UNDERCOVER - Dark Fire Data (Book 3)

Part 3 - Collision

Miguel had barely yanked the door shut before Dr Zhang floored the gas pedal and backed up ramming one of the vans out of the way and spinning his big wagon around like a professional stunt driver. He did this with one hand while adjusting the volume of the radio.

'SEAT BELTS ON!' Licia barked. 

 'Oscar Kilo, Lieutenant,' Miguel replied as we dutifully found the buckles and snapped ourselves in.

Licia twisted around in the front seat and glared at him. 'Why don't you just say, "okay" like everyone else. And, stop calling me lootenant! . . In Canada we pronounce it leftenant.'

We roared off making a noise like a space shuttle lift-off and trailing a mushroom cloud of toxic greenhouse gases. Dr Zhang narrowly missed a slow moving minivan and shot down Bank Street at warp speed. 

 'IS THIS THING SAFE?' Licia had to scream to make herself heard.

'Sure,' Dr Zhang yelled cheerfully. 'It passed the Ontario Vehicle Emissions Inspection last year. Only 142 parts per million nitrogen oxide.'

'I said, is it safe,' Licia insisted but Dr Zhang didn't hear. 

 'HEY,' Miguel bellowed, 'ONE OF THOSE Bell Bunglers VANS IS CHASING US. THEY MUST HAVE GOT AWAY FROM BERYL.'

Dr Zhang stomped on the gas pedal and whipped the wheel over. The station wagon skidding sideways around the corner onto a one way street. The van driver tried to follow but lost control in the snow and slid into a row of newspaper boxes.

'I THINK WE LOST 'EM,' Miguel shouted gleefully. 'Hey, Licia turn up the radio. That's Chicago, my favourite big band,. We played 25 or 6 to 4 last year in the school band.'

Licia yanked the knob to full volume and joined Miguel in the chorus of brass instruments. 'Ya-du-du-du-duh. Ya-du-du-du-duh.' Mixed with the racket from the leaky muffler, we sounded like the ride of the Valkyries. We shot through a traffic light as it changed to yellow. 

 'A YELLOW LIGHT MEANS, GO AS FAST AS YOU CAN,' Licia explained over her shoulder.

Dr Zhang turned the radio down and shouted, 'MIGUEL, DID WE LOSE HIM?' 'I CAN'T SEE THROUGH THE BACK WINDOW,' Miguel shouted above the noise of the muffler. 

 'IT'S COVERED WITH ROAD SALT,' I added as I cranked down the window and leaned out for a better view.

'LICIA WOULD YOU ADJUST THE WING MIRROR UP A BIT,' Dr Zhang asked. 'THERE'S A FLASHING LIGHT BEHIND US. CAN YOU SEE IF IT IS AN AMBULANCE OR A FIRE TRUCK? . . . LICIA, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MIRROR?' 

 'IT FELL OFF,' she shouted. 'AND, IT WASN'T MY FAULT.' 

 'THE BUNGLER'S VAN IS STILL AFTER US!' I yelled.

Licia laughed. 'Bunglers? I thought they were Blunderers.'

'Uh-oh!' Dr Zhang said as he hit the brakes hard. Something blue and white flashed across in front of us and there was a shriek of rubber on asphalt and an ominous crunch as we hit the side of the other car. I could just make out the word ICE on the door followed by 9-1-1 outlined in blue. I looked back out the window. 'ABOUT THE FLASHING LIGHT BEHIND US. IT'S A POLICE CRUISER! '

'Don't say anything!' Dr Zhang sounded slightly hysterical as he switched off the engine and wound down his window. 

 A police sergeant got out of the cruiser behind us and asked if we were all okay. Then he spoke to the driver of the dented police cruiser in front of us before returning to Dr Zhang. 

 'Ah-um, I didn't see any warning lights,' Dr Zhang apologized. The sergeant nodded. 'I'm sorry about my colleague's inexperience. She was on a 911 call and proceeded through a red light without following the correct procedure.' He inspected Dr Zhang's driving licence and filled out a form on his clip board. 'Mr Zhang, this is the accident report. Just talk to your insurance agent and get the damage repaired. However, I would strongly recommend you get that muffler fixed before you get a ticket.' 

 'I was on my way to get a new one,' Dr Zhang said as he signed the form and tucked his copy into his pocket. 

 The sergeant had heard that excuse before, he smiled. 'I would also suggest a car wash.' 

 'Oh, the road salt!' Dr Zhang joked. 'Ah-um, that's all that's holding the bodywork together. Heh, heh.' 

 The sergeant was in a forgiving mood, he smiled. 'Well at least, clean the windows so you can see the police cars sneaking up behind you.' 

 'There's no sign of the Bell Bunglers,' I pointed out as Dr Zhang drove slowly away, making as little noise as possible. 'I guess they gave up.'

Licia answered her cell phone. 'It's Beryl. She reports that the Bunglers have escaped . . . She's okay.' 

 Dr Zhang was worried Beryl might talk to the police. I reassured him. Because of her illegal weapon, Beryl would not be anxious to talk to the police.

He was paranoid that someone would find out about his research work before he had applied for patents. Licia, Miguel and I had all signed non disclosure agreements promising not to reveal what he was doing at Silverwood School. The next problem was Denny Vernier, Dr Zhang's engineer and business partner. Zhang stopped the car and, after several attempts got through to him on his cell phone. 'Denny's going to meet us at my office,' Dr Zhang told us after he disconnected. 'And . . . he didn't send the text message.'