by Andrew Cope
‘You look absolutely dreadful,’ agreed the professor, running a hand over his prized spy dog. The professor couldn’t help noticing that her fur was falling out. ‘Not good, GM451. In fact, verging on very bad indeed.’
Thanks, Prof, thought Lara, her eyebrows lowered and eyes closing with exhaustion.
‘So what do we do, Professor?’ asked Ben. ‘Call the police and tell them everything?’
‘That’s doomed to failure,’ nodded the professor over the top of his spectacles. ‘The police would never agree to releasing the most dangerous prisoner they have.’
‘It’s a maximum security prison,’ reminded Sophie. ‘So we can’t just break in. That’d really be too dangerous and silly, wouldn’t it, Professor?’
‘Er,’ mumbled the scientist. ‘Breaking in – too dangerous and silly,’ he repeated, failing to sound surprised. How did Sophie know his exact plan? He dabbed his forehead with a hanky. ‘That was plan A,’ he admitted. He glanced back at the sleeping dog. ‘But I’m not sure what plan B is, you see. If we have less than two days left to save GM451, I think it may be dangerous and silly to do anything other than break out this madman.’ The professor ignored Ollie’s gasp. ‘The question is, how?’
Silence fell on the small crowd. Ben scratched his ear and the professor twirled his spectacles, deep in thought.
‘We can do it,’ woofed Star, standing on her hind legs and jabbing a paw into her chest to make herself understood. ‘My bruv and I. We’re spy pups, remember. We can access areas that adults and children can’t. No person’s ever broken in or out. But maybe two small, highly intelligent dogs can?’
‘Brilliant idea, sis!’ barked Spud, springing around the room in excitement. He especially liked the ‘highly intelligent’ bit. ‘We find a way in, help break out Mr Big, get the antidote and then capture him again.’
The professor waved his hands to quieten the yapping puppies. ‘Whatever’s got into you two?’ he frowned. ‘Please calm down – we’re trying to think of a plan to save your mother’s life.’
‘So are we,’ yapped Star, leaping at the scientist.
Spud was already at the professor’s laptop, pencil in mouth. He started to tap on the keys, woodpecker-style. ‘Excuse the spelling mistakes,’ he whined out of the side of his mouth.
Ben squinted at the screen and read out the words.
‘ “pupp£ to brake IN,” ’ he said aloud. ‘ “help get big oUtt then save ma. MUSust catch bIG aga3in tho”.’
Ben punched the air in delight. ‘A plan!’ he yelled. ‘Spud and Star have a plan to save Lara.’ He high-fived the puppies.
Professor Cortex looked at the three children staring back at him, their eyes full of excitement. He stroked his chin and frowned while his mind whirred into action. ‘Gadgets,’ he nodded eventually. ‘They’d need gadgets and a plan. And a map of the prison,’ he said, enthusiasm growing in his voice.
The puppies yapped in joy. ‘The prof says yes,’ they woofed, chasing each other around the lab.
Spud danced on his hind legs, practising his punching and kicking. ‘Take that, you baddie. And that,’ he said, karate-chopping a nearby chair.
Sophie, Ollie and Ben hugged each other as Lara slept on.
The professor flicked open his phone and pressed a speed-dial button. He put his finger to his lips and the room fell quiet. ‘Agent A,’ he began. ‘Yes, I’m sorry for waking you. Yes, of course it’s an emergency! Life or death, in fact. Code Red. We may be about to lose one of our top spies. I need a favour, right now, if possible.’
Everyone listened carefully as the professor explained what he wanted.
9. Burning Metal
Mr Big looked out of the window of his cell. It was the best room in the prison, with a luxury sea view. The only thing that ruined it was the sound of Archie and Gus snoring. He cursed as the lights went out and his flat screen TV went black. The usual footsteps came along the corridor outside.
A face appeared at the grille and, as always, the prison officer peered in. ‘Nighty nighty, Mr Big. Sleep tight. See you at breakfast,’ he snarled.
‘Maybe you will,’ replied the criminal. ‘Or maybe I’ve eaten my last breakfast in this place,’ he said under his breath.
The professor’s laboratory was filled with tubes, beakers, potions and computers. Ollie slid his hands firmly into his pockets and they all followed the professor, Lara limping slowly behind them.
‘OK,’ he said. ‘This is deadly serious stuff so you need to listen. We have one chance at breaking out His Evilness. The puppy agents will play the major role. GM451 is too ill to take part, so will stay with your parents. For the moment I’ll tell them she’s come down with something but I’m working on it.’ Not exactly a lie, he thought, remembering how furious Mrs Cook had been with him in the past.
‘And what about us?’ asked Ollie, frowning at the professor.
‘Yes, how can we help?’ said Sophie.
The professor fiddled nervously with his spectacles. He avoided eye contact with Lara. ‘The puppies are taking on most of the danger,’ nodded the scientist. ‘But my plan involves a minor role for you all too.’
Mrs Cook won’t be pleased about that, thought Lara. But what other option do I have? ‘Spud and Star,’ she whimpered, ‘make sure you don’t put the kids in danger. Mr Big is the most evil baddie I’ve ever dealt with. He can’t be trusted.’
‘We won’t, Mum,’ said Star, licking her face affectionately. ‘You’ve got enough to worry about.’
‘What about gadgets?’ asked Ben excitedly. ‘Will we need some James Bond-type accessories?’
‘You won’t,’ said the professor, shaking his head. ‘Although you can all have GPS watches, now the neighbourhood pets have put them to the test. That way I can track you, and you can always find your way home. But Mr Big will need the serious stuff. Your job is to make sure he gets the resources he needs.’
‘And what are they?’ asked Sophie.
‘Firstly,’ said the professor, ‘he’ll need some of my home-made brain formula.’
‘So he can out-think the guards! Great idea, Prof,’ said Ben.
‘Er, no, Benjamin,’ explained the professor. ‘I accidentally made a batch that was far too strong. It’s actually rather dangerous. Watch this experiment.’
The scientist fixed goggles over his spectacles and waited for the children to put theirs on too. He took a small bottle of brain formula from his lab coat pocket and poured a few drops on to a sheet of metal. There was a fizzing sound and some red smoke as the liquid burnt right through.
‘Iron,’ explained the professor, holding it up and peering through the hole. ‘Burnt through in seconds. This is the same metal that the prison bars are made of.’
‘Cool,’ cooed Ollie. ‘So he can break out of his cell.’
The professor’s mobile rang and he answered it. ‘Hello, Agent A. Yes, I need the exact colour of the walls of Hurtmore Island maximum security prison. Of course it’s a strange request,’ he barked. ‘And of course it’s important I get the answer!’ The professor’s nostrils flared in frustration. He picked up a pencil and scribbled something on a pad before clicking his phone shut. ‘Slate grey,’ he said. ‘Nice colour.’
The three children looked puzzled until Ben eventually asked, ‘But according to your top-secret report his cell’s on the seventh floor. How’s he going to get down? And over the wall? And across the sea?’
‘Trust me. Things will take shape,’ soothed the professor.
Ollie danced with excitement. ‘We’re going to make this happen!’ he said. Spud and Star jumped up and yapped away beside him.
‘We’ll save you, Mum!’ agreed Spud.
The professor waited for calm. ‘Right, everyone. We celebrate after we’ve pulled this off. Until then this is deadly serious.’
‘So what’s the plan?’ asked Sophie, keen to hear what the professor had in mind.
‘Good question.’ The scientist took from his printer a pie
ce of paper that contained a map of the prison grounds. ‘The pups are going in,’ he explained, ‘and then entering the sewer at this point.’ He tapped his finger at a spot on the diagram. ‘I’ll arrange for the power to be cut, which will give just enough time to get out of sight before the emergency generator kicks in. Before then, you, Ben and Ollie will have to visit Mr Big,’ he explained. ‘We need to get a message to him.’
‘When are we breaking him out?’ asked Ben, his eyes shining with excitement.
Professor Cortex looked at Lara, who did her best to look hopeful. ‘As soon as possible, Benjamin. The spy pups are on their mission tomorrow night.’
10. Plane Crazy
‘They call it Hurtmore Island,’ explained Professor Cortex. ‘It’s classed as ultra-maximum high security,’ he noted, as everyone looked at the map. He nodded at the computer screen. ‘I’ve been researching. There have been four attempted escapes since it opened. One prisoner died falling off the roof; two were ripped to shreds by the guard dogs.’
Spud and Star looked at each other. Guard dogs?
‘Only one man ever actually got over the wall,’ continued the scientist.
‘And what happened to him?’ asked Ben.
‘Drowned during the swim for freedom,’ replied the professor gravely. ‘The prison is a mile offshore and there’s a very strong current. If that doesn’t get you, the cold surely will.
‘This looks like the entrance,’ he continued, pointing at the drawing. ‘It’s heavily guarded so there’s absolutely no chance of getting in or out there. Agent A suggests the only possible exit is here,’ he said, running his finger along a line that went from the main building to the wall. ‘We’d need a plan to break him out. And a way of getting across the water, of course,’ he added, scratching his bald head.
‘So what about the pups and escaping prisoners?’ asked Sophie. ‘How will they get over?’
‘This line, Sophie, is a sewer pipe that runs underground. It goes right to the edge of the wall.’
Star and Spud wagged excitedly. ‘We’ve explored tunnels before!’ woofed Spud, thinking back to a recent holiday and their adventures with hidden treasure.
‘And then there’s a huge wall to get over,’ Sophie pointed out. ‘Followed by a mile swim! I guess nobody’s ever escaped for a reason. It looks almost impossible!’
‘Nothing’s impossible, kids,’ woofed Lara, dragging herself over to the professor and checking out the plan. The question is, Prof: if the tunnel entrance is on the other side of the prison wall, how do you get in?
11. A Big Visit
Mr Big heard the guard’s footsteps outside and the clunk as his cell door was unlocked. The grille opened and a face peered through the gap.
‘Wakey, wakey, rise and shine,’ said the guard. ‘Oh, and by the way, you’ve got some visitors.’
Mr Big smiled. He had no family or friends, at least none on the outside. Just acquaintances. And acquaintances never visited people in prison. Must be part of the escape committee, he thought to himself as he ran the tap to brush his teeth. He squeezed toothpaste on to his prison toothbrush, and looked into the mirror.
And I wonder if they’ll recognize me, he grinned to himself. The master criminal had spent tens of thousands of pounds on plastic surgery to alter his image and it had been worthwhile. His bloated face had been replaced by a carefully chiselled film-star image and he took every opportunity to look in mirrors. He considered his ski-slope nose to be a masterpiece of cosmetic surgery. This handsome exterior cleverly masked his evil interior. Behind the sculptured cheekbones and wig was a cruel, calculating personality with evil running through his veins.
Mr Big finished brushing his teeth. He wiped his mouth and decided to skip breakfast. Escape is on the menu.
He heard the guard coming back to let him out of his cell. Dressed in his prison uniform Mr Big strolled to the visitors’ area. The prison warden looked surprised to see him.
‘Your first time down here,’ he remarked, looking at his sheet. ‘Seems your kids have turned up to see you.’
‘My kids?’ exclaimed the criminal. ‘I don’t hav– I mean… what brilliant news. My little darlings are here to see their long-lost dad. This should be fun.’
Mr Big was allocated a seat while his visitors were signed in. The door opened and there stood Ben, Sophie and Ollie. They looked around, trying to find the horrible man who had tried to kill their pet so many times. His evil face was hard to forget.
‘Where is he?’ Ben whispered out of the side of his mouth.
As the guard stood waiting for the children to be reunited with their father, Mr Big realized that his new look wasn’t helping the plan.
‘Kids!’ he gushed, and the three Cook children turned to stare at him. He was nothing like they remembered, but all three recognized the same evil look in his eyes. They felt sick to their stomachs.
Ben took a deep breath. ‘Father,’ he said, failing to sound genuine. ‘We’ve missed you so much. So good to see you.’
‘Son?’ exclaimed Mr Big, going along with the charade. ‘How delightful to see you. And you’ve brought the other two with you.’
‘Yes, Father, and you’ve really changed since we last saw you,’ added Sophie.
Ben held his brother and sister by the hand and strolled forward. He knew the guards were watching and that CCTV would be recording their every move. There was no room for error. This was a crucial part of the escape plan and, if they failed, their pet would die.
‘Give your old dad a hug,’ beckoned the evil criminal.
Ben gave a reluctant bear hug. Sophie refused. Ollie hugged Mr Big and bit him at the same time.
‘Ouch, you little horror,’ he growled through gritted teeth. There was only one thing that Mr Big hated more than dogs and that was children.
‘Now, now, Daddy,’ smiled Ollie. ‘You have to be nice to me, remember?’ he said, deliberately stamping on the man’s toe.
‘Good to see you, kiddies,’ lied Mr Big, holding Ollie at arm’s length. ‘How’s the dog?’
Sophie burst into tears but Ben remained calm. ‘She’s not at her best, Father,’ he said. ‘But we’ve brought you a present.’ He opened his backpack and pulled out a packet of biscuits.
‘How thoughtful,’ purred Mr Big. ‘Custard creams!’
The guard came over to inspect the packet. Everyone went silent. He turned the packet over and decided there was nothing suspicious about an unopened packet of custard creams. The guard nodded and stood close by, listening in to the conversation.
Ben chatted away, trying to act natural, and Ollie chipped in with some childish nonsense.
‘Time’s nearly up, kiddies,’ said the guard. ‘Say goodbye to your daddy. He won’t be home for a long, long time.’
‘Eat them all at once and it’ll spell trouble,’ said Ben as the children turned to leave.
Ollie decided to try for one last bite, on behalf of Lara. He threw himself at Mr Big and pretended to be upset. ‘I can’t leave you, Dad,’ he yelled, his fists banging into the prisoner’s stomach.
‘Get off me, brat – I mean son,’ said Mr Big, holding the boy as far away as possible.
Ollie kicked and screamed, feigning distress at being dragged away. Secretly he was pleased that he’d landed a few final good punches.
The children left the room and Mr Big picked up his biscuits. He wasn’t sure what was going on but was certain that this was part of an escape plan.
12. Parachute Pups
Spud caught up with his sister, a star in name and shape as she fell through the night sky towards the earth. ‘Pull the parachute cord after three!’ he woofed.
Star’s cheeks billowed as she reached for the ripcord and caught it in her mouth. But the puppies were falling fast and she panicked and let go of it.
The wind was blowing Spud’s lips apart so his fangs were showing and his eyes were watering. Stay calm, he told himself as the twinkling lights of the prison got closer. He grabbe
d his own ripcord and held it between his teeth. Like this, he pointed as his sister turned to have another go. ‘Excellent,’ he woofed out of the side of his mouth. ‘After three. One… two… and three…’
The puppies pulled their ripcords together and both parachutes exploded from their backpacks. The freefall was slowed and Star calmed down a little.
‘Check the view,’ woofed Spud, pointing below. ‘That’s the prison,’ he said, tugging another cord that swung him left a little. He certainly didn’t want to end up in the ocean! ‘We need to land just inside the perimeter wall.’ Spud looked at his GPS watch from Professor Cortex, the luminous dial ticking towards midnight. ‘Any second n–’ he began as the prison below was plunged into darkness.
‘That’s the professor’s team cutting the electricity,’ yelled Spud. ‘We have one minute and forty-three seconds until the emergency lighting kicks in.’
The spy pups glided safely down into the grounds of the maximum security prison, unhooked their parachutes and dragged them to a manhole cover. It was just where the professor’s map had said it would be. The moon came out from behind a cloud, providing some light.
Spud checked his watch. Yikes! Twenty seconds to go. He and his sister levered their claws under the metal rim. ‘It sure is heavy,’ he whined. The lid shifted a little but not enough to get in. ‘Heave ho, sis,’ he panted. ‘This is going to be a close call.’ Ten… nine… eight…
The lid finally popped and Star disappeared inside just as the emergency generator whirred into action and the lights came on. Spud crouched down, absolutely still. The manhole cover was half off as his sister pulled the parachutes inside. A beam of light was swinging his way. Quick, sis, he thought, before I’m discovered.