Uncle Mark pulled the Creative Pastry truck onto a narrow paved road marked Hidden Rock Zoo, Private Property. Spencer spotted a black Rolls-Royce up ahead, following the dark lane as it wound closer and closer to a looming stone wall.
Headlights flashed into the passenger-side mirror. Spencer tried to see who had pulled in behind them, but the bright lights got into his eyes and he had to look away.
“There’s someone behind us,” he said, feeling uneasy.
“That’s a good thing,” Uncle Mark answered. “The guards will spend less time on us if there’s a guest waiting to get in.”
They drove around a bend in the lane, and the front gates of Hidden Rock Zoo came into sight. The gates were made of iron and wood—two massive, solid doors that, when they were closed, wouldn’t allow so much as a glimpse of the property beyond. The gates stood open now, though, with a guardhouse beside them. Two burly-looking guards in black uniforms stared out at the three incoming vehicles.
Uncle Mark slowed their catering truck to a stop as the Rolls-Royce pulled up to the guards. The two guards stepped around to either side of the car, scrutinizing the passengers and checking a clipboard that the guard on the left was holding. A moment later, the Rolls was waved through the gates. Uncle Mark pulled up and rolled down his window.
Spencer stared at the black button-down shirt the guard closest to him was wearing, avoiding the guard’s eyes. Hidden Rock Security was stitched in silver thread on the guard’s chest. Below the words, the silhouette of a crown had been embroidered.
“Name?” the guard closest to Uncle Mark asked.
“Alfonso Rioal, from Creative Pastry,” said Uncle Mark.
“Caterers already arrived,” the guard answered flatly.
“We’ve just got the special-order dessert,” Uncle Mark answered. He sounded completely calm.
“Guy, you know anything about a special dessert?” the guard beside Uncle Mark called, searching the paper on the clipboard in front of him. The guard near Spencer, who must be Guy, walked back around the truck to stand with his partner.
“No,” Guy replied with a shrug.
“All right,” Uncle Mark said, acting as though he was trying to be patient. “Well, I’ve got a three-tiered cake and two hundred custom mini chocolate mousses in the back. Already paid for.”
The guards exchanged a look. Guy glanced at the car behind the Creative Pastry truck. “What’s the kid doing here?” he asked, returning his attention to Uncle Mark.
“The kid?” Uncle Mark looked over at Spencer. “Oh, him? He’s the chocolate taster. A prodigy. He has the best chocolate senses of anyone in the business.” Spencer nodded stiffly at each guard, afraid to say anything and accidentally blow his own cover. They stared blankly back at him, obviously uncertain about whether or not to believe that there was such a thing as a chocolate taster in the first place.
“But, anyway, can we drop off the dessert or not?” Uncle Mark pressed on. “Like I said, these specialty chocolates are paid for, so whether I take this delivery where it’s supposed to go or you turn me away and I take it back doesn’t make much difference to me.”
“Guy, start clearing the next car,” the guard nearest Uncle Mark said. “I’m gonna check their truck.”
Uncle Mark swung his door open and hopped down from the driver’s seat. Spencer stayed frozen where he was, listening to Uncle Mark unlatch the back door of the truck. He felt the truck dip a little as someone climbed into the back. He held his breath.
Just then, Guy called out, “This car is clear.”
The truck dipped again. Whoever had climbed into the back—Spencer guessed it was the guard—had jumped back out.
“All right, go ahead.”
Yes!
Uncle Mark climbed back into the driver’s seat.
“Thanks.” He nodded at the guards, then pulled through the gates into Hidden Rock Zoo.
Uncle Mark steered them through what seemed to be a tunnel made of trees. Straight ahead, an enormous, sparkling fountain stood at the entrance to Pam’s estate. There were five metallic bears, four of them golden, standing on all fours. Each one faced a different direction, and spouted water from its mouth. In the middle of the four gold bears, a silver bear, twice as big, stood up on its hind legs. Spencer shuddered. It looked like the bear was glaring at him, ready to attack. There was a crown on top of the silver bear’s enormous head. A geyser of water shot out from each of the crown’s points. Spotlights were trained on the fountain from all directions, and the gushing water reflected the light in harsh beams. Spencer had to look away.
The road they were on forked in opposite directions. The fork to the left was the darker of the two, leading out into what looked like a big open field. Spencer squinted into the dark. Mom and Dad were here somewhere. They could be just a few yards away for all Spencer knew! He strained his eyes, desperate to see something.
“I think we go right,” Uncle Mark muttered. He turned right, passing a parking lot filled with gleaming, expensive cars. The Rolls-Royce that had arrived ahead of the Creative Pastry truck pulled in between a Bentley and a Lamborghini. Spencer watched a woman step out of the driver’s seat of the Rolls-Royce. She was wearing a long white dress and a fur vest, even though it was way too hot for any kind of coat.
“Team,” Uncle Mark said, connecting his own Ear-COM with Spencer’s, Aldo’s, B.D.’s, and Evarita’s. “We’re in. Can everyone hear me all right?”
“Yeah,” Spencer said first.
“I can hear you,” Aldo’s voice sounded in Spencer’s ear.
“Yes,” B.D. said.
The Ear-COMs fell silent.
“Evarita, can you hear me?” Uncle Mark said. The Ear-COMs were silent again. “Evarita?” Still nothing. “We don’t seem to have a connection with Evarita.”
No connection with Evarita? No connection with Evarita meant no connection with the outside world … Spencer started to reach for his jade bear, then stopped himself, remembering again with a sinking feeling that it wasn’t there.
Uncle Mark pulled into a small parking lot. There were three catering trucks in the dimly lit lot, but the catering staff all seemed to be somewhere else. There was no one in sight. “There must be a kitchen the caterers are working out of,” Uncle Mark explained. “That’s a good thing. We won’t seem suspicious if we park here, but we won’t have to worry about a bunch of waiters and cooks poking around, either.” Uncle Mark parked the Creative Pastry truck alongside one of the real caterer’s vehicles.
“What about Evarita?” Spencer asked, afraid to hear Uncle Mark’s answer.
“I’m about to figure that out.” Uncle Mark pulled his black backpack onto his lap. He took out a small device Spencer didn’t recognize. Uncle Mark turned the device on. It immediately started to beep, and a red light flashed on and off. After a second, the device stopped beeping, and the red light stopped flashing. It just stayed on, like a miniature stoplight.
“The red light means it can’t detect any signals nearby. Pam must have signal blockers surrounding the place,” Uncle Mark said. “Nobody’s going to be able to transmit any information into or out of Hidden Rock Zoo tonight. I don’t know if the blocking is permanent or just turned on tonight for the party, but we’re not going to be able to connect with Evarita as long as Pam’s signal blockers are on.”
“But why?” Spencer asked.
“To stop people like us, Spence. And anyone else who might want to know what he’s up to in here. It makes it much harder to spy on someone when they jam up your gear like this.”
“All right, no Evarita tonight.” B.D.’s impatient voice broke into the conversation. “Mark, you should get moving.”
“Right.” Uncle Mark snapped to attention. “We can’t get sidetracked. Come on, Spence, let’s see what we’re working with.” Uncle Mark got out of the truck and closed the door behind himself. Spencer pushed his glasses into place and jumped out to join his uncle.
The parking lot backed up to a wall of trees and bushes. A single path led through the wall, and beyond it Spencer could see there was an elaborate garden. He wanted to see more, but he couldn’t without getting closer.
“I’m going in to find Dora,” Uncle Mark said quietly. He headed back toward the truck, unbuttoning his chef’s coat and slipping it off as he walked. Spencer knew this was the first step in the plan: rescue Dora, then use her knowledge of Hidden Rock Zoo to find Mom and Dad. But he hadn’t realized that plan meant he would be left behind in the truck.
“What about me?” he asked, stepping away from the entrance to the garden.
Uncle Mark walked around to the back of the truck and opened it. A light popped on and spilled out into the shadowy parking lot. Spencer watched as his uncle traded the white chef’s coat for a black tuxedo jacket, transforming himself with the help of his second disguise that day. With an empty silver tray tucked under one arm, Uncle Mark had gone from a chef to a waiter.
“You have to stay here and guard the truck. Start filling the silver trays with chocolate mousse.” Spencer looked blankly back at his uncle. Guard the truck? “Just look busy,” Uncle Mark went on. “And if you see someone coming, or you have any trouble and need help, I’ll be able to hear you on the Ear-COM. The code word is ‘peanut butter.’ ”