The night air was cold, and the junkyard smelled like rust, oil, and something slightly burnt. Leo, Maya, Ben, and Zap crouched behind a pile of scrap metal, catching their breath. The distant hum of the agents’ scanners still echoed from inside the yard.
“We can’t stay here long,” Maya whispered. “They’ll search every inch of this place.”
Zap twitched his whiskers, his glowing blue eyes scanning the surroundings. “We need a place to lay low, at least until morning.”
Ben scoffed. “Oh sure, let’s just check into the five-star junkyard hotel.”
Leo’s eyes flicked around until he spotted something. “What about there?” He pointed to a rusted-out shipping container partially hidden behind a wall of stacked car doors. The doors leaned against it at an angle, forming a slanted metal cave.
“That’s perfect!” Zap squeaked.
They scrambled toward it, careful to stay in the shadows. Leo and Ben pried open the container’s heavy metal door just enough for them to slip inside. The space was cramped, filled with old tools, wooden crates, and the skeleton of a motorcycle missing its wheels.
Maya pulled the door shut, leaving just a sliver open for air. They sat in the dark, listening.
Beep… Beep…
The agents’ scanner noises got closer.
Zap’s fur bristled. “They’re tracking my brainwaves again.”
Leo frowned. “Can’t you, like, think less or something?”
Zap rolled his eyes. “Oh sure, let me just turn off my genius rat brain real quick.”
Maya rummaged through a crate. “There’s got to be something in here we can use to block the signal.”
Ben held up a rusted sheet of metal. “This?”
Zap’s eyes lit up. “That might actually work! Brainwaves are just electrical signals, and metal can block them. Stack as much scrap as you can around me!”
The kids quickly piled bits of old metal, car parts, and tools around Zap. He huddled in the middle, looking like a tiny king on a throne of junk.
Outside, the agents’ footsteps crunched on the gravel.
Beep… Beep…
Then, suddenly—
Silence.
The scanner’s beeping stopped.
“They lost the signal,” Maya whispered.
Outside, the agents exchanged words.
“It was here,” the taller one said. “Now it’s gone.”
The shorter one muttered, “Could be interference from the junk.”
There was a long pause. Then the taller agent growled, “We’ll check the surrounding areas. The rat has to be close.”
The sound of boots crunching on gravel faded.
Zap let out a deep breath. “Well, that was stressful.”
Ben peeked through the door. “They’re leaving.” He grinned. “Looks like your rat brain is good for something after all.”
Zap smirked. “Gee, thanks.”
Leo stretched. “Okay, crisis averted. But what now? We can’t just keep running.”
Maya tapped her chin. “Dr. Felix knows about Zap’s abilities. Maybe he has answers.”
Zap’s whiskers twitched. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
Ben sighed. “Great. How do we get to him without getting zapped by stun guns?”
Leo thought for a moment, then grinned. “I have an idea. But it’s going to be really risky.”
Zap chuckled. “Oh, good. I love risky.”
To be continued…
