Either way, the plan wouldn’t work if Jamaal didn’t walk into the room!
“Use the cymbals,” Mrs. Squeakerton whispered.
“If this doesn’t work, I can run up his pant leg,” Gregory said. “I’ll grab him by the neck in a secret hold that will make him fall over. We’ll call about five hundred—no, probably a thousand mice down to drag him back up the mountain. Then we’ll squirt hot sauce up his nose until he tells the truth—”
“We are peaceful mice!” Mina interrupted.
“Oh. Yeah. So are we,” Gregory said. “Okay. We’ll try this first.”
Gregory stuck some beeswax into his ears. The other mice covered their own ears. Gregory clashed the cymbals together.
“What was that?” Jamaal ran into the dark room.
“Jamaal?” someone called out.
“Did you hear that?” He reached for the light switch.
“Hear what? Come talk to me.”
Jamaal shrugged and shut the door.
“Are you kidding me?” Gregory asked.
“There’s no way that guy is smart enough to be the treasure thief!” Ava said. “We could be back here robbing him, and he would just let us.”
“I guess we try plan B,” Dean said.
“What’s that?” Mina asked.
“We spy,” Dean answered. “Now stay quiet as a mouse.”
The Squeakertons ran underneath the ice cream counter.
“Annie!” Jamaal walked around the counter and gave a lady a hug. “So glad you came in. It’s my last night working.”
“What were you doing in the back room?” Annie asked.
“Thought I heard something.” Jamaal opened the ice cream fridge. “Have a seat. This one is on the house.”
Jamaal whistled as he scooped ice cream. The mice could only see his feet, but there was definitely a skip in his step.
“Let’s see how happy this guy is once we send him to jail,” Gregory said.
“I heard you found some gold up the mountain.” Annie sat on a counter stool.
“Yes, ma’am. Size of a golf ball,” Jamaal said. “Bought an RV with the money. I’m going to tour the country.”
“I’ve been working as a ranger here for thirty years.” Annie drummed her fingers. “Never seen or heard of any gold.”
“Me neither,” Jamaal said. He gave Annie a banana split.
“Then how in the world did you find that?” Annie asked.
Jamaal was quiet for a bit. The Squeakertons made sure they listened really, really closely.
Jamaal waited until the other customers left. Then he leaned across the counter and said, “The nugget…landed in my lap.”
“Breaking into a Treasure Room is not exactly having something land in your lap,” Gregory scoffed.
“Shhh,” Mrs. Squeakerton said.
“I was doing my morning walk along the Presidential Trail,” Jamaal said. “Four times, so it’s about two and a half miles. I was by the close part, kind of under Washington’s nose with that big boulder. Then I heard this shuffle. Rocks slid down the side. The gold sparkled in the light. I picked it right up.”
“Sounds like Lady Luck wanted you to have that gold.” Annie took a bite of ice cream.
“Someone did.” Jamaal shrugged.
“Don’t you think we should climb up closer to the faces and see if there’s any more gold up there?” Annie asked.
“When luck happens like that, you don’t ask too many questions. One nugget is plenty for me.” Jamaal looked at his watch. “It’s about closing time. I’ll walk you out.”
The mice waited for the doorbells to chime before scurrying to the back room. They grabbed what they could of the supplies. They didn’t need a booby trap anymore.
“Do you think he’s telling the truth?” Mrs. Squeakerton asked.
Mina scratched her head. “When Ava said someone ‘found’ gold, it made sense that Jamaal had taken our missing gold. But now I’m not sure. For a human to get to the Hall of Records, they need to climb up the mountain. There are thousands of tourists during the day, and the mountain is lit up at night.”
“So someone would see him,” Ava said.
“Yes.” Mina nodded. “And another thing…the opening to our Treasure Rooms is the size of a bowling ball. The human couldn’t get in, not unless they sent some robbing robot in there.”
“Jamaal doesn’t seem like the type of guy to own a robot,” Dean said.
“Exactly.” Mina rubbed her whiskers. “The problem isn’t that someone took the treasure. We have plenty of treasure. Besides, we took lots of those items from humans in the first place.”
“Oh. Yeah.” Gregory’s face reddened. “I guess in that case, we’re all kind of thieves.”
“Borrowers,” Mina corrected. “What worries me is that someone—something—knows the Treasure Rooms exist. If it’s not a mouse taking things, then our burrow is in danger. And if it is a mouse taking things, well…”
“Then it looks like our thief lives much closer than we thought,” Gregory said.
Mina seemed upset as they rode the slide-o-vator back up the mountain. Ava and Dean could understand—they would feel the same way if there was a mess like this in the White House.
“I still don’t understand how the gold nugget went from our Treasure Rooms to landing at Jamaal’s feet.” Mina sighed.
It was very dark outside. It was very dark inside. It was very late, and Ava was tired. “What time is it?”
“Midnight.” Mrs. Squeakerton hugged her daughter. “We should go to bed. We’ll figure out the rest in the morning.”
Mina smiled. “It already is morning for us. You can say hello to everyone before bedtime. Morning time. Whatever.”
Ava and Dean walked out to the largest gathering of mice they’d ever seen. Thousands and thousands of Testerman mice filled the town square. They wore clothes from all different periods of time. Some even wore clothes that looked like they were from the future. The town hummed with activity.
“I’m starting to feel like we’re the country mice here,” Dean whispered to his sister.
A mouse in a purple suit ran up to Mina. “Did you…figure out the problem yet?”
Mina smiled at the Squeakertons. “This is Mato.”
Mato nodded at them before turning back to Mina. “Did they help you? Is it fixed?”
“We haven’t told anyone about the missing items,” Mina said quietly to the Squeakertons. “We didn’t want anyone to panic.”
“I’m panicking!” Mato said. “I just did the last shift. This makes no sense. None!”
“Shift?” Ava asked.
“We started taking turns in the Treasure Rooms,” Mina explained. “Kind of like a stakeout. In case anyone tries to steal again.”
“We want to do the next shift!” Dean jumped up. “Come on, Ava.”
“I thought you little mice said you were tired,” Mrs. Squeakerton said.
“We’ll take turns sleeping.” Ava grabbed her brother’s tail. “We can’t quit now, not when we’re so close to solving the mystery.”
“Well, I’m going to bed,” Mrs. Squeakerton said.
“That’s fine,” Dean said. “Let’s go, Gregory.”
“ ‘Let’s go, Gregory’?” Gregory repeated. “Why can’t I go to bed too?”
“Because we aren’t,” Ava said. “And you have to watch us.”
“It would be great if you could help us!” Mina said. “Only four Treasure Keepers know about the missing treasure, and their watch is over.” She scanned her claw on a keypad to open the door to the Treasure Rooms. “We’ll need someone by the hole and someone by the entrance.”
“And someone in the Candy Collection?” Dean asked hopefully.
“I think the Candy Collection is fine on its own.” Mina smiled. “Are you sure you’ll be okay in here?”
Ava gave a thumbs-up. Well, a claws-up.
“Gregory, you watch the door,” Ava said. “We’ll watch the hole.”
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Ava and Dean ran through rooms until they reached the Expensive Stuff Collection. They made chairs out of gold goblets. They used scarves for blankets. But…it turns out watching a hole is not as exciting as it sounds.
“So what happens next?” Dean asked.
“We wait and see if something or someone comes through that hole,” Ava said. “Then I guess one of us runs to get Mina.”
“What does the other person do?” Dean asked.
“I don’t know. Fight? There’s a sword you can use,” Ava said.
Dean gulped.
For the next few hours, Ava and Dean took turns dozing off. When they were awake, they paced the Treasure Rooms or counted the gold. At 8:00 a.m., their shift was close to ending, and still…nothing.
They’d come all this way to help, and now the Testerman mice weren’t any closer to figuring out who was stealing from the Treasure Rooms. And if someone kept stealing, then what would the Testermans do? Leave?
“This isn’t a stakeout! It’s a fakeout.” Dean kicked at a rock on the ground. The rock bounced against the cave wall. And then…the room shook. Large rocks fell from the stony ceiling. The mice ducked and covered their heads.
“Did I do that?” Dean asked.
The room shook again. Dirt swirled in the air.
Ava squeaked. “I’ll get Gregory.”
“No, I’ll get Gregory.”
“Dean, stay!”
Ava ran through the Treasure Rooms to the main entrance. Gregory’s head was on a table. He snorted a snore that woke him up. “Did you know Ronald Reagan loved jelly beans? Wait, where am I?”
“Gregory! There’s something happening! Sound the alarm and follow me.”
Gregory slapped the emergency alarm with his claw. They hurried back to Dean, who stood shaking in front of the mouse hole.
“I liked this stakeout better when nothing was happening,” Dean whispered.
There was a faint crunching sound, then voices.
Human voices.
“Okay, this is what we’ll do.” Ranger Dan’s voice rang through the Hall of Records. The voice was still far but not far enough. “Let’s run our metal detectors across the mountain. Be gentle around the presidents’ faces. Don’t touch.”
“What happens when we don’t find any gold?” someone asked.
“Then we release this video to prove there isn’t gold up here. We’ve had three gold hunters sneak off the trail tonight already. We need to protect Mount Rushmore.”
“What happens if we do find gold?” someone else asked.
“Then you tell me,” Ranger Dan said. “Immediately.”
Mina rushed into the Treasure Rooms, followed by Mrs. Squeakerton and a handful of other mice. “Is it humans?” she whispered.
Ava and Dean nodded. It was silent in the Hall of Records. The silence was interrupted by quick beeps, which got longer and closer.
“What is that beeping?” Dean asked.
“Metal detectors,” Mina moaned. “If they bring those things into the Hall of Records, they’ll beep right by Treasure Rooms. Out there, they would have to dig really deep to get to our burrow. But right here…we’ll be found. We need to get everyone out of the burrow. Now!”
“But…but what about the hole?” Mrs. Squeakerton asked. “How do you cover up the hole?”
“There’s a stone. But it needs to be moved from the outside. So whoever did it would—”
“Be stuck in the Hall of Records with humans,” Gregory finished. “But if we don’t do it, we’re all going to be found anyway.”
The beeping of the metal detectors was getting louder. Closer.
“It’s too dangerous,” Mina said. “We asked for your help, but not this kind of help. Please, let’s run now.”
“ ‘We must dare to be great; and we must realize that greatness is the fruit of toil and sacrifice and high courage.’ Teddy Roosevelt said that, and I believe it.” Gregory saluted the other mice.
“Yeah, what Gregory said.” Ava and Dean stood tall by their brave bodyguard.
“No!” Mrs. Squeakerton said. “Absolutely not. You little mice are staying with me. It’s safer that way.”
“If we get caught, then Dean and I can give a note to Ranger Dan,” Ava said. “He’ll get it back to Macey.”
“Unless he steps on you first,” Mrs. Squeakerton said.
“Unless he steps on us first,” Dean agreed. “But, Mom, we can make it back in time. This is the only way. If we stay in the burrow, we’ll never make it down to the Sculptor’s Studio in time for the Abbeys’ departure.”
Mrs. Squeakerton nodded. “So either we leave now, or we never leave South Dakota.”
Mina hugged each Squeakerton. “Thank you for doing this. Please take a treasure with you. Any item you like.”
“Well, if you insist,” Gregory said, running immediately to grab Calvin Coolidge’s gold cuff links.
Mrs. Squeakerton shook her head. “This much fresh air was treasure enough for me. Ava? Dean? What would you like?”
“I’m taking this jewelry.” Ava held up a gold-and-emerald brooch shaped like a c-a-t. “It’s very unique.”
“I already got mine.” Dean held up a butterscotch.
“Really?” Ava asked. “There are precious jewels right behind you, and you pick candy?”
“Butterscotch lasts for years!” Dean said. “It probably still tastes good. Emeralds taste horrible.”
The mice stuffed their treasures into their packs and stepped out of the room.
This is the bad news for the Squeakertons:
1. They might get stuck in the cave forever.
2. They might get caught by humans.
3. Predators might kill them once they leave the cave.
4. They might slip on the granite rocks.
5. They might miss the Abbey kids and have to stay in South Dakota forever.
This is the better news:
1. They were still alive.
2. Dean had candy they could eat if they got hungry.
3. They’d seen more nature in one day than they had their entire lives in the White House.
4. They were helping their new friend, Mina.
5. And…that’s it. Not the best list.
Mina waved. “Be brave, mice!” she called before running out of the Treasure Rooms. She needed to guide the other Testerman mice through the emergency tunnels that led to a faraway meadow.
Mrs. Squeakerton, Gregory, Dean, and Ava joined hands. The beeping was now right outside the tunnel.
“Well, let’s move a stone!” Gregory said.
“Hey, what’s this on the ground?” Ava picked up a feather. “Did this blow out of the Treasure Rooms?”
“Probably,” Dean said. “Put it down and come help.”
Mice are strong, but stones aren’t exactly light. It took all four mice pushing and grunting before the stone would even budge. It slowly rolled until it covered the hole in the wall.
And just in time.
The humans were now in the Hall of Records.
“We’re just going to walk through the hall.” Ranger Dan’s voice rang through the dark cave.
The Squeakertons crouched in the corner.
“I’ve been waiting to come into this hall for years,” a female voice said.
“Me too, Ranger Lyla.” Ranger Dan whistled as he walked around the large space. “You know, they could make a lot of money if they let tourists in here. Charge an entrance fee.”
“That wouldn’t be good for the sculpture. Too much foot traffic,” Ranger Lyla said.
“If we find gold, we can quit being rangers and buy a house together in Australia,” Ranger Dan said.
“Dan, we just started dating,” Ranger Lyla said. “How many times do I have to tell you? I’m not moving to Australia.”
The rangers continued to scan the space. The Squeakertons tried to look small. They tried to look invisible. But it didn’t work.
Ranger Dan waved his metal detector over
the mice.
It beeped because of the gold cuff links Gregory had picked out. Which was not the smartest mouse moment.
“There is gold in Rushmore! And now it will be mine, and no one else will ever have to know.” Ranger Dan felt around in the darkness.
“You mean it will be ours,” Ranger Lyla said. “Right?”
Gregory was tempted to bite Ranger Dan. He’d seemed like such a nice guy back on the trail. Money makes humans do stupid things.
“Scurry,” Mrs. Squeakerton whispered. “Now.”
Ava made it past Ranger Dan. Dean made it past Ranger Dan. Mrs. Squeakerton made it past Ranger Dan.
Gregory did not make it past Ranger Dan.
But for once, Gregory was very glad that he was often mistaken for other species.
“It’s a rat!” Ranger Dan squealed. “Oh, Lyla, I hate rats.”
He dropped Gregory, but Lyla just swooped him right back up. She looked closely at Gregory. “He’s bigger than that. Maybe…a possum? Did you run the metal detector over him, or did it ring in the corner?”
“If there’s one rat in here, there could be hundreds!” Ranger Dan yelped. “I hate animals! Smash it!”
Ranger Lyla waved her detector over Gregory. It beeped again. “Do you think this guy swallowed some metal? He keeps beeping.”
Ranger Dan started fumbling around the floor, maybe looking for a rock. Gregory did not want to find out what he was looking for. He tried to hop down, but Ranger Lyla had a strong grip.
Just then, a bird started chirping.
“And birds? This hall has been taken over by animals.” Ranger Dan was close to tears. “Come on, Lyla. The detector didn’t beep anywhere else in here. There’s no gold. That dumb animal probably just swallowed a dime.”
Dumb animal? Gregory really wanted to correct Ranger Dan.
Lyla sighed. “Shouldn’t we look a little more? I mean, of course there are animals in here. It’s a cave in a mountain. Perfect habitat.”
The chirping turned into squawking. The sound echoed against the walls. The Squeakertons picked up the hint and started making squeaking sounds. The cave sounded like it was filled with dozens of living creatures.
Commander in Cheese Super Special #1 Page 3
