LET’S GET THINGS STARTED

The next day, Ellie and I really got moving on Operation ROCK (Revenge on the Coogan Kids). With just over twenty-four hours to go before the big night at the surf club, there wasn’t a moment to waste.

Ellie built a scale model of the surf club lobby out of cardboard, and we plotted out every step with the rest of the Outsiders.

“This has got to be perfect,” I said, pacing the floor of Ellie’s workshop. I pointed my pointy stick (everyone planning something like this needs a pointy stick) at the model. “And top secret. If word gets out to the Surf Gorillas, we’re finished.”

The Outsiders nodded solemnly. No one was going to snitch.

Nico and I went out to the club and cased the joint for the best time to get everything inside. We’d had a stroke of luck with our plans—it turned out Nico’s older sister was the club manager I’d seen before.

“She keeps the key to the building in her purse,” Nico said as we crouched in the bushes across the road from the club.

“Can you get a copy?” I asked.

Nico held up a key and smiled. “Way ahead of you, dude.”

“Tonight?”

Nico nodded. “Tonight.”

Operation ROCK was a go.