Ten minutes later we’re hightailing it towards Snappy Tunes Recording Studio.

‘Are you sure these are going to protect us from the mind control?’ I ask Hunter.

‘Ab-sea-lutely,’ says Hunter. ‘If these things can block out my mum’s snoring, they can block out mind control waves.’

‘And what’s Gnash’s deal?’ I ask.

‘Yeah,’ scowls Gill. ‘He’s cramping my style.’

Hunter shrugs. ‘I couldn’t find earmuffs big enough. Come on, we can sneak in through the back entrance.’

We follow Hunter around the back of the recording studio. All studios have a secret back entrance, in case there are too many fans out front.

Once inside, we head for the downstairs recording studio, where we’re stopped by …

‘Hugo!’ we all cry.

‘Guuuuuh,’ moans Hugo.

‘Oh, no,’ I say. ‘Hugo’s been zombiefied too!’

‘Paasswooord,’ Hugo groans.

‘Huh?’ says Gill.

‘Wrooong,’ moans Hugo.

Hunter’s eyes light up. ‘He’s asking for a password,’ she says.

‘Wrooong!’ Hugo shouts. He’s starting to look angry.

We all swap a look, thinking hard. A password …

I look at Hugo’s T-shirt and it hits me.

‘Killer-riffic!’ I cry.

Hugo groans and lumbers aside. ‘Corrrrrreeeeect.’

‘Let’s sneak in,’ says Hunter. ‘Orcas are super strong fighters. And watch your nostrils – their slow digestive system makes them smell super bad.’

She carefully pushes the door open and we duck inside the studio, diving behind a couch.

Thankfully, The Killer Wails don’t seem to notice us – they’re too busy putting on their show for the cameras.

I frown.

‘I thought you said orcas smell bad,’ I say. ‘I can’t smell anything.’

Hunter sniffs the water. ‘Weird. Me neither,’ she says. ‘All I can smell is soy chum-a-latte and … mmm, jellyfish doughnuts!’ She smacks her lips. ‘I’m starving.’

‘Hunter,’ I whisper back, ‘you’re always starving.’

Beside me, Gilleon’s hips start to sway. His shoulders jiggle and his tailfin taps out a beat.

‘Gilleon,’ Hunter hisses. ‘What are you doing?! Put your earmuffs back on!’

‘I can’t help it!’ he says, bopping his head along to the music.

‘I feel like I’ve heard this song before … it’s kinda catchy!’ Then his eyes go blank. His jaw goes slack, and he starts to drool.

‘Guh,’ he groans. ‘Uuuuuuuunnngh.’

‘Oh, no!’ I whisper. ‘He’s going zombie!’

Hunter grabs Gilleon’s earmuffs and shoves them back over his head. ‘Snap out of it, Gill!’ she says. I wave my fin in front of his face.

Nothing.

‘Gnash have idea,’ says Gnash. He lifts up one of Gill’s earmuffs and says, ‘Cosmopolifin magazine say stripes and spots hot new look!’

Gilleon’s face pales. His eyes bulge. But he does stop drooling. ‘Cosmo said WHAT?!’ he cries.

‘Good thinking, Gnash,’ says Hunter. ‘Nothing scares Gilleon like a fashion disaster.’

‘Looks like you were right,’ I say to Hunter. ‘Their music is putting everyone under some kind of spell!’

‘Exactly,’ says Hunter. ‘Now we just need to figure out how to stop it.’

‘Can’t we switch it off?’ says Gill.

‘But how do we shut off an entire studio broadcast?’ I ask.

‘Just pull plug,’ says Gnash with a shrug.

‘Krilliant idea, Gnash!’ grins Hunter. She looks over at the mixing board. It’s full of wires and knobs and dials.

‘Hmm,’ she says. ‘Hugo normally handles all of this techy stuff. Which plug do we pull?’

‘Not there,’ says Gnash, pointing at the wall behind The Killer Wails. ‘Those plugs.’

We all look over to where Gnash is pointing. Four cords snake out from their power points.

‘Wait a second!’ gasps Hunter.

‘Those aren’t real orcas,’ I say, ‘th-th-they’re … ROBOTS!’

‘No wonder they’re not smelly,’ says Gilleon. ‘Robots don’t even have digestive systems!’

‘We better pull those plugs, and quick!’ I cry.

Hunter thinks for a moment. ‘You’re right, Finley,’ she says. ‘And you’re JUST the shark to do it.’