The Adventures of Kid Combat Volume Two: The Heist of Spring Road Toys by Christopher Helwink Page B

two boys stopped their boards in front of
the entrance. Ace popped his board up, grabbed it, and then threw
it in the bushes. Tommy, noticing this, looked questioningly at
Ace.
    “What?” said Ace. “It’s not like it’s mine.
We’ll just steal some new ones on the way out.” Tommy shrugged and
threw his board in the same set of bushes. “Let’s get inside,” Ace
finished as the two boys disappeared.
    The Jonestown Mall had become the focal point
in downtown Elmcrest. People came from miles around to shop inside
and see the wonderment that Jones created. Every day, the mall saw
thousands of people entering its doors and spending their
hard-earned money on overpriced merchandise.
    Businesses flourished inside its lavish
interior, and no one flourished more from the growth and popularity
of the mall than its owner, Phillip Arthur Jones.
    Inside the white marble exterior that once
was a courthouse, people flocked by the hundreds to each of the
individual businesses. They shopped for hours, buying more
meaningless items to heighten themselves in the greed-driven
society that had become their small town.
    The Jonestown Mall had become a place for
kids to hang out on their own or while their parents shopped. Like
ants to a picnic, the children of Elmcrest, of all ages, came to
cause some mischief.
    Wedge and Rocket arrived at the mall’s main
entrance. The two young boys proceeded through the lavish entryway
that was decorated with Jones’s pictures and propaganda supporting
his company, Jones Industries.
    Posters promoting Jones Industries with the
letters JI in bold type covered the walls to the boys’ right and
left. Red banners hung from the rafters above them. Twenty feet in
length, the banners swayed back and forth slightly in the wind.
They too had the Jones Industries logo on them.
    Wedge and Rocket walked right by it all,
never paying any mind to any of Jones’s decorations.
    As they proceeded down the hallway, flying by
stores, Wedge and Rocket kept their eyes open for the two boys
suspected in destroying Spring Road Toys, Ace and Tommy. As if
their heads were on a swivel, the two boys searched the mall.
    “They’re here somewhere, Rocket,” Wedge said
as his eyes wandered over all of the stores.
    “Everyone hangs out in the courtyard in the
middle of the mall. Let’s go there,” Rocket said.
    One of the new additions to the Jonestown
Mall, in its short existence, was a large central atrium. An
oversized courtyard was lit by large skylights and surrounded by
dozens of various plants. In the center was a large oak tree. The
massive tree was real and grew from the floor to the ceiling.
    The whole courtyard was littered with benches
for shoppers to catch a moment’s breath before continuing on with
their spending. It turned into a perfect place for groups of kids
to sit around and have a good time.
    Wedge and Rocket entered the courtyard and
started to look around the pack of kids, trying to identify their
suspects. Even though it was getting late, the courtyard was still
full of kids.
    Representing different age groups, they were
all divided into various circles. They laughed, pointed, and gawked
at shoppers and even ridiculed one another. Wedge and Rocket looked
through the various packs of kids, but they couldn’t find Ace or
Tommy.
    “I don’t see them anywhere, do you?” asked
Wedge.
    “No, nowhere. We better split up to cover
more ground,” Rocket said.
    “Good idea. I’ll radio if I find anything,”
Wedge said. He then proceeded off to the left.
    “Channel nine,” said Rocket back to his
brother. He referred to the frequency on their radios.
    “No, channel ten,” Wedge said defiantly.
Rocket stood there and looked disbelievingly at his brother.
    “Why do you want it to be channel ten? Why
couldn’t you just go along with channel nine?” Rocket said back to
his brother.
    “Because. I like ten better. Sounds cooler,”
Wedge said with a big grin.
    “Oh, jeez!” Rocket said, rolling