The Case of the Gold Thief--Part Eleven
by HA

Shirley's imminent death was interrupted by the gym entrance exploding. The metal doors flew a few meters and crashed into the farthest basketball hoop. As glass and metal crashed to the floor together, Ginzu froze and stared at the smoking entrance.

"What?" Number Nine's eyes went wide behind his mask. A beeping filled his ears. His left eye was picking up an energy signature. Deactivating his vertigo inducer, he began scanning for unusual energy sources. He looked ahead, and his scanner went wild at the glowing person before him.

Rika stood in the empty doorway. In her hand were the remains of the jack-in-the-box. She glared at the ENIGMA agent.

"Hmmmmmmm..." Number Nine read the readouts he was getting on Rika. "Interesting." Ginzu made electronic noises akin to snarling.

Bo and Blake appeared behind Rika, who slowly ceased glowing. "Remind me never to get mad at you," Bo quipped, spotting the broken hoop on the floor.

Blake spotted Shirley, who was still trying to hold herself up. Crying out her name, he ran up to her. Bo found himself running after him, but Blake beat him to her. "Are you okay?" Blake asked her as he took her left arm.

"Somewhat." Shirley tried to regain her equilibrium.

Bo joined them and took Shirley's right arm. Together, the two boys helped Shirley up. "Maybe that'll teach you to go to Ms. Stratmann's office if there's no good reason," Bo told his best friend, smiling.

Shirley nodded silently and smiled back. "What took you?"

Rika joined them. "Our friend Number Nine-Nine kept us busy." She showed the amateur sleuth the jack-in-the-box. "Then there was this nuisance."

"Incompetent..." Number Nine fumed, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "Ginzu, kill them all!"

With a shriek, Ginzu charged the kids. Not caring what happened to him as long as Shirley was safe, Bo gave her to Blake and ran at the robot.

"Bo!" Shirley cried.

Glowing again, Rika dashed ahead of Bo. Before Ginzu could strike the boy, Rika focused her energy on her fist and did a straight jab on the robot's chest. The resulting explosion threw the robot into the wall and broke it into pieces.

Running onto its master's shoulder, Mojo shrieked as what was left of Ginzu tumbled to the floor. Rika calmed down, and her glow faded.

"So, you can utilize your inner ki, correct?" Number Nine asked knowingly. "Interesting power levels for someone so young."

Bo balled his hand into a fist. "Give up! You're outnumbered!"

"If I recall correctly, my nephew and I were outnumbered at the museum," Number Nine mused.

Blake appeared at Bo's side. "He's got a point. We'd better be careful."

Number Nine reached into his pocket, and the kids watched him closely. Bo was ready to jump him. The ENIGMA agent pulled out a pocket watch and checked the time. "Ah, I've tarried here too long," he commented as he returned the watch to its place. "I have a schedule to keep, after all. I believe my men have already done their part."

"You're referring to Goldman," Shirley said.

"Clever girl!" Number Nine pulled out his pointer and activated it. "Let's see if you're clever enough to survive a raging inferno. Mojo!"

The robot monkey pulled out a remote from its chest cavity. Chattering, its finger hovered over the bright red button.

"Raging inferno?" Blake wondered.

"He's rigged this entire gym to burn down," Shirley explained.

"Hey, won't you get caught in the fire, too?" Bo asked.

Number Nine laughed and jumped onto the above walkway. "I think I can escape before the flames reach their full intensity."

"Can't ENIGMA send any normal agents?" Bo asked.

"Define 'normal,'" Shirley said, keeping her gaze on Number Nine. "If he triggers those incendiary devices, the fire will consume not just the gym, but all of Sussex Academy."

"An adequate distraction while I escape, don't you think?" Number Nine said. "Mojo, now!"

Rika flared up again. "No you don't!"

Just as Mojo's finger edged towards the button, Rika flew at Number Nine. She threw a punch at the monkey, who dodged it. In the process, it let go of the remote.

"Idiot!" Number Nine admonished his pet as he dodged another punch.

The remote flew towards the center of the gym. Bo dashed out and held up his hands to catch it. It was his lucky day; the device landed squarely in his hands. "Whew," he said as he examined the remote.

Rika threw another punch. Number Nine sidestepped it and grabbed her arm. "You fancy yourself a strong person, yes?" he asked. Rika felt his grip get tighter; his fingers pinched into her sleeve. "Well, I fancy the same thing."

Shirley and her friends watched as Number Nine threw Rika from the walkway. At the moment of impact, Rika dropped something on the floor. Seconds later, a large cushion inflated itself and Rika landed safely on it.

"Whew," Bo breathed out, relieved.

Shirley and the others ran up to Rika, who was picking herself up. "I see you Strangers are prepared for anything," the young sleuth observed.

"When you investigate the unusual, you have to be really prepared," Rika said as she got off the cushion.

"How clever!" Number Nine commented from above. "You children have toys that remind me of my own." He pulled out his pointer and extended it. "In fact, here's one of them now!" he declared as he pushed a minute button.

A minute later, a large object crashed through the gym wall. Shirley and the others ran back to avoid the falling debris. Once clear, Shirley made out what Number Nine summoned. "A robot bird?"

A large robot resembling a bird hovered behind the ENIGMA agent. Its long-beaked head was connected to the egg-shaped body by a long neck. Its metal wings were shaped like the blades of an axe, and its sharp clawed feet were folded underneath the body.

Number Nine pressed the button on his pointer again, and the bird shrieked. Gazing on the kids below, its eyes began to glow.

"Move!" Shirley shouted.

A few seconds later, the eyes fired lasers at its targets. Everyone moved in time to avoid being struck by them. The end result was two burn marks on the gym floor.

Bart and Inspector Hewitt arrived in time to witness the spectacle. As Inspector Hewitt reached for his gun, Number Nine and Mojo boarded the robot. Spotting the inspector, Number Nine produced a small ball. "It will be hard to hit a target you can't see," he declared before throwing the ball to the ground.

The ball exploded, releasing a thick cloud of gas that spread around the gym. "Not again," Bo said, coughing.

Hearing her own coughing as well as the others', Shirley managed to make out the bird backing out of the hole. She reached into her backpack and pulled out a flashlight. Turning it on, she waved it in the air. "This way!" she shouted, moving towards the exit.

Soon the detective lead everyone out of the gym. Scanning the sky, they found the bird flying away at a high speed.

"Whoa," Bart remarked.

"I believe we found what attacked the gold train," Shirley concluded as the bird became a speck in the clear sky.

Detective Tremain ran up to them. "What the heck was that thing?"

Inspector Hewitt faced the police detective. "Trouble. How are the women doing?"

"Ambulances took them to the hospital. They'll definitely make it, but I want the doctors to examine them, just in case," Detective Tremain answered. "Bad news. As the ambulances were leaving, I got a call."

"ENIGMA agents grabbed Goldman," Shirley stated.

Detective Tremain stared at the teen-age detective. "You're good, Princess." After getting over his astonishment, he continued with his report. "A few of the blue-suited guys showed up at his place. Our people were ready for them, but not for what they brought with them."

"Another robot," Bart guessed.

"Does everybody here know more than me?" the police detective asked, slightly annoyed. "Well, considering what's been happening recently, I shouldn't be surprised."

"So what did this robot look like?" Bo asked.

Detective Tremain recalled more of what he was told. "Well, the guys said it looked like a big bear. They remembered the claws mainly. Blasted robot nearly killed them all before it grabbed Goldman. Now ambulances are being sent there."

"Did the agents leave any clues or say anything?" Inspector Hewitt asked.

"Just a newspaper clipping," Detective Tremain answered. "It was just some old story on Goldman with something written in the margin. A social piece, I think. They faxed a copy to the station."

Shirley sank into deep thought. Nearby, Bart and Rika talked to each other in low voices. Both nodded to each other when they finished. Bart took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. As Inspector Hewitt and Detective Tremain discussed Goldman's kidnapping, Bart slipped it to Shirley.

"What's this?" she asked.

"My comlink number," Bart answered. "If you find out what ENIGMA's after, just call me, and I'll bring the cavalry."

After memorizing the number, Shirley placed it in her blazer pocket. "I'd appreciate the assistance, Bart."

"C.D., Susan, and Hiroshi are the only field operative Strangers in Redington right now besides us," Rika said. "C.D. will be a great asset to us when we find those ENIGMA agents again."

"What can he do?" Bo asked.

Bart grinned. "You'll see if we end up in a fight."

* * * * *

"Well, at least one good thing came out of all this," Bo said as he and his two friends left the Sussex Academy campus.

"What would that be?" Blake asked.

"No school indefinitely," Bo replied with a smile.

"At least until the police remove the incendiary devices from the gym," Shirley elaborated. "That and the lawn needs to be retouched."

"Let's not forget the big killer robot sitting on the lawn," Bo added.

"I don't think we'll be learning anything from it," Blake said.

"Right now, I don't care," Bo admitted. "I'm just glad those ENIGMA creeps are gone."

"Who said they were gone?" Shirley said.

Bo stopped and faced his best friend. "Shirley, they failed to kill you. They don't have anything else to do here."

"Except the assignment they have in the Redington area," Shirley said matter-of-factly. "Killing me may have been Number Nine's goal, but he's here because someone hired ENIGMA to do something here."

"Great, so they can try again at any time," Bo said, groaning.

"Not really," Blake said. "ENIGMA can't just kill Shirley directly. They need to make it look like she happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"And that's supposed to make it better?" Bo asked, fuming. "She was nearly killed by a walking knife set! If we hadn't made it in time..." He stopped walking.

Shirley and Blake stopped. Bo's hand formed into a fist at his side. Shirley observed how tightly he squeezed. "Bo?"

Bo took a deep breath, then opened his hand. "I'm fine. Really."

"So, you want me to get you a copy of that article Tremain was talking about?" Blake asked.

"If possible," Shirley said. "It's more likely it'll be on the news soon, but I'd like a copy."

"Will do." Blake left his two friends. "I'll see you later!"

Bo continued walking with Shirley. "Don't your parents need you back at the fish shop?" Shirley asked.

"I thought you needed the company," Bo answered.

"You don't have to worry about me," Shirley assured her friend. "ENIGMA can't get at me directly without casting suspicion on themselves."

Bo stopped in front of Shirley and looked into her blue eyes. "You could've been killed."

"I've been locked in a vault by Molly, Bo," Shirley recalled. "I'm not easily scared."

"But Molly wanted to just expose and humiliate you," Bo said. "Mr. E wants you dead."

"Then I'll just have to make it harder for him," Shirley said firmly. "Come on. We'd better get to my place before my family gets worried." She walked past him and continued on her way home.

Bo sighed and followed her. "Why her?" he muttered as he kept his eyes on the young sleuth. "Why me?" he added, shaking his head.

"What did you say, Bo?" Shirley asked curiously.

"Nothing," Bo answered quickly. "I'm just wondering if we can beat this guy, that's all."

"We will," Shirley stated. "We will."

* * * * *

In Shirley's attic, Bo flipped off the TV. "Present time: If a father gave his eldest son $0.11, his second eldest $0.09, his third eldest $0.04, and his youngest $0.02, then what time was it?" he recited from what Inspector Hewitt read at the press gathering regarding the Goldman kidnapping and the happenings at Sussex.

"3:45," Shirley answered, now dressed in a brown beret, lavender T-shirt, and blue jeans.

Bo blinked. "What?"

"If you add all the money together, you get $0.25, or a quarter," Shirley explained. "Hence, the father gave a quarter to four, or 3:45."

Bo smiled. "Have I ever told you that you're very smart?"

Footsteps echoed from below. Dressed in casual clothes, Blake rushed up into the attic carrying a paper. "Good thing I watched you open that bookcase," he said.

Bo looked at Blake, then Shirley. "Maybe I should've gone home and changed."

"Why didn't you...?" Blake began to say something, but stopped himself. "Oh."

"Not one word," Bo said.

"That's it?" Shirley asked, pointing to the paper.

"Yep. That is what Dad faxed me after the press meeting," Blake said, handing the paper to Shirley. "I take it you heard the riddle?"

"And solved it," Bo said.

"ENIGMA's up to something today at 3:45," Shirley said, skimming the paper.

"Too bad we don't know what they're up to," Bo said. "Frankly, I don't know how an old article about some rich guy can tell us what ENIGMA's big crime is."

"They could be ransoming him for something," Blake hypothesized. "You know, if the ransom isn't paid by 3:45, they'll kill him."

"Too simple for ENIGMA." Shirley's eyes stopped at something in the article. "Of course!" she exclaimed. "Now everything makes sense!"

"Huh?" Bo wondered.

"What did you find?" Blake asked.

"'Fun guy.'" Shirley handed the article to her friends and pulled out her cell phone.

"'Fun guy'?" Blake asked, looking for the phrase.

"That's how the reporter describes Goldman at one point in the article," Shirley said, dialing Bart's comlink number.

"What does Goldman being a 'fun guy' have to do with ENIGMA's crime?" Bo asked as he looked over Blake's shoulder.

After the dial tone, Shirley heard Bart's voice on the other line. "Shirley? What's up?"

"I know what ENIGMA's after," Shirley informed the young scientist. "I take it C.D. can drive?"

"Yeah. Damian left his van here, so we can use that."

"Good. Get all the available Strangers and pick us up as soon as possible. Something extremely valuable's at stake."

"Right. Anything else?"

Shirley looked at Bo in his Sussex Academy uniform. "Can you stop by Bo's and get him some regular clothes? I doubt the school would appreciate it if we ruined his uniform."

END OF PART ELEVEN