Zoobreak by Gordon Korman Read Free Book Online

“Griffin, I’ve got a bad feeling about this. We sent a reject from an orange juice commercial to take on the Incredible Hulk.”
    “He’ll be fine,” Griffin said, unconcerned. “He’s acting.”
    At that moment, a smiling Logan stepped off the gangway with none other than Klaus by his side. They shared a hearty handshake that crushed Logan’s bones from knuckles to fingertips. Then, as the security man disappeared back into
All Aboard Animals
, Logan rejoined his zoobreak teammates.
    Pitch stared at him. “What happened? Why are you all wet?”
    “It was an improvisation.”
    “A
what
?” Ben blurted.
    Logan explained how he’d taken a dive off the paddleboat in order to prevent Klaus from discovering Griffin and Ben.
    Griffin was impressed. “That was some quick thinking, man. You might have saved the entire operation. And at the same time, you were able to get close to Klaus and learn his habits.”
    Logan nodded proudly. “He’s a very light sleeper who hears every little peep coming from the animals.”
    “So how do we keep him from stopping us when we’re on the boat, rescuing Cleopatra?” Ben asked.
    Logan looked completely blank. “How should I know? I’m just an actor.”
    Griffin blew his stack. “That was the whole point of the acting job in the first place! You weren’t auditioning for a starring role on Broadway; you were trying to find a way around Klaus!”
    “That’s going to be hard,” Logan offered.
    “Great,” Griffin groaned. “We’re back to the drawing board. How could it be worse?”
    “I know how,” Pitch put in mournfully. In a somber voice she reported her difficulties getting over the perimeter fence around the preserve.
    “But scaling the fence is the key to everything!” Griffin smacked his forehead. “If we can’t get onto the preserve, the whole plan is shot.”
    Pitch looked as distressed as he sounded. “Sorry, Griffin. I’m not even sure I could make it myself. The rest of you — forget it. And remember, we’d have to climb it
twice
— once on the way in and again when we’re smuggling the monkey out.”
    Ben put a hand on Griffin’s shoulder. “It’snot like the plan was totally perfect except for this. We didn’t even have a way to get to the preserve on zoobreak night.”
    Griffin was unconsoled. “We would have figured something out. Worst comes to worst, we could have taken the bus. But now …” His voice trailed off.
    “We should go,” Pitch announced. From the parking lot, Mr. Benson was waving and beckoning.
    Her father seemed surprised by the procession of long faces as he loaded the Land Cruiser. “I guess the zoo was kind of a disappointment the second time around.” He frowned at the soggy Logan. “What happened to you?”
    “They were hosing down a squirrel, and he got caught in the crossfire,” Pitch told him.
    The back of the SUV was a very quiet place as Mr. Benson drove up the winding road that led to the gate of the preserve.
    “So I guess the plan’s off, right?” Ben whispered, hoping Griffin wouldn’t detect the relief in his voice.
    “The plan’s
never
off,” Griffin hissed back stubbornly. “There’s always another way — a possibility we haven’t thought of yet.”
    “You can’t pull a zoobreak if you can’t get to the zoo,” Ben reasoned. “The only way to reach
All Aboard Animals
is from the preserve.”
    Suddenly, the road veered to the right, and the complete picture was laid out before them — the dock, the paddleboat, and the sparkling blue of Long Island Sound.
    Griffin squeezed Ben’s forearm hard enough to splinter bone. “You’re wrong. There’s another approach to that ship. By water.”
    “You’re nuts!” Logan exclaimed in a low voice. “What are we supposed to do — swim here?”
    “We’ll come by boat,” Griffin replied readily.
    Even shy Melissa was galvanized, her beady eyes wide. “Where are we going to get a boat?”
    Ben understood all too well. “Oh, no, you