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  Kit half smiled. “My thoughts as well. But don’t you worry about this, kiddo. Hudson has his security crew investigating, and we’ll file a police report. Plus, LIRI has insurance for this very reason.”

  “I know a few detectives at CPD,” Tempe said. “They’re good. And CSU will turn that lab upside down and inside out. If there’s a speck of evidence, they’ll find it. Take that to the bank.”

  Tempe’s effect on Tory was comic.

  She straightened like a soldier under inspection. “Of course, Aunt Tempe.”

  But I knew that look. Recognized wheels turning behind Tory’s eyes.

  Butterflies took wing in my stomach. It didn’t take a mind reader to see that Tory wanted to impress her aunt.

  “I’m heading out there to assess the damage.” Kit cast a hopeful look at Tempe. “I wouldn’t mind if you came along. A forensics expert might come in handy this morning.”

  “At your service.”

  With that, the pair excused themselves and headed inside.

  Tory watched them go.

  She got that stubborn set to her jaw, as if a challenge had been made.

  The butterflies became hummingbirds.

  She’ll jump in. And drag us all along, like always.

  Hi sensed it, too. “Should I go change clothes?” The fool sounded eager.

  “Meet by the dock in five.” Tory was already moving. “We need to get to Loggerhead first.”

  Ben smirked but shrugged his agreement. Hi gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

  I sighed. There was no point arguing.

  “Fine. But let’s at least try not to get into trouble?”

  I’m not sure Tory heard me. She was halfway up her stairs, Coop at her side.

  I pushed my glasses back up the bridge of my nose.

  Gonna be one of those days.

  I hustled inside and grabbed the keys to Sewee.

  The old man was out in Hugo, shuttling people as usual. Not that he’d have bothered me. Tom Blue wasn’t that type of dad.

  Keys in hand, I hurried back outside and down to the Morris Island dock. I was quickest, as usual, so I prepped my boat while the others took their sweet time.

  Checking the outboard motor, I couldn’t help but laugh at Dr. Howard. Once again, he had no idea what Tory was planning. She’d slip right under his nose, as usual.

  For a smart guy, Kit was clueless. He never saw what was coming next.

  Not with Tory.

  Not like me.

  Tory’s aunt might be wise, though. She’s no dummy.

  I shook my head. In the end, Tory would get her way. Always did. Her insisting the Virals investigate the break-in had been the least shocking thing in the world. She lived for mysteries like this. It’s what I liked most about her.

  Not that there was much I didn’t like.

  A sigh escaped my lips. I glanced around quickly, making sure no one heard.

  Just get the boat ready, Ben.

  Footsteps thumped on the wooden planks. I looked up to see the doofus twins. Hi now wore red plaid shorts, a sky-blue pocket tee, and slip-on, black-and-white checkerboard-print sneakers. Shelton sported a white polo and green basketball shorts. Neither of those guys could dress worth spit.

  I hadn’t changed clothes. Didn’t feel the need.

  I spotted movement on the hill—Tory, jogging down from the townhomes.

  No wolfdog?

  She’d stuck with her gray Outward Bound tee and tan shorts, but had pulled her hair back in a ponytail. Even dressed down, she was beautiful.

  Not model gorgeous, or anything fake like that, but . . . striking. I can’t really explain it.

  And what’s the point in trying? We’re just friends.

  And even if you weren’t, she’s out of your league.

  Irritated, I brushed the thought away. But knew it was true.

  Tory was destined for Big Things. Renown. Honors. Any dope could see that.

  Me? I just hoped to land a gig like Dad’s shuttle route. Work outdoors.

  “We should design matching outfits.” Hi stepped aboard and bounded into the passenger chair. “Crime fighters usually wear sweet gear. And helmets.”

  “We’re not crime fighters.” Shelton flopped onto the aft bench. “And I’m putting this whole trip under protest. Messing with a real-deal crime? At LIRI? We’re headed for disaster. You heard it here first.”

  I caught Hiram’s eye, then pointed to the bench beside Shelton.

  “Boo.” But he complied. We went through this almost every time.

  The copilot seat was for Tory.

  “You had better plans today?” Not a boating enthusiast, Hi was already snapping on a life jacket. “We’re investigating actual criminal activity. How cool is that?”

  Shelton snorted. “We might get busted for obstructing justice. How’s that gonna play at your house?”

  Hi tightened the final strap. “Lots of extra time at temple. I’ll survive.”

  “Stow those lines.” I pointed to a pair of ropes securing the stern. “And hustle up, you know she’ll want a quick getaway.”

  Though I kept it to myself, I actually agreed with Hi. The day was looking way more interesting than when I got up.

  “Take it easy on the way out, Blue.” Hi grimaced while coiling a length of thick nylon. “I haven’t puked in days, so I’ve got some catching up to do.”

  “Not on my deck,” I warned, well aware of Hi’s weak stomach. “Aim overboard.”

  I unhooked the bowline, double-checked the buoys, then slipped into the captain’s chair. My favorite spot on earth.

  Tory bounced aboard. “Let’s go, let’s go!”

  “Since you asked so nicely.” But I fired the ignition.

  “No Bow Wow?” Hi said.

  Tory shook her head. “Unfortunately, Coop’s not well suited for this type of trip.”

  “See!” Shelton slapped his forehead. “We are gonna buzz the crime scene!”

  Tory simply winked.

  Maneuvering Sewee from the dock, I spun her clockwise and hit the throttle. Spray kicked up on both sides as we knifed across the breakers.

  I almost grinned with pleasure. But I’m not the smiley type.

  “Once more, it begins.” Hi’s face was green. “We need a helicopter.”

  “Take the shortcut,” Tory instructed. “Please,” she added, as if suddenly aware she’d been barking orders.

  In truth, I didn’t mind. Despite being youngest, Tory was our unacknowledged leader. She had the knack. I was okay with her making most of the decisions.

  Not that I’d ever let that on.

  I nosed Sewee toward a warren of sandbars a hundred yards offshore. Only shallow-draft vessels like my runabout can negotiate them, and even then you need to know the proper route.

  Not many did besides me. A point of pride.

  After a few twists and turns, accompanied by Hi’s groans, we cleared the maze and hit open water. Morris receded behind us. Moments later a tiny landmass took shape on the horizon. Gradually, the green-brown blur sharpened into an island.

  As we motored close, details emerged. A bone-white beach fronting high-canopied trees. Thick, tangled undergrowth. Gentle waves, spinning eddies in the wet sand. Not a building in sight.

  I cut the engine and let Sewee drift. A habit of mine. You never know what you might see, if you’re quiet.

  A hawk shrieked from the gloom of the island’s interior. Crickets hummed. Palmetto palms swished and rattled in the breeze.

  And everywhere, the hooting of monkeys.

  No matter how often I visited, Loggerhead Island always gave me a thrill.

  A wild, untamed place, forgotten by time. Shrouded in mystery.
>
  “We’re in a bit of a hurry.” Tory. Gently.

  My expression soured, but I restarted the engine. We cruised down the shoreline, headed for Loggerhead’s southernmost point. Minutes later I pulled Sewee alongside the island’s single dock.

  A glance spurred Hi and Shelton into position. As I eased close they tossed the ropes, then scrambled up to tie us off. I killed the motor.

  “Permission to disembark, sir?” Tory had one foot on the quay. She knew I liked being captain, and was half apologizing for bossing me around.

  “Granted.” I tapped my watch. “Shore leave, two hours.”

  “Then we’d better dash.”

  One final boat-check, then I followed the others down the pier. They waited where the paving stones gave way to a packed-earth trail, as close to a permanent road as you’ll find on the island.

  Barely half a square mile, Loggerhead is even smaller than Morris. No permanent structures exist anywhere outside the LIRI compound.

  We climbed a steep path and hiked into the woods.

  The hooting gave way to howling.

  “Monkey Town seems riled today.” Hi was scanning the canopy. “Banana crisis?”

  The central forest is home to Loggerhead’s boisterous rhesus monkey colony. Dozens of free-ranging troops, squabbling in the trees or at feeder stations scattered about the woods.

  No cages or corrals. The crafty little buggers go where they please. It’s not like they can escape—there’s nowhere to go.

  The LIRI compound is fenced to keep them out, not in.

  But yammering primates aren’t the only game in town. Cooper’s wolfpack family still patrols the woods. Every year, loggerhead sea turtles breed on the island’s protected beaches. Endangered seabirds nest in the tidal marshes. Deer, boar, duck, fox, raccoon, and dozens of other woodland critters inhabit the ponds, dunes, glades, and meadows.

  Pure, undisturbed nature. Peace and quiet. Well, except for the monkeys.

  I love the place. It’s one of a kind.

  Cresting the final rise, we headed down a gentle slope toward LIRI’s front gate.

  Which stood open. Weird.

  I looked around. None of the dopey rent-a-cops were in sight.

  “Where to now?” Hi asked as we reached the chain-link barrier.

  “Lab Three,” Tory answered. “Scene of the crime.”

  “Inside Building One,” Shelton pointed out needlessly. “Which means dealing with security.”

  “Which means Hudson,” Hi finished. “Gonna be a problem.”

  Terrific.

  If anyone could ruin my day, it was that guy.

  Ben was already scowling.

  Never a good sign.

  Tory turned and gave me her Serious Face.

  “Hiram.” She forced eye contact. “We need to get by security without a fuss. So keep the jokes in check, um-kay?”

  “Scusi?” I raised both palms in shocked affront. “Those dudes freaking love me. We’re talking about forming a boy band. Techno-pop stuff.”

  Her eyes rolled. “We need access to Lab Three. That’s not gonna happen if they call Kit to confirm we’re allowed upstairs. Which is what they’ll do if you piss them off. So don’t. Capisce?”

  “Totes.” I flashed my patented thumbs-up. “I’ll be a perfect gentleman.”

  Tory’s expression remained skeptical.

  I doubled the thumbs-up. Smiled wide.

  “God help us.”

  With that, she strode toward Building One, the rest of us a step behind.

  The LIRI complex is bombtastic. Totally baller. It consists of a dozen modern glass-and-steel structures surrounded by an eight-foot chain-link fence.

  Only two ways in: the main gate we’d just invaded, and a smaller one around back. Security is tight: motion-sensing cameras, keypad entries, auto-locks, you name it.

  Hidden in the woods, the place felt like a Bond villain’s secret hideout.

  Translation: I heart LIRI.

  The larger buildings consist mainly of offices, conference rooms, and research labs. The smaller ones are mostly sheds, workshops, and garages that store the institute’s heavy equipment and supplies.

  Building One houses LIRI’s executive suite, administration hubs, the most primo offices, and the three largest labs.

  And security headquarters, unfortunately.

  My dad, Linus, worked in there, too. Kit had just promoted him to the exalted position of chief lab tech, which completely rocked. The Stolowitski clan’s rise to power cannot be stopped.

  I knew Pops would be crapping his shorts about the stolen equipment. The theft was as much in his domain as Shelton’s dad's.

  So let’s solve this bad boy. It’s Big Shot time.

  Tory paused outside the building’s hermetically sealed entrance.

  Her shoulders rose. Fell. Then she marched straight through the sliding glass doors.

  Shelton and I followed. Ben brought up the rear, as usual.

  Tory had the coolest head. In tight spots, we usually let her do the talking.

  Sometimes, of course, I couldn’t help myself. I’m not made of stone, and these clowns were such easy targets.

  Our luck was bad.

  Security Chief David Hudson was manning the kiosk.

  He stood as we approached, hands robotically smoothing a meticulously pressed uniform. Hudson was somewhere north of forty, with close-cropped gray hair.

  His mouth formed a hard line, eyes suspicious.

  Polished shoes gleaming, Hudson stepped from the kiosk to block our entrance. Hips squared, he stuck out one hand. “State your business.”

  Ermahgerd. What a toolbox.

  “Good morning, Chief Hudson.” Tory flashed her dimples at Robocop. “We’re headed to Lab One. My father asked me to check something for him.”

  “I have no order to that effect.”

  “Kit will be here in a few minutes. He’ll fill you in.”

  “You’ll have to wait until Director Howard arrives.” His expression soured, like he’d just caught whiff of a horrific fart. “A crime has been committed on these premises. My premises. Perpetrators unknown. Therefore, I’ve sealed the building until further notice.”

  Hudson’s eyes narrowed, as if suddenly considering a new group of suspects.

  “I’m afraid we can’t wait.” Tory fumbled for words. “You see, thing is, um . . .”

  I stepped forward, ignoring her warning glance.

  I couldn’t help it. This guy was a big pile of stupid.

  “This is an emergency, Chief.” I waggled an index finger. “The midi-chlorians have already been isolated by centrifuge. If we don’t take a blood count now, the samples will be useless.”

  Hudson blinked. “Midi-what?”

  I nodded companionably. “Midi-chlorians. Our flux capacitor has isolated their Force-rendering properties in the organelles of a rare species of Arctic tauntaun. Professor Vader at, uh . . . Dagobah University is extremely excited.”

  More confident nodding.

  Hudson’s rigid façade cracked, ever so slightly.

  He grabbed a folder from his booth and began flipping pages. “Is Vader a visiting researcher? I assume De-go-ba is a foreign institution.”

  “Correct.” I spoke fast, knowing confusion was key. “Just outside of Hoth. Dr. Vader asked Director Howard to monitor his Jeffries tubes, so that the . . . uh, the proper gigawatts, weren’t too, um . . .”

  Inspiration fled. I floundered.

  Luckily, Shelton stepped into the breach.

  “So the Sith Foundation doesn’t have to repeat the chemical displacement process.” Shelton yanked his earlobe, a nervous habit. “That’d be a logistical nightmare.”

  “
You’re telling me!” Recovered, I flashed wide eyes at Hudson. “This experiment has been running for months.”

  I could sense Chief Jackass wavering.

  Time for the stick.

  My voice dropped to a serious tone. “Kit would be here himself, right now, if he didn’t have this awful security breach to deal with.”

  Hudson winced. His department, and he knew it.

  I was preparing my finishing move, but Tory beat me to the punch.

  “We can wait down here if you’d like.” Innocent. Then she twisted the knife. “But if those samples expire, my dad will freak. I’m not sure his temper can handle another disappointment this morning.”

  Hudson stiffened. Then he jabbed a finger at a clipboard on the counter.

  “Sign.”

  I heard Ben snort, then cover it with a cough.

  Shelton’s foot tapped mile a minute.

  Tory carefully printed and signed her name, trying not to appear hurried.

  I struggled to keep a neutral face.

  Tory laid down the pen. “We’ll be in Lab One.”

  Hudson hesitated. Seemed on the verge of changing his mind.

  And now, the carrot.

  “Good work today, Chief.” I extended my hand. “We heard Kit bragging that you’re the only reason the thieves didn’t swipe everything not nailed down. The thin blue line, he called you. Don’t quote me on this, but you might be in line for a commendation. Like, an accomplishment medal. Super, great stuff.”

  “Yes. Well.” Hudson accepted the handshake distractedly. “That was nice of him to say.”

  I caught Tory’s eye. Tipped my head toward the stairs.

  “We won’t be long.” Tory strode past Hudson without glancing back. Shelton was practically in her back pocket. Ben sauntered in their wake, a wry look on his face.

  Hudson watched them go, eye uncertain. His lips parted as if to call them back.

  I leaned in conspiratorially. “I also overheard Director Howard say he planned to review your findings first thing.”

  Hudson started, as if he’d forgotten I was there.

  “He was awfully upset.” Left-eye wink. “I’d have that report buttoned up, if I were you. Word to the wise.” Right-eye wink.

  “Yes. Yes of course.”