by Felice Arena
Andy looked out the front window and saw Mr Presticott hanging around, trying to figure out why the party had been broken up. ‘Would someone please tell me what’s going on here?’ he called.
Agent Granny walked down the steps towards him. ‘Not your concern,’ she said as she pushed him back towards his jeep.
As Mr Presticott struggled to regain his balance, a silver car with tinted windows pulled up. Two large men wearing trench coats hopped out.
The hairs on the back of Andy’s neck stood on end. ‘They’re here!’
Judd grabbed Andy’s arm. ‘HURRY!’ he cried. Andy looked back to see Agent Granny throwing Mr Presticott to the ground and charging for the men.
‘They’ll kill her! We need to help!’
‘She can look after herself! Come on!’
Granny was engaged in an all-out battle with the men. They charged at her and she blocked each strike and sparred for her life. As Mr Presticott stumbled to his feet – waving his hands at them – one of the men took out a pistol.
‘NO!’ screamed Andy. ‘HE’S GOT A GUN!’
With no time to think or worry about what would happen, Andy slapped his neck, punched the window with his fist, and fired his laser finger at the gunman. The window shattered with a crash, but to Andy’s shock there were no glowing blue hands. No surge of energy up his spine. No laser beam. Nothing. He slapped his neck again, and this time he powered up, but still his laser would not fire.
‘Andy! We’ve got to get out of here!’ Judd cried, trying to drag his friend away from the window.
The crack of gunshots rang out loudly as Judd and Andy reached the garage and hopped on to Granny’s Ducati.
‘That was two shots!’ Andy said, feeling desperate. ‘You’ve gotta help her!’
‘I can’t, Andy! My mission is to protect you,’ said Judd, revving the engine and pointing the remote at the garage door. ‘Now hold on!’
The boys roared out the back of the garage and sped off down the laneway.
‘Wait!’ Andy screamed, suddenly remembering. ‘Reggie’s still in my room – he’s still there!’
As Judd was shaking his head, shouting, ‘We can’t risk going back,’ Andy jumped off the moving motorcycle.
Instantly everything felt like it was slowed down frame by frame, as if shot in slow motion, even though it all happened in a second.
From the moment Andy launched into the air, landed on both his feet and went into a triple roll like some Hollywood stuntman, he knew he was acting on pure adrenalin and instinct.
Sprinting back towards the house he ran faster than he ever had before. His legs were a blur. In seconds he was in the backyard. He could hear Baffi’s men breaking through the front door.
‘Agent Granny? Mr Presticott?’ he said under his breath, but he didn’t have time to think about that. He looked up and saw that the back window in his room was wide open.
Andy propelled himself towards the window, but as he left the ground his breath seemed to catch in his throat. Brightly coloured lights filled his vision. He felt a terrible pressure in his lower back and pins and needles ran up and down his legs. He collapsed after only jumping half a metre off the ground.
‘No!’ He choked. ‘Not another glitch! Not now!’
Andy willed himself to jump higher. He took a deep breath and launched for the window. This time he made it. Just. With his fingers tightly gripped on the window-sill, he pulled himself inside his bedroom.
‘Reggie? Where are you?’ he whispered.
‘CHECK UPSTAIRS!’ It was one of Baffi’s men in the living room.
‘Reggie?’ whispered Andy, looking under the bed.
‘I’m here,’ Reggie said, stepping out of Andy’s wardrobe. ‘I heard the gunshots and hid.’ He was shaking. ‘They’re going to kill us, a-aren’t they?’ he stammered.
‘Not if I can help it,’ said Andy. ‘Do you have Brad?’
Brad squeaked and popped his head out of Reggie’s pocket, as if to say, ‘About time you showed up!’
Andy picked Reggie up off his feet and moved to the window.
‘Whoa! How strong are you?’ said Reggie. ‘That’s amazing!’
‘You think that’s amazing?’ Andy said. He heard Baffi’s men stomping up the stairs and hoped he would make the jump without his powers failing again. ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet!’
Still holding Reggie, Andy jumped.
‘AAARGGGHHHHHHH,’ screamed Reggie.
Andy landed firmly, but softly, on both feet just as Judd rode up beside them. ‘Get on!’ he yelled.
Andy flung himself and Reggie on to the motorcycle.
‘Hang on,’ cried Judd, revving the turbine engines to a raging howl.
The boys roared off into the distance as Baffi’s men stuck their heads out of the open window and fired a barrage of shots in their direction.
A couple of hours later the boys pulled up in the car park of a roadside restaurant. All three were still in shock, especially Reggie. He was shaking all over.
Judd put a call through to the General.
‘Am I on speaker phone?’ The General asked, his voice angry and upset.
‘Yes,’ said Judd sheepishly.
‘How could you boys have been so stupid? So irresponsible? You’ve put lives at risk. Agent Granny was almost killed saving that foolish teacher.’
‘Don’t blame Andy,’ Judd said. ‘It was all my fault. I was the one who was irresponsible.’
‘Oh, really, only you? Because, Andy, what did we tell you about getting in contact with Molly? Between you and Judd, you’ve created several very clear trails that lead straight back to that safe house. And your friend Reggie didn’t help – he was all over the net and the forums.’
Andy winced. ‘Is Molly okay?’ he said.
There was another long pause before the General replied. ‘Andy, I’m afraid I have some bad news – and it’s not just about Molly.’
‘What? What?’ stuttered Andy, now panicking.
Molly has been kidnapped by Baffi’s men. They’re holding her for ransom – they’re insisting that you and your mum surrender yourselves to them.’
Andy’s entire body slumped. It felt like being kicked in the guts. Then something really terrible occurred to him.
‘But wait,’ he said. ‘You said they want me and my mum to surrender – what about my dad?’
There was another long pause as the boys stood around Judd’s mobile.
‘That’s the other bad news.’ The General sighed heavily. ‘Your father is missing. So is the agent who was shadowing him. We don’t know yet what has happened, but we suspect it’s not good. This has been a dark day for us all. I want you boys to come to me – as soon as possible. I’ll send through details to Judd.’
The General hung up. The boys stared at each other in shock.
‘Well, you heard the man,’ said Judd finally, moving back to the Ducati. ‘Let’s get you to another safe house.’
‘You run away if you like,’ said Andy, crossing his arms defensively.
He remembered how he had tried to use his laser on the goons. He’d never been able to bring himself to use it on anyone before. But this time, if it hadn’t malfunctioned, he knew he would have fired. He wasn’t proud of it, but he knew that he’d crossed a line and all bets were off.
‘I’ve had enough of running. If my dad’s alive, then Baffi has him, and Molly’s in danger. So it’s time to face the Triple S head on. We can find the General, but after that I’m going to take Baffi down.’
‘Ca…ca…can someone please tell me what’s going on?’ Reggie asked. ‘Who’s Baffi? What’s the Triple S?’
‘Fine…’ said Judd, stepping back towards Andy, ignoring Reggie. ‘I’m coming with you.’
‘You are?’ said Andy.
‘Yep,’ said Judd. ‘I’m in big trouble with the General anyway…maybe even fired. And I know what it’s like to lose a parent. I only wish I could have saved mine. I don’t know how you’re g
oing to do it, but count me in, dude.’
‘I have no idea what you’re talking about,’ Reggie snapped. ‘And I haven’t been this frightened in my entire life. But this is the most incredible thing that has ever happened to me. So if you think I’m staying behind, you’re crazy!’
Andy and Judd exchanged looks and turned back to Reggie.
‘Okay then, what are we waiting for?’ exclaimed Andy. ‘Let’s go!’
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First published by Penguin Group (Australia), 2012
Text copyright © Red Wolf Entertainment Pty Ltd, 2012
Illustrations copyright © Chad McCown, 2012
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ISBN: 978-1-74253-652-1