“That’s Margaret!” the caped Melvin said.
“What?” James said.
“Margaret is calling for us … uh … I mean, you and Melvin. At least she sounds like someone who might be named Margaret.”
“Wow, you have great hearing.”
“It’s the cape. Standard academy issue,” Melvin said. “I graduated in the year two blah blah blah.”
“Blah blah blah?”
“Yes, it’s a secret. I don’t want to date this book. So who’s Margaret?”
“She’s Melvin’s and my best friend. She must have realized we’re missing.”
Melvin nodded. “That can’t be helped now. There was no time to leave a note for her.”
They were flying over East Ruffian. Candace pointed to a butcher shop. “Stay clear of that place,” she said. “Where there’s meat, there’s bologna.”
They did. They’d already been knocked out of the sky by bug spray; they didn’t need to be done in by lunch meat. It had happened before, and it wasn’t enjoyable in the least.
They searched and searched. First down Bad Guy Boulevard. Then up Devious Drive. They even poked around Wicked Way.
“Better try the waterfront,” James said. “Lots of abandoned warehouses down there. It’s evil lair city, if you know what I mean.”
Candace did. So did Melvin.
* * *
While Melvin, Candace, and James were busy looking for the bad guys, Goofball and Company were getting ready to dispose of the younger Melvin—the uncaped version. They looked around the abandoned building on the pier. It wasn’t a warehouse. It was just an unoccupied building full of dusty medicine balls and rusty barbells. It was the former location of Fast Freddy’s Fitness Center and Fishing Supplies.
“Barbells,” Goofball said. “I have an idea, boys.” He turned to Max. “Make a hole in the floor, Max.”
Max punched the floor. “Done.”
Goofball looked through the newly created hole at the water below. “Now, tie Melvin to one of the barbells, the heaviest one.”
“Using what?” Max scanned the floor.
“Ungag him and use that,” Goofball said.
They ungagged Melvin and that’s when he screamed. “Help! Margaret! James! Help!”
* * *
“Help!”
Margaret knew the sound of Melvin’s voice when she heard it. She was just passing over a butcher shop on East Ruffian and veered toward the waterfront, where the sound seemed to be coming from.
But she was not the only one who heard it.
* * *
“That’s me screaming!” the caped Melvin said. “Uh … I mean, that’s Melvin.” He and Candace, who was still holding James, sped toward the sound of the screaming. If only they could get there in the nick of time!