MY BEST FRIEND IS A SECRET AGENT, Book 2: How C.H.I.P. Took a Dive to Dash...

Chapter 13: "The Test Drive"

Across town, totally unaware of the forces gathering to unmask "the hero guy," I snuck out with Chip to test drive the brand new C.H.I.P.-mobile.

I turned Chip into C.H.I.P. the tank commander for the drive since I don't know how to drive, and neither does Chip. Chip drove a tractor once on his grandfather's farm, but he crashed it into a cow. Luckily, the cow was okay, but the tractor was ruined.

But C.H.I.P. the tank commander was perfect driving the C.H.I.P.-mobile because it was kind of like a souped-up, super-high-tech tank. And it had a twelve-speaker, 300 terawatt sound system! (I wanted a sixteen-speaker, 500 terawatt sound system, but I ran out of room. And terawatts.)

We drove to the huge parking lot of this abandoned factory because I wanted to be able to test everything without anybody watching.

First up: The Sticky Net Launcher. C.H.I.P. aimed the launcher's scope at an old couch and fired. The sticky net stuck to the couch like glue!

Next: The Rope-erang. It was like a boomerang, but it was attached to a rope. I designed it to shoot out and tie up the wacky bad guy it was aimed at and pull him (or her!) back to the C.H.I.P.-mobile. C.H.I.P. aimed at an old garbage can and fired it off. The Rope-erang pulled the garbage can right to us in seconds!

I was feeling pretty good now. I wanted us to try out every cool thing on the C.H.I.P.-mobile, but we were running out of time. I mean, if my mom knew I wasn't in my room sleeping, she'd freak. And if Dad knew, he'd send out his commando team! They'd destroy half the city just trying to look for me.

I decided to test just one more thing, the Gummy Gripper Tires. C.H.I.P. the ninja had used my patented Gummy Grippers to climb up buildings, but with Gummy Gripper Tires, the C.H.I.P.-mobile itself could climb up buildings!

Or so I hoped.

I told C.H.I.P. to drive up to the wall of the factory. He flipped a switch, and a bunch of Gummy Grippers popped out of the tires. He put the C.H.I.P.-mobile in gear . . . and it started climbing up the wall! The Gummy Gripper Tires were working!

Unfortunately, I'd forgotten to fasten my seat belt. "AAAAAHHH!"

I fell right out of the C.H.I.P-mobile! We were three stories up, and I was careening for a pile of bricks below. But then—SWOOSH!—the Rope-erang swooped down and snatched me in mid-air just in time!

PHEW!

C.H.I.P. the tank commander pulled me back into my seat and gave me a cocky smile. "Looks like someone forgot to buckle up."