by Andrew Cope
PUFFIN BOOKS
Opposites …
Black … White
Ugly … Beautiful
Hot … Cold
North … South
Dog … Brussel sprout
Hang on a sec, let me explain that last one.
I love Christmas. Because, basically I’m just a big kid! The whole prezzies, food and Christmas telly thing is just brilliant. You see, lots of things are just for Christmas. Nice things like decorations, crimbo trees, turkey lurkey, mistletoe, silly paper hats, Quality Street and new socks. And some horrid things, like Brussel sprouts, parsnips and trying to look pleased when you open the new socks! But we do these things because they’re just for Christmas.
I was driving home the other day and I saw a sticker on the car in front. It read, ‘Dogs are for life, not just for Christmas.’ So that makes my dog Lara the exact opposite of a Brussel sprout. How fab is that!
Happy Christmas from Andrew and Lara
Books by Andrew Cope
Spy Dog
Spy Dog 2
Spy Dog Unleashed!
Spy Dog Superbrain
Spy Dog Rocket Rider
Spy Dog Secret Santa
Spy Pups Treasure Quest
Spy Pups Prison Break
Spy Pups Circus Act
www.spydog451.co.uk
ANDREW COPE
Illustrated by James de la Rue
PUFFIN
PUFFIN BOOKS
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4P 2Y3 (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
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Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
puffinbooks.com
First published 2010
Text copyright © Andrew Cope and Stella Maidment, 2010
Illustrations copyright © James de la Rue, 2010
All rights reserved
The moral right of the author and illustrator has been asserted
Except in the United States of America, this book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-0-141-94632-0
To anyone who has a pet. Make sure you love your pet and give them a special hug this Christmas (unless you’ve got a fish or a porcupine).
Contents
1. Lights and Darkness
2. Carol Singing
3. Watch Out!
4. Merry Christmas, Mr Strange
5. Page Forty-three
6. A Secret Weapon
7. The Pups’ Mission
8. Santa’s Grotto
9. Spud in the City
10. Agent CV89
11. The Pickpocket
12. On the London Eye
13. Strange Santa
14. Follow That Dog!
15. Fire!
16. Lara to the Rescue!
17. The Great Escape
18. Now or Never
19. And a Happy New Year!
1. Lights and Darkness
The shadowy figures stood together in the darkness, their hands pushed deep into their pockets to keep them warm. Tall and short, young and old, their bodies bundled shapelessly in thick winter clothes. A few had torches, sending beams of eerie light upwards on to their faces. They formed a semicircle on the frosty grass, all staring silently in the same direction.
Under a single spotlight, a boy of about twelve scrambled on to a makeshift stage and stood in front of a microphone. He was followed by his sister, just a little younger, who turned and helped a much younger brother up to join them.
‘Welcome to the annual ceremony of the turning on of the village Christmas lights!’ said Ben, the older boy, raising his voice slightly even though the microphone amplified his words. ‘As you know, we always invite a special person to perform this important task and this year it’s our very own local celebrity. I wonder if you can guess who she is?’ Ben beamed at the assembled crowd. ‘Well, here’s a clue: she’s a brilliant and highly trained Secret Service agent; she can defuse bombs, crack codes, understand at least twelve languages –’
‘And she’s caught way more baddies than I’ve had Christmas dinners!’ interrupted Ben’s younger brother, jumping up and grabbing the microphone.
‘Thank you, Ollie,’ frowned Ben, easing the microphone away from his brother. ‘She’s the head of our neighbourhood watch, and a mother of seven – two of them are here tonight …’
At this point there was an excited Woof! Woof! from a small black puppy at the front of the crowd and everyone laughed.
‘And thank you, Spud!’ said Ben, as the young dog jumped excitedly up towards the stage. ‘But most of all,’ he went on, ‘she’s a very important part of my family. Please welcome Secret Agent GM451 – or as we all know her, LARA!’
Gloved hands joined in muffled applause. Several of the smaller, four-legged members barked and meowed as a black-and-white dog about the size of a Labrador, with one ear sticking up and one ear flopping down, bounded up on to the stage.
Lara stood for a moment looking down at the shadowy faces of her friends and neighbours. All her animal neighbourhood watch group were there – except George the tortoise, who always spent Christmas in a cardboard box under the stairs.
In the front row were her two lively pups, Spud and his sister Star, fidgeting about beside their handsome black pedigree dad. Next to them were some of her adopted family – Mr and Mrs Cook and Gran, who lived opposite; and of course the children were on the stage beside her – Lara’s very best friends, Ben, Sophie and little Ollie.
At times like these Lara couldn’t help thinking that things might have been very different if she’d carried on with her early life as a Spy Dog – or worse still, if the bullet that had left a permanent hole in her right ear had been fired just a little lower. That was a terrible mission. She had been forced to go undercover and pretend to be a normal dog. The Cook family had come to the RSPCA rescue centre looking for an ordinary pet, but Lara had selected them as her future family – and the children had soon realized that she was anything but ordinary …
No, thought Lara, I’m glad I’m just a retired Spy Dog now. She felt pleased and proud to be part of such a happy, friendly community. And Christmas is my favourite time. Star and Spud have already put up their Christmas stockings. They’re so excited about Santa!
‘Go on, Lara. What are you waiting for? Turn on the lights!’ whispered Ben.
What am I doing? thought Lara, giving herself a l
ittle shake. I’ve only got one mission this evening and it’s an easy one too. I’d better get on with it!
She stood on her hind legs and winked at Ben. He addressed the microphone and counted the crowd down from ten. Lara waited for the right moment before turning the switch with her paw. Hundreds of light bulbs sprang into life along the houses around the village green, and in the middle of the grass a huge Christmas tree could suddenly be seen covered in tiny coloured stars, twinkling brightly into the night, lighting up the faces of the crowd as they cheered and clapped and whistled.
This is the life for me! thought Lara as she and the children jumped down from the stage, and the crowd moved off towards the village hall where bowls of hot punch and mince pies were waiting.
Suddenly, a shiny black four-by-four came screaming down the hill into the village, stopping everyone in their tracks with the sound of its powerful engine. Its tyres screeched as it skidded around the bend beside the pond, then, finding its balance again, it carried on driving straight towards them.
Surely the driver’s going to stop, thought Lara. He can see there’s a crowd of people in the road.
But the car just kept on going. As the people started to scatter, Lara’s training kicked in. Make sure the children are safe. The pups had already scampered to the other side of the road and were waiting there with Mum and Dad, but Ollie and Sophie were just beginning to cross. When they heard the car they hesitated for a second. It was just enough time for Lara to hurl herself in front of them and give them each a really hard push in the chest with her front paws. They tumbled backwards on to the village green and landed in a tangled heap.
Then Lara looked around for Ben. He had started to run but had tripped over Felix the tabby cat, who bolted under his feet. Everyone else was across the road but Ben was lying flat on his face – right in the path of the car!
Lara didn’t stop to think. She leapt into the road and grabbed the seat of Ben’s trousers in her teeth. Then she pulled him on to his feet and, remembering her best judo move, used Ben’s own weight against him to hurl him to the side of the road.
Ben was safe but Lara was still in the path of the speeding car. It was almost on her now. There was no time to run. Lara could see the sickly pale face and squinty blue eyes of the driver and she could tell he had no intention of stopping. Instead he just put his hand on the horn and kept it there … The noise was deafening.
From the roadside Lara heard Sophie scream and Star give a piercing, frightened yelp. A thought shot through her mind – Are these the last sounds I am ever going to hear?
But a Spy Dog never gives up. I’ve got it! Lara took a flying leap into the air. Reaching upwards, she just managed to hook her front paws over the branch of an overhanging tree. As the speeding car shot underneath, she clung on, swinging perilously, the claws of her back feet scraping the car’s roof.
It was over in seconds. The car had gone and Lara lost her balance and tumbled to the ground, doing her best to look casual. It’s all in a day’s work for a Licensed Assault and Rescue Animal, you know. They didn’t call me L.A.R.A for nothing!
Spud and Star ran to their mum for a hug. ‘Who was that nasty driver?’ woofed Star.
Then everyone started talking at once.
‘What a maniac!’
‘Someone could have been killed!’
‘Did you get his number?’
‘No, he was going too fast.’
Dad rushed up to Lara. ‘Lara, I think you just saved Ben’s life!’
‘Yes, er, thanks, Lara,’ said Ben, sounding grateful but embarrassed. Lara had accidentally ripped a huge hole in the seat of his new cargo trousers and some of the girls from school were waiting on the other side of the road. ‘Mum, I think I’ll just go back to the house for a minute. Is that OK?’
Lara shooed the pups off towards the village hall where she knew there would be mince pies. She decided to walk with Ben. Her legs were shaky. That was too close for comfort, she thought. Action and adventure seem to follow me around. I just want a quiet retirement. And a peaceful Christmas.
‘Why is Ben walking backwards?’ asked Ollie loudly.
‘Never mind, Ollie,’ smiled Mum. ‘Let’s go and have a mince pie.’
2. Carol Singing
‘Postman! Postman!’ Star and Spud raced to the letterbox as a stream of envelopes poured down on to the hall floor. ‘I like Christmas!’ woofed Spud. ‘Look at all these cards!’
The children were just finishing breakfast when the two pups trotted in, each carrying a small pile of post carefully in their mouths.
‘Thank you!’ said Sophie. ‘Oh, look! This one’s from Professor Cortex. I recognize his tiny writing.’ She opened the card and read out the message inside:
Happy Christmas to all the Cook family, and especially to Agent GM451 and the Spy Pups,
Best wishes,
Maximus Cortex
PS I will be in London on Friday for a meeting. Would you join me afterwards for a trip to the pantomime? You can stay the night in one of the Secret Service visitors’ flats overlooking the river.
‘Wow!’ said Ben, putting his cereal bowl into the dishwasher. ‘That would be great!’
‘Do you think Lara and the pups can come too?’ asked Ollie through a mouthful of toast. Ollie was especially fond of Spud and Star because they were the little ones – a bit like him.
I’m sure the professor would want me there, thought Lara. After all he was the one who trained me as a Spy Dog in the first place – but I think the pups might be a bit too young.
‘We’ll have to ask Mum,’ said Sophie, picking up her backpack. ‘Hurry up, Ollie, it’s a fun day today – the last day of the school term and then carol singing round the village this evening!’ Carol singing was another village tradition. Every year all the children in the neighbourhood went from house to house singing carols and collecting money for charity.
That night they were helped by Lara on the mouth organ and some enthusiastic howling from Spud and Star. I must teach them to read music soon, thought Lara. I think Spud would be a natural on the trumpet.
Like their mum, the pups were highly intelligent and Lara had agreed that the professor could put them on his special accelerated learning programme – the same one she had followed as a young dog. They were already officially Spy Pups and they were keen to learn as many skills as they could as they both really wanted to be proper secret agents when they grew up.
*
It was another cold night and by the time the carol singers had sung their way up and down the old part of the village and into the new estate, their hands and feet were frozen – but their collection box felt satisfyingly full.
Everyone loved the carols and as the children made their way along the streets, front doors opened one by one as people came out to listen and add their contributions to the box.
But when the singers got to old Mrs Perkins’s house they were surprised to find that her front door stayed firmly closed.
‘Perhaps she didn’t hear the doorbell,’ said Sophie, ringing it again. ‘Or maybe she just doesn’t want to come out in the cold.’
‘But Mrs Perkins always comes out!’ protested Ollie. ‘She usually gives us a chocolate biscuit too!’
A biscuit? Spud’s ears pricked up. Ring that bell again!
‘Never mind, Ollie,’ laughed Ben. ‘Come on, let’s keep going, everyone. We’ve almost finished now.’
But Lara wasn’t happy. I think I’ll just nip round the back and investigate. She put her mouth organ on the ground and trotted off down the side of the house.
‘What are you doing, Lara?’ called Ben. ‘There are loads of reasons why Mrs Perkins might not want to open her door tonight. It’s not polite to march all round her garden!’
Lara shook her head. Something isn’t right, she thought. Now let me see: all the lights downstairs are on, front and back, but the curtains a
re closed – I can’t see in. No lights on upstairs, curtains open. No. She can’t have gone to bed.
Lara woofed loudly and banged her paw on the kitchen window. Then she listened hard. She could just hear the sound of angry voices arguing inside. Her hackles went up and she growled despite herself. Then she realized that she knew the voices well.
It’s just EastEnders on the telly! It sounds exciting, though. Maybe Mrs P is watching it and doesn’t want to be disturbed. Then she heard something else. Was it another voice? Could it be someone calling? She strained her ears, trying to separate the sounds, but it was just too hard to tell. I can’t afford to take the chance, thought Lara. I may be just a family pet these days but I still know when something doesn’t quite add up. I’ve got to check that Mrs P’s OK.
Looking up, Lara noticed that the very top of the upstairs bedroom window was open. It was a tiny gap, far too narrow for a person to squeeze through, too small for a dog like Lara too.
This is a case for the animal neighbourhood watch! thought Lara as she raced round to the front of the house where the pups and the carol singers were waiting.
Since Lara had been living with the Cooks she had transformed a group of ordinary local pets into a specialist neighbourhood-watch unit. They met regularly for training and exercises and were proud of the way they kept their village free from crime. Star and Spud weren’t part of the team yet but Lara had already taught them the emergency call.
‘OK, you two,’ said Lara to the pups. ‘On my signal – go!’ Suddenly, the street was filled with noise, not the musical sound of Christmas carols but the sound of three dogs howling loudly, in a special pattern too: one long howl, one bark, then another long howl. It was the call to action!
3. Watch Out!
