Extreme! by J A Mawter Read Free Book Online

shops shuffle stuff between stores.’
    Darcy shot an inquiring look at Bryce which Bryce shot back, daring him to make further comment.
    ‘It’s worth a try,’ said Mio.
    ‘I agree,’ said Darcy. He turned to Bryce and Tong, saying, ‘This afternoon after school weshould check out the pawn shops, and someone should do a search on eBay.’
    ‘What if we find them? Are we meant to buy them back?’ asked Clem.
    ‘What?’ Bryce chafed inside his shirt. ‘Then we’d be up for receiving stolen goods.’
    ‘But they’re not stolen. They’re ours!’
    ‘Not ours. Mr Lark’s. He’d have to deal with the pawn shop owners or eBay guys through the police.’
    ‘And what do we do when the police ask why we didn’t report them stolen?’
    Mio felt winded. No matter which way she went she couldn’t win. Somehow this secret was going to get out. And soon.

Chapter Eight
    That afternoon before their History teacher arrived Mio told the class about the stolen dog tags and asked if anyone knew anything about them. Heads shook all round. Mio searched face after face, trying to gauge if they were telling the truth or not. She particularly noted Leks, who’d asked to hold the dog tags and had thrown a wobbly when he couldn’t. But Leks was staring at her, his eyes wide open, his face devoid of embarrassment.
    Mio tried one more time. ‘If anyone knows anything, please, please tell me. You see, for the man who owns the dog tags these are his life. They’re who he is. His wife died and he doesn’t see his son. These tags mean everything to him. He doesn’t look at them and see silver chains anddiscs, he sees his whole squadron, his mates—Donald and Graham and Peter and Bill—who didn’t make it home…’ Mio’s voice broke. She wondered if the importance was lost on this group of kids who’d never known bombs or bullets or hunger. Not that she had, either, but she’d listened to Mr Lark often enough to realise that these tags were not some kind of costume jewellery.
    ‘…anyway,’ Mio concluded, ‘if you hear anything or see anything I’d appreciate it if you’d let me know.’ She began to pass around pieces of paper adding, ‘Here’s my phone number and email address. Message me any time.’
    Clem and Darcy gave her a reassuring smile as she went past. ‘We’ll find them,’ whispered Clem. ‘You’ll see.’
    Mio bit her bottom lip and crept back to her seat.
    That afternoon after school the kids went to Mio’s apartment to use the internet to find out where all the local pawn shops were and to do a quick search on eBay. It was the ideal place to come—neither of Mio’s parents would be home till late and there would be no interfering brothers or sisters to deal with. It was at times like this that Mio gave thanks for being an only child.
    The kids huddled around the computer, eating Pocky, milk chocolate dipped wheat sticksMio’s grandmother had sent in a food parcel from Japan.
    ‘These are so yummy,’ said Bryce happily munching stick after stick. ‘They remind me of pretzel sparklers I once made—pretzels dipped in melted white chocolate then rolled in sprinkles. They were my favourite. But these are my new best favourites.’ He took another nibble of his Pocky stick and rolled it round his mouth. ‘I think I could become a Pockyholic, you know.’
    ‘You and half of Japan,’ said Mio. ‘In this country we’d have a health warning on the box— This product can make you a chocoholic —but back home there’s Pocky addicts everywhere,’ she explained. ‘My favourite’s grape but it’s hard to find, so Grandmother knows I’ll settle for milk chocolate.’
    ‘I think I’d like Japan,’ said Bryce, taking another handful from the box. Then his eyes were drawn to a sword mounted on a wall. It was approximately thirty centimetres in length, with a long thin blade that ended in a point fine enough to pass through the eye of a needle.
    ‘That looks lethal,’ he said, pointing to