Unleashed! (9 page)

When the buzzer went for the bus kids to leave early, Mio tore out the school gate and headed for the park. She took every shortcut she could—through the car park, over four lanes of traffic without waiting for the ‘Walk’ sign, even through McCarthy’s Pharmacy with her bike. ‘Hi, Mr McCarthy!’ she called, and with a wave she bolted through the storage area out the back and into the alley. Record time, she thought, as she checked her watch.

Once at the park, Mio stowed her bike in The Van, manoeuvring it around the suitcase and the television. She knew it was going to be pretty squashed inside, but she couldn’t help it. She ran from swing to slide to tunnel, trying to work out
where to hide and get the best view. Finally, she crawled inside the climbing tunnel. The narrow chamber magnified her thumping heart, and with her raspy breath Mio was sure she was making so much noise that she’d be discovered. Fifteen minutes elapsed before she heard voices.

‘Poor Mio,’ said Darcy in an overly loud and stilted voice. ‘She had to go home because she was sick.’

‘Yes!’ Clem stopped at the fireman’s pole at the climbing frame. ‘I hope she’ll be all right.’

Bryce, too, spoke loudly. ‘I bet she’s at home in bed. Poor, sick Mio missing out on these.’ Pulling open his backpack he grabbed the choc bits and waved them about.

‘Enough!’ hissed Clem. ‘Or he’ll get suspicious.’

Hidden away in the tunnel, Mio couldn’t help but giggle.

The kids secured their bikes outside The Van, removed their helmets and tossed them inside. Then, they made preparations to make bananas in a blanket. Bryce pulled a packet of tortillas from his backpack, tore open the plastic and placed one on each of four plates. Grabbing a bottle he turned it upside down and drizzled honey over his tortilla. Next, he tipped a handful of choc bits over the honey, then laid a peeled banana on the edge of the tortilla and wrapped it up. The others followed.

Bryce bit through the floury tortilla. Runny, gooey, yummy honey oozed down his chin. His tastebuds were in heaven. The fruity taste of the bananas mixed with the sweetness of honey and crunchy chocolate. ‘Mmmm, mmmm.’ Bryce closed his eyes as he swirled the banana in a blanket round his mouth. ‘I’m going to patent these. I’ll call them Bryce’s Banana Bliss.’ Suddenly, his eyes pinged open and he started making
puhh, puhh
noises.

Clem laughed as she watched him spit out a badly bruised bit of banana. ‘You’re too impatient.’ Carefully she scraped off a bruise on her own banana then wrapped it in her tortilla. Clem took a bite, honey and choc bits coating her lips. ‘Perfecto!’

She puckered up, and Darcy chuckled. ‘Choc bits lip gloss,’ he said. ‘Yum.’

‘Watch this,’ said Bryce, pretending to bite without any teeth. White flour coated his lips. ‘Moustache.’

Darcy reached for a handful of choc bits and shoved them all in his mouth, sticking with his theory that things were best eaten in one go.

‘I’ll sing you a song, I am Chocolate Man.’
Bryce managed somehow to smile as he sang.
‘Chocolate Man, tonight.’
He stuck out his tongue, making Clem and Darcy laugh. It was coated with clumps
of chocolate and squished banana. ‘My favourite.’ Bryce made little whimpering noises of delight as he continued to chew.

Darcy threw a choc bit at him, saying, ‘You sound like a love-struck seal.’

Bryce caught it and popped it in his mouth. ‘Delish.’ He patted his tummy. ‘And now for more.’ But as he reached for another tortilla he heard a little cough. Darcy and Clem heard it, too. They all froze. Clem lowered her half-eaten banana in a blanket and looked about, trying to work out exactly where the boy might be. Bryce pointed to the rear of The Van and mouthed the words, ‘Over there.’

Clem nodded. Slowly she got to her feet, at the same time saying, ‘You’ve finished already, Darcy.
Oink, oink.’
Holding her fingers to her lips to shush the others she stepped round Mio’s bike. ‘What’s Mum going to say when you won’t eat your dinner?’ She flattened herself beside The Van’s door.
Me, this way,
she gestured to Darcy and
You, that way.
Bryce crouched behind. Darcy nodded and rose to his feet. Then, Clem held up her fingers for the countdown.
Three, two, one.

They both pounced and caught…

Nothing!

‘I could’ve sworn I heard something,’ said Clem, dusting herself off.

‘Me, too.’ Darcy ran around The Van to check if the boy was hiding.

‘Me, three,’ said Bryce.

Together they jumped the fence and checked under and behind every piece of equipment in the park. But when Clem got to the tunnel and looked at Mio, she opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it again and walked away. Mio made three gestures—‘be quiet’, ’down there’ and ‘you go’. So back to The Van she would go. But before Clem had gone a few steps the boy sprang out from under Mio’s tunnel.

‘Hey!’ Darcy lunged for him.

The boy sidestepped, then raced for the fence, hitching up his pants as he prepared to jump.

‘Not so fast!’ All that hockey training paid off as Clem sprinted, swiped, then latched onto his vest.

With an
Aiyeeah
and a sharp twist the boy released himself, leaving Clem clutching a knitted vest that still held the outline and warmth of his body. With the grace of a panther the boy jumped the fence, landing on his feet on the other side.

By now, Mio had wriggled out of her tunnel and she joined in the chase. There was no time to secure her bike. She could only hope that it wasn’t stolen.

The boy ran towards the warehouse, leaping piles of rubbish and some council bins. He had a good five metres on the others.

‘Stop!’ yelled Darcy, gaining ground.

The boy’s cap flew off, looping-the-loop before bouncing on the ground. Clem glanced down and hesitated but Darcy hurried her onwards, saying, ‘No time.’ By now they were close enough to see shiny black hair and a fine porcelain neck. The trademark white runners pounded the pavement. The boy checked over his shoulder, his eyes so wide that he looked like a startled owl. Clem felt almost sorry for him. ‘Stop!’ she cried. ‘We just want to talk to you.’

The boy rounded the corner, lost from sight. Darcy was the first to follow. ‘Whooaaah.’ He careered into an approaching figure, a man walking a dog.
Thud!
The three came crashing down in a spectacular configuration of arms and legs and a tail. Clem and Mio pulled up several paces away.

‘Oh, my God,’ said Bryce when he, too, rounded the corner, but he was not as nimble as the girls and he ploughed into Darcy, the man and the dog. The man’s hat tumbled to the ground.

The dog yelped, then scrambled up, its feet braced, lips curled in a snarl.

‘The Chin!’ cried Mio, taking in the plumed tail curving over the back and the profuse silky coat. She reached for the collar, but as she did so the man bellowed at her, ‘Stop! Leave ’im alone!’ He stumbled as he got to his feet, snatching up the dog lead at the same time and yelling at the kids to ‘Eff off!’

By now Darcy had also staggered to his feet but he was doubled over and gasping in such a way that it was obvious he’d been winded. Clem placed a reassuring arm across his shoulders, telling him to ‘Breathe deeply’.

Surprisingly, Bryce came off the best. Being at the top of the heap sure did help.

‘Where did you get that dog?’ demanded Mio. It was only then that she realised she had seen this man before. In the park. With the beagle. ‘Hey!’ she said when the man brushed past, scooping up his hat as he went. She strode after him and tried again. ‘This is a rare breed of dog. Where did you get him?’

Suddenly, the man stopped. He turned to Mio and jabbed her shoulder. ‘Clear off!’ he hollered and, with a tug of the lead, he and the dog strode away.

Clem called, ‘What about the beagle? Please tell us. It’s important.’

The man stepped down off the pavement. Clem followed. The man crossed the street. Clem
followed. But as the man got to the row of tenements he stopped and Clem almost ran into him.

By now Darcy had recovered and he, Mio and Bryce ran back round the side of the building towards the road. What they saw turned their legs to jelly. They saw Clem close to the man. They saw him put his hand inside his coat.

They saw a pointed flash of silver!

‘Aaaagh!’ Clem sprung back in terror. She staggered, her shoe catching on the uneven footpath, tripped, then screamed. There was another flash of silver. Using her hands to shield her face she cowered on the ground, aware that there was a sharp sting in the palm of one hand. Blood trickled down her wrist.

The man stood over her, his face contorted with rage.

‘Clem!’ shrieked Mio and she ran across the road.

Mio feigned a move to the left but swung back, kicking out with one foot, then the other. The man cried out in pain and dropped the knife. Mio twisted, only to land on her feet, then kicked the
knife out of his reach. The man lunged for it, making the dog yelp as he stepped on its paw. Clem scuttled backwards, nursing her left hand. Her eyes stayed glued to the man.

Mio leapt sidewards, kicking the knife further away with one foot. The other connected with the man’s thigh. A third kick landed on his shin. It happened in a blink.

By now, Bryce and Darcy had joined the girls. Bryce had a rock and was taking aim. Darcy’s fists were raised for battle. Bryce lobbed the rock at the man. It whacked him on the shoulder and Bryce turned to look for another.

‘Bah!’ The man whirled and hobbled away, stopping only to pick up the knife as he dragged the chin behind him.

Bryce took a few steps to follow, then stopped at the thought of the knife.

The man disappeared around the corner.

Darcy pulled Clem to her feet, saying, ‘Let’s look at this hand.’ Clem winced as he inspected the wound. ‘Not too deep. Shouldn’t need stitches,’ said Darcy, but he turned to the others and asked, ‘Anyone got a hankie?’

Heads shook all round.

Darcy flicked off his shoe and pulled down his sock. He smiled at Clem. ‘This’ll have to do till we can get you cleaned up.’ With firm moves he
bound the sock around Clem’s hand and secured it in a knot. Then he pulled her towards him and gave her an enormous hug, like when you greet someone at an airport.

Clem burst into tears. ‘I could’ve been killed,’ she said between sobs. The white sock stained with red.

It was only when Mio reached the others that her shaking started.

‘Are you all right?’ asked Bryce. He caught her as her legs gave way, then lowered her to the ground.

‘Sure.’ But Mio’s smile was too bright and there was a quiver to her top lip. It was a long time since she had fought like that. And never away from the safety of Saitosan, her teacher.

Bryce bear-hugged her. ‘You’re so brave, Mio. I couldn’t have done that.’

‘Awesome,’ agreed Darcy.

‘Just like a real samurai.’ Bryce held his hands in front of his chest, palm to palm, and bowed.

Darcy laughed, saying, ‘And you would know?’

‘I can’t believe he had a knife!’ Bryce shook his head, still in shock. ‘That guy’s mega-dangerous.’

Clem flung her arms around Mio, saying, ‘You saved my life. Thank you.’

Mio nodded, her face more pale than ivory.

‘Bummer!’ Darcy scuffed his shoe along the ground. ‘We lost the boy.’ He walked back to the corner of the warehouse and peered round. The others joined him. ‘Long gone,’ said Darcy with a sigh.

Clem chewed her lip. Her hand was starting to throb. She held it above her head like she’d been taught in first aid, shivering as she thought, This is getting way too scary!

Bryce slumped against the wall and slid down, asking, ‘What’s going on? I don’t understand. Everything’s going wrong.’ He put his head in his hands.

‘That man’s up to no good,’ said Darcy, ‘but why?’

Mio nodded. ‘It’s something to do with the dogs.’

Bryce looked up. ‘The question is, what?’

‘And what’s the boy got to do with it?’ asked Darcy. ‘Is he in with him, or not?’

Clem sighed then said, ‘If only we knew.’

Slowly they made their way back towards the park. When they reached the end of the warehouse Clem retrieved the cap and then the vest from where she had dropped them. Close inspection of the vest revealed nothing, except that it was made in China. The cap was black, peaked, and across the front were the words
Scram Dangle.
Clem turned it over to inspect inside, then cried, ‘Bingo!’
as she grabbed the tag. Scrawled over the washing instructions, in black permanent marker, was the name Dang Van Tong.

‘So, that’s his name!’ exclaimed Clem. ‘Dang.’

‘Could be why he’s into the group The Scram
Dangle.’
Bryce started nodding his head and playing air-guitar. ‘You know.
Shake that tha-a-ang. Shake that tha-a-ang.’

Mio managed a pinched smile as she explained, ‘You’re both on the wrong track. Dang isn’t his first name. It’s his last name. His
surname.’

‘So his first name’s Van?’ asked Darcy, then he smarted with embarrassment when Mio explained, ‘No, silly. His first name is Tong.’

‘Tong?’ echoed Bryce.

Mio nodded.

Darcy grinned as he said, ‘Who’d call a kid Tong?’

Looking Darcy in the eye Mio answered, ‘The same people who would call their kid Mio. Or Darcy, or Clem, or Bryce.’

‘Oh.’ Darcy wished he’d thought more before opening his mouth.

Mio continued, ‘They’re all just names.’

‘So, how’d we find this Tong?’ asked Bryce, throwing down his air-guitar and hooking his thumbs in his pockets. ‘I’d rather face him than that man.’

Mio shuddered. ‘Me, too.’

Clem sighed and held up her cut hand. ‘What do you think? Should I report this to the police?’

‘No way!’ Bryce cried. ‘We don’t need them. We can solve this. I know we can. The less we have to do with the cops the better.’

‘I agree,’ said Darcy as he folded his arms across his chest and peered around the street. ‘The less people involved the better.’

‘So we go it alone?’ asked Clem.

‘Yes!’

‘Yup!’

‘Yeah!’

‘That’s settled, then.’ Clem groaned and her shoulders slumped. ‘We now have one beagle, one Chin, one man
and
one boy to find. That’s all!’

‘A cinch!’ agreed Darcy. He scowled as he looked at Clem’s bound hand. ‘We need to get you cleaned up first. Let’s head back to The Van and get our bikes.’

As they approached the park, Bryce stopped in his path. ‘Funny,’ he said, his brows knitting together.

‘What?’ asked Mio.

Bryce held his head to the side. His ears moved a fraction as he strained to listen.

‘What is it?’ asked Clem. ‘What do you hear?’

Bryce straightened up and gave a hesitant laugh. ‘I thought I heard the beagle’s soulful song.’ He grabbed Clem’s arm, asking, ‘Did you?’

‘Nuh, uh.’

Bryce looked to the others.

‘Me, either.’

‘Either.’

Clem shrugged Bryce’s hand away, then smiled at him. ‘You’re probably just imagining it. Your head’s so chockers with music.’

Darcy laughed and poked Bryce in the ribs. ‘You’ve got a bad case of Beagle-on-the-Brain.’ He tut-tutted and put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder as he said, ‘Sorry, old boy. I hear it’s terminal.’

They all laughed, glad of the diversion. The four kids approached The Van, heads bowed, deep in thought. A large truck was trying to fit into the alley, accelerating, then braking, then accelerating again as it manoeuvred its way past a parked car. Exhaust fumes gushed through the air.

‘Let’s go see Mr Lark,’ said Clem, holding up her socked hand. ‘He’ll clean this up. I don’t want Mum and Dad to know. They’ll make me stay home.’

‘Okay,’ said Darcy. ‘But how do we explain the cut? I don’t think we should tell him about the knife.’

‘Easy,’ said Clem. ‘I cut it on a broken bottle. The streets are littered with them.’

‘Let’s grab our bikes,’ said Mio, relieved that her heart had finally slowed down. ‘I think I need some freewheeling.’ She turned to Clem and asked, ‘You up to it?’

‘Think so.’

In single file the kids headed for Mr Lark’s, mucking about to let off steam. One by one they bounced down a flight of stairs, their heads jarring with each one.

‘Whu-whu-whu-whu,’ said Bryce. ‘Way to go!’

They waited at the bottom for Clem, who was walking down so she didn’t jar her hand. From there on there was a straight stretch. Darcy, Mio and Bryce got up speed then pulled up on their handlebars riding on their back wheels. They looked like dancers in a conga. Clem followed more sedately behind.

‘Freewheelers!’ they announced to passing pedestrians.

At the post office they turned the corner then picked up speed. ‘Lollipops!’ yelled Darcy as he weaved left, then right, then left in perfectly formed squiggles. Three riders squiggled behind, Clem rather inelegantly. ‘No hands!’ cued Darcy, riding along a straight stretch with his arms crossed, looking like he didn’t have a care in the world.

‘Daisy chains!’ called Mio. They broke off in sets of two and turned around, riding in a diagonal with each kid riding between the others. Then they looped round and rode in the opposite diagonal.

‘Barbershop,’ said Darcy, which had nothing to do with a shop at all. It was when they rode between two tree trunks, so near that it was a close shave. But when they got to the trees Darcy stopped. A poster had been nailed into the trunk.

Missing: Lissa. Weimaraner. Lost in local vicinity. Only three months old. Please phone 45568729. Reward.

‘That’s the second one I’ve seen,’ said Mio.

Darcy turned to the others, saying, ‘Weird.’

Mr Lark was on his veranda, a washing basket tucked under one arm and a peg bag in the other.

‘We’ll do that for you,’ said Darcy, taking the basket from him, then the peg bag. ‘And while we’re folding the sheets there’s something you can do for Clem.’ In no time at all there was a carefully stacked pile of laundry.

While Mr Lark cleaned Clem’s cut the kids told him all their news, from discovering the boy’s
name and how he eavesdropped to seeing the bad man again with the chin. They didn’t mention the knife.

‘Seems to be an awful lot of dogs going missing,’ observed Mr Lark a few minutes later.

Clem sucked in her breath as iodine was applied. ‘That’s what we think, too.’

‘Might be a coincidence.’

Clem blew on her hand then looked up. ‘Might not.’

‘Which reminds me, this morning I went to the Braxxby shelter to check if the dog’s still in that equipment shed.’

‘And?’

Mr Lark shook his head. ‘Not unless it’s been doped in some way. I took some ham to lure it out but there was nothing. No snout, no yelps, yaps. Nothing.’

‘So, it’s true.’ Clem’s shoulders sagged, her face pinched with misery. ‘Our beagle’s left the shelter.’

‘It would appear so,’ said Mr Lark. He placed two plasters over Clem’s cut and closed the firstaid kit. ‘I even asked the lovely lady in Reception if they had a beagle but she said, “No”.’

‘Lady?’ Mio leaned closer. ‘You sure it was a lady?’

Mr Lark looked bemused but he answered good-naturedly, ‘Of course, I’m sure. I know a good-

looking sort when I see one. Lovely lady by the name of Elaine.’

‘Same as the one I first spoke to!’ Darcy gripped the kitchen bench as he turned to the others. ‘See, I’m not going crazy. She’s real.’

‘So this means Tong’s telling the truth,’ said Clem. ‘You know how we couldn’t be sure about the note. Well, now we know.’

‘It still doesn’t tell us whether he’s our friend or our enemy.’ Bryce frowned, saying, ‘It’s all so confusing.’ His stomach gave a loud grumble as he said, ‘Thinking makes me hungry.’

Mr Lark chuckled. ‘That’s my cue. I guess you lot wouldn’t like the chocolate brownies I just made? Still warm from the oven.’

‘Wouldn’t we!’

Mio glanced at her watch and frowned, asking, ‘Mind if I ring Mum, Mr Lark? Tell her that I’m here. I don’t want her to worry.’

‘Go right ahead.’ The kids settled on their stools around the table. Mr Lark plonked the tray of brownies in front of them. It was a deep brown, lightly dusted with icing sugar. Rich chocolatey smells filled the air and knife furrows criss-crossed the pan. ‘Wash those hands.’

They all made a beeline for the sink where much shuffling and hustling went on. Once seated they reached for the slice, even Mio. Still warm, it
crumbled to the touch, but not one crumb was wasted.

‘Don’t know if I like this recipe or the other one,’ said Mr Lark, licking a crumb from the corner of his mouth. ‘The one I made a few weeks back.’

‘Can’t remember.’ Bryce got a glint in his eye. ‘Maybe you should make them both again and we’ll compare?’

‘Great idea. Maybe we should compare three recipes? Or even four,’ suggested Darcy as he reached for his third piece and placed it whole in his mouth.

Bryce licked off his icing-sugar moustache, saying, ‘It’s the least we can do.’

Mr Lark chuckled, then scratched his eyebrow as he thought. ‘Those missing pets could’ve been caught by the dog-catchers. It happens. I was once a dog-catcher myself.’

‘When?’ asked Mio, politely wiping her mouth with a serviette.

‘A long time back. In another country. Another century.’

‘What should we do now?’ asked Clem when the tray was completely empty.

Bryce looked expectant as he suggested, ‘Make some more?’

‘Sorry, matey. All out of butter.’ Mr Lark gave a half-smile. ‘Maybe next time you visit you can make some.’

‘Promise?’

‘Promise.’

Darcy took the tray to the sink. He put in the plug and ran some hot water, at the same time reaching for the gloves and washing detergent. ‘What’ll we do now?’ he repeated.

‘Go back to the warehouse.’ Clem looked at the others, daring them to argue.

Mio blanched, but said nothing. She thought about how much the day had unnerved her and what could’ve happened if she hadn’t knocked away the knife, then shuddered.

Bryce frowned. It was one thing to defend yourself when you’re being attacked but it was completely different to go looking for trouble. Besides, he knew his dad wouldn’t approve. He wasn’t sure if he did either!

‘You be careful.’ Mr Lark waggled a finger at them. ‘Stay together. And keep out of trouble.’

‘We will.’

‘Yes.’

Once outside Clem said with conviction, ‘We have to go back to the scene of the crime. That’s what they always do on TV.’