Chapter 13

Tying Up Loose Ends

Donita mumbled angrily to herself through a mouthful of pins as she stuck another bow to the antlers of the frozen deer in front of her. The poor thing was almost entirely covered in layer after layer of blinking lights, shiny bows, bells, Christmas ornaments and tinsel. She finished attaching the bow and turned back to the large concept drawing sitting on an easel a few feet away.

Zach sat sulking in a corner by his mind control device, his robots hovering close by, waiting for his next command.

"Errgh! How much longer do I have to sit here and watch you decorate that varmint? You can probably see it from space by now!"

Donita threw him a venomous glare. "As long as it takes for you to think about how you messed up and let Chris get away."

"That wasn't my fault! My technology was a complete success. If it wasn't for Blue-boy, you'd be set with all the reindeer you could ever want and a permanent new assistant for the rest of your life, thanks to me."

Donita jabbed a pin accusingly in his direction. "But you didn't think to Martin-proof your device, did you? And now I only have five reindeer and no Chris to get the rest! And there's something off about these reindeer he brought back." She put a hand on her chin, thinking. "They just don't quite look like the reindeer I was hoping for…hmm. Anyway, first thing tomorrow, you're going to send out those robots of yours to find me three more."

"What? That wasn't part of the deal!" Zach folded his arms and stuck his nose in the air. "Nothing doing."

"I must have eight reindeer for my show!"

"Then find them yourself! I've got more important things to do than sit around and watch you decorate useless animals."

"Oh? Like what, exactly."

Zach blinked. "Well, let's see, there's…that is…uh…just stuff! I've got stuff to do. See ya!" He started throwing the sheet back over his contraption.

"ACHOO!"

Both Zach and Donita froze.

"Bless you," said Donita.

"Gesundheit," Zach said at the same time.

"Wait a second. If you didn't sneeze and I didn't sneeze, who did?"

Donita shivered as a cool breeze blew into the room from behind. She turned around slowly, eyes narrowed. The door all the way across the other side of the room to was slightly open. Something was wrong with this picture.

"Donita," Zach scooted closer to her, "is this place haunted? Not that I'm scared or anything like that…"

The room fell silent as the two of them stared into the dark stretch of the jet's interior in front of them. The only source of intermittent light in this side came from the blinking Christmas decorations wrapped around the deer. Donita made a move for a light switch on the wall closest to her.

"NOW!" somebody shouted.

All at once two figures jumped up from behind Donita's desk.

"AAAEEEIIII!" Zach squealed, jumping up in to Donita's arms. "Crazy savage mountain men from the woods! HELP!"

Even with Zach clinging on for dear life, Donita still managed to find the switch. The dark half of the jet was suddenly filled with light, revealing the two intruders.

"Hey!" said Zach. "Those aren't crazy savage mountain men."

Donita pried the skinny villain from around her neck and dropped him on the floor.

"No, they're most definitely not. Well, well. Chris-Angelo and Martino. I was wondering when you two would turn up again."

Martin nudged Chris in the side. "See? I told you the face paint would work."

"Is that what's all over your faces?" Donita wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Ugh. It clashes terribly with your features. And those bandanas…" She shook her head.

Now it was Chris's turn to nudge Martin. "See? I told you Donita wouldn't buy it."

"Whatever," said Martin. "We still look awesome."

Chris stepped in front of him. "Um, don't mind him. He's running a fever at the moment. Listen, we need to talk about your little creature-heist."

Donita's lips curled into a nasty grin. "Ah-ha-ha! Don't you mean your little 'creature-heist'? After all, you are the one who stole the animals."

Chris thought for a second. "Well, technically speaking, yes—"

Zach stepped up to him and poked him in the chest. "Technically speaking, you can't take any of the credit, Green-Guy. Technically speaking, I did all the work! Me, me, me!"

Chris held up his hands. "Hey, you can take all the credit you want. Doesn't bother me."

Donita stepped in, grabbing Zach by the front of his sweater. "Are you also going to take credit for ruining my entire fashion show?!"

"No!" Zach snapped, slapping her hands away from his shirt. "You want to know why? Because now we've got both Wild Rats here with us. Gimme a few minutes and I can have both brothers' brains right where you want them."

"Uh…I don't think that'll work out very well," said Chris, folding his arms.

"Why not?"

"Because you're about to get really distracted."

Behind him, Martin had been hard at work unwrapping the deer and shutting off the pose beam emitter while the two villains argued. Just as they lunged forward, the pink beam flickered out and the deer came back to life.

"GO!" Martin hollered as the buck hightailed it in the direction of the door. "Don't look back, buddy, RUN!"

"No! No, my beautiful Christmas reindeer!" Donita nearly plowed the brothers over in an attempt to chase after the animal, but got tangled up in a strand of lights and went toppling to the ground. "ZACH!" she shrieked, trying to wriggle out of the mess. "DO SOMETHING!"

"Zachbots! Let'em have it!"

One of the robots turned automatically and lifted the mind control device's control panel, chucking it across the room.

"HULPHH!" Chris huffed as he caught it hard in the stomach. Then he grinned. "Thanks, Zach! I think we'll take this back to the Tortuga with us and let Aviva use it for spare parts."

Zach grabbed his hair. "AAAAGH! No! I meant 'let'em have it' as in 'attack them'!"

Chris turned, about to make a run for the door, but Donita caught him around the ankle, tripping him up.

"Whoa! Martin, go long!" Before he hit the ground, he lobbed the heavy equipment at Martin, who happened to be closest to the exit.

"Got it!" he yelled.

"GAAA!" Zach shrieked again. "Zachbots! Get my device back, and step on it!"

Two Zachbots zoomed over to where Martin was standing, about to throw the thing out the door.

"Uh-oh…"

Before he had time to prepare, one of the robots snatched the device and yanked it out of his hands. Then it threw it on the floor and began jumping on it.

"AAAGH!" Zach dropped to the floor, shaking his fists. "No, no, no! When I said 'step on it', I meant 'HURRY'!"

Martin hauled his brother to his feet, then shrugged. "Guess that takes care of that problem."

"Rrrgh!" Zach jumped up, heading straight for them and tripped over Donita on the way.

"Ow!" she squawked. "Watch it!"

Zach tried to get up, but found himself tangled in the strands of lights and tinsel along with her. The more the two of them struggled and fought each other to get out, the more snarled the mess became. Soon they were so wrapped up in out-of-season holiday décor that they looked like a pair of Christmas trees.

"Huh!" Martin nudged Chris in the side again. "Would ya look at that? I guess a little Christmas in August never hurt anybody."

"Yeah," Chris agreed with a smile, "but we should probably get going. I think I'll call Aviva and tell her to start putting together successful creature rescue party." He waved at Donita and Zach and headed out the door.

"Hey, not a bad idea, bro! We'd invite you two, but you look a little tied-up at the moment. Ha! See ya!"

Zach stuck an arm out, brandishing a fist after Martin as he made his exit. "I'll get you, Wild Rats! I'll get you!"