty. Why did she have to be a bad guy?

“Meet Mindy Beauchamp,” Ms. Holiday said.

The image was replaced with a photograph of a young woman wearing a sash and a tiara. The kidnapper and this beauty queen were the same girl.

“Otherwise known as the Hyena,” Agent Brand said.

“Why do they call her the Hyena?” Ruby asked.

“We’re still working on it,” Ms. Holiday said. “But we do know a little bit about her. She’s a former pageant contestant who gave up her sash and gown for life as a professional goon. She’s been spotted at a few of the kidnappings.”

“Bingo!” Matilda said as she cracked her knuckles. “Now I know who to punch in the face.”

“That still doesn’t explain why we’re headed to Los Angeles,” Jackson said.

Ms. Holiday nodded. “Dr. Munoz lives there with his nine-year-old daughter. When he approached the FBI, he claimed to have some of the schematics for Jigsaw’s continental-shift machine, but they thought he was crazy, too.”

“Can’t he just mail them to us?” Jackson said. “I’m missing a very important test.”

Agent Brand shook his head. “We’ve reached out to him, but Munoz believes he’s being watched and is refusing to talk. He won’t even repeat what he told the FBI. So, the team is going to him for a face-to-face. Your cover will be his daughter Elizabeth’s birthday party. You need to find the schematics and see if you can get Munoz to talk about Jigsaw.”

“How do we plan on finding the documents?” Duncan asked.

Ms. Holiday reached down into a bag and took out a guinea pig. It had a big red bow wrapped around its belly. “With this.”

“Guinea pig cameras rule!” Flinch cried.

The cockpit door opened and the lunch lady poked his head out. “We’re over the drop point,” he shouted.

“Not again!” Jackson groaned. “You know, you can land this thing and just let us walk off.”

“Get your gear,” Brand said, ignoring him and gesturing to six backpacks at the front of the rocket. Inside his, Jackson found a complete mariachi outfit: a slim black jacket and matching pants, a sombrero, and boots.

“What’s all this?”

“Part of your cover. Munoz’s daughter is turning nine today, and you’re the entertainment. You’re posing as members of the hottest young pop band in America, Del Loco.”

“No way!” Flinch shouted as he leaped to his feet. His body twitched and shook, and at first Jackson was sure the boy was having a seizure, but soon he realized Flinch was dancing. Then he started singing. “’Hey, pretty lady, don’t walk on by—come and take a moment with the super fly.’”

Brand quickly cut him off. “Del Loco is an international sensation. They have coloring books, lunch boxes, their own TV show, and millions of records sold. Dr. Munoz had to pull a lot of strings to get them to play. Unfortunately, the real Del Loco is going to be detained at the customs desk at the Los Angeles airport. Ruby, you’re on point as usual.”

Ruby smiled briefly. “When our last director said I was ‘on point,’ that meant I was in charge. Is that what you mean?”

Brand gritted his teeth and looked as if he was swallowing a ball of impatience. He eyed Ms. Holiday who smiled at him and nodded. “Yes, I trust you,” he grunted as if the words caused him physical pain.

“And me?” Jackson said.

“Observation only,” Agent Brand said.

Jackson sighed as he strapped on his parachute.

“This isn’t a punishment, Jackson,” Ms. Holiday said. “You’ll be in the thick of things as soon as you’re ready.”

The lunch lady opened the side door of the rocket, and a moment later Jackson was floating down to Earth. Duncan had given him some pointers on skydiving and felt confident he was ready to jump on his own. He landed in a bush, but aside from a few scratches he was fine.

While the others slipped off their parachute harnesses, Ruby began to give orders.

“Wheezer, can you get airborne?” Ruby asked. “I’d like to see if you can spot the doctor’s house from here.”

Matilda took out her inhalers. With one in each hand, she pushed the plungers and shot into the air nearly as fast as the School Bus.

“I’ve got it,” Matilda voice rang in Jackson’s head. “It’s about a mile from here on foot.”

“Good,” Ruby said. “Flinch, why don’t you run ahead and let Dr. Munoz know the band is on its way.”

Flinch clapped his hands together, twisted the knob on his chest, and sped away, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake. Though he’d seen it before, this never failed to impress Jackson.

Duncan noticed Jackson’s amazement. “He is incredible,” Duncan said as they walked in the direction of the doctor’s house. “He can lift nearly five tons and reach speeds of a hundred miles an hour if he’s had enough sugar. And he’s my best friend.”

“He’s such a little guy too,” Jackson said.

Duncan frowned. “Size has nothing to do with it, Braceface.”

“Don’t call me that,” Jackson begged.

“That’s your code name. I’m Gluestick.”

“I’m changing my name,” Jackson said.

“Great, you need something more appropriate. How about ‘Motormouth’?” Ruby said.

Jackson frowned.

“I like ‘Railroad Track Boy,’” Heathcliff said.

“I know! How about Monkeybrain!” Ruby cried.

“What does that have to do with my braces?” Jackson cried.

“Nothing. I just think that Benjamin may have upgraded the wrong weakness. You’re pretty dumb.”

Jackson faked a laugh. “Hilarious,” he said. “I’m being insulted by a bunch of kids whose greatest enemy is milk.”

Soon they found their way to the doctor’s home. It was a large adobe structure set back from the road. Inside, Jackson could hear music playing and children singing. A steady stream of caterers rushed in and out of the front door, carrying trays of cold cuts, tamales, and cheese. Flinch was speaking Spanish to one of them. The man nodded impatiently. Even though Jackson didn’t speak the language, it was clear the man was busy and didn’t have time to chat with a bunch of kids. He rushed off with his tray of roasted corn.

When Flinch spotted the team he rushed over. “He says the party starts in about fifteen minutes and Dr. Munoz is already wondering where we are. I told him we would be ready. We better get dressed on the double.”

Just then a black van pulled up in front of the house. Several muscular men in dark clothes got out and began unloading colorful piñatas. Flinch took an interest in the piñatas and the candy inside, but could not convince one of the deliverymen to give him one for free.

The team entered the house and found a bustling beehive of activity. Some people hung streamers from the ceiling and others rushed about setting up tables. Nearly every surface had a plate of food on it. Jackson was starving, but Ruby would not let him eat. Instead, she ushered the team to a couple of back bedrooms to change into their costumes. The boys went into one and the girls another.

Duncan, Heathcliff, and Flinch raced to the far corners of the room. From his days on the football team, Jackson had changed plenty of times in front of other people and didn’t give it much thought. He was nearly finished when he found a black wristwatch in his pack. It looked just like the one the rest of the team wore.

“I got a spy watch!” he cried as he slipped it onto his wrist.

“Try not to laser your face off,” Duncan said.

After he admired it for a few moments, he noticed his teammates were still dressed in their regular clothes.

“What are you waiting for?” Jackson asked.

“A little privacy,” Heathcliff said.

Jackson could see that Duncan and Flinch were wishing for the same thing.

“Let me get this straight. You guys have saved the world a dozen times since Monday, but you’re afraid to change your clothes in front of each other?”

The boys frowned but then nodded in agreement.

“It’s no big deal,” he said, hoping to calm their fears.

“Don’t presume to tell us that it’s no big deal. Everyone in this room is seven hundred times smarter than you. We know what’s a big deal,” Heathcliff snapped.

Jackson felt like snapping back, but he remembered what Duncan had told him. Jackson had been very mean to Heathcliff. A memory flashed in his mind. The gym locker room … Heathcliff changing … Jackson snatching his clothes and tossing them into the showers.

Heathcliff grabbed up his clothes. “I’ll find somewhere else to change.” He stomped out of the room and was gone.

Jackson knew there wasn’t anything to say. He sat down on the bed and pulled on his boots. He wondered if he would ever be able to win the forgiveness of his teammates.

There was a knock on the door and Matilda’s voice could be heard from the hall. “You guys ready?”

“Just a second!” Jackson shouted, then turned his back. Flinch and Duncan hurried into their clothes and the three of them rushed into the hall. Heathcliff joined them a moment later. When everyone was assembled, they stood back and admired the outfits Ms. Holiday had collected for them. Each of them looked like a real mariachi.

“OK, let’s go rock this party,” Ruby said.

“Uh, one small problem … I don’t play any instruments,” Jackson said. “Not even the clarinet Agent Brand gave me for my fake marching band practices.”

“We’re a pop group,” Duncan said. “We don’t play instruments. We sing and dance.”

“Uh, I don’t sing or dance, either.”

The team made their way to the backyard with Jackson reluctantly following. There they found a sea of partygoers. Everyone was laughing and excited, but when they saw the six mariachis they turned into an excited mob. People pulled at Jackson’s hat and begged for autographs.

A man Jackson immediately recognized as Dr. Munoz approached. “You are late. Set up and get started.”

Ruby nodded and turned to her group. She said quietly. “Let’s sing a few songs, and then Flinch and Braceface will approach him.”

“I get to do something?”

Ruby nodded. “I don’t think you could screw up an interview with a witness. OK, let’s give these people a show.”

“Again, I don’t sing. I don’t dance,” Jackson said, but he was pushed onto the stage anyway.

Flinch stepped up to a microphone. “Buenos dias, everyone. We want to wish Ms. Elizabeth a feliz cumpleanos. We are Del Loco. Before we get started, we have a special present for Elizabeth.”

A young girl stepped forward and Flinch set the guinea pig into her eager hands. She squealed with delight as a gaggle of her friends surrounded her. They each took turns petting the nervous creature.

“We hope you have a good time, and feel free to dance,” Flinch continued.

Suddenly, a song blasted through the speakers. Jackson turned to find the team moving in a complex dance sequence. They were bouncing and hopping around like trained dancers while he stood on the stage like a dumb ape.

“Dance,” Heathcliff said as he nudged him.

“I told you I can’t dance,” he cried.

“Just listen to my instructions,” Matilda said, her voice ringing in his head.

“Left foot step to the right, now lunge, turn to the right and jump!” Jackson followed the best he could, which seemed to quell the anger of a group of young girls staring at him from the crowd.

“Spin on the right foot, spin again, pull back and thrust. That’s it. OK, let’s drive these kids into a frenzy. Braceface, grab that mic and sing.”

Jackson looked at the others. “I don’t sing.” His voice bellowed out over the crowd. A moment later a burrito came flying out of the audience and hit him in the leg. Before things could get ugly, Flinch snatched the microphone and took over the song.

Everyone was dancing and singing and, best of all, completely fooled. Dr. Munoz and his daughter whirled across the dance floor doing a lively two-step. They looked as if they were having the time of their lives.

“Del Loco” played several songs before Ruby kicked Jackson in the shin.

“What was that for?” he groaned as he did a complicated swivel step.

“Look at your watch,” she said.

Jackson eyed the watch. There was a flashing screen that read ACTIVATE GUINEA PIG. He pushed the button and the little screen was replaced with a video camera image. He could see dozens of little girls staring up at him and then realized he was seeing what the guinea pig was seeing. A moment later he watched as the girls squealed and the guinea pig made an escape. In no time at all it had scurried out of the backyard and into the house. Watching its point of view, Jackson saw it weave in and out of the crowd of busy caterers as it went from one room to the next.

Jackson continued his dancing and singing for several more songs, though his focus on the watch made him slam into Matilda during a tricky spin move. He accidentally kicked Heathcliff in the rear end, but finally the furry little camera stumbled into a room filled with file cabinets.

“That has to be it,” Jackson said to himself. The watch flashed a button that said TARGET LOCK and he pushed it. At once a schematic of the house appeared, then a turn-for-turn map to the guinea pig’s location.

Jackson and Flinch stepped offstage and hurried into the house. They found the guinea pig sniffing at a desk chair in a lonely room that overlooked the backyard and the party below. The room must have had twenty file cabinets in it, stacked up to the ceiling.

“This will take forever.” Jackson groaned. “We don’t even know what we’re looking for.”

“We better get started, bro,” Flinch said. He tried to open a drawer but it was locked. He gave the knob on his chest a slight turn and then yanked at the drawer handle so that its lock busted. Then he did the same for Jackson’s drawer. They sorted through files filled with bizarre mathematical equations and strange schematics, but none of them had Dr. Jigsaw’s name on them or seemed to have anything to do with continents.

From downstairs Jackson could hear his teammates replaying a song they had already performed. In his head, Ruby’s angry voice demanded they hurry.

“This is hopeless,” Flinch said.

“Shouldn’t you two be on stage?” a voice said behind them. The boys spun around and found Dr. Munoz standing in the doorway.

“We’re not with the band. We’re with NERDS,” Flinch said.

“You’re nerds?”

“Not nerds. NERDS. The National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society.”

“But you’re kids. You can’t be older than ten!” Dr. Munoz cried.

“Actually, we’re eleven.”

“The government sends eleven-year-olds for this kind of work now?” Munoz said, shaking his head.

“Sir, we know you contacted the FBI about Dr. Jigsaw. We also know you have schematics for his invention,” Flinch said. “It would be a great help to us—and to the world—to have them.”

Jackson watched the man’s face turn cold. “You’re putting my family in danger.”

“We’re trying to help you,” Jackson said. “If we can’t stop that wacko, who knows where Los Angeles will be on the map tomorrow. Give us the schematics. You will be saving millions of innocent people.”

Munoz shuddered. “Jigsaw will have me killed. The guy is certifiable! I worked with him for a decade. He was always odd, but as time went by he got worse. When he proposed his continent project to the board of directors, they laughed at him. He threatened the head of the program with a letter opener and was arrested. Scientists really need to stop laughing at one another—we’re all very sensitive. Long story short, Jigsaw was fired the next day. I had to pack up his things, which I took over to his apartment. The entire floor was covered in this massive jigsaw puzzle. I don’t think he knew I was there. He kept muttering to himself that he would never give up.”

“Give up what?” Flinch asked.

“The reunification of the continents,” Munoz said. “There’s this theory that all of the seven continents—North and South America, Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa, and Antarctica– were once one giant continent. Scientists call it Pangaea. They think that shifts in tectonic plates caused it to break apart and drift to where the continents are now—but it’s not my field. Jigsaw, however, was obsessed with it. He believed that all the world’s problems could be solved if we just put all the pieces back together. He thought we should all be living next to each other again. I tried to explain what a nightmare putting them back together would be. Nearly every coastal city would be destroyed when the continental shelves slammed into one another. Millions of people would die. Moving land masses that large would create a tidal wave that would kill millions more. The natural paths of sea and wildlife would be devastated and wipe out a great deal of our food supply. Not to mention that his fundamental theory was flawed. Even if you could slide them together all nice and neat, people wouldn’t get along any better. There are plenty of countries that neighbor one another now that have been at war for a thousand years. Jigsaw wouldn’t hear it. He said the world needed to be put back the way it was meant to be.”

Jackson glanced out the window. The doctor’s daughter was in the yard. She was blindfolded and carrying a long stick. She swung it wildly at a piñata hanging directly above her.

“If he’s so dangerous, you have to give us the schematics,” Flinch begged. “If Jigsaw intends to use his invention, we need to know everything we can about it.”

Munoz nodded in surrender. “Let me get them for you.”

As Munoz rifled through a file cabinet, Jackson watched the party. The little girl had still not hit the piñata, though she had nailed quite a number of her friends. Finally, she was nudged as close to the piñata as humanly possible. She swung like a maniac and smacked two children, a caterer, a piñata deliveryman, and her own grandmother before she managed to bludgeon open the side of the piñata. A wave of wounded children rushed forward in hopes of snatching the candy in its belly, but something odd happened. The piñata, which was shaped like a horse, righted itself. Its two white eyes suddenly glowed red, and rockets popped out of its side. It took to the air and circled the crowd.

“Uh, my job is to observe and I’m clearly observing something very messed up,” Jackson said.

Flinch stepped to the window and let out a gasp. “Pufferfish. Are you seeing what we’re seeing?”

Jackson heard Ruby’s voice crackle in his head. “Robot piñatas.”

“Piñatas as in plural?” the hyper boy asked.

“Yes, there’s a dozen or so flying all over the house. Something’s coming out of them. OK, that’s a missile launcher. Get everyone to safety!”

There was a terrible explosion, and the window Jackson and Flinch were standing in front of shattered.

“I’ve got to help the others,” Flinch said as he reached into his pocket, took out a candy bar, and devoured it. “Braceface, your only job is to stay here and keep the doctor safe. No matter what happens, stay with the doctor.”

“What if we’re attacked by killer piñatas?”

Jackson never got his answer. The sugar was coursing through Flinch, and a smile spread across his face. He shouted, “I am mighty!” and a moment later he leaped out the broken window.

“My daughter!” Dr. Munoz said.

“She’ll be safe,” Jackson said. “There are six of us here. Just stay with me. The team will handle this.”

“I’m going to get my daughter.” Dr. Munoz raced out of the room, his files clutched in his hand.

“Dude, come back here!” Jackson cried out, but it was clear that the doctor wasn’t listening. He scooped up the nervous guinea pig and shoved it in his pocket. Then he focused on Ruby’s face. “Hello?”

Ruby’s voice rang in his ears. “What is it, Braceface? We’re kind of busy fighting evil candy containers.”

“You told me to observe, so I thought I would tell you I’m observing Dr. Munoz running in your direction,” Jackson said.

Ruby groaned. “Stop him!”

“So, you’re giving me permission to get involved?”

Ruby roared.

“Good. By the way, he’s worried about his daughter. If you see a girl carrying a stick, keep her safe. And do yourself a favor. Take the stick away from her. Jackson out.”

“Code names only, Braceface.”

“Stop calling me that,” Jackson said as he raced after Dr. Munoz. He turned a corner and found the scientist cowering on the floor, files scattered at his feet, with a flying piñata hovering overhead. The machine’s red eyes turned the dark hallway a creepy crimson, and its missile launchers hummed eagerly by its side.