Chapter 1
It was a cold Thursday afternoon in mid-January. Eleven-year-old Dan Cahill, top-secret Madrigal agent, conqueror of the 39 Clues, was sitting on the corner outside Adams Middle School, waiting for the school bus.
He sighed, his breath misting in the air. Of all the luck in the world, the day Sahara Desert froze over just had to be the day bus number 11 got stuck in traffic.
He glanced over at his fourteen-year-old sister Amy who, as usual, was lost in a book that looked bigger than she was, seemingly oblivious to the chill. It looked as if Dan would have to search for another source of entertainment.
Ever since the Clue hunt had ended, school life had seemed too tame for Dan's taste. Within days, he had gone from decoding secret inscriptions on church walls and digging up graves to algebra and P.E. He longed for a twist of excitement.
Just then, he noticed that they were not alone. A man, dressed in a deep green suit and pants, was standing about halfway down the sidewalk. A bowler hat cast a shadow over his eyes, and his mouth was a grim slash in a scarred face.
Glancing nonchalantly in the opposite direction, Dan casually slid back a step so that, even if the man happened to glance in his direction, his view would be obscured by Amy. He double-checked the angles. Perfect.
He picked up a pebble and, aiming carefully, let fly. The rock soared high above the man's head, landing farther down the sidewalk.
The man spun towards the source of the noise, glancing around. That was enough for Dan, who ran in a flat-out sprint towards him. When he was one meter away, he sprang at the man.
His target whirled around as he pounced, grabbing him by the shoulders in mid-leap and setting him down on the sidewalk.
"Aw, man!" Dan grinned. "Almost got you!"
"Good to see you too, Dan," said his great-uncle Fiske.
"Oh, hi, Uncle Fiske!" said Amy, looking up at the sound of his voice. She closed her book and frowned. "You're back early. Weren't you going to be on Easter Island till next Monday?"
Fiske brushed away her questions. "I'll explain once we get home. Eyes and ears are everywhere."
Dan shivered. Cahills don't scare easily, but Dan could already tell that whatever news Fiske wanted to tell them would not be cheerful.