Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow by Nathan Bransford Read Free Book Online

him,” Officer Bosendorfer said. “Oh my, it’s really him.”
    Mick Cracken was gaining on them, and no matter how snooty and royal Mick’s ship may have been, it certainly had some advanced acceleration and steering capabilities that were preventing Lucy from escaping. Mick’s ship drew closer and closer. Jacob knew he had to do something.
    â€œLucy!” Jacob yelled. “Slam on the brakes. Slam on the brakes!”
    Everyone was thrown forward in their seats as the spaceship abruptly stopped and Mick Cracken’s ship sailed past. It receded into the distance, completely thrown off course.
    â€œWow, that actually worked! I can’t believe it!” Jacob said.
    Jacob turned back to slap Dexter high five. He was extremely thankful that they had watched Top Gun a couple of months earlier. He hadn’t known at the time he was learning essential flying strategy.
    â€œTalk to me, Maverick,” Dexter said. “Bogey at twelve o’clock.”
    Jacob turned back in time to see Mick Cracken’s ship execute an impossibly smooth, impossibly fast 180-degree turn. It came to a stop and paused for a moment, as if basking in the impressiveness of its execution, and then wham , it accelerated straight toward them. Danger was heading their way yet again, and danger happened to be driving a spaceship with state-of-the-art engines.
    â€œJake!” Sarah shrieked.
    â€œGo! Go!” Jacob yelled. “Straight toward him. Try to sail right over.”
    Lucy accelerated and headed right toward Mick Cracken, who was just under ten seconds away in a collision course. Jacob knew it was their last chance to escape, assuming they were not all blown to smithereens in a head-on crash. Dexter covered his eyes. Sarah grabbed the edge of their seat. Officer Erard gripped the banister. Officer Bosendorfer shuddered. Mick’s ship grew larger and larger in the cockpit window.
    At the last possible moment Lucy tipped up and sailed right over Mick Cracken. Jacob looked back and sure enough, Mick Cracken’s ship was headed the wrong way.
    â€œWe did it! We did it!” Jacob said. “Full speed ahead!”
    Everyone lurched forward as Lucy instead came to an abrupt stop.
    Dexter looked up at the window, which was now covered in thick mesh. “Is that rope?”
    Jacob looked back and saw that Cracken had caught them in a massive net. “Oh no! Can we get out of this?”
    Everything was still for a long, tense moment. Then they felt another lurch, and they slowly began moving in the direction of Mick Cracken’s ship.
    â€œWe’re being reeled in!” Sarah shouted.
    Officer Bosendorfer solemnly patted Dexter and Sarah on their backs. “It was nice knowing you children.”

CHAPTER 11
    D exter Goldstein stared up at the web of black cable that encircled the cockpit. Lucy had been pulled adjacent to Mick Cracken’s ship, and they were all anxiously waiting to see what horrible fate he would bestow upon them. The cable looked rough and industrial and not at all futuristic, but had proven quite effective in keeping them from escaping.
    â€œDon’t you guys have tractor beams?” Dexter asked Officer Erard.
    â€œTractor who?”
    Jacob returned from the storage room carrying an armful of blasters, launchers, and what appeared to be body armor. He tossed a blaster to Dexter, who looked at it for a moment before he set it down gently on the floor.
    â€œNuh-uh,” Dexter said. “No way.”
    â€œJake,” Sarah said, “don’t you think we should explore some nonviolent alternatives?”
    â€œLike what?” Jake asked. “Who knows what this Mick Cracken person is going to do? I’m not going to let us get kidnapped or stolen or tortured. Not without a fight anyway.”
    â€œHe’ll definitely steal us.” Officer Bosendorfer nodded. “I would try to arrest him, but he would probably steal my