The Great Spy Showdown

by Gertrude Chandler Warner

  “Let’s go inside first and see what’s going on,” Jessie suggested.

  When the Aldens opened the door, they found Arctic Fox and Leopard from Team Two, as well as InfraRed, Jumpdrive, and Gigabyte from Team Three. Gigabyte and Arctic Fox both held the handsets for their drones. Violet remembered how good Gigabyte had been with the drone back in the Gadgetry. Was Arctic Fox good with it too?

  “Where are Chameleon and Katydid?” Henry asked.

  “And Wi-Fi,” Violet added.

  “Chameleon and Katydid are already on their way to winning this competition,” Leopard said, tossing her ponytail. She had a headset on and was looking at her team’s tablet.

  “Wonder if it has to do with the skis,” Jessie said. “If the others have already left, we’ve got to catch up. I’ll take the last pair and head down the slope.”

  “Jessie, are you sure?” Henry asked.

  “Yes. I’m a good skier. Benny, can I take the sunglasses so I can see where I’m going?” Jessie asked.

  Benny nodded and handed the glasses to her. “But, Jessie, even with the glasses, how will you know where to go?” he asked.

  “He’s right. The hillside is covered in trees and rocks. Even if you can see in the dark, finding your way down at such a high speed is going to be dangerous,” Henry said.

  “Then you’re going to guide me with the drone,” Jessie said. She took one of the headsets out of their equipment case and handed the other to Violet. “Come on. We don’t have time to lose!”

  Violet nodded and took the tablet out. The other teams were already talking into their headsets, using the tablet and the drones to guide their team members. Henry warmed up the drone and walked outside with Jessie.

  “Good luck!” he said. “And be careful.”

  “Thanks,” Jessie said. She put on ski boots, skis, and the glasses. “And I will!”

  Violet sat with the tablet inside the cabin. A moment later, the camera feed from the drone showed up on the screen. The video feed was bright and easy to see.

  “Looks like the drone has night vision too,” Henry said. “All right. Let’s see what I can do.”

  Henry used the handset to control the drone, sending it up into the air. From the drone’s camera feed, Violet could see Jessie taking off down the slope on her skis.

  “Good thing Jessie’s such a good skier,” Benny said.

  “Especially since she has to catch up with the other teams,” said Henry.

  “Jessie, are you there?” Violet asked into the headset.

  Violet could hear Jessie’s voice clearly when she replied, “I hear you, Violet! Tell me where to go.”

  Violet watched the screen while Henry flew the drone. She could see Jessie whizzing down the slope, expertly swooping left and right. When Violet saw trees or rocks from the drone’s camera feed, she told Jessie right away.

  “Rock coming up on your left, Jessie—look out!”

  Jessie easily turned to the right. Then to the left and to the right again, avoiding the obstacles as Violet guided her. Snow flew up from Jessie’s skis as she blew down the slope.

  “What’s that?” Violet gasped.

  Figures became visible up ahead. From the drone’s camera, Violet could make out three figures on skis, all dressed in black spy gear. Two of the skiers—Chameleon and Katydid—were ganging up on Wi-Fi. Both of the Team Two members were much bigger than Wi-Fi, who wasn’t much bigger than Violet. They used their weight to push him back and forth, trying to knock him down even as they raced down the steep, slippery slope.

  Chameleon elbowed Wi-Fi hard, finally sending him tumbling into a snowbank. The two members of Team Two sped past, ignoring the trouble they’d caused.

  Jessie was close enough that she had seen the whole thing. She was coming up to the place where Wi-Fi had landed after being knocked over. It had been a big crash.

  “Wi-Fi might be hurt,” Jessie said into the headset. “But if I stop to check on him, we could lose the competition. What should I do?”

  IF JESSIE CHASES AFTER CHAMELEON AND KATYDID, PRESS HERE.

  IF JESSIE STOPS TO HELP WI-FI, PRESS HERE.

  GIVING CHASE

  “I think I can beat Chameleon and Katydid to the bottom if I keep going,” Jessie said. She didn’t try to slow down, passing by the place where Wi-Fi had fallen in the snow.

  “Jessie, if you go too fast, the drone won’t be able to keep up,” Violet said. “Henry’s already having trouble with the propellers because of the cold air!”

  “Then I’ll have to do it without the drone’s help,” Jessie said. “I just hope Wi-Fi is okay.”

  Jessie bent her knees and braced herself, trying to see ahead. Even though the glasses helped her see in the dark, the snow flurries were getting stuck to the lenses, and everything was going by so quickly. She could almost see the two members of Team Two up ahead.

  “Jessie, slow down—we lost you with the drone,” Violet said.

  Jessie looked up. The drone was no longer above her.

  “Oh no…”

  Jessie looked down and gasped. A big mound of snow raced up on her. Before she could swerve around it, she went up and over it, losing her balance and flying into the air. One of her skis came off and spun away, just before she landed in a big pillow of fresh powder.

  “Jessie, are you okay?” Violet asked over the headset.

  “Yes, I’m fine,” Jessie said, standing up. She groaned with disappointment when she realized what had happened. “But I’m afraid I lost one of my skis.”

  Jessie turned at a sound coming from behind her. A moment later, Wi-Fi skied by, carefully moving down the slope after Chameleon and Katydid. It seemed he was okay after his tumble, and now he was on his way to the bottom. Unlike Jessie. Even with the night vision glasses and the drone’s camera, there was no way she was going to find her missing ski in time.

  “Sorry,” she said. “Looks like we’re going home this round.”

  THE END

  TO FOLLOW A DIFFERENT PATH, PRESS HERE.

  JESSIE STOPS TO HELP

  “I’m going to stop and make sure Wi-Fi’s okay!” Jessie said.

  She turned, and a fan of snow sprayed up as she slid to a halt near the mound of snow where Wi-Fi had landed. He was sitting up, holding his ankle with a grimace on his face.

  “Are you all right?” Jessie asked, getting closer. It wasn’t easy to move around on the skis, but she had to make sure he wasn’t hurt.

  “I think I sprained my ankle,” said Wi-Fi. “Those two bullies really pulled a number on me. I dropped one of my ski poles, and my glasses fell off…I bet Team Two is all the way to the bottom of the hill by now.”

  “This isn’t a time to worry about the competition,” Jessie said. “I’ll try and find your things. Wait here.”

  It wasn’t easy searching in the dark, but Jessie managed to find the ski pole sticking out of a snowbank, and Henry used the drone to spot the glasses dangling from a tree branch. Jessie brought the items back to Wi-Fi.

  “Thanks, Professor J,” Wi-Fi said.

  “No problem. Now let’s see if you can stand,” said Jessie.

  She helped Wi-Fi up, but he winced and groaned when he tried to put weight on his hurt ankle.

  “I don’t think it’s broken, but I don’t think I should ski the rest of the way down either,” Wi-Fi said. “I’m going to have to have my team call for help to get back to the manor.”

  “I’ll wait with you,” Jessie said.

  “No,” said Wi-Fi. “You should keep going. If you don’t, Team Two will win automatically. That wouldn’t be right, not after what bullies they’ve been. I’ll be fine waiting here. I want you to go and advance in the competition.”

  “Are you sure?” Jessie asked.

  Wi-Fi gave her an encouraging smile. “I’m sure,” he said. “Thanks again for helping me. Now, go!”

  Jessie nodded and gave him a salute. Then she tightened her grip on her poles and continued on down the slope.
<
br />   “Jessie, can you hear me?” Violet asked over the headset. “InfraRed and Team Three are going to help us with their drone! Listen carefully. I think we’ve found the best way down.”

  Jessie listened to Violet’s instructions. She cut sharply to the left, where the trees suddenly opened up into a smooth hill. Jessie could see the lights of another cabin at the bottom. Thanks to Violet’s instructions and the two drones, she made it to the foot of the slope within minutes. As soon as she arrived, she took off her skis and went inside.

  Chameleon and Katydid were already there, standing at the wood table in the center of the room.

  “So you made it after all,” Chameleon said. “I guess it’ll be your team we’ll beat in the final mission.”

  He took an envelope that was on the table and tossed it to Jessie, who picked it up and opened it. Inside was a simple note card that read Mission Accomplished. Accompanying the card was a single photograph, which showed a person standing in front of the Ashton Manor, but the person’s face had been cut out of the picture. Jessie put the photo in the front pocket of her jacket to keep it safe until she could share it with Henry, Violet, and Benny.

  The sound of an engine came from outside. Jessie followed Chameleon and Katydid outside to find Dr. Sharpe on a big four-wheeler.

  “Teams One and Two, eh?” Dr. Sharpe called as they took their seats on the four-wheeler’s trailer. “Hmm…interesting. Well, I suppose we will see where this leads tomorrow in the final mission. In the meantime, let’s go pick up Agent Wi-Fi and get back to the manor.”

  CONTINUE

  MIDNIGHT SNACK

  Dr. Sharpe brought the three teams back to the manor, and the Aldens said good-bye to Team Three. Afterward, Dr. Sharpe met with the Aldens and Team Two in the entryway.

  “You’ve had a long day, so dinner will be served in your rooms this evening. Rest up. Tomorrow is the final mission,” Dr. Sharpe said.

  When the Aldens returned to their room, they closed the door and changed into their comfy pajamas. The black spy outfits were cool, but they were wet with snow from being outside. It was nice to be indoors in the warmth. A tray with warm sandwiches was waiting for them.

  “Oof, I’m sore,” Jessie said after they ate, stretching out her arms and legs. “I’m going to soak in the bath for a bit. While I do, you three might want to take a look at the photo in the envelope I found at the bottom of the hill. See if you can make heads or tails of it.”

  Henry, Violet, and Benny sat on one of the beds and looked at the photograph. Benny still wore his glasses, but even he couldn’t make any sense of the clue. The only thing the three of them noticed that Jessie hadn’t was that the person in the photograph was holding a ring of keys.

  “I’ve seen photos like this before,” Henry said. “When people buy houses, they sometimes celebrate by taking a photo of themselves in front of their new house, holding their keys.”

  “Do you think this person was the owner of the Ashton Manor at some point?” Jessie asked.

  “I’m not sure. But I’m sure we’ll figure it out soon enough,” said Henry. “Let’s leave it alone for now and try to get some rest. We have an important challenge tomorrow.”

  “We’re going head-to-head with Team Two,” Violet reminded them. “I really don’t like how they cheated when they bullied Wi-Fi on the slope tonight.”

  “Agent Ada would not have done that,” Benny said. “They’re mean.”

  “Violet, do you remember what you overheard them talking about in the Gadgetry, when they were accidentally broadcasting on the open channel?” Henry asked.

  “Yes. They said something about how they needed to take a photograph with A.D. Ashton when they win. It was part of some kind of plan,” Violet said.

  Henry frowned, tapping his chin. “I wonder what they’re up to. Let’s just hope it doesn’t end with someone getting hurt again.”

  Later that night, Benny woke up to a sound. It sounded like floorboards squeaking. When he heard it a second time, he put on his spy glasses so he could see in the dark and tapped Violet, who was sleeping in the bed next to his.

  “Shh,” he said. “Do you hear that?”

  Violet nodded. “Sounds like someone walking around…but it’s so late. Where could they be going?”

  Benny and Violet opened the door into the common area. The lights were on, but no one was in the room. Violet tiptoed across the room in her stocking feet. When she stepped on one part of the floor, it squeaked. The board was right in front of the room that was Team Two’s.

  “There was definitely someone walking around out here,” she said. “And it looks like it was someone from Team Two.”

  “Maybe they’re going to the kitchen for a midnight snack,” said Benny. His stomach rumbled. “I think we should too. We don’t want them to have more energy than us tomorrow.”

  “I don’t think that’s where they went,” Violet said with a little smile. “Okay, Benny. We can either go to the kitchen to see if we can find a snack, or we can try to find Team Two and figure out why they’re sneaking around in the middle of the night. But we can’t do both.”

  Benny looked down the hall. His tummy grumbled…

  IF VIOLET AND BENNY TRY TO FIND THE MEMBERS OF TEAM TWO, PRESS HERE.

  IF VIOLET AND BENNY HEAD TO THE KITCHEN FOR A SNACK, PRESS HERE.

  FOLLOWING THE NOISE

  “I think we should try to follow Team Two,” Benny said. “They could be cheating again.”

  Violet nodded. “Good idea. Let’s see if we can find out what they’re up to. But we’ll have to be quiet. Have your spy glasses ready.”

  Violet and Benny tiptoed downstairs. They didn’t see anything, but Violet heard whispering. It was coming from the dark hallway that led to the east wing. She exchanged a glance with Benny in the dark. Then she crossed her hands at the wrists, making an X with her arms and shaking her head firmly. Agent Ada had done that once on an adventure where she and a partner had to sneak through a building without being heard. The X meant no.

  Benny understood. Violet was reminding him that they were not supposed to be in the east wing. It was A.D. Ashton’s living area.

  They heard more whispering, then a metallic clinking sound. Violet pointed to Benny’s glasses, and he put them on. When he did, he covered his mouth to keep from gasping. With the glasses, he could see right down the dark hallway. As clear as day, he saw Chameleon and Leopard trying to pick the lock of a closed door!

  “I’m sure there will be evidence of A.D. Ashton’s real identity in here,” Chameleon whispered. “Can you imagine what kind of attention we’ll get when we reveal his true identity?”

  “It might go viral,” said Leopard with a big smile. “We’ll be famous!”

  Another noise, this one like pots and pans in the kitchen, echoed down the quiet manor halls. Chameleon stopped picking the lock, and Violet and Benny ducked around a corner.

  “We won’t be famous if we get caught,” Chameleon whispered. “Come on. We’ll have to try again later.”

  The two of them snuck away, heading back upstairs to their home base. In their hurry, they didn’t see Benny and Violet hiding in the dark.

  Violet frowned. She signaled to Benny, pointing back to the stairs, and the two slipped away from the dark hallway and hurried back to their room.

  “We have to tell Jessie and Henry about this first thing in the morning,” Violet said. “But for now, let’s get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a big day.”

  CONTINUE

  THE KITCHEN

  “If Team Two is up to no good, I don’t want to be any part of it,” Benny said. “Let’s go find a snack and go back to bed.”

  Violet nodded. The two of them went downstairs toward the kitchen. The lamps on the main floor were turned on, so Benny didn’t need to use his spy glasses. When Benny and Violet entered the dining hall, they heard the sound of pots and pans clinking in the kitchen.

  “Oh good, someone’s awake,” Violet said. “Mayb
e they can help us get a snack.”

  Benny and Violet pushed open the swinging door that led from the dining hall into the kitchen. Dr. Sharpe was inside with her back turned to them. She was looking in the refrigerator and humming gently to herself.

  “Hello, Dr. Sharpe!” Benny said cheerfully.

  At the sound of Benny’s voice, Dr. Sharpe jumped a foot off the ground and shouted, “Sacrebleu!” in a deep voice. She turned and sighed with relief when she saw Benny and Violet. “Forgive me, monsieur, madame,” she said, still in a deep voice. “You surprised me.”

  Violet tilted her head. “Dr. Sharpe, you sound like Benedict. Why are you talking like that?” she asked.

  Dr. Sharpe looked down at herself, and her eyes got wide, almost as though she was surprised to see what she was wearing. “Oh, excuse me,” she said in her normal voice. “Benedict has been teaching me French. I was practicing. What brings you two to the kitchen?”

  Benny was about to tell Dr. Sharpe about wanting a snack, but then they heard a distant crash from somewhere in the manor.

  “What was that?” Violet asked.

  Dr. Sharpe frowned. “I don’t know. But it was coming from the east wing, which is off-limits.” Dr. Sharpe marched out of the kitchen. Benny and Violet forgot about their snacks and followed her.

  They went down the hall into the east wing of the manor, which Benedict had warned them against exploring. Halfway down the hall, they found a heavy door hanging open. The doorframe was in splinters. Someone had kicked it open and broken the lock.

  “What’s going on in here?” Dr. Sharpe said, storming into the room and turning on the lights. As soon as the lights came on, Benny and Violet could see inside. It was an office with bookcases and a writing desk, and in the middle of it were Chameleon and Leopard. They froze where they were, hoping they could disappear. They had been rummaging through the desk when Dr. Sharpe came in.

  “Benedict strictly forbade everyone from exploring this part of the manor,” Dr. Sharpe said. “And not only did you ignore his wishes, but you broke into A.D. Ashton’s writing room. This is beyond unacceptable. I’m sorry, but for this, the competition must be canceled. Everyone return to your rooms. You will go home tomorrow. There will not be a winner.”