“Yes,” he says. “It’s not far. If you can’t unjam the brake system, we’ll have someone meet you at the border crossing.”
“At the border crossing?”
The line clicks on again and Francine is back. “Status, please?” she demands.
“We got the situation under control here, Francine.”
“If you got the problem solved, why are you still on the horn? I’m patching in Mechanical.”
“On the horn, Francine? You been skipping CA again?”
“Sorry, sorry, on the line,” she answers.
“Mechanical Group.” A new voice breaks into the line. “I understand two-oh-two is having a problem with the braking system.”
“Uh-huh,” I say, “the pedal was stuck. But I think I got it now. Sparky figured it out.”
“All righty. Got you headed home on our screen too. Be sure to fill out Form one-one-five-one when you return. We’ll get that vehicle serviced ASAP.”
“Yes, sir,” I say as I see the border station and a knot of people up ahead.
Ohmygod . . . it’s Mouse and Finn and a dog—hey, didn’t Mouse say we needed a dog?—and uh-oh, three security guys. That can’t be good.
“Help! Help! Help!” I toot the horn, jam my hand on it. “I can’t stop this thing!” I shout, heading straight for them, my foot hovering over the brake pedal.
When they see me coming they scatter. Finn, Mouse, the dog, and one security guy on one side, the other two uniforms on the other.
I turn toward Finn and Mouse, then pounce on the brakes. “GET IN!” I shout, and Mouse and Finn dive into the back, the dog leaping after them.
It takes the tall security guy a second to realize what’s happening, but I have the pedal to the metal by then.
He’s running, though, and he must be some kind of distance runner, because boy is he fast. “That’s Falling Bird property!” he shouts.
“Faster!” Mouse yells.
The cart vibrates like a coffee grinder. “I’m trying!” I shout. But with two more people and a dog on board it just won’t go as fast as it did.
I try my best to steer around the potholes. Between the extra weight and the rough road, the security guy is gaining on us. His long arm grabs the backseat, dragging our cart until it is hardly moving at all.
But the dog sees him now. Her teeth bared, her hackles up, she dives for his hand.
Surprised, the tall guard lets go and our cart shoots forward, unencumbered again.
“Way to go, India! Yay, Boom!” Finn and Mouse cheer as the radio buzzes urgently now and there’s a distant sound of choppers in the air.
“India! India!” Mouse shouts through the buzzing, whirring noise. “Don’t ever leave us again.”
CHAPTER 33
THE BLACK BOX
I NDIA! India came back and she brought Bing, just like Finn said she would. I want to hug her in the big Mommy way, but she is busy driving the mini car with no doors. She’s wearing her hair up in Chuck’s driver’s cap and she has on his jacket too, only it says Travels with Ed. Who is Ed?
She doesn’t have her driver’s license yet. She’s not old enough. That’s why those Marvins got mad. India is a good driver, though. India is good at everything. She is a perfect big sister. Except all the time she isn’t.
Bing, India, Finn, Boom. I count on my fingers. All we need now is Mommy!
The black box is how we get to Mommy. Chuck said. We have to find the box before the helicopters land. I hear them up in the sky.
“Mouse!” India shouts. “Ask Bing where to find the black box.”
Bing? She wants to know what Bing thinks?
I ask Bing and he tells me too. Does India really want to hear what Bing has to say?
“India, you got to promise to believe him,” I shout.
“I will, Mouse. I promise.”
“What about Mommy’s ring? You didn’t believe him about that.”
She is silent. Just driving. “Yeah, I did, Mouse. Who do you think put the ring back for Maddy?”
I try to puzzle this out. It makes no sense to me, so Bing has to explain it. “Sometimes,” Bing says, “people get more mad at you when you’re right than when you’re wrong.”
“India, don’t be mad anymore, okay, please, India, please?”
“I’m not, Mouse. I couldn’t be mad at Maddy, so I got mad at you. I’m sorry. I won’t let that happen again.”
“India?”
“Yeah, Mouse.”
I look down at my clock. “If we don’t see Mommy again, will you be my mommy? I don’t want a stranger mom, even if she’s nice.”
“Mouse, look at me.” India is holding the wheel so tightly her hands are white. The air blows her hat off now as the helicopters land. “We’re going to do this. We’ll get back to Mommy. But I need your help. Do you know how we can find the black box?”