by Andrew Cope
13. A Race Against Time
Lara staggered into the forest clearing behind Princess Pretty and collapsed on to the ground with a groan. Spud and Star climbed down from her shoulders, and squeezed into the troll’s trousers beside her, letting the troll’s head slump sideways.
‘Well done, Ma!’ whispered Star. ‘You made it!’
‘Shhh!’ warned Lara as she heard Princess Pretty’s footsteps coming towards them.
‘Poor Darren. Are you tired?’ said Princess Pretty’s voice sweetly. ‘Why don’t you take off that heavy old troll head?’
‘Yeah! Let’s do that!’ whispered Spud. ‘I’d like to see the look on Princess Potty’s face when we jump out at her!’
‘Not yet,’ whispered Lara suspiciously. ‘First I want to see why she’s being so nice all of a sudden.’ Cautiously, she lifted her head and peered out through the mesh square. Princess Pretty was standing over them gripping a fallen tree branch with both hands. Hmm. I thought so. She’s planning to whack Darren with that branch as soon as he sticks his head out!
Suddenly a noise behind Princess Pretty made her turn round. She gasped in astonishment as Darren walked into the clearing. ‘You! But how …?’
‘What’s going on?’ growled Darren, glaring at Princess Pretty. ‘Have you been seeing another troll behind my back?’
‘No! I thought it was you in there! But – if you’re standing here – who’s in the troll costume?’
‘Let’s find out, shall we?’ snapped Darren, marching up to the troll. He grabbed the head and yanked it from the body. His expression turned from fury to bewilderment as he stared down at the three dogs sitting side by side in the troll’s trousers.
Hi, wagged Star.
Nice to meet you, wagged Spud. Have you got any sandwiches?
‘Them again!’ shrieked Princess Pretty. ‘Get them, Darren!’
Darren lunged for Lara, but she was too quick for him. She leapt out of the troll’s trousers and shot between his legs. Darren made a grab for Spud and Star and managed to hook a finger through Spud’s collar but, quick as a flash, Lara turned and sank her teeth into his bum.
‘Ooww!’ yelled Darren, dropping Spud and clutching at his backside.
‘Look out, Ma!’ yelled Star.
Out of the corner of her eye, Lara saw Princess Pretty’s branch swinging towards her. She let go of Darren’s bum, ducked under the branch and then ran to join Spud and Star. She heard Darren yell as the branch whacked him across the backside.
‘You can’t be ordinary dogs,’ said Princess Pretty, looking at them with suspicion in her eyes.
‘No, we’re not! We’re extraordinary Spy Dogs!’ yapped Lara, Spud and Star, facing Darren and Princess Pretty across the clearing.
There was a sudden groaning noise and everyone looked round at the brand-new fairground ride. The snap of breaking metal sounded above the trees like a gunshot. One of the huge legs supporting the rollercoaster track was buckling and the rollercoaster seemed to be sinking to its knees.
‘W-w-what’s happening?’ stammered Darren.
‘What do you think, stupid?’ shrieked Princess Pretty. ‘The ride is collapsing. Because YOU painted that metal leg with acid. So YOU will be responsible when the carriage smashes to the ground.’
‘You told me it was paint!’ gasped Darren.
‘And you believed me! You’re even more stupid than I thought!’ Princess Pretty looked around at the horrified faces of Darren and the dogs. ‘Oh, and sweet little Cupcake is up there,’ she cackled, pointing to the highest part of the rollercoaster.
All eyes gazed upwards and, sure enough, they could see a small cage dangling by a rope.
‘The rollercoaster’s wheels cut the rope and little doggie dies. You have to admit, Troll Face, that it’s the perfect plan.’
Darren gulped, and his mouth gaped open. He didn’t have the fastest mind in the world, but even he could work out that this was not good.
‘But – the ride is about to start!’ he gasped.
‘I know! Bye-bye, Summer Rayne. And toodle-pip, little Cupcake.’ Princess Pretty laughed crazily.
Lara sprang to her feet as the Storm Spell rails groaned and buckled. The Cook family were on that ride too!
‘I have to warn them!’ yelled Darren, turning to run from the clearing. He had only taken two steps when Princess Pretty swung the branch as hard as she could. It caught him on the back of his head and he went down without a sound.
Spud stalked towards Princess Pretty, teeth bared.
‘Forget her, Spud!’ woofed Lara. ‘There’s no time. We have to get to the Storm Spell launch pad before the carriages set off! Run, pups! Run as fast as you’ve ever run in your lives!’
14. Crash!
Ben was grinning so hard, his face was beginning to ache. He could not quite believe that he, Benjamin Cook, was sitting next to superstar Summer Rayne, in the front carriage of a rollercoaster he had named; this had to be one of the most thrilling moments of his life! My friends’ll be so envious, he thought, looking up at the huge sign rising above the launch pad. There it was, in letters three metres high, painted in steel blue and gun-metal grey, with a yellow thunderbolt cutting through the middle.
‘You must be very proud and happy, Ben,’ said Summer, giving him a warm smile.
‘Yeah, I am,’ Ben admitted. ‘But I feel a bit guilty about it, when you’re having such a bad time.’
‘Don’t be,’ said Summer. ‘At the end of this ride, I’ll get my Cupcake back! Then we’ll both be happy.’
There were four carriages on the Storm Spell rollercoaster, each with twelve seats arranged in three rows of four. When the ride was full, it would carry forty-eight people but, for the launch ride, only the first seven seats were taken. Ben was in the very front row, along with Summer Rayne, Ollie and Sophie, and Mr and Mrs Cook were in the second row with Mr Cartwright. Ben glanced back at Mr Cook, who was looking a bit green even before the ride started. ‘Sure you don’t want to get off, Dad?’ he asked.
‘And miss the launch of the rollercoaster my son named? No chance!’ said Mr Cook bravely.
Ben looked across at the Storm Spell viewing platform, which was packed with spectators. He scanned the crowd, looking for a furry black and white face with one sticky-up ear, but Lara wasn’t there. Ben knew that Lara, Spud and Star were busy trying to find Cupcake, but he still felt a twinge of disappointment that his friend was not there to watch the launch.
Behind him, Mr Cartwright was speaking into his walkie-talkie. ‘Thank you. Over and out,’ he finished and clipped the walkie-talkie to his belt. ‘Summer? We’re ready to launch.’
Summer stood up and turned to face the viewing platform. ‘I declare Storm Spell, the biggest rollercoaster in the world, open!’ she cried in a loud, clear voice. She cut a pink ribbon and the crowd cheered. The ride attendant lowered the rigid harnesses over the riders’ heads and checked that they were locked in place. The TV news cameras were rolling. A helicopter hovered, capturing the new ride from every angle.
‘Five!’ called Mr Cartwright as the attendant hurried back to the control cubicle.
‘FOUR!’ yelled the crowd enthusiastically.
Ben looked for Lara one last time.
‘THREE!’
He caught a glimpse of a black and white dog racing along the path below. It was Lara, with Spud and Star hot on her heels. She had come to see him off, after all!
‘TWO!’
Lara bounded up on to the launch pad and Ben stopped grinning. Something was wrong; he could tell by the frantic look on her face.
‘ONE!’
Lara, Spud and Star were barking madly. Spud was shaking his head. Star was holding up her paws in a ‘stop’ gesture. Lara drew a paw across her throat.
‘They want us to stop the launch!’ cried Ben, but his words were lost in the roar of the crowd.
‘LIFT OFF!’
The Storm Spell rollercoaster lurched forward and set off along the rails, pick
ing up speed. ‘No! Stop!’ barked Lara as Ben’s white face sped past her. She lunged for the control cubicle, yanked the door open and reached for the lever that would stop the ride.
‘Help! Mad dog!’ cried the terrified attendant, kicking Lara out and then slamming the door in her face.
There was only one thing left to do. Lara raced back to the launch pad. ‘Ready, pups?’ she barked as the last carriage sped past.
‘Ready, Ma!’ yapped Spud and Star.
‘Jump!’
The pups leapt high into the air and landed in a tangled heap in the very last row of seats.
‘Brilliant,’ howled Lara above the noise of the ride. ‘Now, time to use those free-running skills.’
Cupcake was yapping, but nobody was listening. This, she considered, was most unusual. She was used to getting everything she yapped for. Her cage dangled in the wind, the rope trailing across the rollercoaster track. She peered out of the bars at the view below. She could see a big crowd and a small metal carriage just setting off. She squinted and could just make out Summer, sitting in the front seat. Oh, goody, thought the little dog. They’re sending a rescue team. About time too!
The ride climbed steadily, click-clicking its way to the highest point.
Lara was sprinting along the ground under the tracks. She knew there were only seconds to go before the wheels would cut through the rope and Cupcake would plunge to her death.
In the front carriage, Ben tried to twist round in his seat, but the rigid harness was holding him in place. ‘Mr Cartwright!’ he screamed.
‘What’s the matter, Ben?’ the old man called.
‘Something’s wrong! You have to stop the ride!’
The carriage approached the crest of the slope. The view was magnificent. Nobody could see Cupcake dangling from a rope.
‘But it’s completely safe, Ben! We’ve tested everything over and over again!’
‘Please, Mr Cartwright!’ Ben begged as they reached the top of the loop. ‘Use your walkie-talkie and get them to stop the ride!’
‘I can’t do that, Ben,’ Mr Cartwright said firmly. ‘Not without a good reason.’
Ben flung his head back in frustration. At the top of the loop, a huge mirror had been rigged up over the rails so that the riders could see their own terrified faces just before they plunged down the other side. Ben could see all the empty carriages behind him. Except they weren’t empty! Spud and Star were leaping from seat to seat, working their way up the carriages towards the front.
‘Is that a good enough reason?’ yelled Ben, pointing up at the mirror.
Mr Cartwright looked up, turned deathly pale and reached for his walkie-talkie. ‘Stop the ride!’ he yelled as Spud and Star soared towards him. ‘There are dogs aboard! Stop the ride!’
The carriage seemed to stop momentarily before its wheels severed the rope and the ride tipped over on to the steep downward slope.
Whoosh! Spud and Star slammed the harnesses down over themselves, hooked their legs through and grabbed the crossbars with their teeth. A split second later, the world went into a spin.
What followed were the longest ten seconds of the pups’ lives. Spud’s liking for ice cream and sausages meant his harness fitted quite well. He managed a doggie grin as they went upside down. Whoo-hoo! Star hung on, but could feel her legs slipping through the bars. First one back leg, then the other, flew up into the air and she was left hanging on by her front paws and her teeth. When the spinning finally stopped, she collapsed into the seat next to Spud, feeling as though all her bones had turned to water. ‘That was no fun at all,’ she groaned, slamming her harness into place.
The carriages started to climb again. Was Star imagining it, or did they seem to be slowing down?
‘It’s all right, pups!’ Ben cried from the front row. ‘Mr Cartwright has told them to stop the ride!’
Thank goodness, thought Star, slumping back in her seat. We did it!
‘Sis?’ quavered Spud, pointing at the track.
Star looked and felt her heart jump up into her throat. They were over the forest now and, only a short distance ahead, the tracks were a buckled, twisted mess of metal.
The carriages were slowing, the brakes screeching. But the gap was coming at them awfully fast.
15. The Leap of Faith
Princess Pretty hooked her hands under Darren’s arms and dragged his unconscious body across the clearing until he was lying directly under the twisted section of the Storm Spell tracks.
‘You just crash out there,’ she said, sniggering at her own joke as she patted his face. ‘It’ll all be over soon!’
Everything was going well. The dogs had bolted so Princess Pretty settled the backpack full of money more comfortably on her shoulders and set off for a nearby hill. She reached a decent viewpoint and sat down just as the rumble of the speeding Storm Spell ride began to echo across the treetops. Her eyes glittered as she watched the carriage reach its highest point and the cage fell. ‘Yes!’ She cocked her hand to her ear and thought she heard a satisfying yowl as Cupcake fell to her death. Then she watched as the blue and grey carriages whirled and looped towards the forest, and she rubbed her hands together as the damaged support leg bent even further to the ground, splitting the track in two.
‘Perfect!’ she crowed, looking from the broken track to the carriages, but then her forehead creased into a frown. The ride was slowing down! ‘Don’t you dare stop!’ she yelled, jumping to her feet, but the carriages kept on slowing. There were sparks and a terrible screeching sound as the brakes were applied. Princess Pretty watched in horror as the train crept towards the break in the track. It very nearly stopped in time, but then the front of the first carriage tipped over the broken edge of the rail. Princess Pretty held her breath, willing it to fall, but the carriage came to a halt, half on and half off the rail. It hung there, delicately balanced, swaying gently, high above the ground.
Spud opened first one eye, then the other. Still alive! he thought. I can’t quite believe it! He could hear the groan and creak of metal, but otherwise, it was strangely quiet. He noticed it was windy this high up. He looked at the seat next to him. Star was curled into a ball, eyes tightly shut, waiting for the impact.
‘Has anyone seen my stomach?’ said Spud faintly. ‘I think I left it behind back there.’
Star opened her eyes. ‘Are we safe now?’
‘Erm. Not exactly,’ said her brother, looking at the drop they were hanging over.
Other noises began to fill the silence. Mr Cartwright’s walkie-talkie started to squawk, metal creaked and the TV news helicopter hovered. Ollie started to cry.
‘Shhh. It’s all right,’ soothed Mrs Cook automatically.
‘I don’t understand,’ said Mr Cartwright in a dazed voice. ‘We checked everything. How did this happen?’
‘Never mind that,’ said Mr Cook. ‘We’re still alive, thanks to Lara, Spud and Star, but now we need to get to the back of this carriage before it tips over the edge! Everyone, on the count of three, unlock your harnesses. No sudden movements! One, two, three!’
With a click, the harnesses unlocked and lifted above their heads. The carriage rocked and the rails groaned, but they stayed in place.
‘Good,’ said Mr Cook. ‘Now, we’re going to move to the back one by one, starting with you, Ollie. Are you ready?’
‘Yes, Dad,’ quavered Ollie.
‘Good boy. Off you go.’
Slowly, Ollie slipped from his seat and edged his way to the back, where he buried his face in Star’s fur. Sophie went next, then Ben, then Summer. The rails groaned and the carriage rocked alarmingly. Finally, as Mr and Mrs Cook and Mr Cartwright edged towards the back, the balance shifted and the carriage settled back more firmly on to the rails.
They moved more quickly after that. With Spud and Star leading the way, they clambered from carriage to carriage until finally, everyone was at the back.
‘What now?’ asked Summer.
‘We wait for rescue,�
�� said Mr Cartwright. ‘Look, the news helicopter is lowering a rope ladder.’
Just then, the damaged supporting leg moved again, leaning further towards the trees and the whole ride lurched to one side.
‘No time to wait!’ cried Ben. ‘We have to get off the carriage.’
One by one the passengers climbed out of the carriage and assembled on the track. Mr Cook was last out. As he climbed out, he accidentally kicked the carriage and that was enough to send it crashing to the forest floor. The small group huddled together as the earth shook.
‘Not quite as planned,’ sobbed Summer Rayne. ‘But at least we’re alive.’
16. The Ride of Your Life
Lara wasn’t sure if she’d get there in time. Her lungs were bursting as she dashed through the undergrowth. She heard a groan nearby. Good, Darren’s awake. I need all the help I can get!
Darren sprang to his feet as Lara galloped into the clearing. She skidded to a halt and pointed skywards. They both looked up and saw the carriage approaching the highest point of the ride. Just a few seconds before Cupcake falls, Lara thought. She heard the click-clicking stop. Yikes, they’re at the top!
‘Oh no!’ yelled Darren, gazing up at the cage. ‘Cupcake!’
Lara didn’t have time to think. She grabbed the troll’s trousers by one of the braces and dragged them over to Darren.
‘Good thinking, doggie!’ cried Darren, grabbing the other brace. Lara stood on her hind legs and, together, they opened the trousers as far as they would go. Paws crossed, Lara thought. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best I can do!
Lara gulped as the small cage dropped. It was very high up. This is going to be a close call, she thought as she and Darren ran left and right, trying to judge exactly where Cupcake would fall. Right, Lara panted. No left. And left a bit more! At the halfway point Lara could hear the terrified yowl of Cupcake. Left a bit more. Lara and Darren opened the troll’s trousers as wide as they would go. Thud! Lara was flattened as Cupcake’s cage landed. A direct hit, she whistled, righting herself. I hardly dare look!