barbells.
Alex watched as Beaupre took out a knife and cut the line.
Both men kept their eyes trained on the barbells, waiting for them to fall. Neither man knew that the fishing line wasn't even tied to the barbells.
It was tied to the trunk full of books, hidden behind the dormer window in the attic.
Crash! The steamer trunk went right through the window and started to fall.
Unger and Beaupre looked up to see where the sound had come from.
What they saw was a large old steamer trunk plummeting down toward them.
WHOMP!
36
The snow was coming down hard now. As Alice left Mrs. Hess's garage and crossed the street to the kid's house, she was startled to see two bodies and a steamer trunk in the front yard covered with a thin layer of white.
Beaupre and Unger rose to their knees. Both of them were holding their heads. Both had nasty bumps where the trunk full of books had hit them.
"How did that happen?" Unger asked groggily.
"I don't know," replied Beaupre. "But that's it. I'm going in there and getting that kid."
"I'm right with you," said Unger.
The two men staggered to their feet and dusted off the snow. Then they started up the steps.
Upstairs, Alex cut the line holding the barbells.
Downstairs, Unger and Beaupre never even saw them coming.
Clang!
A sudden gust of snow cut off Alice's vision. She didn't see Beaupre and Unger climb the steps. She didn't see the barbells sail off the roof and smash them in the heads. Now Beaupre and Unger were on the ground again, holding their heads.
Scattered around them were books and iron weights. Alice walked up and stopped.
"You got hit by a book?" she asked Unger in disbelief.
" Books ," Unger corrected her angrily. "Plural. A whole trunk full of books. And then a set of weights. We got hit twice, you bimbo."
"Excuse me, Mr. Unger," Alice huffed. "But I didn't get taken down by an infant. You did."
Beaupre sat up, holding his throbbing head. "We didn't anticipate the defense the boy would mount. We're going to have to presume that we're on equal ground with him and adjust our plan accordingly."
"I say we just burn the house down," Unger muttered.
"What about the chip, moron?" Alice asked.
"You want to know what you can do with that chip?" Unger asked angrily.
"May we continue, please?" Beaupre interrupted. "I'll go in the front. Mr. Unger, you take the north side. Alice, you take the south side. And let me know when you get that kid. I owe him one.
37
Inside the house, Alex couldn't hear exactly what the burglars were saying. But they didn't sound happy.
The three burglars split up. Alex knew they were going to try to get into the house now. He heard the front door knob turn and knew Beaupre was trying to pick the lock. Alex knew he might succeed in picking it, but he'd still never get through the front door. Alex had used wood screws to screw it shut.
The windows were another problem. Alex heard a sound coming from the living room. Unger had jimmied open a window. Now he was sliding a knife blade between the shutters to open the latch that held them closed.
Alex crawled under the living room table. Above him was a giant slingshot made out of bungee cords and strung from wall to wall. In the sling was a five-pound bag of plaster and the large water balloon he'd just filled.
Unger tipped the latch and spread the shutters. He stuck his head through the window and into the room.
Alex fired the giant slingshot.
POW! The water balloon and bag of plaster smashed into Unger's face, leaving a large white cloud. Unger flew backward into the yard and landed on his back in the snow.
Thump! Alex heard a dull thud coming from the vestibule. He grabbed a can of black spray paint and ran to the front door just as the mail slot flipped open.
On the other side of the door, Beaupre was trying to look into the house through the mail slot. Alex aimed the can of black spray paint at the slot and fired.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!" Beaupre lurched backward with his hands over the black
Alex watched as Beaupre took out a knife and cut the line.
Both men kept their eyes trained on the barbells, waiting for them to fall. Neither man knew that the fishing line wasn't even tied to the barbells.
It was tied to the trunk full of books, hidden behind the dormer window in the attic.
Crash! The steamer trunk went right through the window and started to fall.
Unger and Beaupre looked up to see where the sound had come from.
What they saw was a large old steamer trunk plummeting down toward them.
WHOMP!
36
The snow was coming down hard now. As Alice left Mrs. Hess's garage and crossed the street to the kid's house, she was startled to see two bodies and a steamer trunk in the front yard covered with a thin layer of white.
Beaupre and Unger rose to their knees. Both of them were holding their heads. Both had nasty bumps where the trunk full of books had hit them.
"How did that happen?" Unger asked groggily.
"I don't know," replied Beaupre. "But that's it. I'm going in there and getting that kid."
"I'm right with you," said Unger.
The two men staggered to their feet and dusted off the snow. Then they started up the steps.
Upstairs, Alex cut the line holding the barbells.
Downstairs, Unger and Beaupre never even saw them coming.
Clang!
A sudden gust of snow cut off Alice's vision. She didn't see Beaupre and Unger climb the steps. She didn't see the barbells sail off the roof and smash them in the heads. Now Beaupre and Unger were on the ground again, holding their heads.
Scattered around them were books and iron weights. Alice walked up and stopped.
"You got hit by a book?" she asked Unger in disbelief.
" Books ," Unger corrected her angrily. "Plural. A whole trunk full of books. And then a set of weights. We got hit twice, you bimbo."
"Excuse me, Mr. Unger," Alice huffed. "But I didn't get taken down by an infant. You did."
Beaupre sat up, holding his throbbing head. "We didn't anticipate the defense the boy would mount. We're going to have to presume that we're on equal ground with him and adjust our plan accordingly."
"I say we just burn the house down," Unger muttered.
"What about the chip, moron?" Alice asked.
"You want to know what you can do with that chip?" Unger asked angrily.
"May we continue, please?" Beaupre interrupted. "I'll go in the front. Mr. Unger, you take the north side. Alice, you take the south side. And let me know when you get that kid. I owe him one.
37
Inside the house, Alex couldn't hear exactly what the burglars were saying. But they didn't sound happy.
The three burglars split up. Alex knew they were going to try to get into the house now. He heard the front door knob turn and knew Beaupre was trying to pick the lock. Alex knew he might succeed in picking it, but he'd still never get through the front door. Alex had used wood screws to screw it shut.
The windows were another problem. Alex heard a sound coming from the living room. Unger had jimmied open a window. Now he was sliding a knife blade between the shutters to open the latch that held them closed.
Alex crawled under the living room table. Above him was a giant slingshot made out of bungee cords and strung from wall to wall. In the sling was a five-pound bag of plaster and the large water balloon he'd just filled.
Unger tipped the latch and spread the shutters. He stuck his head through the window and into the room.
Alex fired the giant slingshot.
POW! The water balloon and bag of plaster smashed into Unger's face, leaving a large white cloud. Unger flew backward into the yard and landed on his back in the snow.
Thump! Alex heard a dull thud coming from the vestibule. He grabbed a can of black spray paint and ran to the front door just as the mail slot flipped open.
On the other side of the door, Beaupre was trying to look into the house through the mail slot. Alex aimed the can of black spray paint at the slot and fired.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!" Beaupre lurched backward with his hands over the black
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