by the nets and stepped onto the deck. Griffin brought up the rear. From his backpack he produced six pairs of soft cotton surgical booties and passed them around.
“To muffle our footsteps,” he explained in a whisper. “We’re now in silent mode. Remember — Klaus is on this boat, and we’ve heard from Logan he’s a very light sleeper.You all know the plan: Ben goes in first, and when he opens the front door, we want to be in and out with the monkey ASAP. The longer it takes, the greater the chance that someone’s going to make noise. And we all know what that means.”
Pitch swallowed hard. “Let’s do it.”
Griffin and Ben crept aft toward the vent opening. The lifeboat suitcase was just where they’d left it, and it was easy for Griffin to boost Ben up to the horn-shaped opening.
In his heart of hearts, Ben was half hoping that the four screws holding the vent grating would be too rusted to turn. But the grill came off easily, and the way in yawned wide.
He peered down at his best friend, who was perched on the lifeboat suitcase. “What if I fall asleep in there?”
“You won’t,” Griffin said. “You already napped back at the marina.”
Ben wriggled into the dusty duct, fighting a burning desire to sneeze. He felt like Santa Claus, squeezing through a chimney. Come to think of it, Santa had it easy. He was always welcome. No wonder the old guy was so jolly. He wasn’t trying to commit Grand Theft Monkey.
The passage was tight but smooth, so progress was steady. There it was, dead ahead in his flashlight beam — the vent! A mea sure of relief washed over him. He was actually going to make it. Operation Zoobreak was just beginning, but at least this part — the part he’d been dreading the most — was almost done.
He slithered forward and trained his flashlight straight down into the compartment below. The sight he saw there would give him nightmares for the rest of his life.
Instead of the room with the monkey cage, the beam shone directly into the sleeping face of Klaus Anthony. Even more horrific, the security guard’s eyes popped open and stared straight up into the light.
15
W ild with terror, Ben tried to scramble away but only succeeded in whacking his head on the roof of the duct. Dazed, he toppled forward onto the grating. It gave way, and the grill, the flashlight, and Ben dropped right onto Klaus. The cry of shock from the security guard vibrated throughout the entire ship.
Ben took off like Superman, clawing at air and bulkhead — anything to get him up, up, and away. Klaus rose, too, reaching groggily for the intruder. Ben’s bootie-clad sneaker came down on the security guard’s blond head. It was the boost Ben needed. He was back in the duct, wiggling like a terrified snake in a desperate bid for escape.
With a howl of rage, Klaus hoisted himself to the vent and crawled inside after the runaway. His anger blotted out every ounce of reason, and he blasted forward, his broad shoulders pressing the passage to its limit. By the time he came to his senses, he was hopelessly jammed into the ventilation system — unable to go forward, unable to retreat, his bare feet dangling from the ceiling above his bunk.
With his flashlight lost and the wedged Klaus blocking the way out, Ben was trapped in the narrow duct in utter darkness. The very air reverberated with Klaus’s shouting. Of all the worst-case scenarios Ben had imagined, this topped everything — pure, unadulterated horror.
He felt like a blind mouse trapped in a pipe, squirming frantically toward … what? It was so dark that he couldn’t even see the walls of the duct inches from his face. How was he going to find his way out of here?
He was never going to forgive Griffin for this! Boarding school in New Jersey was a picnic compared to the spot he was in right now.
Klaus was still shouting threats, his booming voice echoing in the metal enclosure.But wait! A powerful smell reached him. The zoo! He surged
“To muffle our footsteps,” he explained in a whisper. “We’re now in silent mode. Remember — Klaus is on this boat, and we’ve heard from Logan he’s a very light sleeper.You all know the plan: Ben goes in first, and when he opens the front door, we want to be in and out with the monkey ASAP. The longer it takes, the greater the chance that someone’s going to make noise. And we all know what that means.”
Pitch swallowed hard. “Let’s do it.”
Griffin and Ben crept aft toward the vent opening. The lifeboat suitcase was just where they’d left it, and it was easy for Griffin to boost Ben up to the horn-shaped opening.
In his heart of hearts, Ben was half hoping that the four screws holding the vent grating would be too rusted to turn. But the grill came off easily, and the way in yawned wide.
He peered down at his best friend, who was perched on the lifeboat suitcase. “What if I fall asleep in there?”
“You won’t,” Griffin said. “You already napped back at the marina.”
Ben wriggled into the dusty duct, fighting a burning desire to sneeze. He felt like Santa Claus, squeezing through a chimney. Come to think of it, Santa had it easy. He was always welcome. No wonder the old guy was so jolly. He wasn’t trying to commit Grand Theft Monkey.
The passage was tight but smooth, so progress was steady. There it was, dead ahead in his flashlight beam — the vent! A mea sure of relief washed over him. He was actually going to make it. Operation Zoobreak was just beginning, but at least this part — the part he’d been dreading the most — was almost done.
He slithered forward and trained his flashlight straight down into the compartment below. The sight he saw there would give him nightmares for the rest of his life.
Instead of the room with the monkey cage, the beam shone directly into the sleeping face of Klaus Anthony. Even more horrific, the security guard’s eyes popped open and stared straight up into the light.
15
W ild with terror, Ben tried to scramble away but only succeeded in whacking his head on the roof of the duct. Dazed, he toppled forward onto the grating. It gave way, and the grill, the flashlight, and Ben dropped right onto Klaus. The cry of shock from the security guard vibrated throughout the entire ship.
Ben took off like Superman, clawing at air and bulkhead — anything to get him up, up, and away. Klaus rose, too, reaching groggily for the intruder. Ben’s bootie-clad sneaker came down on the security guard’s blond head. It was the boost Ben needed. He was back in the duct, wiggling like a terrified snake in a desperate bid for escape.
With a howl of rage, Klaus hoisted himself to the vent and crawled inside after the runaway. His anger blotted out every ounce of reason, and he blasted forward, his broad shoulders pressing the passage to its limit. By the time he came to his senses, he was hopelessly jammed into the ventilation system — unable to go forward, unable to retreat, his bare feet dangling from the ceiling above his bunk.
With his flashlight lost and the wedged Klaus blocking the way out, Ben was trapped in the narrow duct in utter darkness. The very air reverberated with Klaus’s shouting. Of all the worst-case scenarios Ben had imagined, this topped everything — pure, unadulterated horror.
He felt like a blind mouse trapped in a pipe, squirming frantically toward … what? It was so dark that he couldn’t even see the walls of the duct inches from his face. How was he going to find his way out of here?
He was never going to forgive Griffin for this! Boarding school in New Jersey was a picnic compared to the spot he was in right now.
Klaus was still shouting threats, his booming voice echoing in the metal enclosure.But wait! A powerful smell reached him. The zoo! He surged
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