“I really thought it was going to be Quinn,” Max said after they had left the storage garage.

“I know,” Alice said. “But those fingerprints weren’t even close.”

They turned the corner of the building and headed back to the field. All around them, students, parents, and teachers were enjoying the Olympics. There were long lines in front of the Cheezy Wheezy grilled cheese truck and the Green Pirate juice and salad truck in the blue zone. Near the side of the school, Ms. Suraci was running a Hula-Hoop workout for kids and parents.

Just as they made it back to the middle of the field, Kat ran up to them. “We checked out the tug-of-war, but it’s fine,” she said. “Luke and Nico will meet us there in a few minutes. Nico wanted to try the spicy sweet potato sticks at the snack table.” In addition to being the best athlete, Nico was the school’s most adventurous eater. He’d try anything!

“Great!” Alice said. “We found Quinn, but he’s definitely not our guy. The fingerprints didn’t match.” Alice checked the time. “Hey, we can still try the archery stuff before the tug-of-war.”

Alice, Max, and Kat pushed through the crowds to the archery area. Three large, round targets were set up on the right side of the basketball court. A line of blue tape stretched across the ground on the other side. Alice headed straight for the bows and arrows on a nearby table.

“I can’t wait for archery,” Alice said. “I practiced all week for it.”

“There’s no way anyone will beat you,” Kat said. “You’re the best!”

Alice picked up a bow and arrow from the table. She focused on the target.

SNAP!

Alice let go of the bowstring. The arrow flew straight to the target across the basketball court.

THWAP!

“Wow!” Max cried. “You got a bull’s-eye on your first try! Way to go!”

Alice smiled and gave Max a high five. She placed the bow back on the table and looked at the other bows and arrows. Kat ran over to the target. She grabbed hold of the arrow and pulled. The suction cup on its tip made a pop sound when she pulled it off the target.

Kat brought it back to the table. “There’s nothing wrong with the targets,” she said.

“And there’s nothing wrong here,” Alice said. “I guess we’re lucky that the Olympic troublemaker doesn’t care about archery!”

Max looked over to the field. “We should go. It looks like the tug-of-war is about to start,” he said.

Max, Alice, and Kat ran back through the crowd to the tug-of-war event. They arrived just before it started and found Nico and Luke, who were finishing up their spicy sweet potato sticks.

For the tug-of-war, someone had painted a bright blue line across the grass. A long rope stretched across the line. There was a red triangle flag in the middle, pointing down at the line. It made it easier to see who was winning or losing.

Max, Alice, and Luke lined up with three other teammates on the left side of the rope. They faced six students on the other side. Max took a position on the rope closest to the flag. Luke was at the end of the rope, acting as anchor for their team. Alice was in the middle. The kids all gripped the rope tightly. The first team to be pulled across the blue line would lose.

Kat wormed her way up to the front of the crowd so she could take some pictures. Nico stood behind her to cheer.

Mr. Hardy blew his whistle loudly. BREEEET!

Both teams pulled with all their might. At first, the rope moved toward Max, Alice, and Luke’s side. Kat started snapping pictures right away.

Nico yelled and clapped. “Come on, Luke! You’ve got it!” he called. “Just keep pulling!”

But a minute later, the rope moved in the opposite direction. Max was pulled closer and closer to the blue line on the ground. He dug his feet in, but they kept slipping forward. “We’re losing!” he yelled.

Luke called from the back, “On the count of three, everyone pull hard. One, two, three!”

Luke’s team gave a huge tug on the rope. The other team was yanked forward.

“It’s working!” Max cried. “It’s working!”

But before they could drag the other team across the line to win, there was a sudden lurch. Both teams seemed to shudder and slip.

SNAP!

The tug-of-war rope broke in half!