“Excuse me,” Brand said in perfect Russian. “But could you tell me the time?”
Lars frowned and looked down at his watch. “Half past two.”
“Then I’m right on time,” Brand said as his fist caught the goon in the jaw. Lars fell over in the snow and lay very still. Brand bent down and took the car keys and the man’s wallet, then hobbled over to the black sedan. He finished pumping the gas and got into the driver’s seat next to the girl.
“Who are you?”
Brand smiled. “That’s not important. What’s important is that you know who you are. Your name is Viktoriya Deprankova, though there will be a time when people will know you by another name. That man out there—the one you’re going to marry—he’s going to steer you in a very ugly direction. I’m here to steer you the other way.”
“Did my father send you?”
“No, I came because I care about you. A lot of people care about you.”
“Are you crazy? I don’t even know you.”
Brand handed her the keys and got out of the car. “You will.”
“Why are you helping me?”
“’Cause you’re my holiday.” He pointed west. “Drive down that road.”
“Where will it take me?”
“Hopefully, America,” he said.
Brand could tell the girl wasn’t sure what to do, but after a moment she slid behind the wheel, rolled up the window, and drove off, leaving Lars behind.
Brand picked up his oboe and slipped it into his jacket. Then he went around the side of the gas station to a multicolored ball pit. He hopped inside and sank to the bottom, hoping that he had caused a ripple big enough to change the girl’s life.
A second later he was in Marty Mozzarella’s during a busy lunch rush. There were kids everywhere, and they stared as he floundered to get out of the ball pit.
“That’s supposed to be for children, you know,” a teenager in a giant mouse suit complained.
Brand growled, yanked the cable out of the pit, disconnected the control panel, and limped out of the restaurant.
The walk to Thomas Knowlton Middle School was a long one, but he completely forgot about his sore feet when he saw it. Hurriedly, he pushed the front door open and walked down the empty halls to a supply closet, where he found his familiar janitor’s uniform. He pulled it on over his beat-up tuxedo then pressed the button that opened the tunnel to the Playground. A second later he dropped a mile into the earth.
The Playground looked like it always had. All the same faces were busy working on gadgets. Duncan and Flinch were lounging in their mission chairs while Jackson told them a joke, and Matilda was buzzing overhead, her inhalers blasting. Ruby was viewing a map of the world. The lunch lady, in his smock and hairnet, smiled and gave Brand a friendly wave.
“Look who’s back!” Jackson shouted.
“You are seriously late for a mission update,” Matilda said.
Brand smiled. “One of you is going to have to fill me in on what I missed.”
“I can help you with that,” Ruby said. “But first we have something very important to tell you.”
Brand waved her off. “It can wait. Is she here?”
“Who?”
Brand’s heart sank. “Never mind.”
“Oh, you mean the new librarian?” Ruby said with a grin.
“Did someone call me?” came a voice. It had a thick Russian accent, but he would know it anywhere.
“Lisa,” he said.
Benjamin floated between them. “Director, this is Agent Viktoriya Deprankova. She’s just been assigned to the school. Her cover for the parents will be that of the school’s librarian and media specialist.”
He couldn’t help but smile, and she smiled back at him.
“I made cookies,” the woman said, offering him a plate of what looked like chocolate chip. Brand hesitantly took one.
One bite and he was sure he had cracked all his teeth. Yes, she was back.
Suddenly, an alert started blaring. Screens dropped from the ceiling and a dozen scientists raced to join the group.
“Oh, boy, looks like we’ve got trouble again. Baron von Baron has let loose his army of bionic ferrets. They’re attacking the Taj Mahal,” Duncan said.
“Scramble the team, Benjamin,” Agent Brand said.
“Which team?” Heathcliff asked. He entered the room wearing a white lab coat and huge goggles.
“What do you mean, which team?”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, boss,” Ruby said. “We’ve got some new recruits.”
Suddenly, hundreds of children walked into the control room. They saluted him and said, “Agents reporting for duty” in unison.
“I’m having a great time organizing them. I’ll have a binder for you to look at when we get back. It’s completely color-coded,” Ruby said.
Brand smiled. “All right. It’s time to get to work, NERDS. Let’s go beat up some bad guys.”
THERE WILL BE DAYS WHEN LIFE SEEMS
HARD, WHEN THE BULLIES CORNER YOU OR
HURT YOUR HEART, BUT THOSE DAYS WON’T
LAST. THEY CAN’T LAST. SOME DAY SOON
THE WORLD WILL LOOK FRESH AND FULL
OF POSSIBILITIES AND YOUR DAYS
OF BEING PICKED ON WILL END—
JUST LIKE THIS STORY. AND THAT,
MY FRIENDS, IS WHEN YOUR REAL
STORY WILL TRULY BEGIN.
I PROMISE.
Acknowledgments
This series couldn’t have happened without Susan Van Metre and Maggie Lehrman, whose tag-team editing proved that two heads are better than one. However, the true unsung hero of this series is Chad W. Beckerman, whose art design was inspired, fun, and cool. A special thanks to Ethen Beavers for coming on this ride to the end—thanks for your brilliant illustrations. Alison Fargis, both better half and agent, inspired every page. Thank you to everyone at Stonesong. Big props to Jason Wells and his staff of super-publicists. A special thanks to fellow author and friend Julia DeViller for her insights into Ruby’s Jewish/Christian upbringing. Thanks to Starbucks 11807 in Brooklyn and to Allie Bayles AND Topher Scotton. As always, my pal Joe Deasy for just being my pal, and to my boy, Finn, whose love of stories reminds me why I have the best job in the world.
About the Author
Michael Buckley, a former member of NERDS, now spends his time writing. In addition to the top-secret file you are holding, Michael has written the New York Times bestselling Sisters Grimm series, which has been published in more than twenty languages. He has also created shows for Discovery Channel, Cartoon Network, Warner Bros., TLC, and Nickelodeon. He lives somewhere (if he told you where exactly, he’d have to kill you).
This book was art directed and designed by Agent Chad W. Beckerman. The illustrations were created by Agent Ethen Beavers.