by Gloria Gage
STAR SEEKERS
Gloria Gage
Austin Macauley Publishers
STAR SEEKERS
About the Author
About the Book
Dedication
Copyright Information
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
What Is Autism?
About the Author
Gloria Gage is the author of Fully Alive, A Season for Glory, The Robert Worsley Story and Star Seekers. She also writes plays, skits, and biographies. While she has lived in states from Alaska to Florida, she is a proud Texan. Gloria lives in the Dallas area and is busy writing a sequel to Star Seekers.
About the Book
Logan stared into the dark eyes of the Cheetah. He was huge! Maybe 200 pounds of muscle and speed, with deadly sharp claws at least four inches long. Even though the Cheetah is stuffed and mounted, Logan is mesmerized by the animal. He is majestic, beautiful, and a killer. But the big cat also holds a secret that will take Logan and his friends on a long and dangerous journey where they will face a gang of cruel thugs, climb high across the slippery beams of a bridge, make their way through a dark and terrifying cave, cross a snake-infested moat, and make their way through a castle filled with unexpected dangers…all to find six keys as ransom to rescue Logan’s brother, Marty, from Ginktar’s evil gang. They have no choice…they must succeed! It’s a matter of life or death for Marty. It will take courage and determination to face the dangers ahead. Are Logan and his friends up to the challenge? Can they succeed?
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my precious angels: Kristin, Audrey, Troy, Sam, Alex, and Wyatt.
Copyright Information
Copyright © Gloria Gage (2019)
The right of Gloria Gage to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.
ISBN 9781528917605 (Paperback)
ISBN 9781528961950 (ePub e-book)
www.austinmacauley.com
First Published (2019)
Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd
25 Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5LQ
Chapter One
It was totally my fault! None of it would have happened—my brother would not have disappeared—if it weren’t for my curiosity. Because that afternoon, I did something I should never have done. I know better, but sometimes…well, sometimes, I just do stuff without thinking. You know what I mean?
You see, Mr. Barnes is the President of McKenna Labs, the company where my dad works, and I was curious about a cheetah I’d heard my dad mention. Normally, there’s a meeting going on in the President’s office, but not on that Friday, when I stopped by my dad’s office to tell him we won our baseball game. As I was leaving, I walked past Mr. Barnes’ office and his door was wide open and there was no one inside.
It would only take a second, I thought. Of course, I knew I wasn’t supposed to go inside his office uninvited, but when I looked in and saw no one was there—well, I guess my curiosity about that cheetah outweighed my better judgment, and I just had to step inside for a quick look.
My dad told me about the amazing collection Mr. Barnes had in his office from his safari in Africa, including a stuffed and mounted cheetah. And I know a lot about cheetahs. I know they are the only big cats that don’t retract their claws, not like a pet kitten that can pull his claws under. A cheetah’s claws are permanently extended—ready to strike.
So, there I was staring at the cheetah, while his glassy eyes seemed to stare right back at me. He was so beautiful, right down to the tuft on the end of his tail. I couldn’t resist reaching out to touch one of his huge paws, with claws sharp enough to rip through a gazelle’s neck. But as I pressed my finger against his soft, furry foot, I heard a click and a tiny drawer popped out of the base underneath him.
Inside was a small Flash Drive in a blue plastic case, about the size of a pack of gum. I’ve watched my dad use these mini-drives for extra memory lots of times when he brings computer work home with him. I was curious (surprise!), so I picked it up to examine it. Strange place to keep a Flash Drive, I thought.
I was so engrossed with the incredible cat and its mysterious secret drawer that I jumped when I heard voices in the hallway coming close to Mr. Barnes’ office. Quickly, I shoved the drawer back in place and looked around, desperate for some place to hide. The President’s office was the only one with a private bathroom, so I dashed into the closet-sized room, and pressed myself tightly against the wall behind the door, willing myself to be invisible. I prayed that it wasn’t Mr. Barnes, but some visitor who would find the office empty and leave.
Chapter Two
Instead, two men hurried inside and closed the door behind them. I didn’t recognize their voices, but I knew neither one was Mr. Barnes. These voices sounded rough and angry.
I bit down hard on my lower lip, wishing I could melt into the wall, as I listened.
“We’ve got to find it. We sure don’t need any interference from this side!”
“This is your mess-up, you know! All you had to do was install the program. It was supposed to be a simple portal, so we could travel back and forth. We’ll never find the keys or the treasure if we don’t get it back. No one was supposed to know it was here!”
“How was I to know he’d stumble onto it?”
“Well, we better find it fast—or move to another galaxy.”
“What if someone catches us in here?”
“Then they won’t be around long enough to tell about it. Come on, and make it quick. It’s got to be here somewhere.”
As I held my breath, desk drawers were pulled opened and slammed shut. I could feel giant drops of sweat begin to break out across my forehead and trickle down onto my nose, but I didn’t dare move or even breathe.
“Check out that bookcase and the closet over there.”
> “It’s not a closet, Carl. The guy has his own bathroom.”
“Whatever. Just check it out!”
Suddenly, the bathroom door was pressed tightly against my chest as one of the men shoved against it and stepped inside. An arm reached out, just inches from my face, to open a small cabinet on the wall. I was sure he could hear my heart pounding like a jackhammer in my chest. The man’s shirtsleeve was rolled up, and as he reached out, I saw a tattoo on his arm. It was only a quick glimpse, but it looked like the sketch of a rat with a very long tail that twisted down and wrapped around his wrist.
His harsh voice echoed against the bathroom walls, “There’s nothing here either. Let’s get out of here before someone shows up. I told you we should just grab this guy! We could use some bargaining power.”
“Maybe…we’ll figure out something!”
When I heard the office door open and footsteps retreating down the hall, I sank to the floor in relief. Man, that was close! My heart was still thumping so hard it felt like someone was squeezing my chest, and every beat echoed in my ear like one of the drums in our school band.
Twenty minutes later, safe at home in my bedroom, I finally took a deep breath. I collapsed on my bed to think over what I had heard, and decide if I could tell my dad without being grounded for life.
Then it occurred to me—maybe there was no reason to say anything. After all, I probably misunderstood what those men were saying. Actually, I had no idea what they were talking about anyway. Hmm…what should I do?
By the time Mom called me to dinner, I still hadn’t decided whether to say anything or not. “Be right there!” I answered. There was just one thing I had to do first. I grabbed my cell phone and dialed my best friend. “Hey, Josh, can you meet me at the clubhouse in the morning at 8:30? Good! See if the girls can come too, will ya? I need some advice. Yeah, something big!”
The next morning, I was up early, anxious to get to the clubhouse to talk with my friends and tell them all about the cheetah and about what happened at my dad’s office.
We spend a lot of time together at the clubhouse, Josh and me, Amy, and Chris. It’s actually a tree house my dad helped us build in the backyard, although it isn’t very high off the ground. It’s really cool though, with a solid floor and roof, and even two small windows secure from the weather. My dad added some spare pieces of carpet for us to sit on, and rigged it with phone and electric lines so we can have lights and a computer connection. We play computer games lots of evenings—as long as our homework is finished—that’s the rule. Plus, we have to keep the door locked any time we aren’t inside to keep the computer equipment safe.
Saturday morning, I downed my cereal in two minutes flat and was about to take off when Mom stopped me.
“Logan, remember I need you to look after your brother today while I’m gone?”
“But, Mom, it’s Saturday! Can’t you take Marty with you? I… I sort of have plans.”
“Logan, your dad has to work, and I’ll be at the school all day, remember? We’re working on the Spring Festival for your class. You know Marty would be totally bored. He’ll be much happier with you, and since I am working on your school activity, I think it’s the least you can do to look after your brother while I’m gone. Don’t you think?”
“Yeah, I guess,” I answered, staring at the floor and kicking the leg of my chair.
Mom smiled at me and ruffled my hair. “I put some sandwiches in the fridge for lunch. I’ll call to check on you later. And, Logan…thanks, dear! I don’t ask you to do this very often, but I really do appreciate you.”
All right, I know what you’re thinking. I must be a creep to complain. And Mom really doesn’t ask me to look after Marty very often. I love my brother, but it’s not always easy looking after him. You see, Marty has Autism, and he can get real stubborn sometimes. I understand that it’s hard for him to make friends, so I try to include him in my plans when I can. There are some times when I feel sort of funny because I’m so healthy and get to do lots of cool stuff, when Marty doesn’t have the same chances.
But today? Today, I really didn’t need to drag my little brother along. I was still worried about the two men at Dad’s office. I hadn’t told anyone about them yet, and I still didn’t know what to do. I was hoping to talk to my friends about it, but Marty’s no good at keeping secrets. I’ll probably be in big trouble when Dad finds out. But then, they really did sound like bad men, so I guess I’ll probably have to tell him anyway.
As Marty followed me out to the clubhouse, I reached into my jacket pocket for the key, and felt something else. “What’s this?” I said out loud, pulling out a small plastic case. “Oh, no! It’s the flash drive! I must have stuck it in my pocket when I hid in Mr. Barnes’ bathroom. I was so scared I don’t even remember putting it there. I wonder…I wonder if this could be what those men were looking for.”
Chapter Three
Marty just shrugged. He had no idea what I was talking about, but he didn’t say anything. I was suddenly crushed with guilt. It felt totally weird to have taken something that didn’t belong to me, even if it was an accident. I searched again and found the clubhouse key in my other pocket, so I unlocked the door and we climbed inside.
Marty had brought along a bag of cookies, so I put them up on a shelf in the corner, while he turned on the computer to play a game of ‘Spider Solitaire’. Marty’s favorite things are games and snacks, so we always try to keep some crackers and peanut butter and a few cookies on the shelf, in case we get hungry.
I just sat there for a minute, staring at the cookies, thinking what a mess I had gotten myself into. First, I went into that office when I knew I shouldn’t. Now, I discover that I have a flash drive that doesn’t belong to me. I guess I’m a total crook! What in the world was I going to do now?
“Looks like we’re about out of snacks,” I said finally. “Good thing we brought the cookies. But don’t worry, Marty, Mom left us some sandwiches inside for lunchtime.”
“That’s good,” Marty answered. “I like Mom’s sandwiches. She cuts the crust off for me.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s the way I like them too, buddy.”
As soon as he finished his game, I suggested Marty work on one of his puzzle books. He readily agreed, and I moved over to the computer. I didn’t figure I could get in any worse trouble than I was in already. And I was still curious (I guess you’ve figured that out by now), so I inserted the Flash Drive into the computer to see what it might hold. I quickly discovered that the program was password protected.
I tried a few obvious words, like McKenna Labs, Mr. Barnes’ name, and Africa because of the collection of stuff in his office. I even tried cheetah, elephant, giraffe, and a few other animals, but nothing seemed to work.
Josh arrived noisily, singing at the top of his lungs to the latest tune on his iPod. Josh has always been sort of a clown. He’d like to be Nick Jonas, but he looks more like Harry Potter. A little taller than me, he always has to bend just a little to fit through the clubhouse door. He tossed his jacket in the corner and gave Marty a friendly punch on the shoulder. Pushing his glasses up on his nose, he settled down beside me at the computer.
“So, Logan, what’s this big news?”
“Glad you’re here,” I said, smiling. “I’m hoping you can help me figure out what I should do about something.” Josh is real easy to talk to. We’ve been best friends since third grade, and we both play on the Rangers Baseball Team. I know that life isn’t always easy for him, and that his jokes often cover the pain he feels from his parents’ divorce. His dad has remarried and has two little girls, his half-sisters, but Josh lives with his mom and spends only a few holidays with his dad’s new family. He tells me that he misses his dad, but somehow always feels awkward with his ‘other’ family.
Josh’s mom is a nurse. She works nights, and sometimes she’s just too tired to deal with his problems. He says he loves being at my house because our family seems so normal (yeah, right!), and my p
arents are easy to talk to. Once, he told me he wished he was my brother, but then he would feel guilty because his mom needs him. Otherwise, she’d have no one to look after her.
Whispered giggles outside announced the arrival of the girls. Amy is petite and has no trouble at all fitting inside the relatively small clubhouse. Her shiny brown curls bounced as she climbed in through the door. Most of the guys at school think she’s cute and cuddly, but I know that her cuteness on the outside hides a strength and confidence that make her ready to tackle anything. I know I can count on her help with any situation—and today, I’m really counting on her good judgment.
“Hi, guys! What’s all the excitement?” Her blue eyes were smiling as she sat down cross-legged next to me.
Chris followed right behind Amy, her short red hair and freckles giving her a pixie look, despite the fact that she is pretty tall. Still, she also folded herself easily beside us. You might think Chris is shy when you first meet her, but she’s only cautious until she gets to know you. She’s good at lots of sports, especially soccer. And I sort of like the way she tilts her head sometimes when she talks, like now, as she said, “Hi, Marty. How’re you doing?” Marty glanced up and lifted a hand in greeting to everyone, then immediately went back to his puzzle page.
I told them the whole story about my visit to McKenna Labs and about the two intruders. “I just found this Flash Drive in my pocket when I got to the clubhouse, and I’m sure it’s the one I found hidden in the base of the cheetah—I didn’t realize I still had it. I’ve tried to see what kind of program is on the drive, but it’s password protected, and I can’t open it.”
“That sounds so mysterious,” Chris offered. “Who would have put the flash drive in the Cheetah’s hidden drawer? Do you think it was Mr. Barnes?”
“I don’t think so,” I said. “He’s a good friend of my dad’s and I think the crooks just wound up in his office by accident. They didn’t talk as if they knew him. In fact, they said something about kidnapping him to get the flash drive back.”