Amber woke with a start. She sat up in bed and glanced over to her Super Secret Spy Watch™, which beeped incessantly.
“The signal!” she whispered. In twenty-seven seconds she was dressed and racing downstairs.
“Morning, Amber” said her mum, as Amber hurried past her on the stairs. “What do you want for breakfast?”
“Toast, please!” Amber replied. She waited for her mum to disappear into the kitchen before tiptoeing to the front-room window and sliding it open. Hiding in the bushes under the window was a very short, old man with a craggy face and a permanent scowl.
He was Amber’s exact height, wore a tracksuit identical to hers, and atop his head sat a wig just like Amber’s bob of red hair.
“Sergei does not like the toast,” grunted Sergei in a thick, deep growl. “Sergei likes Coco Pops.”
“Sorry, Sergei, I forgot,” said Amber with a wink. She clambered out of the window as Sergei clambered in. Once inside, Sergei adjusted his wig and brushed a leaf off his tracksuit, just as Amber’s mum returned from the kitchen.
“Toast won’t be a minute, Amber,” she said, kissing Sergei on top of the head.
“Toast…” he grunted. “Thank you, mother of Amber. I mean, Mother.”
“Well, you’ve got to keep your strength up – big day at school,” added Amber’s mum.
Sergei let out a long sigh. “School…” he grunted to himself. “Sergei is getting too old for this.”