It was late at night. The OSMU Van soared over the clouds, returning from a mission. The agents were all catching up on some much-needed sleep. All except Orla.

Quietly, she dressed in her ceremonial battle armor. Then she crept to the meeting room.

"All these tales of courtship and kissing... I will show them... I am not a blushing maid, I am a warrior..."

"Van Computer!" She whispered. No answer. She tried again, slightly louder. "Van Computer!"

"Whuh... Huh?" The Van Computer yawned sleepily. "Orla?"

Orla stared at the console. "Were you... sleeping? I was unaware computers slept."

"Even an artificial intelligence needs to rest and recharge sometimes," the computer explained. "What are you doing up at this hour?"

"I need you to fly us over these coordinates." She showed the computer a page from her day-planner.

"Will do. Making course correction..." The Van turned in mid-air. "But don't you think we should tell the rest of the team?"

"It is none of their concern," Orla responded. "And I do not wish to endanger them. But I must prove my bravery to these... fanfic writers so they will stop thinking of me as a simpering, lovesick child."

"I don't..."

"Silence! I don't wish to awaken the others."

"But I..."

"I order you not to awaken them. They would try to interfere. And alert me when we are over the coordinates."

"All right..." Van Computer sighed reluctantly.

A short time later, they reached the the area Orla had specified. Donning a parachute, Orla bailed out of the flying van, which sped away without her into the night sky. The other agents slept on.

#

"Come on, Oswald," Opal shone the light from the first aid gadget down her team-mate's throat. "We need to figure this out! Say something!"

"Mi nuh wa to!" Oswald scowled, his face beet red. "It embarrassing!"

Tying his tie, Omar entered the meeting room. "Hey, what's going on? Oswald, man, you sick?"

Oswald squirmed. "Eh... Complicated..."

"Yep," Opal checked the readout on the gadget. "Sorry, Oswald. You've definitely got a case of Patoisitis."

Omar blinked. "Patio... What?"

"Patoisitis," Oswald instinctively started explaining. "Eh ah rare shakey disease dat... Oh, Fi Pete's sake..." He crossed his arms over his chest, fuming.

Opal took over. "It's a rare odd illness. In this case, it's making Oswald speak with a thick Jamaican accent."

"An eh nuh funny," Oswald pouted.

Opal struggled not to smile. "We know. But it should go away in a day or so."

"Well, Mi guess dat a sinting," the afflicted librarian sighed. "Now eff deh aren't any cases ar emergencies..."

A red light began flashing and the Van Computer began shouting, "EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!"

Oswald groaned. "Buh ah course..."

Omar ran to the console. "Van Computer! What's going on?"

"Wait a minute..." Opal looked around. "Where's Orla?"

"That is why I am shouting EMERGENCY! Orla bailed out several hours ago!"

"WHAT?" Opal tried to concentrate. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I was ordered not to awaken you. Orla parachuted from the plane over the island of Hy Brasil."

"Hy Brasil..." Oswald gasped.

The other two turned to him. "You've heard of it?"

Oswald started to answer, then remembered his problem. He held up a hand, signaling them to wait, then ran to his cubby and found a book. Running back, he flipped through the pages, then handed the book to Opal, pointing to a certain paragraph.

"Hy Brasil," Opal read aloud, "is a legendary island said to be located off the coast of Ireland. It is shrouded in mist and can only be reached once every seven years, after which it retreats back into the ghostly realm from which it came..." Opal looked up from the book. "So if we don't save Orla, she'll be lost on that island for seven years?"

"Van Computer!" Omar shouted. "How long do we have before the island disappears again?"

"Orla bailed out shortly after four o'clock this morning," Van Computer responded. "You have five hours to find and rescue her."

"Five hours?" Opal exclaimed.

"Ah, that's plenty of time!" Omar scoffed.

Oswald shook his head, grabbed the book back, and tapped his watch.

"He's right!" Opal looked up at the computer console. "Van Computer! How soon can you get us to Hy Brasil?"

"I have been circling over the island, just in case. We will land in a few minutes!"

#

Opal was the last one out. "Now remember, Van Computer, if we're not back by the time the island starts to fade away, get out fast."

"Yeah," Omar added. "We need you to tell Odd Squad what happened."

Oswald nodded. Tucking his book under his arm, he followed the other agents out of the clearing where they'd landed into the wild, overgrown forest that surrounded them.

"All right guys," Opal took the lead. "Keep your eyes peeled for any sign of Orla!"

After a few steps, Oswald gasped, then made a noise to get the others' attention.

"Oswald! What is it?"

He pointed to a white billowing sheet entangled in the tree branches overhead.

"Orla's parachute!" Opal gasped. "It has to be!"

Omar looked around. "But where's Orla?"

Oswald shrugged. He didn't know.

"Well, at least we know she's nearby! Come on, let's see if there are any more clues!"

Oswald held up a hand, then gestured.

Opal and Omar stared, then spread to hands to show they had no idea what he was trying to convey. Oswald tried again and the others gestured back to him. This went on until an exasperated Oswald sighed.

"Enuh, Yuh man dem can taak!"

Omar grinned. "Yeah, you're right! We can talk! So what are you trying to say?"

He riffed through his book, found the page he was looking for, and showed it to them.

"The forests of Hy Brasil," Omar read aloud, "are rumored to be haunted by strange creatures and malevolent spirits. More recent stories claim there are UFO landing bases hidden within its borders... Ah c'mon Oswald, you don't really believe that, do you?"

"Besides," Opal added, "we have to find Orla. Especially if there's danger. She might be hurt or in trouble."

Oswald nodded. Tucking the book back under his arm, he started to follow them.

Then there was a thump so loud it shook the ground.

Then another.

Then another.

A shadow fell over them as something huge moved toward them through the trees.

The agents looked up as the red-eyed creature leapt from the forest toward them...

TO BE CONTINUED...