Candy Shop War (41 page)

“You’ll do great,” Pigeon said, patting his Labrador reassuringly as they hurried up the ramp at the rear of Mt. Diablo Elementary.

“Most of my food isn’t much more than meaty porridge,” the dog said. “I’m not complaining, it tastes good, but it doesn’t really test my teeth. Do you think I could break skin?”

“For sure,” Pigeon said. “You just need more confidence. Don’t you think I’m worried too? How am I supposed to succeed where everybody else failed? But we have to give it a shot. The bad guys will probably show up here soon to claim their treasure. We have the element of surprise on our side. If we’re stealthy, we might find a way to stop them.”

“I can do stealthy,” Diego assured him. “You wouldn’t believe how many birds I’ve almost caught.”

Pigeon knelt just before they reached the top of the ramp. He held out some Brain Feed in his palm. “You better have a little more,” Pigeon said. “I don’t want you to relapse.”

Diego ate the kibbles. “You say I get all slobbery and stop responding to your commands?”

“Pretty much,” Pigeon said. “Without the Brain Feed, your only tricks are
sit
and
shake.
And I have to help you shake by grabbing your paw.”

“Funny, I can’t picture that. If you say so.”

“Don’t let me forget to give you more in a few minutes,” Pigeon said.

They arrived at the top of the ramp to find Nate racing toward them. Nate stopped running and waved his arms.

Pigeon rushed over to greet Nate. “Am I glad to see you!” Pigeon gushed.

“Me too,” Nate said. “I was starting to worry I’d missed you. I’ve been searching all over.”

“Where are Summer and John?” Pigeon asked.

“They were captured,” Nate said. “Only I got away. I have a lot to explain. Where were you going to wait for the bad guys?”

“We were planning to set up a stakeout over by the Dumpster,” Diego said, making Nate jump.

“Forgot about the talking dog,” Nate said. “Okay, you two didn’t get caught there last time, so that sounds good.” They started walking across a playing field toward the front of the school.

“Last time?” Pigeon asked.

“I used the Grains of Time that Mr. Stott gave me,” Nate explained. “I’ve been to the past and the future. Remember that bum who bugged us when we were walking home that time? It really was me. My mind traveled back into his body.”

“No way,” Pigeon said.

“What bum?” Diego asked.

“Long story,” Nate said. “I also went to the future where Belinda had succeeded in drinking from the Fountain of Youth. Pigeon, in that future, you and Diego tried to stop her unaided. Diego got killed, and you were changed into an old man.”

“You weren’t here?” Pigeon said.

“The future I saw was the future without me in it. But I’m here this time, and I know what went wrong. Hopefully we can do things differently and make everything turn out better.”

“How’d I get killed?” Diego asked.

“Mauricio showed up with Denny, Eric, and Kyle. They went to the janitor’s office and used a hidden entrance to get into a secret basement. When you guys tried to follow, Wyatt ambushed you with giant black widow spiders. He captured Pigeon and later killed you, Diego.”

“Wyatt?” Pigeon asked.

“Wyatt is the Fuse, Mauricio is the jelly guy,” Nate said.

“What should we do differently?” Pigeon asked.

“First let’s run to the Dumpster,” Nate said, picking up the pace.

Pigeon ran along behind, slowly falling back. As they raced through the school, he noticed that there were still teachers in some of the classrooms. It was strange to think that for most people, this was just another ordinary day. When they reached the parking lot, several cars remained. Nate, Diego, and Pigeon all ducked into the chain-link cage that surrounded the Dumpster.

“Does this feel good?” Nate asked. “Is this where you would have stayed to spy on their arrival?”

“I think so,” Pigeon said.

“Once they arrive, we partly just need to lay low longer,” Nate said. “Instead of following them, we should set up an ambush. Turning the key to open the treasure room door will age Kyle. Entering the room will kill Mauricio. Then Eric will enter the room and end up an invalid. That was when they sent you, Pigeon, into the room to retrieve the goblet with the water from the Fountain of Youth. That was how you turned old. If we stay out of the way, Denny will have to retrieve it, and he’ll end up old also.”

“Then what?” Pigeon asked.

“If Denny fails, we’ll be ahead of the game. The others are too old to retrieve the goblet; entering the room would kill them like it killed Mauricio. If Denny succeeds, we’ll have to jump him and Wyatt and take back the goblet. Denny will be old and frail. We’ll have to shock Wyatt or something. Do you have any Shock Bits left?”

“One dose,” Pigeon said. “Do you have any?”

“I have one also. Remember, with Wyatt, we have to zap him quickly, or he’ll use his magic on us. Once we have the goblet, we can’t just pour out the water. A protective spell keeps the goblet full until somebody actually drinks it. I was hoping Diego might volunteer to down the water. Wouldn’t you like to be a puppy again?”

“I’m only what, six years old?” Diego said. “What if I get so young I cease to exist?”

“That could happen if any of us drink it,” Nate said. “But in dog years you’re like forty-two, making you the oldest by far.”

“What if the water doesn’t take dog years into account?” Diego asked. “Then I’d be the youngest.”

“We have to get rid of this water,” Nate said. “After Mrs. White turns young, everyone who has tasted the white fudge will fall under her control. And she’ll start preparing to distribute white fudge to the world.”

“How come the dog is more disposable than the human?” Diego complained.

“There has to be another way,” Pigeon said.

They stood in awkward silence for a moment.

“I’m kidding, Pidge,” Diego said reluctantly. “I know how much this matters to you. I’d do anything you asked of me, you know that. You want me to lap up the water?”

Pigeon dug more Brain Feed out of his pocket and fed it to Diego. He stroked the dog’s black fur. “Yeah, we need you to do this. Hopefully it will work out for the best.”

“Right,” Diego said, trying to sound brave. “It’ll be fun to be a puppy again.”

A black Hummer with one side of the front bashed in came zooming along Oak Grove Avenue and squealed into the parking lot. Nate crouched out of sight behind the Dumpster as Pigeon peeked out through the fence.

“It’s them,” Pigeon whispered. “Mauricio, Denny, Eric, and Kyle. Where’s the Fuse?”

“He didn’t arrive with them,” Nate replied quietly.

“They’re heading into the school,” Pigeon reported. “Going toward the cafeteria, just like you said.”

“We need to be patient,” Nate said. “They have to get into the janitor’s office, move some filing cabinets to find the hatch, climb down, get to the door, open it, and have a few of them get old.”

“Where do you want to ambush them?” Pigeon asked after a minute.

“Are they out of sight yet?” Nate asked.

“Yes.”

Nate came out from behind the Dumpster and surveyed the area. “We should hide behind the Hummer. That way Wyatt will come close enough for us to shock him. We’ll have to strike quickly.”

“I wish you had another Ironhide,” Pigeon said.

“Sorry,” Nate said.

“I can hide under the Hummer,” Diego offered. “I’ll rush out and distract him, go for his legs, then you guys can move in and deliver the shock.”

“Sounds good,” Nate said.

“What’s the difference between waiting over here and waiting behind the Hummer?” Pigeon asked.

“Nothing, I guess,” Nate said. “Except if we hide at the Hummer, we’ll already be in position, just in case.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Pigeon agreed.

Staying low, they dashed across the parking lot and squatted behind the Hummer. Diego crawled underneath and then crawled back out. “I’ll go back under when the time comes,” Diego said.

Pigeon gave Diego a few more kibbles of Brain Food.

“There are two other versions of me running around town,” Nate said.

“What?” Pigeon asked.

“The yellow sand of the Grains of Time split me into three,” Nate explained. “The other two dropped me off at the back of the school a few minutes before I found you. One of me is staking out the candy shop to help Summer and John, and the other is going to try to help Trevor. In a little while we’ll all get drawn back together at a central location.”

“Are you the real Nate?” Pigeon asked.

“We’re all the real Nate,” Nate said. “It’s complicated.”

They waited in silence. After some time, Pigeon gave Diego more Brain Feed.

“How’s life as a dog?” Nate asked.

“No complaints,” Diego said. “Nice home, good family, plenty to eat, attention when I want it, time to myself when I want it. I’ve always wondered though, Pigeon, why’d you give me a Spanish name?”

“Dad got you in San Diego,” Pigeon said.

“Ah,” Diego said. “I missed that somehow. Makes sense.”

Chanting commenced behind them. They turned in time to see the Fuse approaching, arms spread wide, birthmark blazing. In front of him on the asphalt, three black widow spiders expanded to horrific proportions, each reaching the size of a small car, most of the mass residing in their bulbous abdomens.

While Nate tucked his candy into his pants, and Pigeon fumbled for his Shock Bits, the glossy spiders pounced, adroitly binding them in sticky threads. Diego barked. Once the kids were bound, the gargantuan spiders backed off.

“On your feet,” Wyatt said. “I have total control of these adult female black widow spiders. At this size, I don’t think I need to explain what their venom would do to you.”

Nate and Pigeon shared a terrified glance. This was not supposed to happen.

*****

Nate number three entered his bathroom and found Trevor waiting in the mirror. Trevor looked relieved to see him and waved. Nate waved back and popped in a Mirror Mint.

Nate had considered bringing a pile of comic books into the mirror with him, in case he ended up stranded. Then he had remembered that he would not be able to see anything in the darkness. If he was going to read anything, somebody would have to hold it up to the mirror from the outside.

Climbing onto the counter, Nate tested the mirror. It felt pliable, flexing inward as he pressed his hand against it. Biting down hard on the mint, Nate crossed through into the cold darkness.

“What are you doing?” Trevor asked excitedly. “Did you find extra mints?”

“I still only had two,” Nate said. “I want you to use the last one.”

“But then you’ll be trapped!”

Nate explained about being split into three selves, and his theory that when the selves reunited, he would be pulled out of the mirror realm.

“Sounds risky,” Trevor said.

“At least it gives both of us a chance,” Nate said. “Otherwise you’d be hopeless.”

“What should I do when I get out?” Trevor asked.

“Do you have any candy left?” Nate asked.

“They took it all,” Trevor said.

“Maybe you can go give me a hand at the school or the candy shop.” Nate hastily outlined what had happened to the others and what was going on.

“Sounds like you might need more help at the school,” Trevor said.

“You better hurry,” Nate encouraged, finding Trevor’s hand in the darkness and giving him the mint.

“If you end up trapped, I’ll get you out,” Trevor promised.

“Okay,” Nate said. “I’ll be waiting here.”

Trevor bit down on the final Mirror Mint and crawled through the mirror onto Nate’s bathroom counter. Dropping to the floor, he clutched his side. Wincing into the mirror at Nate, he waved and exited the bathroom.

*****

Pigeon glanced over his shoulder at the eight eyes of the massive spider following him, his view of the black widow blurred by tears. The sleek, silent arachnid followed him dispassionately, legs working in creepy coordination. Webbing bound his arms to his sides.

Pigeon hung his head. Not much had changed from the way Nate had described things going the first time. The only difference was that instead of just Pigeon and Diego getting captured, now there were three prisoners.

Diego padded along beside him. Was his dog going to die again? Pigeon wished he had never given the Labrador Brain Feed. He wished he had not come to know his dog on such a personal level. He wished Diego was still slobbering out in the backyard.

“How did you find us?” Nate asked as Wyatt marched them into the custodial office.

“What’s it to you?” Wyatt asked.

“Weren’t you in the cafeteria?” Nate asked.

The Fuse huffed. “Part of the time. A good sentry stays in motion. I spotted you running over to the Hummer, and moved into position while you were jabbering.”