Saving the Statue of Liberty

by Andrea Jo Rodgers

  They climbed and climbed. John’s legs started to feel rubbery, but he pushed on and kept a firm grip on the metal handrail. He didn’t want to disappoint his teammates by slowing them down.

  “I heard it now too. That’s definitely Slade’s voice. If they stay up in the crown area, we’ll be able to catch up with them,” Raphael whispered.

  Despite the dim lighting, John recognized the Statue of Liberty’s lips and nose. How amazingly cool to see them from the inside!

  Annabelle turned around and held one finger to her lips. “Everyone be quiet. We’ll try to surprise them.”

  They climbed on in silence for another minute. John tried to focus on making his breaths less noisy. We’re very close. I can see the crown.

  CHAPTER 15

  Annabelle leaped up the last step into the crown area. “Stop right there. Whatever’s in your hand, put it down right now.”

  Devlin stood near the center of the crown, flanked by Malicia and Slade. For a brief second, John’s and Malicia’s gazes locked. Suppressing a shiver, John turned and stared at Devlin’s hands. Why is he holding a toilet-paper roll covered in goo?

  Devlin smirked. “So nice to see all of you like this. Now, Annabelle, I think by now you’ve figured out that I don’t take orders from you. I’m happy to say you came just in time to see me activate the trigger on our stink bomb, which Slade was kind enough to make for us. Clever guy. He made it out of a toilet-paper roll, tissue soaked in vinegar, straws, rubber bands, some paper and tape. Of course, the sticky outer coating was my idea. That way, we could stick it to anything.”

  Two park rangers sprang off their stools in a small area behind a railing against the far wall of the crown. John spotted equipment behind them, such as a large thermometer, a fire extinguisher, and security cameras. The young female ranger grabbed her radio from her holster.

  “Tell dispatch to call for an evacuation,” the other ranger, an older man, told her. He perched on a steel beam just behind the ascending staircase, climbed over the railing, and lunged toward Devlin. “Put that down right now, before you get in more trouble than you’re already in.”

  Devlin pulled a match out of one end of the stink bomb, struck it against Malicia’s camera, and stuck it into the other end of the stink bomb. He tossed the stink bomb up toward the ceiling, where it stuck to the very top of the crown, directly over the staircase. He let out an evil, I’m-a-villain kind of laugh. “We need to get out of here. I think you can understand why. In about forty-five seconds, it’s going to stink something awful in here. Fortunately, we brought nose plugs for ourselves.” He and his friends dodged the female ranger and began racing down the stairs.

  The other ranger reached up for the stink bomb but was too short by several inches.

  “What are we going to do? We need to figure out how to reach it right away,” Shaniqua said.

  John stared at the ceiling. The stink bomb stuck within the statue’s hair, the wavy lines traversing the very top of the crown. He knew if the ranger couldn’t reach the stink bomb, there was no way he could either—or Annabelle, Raphael, or Shaniqua for that matter. Shaniqua’s right. We need a solution right away. Maybe someone could stand on my shoulders. Suddenly, someone attacked him from behind, pushing down hard on his shoulder. What in the world?

  A brown blur launched from his shoulder.

  Mr. Gibbons!

  He sailed through the air… up… up… up all the way to the top of the ceiling. In one swift motion, he grabbed the stink bomb and landed gracefully on the staircase railing. He let out a gleeful laugh as he tossed the stink bomb directly into John’s hands. Why is he always throwing things at me? The wet paper towels were bad enough. Now a stink bomb. I mean, seriously?

  The stink bomb grew warm to the touch and started to give off an odor. It’s like a game of hot potato, but the stakes are much higher than usual. In just a few seconds, the statue would be devastated by the dreadful stink. In such a confined area, it could create tremendous chaos. Many people who had dreamed of seeing the inside of the Statue of Liberty could have their dreams disappointed.

  “Throw it out a window!” Annabelle and Shaniqua both yelled.

  John spotted a row of small windows on the far side of the crown. The ones on the bottom were the kind that you crank inward to let in a little air. Rats. They’re all closed. A tiny row of windows stood on top of them, but many had wire mesh over them. His gaze focused on an open one. If only I can reach it in time. The bomb grew hot in his hands, the fumes becoming more powerful. He gagged.

  “You got this, John. Throw it out the window as hard as you can. Like you’re throwing a baseball from the outfield to home plate,” Raphael said.

  John tripped, banged his shoulder into the window, and nearly dropped the stink bomb. Righting himself, he took a deep breath and squeezed his arm through the small opening. When he played baseball, he could crank his arm all the way back before throwing. Now, however, he couldn’t because of the window’s narrow opening. A few unsuspecting visitors entered the crown just as an evacuation alarm sounded.

  “Throw it!” Annabelle hollered.

  John threw the stink bomb with all his might. He watched as it sailed over the grassy area in front of the Statue of Liberty, then poof. A large amount of smoke poured out, the overwhelming stench carried away by the breeze. He watched as several seagulls swooped and changed directions.

  “You did it!” His teammates crowded around him as they high-fived one another.

  “I couldn’t have done it without Mr. Gibbons.” John grinned, a profound sense of relief washing over him. No more stink bomb to explode in his hands.

  “Cancel the evacuation,” the female ranger directed the dispatch center via her portable radio. “I’ll call you and explain everything.”

  Raphael grabbed Mr. Gibbons from the railing and hugged him. “Thank goodness you’re okay,” Raphael said.

  “Children, we have some questions for you,” the older ranger stepped toward them.

  “We’ll be happy to answer them, but we need to catch those kids first,” Annabelle said, not waiting for an answer. “Let’s go.”

  Raphael didn’t have to be told twice. He looked worried they might take away his monkey, even if he did just help save the statue from the stink bomb.

  Team Liberty began descending the stairs as quickly as the narrow wedge shape would allow. “They’ve got a good jump on us now. I’m not sure how we’ll be able to find them.”

  “It depends if they try to hide somewhere or if they want to get straight off the island,” Shaniqua said. “My guess is that they’ll want to get off so they don’t get trapped here.”

  “But how? By ferry? Surely the rangers will be looking for them there. And they’d have those long lines to deal with,” John said. They left the brightness of the crown area and entered the darkness of the main statue. Down and down they went. His foot slipped off one step, but he regained his balance by grasping the handrail.

  “Good point. One thing is for certain. They’re not just winging it. I bet they have an escape plan,” Annabelle said.

  John heard pounding steps behind him.

  “Children, stop!” the ranger commanded.

  “We’ll explain later,” Annabelle yelled as she kept going forward.

  “I can see the pedestal level,” Shaniqua said breathlessly. “We can lose the ranger and at the same time check outside to make sure Devlin isn’t hiding out there.”

  “Thank goodness. The guard here before must have stepped away. I bet they’re looking for Team Mischief,” Raphael noted.

  “Good. We’ll go straight outside. Shaniqua and I will go to the right and you two can go to the left. We’ll meet back here,” Annabelle called over her shoulder. A visitor held the door open, so they slipped out.

  John kept his eyes wide open as he circled the pedestal. People eager to experience part of America’s history crowded the area. Although he spotted numerous teenagers, none of them were from Team Mischie
f. A few minutes later, he met back up with Annabelle and Shaniqua.

  “Nothing. We better keep going.” Annabelle headed back inside toward the exit sign.

  More steps loomed ahead, but this time wider and easier to negotiate. John grabbed both handrails and swung himself forward to pick up speed.

  “We can come back for our stuff later,” Shaniqua said as they rushed past the locker area.

  “Good idea.” Raphael kept a firm grip on Mr. Gibbons.

  They hurried through the gift shop. John jerked to avoid running into a toddler and nearly knocked over a clothing rack. He worried that if they appeared suspicious, park rangers might stop them. They couldn’t afford to have any delays.

  They paused at the edge of the hardscape, and Annabelle pointed to a long wooden dock that extended into the water surrounding the island. “Let’s try over there.”

  John ignored the cramp in his side as they sprinted across the grass toward the water. I hope they didn’t already get away.

  “Look underneath the dock,” Raphael said. “I think I see something.”

  As they drew closer, John could see three snorkelers. Team Mischief is escaping.

  Devlin saluted them before turning and slipping away into the dark waters. Slade stuck out his tongue and disappeared as well, his fins propelling him swiftly through the water. Malicia turned away, so John could see only the back of her head and shoulders. He figured she’d swim away with her friends any second. Did a Maleficus Academy boat wait just offshore, ready to pluck them out of the water and take them safely back to their school?

  “There’s no way we can catch them. I’ll call dispatch for help.” Annabelle pulled out radio.

  Malicia hovered under the edge of the dock. At that moment, she turned and met John’s gaze. Even though she wore a diving mask, John could see a look of pure terror on her face. She sank lower, the water coming up over her head. Is she drowning?

  CHAPTER 16

  Mentally, John thanked his mother for making him take a junior lifesaving course last year. “John, honey, we live at the beach. You need to know these things,” she’d said.

  The training now rushed back to him. “Malicia’s going under. Call 9-1-1. I’m going in to help her.”

  “No way. It’s too dangerous,” Raphael said, shaking his head.

  “I’ll be okay.” John jumped feet first into the water. Dear Lord, please keep me safe and let me help Malicia. The cold, choppy water washed over him. He swam closer to her, taking care to keep his head out of the water so that he didn’t lose sight of her.

  Malicia’s head dipped underwater, then popped back up again just enough to get her mouth above the water’s surface and take a deep breath.

  “I’m caught on something,” she managed to say, coughing on the water she had already swallowed.

  John nodded. “It’s going to be okay.” He dove under the murky water. It’s so hard to see… I wish I had my goggles. His lungs burned and his heart pounded as though it might explode in his chest. I know I learned this in junior lifeguarding class, but this is the real deal. Malicia’s life is at stake.

  A rope attached to one of the dock’s support beams looped tightly around Malicia’s right ankle, just above her flipper. John tried to pull it off over her foot but couldn’t. There’s no way I can see well enough to unknot it. Even if I could, it would take me too long. Help me, God.

  The solution floated to him like an answered prayer. Take off her flipper. He knew he could last underwater without air only for a few more seconds. He yanked off the flipper with one hand and slipped the rope off her foot with the other. Without time to spare, his head burst above the water’s surface.

  He spotted Malicia facedown in the water. He lifted her head up and flipped her over onto her back. He could hear screaming and yelling from the land above but tuned it out. Her face is blue. Is she breathing? He pinched her nostrils closed and gave her two rescue breaths. Her lips were cold and salty. He kicked his legs to stay afloat since he couldn’t touch the bottom.

  Malicia’s eyes fluttered open, and she coughed up water.

  “I got your foot loose,” John replied, keeping a firm hold on her as he treaded water. Am I really talking to the very girl who insinuated just the other day that I’m a baby? The girl who told my friends they should buy me a pacifier.

  Malicia panted for a moment, trying to catch her breath. “I better get out of here. My parents will be so mad if I fail another assignment. Could you help me get my flipper back on?”

  “You need to go to the hospital to get checked out.” Since John lived at the shore, he knew that a near drowning was a very serious medical emergency.

  “If it’s all the same, I’ll pass and take my chances. If the police come, they’ll take me to jail.” The bluish color receded from her face and her cheeks turned pink.

  John helped Malicia slip the flipper back onto her right foot. Her once-angry eyes now filled with gratitude. “Thank you.” She placed her snorkel tube in her mouth and swam away.

  A jumble of emotions swept over John—elation that he’d rescued Malicia yet confusion that he’d just let one of Team Mischief’s members escape. He probably should have tried harder to stop her, but he didn’t. He wasn’t even sure why he hadn’t.

  “John, are you okay?” Annabelle called to him, her voice quivering.

  He swam a few feet away from the dock so that they could see him better and waved up at them. “I’m okay. I just need to figure out how to climb back out.”

  Just then, the ranger from the crown threw him a circular floatation device attached to a rope and pulled John closer to the shoreline. With Annabelle, Raphael, Shaniqua, and other bystanders, he worked to pull John up to safety. John couldn’t help but wonder how the ranger could be there helping him when just a short time ago he was up in the crown. He must have come down right after they did.

  “Where’s Malicia?” Shaniqua asked. “Is she okay?”

  John shivered. “Yeah, her foot was caught by a rope, but I got it loose.”

  “Is she still down there?” Raphael asked. “I can’t see her.”

  “No. She swam away,” John replied.

  Annabelle placed a towel around his shoulders. “Don’t worry about that. You did a terrific job. But we put off talking to the park rangers long enough. Now they’re definitely going to want to speak to us.”

  The ranger pointed toward the Statue of Liberty. “That’s right, young lady. You’re coming with me.”

  * * * *

  For the next hour the rangers asked them so many questions that John’s head started to hurt. It seemed to him as if they were starting to ask the same questions over again.

  A cell phone rang.

  “Pardon me,” the ranger from the crown said, stepping away. John listened as he spoke in hushed tones. Finally, he hung up and turned toward them. “It sounds like you kids are off the hook. My boss just spoke with the head of St. Michael’s and confirmed that you have authorization for this mission.”

  Team Liberty breathed a collective sigh of relief. John’s stomach growled. Lunch is way overdue.

  The ranger chuckled. “I heard that all the way from here. I think it’s time we treat you to a lunch at the Crown Café for a job well done.”

  Team Liberty sat at a shady picnic table to eat.

  Shaniqua paused before biting into her veggie burger. “I wonder if the Coast Guard is still out looking for Devlin, Slade, and Malicia.”

  “They’re so slippery I bet they’re already back at Maleficus Academy.” Annabelle took out her phone. “I’m going to call Mr. Jorgenson to see if the portals are working again.”

  John closed his eyes and savored his chicken nuggets and fries. If the portals aren’t working, I hope I don’t have to dive into a vase again.

  “The portals won’t be ready for about five hours,” Annabelle said. “It sounds like we have the whole afternoon to ourselves. What does everyone want to do?”

  “Go back to the
Liberty Science Center,” Raphael suggested.

  “Check out the Statue of Liberty’s museum and take some selfies,” Shaniqua added.

  Suddenly, John had an idea. “If you like, after we do those things, we can catch a train to one of the Jersey beaches and go surfing or boogie boarding.”

  “Seriously, dude?” Raphael asked. “Count me in, as long as Mr. Gibbons can tag along. I bet he’d make an awesome surfer. And now that I think of it, we better hold off on the science center because I’m sure I can’t take him in there. But I’d still love to visit it another time.”

  “What a wonderful idea.” Annabelle beamed. “We’ll take some selfies and head to the beach. I knew we brought along those goggles and bathing suits for a reason.”

  * * * *

  John read a text from Chloe and Jackson on his way home: We’re still hanging out at the pool with the gang.

  John longed to meet up with them, but he knew he couldn’t. How could I explain that I’m at home in New Jersey when I’m supposed to be with Aunt Martha in South Dakota?

  Next John texted Grandma. How’s Ranger?

  When he heard his cell phone buzz with a reply, his gut clenched. He was almost too nervous to read her message in case it contained bad news.

  We’re allowed to pick Ranger up at 4:30. The vet said the rest of the tests also came back negative. He said it’s just the worst case of homesickness he’s ever seen. I promise we’ll spoil him rotten when we get him home.

  Some of John’s worry dissipated. Ranger’s going to be okay. I wish he could meet me at home now. He closed his eyes for a second and pictured rubbing Ranger behind his ears.

  John’s friends were also busy catching up with emails and text messages.

  “My mom just texted that she hasn’t seen Mr. Gibbons all day. I let her know he’s with me,” Raphael said.

  “I bet she wasn’t overly surprised, since he figured out how to use the portal this week,” Annabelle guessed. “How’s your family, Shaniqua?”