Finn and the Subatomic Slip-and-Slide by Michael Buckley

Author:Michael Buckley [Buckley, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2022-03-02T00:00:00+00:00

“Put your hands in the air where I can see them,” Maynard demanded as he waved Kraven’s sonic blaster at Finn and his friends. The group reluctantly did as they were told. Maynard’s hands were shaky, and Finn didn’t want to make him so nervous he made a mistake. “What gives you the right to march into my tent and steal my exhibits?”

“They’re not your exhibits,” Finn said.

“I found the tick-tock man myself. He belongs to me,” the old man crowed. “Them’s the rules. Whoever has it owns it, and whoever wants it pays.”

“Then sell him to me,” Finn said.

Lincoln rolled his eyes. “With what money?”

“He ain’t for sale,” Maynard said.

“I am not property.” Kraven pulled on the chains, desperate to free himself, but he was locked tight.

Maynard turned to his army of child security guards.

“I think they need a lesson in what happens when you steal from me. When I say the word, fall on these four and give them the beating of a lifetime.”

“All right, kalari boy,” Finn said to Lincoln. “Put one of your black belts to use.”

“Kalari doesn’t have black belts, loser!”

Lincoln rolled up his sleeves and stepped between his friends and Maynard’s gang. He bowed respectfully.

“Can we settle this with words?” he asked.

“I reckon no,” Maynard said.

The biggest of the bunch rushed forward only to catch Lincoln’s punch to his stomach. He bent over, gasping for air, and Lincoln smashed the back of his neck with an elbow. A moment later, the kid was on the ground, unconscious. Maynard scowled and spit into the dirt while the rest of his bunch looked on in stunned silence.

“What are you waiting for? An invitation?” Maynard shouted at his gang. The children hesitated long enough for Finn to step up and clench his fists. He wasn’t much of a fighter, but Lincoln couldn’t take them all on at once.

“You’re just going to get hurt,” Lincoln said.

“Worry about yourself,” he said.

Just as Lincoln sprang forward with his foot aimed at another kid’s head, Rabbit snatched the torch that lit the tent and snuffed it out on the sandy ground, plunging them all into near darkness. Maynard shouted for someone to light a new one, but they were too busy taking punches to the head and belly.

Finn swung wildly, unable to see twelve inches in front of his face. He didn’t connect with anyone, but there were groans and cries all around him. He heard Rabbit and Nico attacking someone, but he had no idea who it was. He only hoped they weren’t fighting Lincoln.

Maynard seemed to understand that things weren’t going well for him. He panicked and fired the sonic blaster, setting the tent on fire.

“I told you we were going to die in here!” Lincoln shouted. “Okay, Foley. Crazy idea: let the bug loose.”

“No! I couldn’t if I wanted to! I don’t have a key!”

“I’ll get it,” Nico said.

“No!” Finn said, but everyone was ignoring him. A moment later he heard Maynard shout.

“Take your hands off me!”

The sonic blaster went off again, igniting the roof.

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