-Chapter 38-

-Hannah's POV-

"Can you reach it now?"

I stood on Kowalski's shoulders, desperately reaching for the door handle. My flipper wasn't even close. "Ugh… nope." I thought for a moment, considering a few ideas. "Do you think you could toss me up? That's the only way I'll be able to reach it."

"Uh… sure," The intellectual replied, bending down and quickly tossing me off his shoulders.

I reached for the door knob and clung onto it. "Yes!" I exclaimed. I jiggled the handle, but it wouldn't turn. My eyes narrowed. "Shit. She locked it." I released my grip, landing not-so-gracefully next to Kowalski. "Ow."

Kowalski offered me a flipper. I took it, and the intellectual pulled me to my feet. "If we can find a paperclip, I could pick the lock-"

"I know how to pick locks. If you toss me up, I could do it. I bet Aidan has some pins around here somewhere," I interrupted. Kowalski nodded in agreement, and we dispersed throughout my cousin's room, searching for any item that could be used to pick the lock, while I cursed under my breath, wondering why Aidan would have any reason to lock her door with us inside.

"I found a paperclip," Kowalski called from atop of Aidan's dresser, holding up the small item into view.

"Perfect," I said. Kowalski leapt down from the dresser and landed lightly beside me. He handed me the paperclip, which I took eagerly. I bent it into shape. "Ready?"

"All set." The intellectual lifted me onto his shoulders and pushed up with his flippers, sending me flying towards the door handle. I grabbed on, and slid the paperclip inside the keyhole.

After a few moments of fumbling with the lock, the tumbler clicked and the door unlocked, sliding open slowly. "Yes!" I cheered, dropping onto the floor. "Ow."

Kowalski helped me up again, and we waddled out of my cousin's bedroom. "Skipper? Rico? Private- GAH!" I yelled as a large white cat pinned me to the ground. I immediately recognized this cat to be Gus, Aidan's ferocious male cat. "Let me go!"

The cat blinked slowly, but its claws dug into my flippers. I gasped with pain. "Help me!"

Gus snarled and swung around suddenly, facing the direction opposite of me. I was dragged away by Kowalski as the cat began to snarl at Rico, who had come to my rescue. The penguin coughed up a flame thrower and aimed it at the ferocious feline.

"Rico, don't!" I exclaimed. Rico growled at Gus, and the muscular tom backed away slowly, Rico slowly advancing on him. Gus spat, turned tail and fled down the stairs. I let out a sigh of relief as Rico swallowed the flame thrower once more.

"Are you alright?" Kowalski asked anxiously, propping me up against the wall.

"Yeah… I'll be fine," I replied, turning my head to examine myself. A few scratches bore into my flippers, but weren't bleeding heavily.

Rico waddled over to us and coughed up a roll of ACE bandages, handing them to the intellectual penguin.

"Thanks, Rico. You really saved me there," I said with a smile.

"Eh," He shrugged, "no problem," the weapon-enthusiast grunted.

"Wait… where's Skipper? And Private?" I asked, looking around as if I expected them to burst through a window.

"Right here, soldier," I heard Skipper say. I turned to see him hopping up the stairs. I didn't see Private with him.

"Where's Private?" I asked Skipper, raising a non-existent eyebrow.

"I ordered him to go with your cousin… she said something about Poptarts. Anyway… they should be back by now-"

"Skippah! Hannah!" I heard a familiar voice screech. There was a loud banging on the window.

"Smoked salmon!" Skipper exclaimed. "Private?"

I rushed over to the hall window and hopped up onto the window sill. My eyes widened when I saw Private's appearance- he was covered in gravel and dirt, as if he had fallen or been knocked down in the road. He looked anxious and fearful. I lifted the window, and Private leapt inside the house. "Private, what happened?" I asked. "Where's Aidan?"

"She was taken!" Private replied in a rush. "We were biking down the road, and something ran in front of us. Aidan's bike slid on the gravel and we fell over! Then something grabbed Aidan and knocked me out… and… that's all I remember."

Skipper's eyes widened, and I gulped. "Blowhole," Skipper said. "It's so obvious! But… what would he want with your cousin?" He asked, turning to look at me as if I knew the answer. I shrugged helplessly.

"Perhaps he's been spying on us… and he knew to take Aidan to set a trap for us!" Kowalski exclaimed.

"But how would he know where to find us-" Skipper began. He turned to look at me. His eye twitched. "You!"

"M-me?" I asked nervously.

"I knew I couldn't trust you! I knew it! You're Blowhole's spy after all!"

"What?" I exclaimed. "Skipper, that's ridiculous!"

"Boys, grab her! We're taking this spy down!"