by Gloria Gage
“Amy,” we both shouted, “Do your thing!” As the first man reached out to take hold of me, he found nothing but air as I vanished right in front of him. He couldn’t see me as I jumped behind him and leaped onto his back, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck choking off his air supply. While he struggled to throw me off, Josh punched him in the stomach as hard as he could, and together we managed to wrestle him to the ground, pounding and kicking as hard as we could until finally he gave in and lay gasping for breath.
Meanwhile, Chris with her newly gained power confronted the other attacker. Though he was over a foot taller, she surprised him when she reached out and shoved him so hard that he bounced off the wall and fell in a heap on the concrete floor. Not waiting for either of our attackers to recover, we raced toward the platform and the stairway to the surface, calling to Amy to push the keys again and restore us to normal.
Just as we reached the platform, the walls of the tunnel abruptly began to move around us. Before we could react, the platform we had just reached began to sink, taking us down, down like a fast elevator to a much lower level. It knocked us off our feet, but as soon as it stopped moving, we jumped up and looked around in shock at the scene before us.
Chapter Thirteen
We found ourselves in a long room filled with huge brightly colored wheels spinning in circles, each about ten feet tall. Silver columns were spaced all around stretching from floor to ceiling. In between, there were shoulder-high metal tops, shaped like mushrooms, and these too were spinning in different directions. Colorful lights flashed all about us, and bells rang at intervals.
“Where are we?” Chris yelled.
“I don’t know, but I don’t like it!” Josh said.
“It looks like an arcade game—in one of my worst nightmares!” I agreed. “Let’s look for a way out.” We had to shout to hear each other above the bells’ clanging. We started to move forward, searching for an exit. “Do you hear that rumbling?” Chris asked, as she heard a new and suddenly much louder noise.
“Maybe a train in the tunnel above us?” Josh suggested.
“Look out!” Amy shouted through the microphone.
Then, I saw it too. I grabbed Chris’s arm and pulled her behind one of the silver columns while Josh jumped behind another. A huge red ball, taller than Josh, came crashing through the room, bouncing against the wheels and spinning around columns before it dropped into a hole in one corner.
“What was that?” Josh asked in amazement. “What is this place?”
I was thinking hard, “I think maybe…maybe we’re in a giant pinball machine, only we’re one of the targets.”
“You’re kidding,” Chris said. “Whatever it is, it’s making me dizzy with all the spinning pieces and flashing lights. Oh, no, here comes another one!”
This time a blue ball was swerving toward us, bouncing off one wheel, then another, with blinding speed. It came within inches of crushing me as I threw myself behind a column.
“Logan, we’ve got to get out of here now!” Josh shouted.
Chris spotted a door in a wall quite far ahead, but we would have to make our way through the maze of wheels and spinning tops to get to it. We moved quickly, racing from one column to the next, dodging the moving parts. Another ball came crashing toward us, bounced off a wheel right beside Josh, and grazed his leg as he struggled to get out of the way.
“Ouch! That hurt. This is getting too close for comfort!” he exclaimed.
“Come on!” I called out again, almost dragging Josh toward the door in the wall. Chris was right behind us, but once there we found the door wouldn’t open.
“It’s locked!” Josh shouted. “Now what do we do?”
Amy was frantically pressing different keys in an effort to open the door for us. When she hit the ‘Escape’ key, she thought she heard the sound of a click, but it was difficult to tell between the clanging of all the bells. “Try it again,” she shouted to Josh.
Another giant red ball was racing right toward us. Josh pushed hard and the door fell open. We rushed through it, as the huge sphere crashed against the doorposts just inches behind us, but too large to follow us through the opening. We hardly paused to catch our breaths, but rushed up a flight of stairs and found ourselves back in the subway tunnel, but right at the station entrance with stairs up to the surface. Our two attackers were nowhere in sight. Two minutes later, we were back on the street, tasting the delicious freedom of fresh air, and grateful to have survived.
“Wow! That was really something!” Josh mumbled, rubbing his leg where the ball had hit him a glancing blow.
While the others caught their breath, I pulled the map from my shirt pocket and unfolded it. “Well, we’re two keys down. Now we need to find the Albert Street Bridge. It doesn’t look too far from here. Amy, are you still with us?” I asked. “And thanks, by the way! You really saved our lives back there!”
“You guys are doing great! I was so scared when those two guys showed up. Do you think they were the Faceless Ones?” Amy asked.
“They must have been. I think they may have followed us from the museum,” Chris answered.
“Thanks for watching our backs, Amy. Keep an eye out for anyone else following us, okay?” I asked.
“Sure thing, Logan. You guys, be careful. You’ve still got a long way to go.” Amy said as she watched us on the monitor. “I was so scared for you in that weird pinball machine!” she went on, her voice shaking. “But there may be another problem just ahead. On the screen, it shows a wall and a gated entrance to the bridge. It looks like it’s locked and there are guards posted. How will you get past them?”
“Is there any way around the gate?” Josh asked.
“Not unless you try to swim across further down the river. Of course, I can’t tell on the screen just how wide the river is, but it looks pretty far.”
“Let’s go have a look. We’ll figure something out,” I said.
We practically ran the next three blocks with Amy watching to be sure we stayed on course. We slowed down when we reached ‘Connor Street’. From the corner, we had a clear view of the steel Sky Bridge ahead. It was a beautiful soaring arched structure, supported by four large concrete piers set deep in the riverbed. The piers rose high in the air, with stonewalls built around them, creating two-story towers. The steel expansion stretched from one side of the river to the other, curving high in the air in a perfectly balanced arch secured at either end to the concrete towers, but at ground level there was some kind of station built of steel and rock that looked solid from one side of the river to the other.
We stood for a minute in amazement gazing at the giant structure. The bridge overhead looked sort of like four ladders formed together into a box, then stretched across from one side to the other. Josh, who dreamed of being an architect someday, was staring in awe. “I’d love to build something like that one day!”
“You will too,” Chris said, smiling. “I know you will.”
“Amy was right,” I said. “There’s a guard gate and two men with guns. Do you hear that humming? I think it’s some kind of power station.”
“What do we do?” Josh asked. “There’s no way we can get through, especially with armed guards.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Maybe we could find a boat,” Chris suggested, “but I don’t see any around.”
“We could swim across,” Josh suggested.
“Guys,” Amy interrupted them. “That’s not such a good idea. The current looks pretty strong, and I can’t be sure, but…that could be a crocodile sunning himself on the other side of the bank.”
“Ew!” Chris groaned. “Amy, is there any way you can move us across with the cursor or the keys?”
“It’s worth a try,” Amy answered. “I’ll try the arrow keys. Here we go, Chris.” She placed the cursor right on top of Chris and held it down, then pressed the Right Arrow. Nothing happened. Then she tried pressing the Alt key and the Up Arrow. Still nothing.
“
Try the Tab Key,” Josh suggested.
“Ouch! That gave me a shock,” Chris complained.
“Sorry, Chris!” Amy said apologetically. “I don’t think this will work, guys. Is there any way you could get hold of one of those flying vehicles?”
“That’s a great idea,” Josh grew excited at the prospect. Just down the street, he saw a black car come to a stop at the curb. The top of the vehicle opened upward and the driver stepped out. Josh hurried over to him. “Excuse me, sir! My friends and I need to get across the river. It’s very urgent…even a matter of life and death. Do you think maybe you could give us a ride?”
The man was very tall, with a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. He smiled down at Josh. “Well, I think that could be arranged.”
“Great!” Josh turned and called to the others. “Guys, come on! This nice man is going to help us get across.”
The vehicle was very small, but if we squeezed in tightly, it looked like we might all fit in. I climbed into the tiny backseat. Then, as Chris started to climb in beside me, she glanced up and saw the driver smile as he reached up and brushed one finger across his mustache.
“Wait!” she shouted, quickly backing out of the vehicle and pulling me out after her. “I…I’m afraid we’ve forgotten something. Sorry, but I don’t think we need a ride after all. Thanks anyway.”
“What’s going on, Chris? We have to…”
She jerked my arm, and gestured for Josh to follow, as she rushed back up the street. “Guys! Didn’t you see? When he started to climb into the car, I saw his reflection in the rear-view mirror. That man has no face! He’s one of them! And I don’t think he wanted to help us!”
“Wow, I didn’t see it. Sorry, guys. I guess I almost got us into real trouble,” Josh said.
“Don’t worry about it, Josh. We’ll just have to be more careful from here on out,” I smiled at him and put a hand on his arm to let him know we were okay.
“But now what?” Josh wondered. “We still have to find a way across and we don’t have any time to waste.”
We stood on the corner again staring up at the impossibly high arch of the bridge. “Do you think we could climb across…up there?” I wondered out loud.
“You mean across the archway? Way up there?” Josh couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Look—down at the end of the street where the rock pillars go all the way up to the top of the bridge support,” I continued. “The guards are inside those gates and aren’t watching way down there. I think we could climb one of the pillars, then make our way across the top of the bridge.”
“We’ve all done our share of rock climbing,” Chris offered. “Climbing the pillars should be a cinch. But once we’re on top, that arch sure looks narrow.”
Josh still sounded doubtful, “And high up too! I don’t know if we could make it or not. And what if the guards do spot us?”
“I don’t think they will. They seem to be pretty busy, and the gates block their view for most of the way. But if they do—well, then we just dive off and swim the rest of the way. We’re all good swimmers. And that’s probably just a log, not a crocodile, right?”
Chapter Fifteen
Our discussion was interrupted as the door to a shop just behind us opened and a man called out to us. He looked rather stern and impatient. He was wearing a long white coat and gesturing to us. “Come in… Come in! Don’t dally, I’m a very busy man, you know!” he said firmly.
“We’re not actually…” Josh started.
“I’m Dr. Philadelphia. You are here to rescue Marty, aren’t you?”
“Yes, we are! But how did you…?”
“Come in! Come in! I may be able to help.” He reached up to scratch a stubbly white beard and then adjusted the stethoscope that hung around his neck.
We stepped inside the small storefront, which appeared to be a doctor’s office, with a waiting room, a desk, several chairs, and two doors that, presumably, led to examining rooms.
“And which one of you is Logan?”
“I am, sir,” I answered hesitantly.
“And exactly what is the problem here? There’s no time for dallying, you know!”
“The Rats Gang has kidnapped my brother, Marty. Do you know where they’ve taken him?”
“Likely to their castle! But you have several challenges ahead before you find them. I believe I may be able to help.” Dr. Philadelphia took a tablet from his pocket and began to write hurriedly, then turned to a cabinet in the corner of the room and removed a small bottle. From a mirror on the wall, we all noticed his reflection, but instead of the tall doctor, we all saw a small boy smiling happily in his long white coat and holding a blue bottle of pills.
“Doctor, you have some very strange mirrors in this city,” Chris said.
“They’re true reflections, you see, of what you are like on the inside. If you’re unsure of someone’s character, our reflections will always tell you the truth.” He handed me the bottle. “Now, you must each take one of these every few hours, and you’ll find they work wonders. I’m sure you’ll be feeling much better very soon.”
I took the bottle and looked at my friends. “But Dr. ah…Philadelphia? I don’t think you understand. We need to get across the river. We have to find my brother and take him home.”
“Yes, of course—Martin! And you will. But you must hurry; there’s no time to waste!”
“But how do you know about Marty? I don’t understand…”
“Help is always available to you, my son. You need only ask. But now I must go. I have a busy schedule, you know.” The doctor practically pushed us out through the door and closed it quickly behind him.
“This is the strangest place I’ve ever seen. That doctor is loony!” Chris said.
“Yeah, but he knew about Marty! So…what’s in the bottle?” Josh asked.
I opened the bottle and poured the contents into my hand. “They’re Valentine heart candies!” I laughed.
Chris looked closely at my hand. “Look, they all have the same thing printed on them. Each one says, ‘COURAGE!’”
We stared at each other for a long minute, and then started to laugh. We turned to look back at the huge bridge spanning the river behind us. Josh said quietly, “I guess this means we’re going for a climb!”
“Then we better all have one of these,” Chris grinned and popped one of the candies into her mouth. “Um, they’re actually pretty good.” She gave each of us one.
“To courage and success!” Josh said gallantly.
“Did you see Dr. Philadelphia’s reflection in the window? It was totally different. Things are really weird here, somehow backwards.”
“Yeah!” Josh answered. “It’s pretty weird all right!”
“I think a lot of things are backwards,” Chris continued. “Like that word Star on the building, spelled backwards it’s Rats. And Dr. Philadelphia looked like a little kid in the mirror. And he ‘prescribed’ candy instead of medicine. What do you think?”
“Hey, you’re right,” Josh laughed. “I think we really need a mirror in this place to tell who’s who.”
Chapter Sixteen
We strolled down the street right past the guard gate, trying to look casual, then stopped at the end of the wall to look out over the river moving swiftly past.
“I wish we had a rope, so we could lash ourselves together,” I said, pausing. “Look, guys, this is really getting dangerous. Why don’t you two wait here, and I’ll go on alone? There’s no need for all of us to risk our lives.”
“Sorry, pal, but we’re in this together,” Josh said firmly. “And since I’m the oldest by a month, I’ll go first.” Before I could stop him, Josh was halfway up the rock pillar, expertly finding hand and footholds like a monkey climbing a palm tree. In less than a minute, he had reached the first level and was starting up the second rock section. Chris followed next, and I climbed right behind her.
The second section of the column was a little tougher, as the rock surf
ace was slightly smoother and harder to grip. Still, we all made it to the top in short order. When all of us had reached the start of the metal crossbeams, and were straddling the supports, we took time for a deep breath.
“Now comes the hard part,” Josh whispered, suddenly aware that should the guards move away from their posts and chance to look up, we would easily be spotted. The steel arch high above the bridge itself was formed in a woven pattern that curved across the expanse of the river, almost the length of a football field.
“Just like climbing a ladder,” I said encouragingly. “Only try not to look down.”
We moved cautiously, stopping frequently to catch our breath. The higher we climbed, the more the wind threatened to snatch our hands from their precarious holds, while the sound of the rushing water below and the creaking of the metal braces filled our ears. The metal rungs became damp and slippery, as the wind lifted a mist from the river.
My hands quickly grew cold, and I realized how great the danger was around us. Because of me, my brother had been kidnapped, and my friends were risking their lives to help. If something bad happened to any of them, I’d never forgive myself. I should have insisted on going on alone.
How could I risk their lives as well as my own? What kind of friend was I to let this happen? They were both so brave, so sure that we would succeed. Yet, I was filled with doubts and fear. Then it hit me like a pain in my stomach. If my friends could show so much courage and confidence, then I couldn’t let them down. I smiled to myself and felt suddenly stronger. I looked up at Josh not far ahead.
He had paused to rest at the apex of the arch. I could tell his fingers were beginning to cramp. I felt another brief moment of panic, but then Josh stretched out full length, wrapped his arms tightly around the rung ahead, and rubbed his hands together to try and jumpstart his circulation. For a moment, I thought perhaps his confidence had deserted him, and he wouldn’t be able to go on.
Then, he looked back at Chris climbing steadily behind him. She stopped too and looked up at him, trying to smile bravely. Just then, her foot slipped from a rung. She caught herself quickly, but her smile became a terrified grimace.