Base Camp

by H. I. Larry

  BASE CAMP

  BY H. I. LARRY

  ILLUSTRATIONS BY ANDY HOOK

  Base Camp

  published in 2008 by

  Hardie Grant Egmont

  85 High Street

  Prahran, Victoria 3181, Australia

  www.hardiegrantegmont.com.au

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

  stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means without

  the prior permission of the publishers and copyright owner.

  A CiP record for this title is available from the National Library of Australia

  Text, illustration and design copyright © 2008 Hardie Grant Egmont

  Cover and illustrations by Andy Hook

  Typeset by Pauline Haas

  Printed in Australia by McPherson’s Printing Group

  1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER

  ONE

  ‘Ha! You’re out, Power!’

  It was lunchtime, and Zac Power was playing handball with his school friends.

  He walked out of the square, pretending to be disappointed. Pretending he hadn’t just got out on purpose.

  If he’d wanted to, Zac could have beaten all his friends with a blindfold on and one hand tied behind his back.

  But none of them were allowed to know that. None of Zac’s friends could ever find out that he was really a highly trained secret agent for the Government Investigation Bureau, or GIB for short.

  So Zac left the court and walked to the end of the line to wait for his next turn. He looked up and saw his teacher, Ms Tran, walking towards them.

  ‘Zac,’ she said. ‘Mrs De Souza wants to see you in her office.’

  Mrs De Souza was the principal of Zac’s school.

  ‘It wasn’t me!’ said Zac, without thinking. He hated getting in trouble.

  Ms Tran raised an eyebrow.

  ‘I mean,’ Zac said quickly, ‘what does she want to see me about?’

  ‘Your uncle is with her,’ said Ms Tran. ‘He’s picking you up early today. Go and get your things.’

  ‘Oh, OK,’ said Zac, dashing off to get his bag.

  But there was something a bit odd about all of this. For one thing, Zac didn’t have an uncle.

  Moments later, Zac was outside the principal’s office, wondering what was going on. He knocked.

  ‘Come in,’ Mrs De Souza said from inside the office.

  Zac pushed open the door and froze.

  Sitting in a chair across from Mrs De Souza was the last person Zac ever expected to see at his school.

  Agent Big Boss. The head of GIB.

  ‘Sir!’ said Zac. ‘What are you –’

  ‘Well,’ said Agent Big Boss loudly, cutting Zac short. ‘If it isn’t my favourite nephew!’ He winked at Zac.

  ‘Oh, uh, yeah!’ said Zac, playing along. ‘Hi, Uncle! What are you doing here?’

  What was Agent Big Boss doing there?

  ‘Your uncle has come to pick you up early today,’ said Mrs De Souza, not looking very happy. ‘A family matter, is it?’

  Agent Big Boss nodded.

  For a second, Zac was worried.

  ‘Are Mum and Dad OK?’ he asked.

  Zac’s parents and his brother Leon worked for GIB, too.

  ‘They’re fine,’ said Agent Big Boss quickly. ‘Leon, too. But I have something to discuss with you.’

  ‘I hope this is important,’ said Mrs De Souza. ‘We don’t like pulling our students out of school unless it’s absolutely necessary.’

  ‘Mrs De Souza,’ Agent Big Boss said firmly, ‘this is more important than you could possibly imagine. Come on, Zac, the car’s waiting.’

  And with that, Agent Big Boss stood up and walked out of the principal’s office.

  With an awkward look back at Mrs De Souza, Zac followed him.

  ‘What is it?’ said Zac as soon as the office door closed behind them. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘Not yet,’ said Agent Big Boss in a low voice. ‘Wait until we get into the car.’

  Zac nodded.

  Agent Big Boss stopped at the side of the road and stuck out his hand. A black limousine with tinted windows pulled up from around the corner.

  The door opened automatically and Zac and Agent Big Boss climbed inside.

  Zac was amazed. This limo had everything! A popcorn-maker, a mini-fridge, a stereo system and an enormous flat-screen TV! There was even a metal door in the floor labelled ‘Foot Spa’.

  This is better than my house! thought Zac, getting comfy in the plush leather seat.

  He wished he had time to test it all out. But Agent Big Boss was staring at him with a strange look in his eye.

  Time to focus, Zac told himself. Popcorn can wait.

  ‘Agent Rock Star, I’ve got a mission for you,’ began Agent Big Boss, putting on his seatbelt. ‘BIG is planning something, and I need you to stop them.’

  BIG was the most evil spy organisation in the business, and GIB’s greatest enemy. But Zac wasn’t worried. Thwarting BIG’s plans was what he did best.

  ‘No worries,’ he said coolly. ‘The usual, right? 24 hours to save the world, and –’

  ‘No,’ said Agent Big Boss, shaking his head.‘Not this time. This time we’re dealing with something much, much bigger.’

  CHAPTER

  TWO

  ‘So what is it?’ Zac asked. ‘What’s BIG doing that’s so, er, big?’

  ‘The head of BIG has just received a powerful new weapon,’ said Agent Big Boss. ‘It’s the most dangerous piece of technology they’ve ever gotten their hands on.’

  ‘What kind of weapon is it?’ Zac asked.

  ‘Well, we’re a bit short on details,’ Agent Big Boss admitted. ‘But it appears to be a highly advanced Tech Blaster.’

  Zac had heard about Tech Blasters. They were high-tech weapons that were harmless to humans, but would fry any nearby electrical devices. ‘So BIG wants to destroy some of our gadgets?’ he asked.

  ‘No,’ said Agent Big Boss. ‘BIG wants to destroy all of our gadgets. If this weapon is activated, it will set off a chain reaction powerful enough to wipe out every single piece of GIB technology in the world.’

  ‘When you say every piece,’ Zac began, ‘do you mean…’

  ‘Everything,’ Agent Big Boss finished. ‘Every gadget, every vehicle, every SpyPad, every computer. All of it, everywhere. Gone. GIB would be completely shut down in less than three minutes.’

  Zac stared at Agent Big Boss. ‘How much time have we got?’

  ‘Our sources tell us that BIG plans to activate the Tech Blaster this Sunday at midnight,’ Agent Big Boss answered.

  Zac did a quick calculation in his head. It was Wednesday today, so that gave him about four and a half days.

  ‘OK,’ he said. ‘What’s the plan?’

  ‘Well, we still don’t know where the weapon is being kept or what it looks like,’ Agent Big Boss said.‘But we do know who’s going to activate it.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Someone we’ve never met before. From what we can tell, he’s new to BIG.’

  ‘What’s his name?’ Zac asked.

  ‘It’s a bit strange,’ said Agent Big Boss, ‘but he doesn’t seem to have one.’

  Zac blinked. A mystery weapon and an enemy agent with no name. GIB wasn’t exactly giving him a lot to work with here. ‘So where is this mystery agent now?’

  ‘I’ll show you,’ said Agent
Big Boss, handing Zac a small electronic earpiece. ‘Here, put this on.’

  Zac slipped the earpiece over his ear.

  ‘Six hours ago,’ Agent Big Boss went on, ‘we received this message from our remote base camp in the Black Jungle.’

  GIB 'EAR' Electronic Audio Receiver

  He hit a button on his armrest and the recording began to play through Zac’s EAR. It was full of static and kept breaking up.

  ‘This is Agent – SHHHH– calling Headquarters!’ said a man, sounding scared.‘We are under attack by – SHHHH– enemy agent! We tried – – but he was too powerful! Situation critical!’

  A loud crash echoed in Zac’s EAR. ‘No! SHHHH–’ The recording cut out.

  ‘There are six GIB agents stationed at that base camp,’ said Agent Big Boss. ‘Right now, they’re being held captive by BIG’s mystery agent. He’s the one who’s going to activate their Tech Blaster on Sunday.’

  ‘How could one guy be strong enough to capture six GIB agents?’ Zac asked.

  ‘That’s what we need you to find out,’ said Agent Big Boss. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little silver disk. ‘Here’s phase one of your mission.’

  Zac pulled out his SpyPad, the spy communication gadget carried by every GIB agent. He slipped the disk inside.

  CLASSIFIED

  CURRENT TIME 1:04PM

  WEDNESDAY

  PHASE ONE:

  An unknown BIG agent has

  discovered GIB’s top-secret

  base camp in the Black Jungle and

  is holding six agents captive.

  YOUR MISSION:

  Fly to the Black Jungle, and locate

  and rescue the captured GIB agents.

  You must discover the identity of the

  mystery BIG agent and complete this

  mission as soon as possible.

  TOTAL MISSION TIME REMAINING:

  4 days, 10 hours, 56 minutes.

  The limo pulled to a stop outside Zac’s house. Agent Big Boss pressed a button and Zac’s door popped open.

  ‘Agent Tech Head is waiting inside to brief you,’ said Big Boss. Agent Tech Head was the code name of Zac’s brother, Leon.

  ‘OK,’ said Zac, moving to get out of the car.

  ‘Agent Rock Star,’ Agent Big Boss said quietly, ‘this is the biggest threat that GIB has ever faced. We’re all counting on you. If you can’t track down this agent and keep him from setting off BIG’s Tech Blaster…’

  Big Boss didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t have to. The point was clear.

  If Zac failed, it would be the end of GIB.

  CHAPTER

  THREE

  The limo sped away and Zac jogged up the path to his house.

  ‘There you are,’ said Leon as soon as Zac walked in the door. ‘Quick, come with me.’

  Leon was older than Zac, and really geeky. He was a GIB agent too, but he didn’t go out on missions. He worked on the gadgets and technical stuff.

  ‘Where are we going?’ said Zac, but Leon was already halfway up the stairs.

  Zac followed his brother upstairs and into his bedroom.

  As usual, Leon’s room was spotless. It looked like something out of one of their mum’s Home and Garden magazines.

  ‘You know,’ said Zac, ‘it’s really not normal to keep your room this tidy.’

  But he knew there was no point saying it. Leon was the kind of guy who kept all his socks organised by colour.

  ‘Get into my wardrobe,’ said Leon, reaching under his bed and pressing a button.

  ‘What?’ said Zac.

  ‘Come on,’ Leon said. He grabbed Zac by the arm and pulled him in between two school shirts.

  ‘Leon,’ Zac said, rolling his eyes, ‘what are you – arrrgh!’

  WHOOSH!

  The floor beneath Zac’s feet slid away, and suddenly he was falling down a long dark tunnel. He reached out frantically for something to grab on to, but his fingers scraped on cold metal walls.

  Leon was falling next to Zac, but he looked completely calm.

  ‘Leon!’ Zac shouted. ‘What is this?’

  Suddenly, a jet of compressed air shot up from underneath them, slowing their fall. Zac and Leon floated down the last few metres to the ground.

  Leon landed lightly and walked out through the doorway at the bottom of the tunnel. Zac, caught by surprise, landed awkwardly. He staggered out after Leon.

  Rubbing his eyes, Zac stepped into a giant underground laboratory. It was filled with computers and half-built gadgets and mountains of spare parts.

  There was even a vehicle in the corner of the room that looked like some kind of spacecraft.

  ‘You built a lab under our house?’ said Zac, amazed. ‘How did I not know about this?’

  ‘What, you think you’re the only one with secrets?’ Leon grinned. ‘Come on, let’s get you prepped for the mission.’

  ‘Right,’ said Zac. ‘So, who are these people I’m rescuing anyway? What are they doing out in the middle of the jungle?’

  ‘Agent Big Boss wouldn’t tell me,’ Leon replied. ‘He said it’s all really top-secret.’

  He reached over and picked up what looked like a steel football.

  ‘That’s why they’re all the way out in the jungle,’ Leon continued. ‘They’ve hidden their base camp to make sure their work stays secret. Not even Big Boss knows the exact location.’

  ‘You’re telling me that no-one in GIB knows where these people are?’ Zac asked.

  ‘Yup,’ said Leon, tossing the steel football to Zac. ‘That’s where you come in. This is an emergency beacon. It sends out a sonic pulse that can be picked up by our search-and-rescue helicopters.’

  GIB 'HOWLERBALL' Multiwave Homing Beacon

  Zac turned the beacon over in his hands. ‘So I just need to take this to the base camp?’

  ‘Pretty much,’ said Leon. ‘You need to fly out to the Black Jungle, find the GIB agents, and activate the beacon. A GIB rescue crew will be standing by to lock on to the signal and come and pick you up.’

  ‘No worries,’ said Zac confidently.

  ‘And I’m supposed to give you this,’ said Leon, handing Zac a little black box. ‘New GIB gear that we’re rolling out to every field agent.’

  Zac flipped open the box to reveal a new watch. ‘Sweet,’ he said, strapping it on.

  GIB HB1 Mission Watch (Helium Balloon Model)

  Then Leon handed Zac a GIB clip. ‘Hang on to this for now, too,’ said Leon. ‘We’re working on a whole bunch of cool attachments. It’s going to be excellent, trust me.’

  ‘OK, whatever,’ said Zac, stashing the beacon into his backpack. ‘Do you have anything else for me?’

  ‘That’s everything for now,’ said Leon. ‘Time to go.’

  They walked back through the doorway and into the tunnel. Another wave of compressed air shot up from the ground, blasting them back up into Leon’s wardrobe.

  ‘You want to know something weird?’ said Leon suddenly as they stepped back out into the bedroom.

  ‘What?’ said Zac.

  They left Leon’s room and started heading downstairs.

  ‘Well,’ said Leon thoughtfully, ‘I was talking to Agent Big Boss before. Don’t take this the wrong way, but…’ He trailed off.

  ‘What?’ said Zac, raising an eyebrow.

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Leon with a shrug. ‘It just seemed like he really didn’t want to give you this mission.’

  Zac stared at Leon. ‘Why not?’

  Zac was the best agent GIB had! Why shouldn’t they give this mission to him?

  Leon shrugged. ‘I just got the feeling he wasn’t all that happy to be sending you to the Black Jungle. Like maybe there was something he didn’t want you to see.’

  They reached the front door and stepped outside.

  A car was waiting in the driveway to take Zac to the GIB air strip.

  ‘Anyway, forget about it,’ said Leon. ‘You’ve got a plane to catch.’
<
br />   CHAPTER

  FOUR

  ‘Ready to launch, Agent Rock Star?’

  Zac nodded to the agent on the ground and strapped on his helmet. He had arrived at the GIB air strip and was sitting in the cockpit of a brand new jet.

  It was called the Sunraker, and according to the ground crew it was completely solar-powered.

  Zac thought it was the ugliest-looking jet he’d ever seen.

  GIB vehicles usually had really awesome paint jobs, but this one was just covered in rows of dull grey tiles.

  Oh well, Zac reminded himself, just so long as it flies.

  Someone on the ground gave him the thumbs up, and the crew backed away from the Sunraker.

  Zac hit the launch controls.

  CLICK-SHOONK-CLACK

  The row of grey tiles at the very front of the Sunraker suddenly popped up and flipped over, revealing gleaming black solar panels.

  CLICK-SHOONK-CLACK

  The next row of tiles flipped over, then the next, and then the next.

  In seconds, the Sunraker transformed from a dull grey jet into a shiny black dream machine. Now that’s more like it, thought Zac with a grin.

  The engine suddenly hummed to life under Zac’s feet.

  He leant on the steering controls and the Sunraker began zooming down the runway, gathering speed. Zac pulled back on the controls and the jet lifted into the air, soaring off towards the jungle.

  Six hours later, Zac was zooming high above the trees of the Black Jungle.

  The flight had given him plenty of thinking time, and the same questions kept swirling around in his head:

  Who is this mystery BIG agent?

  How could he possibly be strong enough to hold six GIB agents captive?

  And why – WHY – didn’t Agent Big Boss want to give me this mission in the first place?

  It was this last question that bothered Zac the most. GIB had never doubted Zac before. What was so different about this mission?

  After a while, there was a beep from Zac’s control panel. He was getting close. According to the Sunraker’s on-board computer, the GIB base camp was some-where in this area.