Christmas Countdown by Susannah McFarlane Page A

‘do you know what the DDD team is?’
    â€˜No idea,’ said IJ. ‘But one of those Ds has to stand for diamonds.’
    Then they heard a bark. Then more barks. EJ turned to see a husky and a Labrador puppy running towards them. It was EJ’s dog Pip, or PJ2 as she was OM, and she immediately recognised Blackie from the SHINE training camp.
    â€˜Pip! Blackie!’ cried EJ.
    â€˜BJ!’ cried IJ.
    â€˜BJ?’ asked EJ.
    â€˜BJ1. He’s been in mission training with me,’ explained IJ.
    â€˜So the other D must mean dog and …
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    Piinngg!
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    It was another text from A1.
    â€˜What is it, EJ?’ said IJ.
    â€˜It’s from Agent BRK9,’ said EJ. ‘The dogs have their own charm bracelets!’

    EJ and IJ leant down and activated the dogs’ collar tags as the dogs leapt all over them. As the tag was activated there was a beep and the dogs sat down immediately, waiting. A screen appeared on the tags.

    EJ and IJ scrolled through the first options and both pushed gems.
    There were three beeps and the dogs stood up.
    â€˜Go!’ instructed the girls.
    The dogs began to sniff and sniff. The girls followed them as they sniffed their way through the Christmas tree forest. As the trees began to thin, EJ could again see the giant Christmas tree. Were the dogs going there? Had the girls missed the diamonds?
    But the dogs didn’t head towards the tree. They veered right, getting more and excited and now EJ could see where they were heading.
    â€˜Look, IJ,’ she said, pointing to a large old-fashioned wooden cottage with snowflakes on the windows like one you might find in a fairy tale. Even from a distance you could see there was a large S carved into the door.
    IJ checked the map. ‘Santa’s Workshop,’ she said. ‘The S is for Santa.’
    â€˜At least that’s what SHADOW wants us to believe,’ said EJ.

EJ and IJ peered through a window into the workshop, being careful not to be seen. Inside were girls dressed in elf costumes, all loading toys on to a huge Santa sleigh in the middle of the room. There were hundreds of toys: teddy bears, wooden airplanes and cars, dolls, skipping ropes, basketballs—every toy you could imagine being on a Christmas wish list.
    â€˜They’re just packing the sleigh for the toy parade,’ said IJ in a low voice.
    â€˜So why have the dogs brought us here?’ said EJ. ‘We know something is happening with the parade. We just need to know what it is.’
    â€˜Look, Tiffany Glass has arrived!’ said IJ.
    The two girls ducked down and using their phones’ listening devices, listened through the wall.
    â€˜All elves outside, now!’ shouted Tiffany. ‘It’s time for the final run-through!’
    â€˜We’re nearly finished, Ms Glass,’ said a girl.
    â€˜It’s the same voice that was in the vault room,’ whispered EJ and she quickly but carefully looked up and in through the window. But she was too late. All she could see were the backs of the elves’ heads as they went outside for the practice, whatever it was they needed to practise.
    â€˜We have to get in there while they’re out. Let’s use the diamond cutter.’
    Again, EJ took her diamond charm and twisted. Within minutes she had cut a small hole in the corner of the workshop, just large enough for the girls, and the dogs, to crawl through. As soon as the dogs entered the workshop, they went crazy, their tails wagging and their noses sniffing furiously.
    â€˜The diamonds must be here, IJ,’ said EJ. ‘You keep guard at the door—we don’t have long.’
    Now BJ and PJ were pawing at the toy sacks. As they did, toys tumbled out on the floor. Pip picked up a brown teddy bear wearing a red Santa hat in her mouth. She brought it to EJ, dropped it in front of her and sat down.
    It’s a teddy bear not a diamond, thought EJ. But clearly, PJ thought