“You lads out for a swim?” he said jokingly. The man spoke with a heavy Irish accent.
Jack and Max chuckled nervously. They thought about telling him the truth. But they figured he wouldn’t believe that they were a couple of secret agent kids. So, Jack came up with a believable fib.
“My brother and I accidentally fell overboard,” said Jack. He pointed to the boat disappearing around the bend. “Our parents have no idea.”
“Goodness me!” said the man.
He reached down to Jack and Max and yanked them out of the river and onto the boat. It was then that they got a good look at the man’s trousers. They were the colors of the Irish flag—bright orange, green, and white plaid. Jack’s eyes opened wide.
“Paddy Finnegan’s the name,” he said, brushing the dirty river water from his pants. “Let’s get you back to your parents.”
Paddy put the boat into drive, and the three of them sped off.
Chapter 9
The Chase
Paddy’s boat had a powerful engine. It took only thirty seconds for the trio to catch up to the other boat. Paddy pulled in close behind it and honked his horn. He grabbed a nearby megaphone.
“I have your boys,” he said, his voice booming. “Slow down so they can board.”
Surprisingly, the thief did what Paddy suggested. He pulled over to the side of the river, next to a pedestrian walkway. But instead of waiting for Jack and Max, the thief killed the engine, jumped out of the boat, and began to run.
“Huh?” said Paddy, scratching his head. “Where’s your dad off to?”
Paddy parked his boat along the walkway too, just behind the other boat.
“And why’s he got a mask on?” he added.
Jack signaled to his brother. He’d go after the crook while Max retrieved their belongings from the other boat.
“It’s just a little game of ‘hide-and-seek’ that we play,” said Jack, climbing out of the boat and trying to act natural.
“Thanks for the ride,” said Max, climbing out too.
“Don’t mention it,” said Paddy, tipping his head to the boys. “Take care.”
Chapter 10
The Close Call
By now, the crook was several blocks ahead, and sprinting fast. Jack ran along the walkway and jumped over a railing in his way.
BLAM!
He came down hard on the pavement. Jack sprinted past a yellow-painted sweet shop and a red hotel with the Irish flag out front.
The crook hooked a left and ran across an elaborately designed bridge. Jack followed in hot pursuit, passing by sculptures of mythical creatures on tall green lanterns.
The crook headed past Parliament Street and toward Dublin’s City Hall. He stopped at a car park in front of the public library.
At the same time, an elderly woman was getting into her red car. The thief grabbed the keys out of her hands, shoved her aside, and jumped into the driver’s seat.
“Help!” shouted the lady as she pointed her bony finger at him. “He’s stealing my car!”
The thief started up the engine and peeled out of the car park. The car swerved, narrowly missing Jack, as he burst onto the scene. Jack noticed a white sticker on the back bumper. It said:
HONK IF YOU’RE OVER 80!
Jack rushed over to the woman.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said. “But I want my car back! I’ve had it since I was 62!”
There was the sound of footsteps behind Jack. He turned around ready to strike. It was Max. Max was panting and out of breath.
“Did you find them?” asked Jack. He was talking about their Book Bags, Tornadoes, and Watch Phones.
Max shook his head. “They weren’t on the boat,” he said. “He might have dumped them in the river.”
The elderly woman stood listening to the boys, half frustrated and half confused.
“What the devil are you two talking about?!” she said, stamping her foot. “I need to find my car!”
“Sorry, ma’am,” said Jack.
The boys quickly escorted the woman into the library, where a friendly receptionist agreed to look after her.
Chapter 11
The Buddy Call
With the old lady taken care of, the boys headed outside. Luckily for them, there was an old-fashioned pay phone. Jack picked up the receiver and dialed “O” for the “Operator.” He gave the woman the GPF’s emergency number. Once connected, Jack found himself speaking to Buddy. Jack had worked with Buddy when he and his brother were tracking the thieves who’d taken the Emerald Buddha in Thailand.
“Hiya, Buddy,” said Jack. “Long time, no speak.”
Buddy laughed at the joke. “Hello, Secret Agent Courage,” said Buddy. The GPF’s voice recognition software had identified him as an agent with the GPF.
“Secret Agent Wisdom and I are in Ireland,” explained Jack. “We’re trying to get the thief who took the Book of Kells.”
“Gotcha,” said Buddy.
“Unfortunately,” said Jack, “we’re without our Book Bags and Watch Phones.”
“That’s not good,” said Buddy.
“And the crook has taken off in a red Toyota,” said Jack. “It has a white sticker on the back that says ‘Honk if you’re over eighty!’ At this point, we have no way of following him.”
“I’ll try to see if I can find him using our surveillance videos,” said Buddy. “In the meantime,” he said, “I might have a way for you to catch up to him.”
Jack pressed his ear to the phone.
“There’s a Heli-Drone prototype only blocks away,” said Buddy.
Jack’s eyes widened.
“How would you boys like to take it out for a spin?” asked Buddy.
“Are you kidding me?” said Jack, who couldn’t believe their luck. “We’d love to!”
“Make your way to Celtic Street,” said Buddy, “about four blocks north. Enter the code G-O-L-D at the hangar. Thumbprint identification should be enough to fly the drone. If I pick up anything on the red car, I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks,” said Jack. “For all of your help.”
“Go get ’em, Courage,” said Buddy. And then he signed off.
Chapter 12
The Heli-Drone
Jack and Max found their way to Celtic Street and spotted the hangar in the middle of an abandoned car park. The hangar was made of aluminum and the size of a two-car garage.
Max found a keypad with the letters “A” through “Z” and the numbers “0” through “9” on the outside. He punched in the code word “G-O-L-D” and waited. The door to the hangar clicked open. The brothers looked over their shoulders before slipping inside.
Sitting on the floor was what looked like a mini helicopter. This was the GPF’s Heli-Drone. The Heli-Drone was a two-person drone outfitted with the latest hi-tech surveillance equipment. It could map an area using LIDAR, a laser-based technology that could identify hidden structures beneath the trees and the ground. The Heli-Drone could also take photos and videos as it flew overhead.
The brothers approached the aircraft.
Max placed his thumb on the identificaton pad and the hatch popped open.
Max climbed into the driver’s seat, while Jack wedged himself into the seat in the back. Max surveyed the dashboard in front of him.
In the middle was an “airspeed indicator” that measured speed in miles per hour. Since the Heli-Drone was powered by a lithium-ion battery, there was also a battery power gauge to show how much energy was left. To charge it, all you had to do was plug the Heli-Drone into a power source for at least twelve hours. Below the dashboard was a joystick for steering.
One of the most remarkable features of the Heli-Drone was its ability to go “stealth.” This meant that it (and its passengers) could disappear from view. Not only was it invisible to radar, it was also invisible to the naked eye. All an agent had to do was hit the “stealth” button to activate this feature.
Max place
d his thumb on the reader. As soon as it registered Max’s print, the Heli-Drone’s propeller began to spin. The roof hatch of the hangar opened, and the craft slowly lifted off the ground. Before they knew it, Jack and Max were hovering eighty feet above the hangar.
Max grabbed a hold of the joystick and gently pushed it forward. The nose of the Heli-Drone tipped and it began to fly. Jack and Max were now traveling one hundred feet above the city of Dublin.
Chapter 13
The Tip
“That’s where he took a right,” said Jack, pointing to the street leaving the library’s car park.
Max maneuvered the Heli-Drone to fly along the road. Below them was Dublin Castle. They passed over City Hall and the River Liffey below.
Just then, a message lit up on the dashboard’s screen.
INCOMING GPF MESSAGE
A few seconds passed, and then Buddy appeared. It was the first time either Jack or Max had seen him in person. He was as kind and friendly-looking as his voice.
“Hello, agents,” he said. “I’ve isolated the red car. After the public library, the thief headed north of the city and onto the M1.” Jack and Max knew that the M1 was a major highway in Ireland.
“He seems to be headed toward the coast,” said Buddy. “There’s a ‘Map Mate’ in the Heli-Drone, if you need it.”
“Thanks, Buddy,” said Max.
“Anytime,” said Buddy.
Then, Buddy signed off.
Chapter 14
The Emergency
Max activated the “Map Mate” and a map of Ireland appeared on another screen on the dash. He set their destination to the M1 and followed the directional arrows.
The boys flew for what seemed like hours. They passed over hundreds of cars, but none of them looked like the red car from Dublin. After a while, Jack saw a car that could be the one. He strained his eyes. It was the same shade of red and it had a white sticker at the back.
HONK IF YOU’RE OVER 80!
“That’s it!” said Jack.
Max punched the “stealth” button. The last thing they needed was for their cover to be blown. The Heli-Drone faded from sight. Jack and Max carefully followed the thief’s route as it left the M1 and drove onto smaller, less inhabited roads.
As they traveled, Max glanced at the battery’s power gauge. It wasn’t good news. Their energy was running low.
“We need to make a move soon,” said Max.
Jack looked at the ground below. There were almost no houses. The land was barren, sometimes green and rocky.
The car continued to drive until the road came to an end. At the end of the road was an empty car park. The thief pulled into it and waited for a few minutes. Then he got out and started to run. Jack and Max looked at each other, confused.
“Where is he going?” asked Max.
There was nothing ahead but water. The crook was running to the northern end of Ireland itself.
Up ahead was a flat patch of land.
“I’m going to try and land on it,” said Max. “We might be able to cut him off.”
But just as Max was lowering the Heli-Drone to land, flashing lights started to appear. An angry computerized voice boomed through its speakers.
ABORT!
ABORT!
ABORT!
The Heli-Drone fell thirty feet to the left, slamming Jack and Max against the side. Max threw the joystick hard to the right, trying to level things out. But it didn’t work. The joystick wasn’t responding.
Max looked at the Heli-Drone’s battery power. It was empty. If they didn’t do something fast, they were going to crash. Max looked for an emergency “eject” button. There were two, one above each of their seats. He reached back and punched Jack’s first. The hatch above Jack opened. Jack and his seat were catapulted from the Heli-Drone. A small parachute opened, helping Jack float safely to the ground.
ABORT!
ABORT!
ABORT!
The voice was still shouting at Max. There was no time to waste. Max punched the “eject” button above his seat. He, too, flew out of the top, a parachute opening above his head.
Jack watched as the Heli-Drone spun several times before skidding onto the rocks below. It came to a stop with a large gash underneath. Max’s chute lowered him to the ground.
Something out of the corner of Jack’s eye caught his attention. It was the thief. For a moment, Jack had forgotten all about him. The boys unbuckled their seatbelts and started to run.
Chapter 15
The Giant’s Causeway
The crook was racing toward a series of tall, hexagonal, staggered rocks. Jack recognized them immediately. This was the Giant’s Causeway. Irish legend said that the steps had been made by a giant named Fionn mac Cumhaill. Jack knew that instead they had been formed from a series of volcanic eruptions.
The thief bounded over the uneven rocks, hopping from one to the other like he was jumping on springs. Jack and Max headed straight for him. But scrambling over the rocks wasn’t easy. Each one was a different height, slowing the brothers down.
Just then, the thief stopped in his tracks. He turned to face the boys. He took what looked like a small grenade out of his vest pocket and hurled it at Jack. The thief started running again. Jack dove to the right.
BOOM!
The device detonated, sending a small explosion of tear gas into the air. Jack started to cough immediately. The gas was making it difficult to breath. He lifted his shirt over his mouth. Then he ran through the gas and into the fresher air ahead.
Max was only fifty yards behind the thief. The thief threw another tear gas grenade over his shoulder. This one landed close to Max. It exploded, causing Max to collapse to the ground. He fell awkwardly on the rocks, twisting his ankle. Max tried to get up, but he couldn’t move.
“Max!” shouted Jack, stopping in his tracks to check on his brother.
“Go ahead!” hollered Max, coughing through the toxic air. “I’m okay!” Max lifted his shirt over his mouth too.
Jack wasn’t sure whether his brother really was okay, but he had no choice but to go on. Jack was their only hope for catching the thief.
The thief began to scramble up the hill using his hands and his feet. Jack couldn’t figure out whether he was being lured into a trap 0r whether the man was running for something on the other side of the hill.
Within minutes, the thief was standing on top. Strangely, he no longer seemed to care about Jack. Instead, he was talking on a cell phone and staring at the sky. With the thief’s attention elsewhere, Jack decided to make his move.
Jack bolted over the crest of the hill. He dove toward the thief’s legs, grabbing them and toppling him to the ground. The thief was temporarily stunned. Thinking the Book of Kells was in his backpack, Jack reached for it. But the man kicked Jack in the elbow and then in the stomach. Jack crumpled into a ball in pain. He could barely breathe.
The thief regained his footing and stood. He left Jack on the ground and looked to the sky. Black clouds were rolling in. Jack could feel the patter of raindrops on his face. Suddenly, it began to drizzle.
Something else was making its way across the sky too. A black helicopter was heading toward the hill. Jack watched as it swooped through the rain and hovered twenty feet above them. The force of the wind from the propellers was making the grasses lay flat. It was difficult for Jack to move.
The side door to the helicopter opened and a rope ladder trickled out. Unfortunately for Jack, this wasn’t the Irish police or the GPF. This helicopter had been summoned by the crook. If Jack let the man get on board, the Book of Kells might be lost forever.
Jack looked down the hill to the Giant’s Causeway. Max was hobbling toward the hill. But he was slow—too slow to catch up to Jack anytime soon. Jack’s only hope was to delay the thief as long as he could.
But Jack had no Watch Phone, no
Book Bag, and no gadgets. He didn’t even have a rope that he could turn into a handcuff. There was nothing available
but Jack’s brains and body to stop the thief.
As the thief put his right foot on the ladder, Jack peeled himself off of the ground. He charged at the man and barreled into his side. The thief and Jack splashed down together into a muddy puddle.
Jack crawled on top of the thief, trying to grab his hands. But the rain made everything slippery. Everytime Jack tried to grab one of his wrists, the thief managed to pull them away.
Jack could feel his chances dwindle. The only thing Jack could do now was get a good look at the man. At least he could give a description to the authorities. Jack grabbed the man’s mask and yanked it from his head.
But when Jack looked down, he got the shock of his life. The person he’d thought was a man was actually a woman. And it wasn’t just any woman.
It was Miss Murphy.
Chapter 16
The Thief Revealed
Jack sat back, completely stunned. He tried to make sense of the situation.
“Surprise.” She sneered.
“I—I—I don’t understand,” said Jack, stuttering. “Where’s the thief?”
“You’re looking at her,” she said with a growl.
Jack couldn’t compute what she was saying. Miss Murphy couldn’t be the person who took the Book of Kells. She was his art teacher after all. But then Jack remembered something. She wasn’t in the lobby the morning of the theft. In fact, Ms. Humphries was annoyed because she’d received a text from Miss Murphy telling her that she’d been delayed. Had Miss Murphy sent that text to Ms. Humphries from the boat after she’d taken the Book of Kells?
The Fate of the Irish Treasure: Ireland Page 3