The group worked at a feverish pace. They were hoping they hadn't already run out of time. Something was telling them this was the moment of truth.
"I've got it!" Valerie shouted. "It says you can tuna piano, and you can tuna fish."
"Are we going to a music store?" Melody asked. "They could probably tune a piano. But everyone knows you can't tune a fish!"
"No, Melody," Valerie said. "It's spelled T-U-N-A. Like tuna fish. And with two-two-six, eight-eight-six-two underlined twice, the emphasis is in can tuna."
"Can tuna," Alan said.
"Can tuna what?" Melody asked. "Tune a piano?"
"No," Alan said. "I think I've got it. Canned tuna. I'll bet the Mastermind is talking about a cannery!"
"Right," Valerie said. "And I know of an old factory near here that used to can tuna fish! Come on, everybody!"
The gang raced out of the wharf and headed to the cannery Valerie was thinking of. When they arrived, they saw the car the Mastermind had drove off in the day before. Alan tried to open the front doors, but they were locked.
"There's got to be a way to get inside," he said.
"How do we know we have the right place?" Alexandra asked. "It could be a trick!"
"Alexandra's right," Valerie said. "We have to make sure we're not walking into a trap."
"Look up there," Josie said, pointing. "There's some windows. If I climb up on your shoulders, Alan, maybe I'll be able to see inside."
"Great idea, Josie," Alan said.
"I'll get up on Alan's shoulders," Alexandra said, shoving Josie aside. There wasn't any time to argue, so the others just went along with it. Unfortunately, Alexandra couldn't reach the window.
"We have to think of a way to get higher," Alan said.
"I know," Valerie said, and she started to climb up Alan, in order to get on Alexandra's shoulders. "Come on, Melody! You're next. And Josie, you come up after Melody. I think that ought to do it."
"Good thinking, Val!" Josie shouted as Melody climbed up.
With all five of them acting as a human ladder, Josie was able to see inside the window.
"Do you see anything, Josie?" Alan asked.
"No sign of Alex or the Mastermind," Josie said, looking around. "All I see is a conveyor belt . . . . and a tin can on it. . . . and it's underneath this giant hammer thing . . . maybe to cram the tuna into the cans, I don't know. Hold it! A door's opening inside!"
Josie watched, while the others tried to maintain their balance. After several seconds, Josie let out a gasp.
"It's him!" she shouted. "It's the Mastermind! He's got Alex tied up and he's carrying him to the conveyor belt!"
"Nobody make a sound!" Alan warned. "He might hear us!"
Luckily for them, the Mastermind was too preoccupied inside to notice what was going on outside. He laid Alex onto the conveyor belt, and fastened a leather strap over his arms, and another one over his legs, and tightened them as hard as he could. Alex struggled, but he couldn't break loose. Between the ropes and the leather straps, he was secured too tightly.
"Now then," he said. "You were wondering earlier what I was going to do with you. It's time for you to find out."
The Mastermind walked over to a big control panel and pulled a lever. The big hammer-like instrument was activated and it smashed down on the tin can with a loud CRASH!, flattening it like a pancake. The Mastermind pulled the lever again, and it stopped. He picked up the can, and held it up for Alex to see. Alex gulped.
"All is going according to plan," the Mastermind said, walking back to the controls. He pulled the lever to activate the crusher, and then pulled another one to activate the conveyor belt. Alex let out a scream, but it wouldn't do him any good, since he still had that piece of duct tape covering his mouth.
"Oh no!" Josie moaned.
"What's the matter, Josie?" Alan asked.
"The Mastermind's tied Alex to the conveyor belt!" Josie shouted. "That hammer thing is a can crusher!"
"Oh golly," Melody said, sounding nervous. "He'll be smashed into chicken casserole!"
"Oh no he won't!" Alexandra shouted. "We've got to get in there!"
"Alexandra, hold still!" Valerie shouted.
"Look out below!" Josie shouted, as she lost her balance completely. Unfortunately, the others did too, and crashed into a pile of empty tuna fish cans that were stacked up outside. The Mastermind heard the racket, and looked towards the window.
"Sounds like we have company," he said. "I'd better go prepare a reception committee for them."
The Mastermind laughed under his breath, and ran off, leaving Alex slowly moving his way towards his doom.
"Now's our chance!" Alan said. "We'd better find a way in fast!"
Sebastian began meowing his head off, indicating something around the back of the factory. The others followed, and found an open door and ran through it. They ran down a flight of stairs until they got to to the conveyor belt. Alex heard them coming. He glanced up at his friends. He began shaking his head vigorously, yelling something, but the others couldn't make out what it was. Valerie ran over to the controls and pulled the levers to stop the conveyor belt and the crusher. The others ran over to Alex. Alan and Alexandra unfastened the straps holding him to the belt, and Josie and Melody pulled him into a sitting position.
"Hang on, Alex," Josie said, as she started to pull the tape off his mouth slowly. "We'll get you out of this in a minute." Alex continued yelling.
"You know, I think he's trying to tell us something," Melody said.
"Once I get this tape off, then he'll tell us," Josie said, still trying to pull off the tape as slowly as possible.
"Oh Josie, you're such a slowpoke!" Alexandra shouted, pushing Josie aside. "You know what a hurry we're in! Let me do it!"
"Wait, Alexandra!" Josie shouted.
But Alexandra wouldn't listen. She grabbed the tape and ripped it off with one good yank.
"YEEOUCH!" Alex screamed.
"That's why I was trying to take it off slowly," Josie said, glaring at Alexandra. Alex shook his head out to regain his composure, and then looked at his friends.
"You guys gotta get out of here!" he shouted. "It's a trap!"
"A trap?" Alan repeated.
Before anything else could happen, a giant fishing net dropped on Josie and the others.
"Hey!" Melody yelled.
"What's going on?!" Valerie shouted.
"Let us out!" Josie yelled.
A few moments later, none other than the Mastermind walked down a flight of steps, laughing sinisterly.
"I knew you'd find this place sooner or later," he said, walking over to the conveyor belt. He pushed Alex back into a laying position and fastened the straps over him once more.
"Now that I have all of you meddlers here," he said. "I will have my revenge! One at a time, I will send you all on a short trip on this conveyor belt. I'm sure you'll all find it quite smashing."
"Very funny," Alexandra said, sarcastically. "You'll never get away with this, you creep!"
"I already have," the Mastermind said. "You are all my prisoners, and there is no one to help you, now."
The Mastermind laughed, and started up the conveyor belt again. Alex writhed around, trying to pull himself free, but it was no use. And the others were in no position to help him, either.