Your Eighteenth Literary Gift of 25 Gifts to Christmas. Come along as we ride at Coaster World, where the Secret Supers are enjoying their summer vacation from seventh grade. It’s a good thing the part can accommodate four disabled teens. This excerpt is from my Villain’s Vacation novel.
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Your Eighteenth Literary Gift: From Villain’s Vacation
“Mac’s coming here now.”
He came in the door, walked to our table, and sat. “Sorry, but we weren’t able to find the kidnapper. We found the radio transmitter on the roof of the hotel. It had been left on to lead us there. We went through the hotel registry, but no one was on our list of terrorists or criminals in the country or the world. We talked with all the hotel residents, but everyone had an alibi when the kidnapping occurred.”
“That cuts it,” said Dad. “The villain is loose. We’re going home.”
“You might be safer here,” Mac said.
“What? How could that be?” asked Mom.
“We’re getting more Special Forces and plainclothes operatives here. We’ve got to get this criminal. What’s to stop them from following you back to Maryville and kidnapping you there?”
We sat silent, digesting our meal and this news.
“Crap. We can’t be safe in Maryville?” Dad looked Mac in the eye.
“I don’t think so. The Secret Supers destroyed a criminal hideout there this spring, sponsored by an international gang of criminals. This may be the same gang.
“I feel sick.” Mom covered her face with her hands.
Dan joked, “Maybe because the hamburgers were greasy?”
An Interruption
Just then Mrs. Robinson scooted up to our table in her walker. “There you are! I haven’t seen you since the boat ride. I’ve had so much fun with you, I wondered if you’d like to take the tour plane around the park and Lake Erie with me tomorrow. It’s about an hour tour.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Robinson, but we’re in the middle of a family planning meeting now. Could we get back with you?”
“Of course, Mr. Gentle. I’m sorry to interrupt. Do you have my cellphone?”
“I do,” I said
“Me too,” Dan added.
“I’m always misplacing my cellphone, so I don’t usually get people’s numbers,” said Aubrey.
“We’ll call you back when we’re free,” came Kayla’s response from her tablet.
“I’ll wait to hear from you.” She rolled away with one wheel on her walker squeaking.
The Security Plan
“I have a security plan for your family and the Secret Supers,” Mac told Dad.
“What?”
“We’ll provide an escort for each of you. That’ll leave me with other squad members to watch the area and the crowds around you. We should be able to catch the criminals if they try anything.”
“Will these guys go in the restrooms with us?” asked Aubrey.
“We have female operatives for you, Kayla, and Mrs. Gentle.”
“Let’s do it! I don’t want to go home,” Dan punched his fist into his palm.
“It doesn’t look like we have much choice,” said Dad.
“I would feel better having everyone escorted. I think we’ve given you children too much freedom,” said Mrs. Gentle.
“Nah, there we disagree, Denise. Some crazed criminal is not a usual danger. Our kids have been very responsible. So far.” Dad looked at all of us with narrowed eyes.
“Still, you should have told us after the first kidnapping,” said Mrs. Gentle.
“You’re right, Mom. No more Secret Supers to you and Dad,” I held my right hand up and the other over my heart.
Dad smiled. “We can be Alfred to your Batman, Jeremy. In on your secret, but discreet.”
“Let’s try this security arrangement out on the Galactic Black Hole. I want to ride that again,” Dan said.
“Okay,” said Mrs. Gentle, “but we’re going too. I want us all to stick together. I haven’t been on a coaster for ten years.”
The Galactic Black Hole
We got into the coaster line like the animals going onto Noah’s ark: two by two. I barely needed to use my cane. I could read the mind of my agent next to me. He was worried about attack vectors. I asked him, “What’s your name?”
“Ed.”
That was all I got out of him. He didn’t want to talk. I skimmed the minds of the others in our group: Ann was with Aubrey, Barb with Kayla, Chip with Jeremy, Don with Mr. Gentle, and Fran with Mrs. Gentle.
I whispered to Kayla as she stood in front of me in line. “Their names are alphabetical.”
I think those are just code names.
“Mac too?”
Probably.
There’s another limitation of mind reading. I couldn’t delve into memories. The person had to recall the memory. If they used a code name I couldn’t tell.
We jumped into the coaster. “I had the front car the first time. This time, I want to ride in the back. I want to get the full experience,” I said to Ed as he settled next to me.
“Uh-huh.”
Roller Coaster
Great conversationalist. But the ride was even better than it had been the day before. A couple of times, even Ed was surprised by a dip or turn that hurled us against the lap restraint. Kayla screamed her head off, as usual. I used her eyes to get a view of the stars and galaxies displayed around us.
We went around a turn and everything went black. I knew a big dip was coming. I was wrong. A huge hand encircled my chest. I felt the restraint fly off my lap as I was jerked into the air.
I took a big breath to yell, but the hiss of gas was the last thing I remembered.
Your Eighteenth Literary Gift Concludes
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