by H. I. Larry
If the company couldn’t even afford those, the business couldn’t be going very well, thought Zac.
Zac knew that WorldEye was the most expensive satellite ever built. Might Sky Industries want to blow it up just so they could get the contract to build a replacement? That way, they’d get their business out of financial trouble. That was it! It had to be.
The petrol storage tanks were almost full.The missile launch couldn’t be far away. Zac would have to do something right now to stop it. Otherwise it would be too late!
CHAPTER
NINE
‘Right, then. Back to work.’
Zac’s blood ran cold. That voice! He recognised it! It was the woman with the iron grip who’d discovered him back at the storage facility. And, by the sounds of things, she had all her workmates from the lab with her.
He really didn’t want another encounter with that woman. She was as tough as nails.
The handle on the lab door turned. In another second, Zac would be sprung.
Apart from the door, there was only one other way out. Without a moment’s hesit-ation, Zac vaulted onto the nearest lab bench. Then, nimble as a monkey, he jumped up and swung from the ceiling fan across to a window high up in the wall.
With less than a millimetre to spare, Zac caught the window ledge. He swung by his fingertips for a second.
The lab door creaked open just as Zac, with a huge effort, hauled himself up and out through the window. Just in time.
THUNK! OWWWW!
Outside he hit the ice heavily.
There was no time to worry about cuts and bruises, though. Zac got up and ran. Just as before, a line of skidoos stood ready and waiting to be used by the researchers.
Or by 12-year-old super spies, thought Zac.
Jumping on a skidoo, Zac revved the accelerator. Time check!
He had to stop the missile launch and get his helicopter ride home, all by 2.05pm!
Zac roared off in the direction of the storage facility. Wind howled around him. It was snowing hard.
Zac could hardly see two metres in front of him, so it was a minute or two before he noticed.
He was totally surrounded by robotic seals! Waves and waves of seals were moving across the ice towards the storage facility. With so many seals full of stolen petrol, there’d soon be more than enough petrol to launch the missile.
I can stop the missile launch, thought Zac, if I can stop these seals reaching the storage facility.
But there were hundreds – maybe even thousands – of robotic seals! How could he possibly stop them all in the next few minutes?
Unless…
The robotic seals are full of petrol. Petrol is highly flammable. So…
The plan seemed too good to be true. Zac could hardly believe he was going to get to do something so cool, and all in the name of saving the world!
Zac dug in his pocket pulled out his SpyPad. It hadn’t been very useful on this mission so far. But now it would be.
The Spy-Pad’s powerful in-built laser was going to come in very handy!
Zac aimed the laser at the nearest seal, scooting along behind it on his skidoo.
At first, nothing happened.
But slowly, very slowly, the robotic seal’s artificial fur began to smoke.
As Zac watched, the fake fur caught fire.
Then, flames took over. The robotic seal was swallowed up, and…
KERRRRRRRRR-BANG
Enormous fireball!
Smoke! Scorching heat!
The seal exploded, sending a shower of flaming robot parts all over the ice.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The flaming robot parts set other seals on fire, and they exploded too. Zac had managed to get rid of all the seals and their precious cargo of petrol…all in one go. It was pretty cool to watch, even if Zac did say so himself.
But Zac didn’t have a spare second to stand around and gloat. He had a helicopter flight to catch!
CHAPTER
TEN
Zac roared off on the skidoo. Where exactly was he supposed to meet the pick-up team again? He thought he remembered.
As Zac scanned the horizon for the meeting point, a terrible thought crept into his mind. Yes, he’d blown up the seals and their petrol supplies. Sure, he’d saved WorldEye for now. But what if he hadn’t saved it permanently?
Even though Zac had destroyed this lot of petrol, Sky Industries could just start collecting petrol all over again. They still only needed a small amount to bring their storage tanks up to 100% capacity!
Zac thought about Sky Industries and what kind of people worked there. They’d gone to all the trouble of inventing robotic seals just to steal petrol. They’d probably stop at nothing to steal a tiny bit more. After all, they’d be iced in all winter at the Great Icy Pole. That would give them time to get up to all sorts of tricks!
If I truly want to save WorldEye, I’ve got to destroy the actual missile, thought Zac grimly.
He checked his watch.
His flight home was due to leave in nine minutes! And it was his only chance to get home before all flights to the Great Icy Pole would be shut down for the winter.
If he missed the flight, he’d be stuck in this icy wilderness with a bunch of very angry people from Sky Industries for months and months.
But Zac knew if he didn’t destroy the missile before he left the Great Icy Pole, WorldEye would be in serious danger over the months to come.
It was an impossible decision!
There must be something he was missing, some other way to solve the problem.
Zac’s mind spun into overdrive. He had an idea. It was risky. But so were his other options. Trusting his spy instincts as always, Zac made a quick decision. He was going to go for it. After all, it wasn’t a Zac Power mission without a little risk!
Zac turned the skidoo around. Instead of heading for the meeting point, he went back in the direction of the storage facility. Zac remembered seeing a large silo beside the petrol storage tanks and all the sheds.
That must be where they’re keeping the missile! thought Zac.
He sped towards the silo.
He checked his watch.
He’d well and truly missed his flight by now. This plan had better work, said Zac to himself, as a kind of nervous excitement bubbled up in his stomach. It was one of Zac’s all-time favourite feelings.
Zac pulled up at the silo. Wasting no time, he marched over to the security door, wheeling his skidoo. It was bolted shut, of course. Using his patented combination of a credit card, a coat hanger, spit and a ball of string, Zac picked the lock.
Lucky he’d paid so much attention in that Covert Locksmithing class back in his Spy Training days.
The door sprang open. A giant missile, twice the size of Zac, stood in the very centre of the silo.
Zac rummaged in his backpack for his tool kit. This next part of the plan was going to involve some craftsmanship. Zac had often seen Leon weld bits and pieces together as he was experimenting with new gadgets.
But Leon had never tried welding the driver’s seat and controls from a skidoo onto a ballistic missile before!
Zac set to work. Using the laser from his SpyPad, Zac cut the seat part away from the skidoo. Then, with welding gear from his tool kit, he attached the seat and its glass cover to the tip area of the missile.
Zac surprised even himself. In under an hour, the job was finished.
Zac was very pleased. This time, he’d really saved WorldEye – he was going to take the missile with him.
There was only three more things left to do. Find the ignition button, jump into the skidoo driver’s seat and hang on tight!
The button glowed green in the darkness. Zac took a deep breath. Then, before he could change his mind about the plan (surely his most way-out yet!), he slammed his hand down on the button.
The countdown had begun!
••• 10
••• 9
••• 8
•�
��• 7
••• 6
••• 5
Zac leapt into the driver’s seat.
He yanked down the glass bubble protecting the driver’s seat.
••• 4
••• 3
••• 2
••• 1
He braced himself.
BLASTOFF!
At the very last second, the roof of the silo slid away. Zac shot through the gap in the top and into the icy sky outside.
This was more than flying!
This was…well…rocketing!
Zac streaked across the sky. At this rate, he’d be back at the Power family beach house in time for the second day of summer holidays.
As he got closer to the beach house, Zac’s SpyPad suddenly beeped. It was
MESSAGE RECEIVED
2:59PM
Once your
mission’s complete,
hurry back home.
We’re having fish and chips
on the beach and
yours are getting cold.
MESSAGE FROM
AGENT BUM SMACK (MUM)
back in range.
Cool! Fish and chips on the beach.
His mum didn’t need to worry about them getting cold.
He’d be home soon.
Say, about 47 seconds from now!
THE END
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