Christmas Countdown (7 page)

‘I've got a plan, IJ,' said EJ, ‘but we're going to need help. A1 said there were
SHINE
agents deployed in the park and we're going to need them all.'

‘What are we going to do?' asked IJ.

‘We're going to take over the Christmas Wonderland Toy Parade.'

‘How?'

‘Tiffany's whole plan is that she will be able to march right out of here with the diamonds,' explained EJ. ‘No one would guess that the toys have the stolen diamonds in them.'

‘I get that,' said IJ. ‘So what's the plan?'

‘She is counting on everything being normal so if we do something that isn't normal, I'm thinking, or at least I'm hoping, that she will have to pretend it is normal.'

‘Otherwise she will risk being caught.'

‘Exactly,' said EJ. ‘While I was looking for the diamonds in the workshop, you were watching the practice. What were they doing?'

‘The elves were leading the sleigh, they were directing the parade.'

‘I thought so,' said EJ. ‘The parade is the final event of Christmas Wonderland. Once the parade leaves the park, it closes for Christmas, forever. And where do you think the parade goes to?'

‘To a
SHADOW
meeting point?'

‘That's Tiffany's plan, I bet, but we have a better one. This time I think we will lead the parade, the diamonds and all those
SHADOW
agents somewhere else.'

‘EJ, that's brilliant!' cried IJ. ‘But how?'

‘That's the fun part,' said EJ. ‘I think it will work but I need to check one thing.' She sent a text to A1.

There was a ping almost immediately with the reply.

 

Piinngg!

EJ smiled and texted back another message.
This just might work,
she thought. ‘Do you have a disguise charm like this?' EJ showed IJ her snowman charm.

‘I have a disguise charm,' said IJ. ‘But it's not a snowman.'

‘What is it?'

‘It's a little embarrassing …'

‘IJ, this is a mission!'

‘Well okay,' said IJ slowly. ‘It's one of those talking dolls.'

‘Really? How does
SHINE
come up with them?'

‘I think it is whatever your favourite toy was when you were little,' said IJ.

EJ thought back to her snowman. That made sense. She sent another text to A1.

There was an instant reply.

EJ twisted her snowman charm. She was standing next to a larger than life-size version of Mr Snow, complete with carrot nose.
How did
SHINE
know?
she wondered as she climbed into the bottom of the costume and then pulled on the enormous head. She was now nearly two metres tall, like the costume characters you see at parades.

‘How do I look, IJ?' asked Emma turning around. But rather than seeing IJ, there was now an enormous doll in her pink polka-dot pyjamas walking towards her.

‘That's a little scary,' said EJ. ‘Let's twist the dogs' disguise charms.'

Moments later, a snowman, a large walking doll and two chewy dog bones (with four legs) were walking towards the large Christmas tree.

At the tree a large, fluffy, blue bunny met them.

‘CC12 ready, EJ,' said the bunny. ‘Although I do wish I'd had another favourite toy when I was little!'

‘You look cute,' said EJ. ‘Now where are the others?'

‘That must be JL10,' said IJ, pointing to a life-size teddy bear wearing a blue jacket.

‘And that lamb in pink pyjamas is TB12,' said EJ, ‘but where is NF12?'

‘She's over there,' said JL10.

‘She's the inflatable badminton racquet,' said TB12.

The inflatable racquet walked over. ‘NF12 ready for duty,' she said.

‘Wow, we are all so big,' said IJ.

‘That's what I'm counting on,' said EJ. ‘Hopefully we're big enough to force the elves to change direction. The elves think they are leading the Christmas Wonderland Toy Parade but I think the giant toys will take over. Is everyone ready?'

IJ turned on her costume voice. ‘Mama! Mama!'

‘Excellent, IJ.' EJ grinned. ‘Now, as the parade leaves Santa's Workshop, we will move in on all sides and guide it out of the gates and along this route. EJ showed them the route on her phone and the other agents keyed it into theirs. ‘
SHINE
will be waiting for us at the end. Okay, everyone in position?'

‘Hey! What's going on here?'

It was that voice, the familiar voice EJ couldn't quite place that she and IJ had heard with Tiffany in the vault room and in the workshop. She spun around and her jaw dropped. Now she could match the voice with the face. She knew it instantly. Of course, she did, she had known it since Kinder. And she remembered how bossy it could sound.

It was Nema. Agent N.

‘You shouldn't be here,' said Agent N. ‘You'll block the Christmas Wonderland Toy Parade and we're about to start.'

EJ wondered how a snowman would talk. She also wondered if she could tell Agent N who she was and convince her to stop helping
SHADOW
. She wanted to but it was too risky. If she couldn't convince her, Agent N would run to Tiffany and EJ's plan would be ruined. So instead she said in her best snowman voice, all husky and deep, ‘We're just getting ready for the parade.'

‘I didn't know toys were marching,' said Agent N.

‘Oh yes,' said EJ. ‘In fact, we'd better get going.'

‘Yeah, go away!' snapped Agent N. ‘You shouldn't be here. You weren't at the rehearsal.' And with that, Agent N flicked her fringe and went back into the workshop.

‘That was close,' said EJ. ‘Okay everyone, spy-talkers on and let's go!'

The crowds were building, lining the paths of Christmas Wonderland, with hundreds of children and their parents and grandparents waiting to see Santa and the toys leave to start their Christmas Eve trip delivering presents. A brass band was playing and kids were calling out and jumping up and down everywhere. One little girl even rushed up and hugged EJ.

‘Merry Christmas, little girl!' said EJ in her husky snowman voice.

Then there was a trumpet fanfare and an enormous cheer went up as the doors of Santa's Workshop opened and lines of elves began to march out. An even larger cheer erupted when Santa's sleigh came into view.

‘Wow!' said EJ. ‘There are even real reindeer pulling the sleigh!'

‘Yes,' said IJ. ‘But look who is sitting behind Santa.'

It was Tiffany Glass, dressed in a long white gown and silver headdress. Fake snow was streaming from a wand that she waved around her head. EJ noticed her diamond ring was bigger than before. Then as the sleigh approached the gates, Tiffany stood up and pointed her snow wand forward. It was time to move.

‘
SHINE
agents, in position,' said EJ through her spy-talker. ‘NF12, take the left side with CC12. JL10 and TB12 take the right. IJ, let's head up the front.'

And with that, the giant toys stepped onto the path and into the parade, gently surrounding the front elves. As the procession headed through the gates into the warm December night, the elves seemed to move to the left but the toys gently veered the parade right. The crowds cheered, the elves smiled grimly and Snow Queen Tiffany Glass was powerless to stop the new direction the parade was taking. But that didn't stop her from trying. She got out of the sleigh.

‘TB12, JL10,' said EJ. ‘You know what to do.'

EJ smiled as she watched Tiffany being accosted by a large blue bunny and an enormous badminton racquet. She smiled even more when she saw KM12 and A1 ahead of them in front of a large warehouse with its doors wide open. The elves and the sleigh and the band marched all the way into the
SHINE
warehouse. Tiffany looked furious but the elves were simply confused.

Only then did EJ notice the banner across the open door.

‘Not for
SHADOW
, I don't think,' said EJ, taking off her snowman head. It had been hot in the costume and her face was flushed. ‘Well done, agents. Let's shut those doors. I think A1 has Christmas presents for them all!'

‘I do indeed,' said A1, coming up behind EJ. ‘But I am not sure they were what they were wanting! Well done, EJ! Well done, everyone! We'll take it from here. Thanks to your great work you have not only solved this but quite a few other diamond robberies. Tiffany Glass has been taking her fun park all over the world, using it as a front to steal diamonds. We should be able to recover them all.'

‘And the Aurora Diamonds will still be sold to raise money for the family shelter?' asked EJ.

‘Absolutely,' said A1. ‘I will make sure of it personally. In the meantime you all have Christmas Eve to enjoy and your mums are here to collect you. Good job, agents.'

EJ, IJ, CC, NF, KM, TB and JL took off their hot, stuffy costumes and had a team hug. What a great way to start Christmas!

‘Thanks for looking after me, EJ,' whispered IJ.

‘You did a great first mission,' said EJ. ‘I'm so proud of you.'

‘Oh and EJ12,' said A1, calling her back. ‘Your grandma will be so proud of
you
; you were a great leader today. Good job!'

‘Thanks, A1,' beamed EJ. Then she remembered Agent N—Nema.

‘Don't worry about anything else now,' said A1. ‘We can discuss what to do about those new trainee
SHADOW
agents after Christmas.'

EJ was relieved and then excited. It was Christmas! She wondered if it was wrong to give A1 a hug.

‘No, of course, it isn't,' laughed A1, hugging EJ. ‘Merry Christmas EJ12!'

‘Come on darling, I mean EJ,' called her mum from the car. ‘We have to meet the boys to see the Christmas windows.'

‘Again!' groaned EJ, laughing.