CHAPTER 3

THE MUTT

The ThunderTrucks race along the opposite shore of the River Sticky. Hercules is in the lead. But Theseus is nipping at his mud flaps.

Then the mighty Hercules slams on his brakes. SCRRREEECH!

He skids to a stop in front of a narrow tunnel. A stream of dented and rusty trucks enters the tunnel.

Theseus slides up to Hercules. “Why did you stop?” Theseus asks. “We can go around them.”

“But I don’t think we can get around him,” Hercules says.

A truck rolls out of the shadows. It is huge! It looks as if it were built out of the spare parts of other trucks. It blocks their way.

Just then, the black truck rolls up to them. “That is The Mutt,” the black truck says in his raspy voice.

“Stop sneaking up on us!” Hercules honks.

“Yeah, who do you think you are?” Theseus asks.

The MonsterTruck does not answer. He just looks ahead.

“The Mutt is your next challenge,” he says.

“How do we get past him?” Theseus asks.

“I got this,” Hercules rumbles.

Hercules also has a talent. He is the strongest of all ThunderTrucks. He revs his engine VROOM! VROOM! as he rolls up to The Mutt.

“Only junkers can pass,” The Mutt growls.

“Who’s going to stop me!” Hercules rumbles.

The two trucks go bumper to bumper.

Hercules revs his engine. VROOM! VROOM! He pushes The Mutt back.

Then The Mutt’s engine roars. RRR! RRR! He shoves Hercules back toward the River Sticky.

Back and forth they push and shove. Their engines roar. RRR! RRR! Their tires spin and squeal. A cloud of dust surrounds them.

As they battle, Theseus sees his chance. He sneaks by The Mutt and into the tunnel.

Theseus is almost to the other side of the tunnel when he looks back. Theseus can see that Hercules is exhausted. Puffs of smoke pour out from under his hood, and he has one flat tire. Theseus knows that soon Hercules will bust a piston.

Theseus sneaks up behind The Mutt. He hooks his winch to The Mutt’s back bumper. When Hercules revs his engine to give a mighty push, Theseus revs his engine too. VROOM! VROOM! He tugs and pulls The Mutt backward. This gives Hercules time to dart around the MonsterTruck.

“Get back here!” The Mutt blares.

But the two ThunderTrucks race through the other end of the tunnel.