by Andrew Cope
‘Tell you later,’ Ben promised. ‘Just help us get our pups back, please?’
The two canoes and Lara arrived on the shore at the same time. Lara shook herself and then stalked up the beach towards Gaz, growling menacingly. Ben, Sophie, Ollie and Andrew hurried after her.
‘Are you all right, pups?’ woofed Lara.
‘Oh, not bad, Ma,’ winced Spud, as Gaz took a firmer hold on his scruff. ‘We’re just, you know, hanging around.’
‘I said there’s nothing to see here,’ said Gaz Guzzler. ‘And you’re trespassing. Get off my land!’
‘Not until you give us our puppies,’ said Ben.
‘Call off that ugly-looking mutt first,’ Gaz demanded, glaring at Lara.
Ugly! Look who’s talking, thought Lara, eyeing Gaz’s four-chinned face.
‘You let go of Spud and Star first, you big blancmange!’ Ollie shouted.
‘Calm down, everyone,’ said Andrew, holding up his hands. ‘Let’s try to sort this out. What’s going on, Guzzler?’
‘This puppy has something of mine,’ yelled Gaz, shaking Star in Andrew’s face. ‘And I want it back!’
‘Her name’s Star, you horrible man!’ shouted Sophie, beginning to cry.
Andrew held up his hands again. ‘OK. How about if Star hands over whatever she has, and you hand over the puppies. Deal?’
‘Deal,’ said Gaz.
Andrew held out his hand. ‘Come on, Star, spit it out.’
Star opened her mouth and let a glittering, golden lump fall into Andrew’s palm.
‘There you are, Guzzler, there’s your lump of gold. Now you –’ Andrew stopped and stared down at his hand. ‘Gold?’ He looked up at Gaz again with a horrified expression. ‘You’re mining for gold here in Clearwater Valley?’
‘Oh, that’s really annoying,’ grumbled Gaz. ‘You could’ve all escaped to live another day. But now you know about Project Midas, I’m afraid I can’t let you go. You’ll have to come with me to Lakeside Mansion while I decide what to do with you.’
‘Make us,’ said Ben, sticking out his chin.
Gaz changed his grip on Spud and Star, sliding his big hands round their necks. The puppies began to cough and choke. ‘One squeeze and their little necks will snap in half,’ said Gaz with an evil grin.
‘OK! We’ll come quietly! Just don’t hurt them,’ begged Sophie.
‘And tell your mutt to stay here,’ ordered Gaz. ‘She looks like she wants to take a bite out of me.’
Lara backed off and sat down, and in return Gaz loosened his grip just enough to allow Spud and Star to breathe.
‘Don’t worry, pups!’ woofed Lara as the Cook children and Andrew trooped off to the mansion with Gaz bringing up the rear, still holding Spud and Star by their necks. ‘Everything will be all right. I’ll get you out of there!’
Lara resisted the impulse to take a great big bite out of Gaz’s wobbly bum. Instead she turned and sprinted for the canoes.
15. Mud Monsters
The manager of the spa hotel walked down to the shore, checking that his gardener had cut the grass right down to the water’s edge. He spotted a chocolate wrapper floating in the water and gave a disapproving tut. Folding back the sleeve of his expensive suit jacket, he fished the wrapper out. When he straightened up again, he was surprised to see a canoe heading straight for him.
‘Stop!’ he ordered, holding up his hand. ‘You can’t land here.’
The canoe kept on coming.
The manager started to repeat his order, but the words never came out. Instead, his mouth dropped open and he stared at the figure in the canoe. It was a black and white dog with a sticky-up ear – and it was paddling towards him as though its life depended on it!
‘O-only human guests allowed,’ said the manager faintly as Lara grounded the canoe and jumped out on to the grass.
‘Don’t worry,’ she barked. ‘I’m not planning on staying.’
The hotel manager jumped out of Lara’s way, stumbled and fell into the lake.
‘Stop!’ he spluttered.
‘Sorry,’ woofed Lara, racing towards the hotel. ‘I’m on a rescue mission!’
She shot across the patio and into the conservatory. A waitress screamed and dropped a tea tray, but Lara jumped clean over the mess, catching a cream cake in her mouth as she went.
‘Mmm! Apricot,’ she slurped.
The restaurant beyond the conservatory was crowded with guests. Lara tried to stop in the doorway, but the floor had been polished and she skated on, heading straight for a line of tables. She ducked her head and slid underneath, sending diners scattering.
When she emerged from under the last table, Lara turned. The guests were all sprawled on the floor, with dinner smeared across their faces, but Mr and Mrs Cook were not there. ‘Please don’t get up,’ woofed Lara politely as she charged on towards the hotel spa.
Bursting through the double doors, Lara skidded up to the desk, where a bored receptionist handed her a towel without looking up. ‘Thanks,’ woofed Lara, slinging the towel round her neck and running her paw down the appointments sheet. Mr and Mrs Cook were booked in for a ‘skin nurture’ session, whatever that was. She turned round and saw a long corridor, lined with doors. ‘Where do I start?’ she groaned. ‘At the beginning, I suppose.’
She galloped down the corridor and flung open the first door. The room beyond was full of steam. Lara wafted the clouds away to reveal a line of naked, sweaty people sitting on a bench. I think they’re nearly done, she thought, scanning their bright red faces.
In the second room, a row of people sat in chairs, their faces plastered with white face packs and their eyes covered with cucumber slices.
‘Hello? Mr and Mrs Cook? It’s me, Lara,’ she barked. ‘Are you there?’
But none of the screaming, white-faced people seemed to recognize her, so she hurried on, checking room after room. By the time she got to the last door, Lara was beginning to panic. She had to find them soon! She charged into the room and nearly fell into a sunken bath full of sticky brown goo. Two mud-plastered people were sitting in the bath. They both stared at Lara, open-mouthed.
‘Sorry,’ muttered Lara, turning for the door again.
‘Lara?’ said one of the mud-monsters. ‘Is that you?’
‘Mr Cook? Oh, thank goodness!’ barked Lara. ‘We have to drive to Gaz Guzzler’s mansion right now!’
‘What’s wrong, Lara?’ asked the other mud-monster. It was Mrs Cook. ‘What are you trying to tell us?’
Lara stamped her paw with frustration. Why couldn’t humans understand Dog? She puffed out her cheeks and gave them an impression of an angry Gaz Guzzler. Big man. Baddie. The Spy Dog splayed her arms wide and walked forward menacingly. Like a sumo wrestler?
Mr Cook looked alarmed. ‘There’s a bear in the forest?’
Lara shook her head and tried again.
‘There’s a bear in the hotel?’ guessed Mrs Cook, looking even more alarmed.
Lara slapped her paw to her forehead. If only she had something to write with. She looked at the white-tiled wall. Of course! Quickly, she scooped some brown gunge from the bath and used it to scrawl a message on the tiles.
KIDS AND PUPS HELD PRISONER IN GAZ GUZZLER’S MANSION! RESCUE NOW!
When Lara charged into the main lobby a few minutes later, the hotel manager was standing there, dripping pondweed on to the expensive carpet and shouting orders to his staff.
‘I want this place searched from top to bottom!’ he yelled. ‘We’re looking for a black and white dog with a sticky-up ear!’
‘You mean that dog?’ asked the bellboy as Lara galloped past, followed by two mud-monsters.
‘Stop!’ the manager spluttered, seeing the towel slung round Lara’s neck. ‘That towel is hotel property!’
But Lara and the Cooks were already sprinting across the car park, leaving behind them nothing but a sw
inging front door and a line of muddy footprints.
16. A ‘Brief’ Encounter
‘Spy Dogs?’ said Andrew, staring at Spud and Star. ‘These two little pups are Spy Dogs?’
‘Yes,’ said Ben. ‘Lara too. She’s their mum.’
‘They’re part of a top-secret government project,’ Sophie explained.
‘But they live with us,’ said Ollie proudly.
‘Are you sure they’re Spy Dogs? They don’t look very dangerous.’
‘What a cheek!’ huffed Spud. ‘I’m a highly trained lethal weapon, thank you very much!’
‘Can you get your highly trained backside up here then, please?’ yapped Star.
She was standing on the window sill of the bathroom where Gaz Guzzler had imprisoned them all five minutes earlier.
‘What’s the point?’ said Spud. ‘We can’t get out. There are bars on the window – and we’ve already tried shouting for help. Nobody can hear us.’
‘Yes, but somebody might see us,’ said Star, nodding at the forest behind the house. ‘Somebody like X and Hero, for instance.’
Spud’s tail began to wag. ‘Of course! They’re still out there waiting for us to find them!’
Star nodded. ‘We could signal for help using those dirty bed sheets in the laundry basket.’
Spud leapt up on to the side of the bath and yanked the sheets out of the basket on to the floor. ‘Yuk!’ he said. ‘Those aren’t bed sheets. They’re Gaz Guzzler’s ginormous dirty underpants!’
Star giggled. ‘Never mind, we’re only sending a brief message. Brief message. Get it?’
A few minutes later, with the help of the children and Andrew, they had a pair of Gaz Guzzler’s enormous underpants tied to each half of the shower rail. Ben and Andrew stuck the pant-flags out of the window and moved them into the positions Star showed them, to spell out the word H.E.L.P. in semaphore.
When they had finished, Star scanned the forest. A bright light flashed from the trees. ‘Yes!’ she yapped. ‘They saw it! They’re signalling back with a mirror. It’s morse code. “O – N –W – A – Y.” They’re on their way!’
‘Let’s hope they get here in time,’ woofed Spud as the door opened and Gaz Guzzler stepped into the room, wearing a new set of clothes. He was pointing a gun at them. Before they could do anything, he reached out and grabbed Sophie by her hair.
‘Oww!’ cried Sophie.
‘Let her go!’ yapped Star, springing forward.
Gaz kicked Star across the bathroom floor. ‘You and you,’ he said, pointing to Ben and Ollie. ‘Pick up those pesky pups and come with me.’
They trailed across the entrance hall of the mansion, with Gaz Guzzler bringing up the rear, still holding Sophie by the hair.
‘Open that door,’ he ordered, waving his gun at Andrew. ‘Then walk down the steps on the other side. And no funny business, or the girl brat gets it!’
They trooped down into the underground chamber where Spud and Star had surfaced after their swim through the underwater tunnel the night before. A steel cage stood open at the bottom of the steps. A few metres away, dark lake water lapped against the platform edge.
‘In you go,’ ordered Gaz. Silently, they stepped into the cage one by one. Gaz pushed Sophie in after them and then slammed and padlocked the cage door.
‘What are you planning, Guzzler?’ asked Andrew, looking up at the roof of the cage where the hook of a mini-crane was attached to the bars.
‘Let me show you.’ Gaz pressed the red button on the crane’s control box. The crane arm lifted the steel cage with a jerk and swung it out over the dark water. ‘Normally, we use this cage to lower mining equipment down to the tunnel entrance,’ said Gaz. ‘But today, I’m going to lower you.’
‘You can’t do that!’ Andrew shouted, shaking the bars.
‘Oh, but I can,’ hissed Gaz. ‘It’s all working out very nicely, actually. This way, I get to keep Project Midas a secret – and when you and these poor little children are found drowned on the shore after your tragic canoeing accident, the Tall Trees Outward Bound Centre will have to close! Oh, so sad,’ he laughed, holding his belly in mock laughter. He stopped suddenly and his tone turned icy. ‘I guess this is my final farewell!’
Sophie, Ben and Ollie crowded together for comfort, with Spud and Star held between them. Gaz pulled a lever and the crane began to lower the cage into the water, but just then a warning bell echoed around the chamber. ‘Honestly,’ grumbled Gaz, stopping the crane and looking up at the bank of CCTV monitors on the chamber wall. ‘People always come to call at the worst times.’
‘Look!’ whispered Sophie, pointing up at the monitor that showed the gates of Lakeside Mansion. Three figures were hammering at the gates.
‘That’s Ma!’ yelped Spud, spotting Lara.
Ben gazed at the two mud-covered people next to Lara. ‘I’m not sure,’ he said. ‘But I think that might be Mum and Dad!’
Gaz Guzzler pressed another button.
‘Yes, Boss?’ Pete’s voice echoed through the intercom system.
‘Pete, I want you and the whole crew to stop mining and get up to the surface as fast as you can. I might need your help here.’
‘Right away, Boss,’ said Pete.
‘Oh, and, Pete,’ said Gaz, looking sideways at the steel cage. ‘Don’t come up through the tunnel. Swim to the shore in front of the house. I’ll meet you there.’
Gaz switched off the intercom and threw the padlock key on to the bench. ‘I’ll be back as soon as I get rid of my other unwanted guests,’ he said.
‘Take your time,’ yapped Spud.
Gaz waddled off up the concrete steps, grumbling all the way.
‘That was close,’ woofed Star once he had gone.
‘So, how do we get out of here?’ yapped Spud.
Just then, a nervous voice drifted down the concrete steps. ‘Garry? Coo-ee! Are you down there in your wine cellar?’
‘That’s how,’ woofed Star, nodding in the direction of Mrs Guzzler’s voice.
‘Start shouting, everyone!’ cried Sophie.
‘We’re locked up in a cage!’ shouted Ollie.
‘Please let us out, Mrs Guzzler!’ yelled Ben.
‘Oh dear,’ called Mrs Guzzler. ‘I’d like to help, but Garry doesn’t allow me in his wine cellar.’
‘This is no wine cellar,’ Andrew shouted. ‘Why don’t you come and see for yourself?’
There was a long pause. Then they heard timid footsteps tapping down the concrete steps.
‘Oh my goodness!’ gasped Mrs Guzzler, as she stepped into the underground chamber. ‘What is this place?’
‘So you didn’t know about Guzzler’s – I mean Garry’s – underwater gold mine?’ Sophie asked.
Mrs Guzzler shook her head.
‘Well, we knew,’ said Ben. ‘That’s why he just tried to kill us.’
‘Oh no, dear!’ gasped Mrs Guzzler. ‘I’m sure Garry didn’t mean it.’
‘You keep saying that, Mrs Guzzler,’ said Andrew. ‘But Garry did mean it. Garry means everything he does – and everything he does is mean.’
Nice line, nodded Spud.
Mrs Guzzler’s eyes filled with tears.
‘He doesn’t deserve a mum like you,’ Ollie said sadly.
Mrs Guzzler let out a sob. ‘Hang on, little boy,’ she said. ‘I’ll have you out of there in a jiffy.’
17. Showdown
Gaz Guzzler stood at his front door, glaring down at Mr and Mrs Cook and Lara. If he could have folded his arms over his enormous belly, he would have done, but he couldn’t reach. Instead, he settled for looking as stern as he could.
‘This is private property!’ he shouted. ‘How did you get in?’
‘We climbed over the gate!’ Mrs Cook shouted back, marching up the steps towards him. ‘What are you going to do about it?’
‘Excuse me?’ gasp
ed Gaz, taking a step back. He couldn’t see much of her face under the mud, but the bits he could see looked absolutely furious.
‘Give me my children!’ Mrs Cook yelled. ‘You enormous oaf! Now!’
‘And give me my pups while you’re at it!’ barked Lara, bounding up the steps.
‘What children?’ said Gaz Guzzler. ‘I haven’t seen any children.’
‘You listen to me, matey,’ growled Mr Cook, running up the steps to stand beside his wife. ‘We’re not messing around. If we don’t get Ben, Sophie and Ollie back right now, we’re going to ransack your house until we find them!’
‘I won’t let you,’ said Gaz Guzzler.
‘Oh yeah? You and whose army?’ snarled Mrs Cook.
‘My army, of course,’ smirked Gaz, pointing to the lake where a dozen burly frogmen were wading to the shore. ‘Pete! Escort these three trespassers out of the grounds!’
The lead frogman lifted his mask and nodded politely at the two mud-covered people with the black and white dog, as though it was something he saw every day. ‘Would you like to come with me?’
‘No, I most certainly would not!’ snapped Mrs Cook. ‘Your boss has kidnapped my children and I want them back!’
Pete looked shocked. ‘Mr Guzzler?’ he asked.
‘She’s lying!’ said Gaz.
‘No, she isn’t!’ yelled Ollie, running out of the house straight into Mrs Cook’s muddy arms. Ben and Sophie followed him, each carrying half of a metal shower rail with a pair of enormous underpants tied to the end. Spud, Star and Andrew hurried out after them.
‘How did you lot escape?’ demanded Gaz.
‘I let them go, Garry,’ said Mrs Guzzler, stepping out of the house. ‘They told me what you did to them. You’ve been a very naughty boy, son, but it’s all over now.’
Sophie and Ben nodded, shaking their lengths of shower rail menacingly.
Gaz laughed. ‘I don’t think so. Get them, Pete.’