Against All Odds by Natale Ghent Read Free Book Online

that?”
    Biddle’s nose twitched. “Only the most revolutionary craft known to man, pie boy.”
    “Ha!” Itchy laughed, turning to gauge Squeak’s reaction.
    But Squeak was too busy staring through his telescope, hoping to get a closer look at the spy’s entry. “Itlooks like some kind of stainless steel body,” he said. “Single tail thruster with dual jet engines. There’s no way his plane will be faster than the
StarSweeper.
It looks far too heavy to outclass us.”
    Boney pulled on his chin. “Forget about it for now, Squeak. The race is going to start any second.”
    Squeak closed his telescope and stuffed it back into his bag. He held the black metal control box with both hands, a thin bead of sweat forming on his upper lip.
    “Contestants,” the announcer called. “Start your engines!”
    Dust filled the air as the planes jumped to life, some backfiring, some whining, some sputtering slowly then spinning to a high-pitched buzz. Larry Harry’s balsa wood plane exploded instantly in a cloud of black smoke, its propeller flying off and landing in the gravel behind the announcer. Itchy and Boney laughed and pointed until Larry Harry and Jones and Jones stomped off in a rage, dragging the remains of their entry away on their wagon.
    Squeak tested the rudder and flaps on the
Star-Sweeper,
spooling up the engines in preparation for takeoff. Wormer revved his engine in challenge. Biddle increased the velocity of his wooden sphere, the concentric circles whirling faster and faster around each other until the entire craft was just a blur. Squeak inched thethrottle forward, until the
StarSweeper
‘s jets began to scream. The three boys glowered at each other, fingers poised for battle.
    The announcer raised his red kerchief against the yellow glare of the sun. He held it there for what seemed like an eternity, and then dropped his arm like a guillotine.
    “Go!”
    Squeak released the brakes. The
StarSweeper
streaked off in a shower of gravel, Wormer’s Mustang buzzing just inches behind. The margarine-tub rocket arced in the air and sizzled over the edge of the cliff, crashing and melting like processed cheese on the rocks below. Biddle’s sphere rolled off its tee, whipped around in the dirt, then zipped over the edge and shattered, landing in a heap of kindling next to the melted rocket at the bottom of the cliff. The Fokker F28 and Brewster Buffalo droned behind the Mustang, hot on the
StarSweep-er
‘s tail. Squeak pressed the little yellow button and the
StarSweeper
blasted forward, leaving the other planes behind like insects in the clouds.
    Itchy and Boney cheered, their fists pumping “Go, Squeak, go!”
    “Ha ha!” Itchy gloated. “The prize money is ours!” Squeak looked over his shoulder with glee and noticed that the spy’s plane hadn’t even left the ground.The spy nodded his helmet in Squeak’s direction as he held his control box to one side and pushed the ignition button. There was a flash of blue light and a strange, low whir, like the sound of a powerful turbine spinning into action. The ground began to tremble and all heads turned to see blue flames shooting from the back of the spy’s plane. The spy pressed another button and the jet ripped off the cliff with an earth-shattering boom, the shock wave knocking several bystanders to the ground with its force. The crowd gasped in unison. The spy worked the controls, sending the jet straight into the sky in a big loop before zipping past Squeak’s plane, only to slow down and cruise easily behind the
StarSweeper.
The crowd roared.
    Squeak gritted his teeth as he pressed the red button on his control box. The
StarSweeper
surged forward, its wings vibrating against the force of the air current. He turned to look at the spy, who was looking back at him, the sun glinting off his visor. The spy raised his finger and wagged it at Squeak before pressing another switch. The afterburners blazed, and his plane roared to within inches of