William Johnston - The Spy Who Went Out to the Cold

Von BOOM leaned forward, squinting. “As a scientist, I’d say that’s a phenomenon,” he said.

“It’s the wrong color for a phenomenon,” Max said. “I know a little bit about birds myself. And that is nothing more than a fat black seagull.”

“It’s getting closer,” 99 said. “It looks as if it’s flying straight toward the ship.”

“Those are not wings,” von BOOM said. “That’s a propeller.”

Max hooted. “Your memory is worse than I thought, Professor,” he said. “If you can remember ever seeing a seagull with a propeller-”

“It’s a phenomenon!” von BOOM insisted.

“Seagull!”

“Phenomenon!”

“Seagull!”

“Phenomenon!”

“Helicopter!”

Max and von BOOM turned to 99. “Helicopter?” they said in unison.

“Just look!” she replied.

The helicopter was settling down to the deck only a few yards away. Two men were peering out from the glass, bubble-type cockpit.

“Or. . it could be a passenger pigeon,” Max. said limply.

The helicopter touched down. The hatch opened, and, leaving the engine running, the two men jumped down and approached Max, 99 and von BOOM.

“This looks like them,” the first man said.

The second man got a slip of paper from his pocket and studied it, then looked closely at Max, 99 and von BOOM. “Could be,” he said. “Let’s just check it out-one Agent 86, one Agent 99, and one old guy who looks like he needs a keeper. Check?”

“Check,” the first man replied.

The second man put the piece of paper away, then drew a pistol. “Agent 86 and Agent 99, you stay,” he said. “Von BOOM, you come with us.”

“KAOS!” 99 cried.

“Or. . very large baby seagulls,” Max suggested.

“With a gun, Max?”

“99, tell me, exactly what proof do you have that there are no juvenile delinquents in the seagull family?”

“Cut the chatter!” the second man commanded. He yanked von BOOM to his feet. “Let’s cut out, Pops!” he snarled.

The two men backed toward the waiting helicopter, taking von BOOM with them, holding the gun on Max and 99.

“Max! Aren’t you going to do something?” 99 urged.

“Right now, there’s nothing I can do,” Max replied. “But I certainly know what I’m going to do when we get back to land.”

“What, Max?”

“Read up on seagulls.”

The kidnappers and their prize reached the helicopter. They hustled von BOOM aboard, then closed the hatch. At that instant, Max leaped up and raced forward. As the helicopter rose from the deck, he lunged forward and got a hold on the landing gear. The helicopter soared upward-with Max dangling below.

“Max! You’ll be killed!” 99 screamed.

Max shouted back. But his answer was lost. The helicopter had already become a speck in the sky.

Summoning every ounce of his strength, Max clambered torturously up the landing gear. In time, he reached the hatch and rapped on it.

One of the KAOS agents opened it. “Yeah?” he said nastily.

“Avon calling,” Max gasped.

“Hold it,” the KAOS agent said. He turned to his companion, the KAOS agent at the controls. “Let me see that piece of paper with the description on it,” he said. “There’s an Avon lady at the hatch that I got a suspicion I seen before.”

For the KAOS agents, the delay was costly. While the first man was checking the description on the piece of paper, Max pulled himself up into the cockpit.

“How am I described?” Max asked, looking over the first man’s shoulder.

Curiosity was a mistake. For Max, the delay was costly. The KAOS agent, recognizing Max, pulled his gun and got the drop on him.

“Okay, you can go out the same way you came in,” the KAOS agent ordered.

Max looked back. It was at least a thousand-foot drop to the ocean.

Max addressed the KAOS agent who was acting as pilot. “Could you lower this thing a little?” he said. “That first step looks a teensy-weensy bit high.”

“It’s an optical illusion,” the pilot replied. “But, if you’re afraid of the fall, I’ll give you a little tip. Hold your arms out like-”

Von BOOM had risen from his seat. And, as the KAOS agents and Max watched, intrigued, he stepped through the open hatchway and plummeted downward.

“What’s he? A nut?” the first man asked.

“No,” Max replied, peering out at the falling professor, “I think he just had a sudden urge for a seafood dinner.”

“Catch him!” the KAOS agent who was holding the gun barked at the KAOS agent who was at the controls.

Instantly, the helicopter swooped into a dive, and a moment later it caught up with von BOOM. As the Professor descended, the helicopter flew next to him, falling at exactly the same rate of speed.

“Get back in here!” the first man shouted crossly at von BOOM.

The Professor tried to step back into the helicopter, but he made no progress.

“I don’t think he’s really trying,” the first man grumbled. “I guess we’ll have to go out there and get him and drag him back.”

“Yes, you go right ahead,” Max said. “I’ll wait here.”

“When I said ‘we,’ I meant ‘you,’ ” the first man advised. “He’s your responsibility, isn’t he? So, you go get him.”

The KAOS agent at the controls spoke up. “If we send him out there, we’ll lose them both,” he said. “It wouldn’t look too good on our records.”

“Sidney,” the first man replied, “is that all you ever think about is your record? What do you want? You want me to go out there? You know I could get killed? Is it worth it, Sidney? A life-a human life-just so you can look good on the records? Sidney, we’ve been working together for almost ten years-a team-but sometimes I think I don’t know you at all. On the outside, you’re such a nice guy. You’re a family man. You got sufficient insurance to cover your wife’s and kids’ needs in case of an unforeseen and unfortunate accident. On top of that, you got a savings account, in which you save for a rainy day. You like animals. Many a tree you’ve climbed to rescue a pussy cat, Sidney. And who is kinder to his mother, Sidney, than you? But, inside. . I don’t know, Sidney. There are times, when I get a glimpse into your real heart of hearts, Sidney, and I wonder. What’s the answer? What are you? Who are you?”

“I’m Rodney,” the second man replied. “Sidney didn’t come with you this time. He’s on vacation.”

“That explains it,” the first man said. “Sidney would never-never in his life-ask me to step out that hatchway and risk my life.”

“I wouldn’t either,” the second man replied. “What I had in mind was for you to push that Control agent out the hatchway and hold onto him by the feet. He can grab hold of the other guy and pull him back in, and that way we won’t lose nobody. It’ll look better on the record.”

The first man beamed. “Glad to have you aboard,” he said to the second man. “That dumbhead Sidney would’ve never thought of that. He’d’ve sent me out the hatchway to my certain death.” He then turned to Max and gave him a shove.

Max tumbled backwards out the hatchway-then suddenly halted and dangled again, as the KAOS agent caught him by the ankles.

“Okay, now do like Rodney said,” the KAOS agent shouted to Max.

Max began swinging, back and forth, back and forth, gaining momentum. Finally, he was able to reach von BOOM. He got hold of him by the wrists and hung on.

“Pull us up-like Rodney said!” Max shouted.

The first man tugged. But Max and von BOOM together were too heavy for him.

“You and your big fat ideas,” the first man said disgustedly to the second man. “I can’t pull them up. And I can’t hold onto them much longer, either. Boy-if Sidney were only here!”