by Andrew Cope
‘Their ears are flashing too!’ cried Sophie.
Harriet Hawk couldn’t help smiling. ‘I made sure all my gyms were built only a few minutes’ walk from the schools. When the signal starts transmitting from the radio mast up on the roof here, it will activate the implant every zombie squad member has under the skin of their earlobes. The treadmills will stop and the marching will begin.’
‘Marching where?’ shouted Ben, his panic rising as fast as the water.
‘To the schools, of course,’ cackled the evil woman. ‘To collect their children and put them in mortal danger. Total genius,’ she smiled.
‘Total insanity,’ yelled Ben. ‘Lara! Where are you? We need you!’
Harriet Hawk looked around for the dog but Lara was nowhere to be seen.
‘Your cowardly dog seems to have done a runner,’ sneered Harriet Hawk. There’s only one person who can help you now …’
13. Prime Minister’s Questions
Harriet Hawk beckoned to Dumbbell and he clicked open the camcorder. ‘Time to record my message to Number 10,’ she chirped as Hercules the eagle settled on her shoulder. She smoothed her eyebrows and glanced at the lens. ‘How do I look?’
‘Like a pirat–’ began Dumbbell, before being jabbed in the ribs by his cauliflower-faced colleague.
‘Beautiful, boss,’ Squat lied.
‘I know! And soon I’ll be rich and powerful too!’
‘Us too, boss,’ said Dumbbell, his big ears practically flapping with excitement.
‘Quite,’ said Harriet Hawk. ‘Rich enough to get some ear surgery perhaps. Now be quiet and listen to me make my ransom demand.’
Dumbbell pointed the camcorder at his boss and she composed herself before he grinned and gave the thumbs up.
‘Hello, Prime Minister. Indeed, hello, nation. I am Harriet Hawk. But then you probably already know that.’ A vain smile lit her lips and she reached up and stroked Hercules. ‘I have a little home movie to show you. As you can see, the parents in my zombie army are holding their own children hostage in my gymnasium.’
She paused while Dumbbell panned across the gym, zooming in on Ollie who was hanging on to Ben’s shoulders and kicking with his feet. The water continued to rise. Dumbbell kept a steady hand and returned to Harriet Hawk’s beaky face.
‘This is a little tester. Just a handful of children. I’m sure you don’t want innocent children to suffer, Prime Minister. That would look terribly bad in the morning newspapers.’
Harriet Hawk left what she thought was a dramatic pause before continuing in a businesslike manner. ‘So you get the chance to play hero! And get yourself re-elected! It’s deadly simple. All you have to do is transfer a billion pounds to my bank account. But I’m a generous person, Prime Minister, so I’m giving you thirty minutes. If I get my billion pounds, you have my word that the children will be released. If I don’t, then I will activate a signal and this scene will be repeated in eighty gyms across the country.’ Harriet Hawk reached up and stroked her eagle, leaving time for the information to sink in. ‘That’s a lot of little children,’ she emphasized, cocking her head to one side and doing her best innocent smile.
The face disappeared, replaced by another sixty seconds of the swirling pool full of panic-stricken children and emotionless parents, all swimming for their lives. Ollie managed a heroic shout of ‘Don’t do it, Your Highness,’ before the camera swung back to Harriet Hawk’s evil face.
‘And no rescue attempts or I activate my army immediately,’ she said icily. She held her watch to the camera and tapped it. ‘Twenty-nine minutes and counting,’ she threatened as Dumbbell zoomed in on her eyes. ‘Twenty-nine minutes to save the world.’
Dumbbell clicked Pause and gave another thumbs up. ‘In the can,’ he grinned, tapping the camcorder lovingly.
Harriet Hawk returned Hercules to his perch and placed the small black hood back on to his head. She took the camcorder and ejected the memory card, handing it to Squat.
‘Get this uploaded,’ she purred. ‘And, Dumbbell, you watch for signs of rescue.’
‘You can’t do this,’ gurgled Ben, struggling to stay afloat while holding on to Ollie.
Harriet Hawk smirked. ‘But I already am, dear boy.’
The evil lady swooped towards the control room and was punching in the code when Dumbbell yelled out. ‘There are those puppies!’ He pointed at one of the CCTV screens. ‘Looks like they’re trying to break in. It might be an attempted rescue, boss.’
Harriet Hawk huffed in frustration as pictures of Star and Spud snuffling round the boundaries of the gym played out in front of her. She’d noticed that the big dog had gone missing and now these little dogs were making a nuisance of themselves too. Years of planning had gone into getting this far. There was no way she would let dogs ruin it. She calmly sauntered over to the corner of the room, put on the big black leather glove and removed the hood from her eagle. Hercules climbed on to her arm
‘I’m taking Hercules out to play,’ she declared. ‘He’s been waiting to get revenge on those two ever since they sabotaged his night-time hunt.’
‘Hercules, darling,’ she cooed to the eagle on her arm, as she headed up the stairs to the roof. ‘It’s suppertime.’
Harriet Hawk had completely missed the sticky-up ear poking from the wet-towel bin behind her. Lara nosed her head out of the bin, sniffing the air. Squat was uploading the video and Harriet Hawk was making her way on to the roof terrace.
That just leaves one baddie, Lara thought, glancing at Dumbbell who was occupied with watching the CCTV images of the pups.
Lara’s muzzle wrinkled as she tried to concentrate on the best rescue plan.
The water had risen so high that even the bigger children were now having to swim. The frazzled tennis ball meant they were too scared to hang on to the metal bar at the side of the pool.
And it’s a fitness pool, Lara thought. So there’s no shallow end. Ollie was hanging on to his big brother’s back, his legs kicking froggy-style. Lara had to admit Harriet Hawk’s dastardly plan was rather clever. On the evil scale, it’s a ten.
With Dumbbell still distracted by the pups, Lara crept out. Ben saw her and stifled a squeal of hope. But the villain heard him and swung round.
Lara bared her teeth and growled.
Dumbbell took a step towards Lara, grabbing a pool-cleaning net and jabbing it at her. Thinking quickly, Lara suddenly remembered the ball of llama-spit formula the professor had given her. Backing away from Dumbbell, she released the ball from her collar. It broke open, spilling a puddle of ultra-slippery gunk. Lara reached the edge of the pool, her backside nearly touching the electric cable. She felt the warm buzz of the current and the faint whiff of singed fur.
Yikes! That’s as far as I go!
‘Careful, Lara,’ shouted Sophie, treading water as the pool water rose higher.
Come and get me, Mr Baddie, thought the retired Spy Dog, lowering her growl and trying to entice Dumbbell. Just a few more steps and you’re in the llama spit. Dumbbell sprinted towards Lara, the cleaning net pointed at her. He picked up speed – and hit the world’s slipperiest poolside.
The man was helpless. He slid on his feet, his arms hanging on to the long pole to keep balance, but there was no stopping him. He was heading straight for the cables and Lara saw horror on Dumbbell’s face as he remembered the frazzled tennis ball. In desperation, the man managed to hook the net in one of the pool steps and he pole-vaulted the top cable. Lara and the children watched as he sailed through the air and landed with a splash in the pool.
He surfaced, flapping and spluttering. ‘Get me out of here,’ yelled Dumbbel
l. ‘I’m a rubbish swimmer!’
‘You should have done your ten metres like me,’ smiled Ollie, holding on to his brother’s shoulder with one hand and splashing water in the man’s face with the other.
One down, thought Lara. Two to go!
Squat heard the commotion and burst through the metal door, fury on his face. His anger deepened as he saw his partner-in-crime sploshing around in the pool.
‘How on earth did you get in there, idiot?’ he yelled, the veins sticking out on his neck.
‘It was that blasted dog,’ gurgled Dumbbell.
‘Spy Dog actually,’ corrected Ollie, almost enjoying himself.
Squat looked round anxiously. Lara was standing near the towel bin, hackles raised and lip curled. He glanced back at his colleague. ‘Well, you’re stuck for a while. If I switch the leccy off, then they’ll all escape. Tread water. The video is uploading,’ he said to his mate. ‘I’ll take care of the dog.’
14. Angry Bird
Spud and Star were scraping at the earth round the drain when they heard screeching above them.
‘Dinner time,’ yelped Star.
‘I don’t think so,’ yapped Spud. ‘We’ve not had lunch yet.’
‘Not for us, silly! It’s dinner time for the angry bird coming our way!’
The pups flung themselves sideways. A second later, the huge eagle shot over their heads, screaming with hunger.
‘I hate that bird!’ barked Spud as they scrambled to their feet.
‘Go and catch yourself some breakfast, Hercules!’ shouted Harriet Hawk from the gym roof. ‘You haven’t been fed since yesterday so I know they won’t escape you.’
The bird of prey soared high, fixing its eagle eyes on the puppies.
Star looked around. They were surrounded by open fields and although the grass was quite long she was sure they’d be spotted from above.
‘The hedge!’ she yapped. ‘That’s our only cover. Go, go, go, bro!’
The pups began to run, but they had only gone a few metres when a shadow loomed over them again. Spud shuddered with fear, remembering what the eagle’s talons had done to poor Marmalade. He was slower than his sister and was carrying more meat so would make a tastier eagle meal. Spud heard the rush of huge wings and, in his panic, tripped over his own paws. He was up and running again a second later, but he was sure that his tumble had cost him his life. The eagle was directly over his head now, and was too good a hunter to miss such an easy target.
A fat puppy in an open field in broad daylight. At least Star will make it, he thought, his legs pumping but his shoulders tensed, waiting for the kill.
Bam! Star beamed her darkness torch directly into the eagle’s face. The huge bird had gone from light to night in less than a second. It was too late to pull out of its dive and the bird slammed into the grass beside Spud.
‘Yikes,’ the puppy yelped, sprinting for his life. ‘A very near miss.’
‘Thank the prof for that,’ barked Star. ‘But keep running. The eagle’s down but not out.’
Behind Spud, the bird rose into the air again and took off after Star. The eagle clearly now wanted revenge. Star shot a frightened look over her shoulder before fleeing for the cover of the hedge as fast as her short legs would go.
Spud scrambled to his feet. The eagle was gaining on Star.
‘Go left, sis!’ he howled.
Star beamed her torch into the eagle’s eyes again. She sprang sideways into a rabbit hole and yelped as the eagle slammed into the grass where she had been only an instant earlier.
‘Tunnel down as far as you can,’ woofed Spud.
Star did not need to be told. She scrambled down, her ears pricked, listening for the bird. The eagle reached its head into the hole and pecked viciously into the dark. Star squeezed further down the hole, narrowly avoiding the attack as earth crumbled around her where Hercules’ razor-sharp beak hit the tunnel.
Suddenly the eagle withdrew and flew up into the sky once more. Spud looked up into the sun. He was dazzled. Hercules had disappeared.
Could it be that he’s given up? he thought. ‘You OK, sis?’ yapped the puppy.
‘Fine, thanks,’ came the muffled reply from deep within the rabbit hole. Star’s nose peeped out and her whiskers twitched as she sniffed for signs of the eagle. Gradually her face appeared and she heard Spud woof with delight.
‘He’s gone, sis,’ yapped her brother. ‘We’ve defeated that ugly old bir–’
Spud felt the wind being knocked out of him as the eagle swooped down and sank its talons into his plump body. He heard Star howling in anguish as he was carried high into the sky.
15. The Signal
Harriet Hawk put her binoculars to her eyes and watched as Hercules swooped to pick up one of the puppies. ‘A starter for my hungry boy,’ she smiled. She focused on the struggling puppy and noticed he was quite round. ‘Or maybe you’ve gone straight for the main course,’ she cackled.
Lowering her binoculars, she reached for her walkie-talkie. ‘Squat,’ she barked. ‘Progress report.’
Squat’s deep voice crackled out of the walkie-talkie. ‘All prisoners swimming for their lives,’ he said. ‘You gave the PM thirty minutes, ma’am,’ he added. ‘But by the look of some of the younger kids, that might be a bit too long.’
‘Excellent,’ came the reply. ‘A few early casualties will show we mean business.’ Harriet Hawk was enjoying herself. ‘In fact,’ she shrieked into the walkie-talkie, ‘let’s bring the whole plan forward. We’ve got a much better chance of the PM depositing a billion pounds if we mobilize our entire army.’ There was stunned silence at the other end of the walkie-talkie. ‘Did you hear me, dimwit?’ she shouted. ‘Over.’
‘Erm, yes, boss,’ replied Squat. ‘But you told the prime minister he had thirty minutes.’
‘Well, clearly, I lied,’ shouted the woman into the walkie-talkie. ‘I’m an evil villain,’ she said proudly. ‘So I’m allowed to lie. We’re ready for the final part of our master plan. Please activate the signal and unleash the army. Go down to the command centre and switch it on. You remember the secret password, don’t you?’
‘Yes, boss. It’s –’
‘The SECRET password, I said!’
‘Sorry, boss. I’ll sort it straight away.’ The muscle man kept a wary eye on Lara as he hurried to the steel door and punched in the code. The door swung open and he clattered down the metal steps into the control room.
Lara watched him disappear. She considered her options.
Follow the baddie into the control room? Visit the roof to take out Harriet Hawk?
She looked into the pool. The children were tiring. One or two of the parents seemed to be struggling to stay afloat. She was snapped out of her thoughts when Squat returned, walkie-talkie in hand.
‘Mission accomplished,’ he said.
Squat held the walkie-talkie away from his ear as the gym was lit up by a cackling Harriet Hawk. ‘It’s working,’ she squealed. ‘I’m on the roof. I can see the light flashing. The transmitter is working.’
Lara looked up at the numerous TV screens to see the other zombie squads, ear lobes flashing, leaving the gyms and marching to the schools. She knew it wouldn’t be long until they were crashing through the school gates to get their hands on the children.
Squat grinned when he saw what was happening on the screens. ‘Watch them go!’
‘Won’t the teachers stop them?’ shouted Ben.
‘They know the parents,’ spluttered Dumbbell, struggling to stay afloat next to him. ‘And they won’t expect them to harm their own children. By the time the teachers realize what’s r
eally happening, it will be too late.’
Harriet Hawk’s voice crackled over the walkie-talkie. ‘I do believe that my little Hercules has caught himself a main course of puppy steak. Looks like my doggie problem is sorted out here. Can you please make sure you sort out the big doggie mess in there? Over.’
Lara’s heart sank as Squat reached for a baseball bat. He stared menacingly at the dog. ‘Over and out.’
16. Queen Kong
Think, Lara, think! She looked down at the struggling swimmers. Not good! The Spy Dog knew the only way to stop the plan was to turn off the signal. And that means getting to the top of the tower. And then there’s him, she thought, raising her hackles at Squat.
The man held the baseball bat in one hand, slapping it into the palm of his other hand. ‘I have the bat. You can be the ball.’
Lara looked around frantically, hoping a plan would form in her mind. She spied the steam room and bolted for the door, nosing it open. Steam billowed out and she heard the door slam behind her. A few seconds later it re-opened and Squat came in. Lara’s lungs choked and her eyes burnt.
Why on earth do humans pay for this treatment? she thought. Visibility was worse than the foggiest of mornings. Lara’s keen ears picked out the man’s footsteps and the bat slapping into his hand. She circled to the left, lost in the mist. ‘Come here, doggy,’ coaxed the man. ‘I mean no harm.’
You big fat liar! Lara thought, crouching low, ready to pounce.
‘There’s only one way in and out, poochie,’ said the man.
That’s exactly why I lured you in here.