 
### MIDDLE SCHOOL MAYHEM

Maria and Sara are bummed out. While their friends are off adventuring on Smuttynose Island, undoubtedly engaging in all kinds of escapades and shenanigans, the sisters are stuck at Hollow Oak Elementary for another routine day of school. Could anything, they wonder, be more boring?

As the day begins to unfold before them, however, they quickly realize this day is anything but normal. A formidable presence has made itself known in the school, and increasingly strange happenings are occurring at an alarming rate.

Their father, Chief Fresco, is determined to resolve the matter, but he isn't nearly as well versed in the realms of supreme weirdness as his daughters are. When it comes to unparalleled oddities, the girls are the experts, not the lawman of Hollow Oak. It will take more than the chief's efforts to eliminate the school's strange problems - it's going to take the entire Fresco Family.

### THE GREEN BEANS

### VOLUME FIVE

### THE PHANTOM OF THE AUDITORIUM

### GABRIEL GADGET

Copyright 2015

Smashwords Edition

### Chapter One

### An Assembly Unexpected

As the students of Hollow Oak Elementary filed into the school auditorium, there was a great hustle and bustle of activity. Sneakers squeaked and shuffled upon the floor, books and backpacks were jostled about, and the sound of children's excited voices filled the air.

There were several hundred students who attended the school, and all of them had been summoned to the auditorium for a general assembly. At nine o' clock sharp, the building's intercom system had crackled to life, projecting the voice of Principal Funkmeyer into every classroom. He had announced that all students were to report to the auditorium at once, regardless of their grade or age.

The announcement had come as a surprise, even to the teachers. This, of course, filled the students with curiosity. They wondered what the purpose of the assembly was, and they pitched their ideas to one another as they funneled into the auditorium. It was a welcome distraction from the usual routine of the school day, and they took their time shuffling in, making use of the opportunity to socialize with one another and goof around.

Among that shifting, shuffling, chattering sea of students were Sara Fresco and her younger sister, Maria. They walked side by side, their coffee-colored ponytails bobbing behind them as they went. Something was missing from their usual gait, however... the spring in their step, while still present, was mildly hampered.

Though they were very athletic, active children who were accustomed to daily exercise, they found themselves a bit sore this morning. Only a few days previous, they had been at the center of an event that had left them bruised and banged up. In order to survive that ordeal, they had been pushed to their limits, and they were still recovering from their efforts.

While visiting the Portsmouth Museum of Historical Artifacts, they had been caught in the midst of a diabolical plot that had been executed by two of their nemeses: Ebenezer Widget-Bocker and Jasper Cragglemeister. The two galoots had managed to inadvertently destroy the entire museum, as well as releasing untold numbers of dangerous creatures from their previous confinement.

Sara and Maria had been able to escape from the museum in the final moments before its decimation (thanks to a little help from their friend's dog, Nibbler), but they had left the building with scorch marks at the tips of their ponytails. Since that time, they had trimmed the dead ends from their hair, but those singed pieces had served as a telling sign of what a close call they had experienced.

Thanks to their young age and their healthy constitutions, they healed quickly, and they were almost back to feeling one-hundred percent. But they still felt the lingering effects of their excursions, and a subtle soreness permeated their arms and legs.

In spite of the physical toll they had paid in their latest escapade, their appetite for adventure was not diminished in the slightest. They found themselves longing to be with their other friends, who they knew to be off on an exciting voyage to Smuttynose Island.

"Oh, man," Sara groaned, relying on her sister's sympathetic ear. "I really wish we had gone with Neil and Jack. I can't believe we let Lefty talk us into staying behind."

"I know. All morning, I've been thinking about what we might be missing out on. Do you really think they'll be able to find Pan Gu?" Maria asked.

Sara sighed, and her eyes grew distant as her imagination conjured fantastic thoughts. "I sure hope so. I wonder... what would that magnificent monster be like, out in the open world?"

The creature they were speaking of, Pan Gu, was an ancient animal that Ebenezer and Jasper had managed to awaken from centuries of hibernation. They had foolishly believed they could control it and force it to do their bidding, thereby furthering their harebrained schemes and nefarious plots. That theory had totally blown up in their faces, and Pan Gu had destroyed the museum in its quest for freedom.

Now, the beast was loose... but by all indications, it remained in the vicinity.

Their friend, Lefty O'Houlihan, was currently in the process of trying to track down Pan Gu. The monster had been awakened with the aid of technology he had developed over the course of several years, relentlessly laboring away in his basement laboratory.

Having created the means to awaken Pan Gu, Lefty felt partially responsible for any damage the creature might inflict (even though his technology had been stolen from him, and he had no part in its misuse). Of greater significance was that Lefty was a most inquisitive scientist, and he could not resist the opportunity to study such an exceptional beast, were it at all possible.

Although Pan Gu resembled a dragon, Lefty had assured the children that there was nothing mystical or supernatural about the creature. He theorized that it was simply the last living member of a very rare species, which had been able to survive due to a superior, long-term hibernation system, which included an impenetrable exoskeleton. Lefty thought Pan Gu might even be a leftover from the age of dinosaurs.

Whatever it might be, the term "monster" seemed appropriate. For it was a massive creature of tooth and claw and scaly hide, capable of vast destruction. It could even shoot streams of fire from its mouth, as the sisters had discovered firsthand.

Pan Gu previously lived in China, before being transported to Portsmouth in its hibernated state. Lefty speculated that its activity in ancient times might be the reason similar creatures (portrayed as "dragons") were so popular in Chinese mythology and culture. After all, Pan Gu was a very powerful animal, and it was easy to see why humans might have believed it to be a supernatural force of nature.

Lefty had pinpointed the location of Pan Gu to Smuttynose Island, located six miles off the coast of New Hampshire. This morning, he had departed for the island aboard his boat, the Quantum Conundrum.

Since the boat was not big enough to carry everybody, Lefty had chosen to take his nephew, Jack, and their friend, Neil. Sara and Maria were to remain in Hollow Oak and continue their recovery.

And so, the boys were off on a grand adventure, while the sisters were stuck here at school. Could things possibly get any more boring, they wondered?

### Chapter Two

### The Arrival of Funkmeyer

As the students finished cramming into the auditorium, they took their places among the many rows of cushioned, dark green seats that filled the room. The auditorium could hold several hundred people, and with the entire student body present, it was at full capacity.

By the time Maria and Sara found a place to sit, most of the seats were already taken. They ended up near the center of the auditorium, sitting next to one another. The rest of the students finished finding places to sit, piling into the remaining spaces, clambering over one another to reach unoccupied seats.

The teachers had gathered at the front of the auditorium, just before the stage. They stood about in a series of huddles, leaning forward and speaking to one another in low voices, possibly trying to figure out what the purpose of the assembly was. On that particular subject, it seemed the teachers and students shared a similar curiosity.

"What do you suppose this is all about?" Maria asked her sister.

"I have no idea," Sara said, as she watched her classmates, most of whom were busy chatting and goofing around. "As far as I can tell, it's a surprise, even to the teachers."

"Maybe it will be something exciting," Maria said optimistically, though she doubted it would be anything nearly as interesting as the journey to Smuttynose Island that she was missing out on.

The auditorium was a huge room (the biggest in the entire school), shaped like a trapezoid. It had stadium-style seating, with each row being slightly higher than the previous one, ensuring an excellent view of the stage for everybody.

The ceiling was very high, and it had large, rectangular panels attached to it, which had been placed for the purpose of enhancing the acoustics of the room. There was also a large amount of gear and spotlights mounted to the ceiling. These were used for visual and audio effects of the presentations that were held for various occasions throughout the school year.

The stage at the front of the room ran the entire width of the auditorium. It was built from a robust cherry hardwood, gleaming with a high shine. Dark green curtains, matching the upholstery of the seats, hung from the ceiling, concealing most of the stage.

The curtains were currently closed, drawn together at the center. A slight gap between the green fabric revealed a glimpse of the deeper stage that lay beyond, which was dark and layered with shadows.

The assembly had not yet begun, and the chatter of the students continued, creating a buzz of countless conversations that filled the air. As the school administrator, Principal Funkmeyer, entered the auditorium, the level of noise increased, the children anticipating what he might say. The principal was making his way toward the front of the auditorium, and the students realized the reason for their having been summoned would momentarily be revealed.

Principal Funkmeyer was a man who constantly had a slightly disheveled appearance, and the air of a person who was overwhelmed with everything that was on his plate. Today was no exception, and he seemed to be his typical, frazzled, vaguely distracted self.

His tie was always loose around his neck, with the button for his collar unsnapped to give him a little breathing room. His shirt was only half tucked in the back, and one shoelace of his dress shoes had begun to come undone, trailing along the floor. Pens, pencils, and a calculator protruded from the breast pocket of his shirt in a haphazard manner.

He favored a conservative haircut with a traditional part, combed to one side. However, he couldn't ever seem to get all the hair to obey his brush, and wayward tufts propped forth at the temples and crown of his head. Horn-rimmed eyeglasses were perched on his nose, ever so slightly askew from an accidental bending that was never quite corrected to original specifications.

He was perpetually beset with a vague expression of mild confusion upon his face, as if he could not fathom why on earth he had ever thought it would be a good career choice to be placed in charge of hundreds of energetic children, who were roughly as uncontrollable and unpredictable as an army of wild spider-monkeys.

This was, of course, a fair question that most adults could sympathize with.

Even in the school yearbooks, the pictures of him generally looked as though he had been caught by surprise, unaware of the photographer's presence or the fact that he was supposed to be posing for a portrait. Consequently, it was a long-standing tradition for students to write "Huh?" beneath his picture. It seemed to be the perfect caption to fit his expression.

Nonetheless, Principal Funkmeyer was not one to give up, and his mildly flustered condition could not be mistaken for a lack of caring. He wholeheartedly embraced his duties as the school's primary administrator, and he actually did enjoy his job. It was just a bit overwhelming for him, and the drain it had caused over the years was visible in subtle ways, such as the gray hairs at his temples and the wrinkles at the edges of his eyes.

As he approached the front of the auditorium, he clutched a fistful of papers and index cards in one hand, upon which were scribbled various notes. When he reached the stage, he paused before it as the gathered teachers turned to him. He spoke with them briefly in a low voice, resulting in various nods and grunts of agreement from his staff.

The teachers dispersed, with some of them going to stand to one side, near the stage, and others going up the aisles of the auditorium in order to keep an eye on the students. There was a wooden podium set on the floor before the stage, and Principal Funkmeyer stepped behind it, setting his papers down.

A microphone was mounted to the podium, and he took a moment to adjust it, tilting it toward his mouth. Clearing his throat, he addressed the student body. "Quiet down, please, children. If I may have your attention, we have some very important matters to discuss. Your cooperation, which I'm sure you will be eager to provide, will be greatly appreciated."

### Chapter Three

### Somber Subjects

"First of all, I would like to extend my apologies to all of you for having been placed in the terrible situation that occurred at the Portsmouth Museum of Historical Artifacts," Principal Funkmeyer began. "It was a tragic case of bad luck that our school was attending a field trip at the museum when the disaster struck. Who could have predicted that a faulty gas line would erupt and ignite, causing the entire place to be destroyed? Yes, it was a terrible case of bad luck, indeed."

At these words, Maria and Sara exchanged a knowing glance with one another. The Portsmouth Fire Department had theorized that the museum's destruction had been caused by the failure of a gas line in the building's basement level, which had resulted in an irreversible chain reaction of fires and explosions.

But the sisters knew better. They had been there, and they had witnessed the true cause of the disaster. There had been no faulty gas line. The museum had been brought down by the rampage of Pan Gu, once Jasper and Ebenezer had foolishly awakened the creature.

The fiends had quickly realized controlling the monster was far beyond their ability, and Pan Gu's wrath had been unstoppable. The creature had torn the museum apart in its quest to escape. That, however, was a truth that was shared by precious few people.

"As your principal, I feel personally responsible for the health and well being of each and every one of you," Principal Funkmeyer continued, glancing down at the notes that were scattered before him on the podium. "Therefore, I am deeply saddened that a decision on my part - to authorize the field trip - resulted in placing so many of my students in harm's way. I stand before you today and humbly offer my apology."

Principal Funkmeyer's words were heartfelt, and his apology was sincere. However, the vast majority of students had enjoyed themselves on the exciting field trip, and no apology was required. The fact that the museum had exploded just made it an especially memorable occasion, as far as they were concerned.

"I'm so happy that none of you were injured, and we owe a special debt of gratitude to the dog known as 'Nibbler'," Principal Funkmeyer said. "For it was that furry fellow who bravely penetrated the fiery perimeter of the museum in its final, crumbling moments, when even the fire department could not do so. He located and escorted to safety two of our students, Sara and Maria, as well as a member of the museum staff, Evelyn Magellan."

The sisters smiled sheepishly at the mention of their names. They attempted to slouch down in their seats as hundreds of eyes from their classmates turned in their direction.

"Countless, priceless artifacts were lost in the tragedy, but you, our students, are far more valuable - and we didn't lose a single one of you! And though I'm extremely grateful that all of you escaped unscathed, I'm afraid to say that we did experience a loss on the day of the museum disaster," Principal Funkmeyer said, redirecting the attention of the assembled students back toward him.

Sara grimaced, for she knew what was coming. From the corner of her mouth, she whispered to her sister, "I can't believe he's going to shed a tear for Jasper. That doorknob was responsible for the whole thing to begin with!"

"It is with a heavy heart that I report to you that our school janitor, Jasper Cragglemeister, has still not been found. He, along with museum staff member Eli Weatherbee, was still in the building when it succumbed to the flames and collapsed. Mr. Cragglemeister was serving as a chaperone for our field trip at the time, and he undoubtedly stayed behind in a valiant gesture, trying to ensure that all of our students, children he was responsible for protecting, were able to safely evacuate."

The principal's theory as to why Jasper had stayed behind was so far off the mark, the sisters were forced to bury their faces in their hands. They stifled their giggles, fearing that laughter would be perceived as insensitivity by the principal.

Jasper wasn't a hero. He was the opposite, in fact - a villain, a fiend, a scoundrel. He was a lout, a goon, a galoot, and a great big meanie, to boot. He was, as the sisters had come to call him, a doorknob, meaning that while he might be quite smart on an intellectual level, he was remarkably clueless, in general terms.

Frankly, Jasper was giving janitors everywhere a bad name, and he was a very poor ambassador indeed for all those labored with broom and mop. He hadn't stayed behind to help anybody - in fact, he would have gladly been the first to flee, were it possible.

He was a troublemaker who always put his own interests before those of others. In a fitting twist of fate, however, his diabolical scheming had backfired to the point where not only had his plans been thwarted, but so too had his escape.

"Why, these poor boys here have been without their father ever since the disaster," Principal Funkmeyer said somberly, pointing toward the front row of the auditorium.

Jebediah and Cletus, Jasper's sons, sat side by side. As far as middle graders went, they were hulking galoots, genetically endowed with unusual size for their age. As Principal Funkmeyer pointed toward them, the boys adopted sad eyes, shaking their heads remorsefully.

A low murmur rippled throughout the auditorium. The students had lived in fear of Jasper and his mahogany broom, and none of them missed the cantankerous janitor. Jebediah and Cletus were mean spirited bullies, and it was hard for anybody to feel sorry for them, even if they were currently without their father.

Principal Funkmeyer cleared his throat and continued. "The search efforts are ongoing, and we haven't abandoned hope that Jasper and Mr. Weatherbee will be found alive among the wreckage. In the meantime, however, we must make every effort to pull together. The school is currently without a janitor, and Jasper's absence is already obvious."

This, the sisters grudgingly admitted, was true. Jasper was a first rate scoundrel, but there was no denying that he was one heck of an effective janitor. He was obsessed with cleanliness, and he kept the school in tiptop condition, swishing and swooshing with his broom as he moved about the hallways, scouring with rags and cleaning solutions, and brandishing a mop with surgical precision.

"The hallways, in particular, have been falling into a state of disrepair. There's been some litter here and there, with things like scraps of paper, candy bar wrappers, and paperclips. And for some reason, there have been nuts and bolts and spare screws lying around on the floors of the hallways. I don't know what that's all about, but please see that it comes to an end," Principal Funkmeyer said.

Upon hearing this odd piece of information, Maria and Sara scrunched their eyebrows and exchanged a glance of curiosity with one another. They had noticed this as well, and they wondered what such weirdness might imply.

"Please take care to deposit your trash in the proper receptacles, and do try to avoid scuffing the floor with your shoes - you know how Mr. Cragglemeister found those scuffs so irritating." Principal Funkmeyer paused for a sigh before resuming his list of requests. "Finally, there is the subject of food fights in the cafeteria. With Jasper gone, it seems like some of you have taken it upon yourselves to start lobbing foodstuffs at one another willy-nilly."

A wave of giggles erupted throughout the auditorium.

"Though there has been nothing quite as outlandish as the epic food fight that occurred recently with the vat of corn chowder..."

Maria and Sara shared a chuckle, recalling the food fight the principal was referencing. Neil and Jack had been beside them as they had utilized oranges, pears, and pudding cups, battling the enraged Cragglemeister Brothers.

Jebediah and Cletus had ended up covered from head to toe in frothy corn chowder, and they would never forgive that embarrassment. As the principal mentioned that particular food fight (accurately deeming it "epic"), the brothers shifted in their seats, glowering at any nearby students who were heard giggling.

"Please, students, this is no laughing matter. You must take the subject of preventing food fights seriously!" Principal Funkmeyer begged.

Shuffling through his notes for inspiration, he gathered his breath and was about to deliver a lecture on cafeteria cleanliness.

But he didn't have the chance.

With the suddenness of a flipped switch, the many lights of the auditorium went out, and the place was plunged into darkness.

### Chapter Four

### The Breeze You Feel

The blackness that enveloped the auditorium was absolute. After having been seated in the illumination of the room's generous overhead lighting, the sudden darkness was a huge contrast.

The students' eyes could not adjust to such a drastic change, and as far as they were concerned, they were in total, uninterrupted blackness. It was like being suddenly blinded, or thrown into the void of a starless outer space. There was a collective gasp of alarm, and then more murmurs rippled through the auditorium.

"Everybody, please remain calm!" Principal Funkmeyer shouted. Apparently, the microphone that was mounted to the podium had also lost power, for the principal's voice was no longer amplified. He tried his best to be heard, raising his voice to compete with the murmurs and giggles of the assembled students. "Please, just stay patient and remain calm, everybody!"

Maria reached for the hand of her sister. "Sara, are you there?"

"Of course! Where else would I be?" Sara chuckled, squeezing Maria's hand.

"What do you think caused this?"

"Maybe the school forgot to pay the electric bill," Sara speculated. "Principal Funkmeyer seems pretty distracted as of late, so maybe it slipped his mind."

"He's always frazzled, but he's never forgotten to pay the bills before," Maria giggled.

Principal Funkmeyer continued shouting from the front of the auditorium. "Just a moment, everybody, and we'll have the doors to the auditorium open, and we'll have enough light to see by. Then if you would all please calmly file into the hallway and return to your classrooms."

As the principal finished speaking, another voice answered him. It was a voice that was amplified, and it filled the auditorium with its deep, powerful tone. "I think not."

The murmurs and chatter among the students increased, with many gasps to be heard. At this point, there was a very small amount of light in the auditorium, for some of the teachers had withdrawn their cell phones from their pockets. Illumination from the phones' screens could be seen near the stage as the teachers moved about. They were gathering near the podium, getting together and trying to figure out what was going on.

"Uh... I beg your pardon?" Principal Funkmeyer asked. "Who was that? Who's speaking?"

"Be still, Funkmeyer, and hold your tongue," came the strange voice. "I have the floor now, and you would do well to mind your manners."

The students gasped at the audacity of the mysterious interloper. They were thrilled by his pluckiness, but also a bit spooked.

"Now, see here, whoever you are. I will not be bullied by some surly malcontent. I'll have you know that you are on school property, and you will have to conform to our rules, no matter who you might be," the principal bravely retorted.

Deep laughter was the response. It was a weird, warbling sound, reverberating around the auditorium.

"Uh... students, please listen up! Our teachers will be using the lights from their phones to begin escorting you to the exits. Please remain calm and follow their instructions!" shouted the principal.

"Disregard that. Remain in your seats, children," the mysterious voice said.

"Please begin heading for the exits, students," Principal Funkmeyer repeated.

A loud clanking sound was heard, as if it were the action of several heavy-duty deadbolts. It came from the vicinity of the auditorium's doors.

"Remain in your seats. The doors have been remotely locked. I do so love technology... don't you?"

The chattering among the students increased, with some of them shouting in alarm at this unexpected development.

"How dare you? What's the meaning of this?" demanded the principal.

"Still your tongue, Funkmeyer. Do as you are told, and you will all be released momentarily. But you will not be exiting the premises until I have granted you your leave."

"Who are you?" Principal Funkmeyer demanded.

"Who am I?" the voice asked, breaking into dark, rolling laughter. "Why, I am the shadow that stalks this school. I am the chill you feel crawl across your skin, when you sense that you are being watched, but see no one there. I am the cool breeze you feel at the back of your neck, when you walk school halls that appear empty but feel as though they are not... I am the Phantom of the Auditorium."

### Chapter Five

### A Strange Salary

"Did that guy just say that he was the, uh... Phantom of the Auditorium?" Sara asked in a tone of mild disbelief.

"Uh... yes. Yes, I believe he did," Maria answered, unsure if she should be disturbed or amused by the mysterious speaker's proclamation.

Though they were somewhat unnerved by the outing of the lights, the locking of the auditorium doors, and the ominous voice of the unknown speaker, the sisters were actually smiling in the dark. Perhaps Neil and Jack wouldn't be the only ones to get to participate in some excitement today, they thought. Maria and Sara loved adventure, and they had only grown more fond of it in recent weeks, as they had journeyed into realms of supreme weirdness and unparalleled oddities.

"Why do you suppose it is that strange things like this are always happening to us?" Maria asked.

"I don't know. But I'm sure glad they do," Sara admitted.

"Now hear this," the Phantom boomed. "For many years, I have haunted the hallways of this school, drifting behind the walls, lingering among the rafters of the auditorium - seeing all, and hearing all."

"Well, that's just creepy," Maria said. "I hope this Phantom guy has the decency to stay out of the bathrooms!"

Sara shuddered at the thought. "He 'sees all'? Just thinking about some ghost - or a guy who's trying to pass himself off as a ghost, more likely - creeping around, spying on us? It's enough to give me the willies!"

"I demand you release us at once!" Principal Funkmeyer shouted into the darkness. To his credit, he seemed utterly fearless in the face of this strange emergency, and he was doing an admirable job of holding his ground.

In response to the principal's demand, the Phantom once more broke into laughter. The booming noise of it rolled through the auditorium, and it was impossible to pinpoint its source. It seemed to be coming from the front, the back, the left, and the right, as if it were on all sides and none.

Distortion, achieved electronically (or by other, lesser known means), gave the noise a strange warble. The Phantom's voice had an unsettling effect, and it very much seemed that he was in control of the auditorium - the place he apparently called home.

"What is it that you want?" Principal Funkmeyer asked, shouting to be heard over the laughter.

"I simply want that which is rightfully mine. You are long past due in the payment of my salary, and I am not pleased with your tardiness."

"Salary? Why would I pay you a salary? I don't even know who you are!" Principal Funkmeyer protested.

"Are you not listening? I told you - I am the Phantom of the Auditorium! And if you are having trouble retaining what you've been told, perhaps a more definitive exclamation point will help you commit this to memory... there now, little principal... let us provide you with some illumination!"

At the moment the Phantom finished speaking, there was a great flash of light, so sudden and powerful, it temporarily blinded the students. It was accompanied by a sharp crack of noise that startled the children, making them jump halfway from their seats.

The flash of light seemed to have originated from some of the gear that was mounted to the auditorium's ceiling. It had been a brilliant surge, but it had only lasted a moment at its full intensity. Now, it was slowly fading, and tendrils of colorful vapor were seen drifting about the ceiling, a consequence of the pyrotechnic display.

This bout of showmanship resulted in gasps of surprise, shouts of alarm, and even a few high-pitched screams of outright terror. The students began talking among themselves animatedly, and the scene was quickly becoming one of panic. The Phantom was attempting to assert his position as the master of the auditorium, and so far, he was doing a convincing job.

"DO I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION NOW?" the Phantom boomed, his voice amplified to even greater heights, sending vibrations through the bones of his audience.

"What do you want? What is this salary you're talking about?" Principal Funkmeyer asked.

The principal was now eager to satisfy the Phantom. Though he was reluctant to bend to some madman's demands, his primary objective was to ensure the safety of his students. It seemed the quickest way to remove the children from this scenario might be to please the Phantom.

"I am one of the school's most tenured staff members, for I have been here many a year. Yet, I have been insulted and ignored, my salary going by the wayside."

"How much are you owed?" Principal Funkmeyer asked.

"I am owed... I am owed, uh..."

For the first time, the Phantom seemed unsure of himself. No longer was his voice resolute and commanding. Now, he was faltering and stammering.

"Maybe he didn't actually expect the principal to give in to his demands," Sara said to her sister, leaning close so they could hear one another over the commotion.

"And now he's been caught off guard, and he has to think on the fly," Maria finished the thought. "He doesn't even really know what he wants, does he?"

"Maybe what he truly wants is some simple recognition. He seems to have a real passion for showmanship," Sara pointed out. "Remind you of anybody?"

"Of course... it could very well be Ebenezer Widget-Bocker up there in the rafters, putting on a show to boost his ego," Maria said.

"That's what I was thinking... sure, he's been missing for a few days, but he was never actually found. This has his fingerprints all over it, as well as those of Jasper, if you ask me," Sara said.

"I wish to be paid in macaroni and cheese!" the Phantom boomed.

The menace in his voice was a strange contrast to the peculiarity of his request. Giggles could be heard rippling through the assembled students as they tried to comprehend what was going on.

Clearly bewildered, Principal Funkmeyer asked, "What?"

"There's nothing funny about this matter! Even phantoms require sustenance!"

To emphasize his point, the Phantom triggered another bright flash of light and crack of sound, equal to the first in size and volume. Once more, the auditorium was illuminated for a brief moment, and colorful vapor danced about the rafters. The students were startled, and the giggles abruptly ceased.

In the split second when the surge of light had filled the auditorium, Sara thought she may have seen something. The curtains on the stage seemed to have rippled, and as they had narrowly parted, she could have sworn she saw something behind them, darting past in a quick blur of shadowy movement.

Or had it simply been a trick of the light? Sara had to admit it was very hard to see what was currently going on in the auditorium, and she might have imagined what she thought she saw.

"You have more than enough to feed these students every day, but the food is always delivered in the morning. What little is left over is removed from the building when the school is closed. The result? An empty cafeteria every evening! What am I to eat, I ask you?"

"Well, what's he been eating?" Maria asked.

"Yeah, he claims he's been here for a long time. If he needs food to survive, what's he been relying on?" Sara wondered.

"So, uh, if I understand you correctly, you wish to be paid in a salary that consists of, uh... macaroni and cheese?" Principal Funkmeyer asked, as he sought clarity on the matter.

"That's right! Also, I want pizza! And pudding! And lots of chocolate milk!"

"Okay... that can all be arranged without difficulty," the principal promised.

"Also, I want some of those packages of snack crackers and cookies that I can save for later."

"If you ask me, the Phantom might have gone off his rocker a bit," Maria opined.

"That's probably a safe assumption," Sara agreed.

"Consider it done!" Funkmeyer shouted, in answer to the Phantom's strange demands.

"You will deliver the food each afternoon, when school is over for the day and the students have been dismissed. You will leave it in this auditorium, upon the stage. Do not attempt to spy upon me when I claim my salary, and do not tamper with the food in any way. I will detect such treachery at once, for I have the upper hand in all matters pertaining to this school. Remember, I see all and I hear all. I warn you, Funkmeyer... Do not betray me, or your students will be the ones who pay the price!"

### Chapter Six

### To Catch a Phantom

As the Phantom finished his warning to Principal Funkmeyer, the lights were abruptly restored within the auditorium, and there was a loud _thwunk_ as the doors came unlocked. At once, it seemed all the hundreds of students began to talk with excitement, rising from their seats and quickly heading for the exits. The atmosphere was not quite one of chaos, but it was close.

"Please, remain calm, and proceed in an orderly fashion!" Principal Funkmeyer shouted, though his words were undoubtedly missed by many of the children, distracted as they were.

The teachers all pitched in, doing their best to maintain order as everybody hurriedly piled for the exits. Considering what they had just been through, the students were very well behaved, and though they were loud and talkative, there was no pushing or shoving.

In short order, the auditorium had been evacuated, and the entire student body was meandering through the hallways of the school. The teachers were ordering them to return to their classrooms, but the children were taking their time getting there, for they were over-stimulated and distracted by what had just occurred in the auditorium.

Maria and Sara slowly made their way through the hallway, walking side by side. They were surrounded by their fellow students, and they were pressed elbow to elbow. All around them, they heard their classmates chattering to each other with excitement, trying to figure out what had just happened. The sisters had their own theory.

"I'm convinced this must be the handiwork of Ebenezer and Jasper," Sara said.

"I was thinking the same thing," Maria agreed. "It's like you said earlier... they've been missing for a few days, but that doesn't mean anything. They were never found, so they could have easily been lying low for a little while... and then? Bam! They spring forward with yet another nefarious, harebrained scheme! Those boneheads are utterly relentless."

"But what could the purpose of this 'Phantom' business be? What on earth could they be up to? Why bother with all the dramatics?" Sara asked, narrowing her eyes as she attempted to puzzle through the dilemma.

"Who knows? We're dealing with first-rate doorknobs here. It's probably pointless to try to apply logic to their plans. You saw how poorly their last plan went. And like you pointed out, Ebenezer loves his showmanship."

"I suppose you're right. But still..." Sara said. "Something's just not right about this. I know we're on the right track, but I just can't quite add everything up yet."

"Girls!" a deep voice called from behind them.

The sisters recognized the voice at once, for it was their father. They turned and saw him making his way toward them, doing his best to squeeze through the hordes of students in the hallways.

"Dad! What are you doing here?" Sara asked.

The girls embraced their father in a hug. Known in the community as Chief Fresco, he was the lawman of Hollow Oak. He was currently on duty, so he was dressed in his light brown police uniform, with a gold star affixed to one of the breast pockets of his shirt.

A heavy utility belt with all manner of doodads and gizmos was around his waist, and a wide brimmed hat sat atop his head. Chief Fresco was a tall man with a trim, athletic build, and he had an easygoing nature that endeared him to the people of the town he protected.

"Principal Funkmeyer called me as soon as you were released from the auditorium, and I zipped right over," he explained. He held his daughters tightly. "Are you okay?"

"Yup... just... ease up a little, Dad, we can't breathe!" Sara gasped.

"Oh, uh... sure, sorry about that," Chief Fresco said sheepishly, releasing the girls from the embrace of his powerful arms. "I guess I've just been a little stressed out about your safety, ever since what happened at the museum."

"We're fine, Dad. It was just a maniac with some fireworks. He was a pretty decent magician, actually, I'll give him that. But how did you get here so quickly? We just got out of the auditorium!" Maria exclaimed.

"Well, the truth is, I've made some minor adjustments to my patrols. When I'm driving around town, I always make sure to stay in the vicinity of the school, so I can get here super quick, if need be," Chief Fresco explained.

The sisters exchanged an amused look with one another, and then burst into chuckles.

"Dad, you're embarrassing us! You don't need to make exceptions to your patrol routes just for the sake of staying close. Don't you realize by now we can handle ourselves?" Sara asked.

"We've been through some pretty crazy stuff, and it barely even fazed us," Maria pointed out.

"I know, I know, it's just... I worry, I guess. After what happened at that museum..." Chief Fresco trailed off.

Though their father had come to the school to comfort them, the girls realized they were the ones who needed to be providing the consolation. Both of them once more hugged their dad, bringing a grin to his face.

"No need to worry about us, Dad," Sara assured him. "But thanks for coming so fast. Are you going to catch the Phantom?"

"The who?"

"The 'Phantom of the Auditorium'. That's what this nutcase is calling himself," Maria explained.

"You're darned right, I'm going to catch him," Chief Fresco said. His face grew stern, and his eyes became steely. "There's no way I'm going to let anybody get away with a stunt like this. Not in my town, and not in my kids' school."

"Dad, listen. We think Jasper might be behind this," Sara said.

"Jasper? That lout's been missing since the museum collapsed on top of him. Do you really think he could be involved?" Chief Fresco asked.

"We don't know for sure, but it sure seems like the kind of mischief he's gotten up to lately," Maria said.

Sara continued explaining, "And he's very possessive of the school. He thinks of this place as his school, rather than belonging to the students. Nobody spends more time here than Jasper, and I'm sure he knows the place inside and out. If there actually was a way somebody could have been hiding 'behind the walls and among the rafters' - that's the way the Phantom phrased it, anyway - it would have to be our local, lunatic janitor."

"Hmm... I see," Chief Fresco said, rubbing at his square jaw as he pondered his daughters' words. "Well, whoever it is, they won't escape the law. I'll have this culprit in handcuffs by the end of the day, mark my words."

"What's the plan, Dad?" Maria asked.

"The plan is for the two of you to return to class, finish up the school day, and then head off to baseball practice, the same as usual," Chief Fresco said.

"What? What kind of a plan is that? We're talking about the plan for catching the Phantom," Sara said.

"There's a specter among the rafters, in need of apprehension, Dad!" Maria added.

"Leave that to me. You two are not to place yourselves in danger," the chief said firmly.

Sara looked her father directly in the eyes and spoke with great intensity. "Dad... you need to listen to us, we can help you. You might need us."

Chief Fresco put one hand on a shoulder of each of his daughters. "You don't need to convince me of that, girls. I know you could help! But listen, this is my job. Your job is to just be kids - can you do that for me?" He smiled down at them. "It would mean a lot to your Dad."

Sara and Maria exchanged a glance with one another, and they knew this was a debate they would not win, no matter the merit of their points. With immense reluctance, they nodded their heads, agreeing to their father's request.

### Chapter Seven

### The Hunt Begins

School was now closed for the day, and the hallways were nearly silent, but for the slow, quiet footfalls of Chief Fresco. It was a strange contrast to the raucous noise that oftentimes filled the space, when students would hustle and bustle to class, recess, and lunch.

Each side of the corridor was lined with lockers that were for the students' use during the school day. The lockers were painted in alternating colors of red and blue, which matched the pattern of the tile floor. At equally spaced distances, there were breaks in the rows of lockers, where the classroom doors were placed.

Each of these wooden doors had a window, and Chief Fresco peered into them as he passed by. He saw nobody inside, for the teachers had departed for the day, now that the students had been sent home. The staff had been placed on edge by the shenanigans that had occurred in the auditorium, and they had no desire to hang around preparing lessons and correcting assignments after school.

For the time being, Chief Fresco was one of only a handful of people remaining in Hollow Oak Elementary. The principal and the lunch lady were still in the cafeteria, finishing the process of cleaning up.

The chief cautiously made his way down the hallways, and the only noise was the rubber soles of his boots as they struck the tile floor. His eyes were narrowed, and he was summoning all his focus and alertness, calling upon his police training, his quick reflexes, and his many years of experience.

He had changed out of his police uniform, and he now wore ordinary civilian clothes. Blue jeans, a gray hooded sweatshirt, and casual tan boots were what his current attire consisted of. In addition, he wore a baseball cap with the logo for his daughters' team, the Green Beans.

It wasn't much of a disguise, he acknowledged, but he had simply wanted to wear something that didn't blatantly advertise that he was a member of law enforcement. While he conducted his investigation, he wanted to blend in a bit more, and perhaps be passed off as an ordinary civilian who was doing some contracted work around the school.

Chief Fresco had spent the day searching the building for clues as to the Phantom's identity and location, but he had come up empty handed. He had also tried to puzzle through some sort of motive for the culprit's odd behavior, but he couldn't figure out what it could possibly be.

However, the chief was undaunted, and he continued his investigation into the hours following the school day. He was determined to catch and unmask the Phantom, and he would do whatever it took to bring him in.

As Chief Fresco slowly walked the hallway, he pushed a wheeled cart in front of him. It was loaded with the so-called salary that the Phantom had demanded: foodstuffs. There were heaping piles of macaroni and cheese, platters of pizza, crates full of chocolate milk, boxes of snack crackers and cookies, and a bunch of other tasty treats that had been thrown in for good measure.

The goal had been to create an appealing array of food that would be hard to resist, and the chief thought they had done a darned good job, for the sight and smell of it was making his mouth water and his belly rumble. If the Phantom truly was after nothing more than food, then this cart full of edible ransom should be more than enough to draw him out, Chief Fresco believed.

He was in the process of wheeling the food from the cafeteria, where it had been put together by the lunch lady at the direction of Principal Funkmeyer. The cart was to be taken to the auditorium, just as the principal had been instructed.

And if the Phantom did show up to claim the food... Chief Fresco would be ready for him.

Of course, the chief wasn't ruling out the possibility of an ambush, so he proceeded through the corridors carefully, his alertness pushed to the utmost. It was feasible, he knew, that the Phantom had only ordered the food to be delivered to the auditorium stage as a means of misdirection.

If that was the case, and the Phantom attempted to claim the food en route to its destination... the Chief would still be ready for him.

Of course, the Phantom's behavior and requests were so downright bizarre, it was impossible to predict what he might do or what he really wanted. A salary of macaroni and cheese, snacks, and chocolate milk? What kind of skullduggery was that? Chief Fresco pondered the implications for the hundredth time, but he was still no closer to reaching a sensible conclusion.

As he continued wheeling the cart down the hallway, he felt a drop of sweat trickle its way through his hair and run down the side of his face. He paused for a moment to remove his baseball cap and wipe the sleeve of his shirt across his brow.

It was awfully hot, and the temperature seemed to have increased dramatically since the close of school. But why would the thermostat have been turned up, the chief wondered? Was this more of the Phantom's doing? Or was it simply the consequence of a furnace that was on the fritz?

Chief Fresco remembered that in recent days, his daughters had mentioned that the school thermostat had been acting erratically, resulting in their classrooms becoming too hot or too cold. It was certainly curious, he thought, but it was impossible to say if it was related to the strange actions of the Phantom.

Having wiped his brow of the sweat that had gathered, Chief Fresco returned the cap to his head and resumed his careful pace. He had taken no more than a dozen steps when a strange sound suddenly came from above, causing him to freeze in his tracks.

He raised his eyes to the ceiling, where everything looked perfectly normal. However, there was a faint tapping noise that was coming from the other side of the ceiling tiles.

It wasn't very loud, but the chief was sure he had heard something. He stood on the balls of his feet, tilting his ear toward the ceiling, straining to identify what the noise might be.

"Come on, you sneaky little devil," Chief Fresco muttered.

Shortly, the noise subsided, though the chief thought he may have heard a muted giggle coming from above, trailing off into silence.

"What on earth...?" he murmured to himself. "What kind of a lunatic am I dealing with here?"

For the first time, he considered the notion of calling one of the neighboring towns and requesting some backup from their own police departments. Since Hollow Oak was such a small, rural town, Chief Fresco was the solitary member of the local law enforcement.

Therefore, he was on his own - a condition that typically didn't bother him in his sleepy little town, but he had never before been faced with such odd circumstances. He was in uncharted territory here, a frontier that went beyond his experience.

"Nah, I'll be fine," he assured himself. "I've never had to call for backup before, have I? Besides, I've got a feeling that I'm about to crack this case..."

Chief Fresco resumed walking down the corridor, pushing the cart full of food before him. As he continued toward the auditorium, he heard another strange sound, and he once more halted in his tracks, freezing in place and gathering all of his focus.

This time, the noise was coming from one of the many lockers that lined the hallway. There was a brief rattle, followed by a muted thwump.

Chief Fresco stared at the locker uncertainly. "What the...? How can that be?" he muttered.

Leaving the cart in the middle of the hallway, he cautiously approached the locker. Why he should be so alarmed, he did not know, and he realized it was silly to think that some danger could possibly lie on the other side of that metal door.

After all, the lockers were tiny. They were narrow and short, with one row stacked atop the other, designed to accommodate little more than a middle grader's backpack and a spare set of sneakers.

What could possibly be hiding in a space so small? Nothing, Chief Fresco knew. Certainly not a man claiming to be the Phantom of the Auditorium. Yet, the chief's intuition made him oddly suspicious as he approached, and it was with a cautious hand that he reached out for the locker's latch.

With his breath held and his muscles tensed, he pressed his index finger against the cool metal of the latching mechanism. Ever so slowly, filled with apprehension, he exerted the small amount of upward force that was required to release the latch... and with a faint squeak of revolving hinges, the door began to swing open.

### Chapter Eight

### Throwing Thoughts

Thwack!

Each time Maria caught the baseball that was thrown to her, it made the same sound - a sound that brought her an intangible sense of comfort, due to its great familiarity. Though the glove's padding absorbed much of the ball's force, she could still feel it colliding against her palm, at which point she would squeeze her hand to secure the catch.

Then, she would retrieve the ball with her free hand, gripping the laces beneath her fingertips. Throwing it back to her sister, she would complete the cycle. It was a process they had engaged in countless times, a process that was automatic.

Though there would always be an element of concentration to it, reflex and muscle memory had become so thoroughly ingrained in Maria and Sara, they could almost play catch in their sleep.

The girls were lucky, they knew. Their lives were filled with friendship and weird adventures that had lifted their spirits to great heights, transforming their perspectives of what possibilities the world before them held. Yet, for all the strange and marvelous things they had witnessed and taken part in, many of their happiest times had occurred right here, on the baseball field, playing the game they loved.

It was a place where they were filled with positive emotions. The smell of the freshly cut grass in their noses and the feel of the earth beneath their feet brought them a happiness that could not be put into words.

To throw a baseball back and forth gave them peace, happiness, and a great sense of camaraderie. There was also the feeling of satisfaction that occurred, as they engaged in something they had come to excel at, through endless hours of practice and repetition.

More than anything else, it was just plain good to be outside, under the sun, playing a game with their friends for the sheer fun of it, and nothing more.

Back and forth the baseball went in a rhythmic pattern between Sara and Maria, like the workings of a well-oiled machine. Another benefit of playing catch was that it had a meditative effect. It cleared the mind and let the sisters think, contemplating the thoughts that were running around their minds. Just as they were tossing a baseball between the two of them, they were doing the same for ideas, bandying them back and forth.

"I don't know about this," Sara said as she caught the ball. "I know Dad can take care of himself, but..."

"But he's in the school on his own, trying to catch this Phantom character all by himself," Maria said, continuing her sister's line of thought. "And he just doesn't quite understand what he's up against, when it comes to Jasper."

"And you know something else? He doesn't even know about Ebenezer and all of his tomfoolery or that Jasper is actually a mechanical genius in disguise," Sara pointed out.

The Beans had chosen to keep their parents uninformed of most of what they had been up to as of late, when it came to their adventures in weirdness. After all, how could they adequately explain their run-ins with monsters, mad scientists, robots, and things of a similarly bizarre nature? It wasn't that the Beans lacked trust in their parents... it was just that they didn't think it would be possible to explain everything they had found themselves in the middle of.

They also knew there was a good chance their parents wouldn't believe half of what they were told, and who could blame them? On the whole, it was quite unbelievable. If they hadn't been present to witness all the weirdness firsthand, the Beans weren't sure they would believe it themselves.

Of course, an even worse scenario would be if their parents did believe what they were told, and then chose to keep their children under close watch in an effort to protect them. That would quite possibly be the end of their adventuring, and the Beans most definitely were not ready to give that up.

Though Sara, Maria, Neil, and Jack all loved their parents greatly, they felt there were certain things they just couldn't share with them. Besides, what had transpired as of late for the Beans were experiences they felt belonged to them.

Their group had been through trials and adventures that had tested them on every level, and brought their strong friendship to insurmountable heights. It would have somehow seemed wrong to share the experience with adults... other than Jack's Uncle Lefty, of course, who was anything but normal, and something of a big kid himself.

"Dad won't let us help because we're kids," Sara said, as she brought her arm forward and released the ball from her fingertips, throwing it to her sister. "Sure, we've faced down giant machines, and mad scientists, and monsters, and insane janitors. But Dad doesn't know all that!"

"Hmm... true. He has a ton of confidence in us, but he still underestimates us. But who can blame him? To him, we're still his little girls. He doesn't realize how much crazy stuff we've seen and been through," Maria said. "He's also worried about our safety. He really took it hard, when that museum almost came down on our heads. Since that happened, he's been especially protective."

As the girls continued catching and tossing the baseball back and forth, they let their eyes roam over the field. The other players of their team were spread around, hooting and hollering as middle graders were apt to do. Some of them were playing catch on the outfield grass or the diamond of the infield, just as the sisters were.

Others were hanging out in the dugout, excitedly recounting the day's events and the disturbance that had taken place during the assembly in the auditorium. And some of them were simply wrestling and monkeying around with their friends and teammates as they awaited the arrival of Coach and the commencement of practice.

It was good to be on the field among their teammates, doing something they enjoyed so very much. But it just wasn't the same without Neil and Jack, and the sisters found themselves longing for the company of their closest friends.

"Coach will be here soon," Maria noted. "Practice will be starting in just a few minutes."

"And once that happens, our course will be set. We won't be able to take off to go check on Dad without arousing Coach's suspicions," Sara said.

"Maybe we could go check on Dad, see how he's doing, and then come back," Maria suggested. "We shouldn't miss too much... right?"

They threw the ball back and forth, debating their decision. Theirs was a bond so close, they could oftentimes intuit the thoughts of one another without even giving voice to them. They knew they were on the same page, and they knew what they were going to do.

Thwack! As Maria caught the ball, she nodded her head to her sister, who returned the gesture.

It was decided. Together, they grabbed their backpacks and departed the field, jogging for the school.

### Chapter Nine

### Formidable French Bread

As the locker door swung open, squeaking on its hinges, Chief Fresco found that his body was tensed and in a state of high alert. On a conscious level, he knew this was ridiculous. After all, the locker was far too small for anybody to hide within it.

But on a level of pure instinct, he felt there was very much a need for caution. Over the years, he had learned to place a great deal of value on his intuitions, and he knew he would be foolish to ignore his gut feeling.

Tensed and ready to leap into action (though he couldn't imagine why he might need to do so), he finished opening the locker door. But as the interior space was revealed, he found there was nothing to be alarmed over.

Inside, there was only what one would expect to find: a couple of textbooks, a few sheets of loose paper, and various supplies, consisting of pencils, pens, erasers, and a spare set of socks. It was just a typical middle school locker, filled with all the things that were to be expected, and nothing out of the ordinary.

The chief let his breath out with a laugh, chuckling at how apprehensive he had been when he had opened the door. "Well, what did you expect, knucklehead? Nobody is small enough to hide in one of these lockers - not even a student," he observed. "You're losing it, chief. You get one weird case, and you start getting all wacky. You don't want to 'flip your wig', as the kids say!"

Despite Chief Fresco's joking words, his policeman's perception was telling him there was still something off about the locker. Contrary to its mundane appearance, the chief couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it than met the eye. Once more trusting in his gut feeling, he left the locker door open, intently peering inside.

What had caused the noise he had heard, he wondered? There had been a brief rattle and a muted thwump. The chief narrowed his eyes as he considered the possibilities. Had it simply been one of the books, sliding down until it fell into place? Would something like that create such a noise?

"More than likely, that sound didn't even come from this locker. I probably just imagined it," he reasoned aloud.

Yet, he did not walk away. Instead, he reached forward and began poking around, moving the assorted items about as he searched.

As he pushed the textbooks to one side, he found something that was completely unexpected.

"What... on... earth?" he whispered.

At the back of the locker, there was a hole. It had been hidden by the books, but was now revealed. It was circular in shape, and about six inches in diameter. Clearly, it was far too small for anybody to squeeze through... but what purpose could it possibly serve?

Gripped by curiosity, Chief Fresco withdrew his service flashlight, which he had previously removed from his police utility belt and tucked into one of his pockets. He turned it on and focused the bright beam inside the locker.

Inspecting the hole, he found that it had rather rough edges - almost as if it had been rendered with a can opener. But the lockers were built from heavy steel, and Chief Fresco couldn't imagine what kind of tool must have been used to cut through it. He placed one finger against the edge of the hole, and he discovered that it was warm.

"Hmmm... must have been recently cut. Still warm from the friction of the saw, or whatever was used to make it," he murmured, pondering the connotations. "What manner of mischief is this?"

He focused the light at the center of the hole, in order to see what was behind it. As he suspected, it was simply the interior of a wall, with nothing but studs and wiring - the things you would expect to find inside there.

He took his time peering around, and even reached inside the hole. There was nothing hidden within, and he once more wondered what its purpose could possibly be. If it wasn't being used to hide something, and it was too small to move through... then what was it for? And, more importantly, who had created it?

Before he could contemplate the matter any longer, his attention was drawn by other sounds, coming from further down the hall. It was a series of rattles and taps and thwumps, all coming from a place nearby.

"Now I've got you, you sneaky little devil," Chief Fresco murmured.

His eyes adopted the steely quality they got when his determination became fixed, and his teeth clenched with an unwavering resolve. Stepping away from the locker, he once more grabbed the food cart and began wheeling it down the hall, slowly moving toward the strange noises.

The sounds grew louder, and soon he came to a stop. They were coming from the other side of a door, he realized.

But this was not a classroom door. This was a solid wooden door, and instead of a window at eye level, there was only a brass placard that had been secured with bolts. Upon the surface of the placard, there was a single word printed in capital letters: JANITOR.

This was Jasper's door, the door that led to his supply closet of brooms and buckets and cleaning supplies.

"So you are behind this, just as my girls suspected," the chief muttered. He leaned closer to the door, listening intently to the strange sounds. "I should have known."

He reached underneath the cart and procured a loaf of French bread that the lunch lady had been saving in her van for a rather unreasonable length of time. When they had been loading the cart with foodstuffs, the chief had decided to stash the loaf of bread. It was quite stale, and it would make a formidable weapon, should self-defense become necessary.

The chief once more noted the increased temperature of the hallways, and he removed his cap to wipe at his sweaty brow. Taking a deep breath, he struck the door with the sturdy loaf of bread, knocking loudly.

"You come on out of there right this moment! The jig is up, Jasper!" he shouted.

The noises that had been coming from the other side of the door abruptly ceased. Chief Fresco waited a few seconds, listening intently. After a moment, he heard a soft noise... was that the faint sound of giggling, he wondered? He scratched at his head with the end of the French bread, glowering at the door, which remained closed.

"You don't have anybody fooled, Jasper. Open up!" Chief Fresco commanded, rapping the door with his French bread. "Don't make me come in there. I will not ask you again - open this door!"

With an audible click, the door came unlatched, and as the chief watched, it slowly began to inch open. The interior of the room was rather dark, lit only by a dim, green source.

Chief Fresco squinted his eyes, peering inside as the door slowly opened farther, and he could just barely make out the shapes of buckets and racks of supplies. The smell of pine scented cleaning formula wafted forth, filling his nostrils.

And then, to his utter astonishment, he saw a pair of hands begin to emerge from that darkness, stretching toward him.

His eyes grew wide, and he found himself breathless. For those were not the hands of Jasper, the chief was sure of that.

They couldn't be, for they were unlike any hands he had ever before seen... they were not the hands of a human being.

### Chapter Ten

### Behind the Curtain

The elementary school had closed only a short time ago, so most of the entryways were still unlocked. Sara and Maria entered through a door that was located at the back of the building, facing the baseball field. Once they were inside, they found that the place was eerily quiet.

Since the vast majority of the staff had departed for the day, the school had an odd, somber aura about it, which was a striking contrast to the hustling, bustling place the sisters were used to. They were accustomed to hallways that were filled with children and laughter and the squeaking of sneakers.

Now, the only sound was the hum of the heating system. It was a low, droning noise, created as the furnace burned its fuel, and currents of air were pushed through the ductwork of the building.

"Holy macaroni... it's kind of warm in here, don't you think?" Maria asked.

"Yep," Sara agreed. "It's already gotten quite a bit warmer just from the time school was dismissed."

The difference in temperature was immediately noticeable, particularly since the sisters had just come in from the outdoors, where it was relatively cool by comparison.

Knowing that their baseball cleats would make far too much noise as they moved about on the tiled floor of the hallways, they quickly removed them from their feet, swapping them for their sneakers. They stashed their cleats and their ball caps in their backpacks and proceeded in near silence.

The sisters quickly made their way to the auditorium, which seemed like the most logical place to begin their investigation. In a precautionary move, they ensured the door that led to the hallway was propped open before entering, should a hasty retreat become necessary.

As they stepped into that vast room, they let their eyes roam over it, taking everything in and searching for any potential clues. Their first impression was that nothing was amiss. The overhead lights were in full effect, so the auditorium was perfectly illuminated, leaving little to the imagination.

The rows of stadium-style seating were empty, and nothing looked out of place. There certainly were no nefarious characters present (Phantom or otherwise), as far as they could tell.

"Let's take a look at the stage. That's where the Phantom said he'd pick up his 'salary', right?" Sara asked, keeping her voice low, in the event they did happen to be under observation from an unseen person.

"Yep," Maria confirmed. "That's what the lunatic said."

"And there's no sign of Dad, as of yet," Sara said.

"I wonder if he's down in the cafeteria, getting all that food together. Well, let's take a look up on the stage before he gets here, just in case the Phantom laid out a booby trap for him or something," Maria suggested. "He thinks he's looking out for our safety, but that's a two way street - we need to look out for him, too."

They bypassed the short series of stairs that made ascension of the stage possible, instead choosing to climb directly onto it. As they clambered onto the hard surface of cherry wood, they got to their feet and began poking around the thick, green curtains that hung from the ceiling.

"Well, we have to look behind here," Maria chuckled. "That's a given!"

"You know... I thought I might have seen something back here earlier," Sara said.

"What do you mean? When?"

"It was when we were sitting here in the dark, when the Phantom had taken control. Just after that second pyrotechnic display, when the place filled with light and sound - that's when it happened," Sara explained.

"Well, what was it, exactly?" Maria asked eagerly. "Why didn't you mention it earlier?"

"I didn't bring it up because I'm not even sure that I did see anything. It could have just been my eyes playing tricks on me, or my imagination running wild. That flash of light from the ceiling was so bright, I was seeing black spots for quite a few seconds afterward. But..."

"But what?" Maria asked.

"In that short moment when the whole auditorium was lit up, I could have sworn I saw some movement back here," Sara said, pointing at the drawn curtains. "Where they meet here in the middle, I thought I saw the fabric ripple and move, like somebody was back there, getting up to something."

"Oooh, interesting," Maria said, her curiosity engaged. She reached for the curtains in question. "Let's take a look-see, shall we?"

The girls pulled the heavy curtains apart just far enough so that they could squeeze through. On the other side, the stage continued, and there was a wide array of equipment that had been used for plays and presentations in the past. The lighting there was not as bright as it was in the rest of the auditorium, but there was still more than enough to see by.

"Hmm... nothing out of place at first glance," Sara whispered to her sister. "Let's do a search."

At first, nothing looked suspicious in the slightest. But as the sisters cautiously paced the length of the stage, they saw something that caught the attention of both of them simultaneously. As one, they paused in their tracks, their eyes fixed at a spot near their feet.

"Uh... what is that?" Maria asked.

"I have no idea," Sara answered. "Let's take a closer look."

A hole had been cut into the wood of the stage, and the sisters knelt down to examine it. They saw that it was about six inches in diameter, and the edges were fairly rough, as if it had been created with some type of saw. They peered at it in bafflement, unsure of what its presence could possibly signify.

"What do you suppose the meaning behind this might be? It seems kind of weird, don't you think?" Sara asked.

"Hmm..." Maria murmured as she leaned closer to the hole, squinting her eyes. "Too dark... I can't see anything in there. I wonder if it has anything to do with that Phantom character."

"I can't see any legitimate purpose it might serve. Maybe he's hidden something in there," Sara suggested.

"There's only one way to find out," Maria said, reaching her hand into the hole.

"Careful, sis! It could be booby trapped!" Sara warned.

"I'll be careful..." Maria promised, slowly stretching her hand deeper into the hole. "I just want to see..."

With a short yelp, she withdrew her hand in a blur of movement. Her eyes had become wide, and her face had twisted into an expression of shock.

"What is it? What happened?" Sara asked.

"There's something in there," Maria hissed.

"What?"

"I just felt it brush against the back of my hand!"

"Are you sure? What do you think it was?"

"I have no idea. I'm kind of hoping it was just a mouse... but I have my doubts," Maria said. "The way things are going around here, I suspect it might have been something more sinister than that."

The sudden noise of tings and pings and thwomps from above drew the girls' eyes to the ceiling. There were large, tubular pieces of ductwork that had been installed among the rafters as part of the school's heating system.

And it seemed as if the sounds were coming from within that ductwork.

"What is going on?" Sara asked.

"Is it the Phantom?" Maria wondered.

They were doing an admirable job of keeping level heads, but they had to admit they were somewhat unnerved by what they were experiencing. Was it possible, they wondered, that the Phantom really was an omnipresent specter, flitting among the rafters and seeing all?

As silly as it seemed, they were almost getting the impression that the auditorium might be haunted.

Suddenly, a different noise was heard. Unlike the other sounds, this one had not originated inside the auditorium. Having left the door propped open, they could tell that it had come from one of the nearby hallways.

It was a terrible racket, like the sound of a collection of drum cymbals crashing upon the floor. The sisters locked eyes with one another, and the same thought passed through their minds simultaneously. They saw the alarm clearly visible on one another's face.

As one, they whispered: " _Dad_."

### Chapter Eleven

### Seized By Strangeness

Flailing with his arms and lashing with his legs, Chief Fresco was involved in a desperate struggle - a struggle in which he felt the stakes might be nothing less than his very life.

He had been pulled to the floor of the school hallway, and as he had fallen, his free hand had struck the cart of food. The impact had caused it to topple over, and there was a great hullabaloo of clangs and bangs as metal platters collided with the tiles.

Foodstuffs went flying every which way, resulting in a tremendous mess of spilled pizza, mounds of macaroni and cheese, and a great puddle of chocolate milk. Much of it had splattered upon the chief, covering him in a colorful mosaic of edible artistry.

The chief was concerned with none of that, however. His attention was devoted in full to the doorway of Jasper's supply closet. For it was from there, within that darkened space, that those strange hands had emerged and seized him.

They were odd hands, a study in curious contrasts. They were very small in size, yet they had fingers that seemed impossibly strong, grabbing hold with an immovable grip.

And they were of a strange color, as well. They weren't like the skin of any person the chief had ever seen... they were silver, and they had weird, knobby knuckles that glittered when light struck them.

They were, as Chief Fresco had instantly deduced upon seeing them, not human.

Those oddly powerful hands were currently clutched around the fabric of his pant legs, just below the knees. They had pulled at him so hard, he had been thrown to the floor like a child, releasing an oof as he landed upon his back among a splatter of spilled foods. For a moment, the breath had been knocked from him, and he could only stare at the ceiling in stunned silence.

But the strange hands had given him no time to recover. They had pulled at him, and he found himself being dragged into the supply room. Quickly, the chief pushed aside the pain he had incurred when he had struck the hard tile floor.

There was no time to waste, he realized. He had to act now!

As he felt himself sliding across the floor, he sat up and did his best to resist the pulling hands. But they held fast, undeterred by his kicking legs and flailing arms.

Chief Fresco still clutched the stale loaf of French bread, and he began lashing out with it, swinging it in the direction of his odd assailant. The supply room was too dark, and he could not see anything other than a glimpse of the hands that had seized him, and the beginning of narrow wrists and rather slender forearms.

"Who are you? What's the meaning of this?" he demanded, as he struck out with the loaf of bread.

There was no intelligible answer, but to the chief's horror, he heard a giggle emanate from the darkened room. For some reason that he could not articulate, the sound of that laughter sent a chill down his spine. It had a peculiar rhythm to it, and it was like nothing he had ever before heard.

How can this be, he wondered? How can this be happening?

"I demand you release me! I am an officer of the law!" he cried out.

But the assailant did not obey the command, and the hands did not let go. They continued pulling him along the tile floor at the same steady rate, reeling him into the darkened room. He sat up further, flexing his abdominal muscles so as to get into an upright position, and he wailed with his French bread with renewed vigor.

"I can't believe this," the chief muttered, his mind reeling with the surreal nature of his situation.

He reached backward with his free hand, desperately clutching at something - anything - he might be able to grab onto, so as to halt his movement. But there was nothing to take hold of. There was only the smooth tile floor, which was slick with spilled foodstuffs. His hand uselessly dragged through a pile of warm macaroni and cheese, leaving finger trails across the tiles.

Onward he slid, farther into the supply closet. Suddenly, the supply room was filled with additional light. A door at the rear of the room had opened, and the chief realized it was an entry to the furnace room. Warm air rushed forth like a hot summer breeze, and the chief felt beads of sweat pop across his forehead and temples.

A reddish, glowing light poured from the furnace room and into the supply closet. And by that light, Chief Fresco was able to more clearly see the individual who had seized him.

"Gears and sprockets," he whispered in a hoarse voice, his eyes grown wide with shock. "What... on... earth...?"

A second pair of hands materialized from the darkness, grabbing hold of the chief. And then a third.

Chief Fresco continued to struggle valiantly, flailing with his French bread and kicking with his legs, but it was a futile effort. The combined strength of those additional sets of hands was too much for him to overcome. He was pulled into the supply room at an accelerated pace, sliding across the waxed tile floor with ease.

In the final moments before he was dragged into the supply room, it occurred to him that the question was no longer a matter of who was taking him. The question was... what was taking him?

### Chapter Twelve

### A Trail of Cheese

Sprinting through the hallways, it didn't take long for the fleet feet and swift sneakers of the girls to take them to their destination. Upon hearing the raucous commotion coming from the open door of the auditorium, they had run toward it at full speed, searching for the source of the hullabaloo.

Now, they stood before a terrible mess in the hallway, gazing down at the overturned cart and spilled food. The sisters stared in silence for a moment, trying to digest what exactly they were looking at.

"What happened here? Who knocked this over?" Maria wondered.

"Do you think it was the Phantom?" Sara asked. "But why would he ruin all this food, if that's what he demanded in the first place?"

The two of them crouched down, so as to examine the mess further.

"Look!" Sara exclaimed, pointing toward the trails that ran through the sloppy piles of macaroni and cheese and chocolate milk. "Doesn't that look like it might have been caused by fingers, dragging across the tiles?"

"Hmm... yes, it does," Maria admitted, her voice heavy with worry. Once again, she wondered, "What exactly happened here? You don't suppose those are Dad's fingerprints, do you?"

"I sure hope not," Sara said. "But if somebody were to bring this cart of food from the cafeteria to the auditorium, as the Phantom instructed... don't you think Dad would have insisted on doing it himself? He's vowed to catch him, after all, and he wouldn't want to miss an opportunity when the Phantom might reveal himself."

"You're right. And you know something else? Dad would never want somebody else to take on the risk, if he thought there was any kind of danger involved," Maria reasoned. "I really wish he had let us stay with him to help. If we had, this might've never happened!"

"It's hard to be sure, with all this mess, but it looks like he might have fallen to the floor - or been knocked to the floor - and then gotten dragged into..." Sara paused as she looked up at the wooden door. "Uh-oh. I didn't realize... look where this happened."

"Jasper," Maria muttered, as she looked at the brass placard with the word JANITOR boldly inscribed upon it. "It's unlikely that this is nothing more than coincidence."

"That's for sure," Sara agreed.

The two of them stood from their crouches and faced the door. It was now closed tight, and they leaned forward, placing their ears against it. They noted that the wooden surface was quite warm.

From the other side of the door, the sisters could hear a low thrumming noise, which they knew to be the heating system, laboring away. In addition, they heard other strange sounds, which were hard to make out, for they were somewhat muted by the thick construction of the door, and partially drowned out by the noise the heating system was creating.

"Do you hear that?" Maria asked.

Sara nodded. "I do... but what is it?"

It was hard to be sure what exactly they were hearing, but it sounded like weird rattles and thwocks and thwumps.

"Dad might be in there-" Sara began.

"And we need to get in!" Maria cried, completing the thought.

They stepped back from the door, plotting for ways they might gain entry. Undoubtedly, Jasper kept his personal room locked with some sort of diabolical security system that was designed to thwart even the most robust of efforts.

"Maybe we can get our hands on some kind of big metal bar, and we can use it to pry against the handle until it snaps right off," Sara said.

"Or maybe we can find some power tools somewhere, and cut our way through the wood," Maria suggested.

"But whatever we do, we need to do it quick," Sara said. "If Dad's in there, we can't waste a bunch of time trying to open this stupid door! Who knows what's going on in there?"

As the desperation of the situation penetrated their hearts and brains, the sisters felt a rare panic setting in. They were accustomed to dealing with all manner of dire scenarios, and pressure rarely unsettled their level heads and steady nerves. Their character was unquestionable, forged by fiery trials that had made them stalwart in the face of any challenge, regardless of its nature.

But this time it wasn't their own skins that were on the line - it was their father who was in jeopardy. Ironically, if the danger had been applied toward Sara and Maria themselves, they wouldn't have felt nearly as much stress. Knowing that their dad might, at this very moment, be in need of help they were unable to offer, was a terrible feeling.

The powerlessness they felt was agonizing. For the first time, they thought they truly understood what their father must have felt like, as he had watched the burning museum crumbling around his daughters and been unable to do anything about it.

The anxiety was clouding the sisters' minds, and not making the problem solving process any easier for them. They desperately searched among the debris from the wrecked cart, hoping for something they could use to bust the door open.

But their efforts proved unnecessary. They heard a distinct clink, causing them to look back toward the door. The handle had come unlatched, and with a faint creaking of hinges, the door slowly swiveled open. A gap of perhaps three inches formed, and then the door's momentum ceased.

A waft of warm air drifted from the room beyond the door, and a red glow could be seen through the sliver of an opening.

The sisters were startled by the development, and though they wondered what might have caused the door to have suddenly popped open, the cause was irrelevant. No matter why it had happened, one thing was for sure: they were going through that door to find their father.

### Chapter Thirteen

### Abnormal Behavior

"Jasper!" Sara hollered through the gap in the doorway. "Come on out of there, you cantankerous custodian!"

The sisters stood before the door, braced for action and ready to enter. There had been a single occasion in which they had seen a glimpse of the interior of the room beyond. This had occurred when Jasper had emerged from within to harass the Beans, snatching Jack's backpack and covertly planting a recording device inside of it.

Based on what they had been able to see of the room during that encounter, the sisters believed it was nothing more than a janitorial supply closet. Jasper, however, insisted on referring to it as his "office" (a rather curious choice, the Beans felt).

Consequently, there was no telling what they would encounter in the room, especially with all the odd sounds emanating from the place. But the sisters felt they were prepared to face anything, no matter the danger.

However, they had a strong suspicion that Jasper was lying in ambush, waiting for them to cross the threshold so he could spring some diabolical trap upon their persons. It couldn't hurt to try to lure him out to the hall first, where the sisters might nullify some of the janitor's advantage.

Sara rested one hand on the door's handle, ready to pull it all the way open. Maria stood directly beside her sister, ready to barge in and take action. After all, it was their dad who had been dragged in there - they were going to go in, even if Jasper refused to show himself.

"You're not scaring us with all your creepy tricks, and you had better not have done anything to our dad!" Maria shouted. "Why don't you come on out here, you broom-swinging lunatic?"

The taunts of the sisters went unanswered. The only sound was the humming of the heating system, louder now that the door was ajar. Maria and Sara exchanged a glance with one another, their eyebrows scrunched together as they considered the scenario.

It was usually pretty easy for children to get Jasper all worked up, and he became particularly irritated whenever the Beans got involved. Yet, he was not rising to the bait and answering their taunts. He was demonstrating abnormally strong self-control, at least by his standards.

"You know, we're out here smearing all this gunk all over your precious, shiny floors!" Sara shouted into the room. "Pizza cheese, and mashed potatoes, and oh - what is that, tiramisu? Are you too lazy to do anything about it, you great big galoot?"

"We're scuffing the living daylights out of these floors!" Maria added, loudly squeaking her sneakers back and forth upon the tiles beneath her feet for emphasis. "And I've been dragging mud through this place allllll dayyyy looong! It's starting to look like a swamp in here!"

Still, there was no answer, and the sisters were perplexed. Jasper's obsessive compulsion for cleanliness was his greatest vulnerability, and he was quick to anger whenever somebody left a scuff mark upon his immaculate floors.

If he was hiding in the room beyond, waiting in ambush, he would be hard pressed to resist the urge to rush out in defense of his shiny floors, swinging a broom or mop while uttering vehement exclamations about the wickedness of children. Yet... there was still no response.

"Hmm," Maria grunted. In a low voice, she spoke to her sister. "He's not coming out..."

"We're going to have to go in after him, and risk being ambushed," Sara said.

"Let's give it one more shot," Maria suggested.

Sara nodded in agreement, and then shouted, "Don't make us come in there after you - if you do, there's no telling what kind of monkeyshines we might get up to, you doorknob! We're just a couple of messy kids, after all, and we might do something crazy, like get your cleaning supplies all out of order, and jumble everything up!"

There still came no answer from within the room. Even the threat of bringing disorder to his neatly lined shelves of supplies was not enough to ignite Jasper's short fuse and prod him into folly. The sisters were surprised and disturbed by the amount of self-control the janitor was displaying, which was nothing short of astounding, based on his past record.

The bearish villain had huge advantages in terms of size, strength, and resources. Typically, the Beans would need to exploit his weaknesses in order to defeat whatever nefarious scheming he was up to.

"I thought that would get some kind of reaction out of him," Maria said, her face conveying surprise. "Looks like Jasper's really holding it together today. Must be part of this bizarre 'Phantom' business he's gotten up to."

"You've left us no choice, Jasper - we're coming in!" Sara shouted.

"And you had better not take a swing at us with your mahogany broom, or you'll just make it worse on yourself," Maria warned.

Though Jasper was extremely stubborn, he must have surely learned by now that the Beans simply would not back down against him, no matter the odds that were stacked against them. They could not be intimidated, and they would not be swayed from their course of action, no matter the danger involved.

By kidnapping the sisters' father, he had taken his odious scheming to a new low, and their retaliation was certain. But what was he planning, the girls wondered? What would they find, waiting for them on the other side of the door?

"Ready?" Sara whispered to her sister.

Maria answered with a nod, her eyes filled with focus and intensity. The sisters readjusted the straps of their backpacks upon their shoulders, readying for action. They tensed the muscles in their legs so they could rush forth and act quickly, and each of them took a deep breath.

With a quick yank of her arm, Sara flung the door wide open. She whipped the door so hard upon its hinges, the knob slammed against the lockers in the hallway with a loud clanging of metal.

As one, Maria and Sara launched into the room, the chamber that had always been defended by Jasper's wily presence, the room that had forever been forbidden, lest one incur the wrath of the irate janitor.

Upon seeing what was on the other side of the door, the girls halted in their tracks. Their eyes bulged with surprise, and there was a sharp intake of air as they gasped from shock.

It was the very last thing they would have expected to find in Jasper's private quarters: disorder, chaos, and messiness to the utmost.

### Chapter Fourteen

### Close Quarters Tornado

"Well... this... is not... what I expected to find," Sara muttered.

"You and me both," Maria said.

"What's he been up to in here?" Sara wondered. "This is so unlike him."

Immediately after pouncing across the threshold of the janitor's storage room, the two of them had been so startled, they had frozen in place. They had thought they were ready for anything, including an all-out attack by the gargantuan, broom-wielding custodian.

What they were not prepared to see was the colossal mess that completely enveloped the place. Formerly, the room had consisted of dozens of cabinets and shelves, each of them neatly stocked with supplies, bottles of cleaning solution, and implements of cleaning.

But the storeroom, which had been so neat and orderly before, looked as if it had been victimized by a tornado. It had been turned into a disaster zone of disorder, with shelves and racks having been overturned, and items of all sorts strewn across the floor.

Bottles and buckets lay on their sides. Brooms and mops lay in haphazard piles. Boxes of paper towels had been torn open, their contents scattered across the floor. A small metal desk was nestled in one corner, and all of its drawers had been left open, with papers and files strewn about.

Several of the bottles of cleaning solution had been punctured as they had been tossed about the room, and their leaked contents formed pools of liquid on the concrete floor. In the close quarters, the smell of pine and lemon cleaners filled the air, so strong that it made the girls' nostrils burn.

Elongated, overhead bulbs provided a weird light that had a greenish trace to it, illuminating the area. However, this light was tinged by another source, one that glowed red. It seemed to radiate from the rear of the room, but it was hard to be sure, with all the debris that littered the place.

"Um, I hate to say this, but... do you think Jasper's really lost it this time? I know we've always considered him to be more or less unhinged, but this is some truly insane stuff here. I mean, this is bananas," Sara said.

"You could be onto something there... maybe we've finally pushed him over the edge this time. He has been through an awful lot lately. Not that I have any sympathy for him, mind you," Maria said. "Everything that's happened to him has been a result of his own evildoing. And the stuff he's done to us - especially to Jack's dad - has been downright horrible."

The sisters slowly began walking farther into the room. They had to be careful where they stepped, for there was so much stuff scattered upon the floor, and so many overturned cabinets and shelving taking up space, there wasn't much room left for their feet. There were crunches and squishes and squeaks beneath their sneakers, depending upon what they happened to step on at any given moment.

"Jasper has many flaws, but he's the neatest person I've ever met. He could never tolerate this kind of disorder. It would be literally impossible for him to handle," Sara commented, as she examined her surroundings, searching for clues.

Maria ducked low to scoot beneath a stainless steel rack, which had been tipped over and left leaning against one wall. "I'm worried you might be right about Jasper losing it and going full-on bonkers. He was enough trouble before, when he was at least somewhat predictable. But if he's truly flipped his wig..."

"There's no telling what he'll do," Sara finished.

"Maybe it was when his so-called 'master plan' that he cooked up with Ebenezer fell through. Maybe that's what pushed him over the edge. You know, not only did that plot blow up in his face, but it resulted in the loss of the Black Hats' stronghold," Maria pointed out.

Sara grunted in agreement. "That's true. It was a major setback, maybe even one that will prove impossible for the Black Hats to overcome. And knowing that doorknob, he probably blames us for everything going screwy on him."

"Well, we did toss him down a trapdoor and get him stuck in the museum's ductwork for a while," Maria giggled. "Not that he didn't have it coming for a real long time."

"And there are some other factors to consider," Sara said. "I mean, the whole building basically fell on his head, so who knows what kind of trauma that inflicted on his troubled gourd?"

"And don't forget about the consequences of his exposure to Pan Gu," Maria reminded her.

"That's right. The creature totally stupefied him and all the other adults who were present. We heard Evelyn Magellan was recovering in the hospital, but we don't know the details of her condition. Who's to say what the lasting effects of such a thing could be on Jasper's mind?" Sara asked.

"And this newfound instability... well, greater instability, I guess you might say... if Jasper's truly blown a fuse, it might explain why he would do something as risky and unorthodox as capturing Dad - an officer of the law! He had to know there would be serious consequences for that, no matter what happened," Maria speculated.

"But... but if Jasper's lost his mind..." Sara stammered nervously, "then... then that means..."

"It means Dad's in serious danger, and we need to get to him as soon as possible," Maria concluded.

As the sisters continued working their way through the carnage of cleaning supplies, they neared the rear of the room. At the back wall, they could see another door, which had been left open.

It was from there that the reddish light emanated, and it was also from within that doorway that a loud thrumming noise radiated. As they drew closer, the girls could feel strong currents of warm air pouring forth and washing over them.

The sisters paused for a moment before the open door, peering into its depths.

"That must be the furnace room," Sara said. "Interesting. It seems the way to access it was through Jasper's supply room - the room he typically keeps locked up and off limits to others."

"Hey! Did you see that?" Maria asked, pointing to the doorway.

Sara tensed, for she had seen it, as well. Both of them could catch glimpses of moving shadows bouncing around the room - implying somebody, or something, was in there.

The sisters were weary, but undaunted. Nothing was going to stop them, and there was neither room in their hearts nor time on the clock for fear.

"Let's get to it," Sara said firmly. "Let's go in there."

### Chapter Fifteen

### Gears and Sprockets

Without hesitation, the girls stealthily infiltrated the furnace room. They hunkered low in order to reduce the visibility of their profiles, and they were confident the ample noise created by the furnace would cover whatever small sound their sneakers might create.

"Gears and sprockets!" Maria whispered, extending her index finger toward the floor at the base of the furnace. "I know we use that as a general declaration fairly often, but this time I actually mean it - look, there're gears and sprockets!"

Sara followed the direction of her sister's pointed finger, and she was immediately able to see what Maria was referencing. Upon the concrete floor of the furnace room, there lay gears and sprockets, as well as a few bolts, springs, and other mechanical doodads. Based on their close proximity to the furnace itself, it seemed they had come free from the vast machine and fallen out - or been forcibly removed.

"You're right," Sara whispered, as she continued to cautiously tread farther into the room, swiveling her head to search for dangers. "Do you think this is the work of Jasper?"

"I don't know, but this could very well explain why the temperatures in the school have been so erratic as of late," Maria said.

"True... but what would be the point of damaging the furnace?" Sara wondered.

There were pools of oil on the floor, forming dark circles that were slowly soaking into the concrete. The furnace sporadically spurted hot streams of the stuff from its innards as it rattled and hissed and hummed.

It didn't take a mechanical genius to see that the school's furnace was in rough shape. Though it was still running, it was far from operating at its nominal levels. Anybody could deduce that the thing was in desperate need of a major tune up.

Based on all the parts that were lying helter-skelter on the floor, as well as the alarming pools of loosed fluids, it seemed there were two possibilities as to what had occurred. The furnace had either been sabotaged, or it had been neglected so badly that it was literally falling apart.

Neither of these prospects was particularly appealing, but the sisters had a theory as to which was more probable. After the carnage they had witnessed in Jasper's supply room, they thought the likelihood of intentional destruction outweighed any chance of random deterioration.

But who would do such a thing, they wondered? What could be gained by tampering with the school's furnace, and causing the temperatures to become so wacky?

The building's thermostat had been rendered useless in recent days, but nobody really knew why. Now, the reason became clear to the sisters - the furnace was on the fritz, most likely due to somebody monkeying around with it.

Suddenly, a loud clanging rang out, reverberating around the furnace room. It was a jarring noise, and it made the sisters flinch in surprise. It sounded like two pieces of hard metal clashing against one another. There was a pause, and then it came again, followed by several more occurrences in rapid succession.

"It's coming from the other side of the furnace... somebody must be in here with us," Sara hissed.

"Let's check it out," Maria whispered.

Fortunately, the humming and thrumming of the huge furnace had thus far hidden their presence - or so they hoped. If there was somebody else in the room, they presumed the loud noises of the machine would cover their voices.

Slowly, they began creeping around the furnace, which was tall and long and rectangular in shape. Its height concealed them from whomever might be on the other side of it, clanging away and making such a ruckus.

When they reached the corner of the furnace, they pressed close to it, doing their best to avoid the occasional jets of oil that spurted out. They felt the warmth of the great machine radiating into their bodies as they peered around the edge, trying to stay as concealed as possible.

When they saw what was happening on the other side, they gasped in surprise.

"It's him," Maria whispered. "The Phantom is here."

"What on earth is he doing?" Sara wondered.

The Phantom was turned toward the furnace, and had not yet noticed the girls. Therefore, they had an opportunity to observe him, and they took in his bizarre appearance.

He wore a black, hooded, knee-length cape over trousers of a matching color. Thin, white gloves covered his hands. His shirt was a white, loose fitting blouse, with billowy, ruffled sleeves. Black boots rose to the middle of his calves, and they were of a narrow width that indicated rather petite feet within.

Most curious of all, he wore a white mask that partially concealed his face. It was the type of accessory worn at masquerades, covering only the area immediately around his eyes, his nose, and part of his forehead. With the combination of the hood from his cape, the mask made his identity impossible to determine.

"Do you think it's Ebenezer Widget-Bocker? That nut job is awfully fond of capes and costumes, you know," Sara whispered as they watched from around the corner of the furnace.

Maria considered the possibility. "Nah... he's too tall. Although Ebenezer has proven to be pretty good, when it comes to disguises... so I guess it could be him, if he had lifts in his boots."

Though the Phantom was not particularly tall, measuring at about five and a half feet, he would have positively towered over the diminutive Ebenezer.

Even more curious than the Phantom's wardrobe was his current activity. In one hand, he wielded a hammer, which he periodically struck against seemingly random parts of the furnace. This was the source of the clanging noise the sisters had heard.

In his other hand, the Phantom held a large adjustable wrench, which he would occasionally use on a bolt, twisting it a time or two before desisting. If there was any rhyme or reason to the application of the Phantom's tools, it was lost upon the sisters.

"I have no idea what he's up to, but I say we confront him," Sara whispered.

"I'm ready," Maria assured her sister.

Once decided, they wasted no time. As one, the pair of them leaped forward, jumping into view of the Phantom.

"Stop right there!" Sara shouted.

"What are you up to?" Maria demanded.

Clearly having been startled, the masked miscreant dropped both tools, and they clattered upon the concrete floor.

"Oh, hello there," the Phantom said, looking them over. "You took me by surprise! Say - did you happen to bring any pizza with you?"

### Chapter Sixteen

### Accusations and Illusions

The sisters were so startled by the Phantom's reaction to their presence, they were momentarily stunned into silence. It wasn't so much the odd manner in which the Phantom had greeted them and inquired as to the status of any possible pizza. The most shocking thing was the actual voice of the Phantom.

It was not the voice Sara and Maria had been anticipating. It was not the deep, booming, amplified voice they had heard before, echoing about the auditorium, reverberating from surface to surface and sending tremors through the captive students.

It was a woman's voice. The Phantom, it seemed, was not a he, but a she.

Taken aback by this development, the sisters struggled to gather their wits about them for a few seconds. The three people in the tight room all stood in a state of equal surprise, staring at one another as the furnace hummed, hissing and rattling and casting great waves of heat.

"Uh... and who might you be?" Sara finally asked.

"Me? Why, I'm the Phantom of the - oh, hang on a second," the masked woman said. She reached toward her belt, which was weighted with several pouches and compartments of various sizes. The Phantom depressed a button on some kind of small electronic device that was near her hip, and when next she spoke, her voice was drastically altered, becoming deep and amplified. "I am the Phantom of the Auditorium!"

"You? You're the Phantom of the Auditorium?" Maria asked in astonishment. "But you're-"

"Behold!" the Phantom shouted, interrupting Maria with a waving motion of her billowy, ruffled sleeves and a twirling of her black cape.

She reached into a pouch on her belt and withdrew what looked to be a small firecracker. The Phantom threw it on the floor at her feet, and there was a sharp crack of noise.

A great deal of colored smoke rose from the point of impact, with wispy streams of red and blue and green, swirling about like a miniature whirlwind. The colorful vapors engulfed the Phantom, who was laughing in a rather diabolical manner the entire time.

Maria and Sara could only watch in slack-jawed astonishment, as they were still trying to comprehend what sort of shenanigans were underfoot in the furnace room. They had initially been expecting Jasper or Ebenezer, but now they didn't know who they were up against or what to think.

They feared the Phantom might pull a disappearing act while enveloped in the fancy smoke, but within a few moments, the vapors began dissipating. As the smoke drifted away, the Phantom's maniacal laughter tapered off, turning into gasps and coughs.

"Blasted smoke!" the Phantom sputtered, bending over at the waist and clutching her knees as she struggled to regain her breath. "Note to self: Only do that trick when adequate ventilation is available."

"Can you turn that thing off?" Sara asked, pointing at the electronic device at the Phantom's belt. "Your voice is a bit overpowering in here."

"Well, I suppose you're right," the Phantom agreed as she deactivated the interesting doodad with a press of her thumb. After doing so, her voice returned to a normal, unaltered level. "I guess I was only giving myself a headache in these tight quarters."

"So, who are you? I mean, who are you really?" Sara asked.

"Why, I've already made that abundantly clear! Isn't the Phantom a good enough name?" the masked woman asked.

"Uh... no, not really," Sara said with a shake of her head. "I mean, you've been creeping around the rafters of our school, slinking behind the walls like a spying specter. I think you should be a little bit accountable for your actions, don't you? And you kidnapped our Dad, so we want some answers!"

"Speaking of which, where is he?" Maria demanded, her voice rising in alarm. "You better not have hurt him!"

The Phantom held her hands up in a pacifying gesture. "Now, hang on a second! That wasn't me, I didn't kidnap anybody!"

"Do you actually expect us to believe that? You won't even show us your face!" Sara exclaimed. "And if it wasn't you, then who was it?"

"Okay, okay, just calm down, will you? Things have been a bit crazy around here lately, you know? But I would never kidnap somebody! That's downright despicable," the Phantom said.

"Well, what happened to our father, then? His name's Chief Fresco – which I'm sure you already know – and he was en route to the auditorium with all that food you demanded," Maria said.

"He was, was he?" the Phantom asked, her voice piquing with interest.

"But apparently, he never made it, because the cart's been overturned and there're signs of a struggle just outside in the hallway," Sara explained, pointing toward the door from which they had entered Jasper's supply room.

The Phantom's voice rose to a panicked level. "Is the food okay?"

"Is the food okay? We're talking about the well being of our father! How about him? Is he okay?" Sara demanded.

"Oh, right. Priorities, priorities," the Phantom said, waving her gloved hands apologetically. "I'm just so darned hungry... you wouldn't believe how long it's been since I had a proper meal. But anyway, back on point – you're quite sure your father's been snatched, eh? Oh, dear. This is very bad. Things are escalating. Things are really getting out of hand quite quickly."

"Meaning what, exactly?" Maria asked, her eyebrows arching in concern.

"It must have been them," the Phantom said, her voice filled with dread as she pointed toward the ceiling. "They must have taken your father."

### Chapter Seventeen

### The Face of the Phantom

"Would you please slow down and start making some sense?" Sara begged. "Are you saying there's more than one of you crazies flitting about the rafters of the school?"

"Uh, no... not precisely," the Phantom answered in a noncommittal fashion. "And I'm not really crazy, you know, just a bit, uh... eccentric, I suppose. We all have our quirks, don't we?"

"You live in a boiler room. That's pretty crazy," Maria pointed out.

"I can see why you might think so," the Phantom acknowledged. "But I assure you, I have my reasons for living as I do. And I don't confine myself to this one room, of course! This building has many areas that are hidden from your eyes, you silly schoolchildren."

"I'm not really sure if that was meant to comfort us, but it's actually kind of disturbing," Sara said. "And would it kill you to take off that silly mask while you're talking to us? Why are you even wearing it?"

The Phantom sighed with disappointment, but reluctantly nodded her head. "Very well. I'm a bit shy, you see, and I place a great deal of importance on maintaining my privacy, but if you insist... I suppose it's a gesture of good faith I can extend to you. As to why I dress as I do, well, I've always had a great appreciation for the classics. This is a pretty good 'Phantom' get-up, don't you think? And my performance in the auditorium this morning – I was very pleased with it, I must say!"

The sisters nodded in hesitant agreement, though they were exceedingly cautious and distrustful of whoever was behind the mask. They presumed her to be a lunatic, or at the very least to be a bit unbalanced, to put it kindly.

They further presumed the Phantom must be in league with Jasper and Ebenezer, which was a sure sign of villainy. Nothing about the stranger living in the furnace room seemed predictable or ordinary, so Maria and Sara were proceeding with as much vigilance and prudence as they could manage.

"Now, then... behold the face of the Phantom!" the caped woman cried.

With a single smooth motion, she reached toward her belt and deployed another one of her firecrackers, releasing colorful smoke all around her. At the same time, she reached one gloved hand to her mask and flung it from her face.

The sisters eagerly waited for the smoke to disperse, while the Phantom once more coughed and sputtered from her reckless dispensing of pyrotechnics in close quarters.

"Note to self," the Phantom gasped as she waved her hands about to accelerate the dispersion of smoke. "You've really got to stop using illusionary effects in the furnace room!"

When the vapors of red and green and blue vanished, Sara and Maria were finally able to see the Phantom's face – and she looked anything but evil. She was a pretty young woman in her mid-thirties, with brown hair that was cropped close to her head.

She wore no makeup, but her cheeks had a naturally rosy complexion that provided a more powerful effect than any artificial enhancement might have. Her eyes were brown and keen, and her features were kind, giving the impression of a likable, trustworthy person.

It certainly wasn't the face one would associate with scoundrels and scallywags. Despite the pleasant appearance of the Phantom, however, the sisters did not lower their guard. That, they were sure, would be a mistake.

"You still haven't told us your name," Sara pointed out. "Among other things – like why you're wailing away on the school's furnace with a hammer."

"You really don't want to call me the Phantom, eh?" the stranger asked with evident disappointment.

"Uh, no, not really," Sara said.

The Phantom squinted her eyes and furrowed her brow, giving the impression that she was applying an awful lot of thought to what should have been a pretty straightforward answer. After all, how hard was it to tell somebody what your own name was? This hesitation only increased the sisters' suspicions.

"Well, then... why don't you call me Double H?" the Phantom finally suggested.

Maria scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "That can't possibly be your real name, can it?"

"It's my initials," Double H explained. "H.H. As I mentioned, I'm quite shy, and... well, I'm just a bit reluctant to share my name with people. It's nothing personal, I hope you understand. I mean, I did take off my mask, and that's a big deal for me! I'm in uncharted territory here - why, at this rate, I might even be able to venture outside again some day! I have some, uh... anxiety related disorders, you see."

"Okay... Double H, it is," Maria agreed, exchanging a perplexed expression with her sister.

"Now who is it that you're talking about, up in the ceiling?" Sara asked. "Who do you think took our dad?"

The three of them looked to where the Phantom had pointed. The ceiling of the furnace room was in poor condition, with many of the tiles having gone missing. Other ceiling tiles were placed in a crooked fashion or had strange scrape marks on them, with big chunks having been torn free.

In the spaces above the missing tiles, the area was dark, with various pipes and wires barely visible by the warm red glow that radiated from the furnace. A steady drip-drip-drip of water came from what must have been a ruptured pipe above, falling atop the furnace.

Most alarming of all, some wires dangled loosely from the holes in the ceiling. The ends of these wires had been terminated roughly, leaving jagged bits of plastic insulation and frayed copper. An occasional burst of sparks surged from the damaged wires, dissipating into the air shortly after formation.

"It's the gremlins," Double H said, solemnly shaking her head. "Ever since Jasper's gone missing, they've gotten out of control."

The sisters glanced at one another, sharing an expression of bewilderment, alarm, and disbelief.

"Uh... what did you say?" Sara asked.

"Gremlins? Do you expect us to believe gremlins are responsible for kidnapping our dad?" Maria demanded.

"Well, 'gremlins' is what Jasper likes to call them, but I've always thought that was a bit too ominous. I prefer to call them mecha-monkeys. That makes them sound kind of fun – which they were, actually... until recently, of course..." Double H trailed off.

"Where... what... how?" Sara placed one hand against her forehead and rubbed at her temples. She found herself somewhat at a loss as to what to do with this new information. The one thing that she did know for sure was that regardless of the nature of the crisis, their priority was to rescue their father from danger. "Look, lady, I have no idea what you're talking about, but we just need to find Dad and make sure he's okay. Can you help us do that?"

"Of course!" Double H said with an agreeable air. "Just follow me, and we'll get to the bottom of this soon enough!"

Before the sisters could register what was happening, Double H squeezed into the tight space between the back of the furnace and the concrete wall.

"Hey, wait!" Maria called. "Where are you going?"

"Just follow me!" the caped lunatic called.

"I suppose we don't have much of a choice," Sara told her sister. "Sure, it might be dangerous, but we've got to follow her, if there's even a small chance she can help us find Dad."

"You're right," Maria said.

Double H's voice was fading as she continued moving away. "And bring those tools with you - just in case!"

"That's not a bad idea, actually," Sara admitted.

The tools Double H had dropped upon the floor would make fairly substantial weapons, should these so-called gremlins or mecha-monkeys prove to be hostile. Sara hoisted the hammer, while Maria procured the wrench.

The sisters looked at one another and nodded, bracing themselves for whatever lay ahead. This would be far from the first time they had ventured into uncharted territories and faced unknown peril.

Confident in their abilities, and comforted by the presence of one another, they squeezed into the tight space behind the furnace, following Double H as best they could.

### Chapter Eighteen

### Something This Way Scuttles

Wiggling their bodies through the narrow space, the sisters struggled to keep up with the woman who called herself "Double H". The last thing they wanted to do was lose sight of the lone lead they had in determining their father's whereabouts.

However, keeping close to Double H was no easy feat. She had led the sisters into the narrowest of corridors, which was apparently used for servicing some of the school's heating, plumbing, and electrical aspects. Double H had no trouble navigating the close quarters, thanks to what was surely abundant practice in the matter, but Maria and Sara were newcomers to the experience.

The concrete walls were lined with numerous pipes and wires and vast pieces of ductwork, leaving little room for the girls to pass through. The tools they had brought with them banged off of metal objects in the tight area, and they kept getting hung up on various objects.

Regretfully, they realized they were going to have to leave their backpacks behind, because they kept getting snagged. With no time to waste, they quickly shrugged them from their shoulders and left them on the floor.

Once free of their backpacks, the girls were able to pick up the pace and get closer to the elusive Double H, who was slinking ahead through the service corridor.

The overhead lighting of this area was questionable at best, consisting of a single, bare light bulb that flickered in a disconcerting manner. By its intermittent illumination, the sisters could just barely see where they were going and what they were touching. They caught glimpses of Double H's black cape as it whirled in the corridor ahead of them, and they sought to catch up.

"I know we don't really have any choice in the matter, but that doesn't mean I like this," Sara muttered uneasily, as she continued wiggling forward, ducking beneath ducts and dodging pipe valves. "I don't like it one bit."

"Neither do I. We'll have to be extra vigilant and keep an eye on one another's back. There's no telling what we're getting into here... I just hope Dad's okay," Maria said.

"You're right... just stay alert. We can't trust this lady, whoever she is," Sara warned, though she knew her sister hardly needed to be reminded.

As they continued making their way through the corridor, there suddenly came the noise of a great disturbance above the girls, causing their hearts to leap and their breath to catch.

In the mess of pipes and ductwork that was layered near the ceiling of the service corridor, there was a flurry of activity. Something was up there. There were scraping sounds, like that of claws on a metal surface, and various thwumps and thwocks.

It sounded like something was scuttling around, right over their heads.

"What was that?" Maria asked as she grabbed onto her sister's shoulders.

Sara had tensed up, her eyes directed at the ceiling. "Just hold still..." She readied the hammer she held in one hand, bracing herself for a well-placed swing... just in case, as Double H had said.

In the flickering light of the narrow corridor, it was hard to see anything with absolute clarity. As the sisters stared at the ceiling, their attention riveted by whatever was making the racket, they saw something pass overhead.

It was a dark blur of movement, and the sisters gasped as it moved into their field of vision. Before they could process what it was, it had vanished among a network of pipes and wires, scuttling and scraping as it went.

"By the beard of Archimedes," Sara whispered.

From the place where the thing had disappeared, a fading giggle could be heard, drawing chills from the sisters. They shuddered and reached for each other's hands, clenching them tight, drawing comfort from the reassurance that they would not face these curious horrors alone.

"Kind of creepy, huh?" Double H asked.

She had come back toward the girls, and now stood just before them. With eyes glued upward, Maria and Sara had not even noticed Double H, and they jumped when she spoke.

"Don't do that!" Sara admonished the caped weirdo.

Apparently oblivious, Double H furrowed her brow and asked, "Do what?"

"Sneak up on us like that!" Sara exclaimed. "What do you think I'm talking about? Isn't it spooky enough down here, without you doing that?"

"Oh, sorry. I realized you two were lagging behind, and when I heard that mecha-monkey scrambling around, I figured I'd better come back to make sure you were okay," Double H said.

"So that was one of these so-called gremlins?" Maria asked.

"Yep," Double H answered. "Nimble little rascals. They can squeeze into just about any space."

"Are they dangerous? That thing kind of gave me the willies," Sara admitted, suppressing a shudder.

"Uh... not... usually," Double H said slowly, as if considering the question a great deal before answering.

"Well, that's not a very confidence inspiring answer," Maria muttered.

Double H turned on her heels and once more began to delve into the darkened depths of the service corridor. "Come on! Stay close to the Phantom, and you'll be just fine. But like I said, it can't hurt to keep those tools handy... uh, you know. Just in case."

### Chapter Nineteen

### The Workshop of Wonders

Maria and Sara were determined to not lose track of Double H again. With the dangers that surrounded them, they felt it was imperative they keep her in sight. Their father was missing, they had no idea what Double H's true motives were, and to top it all off, there were weird little things – mecha-monkeys, apparently – scuttling about in the walls and rafters.

The small creatures, if they had anything to do with Jasper, were surely of a nefarious origin. The fact that they largely remained out of sight and giggled in such a disconcerting fashion did little to endear them to the sisters. Just the thought of them, remaining hidden in the shadows and devising unfortunate plots, was enough to make the spines of Sara and Maria crawl with shivers.

Yet, they never gave a moment's thought to retreat. As unsettling as this scenario was, there was not a chance they were going to turn tail and flee, when their dad was in jeopardy. Besides... this was an adventure, and the sisters couldn't help but enjoy themselves, despite the danger they knew they were treading in.

"We'll find Dad, I know we will," Sara said, her sister nodding in agreement. "We have to."

Maria was hanging onto Double H's cape with both hands, in order to prevent them from becoming separated again. Sara held onto Maria's shoulders to maintain contact, and they proceeded in this fashion. Double H didn't seem to mind having her cape held, and she expertly led the girls through the service corridor, weaving between the many obstructions with ease.

"We're coming up on a ladder now," Double H told them. "Just follow me down."

At the end of the corridor, a ladder with steel rungs descended through a circular hole in the floor. Maria reluctantly released Double H's cape, and watched as the woman quickly hopped onto the ladder and disappeared down the hole, like a rabbit vanishing into a burrow.

"We'd better go quick, before she gets too far ahead," Sara said.

Maria was already placing her hands on the first rungs of the ladder, and she quickly began descending. Sara followed, and they found themselves in a tunnel with just enough lighting for them to see the rungs they were grabbing.

They found it was not the easiest task to negotiate a ladder while holding a hammer or wrench, but they were unwilling to leave their tools behind. As things currently stood, those hefty, solid steel objects might be their best line of defense against mechanical creatures of a similarly durable build.

Beneath them, they could hear Double H's boots as she quickly navigated the ladder. From above, they could hear more scuttling of unseen creatures in the corridor they had just vacated, which motivated the sisters to hasten their movement.

After a short descent, they found themselves once more on a concrete floor. As they turned from the ladder, Sara and Maria gasped in surprise at what they saw.

It was a vast room, long and rectangular, stretching far ahead of them. And unlike the service corridor and the ladder tunnel, this place benefited from superior lighting. Rows of overhead halogen bulbs made the room quite bright indeed, and the sisters ogled at the many things – curious things – that lay therein.

The reason for the abundance of lighting was obvious. Those who labored in this room would need to be able to see what they were doing, for this was a workshop.

One side of the room had a dozen or so long wooden tables, upon which were all manner of interesting items. There were countless dummy heads, each of them fitted with a high quality wig of convincing design.

Additionally, there were a ton of masks, some being similar to the one Double H had worn in her persona as the Phantom. Others, however, were tremendously elaborate, designed to entirely cover a person's head. The lifelike nature of these particular masks was astounding, and the sisters gawked at them in wonder.

There were a number of other things in the workshop, as well. There were strange components, bench vises, and all sorts of weird objects on several of the tables. As far as the girls could tell, the place was being used to create fireworks and pyrotechnic supplies.

There were also a great many tools that must have been used in the fabrication of the masks, as well as cabinets of various fabrics and supplies that were full to the point of bursting, spilling their contents out onto the tables. Hanging from the walls and ceiling, there were countless capes and costumes of all colors and design.

The thought that all this had existed right beneath their feet, in the basement of their beloved school, was mind boggling.

"What is this place?" Sara asked, her voice an awed whisper.

"Welcome," Double H said with pride, "to the Black Hats' Espionage Department."

Maria gasped. "So it's just as we suspected! You're in league with Jasper and Ebenezer!"

"Well, yes, I suppose you could put it that way, though it sounds a bit nefarious when you say it like that," Double H said with a look of mild indignation. "In league, you say? I like to think of it as a mutually beneficial partnership. There's no harm in crafting the world's finest illusions and disguises, is there?"

"I can't believe this has been going on in the school," Maria muttered in disbelief. "Right beneath us!"

"The Espionage Department... do you remember when Ebenezer mentioned that?" Sara asked her sister.

"Of course, when we confronted him in the museum. So you're the one who built that mask for him, and helped him assume the identity of Eli Weatherbee, assistant curator," Maria realized, pointing an accusatory finger at Double H.

The woman smiled broadly, bouncing on the tips of her toes. "That was some pretty impressive work, wasn't it? So lifelike! So convincing!"

"It's nothing to be proud of, you know," Maria told her.

"Ebenezer Widget-Bocker has done a lot of fairly terrible things," Sara added.

"Nah," Double H said with a wave of her gloved hand, unfazed by the words. "I'm sure he's not all that bad."

The sisters sighed in exasperation, realizing they weren't going to get very far trying to talk reason with this unhinged keeper of the Espionage Department.

"Speaking of which – do you know where Ebenezer is? I haven't seen him or Jasper for several days, and I'm starting to get worried... not to mention hungry! I rely on Jasper for food, and he's up and vanished on me. I really had no choice but to make my demands of Principal Funkmeyer. I've been surviving on the few snacks that remained down here, but now those are gone, too, and my belly's been a' rumbling."

"So... I take it you haven't heard the news?" Maria asked.

Double H grew anxious and began to fidget. "Heard what news? I lost contact with them a few days ago, and I've been in the dark since."

"Weren't you paying attention to what Principal Funkmeyer was saying during our assembly?" Sara asked.

"No, I was too busy preparing for my display of lights and sound," Double H said.

"Well, it seems like you need to do some catching up. When Jasper and Ebenezer were in the middle of one of their harebrained schemes, they brought an entire building - a museum, as a matter of fact - down on top of their heads," Sara explained. "They haven't been seen since, and... well, I'm sorry to tell you this, Double H, but they might have been crushed in the carnage. The building was totally destroyed... They might not be coming back."

At this news, Double H paled, and she leaned against one of the wooden workbenches to support herself. "Not... coming... back? Oh, dear. If that's the case, then I'm afraid we're all in a great deal of trouble."

### Chapter Twenty

### Monkey Business

"A 'great deal of trouble'? Maybe you could elaborate on that statement," Sara suggested.

Double H took several deep breaths, and she almost appeared to be on the verge of fainting. The sisters recalled that the woman had mentioned something about her anxiety disorders, and they thought this reaction must have something to do with that.

Sara and Maria had no love for Jasper and Ebenezer, and they had little sympathy for this woman, who was skulking around the basement of the school and assisting the Black Hats. Yet, they couldn't help but feel a little bit bad for her, as she took in the unfortunate news about her colleagues.

"Are you okay?" Maria asked with concern.

"It's just..." Double H paused, took a deep breath, and resumed. "Look, I'm not cut out to deal with what those two left behind. They were the brains of this operation, and without them, I'm afraid I'm in way over my head."

"Those two doorknobs? They were the brains of this operation? Well, if that's not a disturbing thought, I don't know what is," Maria said.

"What exactly is going on down here? What have you been up to in our school?" Sara demanded.

"You've been captivated by my wondrous designs, and nobody can blame you for that," Double H said. She pointed across the room. "But have you noticed what's on the other side of the workshop?"

The sisters realized Double H was right. They had been so captivated by the assortment of masks, costumes, and pyrotechnic supplies, they had paid no attention to anything else in the room. They turned around and looked where Double H had pointed.

The other side of the workshop also had several tables that were covered with tools and supplies. But these were of a more mechanical nature, and clearly not intended for the purposes of disguises and illusion.

There were vast storage trays filled with every type of tool imaginable. On the walls, thousands of pieces of hardware had been organized and were within easy grasp of anybody who might work at the bench. Dozens of battery packs were neatly stacked next to massive chargers. It was an impressive array of tools and materials, all meticulously organized, without a single item out of place.

The implication of such tidiness was clear. Jasper was a mechanical genius who had built some truly astonishing things in the past, and it looked as though his farm wasn't the only place he had been doing some work.

"Do you mean to tell me... has Jasper been tinkering away down here, under the school?" Maria asked. "I thought he did all that stuff in the barn at Cragglemeister Farm."

"We share this workshop. I do my thing on this side, and he does his thing over there," Double H explained.

"And what exactly has his thing been, as of late?" Sara asked.

"Well, with the help of Ebenezer, Jasper has created some wonderful contributions to the Espionage Department. Among them are some tiny recording devices, cleverly hidden in ordinary objects," Double H said, gesturing toward a pile of neatly stacked erasers on one of the workbenches.

Maria narrowed her eyes. "Hey... I remember something about those..."

"That's just like the one Jack told us Jasper snuck into his backpack - the one he inadvertently delivered to Lefty's laboratory," Sara said.

"That's right." Turning her attention back to Double H, Maria asked, "What about these mechanical gremlins that are rampaging throughout the school? I take it that's been one of his projects down here?"

"Yes. This workshop," Double H said, sweeping her gloved hand through the air, "is where the mecha-monkeys became operational. He built the first one several years ago, and since that time, he's continued to manufacture them and refine their abilities."

"Well, that's just great," Sara said. "He's literally been up to monkey business, and right under our noses."

"But why? To what end?" Maria asked.

The sisters were utterly perplexed as to why Jasper would do such a thing. Sure, he was a doorknob and oftentimes fell victim to his own shortsightedness, but what benefit could he possibly glean from setting a bunch of mechanical monstrosities loose in the school?

"For the extra hands, of course," Double H explained. "Haven't you ever considered how remarkable it is, all the stuff that Jasper gets done? I mean, there are only so many hours in the day."

"I suppose it is pretty impressive, now that you mention it. We always suspected that one-eyed buffoon went without sleep or something," Maria said.

Double H chuckled. "Single-handedly maintaining this school would take up all his time, were he to attempt it on his own. And clearly, you have knowledge of the work he does for the Black Hats. He told me all about you two - as well as your friends, Neil and Jack. The 'Beans', he calls you."

"I'd imagine he's complained about us quite a bit," Sara said.

"Oh, yes," Double H confirmed. "You know, Jasper's not easily rattled, but the four of you seem to really know how to push all his buttons."

"Well, it's not as if he hasn't deserved everything he's gotten. He's no better than Ebenezer - in fact, he's probably worse!" Maria exclaimed.

Double H shrugged. "Hey, I'm staying out of it. But they've always treated me fairly, and due to my anxiety disorders, I'm afraid I'm quite reliant upon them."

"Of course they treat you well. It's because they're taking advantage of you - using you for your expertise in illusions and disguises," Sara pointed out.

At this, Double H looked down at her feet, as if ashamed. "I realize that. But... well, it's complicated."

"There's a better way, miss. You need to get out of this life," Sara implored.

"I've considered it many times. But I'm afraid that might not be possible," Double H said remorsefully.

### Chapter Twenty-One

### Curious Quarters

"You know, you never told us why on earth you were bashing the furnace when we came upon you. Why were you trying to sabotage it?" Maria asked.

Double H laughed at the notion. "Sabotage it? Heavens, no. That was my rudimentary attempt at repair. I'm afraid I'm absent of skill when it comes to mechanical inclination - that's Jasper's area of expertise, not mine. Among the many tasks that he assigned his gremlins was the job of maintenance for the furnace. But with each passing day of the janitor's absence, the mecha-monkeys grow increasingly volatile and destructive. They've started to dismantle the furnace, instead of maintaining it. The temperature in the school is all over the place, and every time I go in the boiler room, it seems like there are more parts scattered on the floor. Heck, there are even a bunch of screws and nuts and bolts scattered around the hallways, so I can only imagine what else they've taken it upon themselves to disassemble."

"Hmm... curious," Sara said thoughtfully, tapping at her chin. "Why do you suppose they would do such a thing?"

"Without Jasper to keep them in line and administer instructions, I think they're lost. At this point, I fear they may have gone completely haywire," Double H said.

"And these mecha-monkeys, who have apparently gone as crazy as a banana sandwich, may very well have Dad. He's clearly not down here, so now what are we going to do? We're wasting too much time!" Maria exclaimed, dancing from foot to foot with nervous energy.

"Not to worry," Double H assured her. "There are only so many places the mecha-monkeys could hide a full grown man, so we simply have to continue our search in an intelligent manner. Since everything looks to be untouched here, I presume it's safe to say those mechanized troublemakers haven't yet infiltrated this area. We'll move on to my personal quarters and take a look around. If your dad hasn't been stowed in there, then we can check the auditorium, the cafeteria, the classrooms, and so forth."

Sara wrung her hands together with anxiety. Like her sister, she was worried about the amount of time that had elapsed since their father had vanished. Each second that ticked by, she felt, was another moment too long, another moment in which Dad might be subjected to untold perils.

There was no telling what odious deeds these mecha-monkeys might get up to, but since they were of Jasper's design, it was clear nothing good could come of the kidnapping. The urgency was apparent, and they wished for nothing more than to proceed with the utmost haste.

"That's an awful lot of places to check... I just feel like this is taking too long," Sara said.

Double H waved away her worries with a gesture of her gloved hand. "We won't have to blindly wander from room to room, hoping to get lucky. This building is far too big for such an unsophisticated search. We have a resource available to us that will greatly aid us: a comprehensive surveillance system. This is the Espionage Department, after all - and we specialize in spying."

Sara exchanged a nervous glance with her sister. "A comprehensive surveillance system? Here in the school?"

"That's a little creepy, don't you think?" Maria asked.

"Well, you might have a change of heart, once you see how it can help us locate your father," Double H said. Intuiting the sisters' anxiety, she smiled and sought to fill them with confidence. "We will find him. Trust me. Nobody knows this school better than me - nobody!"

Despite the well-earned distrust that Double H had cultivated for being a member of the Black Hats, the sisters couldn't help but be somewhat comforted by the confidence that the woman radiated. The faintest hints of smiles graced their faces, and their hearts swelled with hope.

They knew that the reasons for their optimism were based on their need to find their father, safe and in good health. They believed Double H because they wanted to believe her, because they had to believe her.

But was that wise, they wondered? After all, they didn't even know this woman's real name. What did the initials H.H. stand for? And what were her reasons for joining the reprehensible ranks of the Black Hats?

But it mattered not. Their backs were to the wall, and the girls knew they would ally themselves with this caped madwoman, simply for lack of options. Their father would do anything for them, and so, too, would they do anything for him. If his safe return meant placing themselves in danger, the notion would not incur even the slightest hesitation on their part.

Sensing that her words had inspired them toward a positive conclusion, Double H grinned in return. Come on," she called, with a flamboyant whirling of her black cape. "Follow me!"

She turned on her heel and strode down the length of the long workshop, her cape fluttering behind her. Maria and Sara hurried to catch up, and as they did so, they noticed that they passed by a closed door that was marked, "This Way To Exit".

Double H ignored that particular door and continued to another one, located at the far end of the workshop. This door was also closed, and the sisters were immediately struck by its curious decorations.

It sported a poster of a classic movie monster known as "The Creature From the Black Lagoon", as well as stickers of rabbits and top hats. Double H unlatched the door and crossed the threshold without hesitation.

The girls followed close behind, and once inside the room, they realized this area must be what Double H had referred to as her personal quarters - and it was quite an impressive sight. The area had been set up like a large studio apartment, with several different sections being dedicated to various functions.

There was a sleeping area, complete with four-poster bed, nightstand, and dressers. Another section had been dedicated to entertainment, and it was filled with a set of living room furniture. Soft, low light gave the place a very cozy feel.

A projector rested on a coffee table, casting an oversized image onto a screen that had been mounted to one wall. It was playing an old Godzilla film, and the sound of the movie could be heard playing at a low volume as the monster stomped about on screen.

The walls were decorated with posters of famous illusionists, such David Copperfield, the Mystical Dante, and the duo of Penn and Teller. There were also posters of classic movie monsters such as Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolfman, and (not surprisingly at all) the Phantom of the Opera.

A small kitchenette had a refrigerator, sink, and cabinets. Empty dishes were stacked on the counter, but no evidence of food was present.

"I would offer you something to eat... but of course, I'm out of supplies, which is why I was so desperately hoping for some of that food your dad was intent on delivering to the auditorium," Double H said, sadly grasping her empty belly with both hands.

Maria whistled, duly impressed by the curious living quarters Double H had to herself. She was further amazed that such a thing existed in the basement of their school.

"This looks like a pretty great place, miss, but I have to wonder – why do you live down here?" Sara asked. "There are no windows, no fresh air... wouldn't you rather live in a house or an apartment, out in the real world?"

At the question, Double H visibly shuddered, repressing it with an exertion of willpower. "Out there? Oh no, I really don't think I could do that."

"Why not?" Maria asked.

"I suffer from agoraphobia – a fear of crowded places and unfamiliar environments. My case is fairly severe, and the very notion of stepping outside is enough to make me break into a cold sweat... as a matter of fact, I haven't left this school in five years," Double H said, her voice growing soft as she uttered the admission. After a moment, she seemed to brighten. With a smile, she said, "But enough about that. Let's take a look-see and find your father!"

### Chapter Twenty-Two

### The Fruits of Surveillance

Double H strode to the coffee table that was centered among her living room arrangement. She stooped down and retrieved a tablet that had been resting on the surface of the table, placed near the projector. The sisters crowded around her, eager to see what she was looking at.

The tablet's screen had been divided into quadrants, and each one of these rectangles displayed a video feed from a different part of the school. The images were presented in black and white, but they were more than clear enough to see what was going on.

"Let's take a gander..." Double H muttered, her eyes narrowing as she examined the tablet.

The sisters were elated that such a surveillance system existed, for it would help them locate their father now, when time was of the essence. However, they were also somewhat horrified by the elaborate means by which they and their classmates had been spied upon.

"How are you getting all this? Have you loaded the school with hidden cameras?" Sara asked.

"Yep," Double H confirmed, without the slightest hint of shame in her voice.

Maria shook her head in disbelief. "You do realize that's incredibly unethical, don't you? You've been recording all of us without our knowledge or consent!"

Double H brushed the accusation aside with a chuckle. "Let's not get hung up on the ethics of the matter, girls \- we need to find your dad! Besides, this was all Jasper's idea. I'm just the one who helped him achieve his ambitions."

Maria sighed in exasperation, and Sara shook her head in disbelief, but they knew Double H was right. This wasn't the time to debate the morality of such a surveillance system, for they had more pressing concerns.

"Hmm... nothing on these screens," Double H said. She flicked her finger across the surface of the tablet, and the previous video feeds were replaced by four new ones. "Let's see if we get anything on these..."

Double H continued to scan the screen, her eyes rapidly moving from side to side as she observed the video. Periodically, she would swipe the tip of her finger across the tablet, bringing a new batch of feeds into view. The quantities of cameras that were hidden throughout the school was truly staggering.

Finally, Double H struck pay dirt. "Ah-hah! I've found... well, I've found something. Not sure if that's your dad I'm looking at, though."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sara asked.

"Let us see!" Maria demanded.

Double H obliged, and she tapped her finger against one of the quadrants. Upon doing so, it increased in size, expanding to fill the entire screen of the tablet. With the improved view, the girls could see something that was most peculiar, prompting them to gasp with alarm.

"That's the auditorium we're looking at, right?" Maria asked.

Sara nodded slowly. "Yeah, that's the stage, behind the curtain. And that looks like Dad, but... but what is he doing?"

It looked as though Chief Fresco was sitting in a chair, his arms held rigidly by his sides.

"I... I don't know. The image is a bit too grainy for me to tell for sure," Maria said. "But something clearly isn't right here."

"Hang on a second," Double H said. She reached toward the tablet, and by moving her fingers across its surface, she was able to zoom in on Chief Fresco. "That should help you see him a little better."

"What... on... earth?" Maria whispered.

Chief Fresco wasn't just sitting in the chair, he was bound to it. A crazy combination of duct tape and twine had been haphazardly applied to his torso and knees and shins, wrapping him so tightly that he would have no chance of breaking free.

But that wasn't even the weirdest part of his dilemma. A makeshift eye patch, fashioned from what appeared to be aluminum foil, had been wrapped around his head. Furthermore, a broom had been placed within one of his hands, with his fingers taped tightly around its handle.

"Well... that is pretty darned peculiar. It's like I told you," Double H said. "I'm afraid the mecha-monkeys have gone a bit haywire."

"And it all started when Jasper went missing, right?" Maria asked.

"That's right," Double H confirmed.

"Do you realize what's happening here? They can't function without their creator. Jasper gave them directions and purpose and order. With him being out of the picture, these crazy machines have been lost... and now they're trying to replicate another Jasper!" Sara exclaimed.

Incredulous at the notion, Maria shook her head. "What? They're trying to turn Dad into some kind of Jasper clone?"

"It seems to be a rather, uh... rudimentary effort," Double H opined, as she studied the makeshift eye patch that had been crookedly wrapped around the chief's head. "Then again, there is that whole haywire thing I've mentioned a couple of times. Well, then, I suppose we'll just mosey on down to the auditorium and free your father-"

A tremendous clatter of noises interrupted Double H, and she lifted her gaze from the tablet, her eyes wide with unease and distress. There were thwacks and thwumps, and the sound of various items being smashed and shattered and broken. The source was difficult to pinpoint, but it sounded as though the noises might be coming from all sides.

Most disturbing of all, the girls heard eerie, warbling screeches that came from what sounded as though they might be mechanical vocal cords. And there was no doubt about it - those strange articulations were of a hostile nature.

"Oh, boy. That's the noise of gremlins on the move, isn't it?" Sara asked.

Maria turned to Double H. "What do you think they're doing?"

"If I had to guess, I would say there's a large scale attack under way. A veritable siege, if you will, on these very quarters!" Double H shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry about that. I'm afraid I've done a very poor job of hospitality, haven't I?"

### Chapter Twenty-Three

### Under Siege

The noises escalated at an alarming rate, with much rattling and clambering and screeching and crashing. Within a matter of seconds, the worst possible scenario became a reality: the gremlins began to breach the area.

"Not good. We have to evacuate!" Double H cried out. "Immediately!"

There would be no argument from the sisters. Witnessing the invasion of mecha-monkeys was a disturbing experience, and they wished for nothing more than to depart the area as quickly as possible.

Ceiling tiles were being wrenched free at a rate that implied a considerable number of the rowdy rascals were en route to their location. The girls would rather not be present when that bizarre horde of Jasper's mechanical creations arrived.

Unfortunately, it appeared that the ceiling wasn't the only surface that was being compromised. Sparks and dust were flying through the air as what looked to be saw blades burst through the walls, creating holes with jagged edges.

"They're coming through the walls, too!" Maria yelled, her eyes bulging with alarm.

Even over the buzzing of the saw blades, the scuttling and scraping and giggling could be heard in the walls and ceiling, assaulting the girls' ears from all sides. The result was a terrific, growing clamor, as if the pack of mechanical monstrosities was working itself into a frenzy.

It was, quite possibly, the most disturbing sound the sisters had ever heard. Given their considerable experience in all things weird, that was really saying something.

"Lead on, Double H – get us out of here!" Sara shouted.

The caped weirdo had already turned toward the door of her quarters, and with the girls close on her heels, she sprinted back into the workshop of the Espionage Department. Behind them, the trio could hear the ruckus of the mecha-monkeys as they continued their onslaught, breaching the walls and ceiling of Double H's living area.

"And to think, they used to be so cute," Double H lamented of the gremlins gone awry. "You wouldn't believe how adorable they were!"

As Double H spoke of better days gone by, she never slowed, her cape whipping behind her as she ran at full speed. She made a quick cut to her left, and barreled through the third door in the workshop, the one they had all passed by earlier, marked with the sign that read: "This Way To Exit".

Not even bothering with the door's handle, Double H simply lowered her shoulder and barreled through it. The door was forced wide open by the collision, and the girls scooted in behind her.

"This way," Double H gasped, continuing forward. "Don't fall behind. And stay alert! If these machines have committed themselves toward rebellion, there's no telling what they'll do. I would have never anticipated their behavior would get this erratic, so all bets are off."

She proceeded through another service corridor that accessed the innards of the school, though this one was much roomier than the pathway that had led to the furnace room. This was clearly the way by which Jasper must have gained entry to the workshop of the Espionage Department, for it would be able to accommodate his broad shoulders and unusual height.

As they hustled through the passage, the girls could hear noises above them – unsettling noises. The mecha-monkeys had continued their pursuit, remaining unseen as they scuttled above and around the humans.

There was a sudden, shadowy blur of movement, and then something dropped onto the floor, directly in front of the sisters. It was a smallish shape, dim in the low lighting, and it moved toward the girls with an agile, monkey-like gait, releasing a weird, warbling noise as it scampered closer.

Reacting on pure instinct, Maria sprang forward, swinging her wrench in a gesture that was meant to defend herself and her sister. She stepped into the swing perfectly, wielding the oversized wrench like a baseball bat, swiveling her hips and rotating her core.

Her aim was true, and the blow was solid. She whacked the strange creature with her wrench, and there was a clang of impact as metal struck metal.

The gremlin went flying, soaring through the air in a dark blur, engaging in a brief flight before crashing against the wall and falling to the floor with a dull thud. Before the girls could get a solid look at it, the mecha-monkey got to its feet and scuttled away, disappearing into the darkness and warbling in an uncanny manner.

"Whoa," Maria gasped. She was breathing heavily from the excitement of the moment, and she wearily lofted her wrench, ready to dispense further mechanical justice, should the need arise. "Did you see it?"

Sara patted her sister on the shoulder with gratitude. "It scrambled away before I could get a really good look at it, but in the brief glimpse I had, it looked pretty... well, freaky."

"Of course! It was manufactured by Jasper, after all," Maria said, panting from the rush of energy that had surged through her system.

"You really walloped the heck out of it," Sara commended. "I mean, that thing went flying when you bashed it! I suppose that's one thing we can be grateful for – they might be many in number, but at least these gremlins are small."

"That was a pretty great swing," Double H agreed, grinning from ear to ear.

"Coach would be proud," Maria giggled, twirling the adjustable wrench with flourish.

"I'm certainly glad I have the two of you at my back. Be ready for more!" Double H warned.

The caped illusionist turned on her heel and continued making her way through the service corridor. Sara and Maria remained close behind her, watching for additional threats. Their senses were on full alert, their bodies tensed and ready to spring into action.

It seemed that the defeat of the first mecha-monkey, which had been so thoroughly thwarted by the swing of Maria's wrench, had stirred the rest of the creatures to greater agitation. With every passing second, their clamoring increased.

The scuttling and scampering intensified, as did the weird, warbling noises the mechanical creatures used for communication... not to mention the sporadic buzz of saw blades at work. Shadows danced and darted, and peril seemed all but guaranteed. The overhead ductwork rattled and thumped with the activity of the looming gremlins, their presence weighing heavily on the humans as they passed through the darkened, dangerous territory.

A sense of desperation had descended upon them as the agitation of the mecha-monkeys had swelled. To remain here, with the countless, unseen foes, would mean certain doom.

The sisters and Double H felt they had to escape from the confined space of the service corridor, if they were to have any hope of surviving the rebellion of the mechanized creatures. Keen to leave the underground place, they pressed on, breathing heavily from the high temperatures, which weighed upon them like an oppressive, stifling blanket.

The air was thick and humid, like that of a jungle, and stinging drops of sweat ran into Double H's eyes as she led the way. She passed the back of her hand across her brow, in order to clear her vision, and then flinched in surprise.

The sight of another shadowy shape as it dropped to the floor had startled her, and she took a step back as it began scampering toward their position.

"Look out!" Double H cried.

"I've got this one!" Sara assured her companions.

She stepped forward to meet the mecha-monkey, and with an underhand swing, she administered a blow from her hammer. Supremely clobbered, the creature went flying toward a distant corner of the service corridor, warbling in protest as it did so.

"Good job, but that's not the last of them," Maria said. "It looks like they're preparing for a full assault!"

With a chorus of robotic howling noises, the mecha-monkeys descended en masse, attempting to swarm over the humans they had deemed intruders in their territory. They sprang from the walls and dropped from the ceiling, emerging from between pipes and shadows and electrical conduits. They leaped from newly cut holes in the ductwork with giggles and warbles and the scuttle of claws.

The sight of such a thing nearly sent the sisters into a panic, but calling upon their experience and resolve, they managed to keep their cool. As the mecha-monkeys came at them, scampering along on all fours, the girls wielded their improvised weaponry to great effect.

Again and again, the ring of hard metals striking one another sounded, as hammer and wrench met target. Soon, the sisters were panting with the exertion of their efforts, swinging left and right, over and under, just to keep up with the relentless onslaught of Jasper's diabolical gremlins.

Despite being confronted by so many of the strange creatures, the girls still couldn't quite get a clear look at them, since they were moving so fast and the lighting was so dim. All they knew for sure was that they were creepy, quick, and mighty aggressive.

While they were fending off the swarm of mechanical beasties, the girls continued pressing forward, desperately trying to make their way to the end of the corridor. Double H led the way, squawking in alarm, dodging and rolling to avoid the leaps of mecha-monkeys, tearing her cape free from their reaching claws.

"There are so many," Maria gasped.

"Keep it up!" Sara shouted, swatting her way toward a clear path, hammer tightly gripped in her hand.

"Here we are!" Double H called from ahead. She began ascending a ladder that was mounted against the wall at the end of the corridor. "This will take us straight to the auditorium. We just have a little farther to go!"

Maria and Sara required no encouragement. With a final, sweeping blow from each of their tools, they took advantage of the split-second break in the mecha-monkey's assault, clambering up the ladder as fast as they had ever before climbed in their life.

### Chapter Twenty-Four

### The Swarm Takes Form

Double H, Sara, and Maria burst from the service corridor as if they had been shot from a cannon, so great was their momentum, so determined their purpose. They had climbed the ladder at such high speeds, their hands and feet had barely seemed to make contact with the rungs.

At the top of the ascent, there was an access panel that opened into the auditorium, and the three of them exploded outward. They spilled onto the hardwood surface of the stage with much scrambling of limbs and heaving of breath.

Once they were in the clear, Double H slammed the panel door closed, pressing her weight against it. From below, they could hear the scraping of claws and the whirring of saws.

"I don't know how long that will hold them," Double H gasped, nodding toward the solid wood access panel.

No sooner had she voiced this concern than one of the blades burst through the stage, buzzing and cutting in a ragged pattern, sending a plume of sawdust flying into the air. Maria was forced to leap backward, as the saw blade came precariously close to penetrating the toe of her sneaker.

"Gobstoppers!" she cried. "These things are relentless!"

"I don't suppose Jasper built these things with an off switch, did he?" Sara asked, panting as she attempted to regain her breath.

"Uh, I don't think so," Double H said with a nervous chuckle. "Not that they ever seem to be sitting still long enough for you to check for one."

"Wonderful," Sara muttered.

The mecha-monkeys wouldn't have to work their way through the access panel. With their resourcefulness, they could simply go around it and cut through the floor of the stage, and there were surely many other ways the small, nimble creatures could gain entry to the auditorium.

The sisters had emerged in the area of the stage that lay behind the curtain, and the air was infinitely cooler here than it had been in the service corridor. The feel of it against their skin, after having been trapped below, was of great comfort to Sara and Maria. They felt their breaths coming easier, though they were still winded from the exertion of fending off the siege of mecha-monkeys.

They had escaped that immediate peril, but there was no time to waste, and not a moment that could be spared for rest. Their father was in desperate need of rescuing, and the way things were going, it looked like it wouldn't be long before the mechanical gremlins overtook their current position.

The sisters turned this way and that, looking the stage over, becoming increasingly confused and anxious. They knew this was the place they had seen on the security footage that was relayed to Double H's tablet. Clearly, they had seen their father held captive on this very stage, bound to a chair and unable to move.

It had been only moments ago when they had watched the footage, yet there was now no sign whatsoever of their dad, or even the chair he had been bound to. How was that possible, they wondered? Where had he been taken, and how had the mecha-monkeys moved him so quickly?

"Where is he?" Sara asked, growing frantic.

"Dad!" Maria called. "Dad, can you hear us?"

"Uh-oh," Double H said, her voice quiet and troubled.

The sisters turned toward the illusionist and saw that she was looking up, her eyes directed toward the rafters of the auditorium. Stunned by what she was seeing and unable to articulate her thoughts, Double H simply pointed, her jaw hanging slack and her eyes as wide as saucers.

The girls turned their heads upward, and what they saw made their hearts skip a beat.

"Dad!" they shouted as one.

Still bound tightly to his chair, Chief Fresco hung suspended in the air, high above the stage. A rope had been fastened to the back of the chair, positioned over a beam, and then used to hoist him high above. A quick examination revealed that the rope was connected to a spool with a crank handle, nestled among the rafters and secured with heavy-duty lag bolts.

Chief Fresco now dangled near the ceiling of the auditorium, nearly fifty feet above the stage. His chair slowly twisted as he hung, suspended in a state of utter helplessness.

With his mouth gagged, there was little the chief could do to voice his concerns, but the gestures he was making with his head seemed to imply he was ordering his daughters to flee – a suggestion that was downright ridiculous, as far as they were concerned.

"Hang on, Dad!" Sara shouted up to him.

"We'll have you out in a jiffy!" Maria promised.

"Behind you!" Double H cried in warning.

Having directed their attention toward the ceiling and their father, the girls had taken their eyes from their immediate surroundings. As they lowered their line of sight, they saw the mecha-monkeys were already upon them.

There was a circular hole that had been cut into the stage, which the sisters had previously observed when they had begun their investigation. Now, mecha-monkeys were pouring out from it, scrambling onto the stage. After the first of them emerged, a second followed on its tail, and a third quickly came behind that one.

Maria and Sara braced themselves, preparing to wallop the gremlins with wrench and hammer. But to their surprise, the creatures did not immediately attack, as they had done in the service corridor. Instead, they scrambled away from the sisters, toward the edge of the stage.

"What are they up to?" Maria wondered aloud. "What's their strategy?"

"There's no telling with these things. Be ready for anything," Sara advised, her eyes following the movement of the mecha-monkeys.

The buzzing of saw blades filled the air, and numerous holes were being cut into the wood, all around the girls. As they watched in horror, the mecha-monkeys continued to emerge, pouring from beneath the stage.

And that wasn't the only place they were appearing – others were slinking from the shadows near the curtains, and there were many in the rafters, howling and warbling above the sisters' heads.

Maria and Sara were flabbergasted by their numbers. There were just so many of them. Yet, the gremlins did not aggressively pounce forward in attack, as they previously had. Instead, they seemed to be organizing themselves, establishing a perimeter.

With dread falling upon them, the girls realized they had been quickly - and completely - surrounded.

### Chapter Twenty-Five

### An Uncanny Horde

With the mecha-monkeys having taken a slower, more deliberate approach in this go-round, Maria and Sara were at last granted something they had not yet been afforded: a clear view of the creatures.

"Whoa," Maria whispered, awed by the sight of the uncanny horde, finally revealed in full. "Would you look at that?"

"I have to hand it to Jasper. As disturbing as his creations are, they are pretty impressive," Sara admitted.

The so-called gremlins were strange, that was for sure. They were only about a foot tall, their bodies mostly silver in color, having been constructed from metallic objects. They had long arms and squat legs, which made their resting position akin to that of a jungle-bound primate, with both hands and both feet touching the floor, though their bodies remained in an upright position.

Wonderfully articulate digits had been crafted to serve as their fingers and toes, and they flexed and gripped and bent this way and that. This undoubtedly had a great deal to do with their dexterity and ability to move so efficiently. Several of them clutched motorized saws, or wrenches, or screwdrivers, and their advanced design enabled them to wield these tools as efficiently as human beings.

Their construction was a true engineering marvel, and evidence of Jasper's genius for such work. Curiously, the small robotic rascals even had tails, constructed of segments of aluminum, which perhaps aided them with balance and mobility.

Their heads were roughly the sizes of apples, which was proportionate for their diminutive statures. Interestingly, theses heads were not identical in appearance. It seemed Jasper had used whatever was on hand for much of their construction, making for a motley crew of assorted mechanical flunkies.

Some of them had spherical heads, while others had noggins in the shapes of squares or ovals or hexagons. Their ears and noses and mouths were of a similarly wide assortment, encompassing a variety of shapes and sizes.

They did have one trait that was universal among them, however: Each of them had a set of eyes, undoubtedly imbedded with some sort of newfangled, janitor-crafted optical sensors that granted them vision.

Those eyes were square shaped and covered with a fine, black mesh that was probably designed for protection. Another consequence of these screened-in eyeballs was that it made the mecha-monkeys look downright creepy.

There were perhaps one hundred of the metallic critters, and all of them had their attention directed at the humans who stood upon the stage. The multitude of mecha-monkeys chilled the sisters, and being the focus of so many sets of disturbing eyes sent shivers down their spines.

"No matter what these things are planning... We've got to get Dad down before he falls," Sara said.

Her voice was firm with resolve, and she was slowly tapping the hammer's head against her palm, readying for resistance. Clearly, the odds were stacked against them, as the mecha-monkeys had a vast advantage in numbers. This failed to daunt her in the slightest, and Maria stood beside her, nodding her head in agreement.

"I'll help!" Double H promised, eager to undo the carnage that had been caused by her associate's small robotic assistants.

"How do we get up there?" Sara asked, briefly lifting her eyes toward the rafters.

"There's a way at the back of the stage that's easy enough. If you use the handholds and ropes and whatnot, you can shimmy right up into the rafters. There's a catwalk up there that will let us reach him," Double H explained.

Maria stared at Double H with incredulity, shaking her head with suppressed outrage. "That crank system they used to hoist Dad up there – you developed that, didn't you?"

Double H smiled sheepishly. "Listen, this was clearly not the intended purpose! I designed many contraptions back here and in the rafters of the auditorium, but they're only to assist in my illusions and stagecraft - not to suspend kidnapped victims in chairs!"

"In any event, we need to put that behind us and focus on the task at hand," Sara said, getting everybody once more focused on what needed to be done at the present moment. "Listen up... we're going to make our way up there," she said, pointing at the place where her father hung suspended, "and use that crank to safely lower Dad to the floor. Meanwhile, we have to figure out a way to deal with all of these darned gremlins Jasper has so kindly left to rampage throughout the school."

Perhaps it was the inclination of Sara's head toward the captive Chief Fresco, or maybe the mecha-monkeys had a firmer grasp on the English language than the girls had given them credit for. Whatever the case, it suddenly seemed they had intuited the gist of the rescue plan, and they were none too happy about it.

The mecha-monkeys had hinged jaws, and they periodically opened, revealing sharp, metallic teeth. Previously, the critters had been uttering sporadic spurts of the giggles that the sisters had found to be so disconcerting.

But the mecha-monkeys weren't laughing anymore.

Now, they were making angrier noises, and their level of agitation increased vastly. Chilling screeches and howls came from their mouths, warbling out and expressing their displeasure. They balled their metallic hands into fists and began pounding them on the hardwood stage, like tiny, infuriated apes. Those that had saws let them buzz noisily in the air, and those that had hand tools banged them together, creating a terrific hullabaloo.

Due to their small size, it would not have been particularly intimidating, if it had only been one or two mecha-monkeys engaged in this display of outrage. But when it was one hundred or more of them, pounding their fists and making an angry racket, the effect was nearly overwhelming.

The humans found themselves in the center of a stereoscopic display of mechanized monkey madness. It seemed they would not willingly see their prisoner released, and the notion of his rescue had triggered their wrath.

"Oh, dear," Double H murmured. "I don't think they're very fond of our intentions."

### Chapter Twenty-Six

### A Timely Draining

Despite the stacking of the odds, Maria and Sara remained undaunted. But if they were to be truly honest, they had to admit that the sight of so many mechanical gremlins, clamoring and pounding the floor, howling and hanging from the rafters, was fairly unnerving.

No matter their vast experience in the weird, this was something they had never before faced. The handful of mecha-monkeys they had encountered in the service corridor had been more than enough to keep them occupied, and the effort of repelling their attackers had temporarily exhausted the sisters. Now they had to face a multitude of the critters, and these adversaries were fired up beyond measure.

Previously, there had been a sense of mischief to the behaviors of the mecha-monkeys, which mildly tempered their aggression. That element of tomfoolery was nowhere to be seen at the moment, however, and there could be no mistaking the malicious intentions of the gremlins. With each passing moment, the tumultuous frenzy increased, and the sound of the horde's fury reverberated throughout the stage area.

"Well, this is a bit... uh... unsettling," Maria said, putting it mildly.

Withering beneath the onslaught of these strange robots, crafted by the nefarious hands of Jasper, never crossed the minds of Maria and Sara. In the face of such daunting opposition, failure was an option that remained firmly off the table. No matter what they faced, they would get their dad out of this jam.

"Look!" Sara cried, pointing toward a section of the gathered mecha-monkeys.

Amid this sea of rowdy robots, a ray of hope emerged. Among their ranks, one of the gremlins had stepped forward, closer to the humans. But its steps were slow, and its behavior was erratic. It lurched forward with jerky movements, and after a moment of off-kilter motion, it crashed to the floor, face first, remaining utterly still.

"What happened to it?" Sara asked.

"Of course! Its battery power must have finally drained!" Double H exclaimed, clapping her hands with excitement. "That must be it!"

"Well, that's great, but what about the rest of them? They're still going strong," Maria pointed out. "One less gremlin isn't a very big help."

Even as she spoke, a second mecha-monkey seemed to exhaust its remaining battery power. It stepped forward, spun once in a wobbly circle, and then fell to the floor in a heap, releasing hold of a screwdriver it had grasped in one hand.

"Jasper maintained a very tight schedule for swapping out the batteries in the mecha-monkeys," Double H explained. "They were programmed to report to the workshop every other day, and he would remove their current batteries for charging, replacing them with fresh ones. Since it's been a few days-"

"The batteries are running on the last of their power!" Maria concluded.

"That's right! If a couple of these little guys have already run out of juice, that means they should all be exhausting the last of their power supplies soon," Double H said. "They must be running on fumes!"

Jasper's battery technology, while certainly amazing, paled in comparison to Lefty O'Houlihan's SunTech power cells. The batteries in the mecha-monkeys could only run for so long. Without Jasper's routine swapping of the drained batteries for freshly charged ones, the gremlins were bound to run out of energy.

"It's great that their batteries are failing, but we don't have the time to wait for them to all wind down. Dad needs our help right now," Sara said.

Above them, Chief Fresco continued to dangle in the chair he was bound to, high above the stage - but now he was violently swaying from side to side!

The mecha-monkeys, in their increased agitation, had begun pushing and pulling at the rope that had hoisted the chair. There were perhaps a half dozen of them, clambering around up there, jostling one another and making the whole setup (which was sketchy to begin with) quite unstable.

Chief Fresco's eyes bulged with alarm, and he struggled against the duct tape that bound him, but with no success. It seemed he was trying to shout protests against the gag that bound him, but it was impossible to hear him with the clamoring of his captors.

"If those maniacs keep this up, he's going to fall from up there!" Maria shouted.

"There's no time to waste – we've got to go now, even if the batteries haven't yet run down in the majority of these critters," Sara said, bracing herself to sprint. "Let's go!"

"Wait!" Double H shouted. She had reached to her belt and withdrawn several of the cylindrical fireworks she kept there. "We can use smoke to conceal our movements. It can give us an advantage!"

The sisters nodded in agreement to the plan, though they were anxious to get going, bouncing upon the balls of their feet and frantically eyeing their helpless father.

"Hold your breath!" Double H warned.

Without further delay, she threw the handful of capsules to the floor, breaking them open upon the stage at a place equidistant to herself and the sisters. The fireworks erupted at once, spilling out heavy smoke that enveloped the three of them.

Maria and Sara had done as Double H had instructed, taking a big gulp of air just before she threw the capsules. They immediately found themselves immersed in a whirling plume of thick, colorful vapor, swirling around them and cutting their visibility to nearly zero.

They had seen Double H's smoke pellets in action before, but this time she had thrown several at once, creating a much larger effect. The smoke, having been artificially manufactured, was not particularly abrasive to the eyes, but it did make things awfully hard to see.

Maria and Sara grasped one another's hand, and then latched onto the cape of Double H, the silhouette of whom they could just barely make out.

### Chapter Twenty-Seven

### Unseen Assailants

Maintaining their held breath, Maria and Sara stayed right on top of Double H, squinting their eyes as they attempted to see whatever they could in the dense smoke. As much as they were inconvenienced by the impairment of their own sight, they knew it was well worth the trouble. If they were having this much difficulty seeing, they hoped the mecha-monkeys were having an even harder time.

Besides, they didn't need to be able to see particularly well at the moment, since they were relying on the memory of Double H, who surely knew the layout of the auditorium and the stage like the back of her own hand. Having come this far, and with so few options available, they had no choice but to place their trust in the woman entirely.

Without her help, the sisters knew the odds of rescuing their father in time were drastically reduced. At this point, it was all or nothing, and they had to embrace the risk now, and worry about any potential consequences later - Dad was all that mattered.

Double H proceeded in a stealthy manner, crouched over, doing her best to further reduce her profile, hoping to evade the probing eyes and snatching claws of the gremlins. She walked quickly, despite the lack of visibility, confident in the placement of her steps.

Sara and Maria did likewise, staying right on Double H's heels, swiveling their heads from side to side as they stayed alert for danger. Around them, they could hear the clamoring and howling of the mecha-monkeys.

It was an eerie experience. The uproar surrounded them, assaulting their ears, and they could hear the scraping of claws and the pounding of fists as the robotic creatures scurried about, searching for their quarry in the smoke. It was like being under siege in the thick mists of a jungle, surrounded by a legion of unseen assailants.

As if materializing from thin air, a pair of mecha-monkeys appeared just beside the girls, emerging from the smoke with aggressive, scuttling movements. With no time to even consider what to do, Maria and Sara reacted purely on reflex. Each of them swatted one of the gremlins with a well-placed strike.

Clang! Hammer and wrench met their targets, and the critters went flying, disappearing once more into the smoke, warbling as they went.

After dealing with the menace, Maria and Sara immediately grasped for each other's hand, holding tight to one another. In this strange, hostile environment, which had an almost alien quality, their support now meant more than ever.

They felt their heartbeats spike as they realized they could no longer see Double H. The brief moment in which they had turned to repel the attacking mecha-monkeys had been enough time for her to disappear in the dense smoke.

The passing seconds felt like eons, and the sisters grew frantic. Utterly disoriented, they had no idea where to go without the aid of their guide.

More mecha-monkeys emerged, and the girls lashed out with their tools, bonking the robots into submission. However, many of the gremlins seemed to have honed in on their location, and they were finding their way to the sisters in the smoke with increased frequency. They scuttled into view by ones and twos, and Maria and Sara struck out with efficiency and accuracy, repelling each threat as it appeared.

They reared back with their tools, ready to wallop the next gremlin as it began to materialize. Fortunately, they stopped at the last moment, realizing the shape coming toward them was far too big to be one of the little robots. It was, in fact, Double H. She had come back for them!

Double H quickly approached, coming within inches of the girls, so they could see one another with relative clarity. "Come on!" she shouted, her voice affected with a tone of desperation.

Having released her breath in order to speak, Double H began coughing, but she didn't let this slow her down. She gamely turned around and once more headed for their goal, with the girls close behind.

Having expended so much energy in fighting off the mecha-monkeys, Maria and Sara found they too had exhausted the gulp of air they had held in their lungs. They were forced to expel it and begin taking deep breaths. They didn't have nearly as much trouble breathing in the smoky environment as Double H, but they sputtered a bit as they clouted the sporadic assaults of the gremlins.

The three of them reached the back wall of the auditorium, and Double H wasted no time. She began climbing up, using improvised handholds and places she could secure her feet.

There was a series of cleats and shelves that had been affixed to the wall, designed for holding various supplies and stage props. However, the clever placement of these things also made for an easy ascent up the wall, and it seemed this had most likely been done by design – an amendment crafted by the Phantom of the Auditorium, no doubt.

Maria and Sara followed closely, remaining as quiet as possible. For the time being, they had escaped the notice of the throngs of mecha-monkeys, and they hoped to keep it that way. The sisters and Double H were now outside the plume of smoke, and they could once more breath freely.

Glancing over their shoulders, the girls could see that the gremlins had converged at the center of the stage, and they were diving to and fro within the whirling smoke. They scurried this way and that, searching for the humans, howling with outrage each time they came up empty handed. Periodically, another one of their number would stumble and fall to the stage, its battery depleted, and the floor was littered with an increasing number of deactivated robots.

"Their batteries keep failing them," Sara whispered to her sister and Double H. "But there's still way too many of the buggers."

However, not all of the mecha-monkeys were centered on the stage, futilely searching for a target that was no longer there. There remained a frantic few among the rafters, energetically lurching against the rope that held Chief Fresco's suspended chair. They swung from their hands and feet and even their tails, pushing and pulling and causing a ruckus.

Fortunately, this handful of gremlins had thus far been too busy to notice the ascent of the girls, who were now quite close indeed. They had quickly climbed up, following the route that Double H established, and they now crouched on a steel girder that helped support the weight of the roof.

"We need to take these guys out quick, before they get too crazy and make Dad fall," Sara said. "Hopefully, they won't even see us coming."

The chair was swaying madly, and Chief Fresco was starting to look a shade green. He was trying to shout an objection, but the gag in his mouth muffled his protests. The mecha-monkeys aggressively jostled him, warbling and howling and clapping their hands together.

Just when it seemed things couldn't get any worse... they did.

One of the gremlins in the rafters engaged a motorized saw, causing Chief Fresco's eyes to bulge even wider, so much so that they looked as though they might fall from his head (though one eye was more or less obscured by the crookedly applied patch). The mecha-monkey approached the swaying rope, and Sara and Maria gasped with disbelief, filled with dread at the intent of the diabolical critter.

Chief Fresco vigorously shook his head from side to side, but his gesture was useless. Unaffected by his protest, the robot kept coming, its saw humming and buzzing as the blade spun at high frequency.

### Chapter Twenty-Eight

### Rumble In the Rafters

"We have to move!" Maria hissed.

They dashed forward, going at speeds that were imprudent, considering the height at which they were perched and their unfamiliarity with the layout among the rafters.

But time was an absent luxury, and they embraced the risk without giving it a moment's thought. They had seen what the saws of the mecha-monkeys could do, and it wouldn't take long for one of them to cut through the rope.

"Careful!" Double H squeaked, as the girls quickly left her behind.

Maria and Sara leaped from the girder to a narrow catwalk that was encumbered with all kinds of lighting rigs and strange hardware. They took long strides and rapid steps, never looking down. Their eyes remained locked on their goal: the rope from which their father was suspended - and the saw-wielding gremlin who aimed to sever it.

As they approached in this hasty manner, they finally garnered the notice of the clamoring, raucous mecha-monkeys. With warbling noises that conveyed surprise, the robots turned their heads toward the girls.

There were a half dozen of the gremlins, and the girls caught the first two unprepared. Apparently, they had not yet recovered from their surprise that the humans had snuck right up on them.

Sara walloped one with her hammer and Maria clouted the other with her wrench. The gremlins went soaring from the rafters, flailing their mechanical arms as they plummeted to the stage, screeching in futile protest.

The remaining four mecha-monkeys turned toward them, shaking their small fists and howling with fury. Three of them scurried forward to confront Sara and Maria, while the fourth one (the one with the saw) remained on course for the rope and the captive Chief Fresco.

Making good use of their astounding agility, the mecha-monkeys moved to surround Maria and Sara on the catwalk, climbing over bars and girders and lights until they achieved their desired position. Two of them scrambled to the backside of the catwalk, while one remained in the front.

This crafty maneuver did not escape the notice of the sisters, and they quickly adjusted, facing away from one another so they could battle in a back-to-back formation on the narrow catwalk.

"Take them out quickly!" Sara shouted, as she wound up to take a swing at her attacker.

The mecha-monkey who faced Sara had a benefit in this environment, for it was small and nimble, and it had no fear whatsoever of falling. As Sara swung her hammer, the critter evaded, quickly scuttling beneath the catwalk and out of range.

Sara frantically scanned beneath her feet, searching for the gremlin. She could hear it as it moved underneath the catwalk, but she couldn't see where exactly it was.

As Sara was leaning over in a precarious position, a metallic hand reached over the edge of the platform and seized her pant leg. She tried to pull away, but was surprised to find the mechanical critter had a strength that defied its compact size.

Struggling against her fiendish enemy, Sara lost her balance and fell to the catwalk, landing on her hip. Freeing up both hands in order to brace herself for the fall, she dropped the hammer, and it clattered upon some lighting before plummeting to the stage.

The mecha-monkey pulled at her with a terrible ferocity, trying to use its leverage to take her over the edge, hooting and screeching like an enraged primate.

"No you don't!" Sara shouted, kicking her leg and struggling to break free.

Despite her efforts, she couldn't lose the determined gremlin. To her horror, she found herself sliding along the catwalk, moving ever closer to falling over the edge. Both legs now dangled in open air, and the mecha-monkey pulled at her with renewed vigor, sensing that victory was near.

Just when it seemed Sara might be done in by this unfortunate creation of Jasper, a stroke of luck occurred. The mecha-monkey's hand started shuddering, and its grip loosened. Having expended a considerable amount of energy in the frantic effort to defeat Sara, the robot had drained the last of its battery power.

With a final, weak warble, the gremlin powered down and released Sara. It fell like a rock, plummeting straight to the stage below, crashing into its metallic brethren with a tremendous discord of noise and commotion.

A deep sigh of relief passed from Sara's lips, but there was no time to recover. She quickly scrambled to her feet and turned around, eager to help her sister, who had begun hollering in a most alarming fashion.

"Gah!" Maria shouted. "Get off of me, you little monster!"

One of the gremlins had managed to clamber onto Maria's back and it was clutching at her shoulders, violently pushing and pulling at her, doing its best to force her to tumble. Maria was spinning around in circles, desperately trying to fling the dastardly mecha-monkey away, but it remained out of reach, holding fast to her back.

Meanwhile, the second robot that had scrambled to the backside of the catwalk seized its opportunity to attack. Seeing that Maria was wholly distracted with the process of trying to disengage the critter on her back, this mecha-monkey scampered to a high spot atop the lighting rigs. Crouching upon its strange, simian legs, it sized up Maria with its creepy eyes and prepared to leap.

"No," Sara gasped, watching with horrified eyes as the attack upon her sister unfold.

Howling as its limbs unfurled in a surge of explosive power, the gremlin leaped from the rafters, aiming straight for Maria.

Distracted as she was, spinning about and under siege from the monkey on her back, the impact from the second critter would be more than enough to send her over the edge of the catwalk, where her balance was already severely impeded - Maria wouldn't stand a chance.

### Chapter Twenty-Nine

### Quit Monkeying Around

Sara sprang forward, hurtling toward the airborne mecha-monkey as it dove for her sister. The action of the next moment happened in a split-second, but the passage of time seemed to have decreased to a state of slow motion, heightening her senses, enhancing every effect upon her ears and eyes.

As she rushed to reach her sister, Sara placed one hand on Maria's shoulder, serving to stabilize both of them. Without a moment's hesitation, she planted one foot on the surface of the catwalk and raised her other sneaker high.

The sole of Sara's shoe met the leaping mecha-monkey square in the face. With a warbling noise of disgruntlement, the robot went flying off course, arcing toward the stage with its limbs akimbo, arms and legs flailing in a doomed attempt to slow its flight.

Having dispatched the first threat, Sara turned toward Maria, maintaining her grip upon her sister's shoulder. The two of them teetered uncertainly for a moment, wavering at the edge of the catwalk, while the mecha-monkey on Maria's back hooted and hollered and caused an unspeakable amount of fuss.

Grabbing the raucous robot by the back of its neck, Sara shouted, "I got him, Maria, just hold still!"

At those words, Maria dropped into a crouch, grasping the edges of the catwalk in order to hold herself steady, doing her best to ignore the raking claws of the rowdy passenger that rode her back. She held onto the metal surface as tightly as she could, her knuckles turning white with pressure.

With a grunt of effort, Sara yanked against the mecha-monkey, struggling to disengage the claws of the crazed critter. She flexed the muscles of her pitching arm, and after a moment of strenuous effort, she pulled the robot from her sister.

" _Boom-shaka-laka!_ " Sara shouted.

Wrenched free from its perch, the mecha-monkey joined the others who had been tossed from the rafters, engaging in a doomed flight to the hard, wooden surface of the stage. It crashed with a clatter among the other gremlins who roamed below, taking out several of those that still had active batteries.

"Nice save," Maria told her sister, rising from her crouch and peering over the edge of the catwalk.

"There's no time to celebrate," Sara said. "We need to take out that last one before it cuts the rope!"

The sisters raced to the end of the catwalk, screaming assurances to their father, who was making muffled noises of alarm and frantically shaking his head from side to side.

Unfortunately, they found the final mecha-monkey was out of reach, being too far below them. The gremlin had scrambled down the rope, and it was now perched just above the swinging chair that held the captive Chief Fresco. Spinning so fast that it was nothing more than a circular blur, the robot's saw buzzed mere inches away from the swaying rope.

Maria dropped to her stomach and reached over the catwalk. With a gasp of effort, she swung her wrench at the mecha-monkey, attempting to dislodge it.

But it was no use - the gremlin was beyond the reach of her wrench. Maria's failed attack did yield a benefit, however, for it captured the attention of the mecha-monkey, temporarily distracting it from its focus on the rope it was so intent upon cutting.

The mechanized critter turned its head toward Maria and opened its hinged jaws, releasing an uncanny screech that made her eardrums tremble. Insulted by the sisters' assault and determined to deny them their goal, the gremlin once more turned toward the rope, its saw blade buzzing.

"I can't reach him!" Maria shouted.

"Throw it!" Sara encouraged. "Bean him with that wrench!"

Maria moved her throwing hand back in preparation, but paused as she tried to track the wily critter as it scrambled and swung on the rope. "He's moving way too much – if I miss him, we'll be totally out of options. I'm going to have to stretch out even farther!"

Sara dropped down to the catwalk and held onto Maria with one hand and the edge of the metal platform with the other. "I've got you," she promised her sister. "Just do what you've got to do!"

The trust the sisters held in one another was absolute and unwavering. Without a moment's hesitation, Maria extended her torso completely over the edge of the catwalk, placing her safety entirely in the hands of Sara.

Having done this, her reach was extended considerably, and she thought she might just be able to swat the persistent mecha-monkey away. The only thing preventing her from a fifty foot drop was the grip of her sister, but this didn't make her pause in the slightest.

Hanging at a position that nearly put her upside down, she channeled all of her focus on the gremlin. The frenzied robot was a moving target, for the rope was swinging wildly back and forth. Sensing that Maria was preparing to strike, the mecha-monkey brought the blade of its humming saw forward. The girls had no doubt the saw would slice through the rope as if it were nothing more than warm butter.

"It's now or never," Maria muttered.

"Do it!" Sara shouted.

It was an uncomfortable position from which to swing her wrench, but swing she did, putting every ounce of muscle into the effort, stretching to the absolute limits of her body.

At first, it seemed the mecha-monkey might remain out of reach. But as Maria's wrench arced forward, the rope swung toward her, just barely bringing the gremlin within striking distance.

The heavy head of the adjustable wrench struck the mecha-monkey square in the noggin, and the welcome clang of metal striking metal rang out in the air. It was, quite possibly, the sweetest sound the girls had ever heard.

"Quit monkeying around!" Maria hollered victoriously.

Dislodged from the rope, the mecha-monkey went soaring through the air, grunting and hooting in dismay. Its limbs flailed wildly, but this was useless, for there was nothing that could be done to stop the inevitable pull of gravity.

It made a final, desperate reach for the rope, trying once more to sever it. Fortunately, it had already traveled too far, and though its blade came close to the intended target, it did nothing more than glance against the rope.

Feeling a rush of exhilaration pass through their bodies, the sisters watched as Jasper's creation fell to the stage. The thrill of having thwarted the mecha-monkeys at the last possible moment was indescribable. Relief filled their bodies, and their hearts swelled with love for their father, who they had come so very close to losing.

Panting and heaving, Sara used the last of her energy to haul Maria up, so that she was no longer hovering above a perilous fall. Once having done so, the pair of them collapsed on the catwalk, their chests rising and falling with deep, rapid breaths, their hearts racing madly.

The rope that held their father's chair was slowing, no longer swinging so violently, now that the mecha-monkeys who had terrorized him had been dispatched by his daughters. As the chair stopped moving about so wildly, the girls were able to see their father more clearly, and they smiled down at him from their vantage point atop the catwalk.

The chief was a bedraggled sight. Sweat ran down his temples and forehead, his hair was mussed, his clothes were torn, and his makeshift eye patch was askew.

"Hey, Dad," Maria said, her voice little more than a whisper.

"Mmmpf!" Chief Fresco said, making an inarticulate noise against the gag in his mouth.

"Don't worry, Dad, we'll get you down in just a few minutes," Sara told him. "We just need to wait until the rest of those mecha-monkeys run out of battery juice, so it's safe for us to lower you to the stage."

Chief Fresco only became more agitated at these words, and he began shaking his head from side to side in an excited manner. He was trying to speak, but the girls couldn't understand a word he was saying, thanks to the gag in his mouth. He was out of reach, so they couldn't help him for the time being.

"Just hang on a few minutes, and then you can tell us all about it," Maria said. "I'm sure you were real scared, but we're here for you now, Dad!"

The words of his daughters failed to have any calming effect on Chief Fresco. He was becoming increasingly aggravated, struggling against his bonds, straining against the rope and twine that secured him to the chair. He made frantic gestures with his head, trying to point above him while uttering incoherent sounds.

"Uh-oh," Sara said in a quiet voice. She felt as if fear had taken all the air from her lungs, and she could barely speak. "Do you see that?"

"Oh, no," Maria gasped.

As if they were deer paralyzed in the glow of approaching headlights, the sisters remained frozen and unable to move, staring at the rope above their father.

It was true that they had prevented the saw-wielding mecha-monkey from severing it. But the critter's final, lunging attempt had resulted in the saw blade glancing over the edge of the rope, and it appeared there were unfortunate consequences for that action.

A tiny sliver of damage had been inflicted in the material, and now the rope was slowly coming undone. It was frayed at the point where the saw had contacted it, and as the sisters watched, the notch was growing, with additional strands popping free and unraveling.

It was a slow process, but with each second gone by, it seemed to accelerate. It wouldn't take long for the weight of Chief Fresco to overcome the damaged rope, at which point its frayed material would no longer support him.

It would break apart, and Chief Fresco, bound as he was to the chair, would not even be able to brace for the impact of the fifty foot drop that awaited him.

### Chapter Thirty

### The Chief Unwinds

"The crank! You've got to go for the crank!" Double H shouted from afar, where she remained perched within the rafters.

The sound of the Phantom's voice snapped the sisters from their trance-like state, and they sprang into action, scrambling to their feet. The rope was deteriorating before their eyes, and they realized they would have precious little time to do something that would prevent a catastrophic fall for their father.

"It's over there!" Sara said, pointing as she ran.

Sprinting in such a precarious setting was foolhardy at best, but the girls had no choice. Maria was right behind her sister, and their feet clattered on the catwalk as they raced ahead, oblivious to the dangerous height at which they ran and the obstacles that lay in their path, which they ducked under and scooted around with little conscious thought.

The rope that suspended the chief's chair was attached to a large wooden spool, which was operated by a crank. Much of the rope had been wound onto the spool, thereby reeling the chair to its current, elevated position.

Sara reached for the crank and immediately ran her hands over it, seeking a way to disengage it so the rope could be unwound. After a moment of frantic searching, she found a way to do so. "Here we go!" she exclaimed, beginning to move the crank in a counterclockwise fashion.

Filled with anxiety, Maria watched as the chief's chair began to slowly descend toward the stage. "I really think you should try to go a little faster," she suggested.

Sara began using the muscles of her powerful pitching arm to accelerate the process. Chief Fresco's descent picked up speed dramatically, but he was still a long way up.

"We've got a problem," Sara gasped. Having already pushed her body to her physical limits, she was finding herself short of breath and nearing the point of exhaustion. "Look below us."

"I know," Maria said, wringing her hands with anxiety. "But what can we do?"

A large number of the mecha-monkeys had already been taken out of the picture by battery failure, and their metallic, shiny bodies were scattered across the floor of the stage. The sisters had also dispatched their fair share of the gang of gremlins with well placed swats of their hammer and wrench.

But there were still more... many, many more.

Several dozen of the rambunctious critters were on the stage, and they were gazing up at the chair as it descended. They gathered directly beneath it, and they began hooting and hollering and gnashing their gnarly teeth. They pounded the stage with their fists and howled up at Chief Fresco, their strange, masked eyes radiating malevolence.

"We can't drop him into that mess with his hands tied," Maria said. "Those things will tear him to shreds!"

"But the rope's breaking! I can't very well let him fall from this distance!" Sara pointed out.

Even as they watched, the damaged rope was becoming increasingly frayed, with strands popping free and unraveling, undoing the integrity of the only thing that remained between Chief Fresco and a deadly drop.

And that was far from the end of their worries. Though most of the mecha-monkeys remained below, waiting for the chief to descend, others had scrambled up into the rafters, eager to confront the girls and stop them. They scurried and scampered, moving toward Maria and Sara at an alarming rate, their claws clicking and clacking on the metal surfaces. The sisters watched the mechanized foes approach, and they tensed for the impending confrontation.

"We can't let them stop us," Sara panted.

"Don't worry about them - I got your back!" Maria promised. "You just keep focusing on what you're doing!"

Trusting in her sister, Sara ignored the gremlins, even as they closed within striking distance. She worked the crank as fiercely as she could, and her muscles burned from the exertion.

Maria adjusted her grip on the wrench and belted out a challenge. "Come and get it, you crazy monkeys!"

Her words were met with hoots and screeches, and then the mecha-monkeys pounced, swinging from the rafters and leaping at the girls.

Sara didn't even pause or flinch, she just kept at the crank, helping her father descend to safer heights. Maria did her part, keeping the creatures from laying hands on her sister. She wielded the wrench like a tennis racket, administering blows with both forehand and backhand strokes while bouncing on the balls of her feet, maximizing her efficiency. It was, by any measure, an epic thumping.

Maria risked a glance at the stage, and she noted that several more of the mecha-monkeys had become still, betrayed by their failing batteries. "They're falling!"

"Still too many," Sara gasped.

Chief Fresco had been lowered significantly, and he was no more than eight or nine feet above the stage. The gremlins were leaping for him and slashing with their claws, but he remained beyond their reach. Sara continued uncoiling the rope, and she paused when the chair was about five feet above the floor.

At that height, she was sure her father could endure the fall, even bound to the chair as he was, and it was a distance at which the mecha-monkeys still couldn't reach him. The problem was, if the rope broke and he fell, the gremlins would be able to get their hands on him and unleash their fury.

"The rope's tearing – it's gonna break!" Sara shouted. "I don't know what else to do!"

"I'll help!" Double H cried out.

The sisters looked to the self-proclaimed Phantom of the Auditorium, who was perched among the rafters. Her arm was raised and her fist was balled, and within those clenched fingers was the last of her smoke pellets.

"This should conceal him for a few moments. The mecha-monkeys might become disoriented and not be able to find him," she explained.

"Do it!" the sisters shouted as one.

Double H nodded, and with eyes overfilling with mischief and a thousand-watt smile, she launched the handful of pyrotechnics from her perch. " _Shazam!_ "

Her aim was true, and the pellets contacted the floor almost directly beneath Chief Fresco, in the center of the gathered gremlins. Immediately, the capsules erupted, dispensing thick clouds of colored smoke into the air.

From their vantage point, Maria and Sara watched as the plume of smoke quickly grew, enveloping everything within its considerable radius. As the clouds of smoke expanded, the last thing they saw was the rope snap... and Chief Fresco went plummeting into the heart of that dense, chaotic plume.

" _Dad!_ " Sara cried out.

Maria groaned in dismay. "What's happening down there?"

She had been forced to take her eyes away from her father, as the last of the mecha-monkeys in the rafters converged on her. One of the assailants got bonked on the head with the wrench and was quickly dispatched, while the other stumbled to a clumsy halt as its battery ran dry.

"I don't know," Sara said. "I just don't know..."

The two of them dropped to their hands and knees on the catwalk, staring down at the stage. The smoke whirled and swirled, and from within that cloudy mass, they could hear scrapes and scuttling, thwumps and thwacks - but they had no idea what was happening.

Gradually, the noises diminished and the smoke began to dissipate. As the air slowly cleared, the girls squinted their eyes, desperately trying to penetrate the smoke with their vision. They were frantic to discover what had become of their father, and they could feel their hearts racing, thudding in their ears. Their limbs were weary with exhaustion and anxiety, and the passing seconds felt like centuries.

Finally, the smoke cleared enough so that they could see – and they exhaled enormous sighs of relief.

Their father remained in his chair, sitting upright. He was sweaty and dirty and frazzled beyond measure... but he was untouched by the hands of the uncanny horde.

The mecha-monkeys were completely done for, the last of their number lying on the floor, their energy stores depleted. An occasional spark and wisp of smoke was emitted from their inert bodies. Piles of them surrounded Chief Fresco, and he looked around at the carnage with amazed eyes, shaking his head with a mixture of disbelief and relief.

"Hah!" Double H laughed, throwing her head back and chuckling with unchecked glee. "Did you ever dare doubt the Phantom of the Auditorium?"

### Chapter Thirty-One

### The Great Outdoors

After having freed their father from the twine and duct tape that had held him to the chair, Maria and Sara led him outside, where he would be able to get some fresh air to facilitate his recovery. The last thing he needed was to be surrounded by the mounds of deactivated gremlins, which would only serve to remind him of the dark period he had spent as a captive, helpless and at the mercy of those mischievous, misguided robots.

He walked stiffly as the blood was restored to his muscles, which had cramped up while he had been bound so tightly. With each step he took, he was working out the soreness and recovering his strength. Rubbing at his wrists to alleviate the irritation where his wrists had been taped, he rotated his head and stretched his neck, taking long, slow breaths.

To the surprise of the sisters, Double H was eager to tag along with her new acquaintances. She seemed invigorated by the excitement of the adventure, and quite pleased with her role in saving Chief Fresco from the horde of crazed mecha-monkeys. It was as if the experience had given her a newfound sense of purpose.

She had only hesitated a moment before crossing the threshold of the school's front doors and stepping outside to follow the others. This was quite amazing, considering her long standing fear of the outdoors, and the anxieties which had forced her to remain in the safety of her home (however weird that particular home might be).

As the group stepped outside, they heard the birds singing in the treetops, celebrating the beauty of the late afternoon. There was still plenty of sunlight, and the skies were blue, sprinkled with sporadic clumps of clouds. Within the woods that surrounded the school, frogs croaked and crickets chirped. A light wind carried over the land, stirring the many plants and trees and flowers, creating a lovely bouquet of scents.

As Sara and Maria studied her, Double H took an exceedingly deep breath of air, as if savoring something so rare and delicious, one might call it priceless. She tilted her head to the sky, letting the sunshine fall upon her face, and she held her arms wide, as if to embrace all of the outdoors. The tail of her cape fluttered in the breeze, and as she finally exhaled the breath from her lungs, her face broke into a smile that stretched from ear to ear.

"Ahhh..." she sighed. "Fresh air. Oh, my. It's been a very long time, indeed. I'd forgotten how wonderful it tastes."

"And you seem to be holding yourself together pretty well," Maria noted.

"Yeah, this is impressive," Sara said. "If your anxiety disorders have truly prevented you from venturing outside for years, you're handling this like a champ. You should be proud of yourself!"

Double H nodded slowly, and she beamed at the praise the girls had given her. "You know something? I think I've turned over a new leaf. That little adventure we just had really did something to me. It's like... I don't know how to describe it, exactly. If I could do something like that," she said, hitching a thumb toward the school, "then I can do anything. There's nothing for me to be afraid of out here, is there?"

"We're pretty fond of the outdoors, ourselves," Sara said. "You've been missing out on a whole lot, lady."

"It all seems so silly now. Why did I stay cooped up for so long?" Double H wondered. "I could have gone out and obtained my own pizza, any time I pleased!"

"Uh... yes. Among many other things." Maria shrugged. "Although pizza is as good of a place to start as any, I suppose."

Chief Fresco cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes at Double H. "So... just to be clear... you are the so-called Phantom of the Auditorium, are you not?"

"That's me!" Double H answered proudly. "Or, uh... that was me, anyway. I guess I can be anything I want, now that I'm not confined to the school."

"Then I'm afraid I'm going to have to take you into custody, ma'am," Chief Fresco said, pulling a pair of handcuffs from the back pocket of his jeans. "Make no mistake, I really appreciate you helping me out in there when those crazy little robots had me captive, but I can't let your actions go unpunished. Your tomfoolery in the auditorium – and elsewhere in the school, I gather – will have to be answered for."

There came a loud, grumbling noise, and Chief Fresco dropped into a wary crouch, searching the area for threats.

"What was that?" he asked. "Be careful, girls!"

Double H grinned and clutched at her belly. "Sorry - that's just my stomach. I'm soooo hungry, you wouldn't believe it. I certainly won't mind going to the police station with you, as long as there's some food there!"

The chief stood up from his crouch and cleared his throat, while his daughters tried to swallow their giggles. "Uh, sure. I'll stop and pick up some sandwiches and candy bars on the way."

"Oh, that would be wonderful!" Double H exclaimed, her eyes growing misty at the very mention of food.

"Now please hold your arms in front of you so I can place you in handcuffs," Chief Fresco said.

"Sure, no problem. No hard feelings here," Double H said without hesitation, offering her hands.

She held her arms before herself, with her wrists close together. Chief Fresco stepped forward and applied the handcuffs, clicking them into place as the locking mechanisms engaged.

The chief had seldom had cause to use his handcuffs in his career as a lawman, for Hollow Oak was a rural, peaceful town with nearly zero crime. He made sure the cuffs weren't too tight, so as not to hurt Double H's wrists, for he was a compassionate man, and saw no need to make his prisoner uncomfortable.

Chief Fresco turned to his daughters. "The two of you should get back to baseball practice. How about a little normalcy in your lives, for a change?"

Sara smiled. "Sure, Dad."

The sisters would be happy to resume practice and get to play outside with their friends. If there had been any downside to their current adventure, it was that they had missed most of practice already, which was a daily ritual they always looked forward to.

"We just need to go back in the school and grab our backpacks. We had to leave them behind in the service corridor near the furnace room, and our cleats and gloves are in there," Maria explained.

"No!" the chief cried. "Do not go back in there!"

"But, Dad, the danger's been resolved," Sara assured him.

Chief Fresco shook his head firmly. "I'm not taking any chances. You two have been in more than enough risky situations as of late. I'm going to make sure Principal Funkmeyer and everybody else is out of the school, and then I'm going to lock it down until we can get the place cleaned up and make sure there's no more robots – or other surprises, for that matter – hiding in there."

The sisters giggled at their father, patting him affectionately on the shoulder.

"Haven't we proven that we can take care of ourselves yet?" Maria asked.

"We did just save you, you know," Sara pointed out. "And if we hadn't disobeyed your orders and gone back in the school to look for you, who knows how things might have turned out?"

Chief Fresco fidgeted from foot to foot, readjusting his ball cap and running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I realize that, girls. Believe me, I know you bailed me out of some very hot water back there." Then, to the amazement of his daughters, he threw back his head and laughed, seemingly amused by his own contradictions. "Aw, who am I kidding? You two have more than proven that you know how to take care of yourselves. If you want to go grab your backpacks, go ahead."

"Well, I have a question," Double H said, interrupting the moment of bonding between father and daughters.

"Lady, you are in no position to be asking questions right now," the chief told her.

"But won't you be needing these, if you're going to be taking me into custody?" Double H asked, her voice filled with mirth, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

### Chapter Thirty-Two

### All the World's a Stage

The chief's jaw dropped as he saw what Double H was holding between her index finger and thumb. It was the pair of handcuffs, which had been unlocked and removed from her wrists. The caped weirdo was beaming at her small audience. She smiled broadly, clearly pleased with her performance.

Chief Fresco stared in bewilderment, and his shock rendered him somewhat inarticulate. "What the-? How did you-?"

"Here, try again!" Double H encouraged him.

She tossed the cuffs to the chief, who caught them from reflex, as he was still trying to shake off his surprise. Muttering to himself, he once more stepped forward and applied the handcuffs to Double H's outstretched wrists. This time, he made sure to clamp them down tight, so as to prevent any wiggle room and potential escape.

"That should do it," he said with satisfaction, turning back to his daughters. "As I was saying-"

"Dad, look!" Sara exclaimed, pointing at Double H.

The chief turned back to his captive, and saw that she had once more managed to remove her handcuffs. Not only had she slipped free of them, but she had done so in mere seconds. The metal bracelets dangled from her grasp, swaying back and forth like a pendulum, while Double H chuckled, rocking on the balls of her feet with barely contained jubilation.

"Oh, this is wonderful!" she laughed. "It's been so long since I've had an audience to work in front of!"

"Hey! I don't know how you keep on doing that, but you'd better knock it off!" Chief Fresco warned.

"It is a pretty amazing trick, though, don't you think?" Maria asked her father.

By way of answer, Chief Fresco grumbled beneath his breath. Sara, however, grinned and nodded to her sister, and the two of them were only partially successful in stifling their giggles.

Mumbling to himself, Chief Fresco snatched the handcuffs away from Double H. "I'll figure out a way to detain you, just you wait and see."

"Maybe you should cuff my hands behind my back," Double H suggested. "That might make it more difficult to break free."

"That's not a bad idea," the chief conceded, applying the handcuffs behind Double H's back, instead of in front of her, as he had done the last two times.

Once they were in place, locked down as tightly as possible, Chief Fresco stepped away, nodding with approval. "Now, then. That should hold this slippery little tomato \- hey!"

Double H was laughing, and she put her hands in front of herself, revealing them to once more be free of handcuffs.

"Gears and sprockets! How on earth are you doing that?" Sara asked.

"No pair of handcuffs can hold me," Double H proclaimed. "Just the very notion of such a thing makes me chuckle!"

Maria tapped at her chin in thought. "I see. On top of all your other tricks, you're something of an escape artist, eh?"

"Oh, you could say that," Double H agreed.

"Who are you? Who are you, really?" Maria asked.

"We know you go by 'The Phantom' and 'Double H', but those aren't real names," Sara said.

"Well, I suppose you've earned the right to learn my true identity, after all we've been through this afternoon." Double H took a deep bow. "My name, young ladies – and gentleman – is Harriet. Harriet Houdini."

The only response was silence, as Maria, Sara, and Chief Fresco tried to digest this odd bit of information.

"Uh... I'm sorry to say this, ma'am," Sara apologized, "but I don't think any of us has ever heard of you, though your name bears a striking resemblance to Harry Houdini, and we certainly know who that famous escape artist was."

"I'm the great-great granddaughter of Harry Houdini's brother. I idolized my great uncle, and wished for nothing more than to follow in his footsteps as a master of escape and illusion. Unfortunately, I haven't lived up to those goals... I've let my anxieties and fears hold me back, and I sought a safe, quiet life, where I wouldn't be exposed to the harsh criticism of the audience. But to quote William Shakespeare – 'all the world's a stage'. And I've been hiding from it all these years, squirreled away from sunlight in my workshop. But now... now I feel I just might be ready to take on the world!"

"Well, that's great!" Sara exclaimed.

"We're really happy for you, Harriet," Maria added. "Hanging out in a basement is no way to spend your life. You gotta get out here and really live!"

"Oh, I'm going to, believe me," Double H promised. "I'm going to take on the world, and everything it has to offer!"

"Hang on! Before anybody goes 'taking on the world' and whatnot, you need to answer for your misdeeds," Chief Fresco reminded her. "I'm not sure exactly what the charges will be... I mean, I've never apprehended an illusionist masquerading as a Phantom before... but there will be charges, of that you can be sure!"

Double H sighed. "Very well. Obeying the law is part of life out here in the real world, and I suppose I had best start playing by the rules. But the worst of this whole affair is all Jasper's doing, I hope you realize. It's like your daughters say – he's a – what was it, girls?"

"Doorknob," Maria offered helpfully.

"Yes, that's it. That doorknob built those mecha-monkeys, and then let them run rampant throughout the school when he lost control," Double H said. "I hope I won't be held responsible for all of their vandalism and... you know... your, uh, kidnapping, and all that stuff."

"Jasper? Do you expect me to believe that? You are talking about the school janitor, right?" the chief asked incredulously. "Those robots were something straight out of a science fiction movie. I hardly think Jasper could have masterminded such a production."

"It's true, Dad," Sara told him. "Jasper's a mechanical genius! He might be morally bankrupt, but he's awful handy with a wrench."

The chief looked puzzled beyond all reckoning by his daughter's claim. "And how exactly would you know that?"

"We've, uh... we've seen his handiwork before," Maria admitted. Lowering her voice, she added, "Sorry we failed to mention that."

Chief Fresco rubbed at his temple with one hand. He was mumbling to himself and trying to come to terms with this new information. "Jasper, of all people..." he muttered. "I have really got to stop underestimating that oaf."

"Would you feel better if I put the handcuffs back on?" Double H asked. "I promise not to escape from them."

Chief Fresco sighed. "Nah. What's the point? Just get in the backseat of my cruiser, would you? And you had better not pull a disappearing act when you're in there!"

The chief pointed to his police car, which was parked in the lot at the side of the school, in one of the spots closest to the building.

"Sure, I can do that. It's been a long time since I've had a car ride... this should be fun!" Double H began skipping toward the cruiser, swiveling her head to take in her surroundings and enjoy the sunlight and fresh air. Before opening the car's door, she giggled and turned back toward Chief Fresco and his daughters. "Besides... if things should turn out poorly and I find myself incarcerated, you should realize... no prison can hold a master of escape!"

With that declaration, Double H stepped into the backseat of the car, pulled her cape in behind herself, and slammed the door shut.

### Epilogue

"Okay, then," Chief Fresco said slowly, shaking his head as he kept a close eye on his cruiser. "That is one darned peculiar lady."

Chief Fresco sat behind the wheel of his police car. He was parked in the lot of a convenience store, and the engine was idling with the radio softly playing music.

His prisoner, Harriett, sat in the backseat, happy beyond words. The sounds of munches and crunches filled the car, as she gobbled the delicious snacks and sandwiches the chief had purchased for her at the store.

Every now and then, she would occasionally pause long enough to utter a sigh of contentment or slurp down some chocolate milk, but for the most part it was relentless chewing and swallowing.

She was making a mess of the car with all the crumbs and discarded wrappers, but Chief Fresco didn't mind. Seeing how as Harriet hadn't eaten anything in a few days and therefore had a ravenous appetite, he could forgive her lack of manners.

The chief leaned over and opened the glove box, revealing a neatly organized compartment of documents and small tools. He ran his fingers over a stack of folders, selecting a manila one which he pulled out and placed on his lap.

For long moments, he reviewed the sole paper that was inside, reading its contents, just as he had done many times before. There was not very much writing on the document, and it didn't take long to digest, but he couldn't help himself from pulling it out and reviewing it from time to time. It was as if he still couldn't believe what was inked there upon the page, as plain as day.

"Miss Houdini," the chief said to his backseat passenger.

"Yes?" Harriet answered, crumbs of chips spilling from the corners of her mouth.

"You, uh... you said no prison can hold you. Isn't that right?"

Harriet chuckled. "Of course! No master of escape can be bound by steel!"

Chief Fresco grunted in response, slowly nodding his head. His eyes had returned to the folder in his lap.

Munching her way through a mouthful of pretzels, Harriett said, "Why do you ask?"

The chief answered her with a quiet, distracted voice. "I suppose I'm just thinking aloud."

He closed the folder and slowly returned it to the glove box, as his mind wandered and ideas began to take shape in his head.

Harriet, being a sharp eyed and observant sort, noticed the folder, and she leaned forward to see the label that had been applied to its exterior, before the chief once more stashed it in the glove box.

Written upon the label was the following: Prisoner File for Leo Murphy, Former Vice President of the Hollow Oak Sneaker Factory.

***

Dear Reader,

Thank you for adventuring in the world of the Green Beans. I had a lot of fun writing this story, and I hope you had just as much fun reading it. If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a brief customer review at the website of the retailer where you acquired it. As an independent author, customer reviews are very important for building a readership, and I greatly appreciate your feedback. Thanks for your support, and I'm looking forward to our next adventure with the Beans!

-Gabriel Gadget

