Choc Shock by Susannah McFarlane

the top and icing them over. She put one into each of the packing trays and, with the pack complete, she sealed the packs.
    â€˜One more batch of cakes and all the packs will be completed. SHADOW will have their cakes and I have my flakes. I will soon have enough to begin my ultimate creation.’
    EJ sent CC a text.

    Madame Ombre got up from the table and moved to the other side of the room. There, in the corner, was a large safe. EJ and CC hadn’t noticed it in the dark but now they watched as Madame Ombre keyed in a code and opened a thick black door. Madame Ombre took out a gold box, almost cradling it as if it were a baby.
    â€˜My beautiful gold flakes,’ said Madame Ombre, gently lifting out what looked like thin gold paper. ‘Soon I will have enough for the golden chocolate cake that will make me the most famous chef in the world. But enough chitty chatty, I must check my final delivery of flakes has arrived, and I need more cakes. I must have them all finished before I haveto go back to those pesky kids and watch their no doubt awful decorating work.’
    And with that Madame Ombre left. EJ and CC heard the door shutting and then footsteps walking away.
    The girls climbed back out over the boxes, EJ picking up the cupcake-cam cherry as she did.
    â€˜She’s crazy,’ said EJ. ‘Helping SHADOW so she can make a cake? But she is clever. There are six components to make one S6 and she is hiding one component in each cake. A full tray of cakes makes one S6.’
    â€˜Let’s make sure,’ said CC and they broke open one of the cupcakes. Then another, and another until they had opened all six cupcakes in a pack. ‘Yes! Look, there is a small part in each cake but you would never know it was there if you didn’t know what to look for. It just looks as if a pack of chociced cupcakes are being delivered. And they are delicious,’ she added, taking a pinch of cake.
    â€˜They are,’ agreed EJ, also taking a pinch. ‘We thought the ‘6’ just stood for the six words, SHADOW Secret Scramble Send and Spy System, but it also means it comes in six parts.’
    â€˜And she is sending out all these trays,’ said CC, indicating the piles of cupcake trays on the table. ‘That’s a lot of SHADOW agents.’
    â€˜We need a plan to stop these cupcakes going out,’ said EJ.
    â€˜And quickly,’ replied CC. ‘Madame Ombre will soon be back with the last batch of cakes and then they’ll be sent out. Let’s call SHINE.’



EJ had barely finished keying in the number when A1 answered. EJ quickly told her what she and CC had learned.
    â€˜You have done well, girls, but we still have a bit to do. We need the S6 but we also need to see where it is being delivered. CC?’
    â€˜Yes A1?’
    â€˜You need to bring us S6. Our chopper will be waiting for you on the roof of the bakery. Use the escape route.’
    â€˜Check,’ replied CC confidently.
    â€˜EJ,’ said A1, ‘you need to stay there for just alittle longer. You can’t suddenly leave. It will look suspicious if you don’t compete in the final. We also need you to do a few more things. First, we need you to put the cherry on top of Madame Ombre’s cupcakes.’
    â€˜Pardon?’ asked EJ, confused.
    â€˜The cherry from the cupcake-cam is also a homing device. If you can put that on a cupcake containing S6 we will be able to follow the delivery truck as it leaves the bakery.’
    â€˜I can do that,’ said EJ, just as confidently as CC. ‘I can do it now with a pack here. What next?’
    â€˜This one might be a bit harder. We need the gold flakes that SHADOW is paying Madame Ombre with. SHADOW stole them from the Institute of Cookery and we should return them.’
    â€˜Okay,’ said EJ, sounding a little less sure. That would be harder. She would have to wait for the new delivery and then get the box of flakes out