by Andrew Cope
‘And those dogs have sharp teeth,’ wailed Spud, listening to the angry barks behind the door. ‘We’re doomed!’
‘We’re never doomed,’ declared his sister. ‘Mum always says to think of a spy-dog solution. So think, bro, think.’
Spud walked around the tower. It was a sheer drop every way he looked. He spied the flagpole. ‘What about that?’ he pointed.
‘What about it?’ asked Star.
‘Look closer,’ barked her brother. ‘It’s got a wire running from it.’
Star checked out the flagpole, the Stars and Stripes billowing in the wind. It was the highest point for miles around. She followed the wire to a telegraph pole way below. ‘It’s probably the phone line,’ she woofed.
‘And our only chance of escape,’ replied Spud, looking at the door in alarm. The stone had shifted. The guard dogs were just a few seconds away from a breakthrough.
Spud took off his helmet. ‘Desperate times call for desperate measures,’ he barked. Star watched as her brother clipped the strap on to the wire, his helmet hanging upside down. ‘I’ve seen it on a film,’ he yapped. ‘It’s called a zip wire. And there’s one in the playground near our house.’
Star remembered. ‘But that isn’t a hundred metres up,’ she barked. ‘It’s too dangerous.’
‘No, that’s too dangerous,’ woofed Spud pointing to the door wedge, almost pushed out of the way. ‘We’ve only got seconds to decide.’
Star looked at the door. The Rottweilers were throwing their bodies at it. She glanced at her brother, about to go on the ride of a lifetime. He was sitting in his helmet with one paw holding on to the ledge.
Certain death, she calculated as the door almost crashed down. Or almost certain death, she thought, imagining the scary zip-wire ride down to the telegraph pole.
Star put her paw to the clasp and undid her helmet. She jumped up to the flagpole just as the door splintered and the guard dogs fell into the top tower.
‘Hi, guys,’ waved Spud.
Star’s paws were trembling as she tried to clip her helmet to the wire. The Rottweilers were all muscle but their snarling was even scarier.
Star panicked and lost her grip on her helmet. Whoops, she thought as the hat fell to the rocks below.
‘Gotcha now,’ snarled the biggest dog, venturing forward. ‘Trespassing in our castle.’
‘Come on, sis,’ urged Spud. ‘We’ll have to share.’
The Rottweilers leapt towards the flagpole as Spud let go. He grabbed his sister by the collar as he swooped by.
‘Geronimoooo!’ he yelled as the puppies hurtled downwards on the zip wire. ‘Check out the view,’ he woofed from the side of his mouth, his sister dangling dangerously over the side.
The helmet zinged along the wire, Spud squinting into the wind ‘It’s a bit fast,’ yelled Star, watching the telegraph pole approach. ‘In fact, very fast,’ she yelped. ‘It’s going to hur–’ she barked as the helmet hit the pole and threw the dogs into the air. Thankfully, their fall was cushioned by a big bush.
Spud was first to his feet, wagging excitedly. He pulled his sister upright as she gasped for breath.
‘You OK, sis?’ he woofed, giving her a loving lick.
Star took a deep breath. ‘Nothing broken,’ she nodded, checking herself over.
‘That was cool,’ yelped her brother. ‘Shall we do it again?’
16. Spelling it Out
Ben, Sophie, Ollie and Lara wandered out of the Smugglers’ Cafe. ‘You see,’ explained Ben, ‘if it used to be where the pirates and smugglers hung out and it was called the “Castle Inn”, maybe the legend of the castle gold is here. Not there,’ he added, pointing up towards the stone building.
‘After all,’ chipped in Sophie, ‘loads of people have searched Lord Whatsit’s. But I bet nobody’s ever searched the Castle Inn.’
Lara was listening intently. You might have something, she thought. It’s certainly an interesting idea. It’d be great if that horrible American guy had bought the wrong castle, she smiled. Lara checked out the town hall clock. ‘Best get back to the pups,’ she woofed, stabbing her paw in the direction of Aunt Aggie’s. They will be nicely rested by now.
‘Looks like Lara wants to go and check on Star and Spud,’ guessed Sophie. ‘She’s probably worried that they’re up to no good!’
‘No need to worry,’ said Ollie matter-of-factly. ‘There they are.’
Ben, Sophie and Lara turned to follow Ollie’s finger.
Lara stood on her hind legs and rubbed her eyes. No need to worry! she gulped. My puppies! What are they doing at the top of that tower?
Ben squinted towards the castle. He could clearly make out two puppies up by the flagpole. ‘How on earth did they get up there?’ wailed Ben. ‘I thought we told them no mischief?’
Lara was gone, bounding towards the castle at spy-dog speed. She watched in horror as her puppies slid down the wire, and arrived on the scene as Spud and Star staggered out from the bush.
‘You certainly will not do it again!’ woofed Lara in her most serious voice. ‘What in heaven’s name do you think you’re playing at?’ she panted, her chest heaving after the sprint. ‘And how did you get into the castle?’
Spud and Star put on their sad faces – tails and bottom lips hanging low. ‘Sorry, Ma,’ said Star, ‘but there were some baddie dogs about to get us.’
‘And we’ve been doing some spying,’ blurted Spud. ‘We followed a tunnel from inside Ollie’s wardrobe. And it took us right into the castle.’
‘And the man who owns it is digging for gold,’ wagged Star, picking up the story. ‘But he thinks it’s at Aunt Aggie’s so he’s going round there, right now.’
‘And he’s got a gun –’ panted Spud.
‘Whoa!’ woofed Lara. ‘Slow down a bit,’ she hushed, waving her paws to calm the puppies.
By the time the children caught up, Lara knew the whole story. She was still angry with them but that could wait for now. If what they say is true, Aunt Aggie is in big trouble.
Star bounded off and quickly came back carrying the helmet she’d dropped. ‘The prof won’t want both of these getting into the wrong hands,’ she yapped, as Ollie took it from her.
Spud looked up at his helmet swinging from the wire above. ‘Maybe it will make a good bird’s nest?’ he suggested.
Lara led the children down the rocky path to the beach. I have to communicate what’s going on. She took a stick and wandered over to a smooth bit of sand. OK, she thought, here goes. Lara fixed the stick firmly in her mouth and traced out a letter ‘A’. Oh, this is so slow, she thought.
‘Lara’s doing a spy-dog thing,’ grinned Ollie. ‘She’s spelling something for us. That’s an ‘A’,’ said Ollie. ‘For apple.’
Very clever, Ollie, thought Lara. But this ‘A’ is for Aggie! Lara continued with her message. The children watched as she added a ‘G’ and a ‘Y’.
‘“AGY”,’ said Ben aloud. ‘What’s “AGY”?’
‘Aggie!’ woofed Lara. In text language. I haven’t got all day to write her name out. There’s a man with a gun visiting your aunt. Right now!
‘Spell “danger”,’ suggested Star. ‘Then they’ll get it.’
Lara went one better. She wrote ‘GUN’ in big letters.
‘“AGY GUN”,’ said Sophie, shaking her head.
Yes, Aggie is being visited by a man with a gun! nodded Lara enthusiastically. Got it?
How about this? Lara took the stick and spelt out the letters ‘GOL…’
‘“Gold”!’ yelled Ollie as Lara completed the ‘D’.
Lara went back to ‘AGY’ and squeezed a little ‘g’ after the big one.
‘“AGgY GUN GOLD”,’ read Sophie, looking horrified. ‘Is it to do with Aunt Aggie and a gun?’
‘Bingo!’ woofed Lara, pointing excitedly at the little girl.
‘Have the pups found the gold?’ asked Ollie excitedly.
Not exactly, thought Lara. But the men think it’s at Smugglers’ Cottage.
If only you could understand me, kids.
‘Let’s just ring the police,’ said Ben firmly. ‘Whatever’s going on, they will sort it.’
‘No way,’ yapped the puppies, tearing round Ben’s ankles like wild dogs. ‘The policeman is a baddie!’
‘Get away, pups,’ said Ben, opening his mobile and punching 999. ‘I’ll make this call and then we’ll get to Aunt Aggie’s and tell her what’s happening.’
‘No!’ barked Star. ‘No police! Spud,’ she woofed. ‘Action stations.’
‘Gotcha, sis,’ he woofed. Spud went in front of Ben and crouched down. Star ran off and then came scampering towards her brother as fast as her stumpy legs would carry her. She sprang over him, leapfrog style and hurtled towards Ben. The boy had the mobile snatched from his ear just as the operator was asking ‘Which emergency service?’
‘Hey!’ yelled Ben, chasing after Star. ‘That’s my mobile. Give it back!’
No chance, thought Star, sprinting for all she was worth. If we ring the police that evil PC Winkle will get involved and he’ll know we’ve worked out their plot.
Ben gave up the chase. He watched in amazement as Star carried the mobile to the seashore. She waded into the icy water and flung her head sideways, hurling the phone into the frothy waves. ‘There,’ she barked. ‘No police!’
Ben stood with his hands on his hips. He shook his head in anger and bewilderment and Star gave him a wide berth as she trotted out of the sea.
‘I don’t think they want us to phone the police,’ guessed Sophie.
Don’t worry, Ben, reassured Lara, wagging her tail and planting a lick on his hand. We’ll get you a new one. Let’s go and check on Aunt Aggie.
The group trudged back to Smugglers’ Cottage, Ben glaring at Star and muttering with annoyance.
They got within fifty metres of the house and Lara put her paw out to stop the children. Let me go first, she warned. I’ll check it out. The pups said there was a man with a gun.
Lara crept forward, the children tiptoeing behind. They all stood flat against the kitchen wall and listened. They could hear voices.
Shouting voices! Lara peered through the window and quickly shrank back to the children. Not good, she warned. The men are there.
‘What’s happening, Lara?’ whispered Ben. ‘Can I take a look?’
Be careful, nodded Lara.
Ben kept flat against the wall as he peered through the window, a look of horror making Sophie squeak with fear. He could see Aunt Aggie tied to a chair, with some parcel tape across her mouth. Her terrified eyes met Ben’s and she quickly looked in another direction so as not to give him away.
‘Aunt Aggie’s tied up,’ he whispered. ‘Now we really need to phone the police. Except we can’t.’ He glared at Star.
I’m sorry, Ben, but that would make it worse, I promise, thought the puppy.
Ben ducked under the window and listened. ‘The gold, lady,’ he heard, in an American accent. ‘It’s not at the castle. And the tunnel leads here. So this is where it must be.’
Ben heard some banging and peered through the window again. PC Winkle was hitting the floor with a sledgehammer, shattering the kitchen tiles.
The American ripped the tape from Aunt Aggie’s mouth. ‘There’s a chamber under here somewhere,’ he yelled. ‘If you tell us where it is, we won’t have to smash up your house looking for it.’
Aggie shook her head. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ she said, her voice shaking with fear. ‘And even if I did know, I certainly wouldn’t tell you.’
Lord Burlington was also shaking. He tore the sledgehammer from PC Winkle and attacked the floor with fury, sending splinters of tiles in all directions.
Ben crouched back down. ‘They’re after the gold,’ he explained. ‘They think it must be in the cottage. Aunt Aggie’s being very brave,’ whispered Ben, ‘but we’ve got to figure out a way to save her.’
17. Breakthrough
Lara led the children and puppies to safety. Even as a retired spy dog my priority is to do what’s safest for the children, she thought. And my pups.
Just then the heavens opened and they all took refuge in the bus shelter near the cottage.
Ben was anxious. ‘I saw Aunt Aggie tied up,’ he explained. ‘And that policeman was smashing everything in sight. Looking for a tunnel, I think.’
All eyes fell on Lara. I know, I know, she thought. We need a solution. ‘Star,’ she woofed, ‘and Spud. Good detective work to get us this far. Did Lord Burlington definitely have a gun?’
‘Yes, Mum,’ nodded Spud. ‘An antique one. Like highwaymen used to use.’
Lara shuddered. I’ve got to get the kids right away from the cottage and the gun.
‘What are we going to do, Ma?’ asked Star. ‘What’s the spy-dog solution?’
Lara tugged at Ben’s coat. Follow me, she woofed, dragging him across the road to the red phone box on the village green. We need to ring the professor. He’ll bring backup. Lara stood on her hind legs and swung open the heavy door. Ben rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a coin.
‘Who do you want me to call?’ he asked. ‘Mum and Dad?’
No way, thought Lara, shaking her head vigorously. She remembered how much trouble she’d been in in the past. Mrs Cook always blamed Lara for getting the children into dangerous situations. And she can’t come to the rescue with a broken leg anyway. No, Professor Cortex, she woofed, taking her paw and writing ‘CTX’ in the condensation on the glass window.
‘The prof,’ said Ben excitedly. ‘Of course!’
Got it in one, wagged Lara. For once!
Ben inserted the money and dialled the professor’s mobile. ‘Answer machine,’ he mouthed to Lara before babbling, ‘Hi, Professor, this is absolutely the most urgent thing ever. We’re at Aunt Aggie’s and she’s been captured by some baddies who are looking for gold. It’s a kind of accidental adventure, I promise. There’re secret tunnels and stuff. And the local policeman is involved so we can’t call the police. So Lara, I mean GM451, has made me phone you. Please help…’
Ben replaced the receiver and sighed heavily. ‘My money ran out,’ he said. ‘With any luck, the prof will get the message and make his way here.’
And quickly, I hope! thought Lara.
Lara and Ben rejoined the others in the shelter and explained what they’d done.
Any other ideas, kids? Lara asked.
Spud rubbed his tummy. ‘We could grab some food while we’re thinking,’ he suggested hopefully.
Lara frowned. ‘Not now, lad,’ she woofed. ‘Your stomach is not my priority.’
‘How about we explore this other castle,’ suggested Ollie. ‘Maybe we can find the treasure and then the baddies will let Aunt Aggie go? Or maybe there’s another tunnel from there. The legend says there’s a whole network of underground passageways. Nobody’s ever searched the Castle Inn, I bet.’
Lara nodded. And our special doggie noses may unearth something, she hoped.
‘And there’s food in there,’ wagged Spud before being cut down by another glare from his mum.
‘Let’s check it out,’ woofed Lara. ‘There’s not much else we can do for now.’ But there was one other option available to her. I could leave the children and pups somewhere safe and I could take on the baddies. But they’ve got a gun, she winced, thinking of her puppies and the hole in her ear, a souvenir of a previous adventure with a gun. I am a black belt, she thought. But that doesn’t make me a match for a bullet. I’ll have to hope the prof gets here quickly to save Aunt Aggie.
Lara led the gang to the Smugglers’ Cafe.
‘It’s closed,’ noted Ollie. ‘Lights out. Door locked.’
But we have to get in, thought Lara. This could be the key to the whole mystery. We won’t be in real danger but if we can find the treasure maybe we can swap it for Aunt Aggie. Breaking and entering is nothing compared to the trouble she’s in!
Professor Cortex sank into his chair and reached for his cup of t
ea. He had sprinkled some homemade brain formula into it instead of sugar. He stirred and sniffed. ‘Not good,’ he admitted as the tea fizzed with blue steam. He always tested the experiments on himself first and would never feed anything to the animals that wasn’t safe for humans. He was about to take a sip when he noticed the teaspoon had begun to melt. ‘Mmm, perhaps not,’ he murmured to himself. ‘Need to reduce the strength a bit.’
The scientist reached for his mobile and noticed there was a missed call. He fumbled for his voicemail and placed the phone to his ear.
Ben’s frantic voice came on the line. Professor Cortex dropped his cup of tea, ignoring it as it burnt a hole in the carpet. ‘I don’t believe it,’ he grumbled. ‘GM451 has got herself into another scrape!’ He knew Mrs Cook was always quick to blame him, and although he failed to see how she could this time he was determined not to receive another telling-off. He heaved himself to his feet and checked the route on his satnav using the locator device inside Lara’s collar. He tutted out loud. ‘This is an emergency. Too far to drive.’
After all his years with the Secret Service Professor Cortex was still well connected. ‘Time to call in a favour,’ he explained to himself as his chubby fingers pressed the speed dial on his mobile. ‘Agent A,’ he barked. ‘It’s Maximus. I need a chopper. And I need it now.’
Lara instructed the children to wait while she and the pups disappeared round the back. ‘Look for a way in, kids,’ she instructed the puppies.
‘Easy peasy,’ noted Star. ‘That window’s open,’ she woofed, pointing to the second floor.
‘OK,’ nodded Lara. ‘But how do we get up there?’
‘We don’t,’ woofed Star excitedly. ‘I do,’ she said, now pointing to the drainpipe. ‘I can squeeze up the pipe to the roof and then swing myself in.’
Spud wagged excitedly. ‘I can come too,’ he woofed. ‘And we can open a door or window and let you lot in.’
Lara and Star cast a glance at the drainpipe and then at Spud’s waistline. They looked at one another and shook their heads. The last thing I need is you stuck in a drainpipe, she thought. ‘You stay with me, fella,’ assured Lara. ‘Let Star carry out this part of the mission. You can help me later.’