The Monkey Howled at Midnight (9 page)

“Not one of your best.”

“Well,
I
think it's still pretty good,” Cody retorted.

Suddenly the plane began to bounce in the air. Koobi gripped the back of Cody's seat. “What's going on? Are you sure you know what you're doing?”

Cody didn't answer. He gripped the wheel tighter and adjusted a couple of gauges. The plane bounced harder. Cody made some more adjustments but the plane kept bouncing.

“Hey! What's going on?”

“Let him keep his mind on what he's doing,” Otis said calmly. “We're being buffeted by updrafts. It's probably something to do with the moist, humid air. It's just a little turbulence, that's all.”

“I can keep the plane steady,” Cody told everyone firmly. “It will settle down once we get higher up.”

“Speaking of landing, are you sure you know where you're going?” Koobi asked.

Cody looked at the gauges. “I sure do. I'm headed right for the Amazonas airport. Does everything look right to you, Otis?”

Otis checked the gauges himself. “It certainly does.”

“Sorry, guys. The idea of being in a plane piloted by a twelve-year-old is just kind of unreal to me,” Koobi mumbled.

“Well, Otis and I have had plenty of practice. We'll get there,” Cody told him.

“I'm not worried about getting to the airport,” said Rae after a moment. “I know Cody can get us there. It's what happens after that I'm worried about.” She let out a sigh.

“You know something that really bothers me?” she went on. “It's how many of the Amazon rain-forest animals I've seen that weren't in the rain forest. They were in cages.”

They were nearing the airport. Cody lowered the landing gear and made sure they were locked in place. Then he got on the radio.

“Control, this is Cessna two-three-one-niner-echo-tango approaching for landing.”

The radio buzzed with static. Then they all heard the voice of an air traffic controller. “Cessna two-three-one-niner-echo-tango, you are clear for landing on runway one-four.”

Cody banked the airplane and turned into the runway. He let the wing flaps down twenty degrees. Then he lowered the speed to just under one hundred miles per hour and began the descent.

As Cody pointed the nose down and headed straight into the middle of the runway, the wheels touched down gently. He glided the plane to a stop.

Whew
, he thought.

“You did a great job!” One of the air traffic controllers came to greet Cody. “I thought you sounded like a kid. How much flying have you done?”

“My brother and I have both had lots of lessons,” Cody answered. “We need to speak with a customs agent.”

When the traffic controller looked puzzled, Cody explained, “We have some evidence about illegally exporting animals.”

“Look at this,” Rae said. She held up her camera to show him the photos she had taken at the animal warehouse.

The traffic controller turned pale. “That animal looks sick.”

“They have a pink dolphin, too,” said Rae. “There are only about twelve hundred left in the wild. And some people kill them because they think their eyes and teeth have magical powers. It's terrible.”

“It certainly is,” said the traffic controller, whose name tag read J MARIO SOUZA. He looked at the other photos. “How could someone do this? So many animals—this is a big operation. I think we need the federal police. Come with me.”

The traffic controller arranged for someone to drive the twins, Rae, and Luis to the office of the Polícia Federal in Manaus. Otis telephoned his dad and told him what had happened. By the time they got there, Mr. Carson and Maxim were waiting.

“Where is Mr. Estevez?” Cody asked his father. He was surprised that he hadn't come along.

Mr. Carson cleared his throat. “Mr. Estevez is at home recuperating from an accident,” he said. “Shortly after you left, he went out to run an errand and was struck by a speeding car. It was a hit and run.”

Rae and the twins gasped. “Is he all right?” Cody asked.

Mr. Carson nodded. “He suffered a slight concussion, but the doctors say he's going to be fine.”

“Have they caught the person who hit him?” Rae asked.

“No,” said Maxim. “Mr. Estevez doesn't even remember being hit, and the police don't have any leads. Apparently the street was practically deserted. One person said the car was brown, another said it was black, and that's it. Anyway, we'd better get Luis to a hospital.”

They arrived at the mansion later to find Mr. Estevez in the study, attended by Carlos Santos. He had a bruise on his left temple but otherwise looked all right.

Mr. Estevez was lying on a sofa, his head propped up with pillows. When they entered the room, he sat up. “Now, tell me what this is all about,” he said. “Why would anyone beat up Luis?”

The twins launched into the story. “Luis whispered
blackmail
,” Otis told him. “He didn't say anything else, except his name.”

Mr. Estevez listened as Otis and Cody told him the rest of the story. He looked more and more haggard and disappointed. “How could Pino get involved in such a business?” he asked incredulously, his mouth puckered in disgust.

“Well—maybe Pino didn't realize what he was getting into,” said Cody. He told Mr. Estevez about the argument they had overheard in the warehouse.

“We're afraid that if Pino tries to back out of this business he could be in danger,” said Otis.

Carlos was a grayish shade of pale. “This is a horror,” he said. “Luis went to find Pino to tell him about their father's accident. I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen. I wish …”

Before he could say another word, the shrill sound of the doorbell shattered the air. Moments later, the maid appeared. A uniformed man was with her. She introduced him as Captain Ricardo Montez of the police department.

“May I speak to you, Mr. Carson?” he asked.

“Of course.”

“I hate to ask you this question,” he said, “but I've talked it over with my supervisor and we agree that it's the only way. May we take Cody with us to show us the way to the warehouse? I really don't like the idea of taking a kid on a dangerous mission. But I don't see how we can find that warehouse without him. You're his father, though, and the decision is up to you.”

“
If
Cody goes, I'm going along with him,” said Mr. Carson.

“But …” Captain Montez began.

“The only way he is going is if I go along as well,” Mr. Carson said firmly.

“Why can't I go, too?” Otis blurted out. Then he winced. That bite still hurt.

“I should also come along,” announced Maxim. “I have acquired a great variety of knowledge that you'd undoubtedly find useful.”

Mr. Estevez spoke up from the sofa. “My son is involved—perhaps I should go, too.”

Captain Montez had been narrowing his eyes more and more. Now he let out an explosive burst of air. “Well, why don't we
all
go?” he said, and snorted. “Why don't we invite the maid along, and everyone else you know. Let's make it a party.”

Captain Montez regained his usual dignified manner. “It was Cody who flew the plane, so it's logical for him to come with us,” said Captain Montez. “But it would be irresponsible to take more civilians than we absolutely have to. We can't keep track of them, or protect them. We'll have Cody guide one of our pilots.”

“I can fly the plane,” Cody protested. “I did it before.”

Captain Montez shook his head. “You did well in an emergency, son. But remember, you don't have a pilot's license. We'll have an officer fly the plane.” He turned to Mr. Carson. “Well, what do you say, sir? We'll be careful with him.”

“As I said before, Captain Montez, if Cody goes, I go,” said Mr. Carson. He turned to Koobi. “Can you remember the way?”

Koobi shook his head. “If we were walking through the rain forest, I could. But not by air. Cody knows the way to fly.”

“I know the way through the forest, too,” said Cody. “I paid attention when Koobi led us to the airstrip. I can find our camp. I marked the trees along the trail to the warehouse.”

Mr. Carson looked at his son. “Do you want to do this, Cody?”

“Absolutely.”

Mr. Carson hesitated. “Then let's go.” He looked Captain Montez in the eye. “I want Cody kept safe.”

“You have my word,” Captain Montez told him.

Cody waited while the captain made some phone calls. Captain Montez quickly put together a posse. Then they headed for the airport.

Cody prayed that he could lead the police back to the warehouse.

[
Chapter Fourteen
]

T
he Chameleon's eyes were as small and flat as dimes on the surface of his face. Now they were squeezed shut tightly. He pounded on his computer keyboard with his fist. The e-mail he had just received sent a white-hot flash of anger through his veins.

Blackmail wasn't part of his plan. At least, not yet. Someone had tried to do some business on his own. Obviously one of those sneaky, snivelling airstrip guards. The goon had mistaken Luis Estevez for his brother, Pino. Now there was another reason for the police to come nosing around.

When he found out which guard had roughed up Luis, he was going to punish him. The Chameleon picked up a corner of his leopard-skin robe and twisted it viciously.