The whole shop went quiet at his booming voice. The dogs stopped barking. The birds stopped squawking. Benny blushed and turned away from the counter when he realized everyone—even the animals—was staring at him. Embarrassed, he hurried out of the shop.
The manager looked confused. “I’m sorry, our rats don’t wear raincoats,” she said.
“What about…moles?” Jessie asked, but she had a feeling she already knew the answer.
“Moles? No one keeps moles as pets. That’s just downright odd!” the manager said with a laugh. The cat sitting on her lap yowled, and a moment later, the birds started chirping and the dogs started barking.
“Oh dear,” Jessie said. “Come on, Henry, Violet. Let’s go after Benny.”
Benny was outside. The grin was gone from his face, and he had taken off his sunglasses.
“I guess they don’t have any moles,” he said. “I didn’t mean to yell like that. It was just so noisy.”
Benny handed Jessie the sunglasses, and Jessie put them on, hoping it might cheer him up. They looked sort of funny on her, and Benny cracked a little smile.
“It’s all right, Benny,” Henry said. “Either way, the pet shop was a dead end. Let’s head back the other way. Maybe the man with the trench coat will still be there, and we can see if he knows anything about moles.”
The four began the walk but halted when Jessie stopped in her tracks. She was looking down at the sidewalk with his sunglasses.
“Oh no,” she said. There was a message written on the sidewalk. It looked like it was hastily written in chalk, but when Jessie peeked over the top of the sunglasses, she couldn’t see anything. It was only visible through the glasses.
“What is it, Jessie? Another invisible message?” Violet asked.
“Yeah, but this one isn’t good,” Jessie said. “It says the other teams have completed their mission. Someone must have written it while we were in the pet shop…” She sighed, shaking her head.
“But who could have written it?” said Benny, looking around. “Do you think A.D. Ashton was here?”
“Either way, we’re out of the competition,” said Henry. “I guess it’s time to call Grandfather and go home.”
THE END
TO FOLLOW A DIFFERENT PATH, PRESS HERE.
THE MAN IN THE TRENCH COAT
“The man in the trench coat is right across the street,” Jessie said. “Let’s try talking to him first, and if it seems like he isn’t a part of the spy competition, we can go to the pet store.”
“Make sure to mention the secret message you saw, Benny,” Henry said.
“The mole is out of the box and…” Benny trailed off. “What was the other part?”
“Ready for the rain,” Violet said. She showed him the tablet, where she’d written down the message.
“The mole is out of the box and ready for the rain,” Benny said. “Okay, I got it…Hey, wait a minute. I see something.”
Benny pointed across the alley. Some cardboard boxes were stacked there, folded up and ready for the recycling truck. Although the others couldn’t see it, through the sunglasses, Benny could see words clear as day. Several sentences were written on the boxes, glowing white when he looked at them with the sunglasses.
“Some more messages?” Violet asked. She got the tablet and stylus ready. “Tell me what you see, Benny!”
Benny read the messages out loud, sounding out the words when he could and spelling the letters when he came to a word he didn’t know. After a few minutes, Violet had written all of the sentences onto the tablet.
THE MOLE IS OUT OF THE BOX AND READY FOR THE RAIN.
THE EAGLE CAN SEE THE STORM FROM THE TOP OF A TREE.
FROM THE SPRUCE, WHAT DOES THE BIRD SEE?
“What does all this mean?” Violet asked. “It sounds like a riddle.”
“It reminds me of a Shakespeare play,” Jessie said.
That gave Henry an idea. “Remember what Benedict said when we got off the bus? He told us to stick to the script. Maybe that’s what this is, a script.”
“I think I get it,” said Violet. “It’s like in Agent Ada’s adventure The Turkey Has Landed. When she tells another spy that ‘the turkey has landed,’ the other agent knows she is saying the bad guy had arrived.”
“Oh, right!” Jessie said. “Spies use code words so their messages can’t be understood by other people who might be listening.”
“Come to think of it, I think I’ve heard the word mole used another way before,” Henry said. “In some of Grandfather’s old spy movies. I remember them calling an informant a mole. So this message probably isn’t about an animal at all—it’s about someone with information!”
“A mole who’s ready for the rain because he’s wearing a big coat!” said Benny.
“Team Four wasn’t looking with their glasses on,” Henry said as the Aldens crossed the street. “So they wouldn’t know the script.”
“But we do!” said Violet.
The Aldens approached the man sitting on the bench. Now that they were closer, they could see he had a bushy beard covering the part of his face that wasn’t already hidden behind his big sunglasses. His trench coat collar was turned up, and his hands were in his pockets. He didn’t look at the children as they approached.
“Remember, act normal,” Jessie said. She put her hands in her pockets and whistled casually. They walked closer to the bench, and as they passed, Benny said to the man, “The mole is out of the box and ready for the rain.”
The man did not turn his head. In fact, it almost looked like he had not heard Benny at all. But then, in a secretive voice, he said, “The eagle can see the storm from the top of a tree.”
Benny opened his mouth to say the next line, but realized he had forgotten. Luckily, Violet had remembered.
“From the spruce, what does the bird see?” she asked.
“The mole’s favorite flowers will grow beneath the spiral pole,” the man said. Then he got up and walked away. When he was gone, Violet took out her tablet and made sure to write down what the man had said, so they wouldn’t forget.
“Was that our clue?” Benny asked.
“Spiral pole,” Jessie said. “Remember, when we first came to town? There was a barbershop at the other end of Main Street. I think it had a barber pole in front, by the window.”
Henry grinned. “A spiral pole! Let’s go!”
As the Aldens turned to go toward the barbershop, they caught sight of Chameleon, Leopard, and the rest of Team Two walking down the other side of the street. The youngest member of their group, Katydid, had the glasses on. The four spotted the man in the trench coat, who was still making his way down Main Street away from where he’d given the Aldens their clue.
The Aldens watched as Team Two crossed the street and approached the man. After a moment of conversation, the man in the trench coat walked away, and Team Two wrote something on their tablet.
“I think they just got the clue too,” Henry said. “Come on. Let’s get to the barbershop before they do. But let’s not run, or it’ll attract attention. Remember, spies have to be secretive.”
Henry led his siblings down Main Street. Benny tried not to look over his shoulder when Team Two started heading the same way.
“Either they figured out the clue, and they’re headed to the barbershop too…or they’re following us,” Jessie said quietly.
“It’s okay,” Henry said. “We’ll get there first. And anyway, only one team is eliminated in each round. As long as we don’t get there last, we’ll still make it to the next mission.”
Even so, Benny yelped when Team Two broke into a run. All four of them passed on either side of the Aldens. Katydid even bumped into Violet.
“Sorry!” Katydid said, but she didn’t sound sorry.
“Should we run?” Benny asked, grabbing Henry’s hand. “They’re going to win!”
“No, Benny,” Henry said.
“Think about what Agent Ada would do,” Jessie added. “There�
�s no way Ada would go running down the street, bumping into people and making a scene like that.”
Benny stood up straight. “You’re right,” he said.
The Aldens reached the barbershop after a few minutes. It was an old-fashioned shop with a blue-and-red barber pole spinning in front of the main window. Team Two was nowhere to be seen.
“The mole’s favorite flowers grow beneath the spiral pole,” Violet said, remembering what the man in the trench coat had said. She checked the flower box in the windowsill below the barber pole. There were no flowers in it because it was wintertime. Instead, it was full of slushy, wet snow. Some of the snow was moved around.
“Looks like Team Two already got here,” Henry said. “Find anything, Violet?”
“Yes!” Violet said. Hidden in the snow were two small plastic boxes.
“I bet there were three, and Team Two already got theirs,” Jessie said. “Boy. They didn’t have to run like that.”
“What matters is we got here second,” Henry said. “Violet, let’s see what’s inside. Be sure to leave the other box for the third team.”
The Aldens took their box, carefully covering the last box with snow. They walked away from the barbershop, so they would not give away anything to the other teams. Then they opened the box.
Inside were four slides, like the ones Grandfather used in his slide reel to project photographs onto his projector screen. Even though they didn’t have a screen, it was bright enough that they could see the pictures in the slides just by holding them up to the sky.
“Who are these people?” Benny asked.
“This looks like a photo of Benedict,” Jessie said. “And this one is the painting of the woman hanging in the entryway of the manor.”
“And this one is Dr. Sharpe,” Henry said. “She explained how all the spy gadgets worked.”
“And this…this is the man in the trench coat we just met,” said Violet, looking at the fourth slide. “Why do you think these slides were in the little box?”
“Maybe they have something in common,” said Henry. They packed the slides up, and Jessie put them in her backpack to keep them safe.
“I’m sure that’s part of what we’re supposed to figure out,” Jessie said. “We can take a closer look when we get back to our home base.”
“Look, here comes Team Three,” Benny said.
The Aldens watched as Team 3, led by Jumpdrive, approached the barbershop. Three of them stood back, keeping watch, while Wi-Fi checked the flower box under the barber pole. A moment later, all four of them walked away, as if nothing had happened.
“I guess that means Team Four is out,” Henry said. “Too bad they didn’t follow instructions and wear their glasses. They might have had a chance talking to that man in the trench coat.”
“This is a competition after all,” said a voice from behind them. They turned with a start and saw Benedict waving from the sidewalk. Over his shoulder was a bulky satchel. He was standing next to the parked bus.
“Hello, Benedict,” Henry said. “We didn’t hear you pull up.”
“I must have picked up some of Agent Ada’s spy techniques from working for so long with A.D. Ashton,” said Benedict. “In any case, it looks as though this round has ended. Unfortunately, it seems Team Four will be eliminated. Come along, everyone. Back onto the bus and we’ll return to the manor presently!”
He waved again and got onto the bus. As he did, something caught Violet’s eye. It was the tail of a trench coat sticking out of Benedict’s overstuffed satchel.
CONTINUE
RECOVERY
When they got back to the manor, the three remaining teams exited the bus.
“The next mission will begin this evening,” Benedict said. “Until then, you’re welcome to enjoy the manor property, so long as you remain in the areas discussed during the tour. Please report to the entryway at seven o’clock this evening, and prepare by bringing all of the gadgets you’ve been provided. You should also make use of the special gear provided in your rooms. Until then, adieu.”
Violet and her siblings went up to their room. She was excited for a chance to try on the utility belt and jacket.
“There are so many pockets in this jacket,” she said. “It would be neat if we win the competition and were able to keep all this spy gear. Just think about how we could use them on our other travels.”
“I wonder what kind of challenge we’ll have tonight,” said Jessie. “By seven o’clock, it’ll be pretty dark.”
“Spies must be able to operate even in the darkest night,” Henry said, using a voice like a secret agent. He chuckled afterward, which didn’t sound very secret at all.
At seven o’clock, the Aldens arrived in the main entryway, dressed in their spy gear. Henry carried the case that contained the drone, the headsets, and the tablet. Benny still wore the sunglasses. He had not taken them off all day because he didn’t want to miss any hidden messages.
Team Two and Team Three joined them. Violet tried not to worry too much about Team Two, even though Chameleon and Leopard looked intimidating dressed in their black spy gear with their serious faces.
“Chameleon, Leopard, Arctic Fox, and Katydid,” said Wi-Fi, the member of Team Three who was just a little older than Violet. “I wonder how they chose their code names. My team chose code names that all had to do with technology…I guess because we’re all a little geeky.” He winked.
“Well, Team Two’s code names are all animals,” Violet said. She tilted her head. “You know, all four of those animals have really excellent camouflage. They’re good at blending in to their surroundings. It’s a skill that’s very useful to a spy.”
Wi-Fi raised both his eyebrows. “That’s a great observation, Agent Amethyst,” he said.
Violet smiled and tapped her temple with a finger. “Observation is another useful spy skill, after all!” she said.
The children fell quiet when Dr. Sharpe walked in. She was dressed in outdoor clothing: durable pants and a black coat similar to the ones the children were wearing. Her headset with the antenna was replaced by a tight black cap and a pair of goggles.
“Good evening, agents,” she said. “Tonight your mission will be recovery. In real life, information can be stolen. If that happens, that data can fall into the wrong hands and put people in danger. Tonight’s mission will test if your team has what it takes to recover stolen information. The first two teams to find and recover the information will advance to the next stage in the competition. The last team will be eliminated. Now, let us begin.”
Dr. Sharpe spun on her heel and marched outside.
The sun had gone down, and the sky was dark blue. The wind was blustery, but Violet wasn’t cold thanks to the cozy spy gear. Violet, her siblings, and the two other teams followed Dr. Sharpe around to the back of the manor, where dense trees grew from a hillside covered in snow. The snow itself was deep, almost up to Violet’s knees. Walking through it wasn’t easy.
“I will take each team to a separate starting point,” Dr. Sharpe said. “When I blow my whistle, the mission begins. I offer you only one piece of advice: remember, a true spy can see equally well in the dark as in the day.”
One at a time, Dr. Sharpe led the teams to spots along the edge of the woods. The Aldens’ starting spot was near a big tree on the far side of the hill. From where the Aldens stood, Violet couldn’t see the other teams, only the glittering snow shining in the moonlight. There they waited until they heard Dr. Sharpe’s whistle. Once it blew, sharp and loud, they headed into the woods.
“Do we even know what we’re looking for?” Henry asked. “I can hardly see anything in this dark…Benny, take those sunglasses off, they’ll make it impossible for you to see where you’re going.”
But unlike Henry, Benny seemed to have no trouble walking in the dark. He easily found his way around the trees, stumps, and bushes at the forest’s edge.
The other three Aldens looked at one another. Then Jessie gasped. “Benny, are th
ose glasses helping you see in the dark?”
“I can see everything as clear as if it were daytime,” Benny said, looking around. “Just like Dr. Sharpe said: ‘A true spy can see well even in the dark!’”
“If they have the right glasses,” said Henry, chuckling. “All right, Benny. Take a look around, and help us find whatever it is we’re looking for.”
Benny looked up and down, left and right. When he looked through the glasses, it was as if it wasn’t nighttime at all. He could see the fluffy snow covering fallen logs and pine boughs. He could even see a strange-looking chest up ahead near a rock.
“There’s something over there,” he said, pointing.
The Aldens trudged through the snow to where Benny was pointing. The chest was almost as long as Benny was tall. Henry opened the lid, and inside they found eight objects made of wood and leather.
“What are those?” asked Benny. “They look like tennis rackets.”
“Snowshoes!” Henry said. “These will make it easy for us to walk through the woods over the snow.”
Henry showed Violet and Benny how to strap their boots into the snowshoes. Once the snowshoes were on, the children were able to walk on top of the snow, instead of through it.
“Paired with Benny’s ability to see in the dark, suddenly this trek through the snowy woods is a lot easier,” Jessie said.
“I see footprints leading that way,” Benny said. “Should we follow them?”
“I don’t see why not,” Henry said. “Lead the way.”
Even with the snowshoes, it was slow going. And the Aldens had to stop more than once to take a break. Finally, Benny pointed through the darkness.
“I see something up ahead. It looks like a cabin or something,” he said. “This way!”
Benny led them through the trees to a wooden shack that sat on top of a hill. Beyond the shack, the slope went from gentle to very steep. A pair of skis rested against the shack near the door, and there was a dim light on inside.
“The footprints turn into stripes here,” Benny said. “I think they are skier tracks. Do you think we’re supposed to start skiing?”
The Great Spy Showdown Page 4
