Alexis

by Erica Rodgers

  “Yes, ma’am!” said Alexis. Bailey nodded her head so fast Alexis thought it might pop off. Alexis dug her little pink notebook out of her backpack. She wanted to write down the rules Karen gave her as well as any information that might be great for the documentary.

  Bang! Suddenly the door behind the desk burst open. A tall man in a flannel shirt stumbled into the room, his eyes bulging.

  “Karen! The deal’s off! Call those kids, and tell them that they can’t film here! The mountain lions are out of their cages!”

  Mischief and Mystery

  It was obvious from the look on the man’s face that he hadn’t known the girls were there. He glanced around frantically.

  “It’s okay, Jake,” said Karen. “Let’s go get those cats back in their cages!” The two owners turned and ran out a back door.

  “Wait!” said Alexis. “We can help!”

  “What?” shouted Bailey, glancing at Bubbles nervously. “Didn’t you hear? They said mountain lions!”

  “I know! Come on!”

  Before her father could stop her, Alexis followed Karen and Jake out the back door. Bailey was just behind. They followed a trail in the snow to a small barn structure not far away. Alexis reached out to open the door, but her father’s large hand pushed it shut again.

  “Dad!”

  “Listen first, then open,” said Mr. Howell. “The last thing we want to do is let a sick mountain lion out of this barn.”

  Alexis was shocked. She thought for sure he was going to keep her from going in.

  She and Bailey crept closer and put their ears against a small crack in the wood. They only heard the tramping of heavy boots and Jake’s and Karen’s panicked voices.

  “Get that one! He’s by your elbow!”

  “No! Ow! The other one! She’s too high up. You’re going to have to get the ladder!”

  But Alexis couldn’t figure something out. She couldn’t hear the mountain lions at all. Bailey seemed to be thinking the same thing.

  “What? No ripping of claws? No earth-shattering roars?” she asked. Alexis shrugged and pushed the door open enough for the three of them to slide through. Just as she entered, something landed on her head and leaped ten feet to the top of one of the cages. It looked like a ball of fur with a tail.

  There were six of them, and they were everywhere.

  “They’re kittens!” cried Bailey. “How cute! Come here, kitty, kitty. Come here.”

  Another ball of fluff tore by them, snagging Bailey’s shoelace with a tiny, sharp claw.

  “Oops. I forgot they had those things,” said Bailey.

  Alexis watched as Karen and Jake chased the litter of mountain lion cubs around and around the barn. They managed to get one back in the cage, but when they opened it again to put in another one, the first one escaped.

  “It’s useless!” cried Karen. “We’ll be doing this all day!”

  Another cub leaped from a rafter onto Alexis’s head. This time it tried to stay put, but it was too heavy and slid to the floor instead.

  “Ouch!” Alexis cried. “What’s the deal?”

  Bailey, who was reaching behind a barrel for one of the cubs, looked around.

  “Lexi!” she cried. “It’s your hat! The kittens like your hat!”

  She was right! Alexis had forgotten about her hat. She had picked it out especially for this trip. It was a cozy striped winter hat with a huge fluff-ball pom-pom attached to a string at the top. Of course the lions would like it! The way the pom-pom bobbed, it looked like a huge cat toy!

  Alexis studied the cage. She thought she could get the kittens in with her big pom-pom hat. If she walked in the cage, they would probably bound after her to get the fuzzy cap. But she couldn’t figure out how she’d get out again without releasing them.

  The cages in this barn were for larger animals. They were made of simple chain-link fencing—something Alexis could easily reach her arm through. Before anyone noticed, Alexis was climbing up the side of the mountain lion cage.

  “What are you doing, Alexis?” asked her dad. He was following Jake around the barn trying to help. Instead, he ran into Jake every time he stopped, causing him to miss a kitten more than once.

  “Don’t worry, Dad! I think I have an idea!” Alexis reached the top of the cage and crawled carefully to one of the back corners. Then she took her hat off and shoved it through the chain link into the cage. She held it by the rim, allowing the huge fluff ball to dangle and swing.

  “Here, kitty, kitty!” she called. It didn’t work. The mountain lion cubs were way too interested in terrorizing the rest of the barn. “Bailey, help me! Get their attention!”

  “Okay!” Bailey picked up a broom and ran over to the lion cage. She began running the handle along the metal, making a huge ruckus.

  “Come on, kitties! Over here! Come on, kitties!”

  The cats started noticing the noise and looked toward the dangling hat. Then, as if by some secret command, all six of them charged toward Bailey as fast as they could.

  “Ahhh! Yikes!” Bailey screeched and lurched out of the way. “Lexi, it’s working! Here they come!”

  “Wait, Bailey!” said Alexis. “You have to open the door. They can’t get in.”

  “Oh, right,” said Bailey. She ran back over to the cage and struggled to open it against the tide of fluff and claws. Once it was cracked wide enough, the kittens pushed their way in. They dashed to the dangling hat and leaped, one after another, into the air. Their tiny paws reached over and over for Alexis’s hat, but she pulled it out of reach every time.

  “Are they all in?” Alexis called to Karen. Karen counted out loud.

  “Yes! They are. Close the door!”

  Bailey slammed the door, and Jake rushed to lock it before the kittens could run out again.

  Alexis yanked her hat back through the cage and climbed carefully down. The ordeal was over with only one minor casualty: Alexis had lost one long piece of red yarn from her hat, and all six of the mountain lion cubs fought for it.

  “Wow, that was great!” said Karen. “Thanks for your help, girls!”

  Mr. Howell was still trying to detangle himself from a stack of buckets he had knocked over.

  “Yeah,” said Jake, pointing to Alexis’s hat. “I guess I need to get one of those.”

  “Does this happen often?” asked Bailey.

  “Well, it’s not supposed to,” said Karen.

  “And it never used to,” said Jake.

  Alexis pushed her hat back onto her head and straightened it. “What do you mean, it never used to?” she asked.

  “Come back to the office, and we’ll tell you all about it,” said Karen. She led the guests back through the snow and toward the cozy office.

  “What’s this?” Bailey asked. She stooped and dug something out of the snow. It was a small key ring with a few tiny golden keys on it.

  “That’s funny,” Karen said. “I could have sworn those were in the office. Thanks!”

  She took the keys and opened the office door.

  “Looks like we need more firewood,” said Jake, looking at the dying fire.

  “I can help you get it,” said Mr. Howell. Jake stepped right back out the door, looking scared.

  “No, no, that’s all right. Why don’t you pour yourself some coffee over there?”

  Mr. Howell fixed himself a cup of coffee. He brought the girls some hot cocoa too as well as a plate of doughnuts. Soon they were all circled around the living room fire. They could hear Jake splitting a few larger logs just outside.

  “This has happened a lot lately,” said Karen. She stirred some more sugar into her coffee and tasted it.

  “What has?” Alexis asked. “The mountain lions getting out?”

  “Well, yes and no. They do keep getting out, but other things are happening too. Animals are getting loose when they shouldn’t. But others have gotten sick or started acting strangely. One or two have escaped altogether, and that’s a nightmare. In weather like this,
there are very few animals that can survive. If they’re not healthy or fully grown, they really don’t stand a chance.”

  “So this is new?” Bailey asked, with her mouth full of doughnut. She swallowed, wiped frosting from her lips, and tried again. “I mean, it’s never happened before?”

  “No, not until recently,” said Karen. “Jake’s mom and dad owned this place long before we came along. It’s been in the family forever, and nothing like this has ever happened. Jake feels like he’s failing and is afraid we’ll lose the family business. He just can’t figure out what’s going wrong.”

  Jake came back through the door and dropped a pile of wood in a box near the fireplace. Bubbles the bobcat jumped up and glared at Jake through his misty eyes before moving to the other side of the rug.

  “So you see,” Jake said, “it’s like I said before we ran to the barn. You girls can’t do your documentary here. It’s just too dangerous. We never know when this stuff is going to happen. This time it was the cute little guys, but what if it’s something bigger and more dangerous next time?”

  Karen sighed. “That’s why we don’t give tours. If a visitor got hurt by a sick animal, that would be awful. We could get into a lot of trouble, not to mention the fact that we would feel horrible.”

  Alexis was heartbroken. They couldn’t be serious, could they? She loved snowboarding, but she had really come here to do this documentary. Where else could she find a place like this reserve? This was the only one of its kind in all of California. And this was the only spring break she would get. She wouldn’t have time to shoot the video after school started again next week.

  “But we’re not just anyone!” said Bailey. Alexis looked at her friend and smiled. She could tell that Bailey would not take no for an answer. “I mean, we helped you catch the baby mountain lions, right? And no one got hurt. We’re really smart, and we’re always careful! We’ve done all kinds of things that other kids haven’t, right, Lexi? Our club has solved all kinds of real mysteries, and if this isn’t a mystery, then I don’t know what is.”

  “What club is that?” Karen asked, sipping her coffee.

  “The Camp Club Girls,” Bailey explained. “We all met at Discovery Camp and solved a mystery there. Since then we’ve solved several mysteries together.”

  “Oh, so you all live in the Sacramento area?” Karen asked.

  “No,” Alexis said. “Only I live in California. The other girls live in different places in the United States—Montana; Washington, DC; Texas; Philadelphia—and Bailey here is from Peoria, Illinois.”

  Jake ran his thick hands through his hair and sighed.

  “Sorry, kids. First of all, this isn’t a mystery. It’s just a case of too many mistakes made by me.”

  “That’s not fair, Jake,” said Karen. “We’ve been running things as usual. Name one mistake you have actually made.”

  Jake just stood, frowning.

  “That’s because you’re not making mistakes,” said Karen. “Ever since this started, we’ve been even more careful!”

  “But if it’s not a mistake, Karen, what is it?”

  “It’s a mystery,” said Mr. Howell. “It sounds like you do have a mystery on your hands.”

  Jake crossed his arms. “Prove it,” he said jokingly.

  “Okay,” said Alexis, jumping to the challenge. “First of all, how did those cubs get out this morning? Who opened the cage last?”

  “I did,” said Karen. “This morning when I fed them, I opened it to check on Tiny Tim. He’s the runt of the litter, and I had to make sure the others didn’t take his share.”

  “Okay, so can you remember everything you did, step-by-step?” asked Bailey.

  “Of course. I waited for Tiny Tim to finish eating, and then I left, locking the door behind me. Then I brought the keys inside and hung them on the rack. I remember I locked it because I had to try three keys before I found the right one. They all look the same.”

  “Little and gold?” asked Bailey. “Were they the keys I found outside in the snow?”

  “As a matter of fact, they were,” said Jake, puzzled. “I saw you put the keys on the rack this morning, Karen. How’d they get outside again?”

  “You see?” said Alexis. “It’s a mystery. You both know the keys got put away this morning, and you’re sure the door was locked. The door was open when we went into the barn, which means someone must have taken the keys out of the office and opened the cage.”

  “But that’s impossible!” said Jake. “We’ve been in here all morning!”

  “No,” said Karen.

  “What?” Jake asked, puzzled.

  “No, we haven’t. We both left to pick up Lisa from the bus stop this morning. We were gone for about fifteen minutes.” She turned to the girls. “Lisa is our daughter. She’s out right now, but you’ll love her, I’m sure.”

  Jake and Karen stared at each other wide-eyed. Could someone have broken into their beloved reserve and let these animals out on purpose?

  “So you see, this is a mystery,” said Bailey.

  “And we can help you solve it while we do our documentary,” said Alexis. “Maybe we’ll catch something on tape that will help us figure out what’s going on.”

  The girls looked sweetly up at the two reserve owners. Their big eyes pleaded for the chance to do their video and solve a mystery at the same time.

  “Okay,” said Jake. “But you won’t be allowed to go anywhere on the reserve alone. One of us, or Lisa, will be with you at all times for your safety. If at any time things get too dangerous, we will pull the plug on the project. Sound fair to you?”

  “Yes!” chimed both girls at once.

  “And you’re okay with this, Mr. Howell?” Karen asked.

  “Yep,” he said. “As long as they’re supervised. Alexis almost got eaten by a T. rex last summer, so I’m sure she can handle some sick animals.” Jake and Karen looked puzzled. Mr. Howell winked. “It’s a good story. You should ask her about it sometime.”

  Threatening News

  “I hope we can do all of this, Lexi,” said Bailey.

  She followed Alexis through the breakfast-buffet line, stopping every few feet to make sure she wasn’t about to drop their camera bag. It was just a little too heavy for her. But Alexis didn’t notice. She just kept piling cream cheese on her bagel.

  “All of what?” she asked.

  “I mean, I hope we can shoot this documentary and solve a mystery,” Bailey said, the camera bag slipping off her shoulder. “We’re only here for a few days, you know.”

  “It’s almost a whole week,” Alexis said, putting the top back onto her bagel. “Besides, we’re the Camp Club Girls! Or have you forgotten? We can solve things like this in our sleep.”

  Bailey smiled and pushed the camera bag back on her shoulder. Then she dumped milk onto her bowl of fruity cereal.

  “I guess you’re right,” she said. “Hey, there’s a table open by the fireplace!”

  The girls gingerly stepped around the other tables and chairs in the room to a knobby wooden table in front of a huge stone hearth. The hotel they were staying in was amazing. It was massive, but it still felt warm and inviting.

  Bailey set down her food tray and gasped.

  “Oh no! Where’s the camera?” She spun around to see if she had dropped it.

  “Ouch!” someone behind her cried out.

  Bailey turned and realized that she had hit the boy at the next table with the camera bag. It had been on her shoulder the whole time.

  “I’m so sorry!” she said, turning to the boy. He looked a little bit younger than Alexis.

  “Everyone’s always sorry!” exclaimed the boy. “Why don’t people try watching what they’re doing and where they’re going? Then they wouldn’t have to be sorry all the time!”

  “Um, well, we are really sorry,” said Alexis. She was now standing beside Bailey looking down at the boy, who was still rubbing a spot on his head. “My friend was just worried. She thought she mig
ht have lost—”

  “I really don’t care what she thought she lost,” the boy said, facing Alexis. “She just needs to watch where she’s swinging her stuff.”

  He got up and stormed off, taking his tray to the other side of the dining room.

  Alexis turned around and saw tears in Bailey’s eyes.

  “It’s okay, small fry,” Alexis said. “Some people can’t help but spread their bad moods.”

  “I really didn’t mean to hit him, Lexi,” said Bailey. “I was thinking about the camera, and I didn’t realize he was sitting so close to our table.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” said Alexis. “Let’s eat. We have a bus to catch, remember?”

  After breakfast Alexis and Bailey waited outside the hotel for the bus that would take them across town. They were supposed to get off at a little convenience store and ice cream parlor that was near the reserve. Then Lisa, Karen and Jake’s daughter, would meet them and drive them the rest of the way. She was home for spring break too—only she was taking a break from college.

  On the bus ride over, Alexis and Bailey went through their recording equipment. They had a digital video camera and enough disks to record hours upon hours of footage. Alexis had also borrowed an external microphone from her drama teacher at school. It would help them pick up voices and sounds from farther away. This could really come in handy when they recorded animals from a distance.

  When the girls got to their stop, Lisa was already waiting for them on the porch of the store.

  “You must be the documentary girls,” she said. She shook their hands. She was wearing thick skiing mittens. A hat that matched her mittens covered most of her long, brown French braid.

  “That’s us!” said Alexis. “This is Bailey, and I’m Alexis.”

  “It’s good to meet you,” said Lisa. She led them to a red Jeep that was still running in the nearby parking lot. It was toasty when the girls climbed in. “So my parents told me about the kitties escaping yesterday and your help in getting them back in the cage. I hear you two think these things aren’t just accidents, that something fishy is going on up at the reserve?”