Swamp Race

by H. I. Larry

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  COPYRIGHT PAGE

  Zac Power pulled another shirt out of the washing basket. He was not having a good night.

  Zac’s parents had been called into his school for a meeting. The principal had noticed that Zac had missed a lot of school lately, and she wanted to know why.

  The truth was that Zac was a highly trained secret agent for the Government Investigation Bureau (GIB for short). He had to keep skipping class to go on dangerous spy missions.

  But the principal wasn’t allowed to know that. It was all top secret. As far she knew, Zac was just a normal kid. Zac’s parents would have to come up with a good story to explain why he kept disappearing. Zac’s parents and his brother Leon were all spies, too.

  As if that whole mess at school wasn’t bad enough, Zac’s mum had left him at home with a massive load of washing to fold. Zac had been slaving away for ages already and he was only halfway through the huge basket of clothes. He reached down again and pulled out a pair of Leon’s underpants.

  ‘Ugh!’ he groaned. ‘Gross!’

  The worst bit was that Zac’s parents had decided he needed a babysitter while they were out. Usually, Zac would be left with Leon at times like this. But Zac’s geeky older brother was out tonight, too.

  Which meant that Zac was stuck at home with some random babysitter. And all night she’d done nothing but watch TV and talk on her phone.

  It’s so unfair! Zac grumbled to himself. I’ve been to the MOON and back by myself, but I’m not allowed to stay home alone for a few hours? It doesn’t make any sense!

  Zac decided to take a break from folding the washing. He pulled out his SpyPad (the high-powered tablet carried by every GIB agent) and began checking his SpyMail.

  A sudden voice behind Zac made him jump. The babysitter was coming down the hall towards him, still talking into her phone.

  ‘Yeah, OK,’ she was saying. ‘I’ll give it to him now.’

  Zac quickly stashed his SpyPad into the washing basket, hiding it from view just as the babysitter walked into the room.

  ‘Hi, Zac,’ she said.

  ‘What do you want?’ said Zac grumpily.

  ‘Don’t be so cranky,’ said the babysitter, smiling. ‘I’ve got something for you.’

  Yeah, right, thought Zac. What could you possibly have that I’d want?

  But Zac’s mouth dropped open as he saw what was in the babysitter’s hand. It was a shiny silver disk. A mission from GIB.

  Zac stared at the girl. Obviously this was no ordinary babysitter!

  The babysitter flashed a GIB card. ‘Agent Blizzard at your service,’ she said. ‘Go on, you’d better read the mission.’

  Zac pulled his SpyPad out of the washing basket and stuck the disk inside.

  ‘You’d better get going,’ said Agent Blizzard. ‘Your brother is waiting across the road to brief you.’

  Zac nodded and ran for the door. Well, he thought, looks like I’ll be missing another day of school tomorrow.

  Zac raced outside and looked around for Leon. He spotted a big laundry service van parked on the other side of the street.

  Zac knew that this was no ordinary van. It was the Mobile Technology Lab, Leon’s disguised laboratory on wheels. Zac slid open the van door and climbed in. Inside the MTL, Leon was busy tinkering at a workbench. Tinkering was what Leon did best. He was a GIB technical officer, in charge of developing gadgets and organising missions.

  ‘There you are!’ said Leon, turning around. ‘Time to get moving. You have to be at the drop-off point by 6.30 a.m.’

  Leon pushed a button and the MTL started rumbling along the road. Zac noticed that it was driving on autopilot.

  ‘Where’s the drop-off point?’ Zac asked, glancing at the time on his SpyPad.

  ‘Professor Voler wants us to leave you at a place out in the bush,’ said Leon. ‘He’ll pick you up from there.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘You know what Voler’s like,’ Leon said. ‘Everything has to be totally secret. He wants to be sure you’re alone before you get on his jet.’

  Zac nodded. Professor Voler was a strange old thief who lived in an enormous jet. He spent most of his time flying around stealing rare technology.

  Zac had met Voler once before, but the old man had escaped before Zac could arrest him.

  ‘So why is Voler giving away this free technology?’ Zac asked. ‘It sounds like a trap to me.’

  ‘I know,’ said Leon. ‘We think so, too. But it’s worth the risk if you can get your hands on those X-Beam blueprints.’

  ‘What is an X-Beam, anyway?’ Zac asked.

  ‘It’s kind of like an X-ray,’ said Leon. ‘But instead of looking through skin and bone, it lets you see through solid brick and metal. In theory, that is.’

  ‘What do you mean, in theory?’ said Zac, raising his eyebrows.

  ‘Well,’ said Leon, ‘that’s what an X-Beam is supposed to do, but no-one’s ever come up with working blueprints before.’

  ‘Until now,’ said Zac.

  Leon nodded. ‘Which is why we need to make sure Voler’s blueprints don’t fall into the wrong hands. Imagine what would happen if BIG got hold of them!’

  BIG were the most ruthless spies in the business and GIB’s greatest enemies. It would be a disaster if BIG could make a working X-Beam!

  ‘So, what’s the plan for this mission?’ Zac asked, leaning on the workbench and glancing out the front window. The MTL was travelling along the open highway now.

  ‘Well, obviously we’re not going to send you out there unprotected,’ said Leon, picking up what looked like a metal T-shirt. ‘This is Electro-Armour, the latest in GIB personal safety gear. It should shield you from just about anything Voler can throw at you.’

  ‘Excellent,’ said Zac, grabbing the armour.

  ‘That panel on the front is electrically charged,’ said Leon, pointing at the chest. ‘It’ll zap anything that touches it.’

  Zac pulled off his shirt and carefully slipped on the Electro-Armour. While he did that, Leon turned to his bench and pushed a few buttons.

  ‘So that’s the plan?’ Zac said, putting his shirt back on over the top. ‘I just head out to the bush wearing a metal T-shirt, figure out how to get hold of the blueprints and – whoa!’

  Zac was nearly thrown off his feet. For a moment he thought he had electrocuted himself with the Electro-Armour. But then he realised that the MTL had suddenly started hurtling forward, tearing down the highway at incredible speeds.

  ‘Leon!’ Zac shouted, steadying himself. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘I’ve added a few upgrades to the MTL,’ said Leon. ‘Ready for take-off?’

  Zac stared at Leon. ‘Ready for what?’

  Leon just grinned at him.

  Zac grabbed hold of the workbench at the front of the truck and stared out the window. Huge flat wings were unfolding from underneath the MTL.

  A second later, the van lifted off the ground and soared up into the dark night sky.

  ‘Well?’ said Leon, smirking. ‘What do you think?’

  ‘It’s awesome,’ said Zac. ‘But if you do something like that again without warning me, I’m going to switch on my Electro-Armour and give you a big hug.’

  ‘How much further?’ Zac asked, yawning. He stretched and sat up in his seat.

  The Mobile Technology Lab had been flying all night, and Zac could just see the sun starting to rise in the distance.

  ‘Almost there,’ said Leon. ‘We’re coming up to the drop-off po
int now.’

  A few minutes later, Leon landed the MTL at the edge of some bushland. ‘See that big rock over there?’ he said, pointing. ‘That’s where you’re supposed to wait. You’d better hurry, too. It’s almost time.’

  Zac nodded and climbed out of the van. As he watched, the MTL rumbled across the grass and took off into the air again.

  Zac walked through the bush and stopped at the rock where Leon had told him to wait. He checked the time.

  Voler had said to be here at 6.30 a.m. but so far Zac couldn’t see any sign of –

  Zac’s eyes darted upwards. Something big and heavy was crashing down through the trees above his head. Zac leapt out of the way just in time.

  A big wooden crate hit the ground – right where Zac had been standing!

  Zac walked over and looked at the crate. Then he stared up at the sky. Zac knew Professor Voler’s jet was protected by advanced cloaking technology. It was obviously hovering somewhere above him, but Zac couldn’t see it.

  Am I supposed to open the crate? wondered Zac. It’s been nailed shut!

  Something else was coming down through the trees.

  Zac took cover again.

  A big metal crowbar landed neatly on top of the crate.

  Right, thought Zac. He jammed the crowbar into the crate and levered off the lid. Inside was what looked like a heavy black wetsuit.

  Sitting on top of the suit was a handwritten note.

  Zac pulled the suit on over his clothes. A metal rectangle, the size of a shoebox, bulged out the back of the suit.

  On the sleeve of the suit, Zac noticed a tiny control stick and a row of buttons. He tapped at the controls but nothing happened.

  Maybe the suit got damaged in the fall, he thought. But then the box on Zac’s back started jolting wildly. He staggered forward. What on earth –?

  Three long metal blades were unfolding out of the box. The blades flattened above Zac’s head, and then started spinning around and around like the ones on a helicopter.

  ‘Whoa!’

  Suddenly, Zac lifted off the ground. The helicopter blades sent leaves flying as he rose up between the trees.

  Zac jiggled the control stick but it was no good. Someone was steering his Chopper Suit and it wasn’t him.

  Voler must have this thing hooked up to a remote control, thought Zac.

  The Chopper Suit flew up through the air, guided by its invisible pilot. Zac was jolted across to the left, then straight up, then to the right again. Then he stopped, hovering on the spot.

  Zac peered around for some sign of Voler’s cloaked jet. He could hear the rumbling of a big engine, but he couldn’t see anything.

  A hatch suddenly opened up in the empty sky above Zac.

  A-ha! Zac thought. This must be it.

  As the metal door hissed open, the jet’s cloak flickered slightly. Zac caught a glimpse of the huge flying machine floating above him.

  The Chopper Suit started moving again and Zac was lifted up through the hatch, into the jet.

  The hatch hissed shut beneath Zac’s feet. With one final jolt of the Chopper Suit, he touched down inside the jet.

  There was a big round button on the chest of Zac’s suit marked ‘REMOVE’. Zac pushed it.

  The Chopper Suit popped right off his body and landed in a heap on the floor.

  Zac looked around him. He was in a big round room filled with jet-packs, parachutes, and other kinds of personal flying machines.

  There was a ladder leading up out of the room. Zac climbed up and found himself inside a narrow hallway.

  Zac walked down and opened the door at the end. He stepped into an enormous lounge room. It was filled with beautiful antique furniture and decorated with priceless paintings and statues. All around the walls were shelves stuffed with hundreds of stolen artefacts and gadgets.

  ‘Ah,’ said a voice. ‘Zachary! You’re just in time for breakfast.’

  Zac turned and saw Professor Voler sitting at his ornate wooden tea table, dressed in his usual suit and tie. He was buttering some toast and smiling warmly at Zac.

  Then Zac saw something that made his stomach turn. Voler wasn’t alone.

  Sitting in a chair opposite the professor was BIG agent Caz Rewop.

  ‘Caz!’ Zac snarled.

  12-year-old Caz Rewop was one of BIG’s most dangerous spies. Zac had met her several times before. He knew she was nothing but trouble.

  Caz didn’t look too happy to see Zac either. ‘Agent Rock Star,’ she growled, leaping to her feet.

  She was carrying a big stick with a BIG logo stamped onto the handle. Caz gave it a flick, and a bright red cord of electricity shot out the end. She held the gadget like a whip towards Zac, ready to strike.

  Zac looked from Caz to Voler and back again. WHAT is going on?

  ‘What’s he doing here?’ Caz demanded, glaring at Voler.

  ‘Me?’ said Zac. ‘Why are you here?’

  ‘Everyone, please, settle down,’ said Voler, standing up calmly. ‘If you’ll kindly take your seats, I will explain everything.’

  Zac and Caz didn’t move. They just stood there, frozen on the spot, glaring at each other.

  ‘Come now,’ smiled Voler. ‘Your breakfast is getting cold.’

  He pulled the cover off a tray piled high with bacon, eggs, sausages and hash browns.

  Zac sat down at the table, shaking his head.

  He knew Voler was nothing but a thief and a liar, and he didn’t trust the old man’s kindness for a second. But co-operating with Voler seemed like his best chance of getting the X-Beam blueprints.

  Caz seemed to agree. She gave Zac one last glare, then switched off her Electromagnetic Whip and took her seat again.

  ‘There we are,’ said Voler cheerfully, beginning to serve out the breakfast. ‘Now, I suppose you’re both wondering about those X-Beam blueprints.’

  ‘What do the blueprints have to do with him?’ said Caz angrily, stabbing a finger in Zac’s direction. ‘You said you were going to give them to BIG!’

  ‘What?’ said Zac, his eyes darting over to Professor Voler. ‘You said you were giving them to GIB!’

  ‘Actually,’ Voler corrected, ‘what I said was that I am willing to give the blueprints away. I never said to whom.’

  Voler put a plate of food down in front of each of them. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small plastic toad.

  ‘Inside this plastic toad is a Data Storage Device, or a DSD, which contains everything you need to build a working X-Beam,’ Voler explained.

  ‘And how do we get it?’ Zac asked.

  ‘I propose a competition,’ said Voler, picking up a silver knife and fork. ‘In a few hours, the two of you will be dropped off in the Murky Swamp. This DSD will be hiding somewhere down there. Whoever finds it first may keep it.’

  ‘That’s it?’ said Caz suspiciously.

  Voler nodded. ‘That’s it.’

  ‘But why?’ asked Zac. ‘Why are you doing this? You’ve spent your whole life stealing things from other people! Why are you suddenly giving stuff away?’

  ‘Those blueprints mean nothing to me,’ said Voler with a wave of his hand. ‘Look around you. I have all the riches I need. What I want now is to be entertained.’

  ‘Entertained?’ said Zac. ‘You mean this whole thing is just some twisted game for your amusement?’

  ‘Yes and no,’ said Voler. ‘I shall certainly enjoy watching you compete. But I assure you this is far more than just a game.’

  He took a sip from his tea cup and then continued.

  ‘There are dangerous things in that swamp, Zachary. Toxic waters. Creatures that are big enough to swallow you whole. Not to mention a few of my own little surprises.’

  ‘And what if I refuse?’ demanded Caz. ‘What if I don’t want to play your game?’

  ‘Then Zachary gets the DSD all to himself,’ said Voler. ‘Of course, if it is Zachary who refuses, the DSD is yours.’

  Zac stared at Voler. There wa
s no way he was letting Caz get her hands on those blueprints. And from the look in her eyes, Caz was thinking the same thing.

  ‘I’m in,’ she said.

  ‘Me too,’ said Zac.

  ‘Excellent,’ said Voler, clasping his hands together. ‘We begin in three hours.’

  Zac glanced at his watch.

  Voler smiled again and picked up his knife and fork.

  ‘Now then,’ he said brightly, ‘time to eat this breakfast! You’ve got a big day ahead of you and you’re going to need all the energy you can get.’

  ‘Here are the rules,’ said Voler, pacing up and down in front of Zac and Caz.

  They had finished breakfast, and now Voler’s jet was hovering just above the Murky Swamp. Zac, Caz and Voler were down in the room full of flying machines, where Zac had first arrived.

  ‘Rule number one,’ said Voler. ‘You may go anywhere in the swamp and the forest.’

  Zac nodded.

  ‘Rule number two,’ Voler continued. ‘You are only allowed to take the equipment you were carrying when you arrived.’

  Caz held up her Electromagnetic Whip and grinned nastily at Zac.

  Zac felt around in his pocket for the SpyPad. Lucky for me this thing is about a hundred gadgets in one, he thought.

  ‘Rule number three,’ said Voler. ‘You have until 6 p.m. to find the blueprints.’

  Zac looked at the time.

  ‘What happens if neither of us has found the blueprints by then?’ Zac asked.

  ‘Then I will leave the pair of you behind and be on my way,’ said Voler. ‘And believe me when I say that you do not want to be stranded in the Murky Swamp after dark.’

  Voler reached into his suit pocket. He pulled out two yellow envelopes and handed one each to Zac and Caz.

  ‘Open these when you get down to the swamp,’ Voler instructed. ‘The clues inside will help you find the blueprints. I have also scattered a few other vehicles and so on around the swamp for you to uncover. You are allowed to use whatever you find.’