The Giant Smugglers by Matt Solomon Read Free Book Online

in closer. Adele was right: The site was crazy. There was insider information on everything from acceleration mods to tire saturation. She paged through to a thread on cornering, his Achilles’ heel in the race he lost to Fitz.
    Sure enough, there was a technique called “heel-toe braking,” a way to brake though a corner while still revving the engine. To pull it off, you controlled both the accelerator and brake with your right foot and the clutch with your left. With toes on the gas and heel on the brake, you could come out of the turn like a bullet. An online video showed just how effective the move could be.
    â€œSweet—I’ll try it tonight,” said Charlie.
    â€œWish I could see how it works. I got a bunch of new tricks I wanted to try myself, stuff even you haven’t thought of.”
    â€œWhy can’t you?”
    Her voice sagged. “I’m taking Doug and Dennis to the fair.”
    â€œOh man.” Charlie knew all about Doug and Dennis Perry, nine-year-old twins who lived about three blocks over from his apartment. A month earlier, the two of them had holed up in their tree fort with a water-balloon launcher and conducted a fierce assault on Seminary Street traffic. It took two squad cars to get them to stop and come down.
    â€œI swore I wouldn’t sit for them again,” sighed Adele. “Then their parents offered to pay me double because everybody’s so afraid of what the monsters will do.”
    Charlie winced. The Perry twins had twice the mischief-making power of his brother, Tim, and he’d destroyed sitters when he was their age.
    The second bell rang, signaling the start of class.
    â€œYou going to the fair?” Adele whispered.
    â€œYep. My brother works out there,” Charlie griped. “I have to go.”
    â€œMaybe I’ll see you?”
    Charlie tried to untie his uncooperative tongue. “S-s-sure,” he stammered, sounding like the giant trying out an unfamiliar phrase. The teacher began talking, giving him an excuse to turn around.
    The rest of the morning crawled by as he waited for a chance to test the range of the walkie-talkies. Finally, lunch arrived. Charlie took his backpack into the cafeteria, slammed his crummy sandwich, and split for outside.
    The usual game of touch football was under way on the grassy field behind the school. All-time quarterback Mr. Spees, the math teacher, shouted the snap count “Go nuts” to send eager receivers out for passes. Charlie played it cool as he slid by. His plan was to hide out behind the equipment shed. If somebody saw him talking on an overgrown walkie-talkie, the ridicule would be endless.
    He made it to the secret spot in no time, then peered around the shed to make sure no one had followed. He unzipped his backpack, pulled the antenna up on the walkie, and turned it on.
    â€œCheck one, check one. You there?”
    â€œCharlie?” The giant’s voice crackled through almost immediately.
    Charlie hit the Talk button. “Yep, man, it’s me. This works awesome!”
    â€œSmell!”
    So much for formalities , Charlie thought. “Something smells?”
    â€œBad.”
    Charlie remembered the smelly box in a corner of the warehouse, but he didn’t think that was what the giant meant. “Is the smell coming from outside?”
    â€œYep.”
    Charlie chuckled. “I know, right? That’s Donovan Dairies.” The dairies emptied some kind of steam into the air every day and it stank like crazy. Since they moved close by, Charlie smelled it all the time. It was even worse in the summer, when it got hot. “Has something to do with making cheese. You know what cheese is?”
    â€œNope.”
    â€œYou’re in Wisconsin, dude. I’ll have to get you some.” He looked around the corner and saw a group of kids chasing a kickball in the shed’s direction. “I gotta go. Somebody’s coming.”
    The giant