Spy Pups: Treasure Quest Read online

  PUFFIN BOOKS

  SPY

  PUPS

  TREASURE QUEST

  Andrew Cope adopted Lara from the RSPCA. She settled into family life, spending her days lazing by the fire or curled up in her dog basket. That got Andrew wondering whether it was all an act. What if she was actually a super-intelligent spy dog just acting like a normal mutt? Just think of the adventures they’d have. But after five books the spy dog would retire and that would be the end of it. Andrew would hang up his pen and go back to watching Derby County.

  Except that Andrew’s family recently got a new puppy. And guess what? She looks just like Lara. Same stupid ears and everything! She even behaves like Lara. That means she shows no signs of any special abilities. In fact, the pup seems completely thick. Which has got Andrew wondering if she’s just keeping it all a secret – you know – hiding her abilities. Surely the puppy can’t be following in the footsteps of her spy dog mum? There’s just no way that could happen. Is there?

  If you want Lara or her puppy to visit your school, please email her at [email protected]. They’ll probably have to bring Andrew Cope along too, but don’t let that put you off. Or you can find out more about the Spy Dog and Spy Pups books online at www.spydog451.co.uk, where there are pictures, videos and competitions too!

  Books by Andrew Cope

  Spy Dog

  Spy Dog 2

  Spy Dog Unleashed!

  Spy Dog Superbrain

  Spy Dog Rocket Rider

  Spy Pups Treasure Quest

  ANDREW COPE

  Illustrated by James de la Rue

  PUFFIN

  PUFFIN BOOKS

  Published by the Penguin Group

  Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

  Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4P 2Y3

  (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)

  Penguin Ireland, 25 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd)

  Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia

  (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd)

  Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd, 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi – 110 017, India

  Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0632, New Zealand

  (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd)

  Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank,

  Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

  Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  puffinbooks.com

  First published 2009

  Text copyright © Andrew Cope, 2009

  Illustrations copyright © James de la Rue, 2009

  All rights reserved

  The moral right of the author and illustrator has been asserted

  Except in the United States of America, this book is sold subject to the condition

  that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re–sold, hired out, or otherwise

  circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than

  that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being

  imposed on the subsequent purchaser

  ISBN: 978-0-14-193129-6

  For my favourite mother-in-law

  Contents

  1 Double Trouble

  2 Cat Burglar

  3 Daylight Robbery

  4 Minor Miners

  5 An Unexpected Break

  6 Spooky Tales

  7 An Electric Shock

  8 Intruder!

  9 Secret Tunnel

  10 Gold Digger

  11 Captured!

  12 Kitchen Chaos

  13 Castle Inn

  14 View from the Top

  15 Dogs on a Wire

  16 Spelling it Out

  17 Breakthrough

  18 Dogged Determination

  19 Attracting Attention

  20 Booby-trapped

  21 A Lucky Break

  22 Reporting for Duty

  1. Double Trouble

  ‘Don’t be sad, Lara,’ soothed Ollie, stroking his dog behind the ear. ‘You’ve still got two puppies left and Mum says we can keep them.’

  ‘And the others have gone to brilliant homes,’ added Sophie, trying but failing to sound chirpy.

  Lara lay with her head on her paws. She knew the children were right but it didn’t stop the pain in her heart. Hopefully time will heal it, she thought. It’s so difficult when my babies leave home. She watched Spud and Star play-fighting. Bags of energy, she thought. ‘Calm down, you two,’ she woofed. ‘Why don’t you play Scrabble or Monopoly or something a bit calmer?’ Her two remaining puppies looked at their mum as if she was mad. Chasing each other around the lounge was much more fun.

  Lara reflected on the last four months. It’s been a hectic time, she smiled. Becoming a mum of seven, instilling some discipline, getting the pups house-trained and teaching them some of the spydog basics. Phew! No wonder I’m always exhausted.

  Lara watched as Spud sat on his sister, squeezing the breath out of her.

  ‘Gotcha!’ he barked.

  ‘No, you haven’t,’ she woofed, twisting away and nipping him on the backside. ‘Too slow, bro!’

  Lara always knew that most of the pups would be adopted. Dad had explained it to her shortly after she found she was pregnant. And Lara understood – the house just wasn’t big enough to keep them all. Her mission was to find good homes. Each time there was an adoption her tummy churned with happiness and sadness. She was delighted with the new owners. Her eldest daughter, Bessie, had gone to a farmer. He had other dogs and Lara knew they were well cared for. Bessie had a good life ahead of her as a working farm dog. Perfect, thought the retired spy dog. One sorted, seven to go!

  Toddy and Mr G had gone as a pair, hand selected by the police as sniffer dogs. Lara approved. They are both lively boys, she thought, so they will get all the action they crave. And maybe do some good for the world too. Lara reflected on her spy-dog days and shuddered at the thought of all the baddies she’d stopped, especially her arch-enemy, Mr Big. I sniffed out his evil drugs empire and put him behind bars. Twice! Maybe my boys will do the same, she hoped.

  Lara had a particular soft spot for Britney. She was the youngest – a whole nineteen minutes younger than Bessie – and quietest of the litter. Seen but not heard, thought Lara. Definitely not police dog material but very clever and a great companion. Being selected as a guide dog was perfect, reflected Lara. She’ll be the top of her class and there will be one very lucky owner!

  TinTin was always going to be a handful. He was a rather strange-looking pup. His brothers and sisters were black and white but TinTin was splodged with brown patches. His energy levels were off the scale and his tail never stopped wagging. He was sometimes a little overenthusiastic. His shaggy coat made him the perfect choice to go and work with his granddad, Leo, in Scotland. TinTin had enrolled to be a mountain rescue dog and his mum couldn’t be more proud. A very worthwhile career. And I know his granddad will take good care of him.

  Lara watched her two remaining puppies chasing around the table legs. Good homes, all of them, she thought. And I’m lucky that the Cook family have let me keep these two.

  ‘Mum, what’s for lunch?’ asked Spud, taking a break from annoying his sister.

  Lara sniffed the air. ‘Spaghetti hoops… peas,’ she woofed, ‘… and sausages.’

  ‘And when’s it lu
nchtime?’ yapped her son. ‘I’m starving.’

  ‘You’re always starving!’ Lara glanced at the clock. ‘Half an hour,’ she replied.

  ‘How long’s half an hour?’ asked Spud.

  ‘Not long,’ she barked, rising wearily to her feet and stretching. ‘Just long enough to work on those times tables before we eat!’

  2. Cat Burglar

  Lunch was cleared away and it was time for the pups’ afternoon snooze. Lara loved living with the Cooks. It’s not all out adventure and excitement like when I was a spy dog, she thought, but we’ve certainly had more than our fair share of scrapes.

  Lara had adopted the Cooks when they’d turned up at the RSPCA. Before then she’d been working as a spy dog for the Secret Service – the name LARA on her tag actually stood for ‘Licensed Assault and Rescue Animal’. But one of her spy-dog missions had gone horribly wrong and her orders were clear. I was to give myself up to the nearest dog rescue shelter and then adopt a family and wait for help. And I couldn’t have chosen better, she smiled, looking around the room at the Cook children. Ollie had Spud on his knee. The puppy was fast asleep, snoring gently, his chubby tummy breathing in and out. Ollie was the youngest of the children and Lara loved his playfulness. Star and Spud adored him too. Lara watched as Star leapt on to Ollie’s lap and snuggled down for an afternoon snooze.

  Sophie couldn’t help but wander over to her brother and stroke the pups. ‘They’re sooo cute,’ she purred. ‘And so squidgy!’ Sophie was a true animal lover, destined to become a vet. A chinchilla had been top of her Christmas list for three years running. ‘It’s a house, not a bloomin’ zoo,’ was her dad’s favourite comment. He always told Sophie she could have a chinchilla if they traded Lara in exchange. He knew there was no way that would ever happen.

  Ben was the eldest and therefore the leader. Although Lara was officially the family pet, he regarded her as his dog. The pair would spend hours fishing at the canal or playing football in the garden. Star and Spud were a bit young but had begun to practise their headers and volleys. Star could do forty keepie-uppies and Spud had perfected his goal-scoring celebration – a backflip like he’d seen on TV. It was exhausting and they always needed their long afternoon sleeps!

  ‘I think Star will be a good footballer,’ Ben told Lara. ‘She’s got your natural ability.’

  Lara looked across at the sleeping Star. She was a tiny puppy with one sticky-up ear just like her mum. She also had the same trademark black and white splodges, including a patch over her eye. She had tiny razor teeth and a very long tongue that sometimes peeped out when she was asleep. And so clever!

  Lara watched as Spud woke and wandered over to the games console. Just puppy fat, I’m sure, she thought, smiling at his low-hanging belly. Spud was bigger than his sister. Probably because of his liking for custard creams, thought Lara. A guilty thought passed through her mind. I wonder where he gets that from! Spud was a handsome dog, like his father, Potter. Spud had a shiny black coat and a playful puppy face. His ears were a matching pair: floppy, except when he was concentrating or when someone mentioned food. Then he had the biggest ears in the world, pricked and listening for scrapings into his bowl. Not quite as bright as his sister, she considered, although the BrainBox training game is doing him some good.

  Lara was pleased the building work at home had finished. At first she’d been reluctant when the Secret Service had suggested a security upgrade. But Professor Cortex had been very persuasive, arguing that it would allow her to improve the pet neighbourhood watch scheme that she’d set up.

  ‘And now you’re a mother,’ the professor frowned, ‘you have to be extra careful of enemy agents.’

  Lara’s office was now complete. She pressed the button with her nose and stood in front of the fireplace. 3… 2… 1…, she counted, and the hearth moved, rotating Lara into her secret office. She sat at the laptop and fixed her spectacles on the end of her nose. Lara took a pencil in her mouth and logged on to her emails. Nothing particularly exciting, she thought, although she was pleased to see a message from Professor Cortex confirming tomorrow’s visit to Spy School. Star and Spud will love it, she thought. The professor always has oodles of new gadgets and whacky ideas.

  Lara loved the professor. He was a bit grumpy on the outside but a great big softie on the inside. He was the one who trained me as a spy dog. And who gave me that ridiculous code name, GM451. I am so pleased the family have chosen to call me by my other code name.

  Lara clicked a remote control and various CCTV camera pictures were beamed on to the screen in front of her. She could see most of the neighbourhood from here. The professor’s voice replayed in her head. ‘You can never be too careful, GM451. You are the cleverest animal in the world. No other animal can understand every human word. Or defuse a bomb. Or play chess, for that matter.’ And he should know, thought Lara. He’s head of Spy School. And probably the cleverest, maddest scientist in the world. Lara couldn’t quite see where the danger would come from. After all, this is a quiet road and I’m retired from active spy-dog service, she thought. I can’t see that any more baddies are going to come looking for me. But this office is cool, she admitted, spinning herself round on her leather chair. She cast her mind back over the last year. Not quite the retirement I’d planned. So many adventures! Lara shuddered as she remembered falling off a space rocket as it took off, and stopping a diamond robbery. But being a mum definitely changes things. This time I’ve given up for real. From now on it’s the quiet life for me and the pups.

  Lara watched on CCTV as Mr Granger from number 42 tipped his grass cuttings into next door’s garden. They won’t be happy, she thought. Through another camera she saw a delivery van pull up at number 7. New sofa, she noted. And what a nice pattern.

  Nothing suspicious, she thought. No sign of baddies. Lara zoomed in to the van parked outside number 22. Window cleaner, she read. New bloke, by the look of it. Lara watched for a minute. The man climbed the ladder and she watched with interest as he looked all around before reaching into the upstairs window and climbing in. Er, I don’t think he should be doing that, she thought, zooming closer still until she could see through the open window. The CCTV showed the window cleaner snooping around the bedroom, putting trinkets into a bag. Suddenly, Lara was on full alert. She looked at her map of the close. Number 22, Mr and Mrs Winslow. Both teachers. Both out at work all day! Yikes, I think this is a robbery!

  3. Daylight Robbery

  Lara pressed the big red button, adrenalin pumping through her body. She knew the flag would now be raised, alerting her animal neighbourhood watch team to possible danger. Lara had spent months moulding them into a highly responsive unit.

  This is their first real test, she wagged. And a chance for Spud and Star to go through their paces.

  Lara bounded back to the secret door, pressed the button and swung back into the lounge.

  ‘Hi, Lara,’ said Sophie. ‘Been checking your emails?’

  ‘No time for nice stuff,’ barked the family pet. ‘Star, wake up! Spud, switch off the BrainBox.’ The seriousness of their mum’s bark immediately caught the puppies’ attention.

  ‘What’s up, Ma?’ croaked Star. ‘Why so serious? I was just resting my eyes!’

  ‘And I was getting my highest score,’ complained Spud.

  ‘Robbery,’ announced Lara. ‘Number twenty-two. Upstairs window. Man with ladder.’

  Star and Spud blinked themselves awake and stood to attention. ‘We’ve practised. But this is the real thing. Do you know what to do?’ barked their mum.

  ‘Course we do,’ yapped Star, sprinting to the garage. ‘Plan A. Marbles and nails.’

  ‘That’s my girl,’ woofed Lara. ‘Spud. Are you clear?’

  ‘Yes, ma’am,’ barked Spud, raising his paw to his eyebrow in a doggie salute.

  ‘Good, because I’m going to leave you two in charge. This is your first real mission. I’ve raised the flag so the others will join you. But you two have the lead on this one
. Remember, the aim is to capture the baddie but always be safe. I will be nearby if things get hairy.’

  ‘No need, Ma,’ replied Spud, turning to chase his sister.

  Lara trotted after them, head held high. Chips off the old block, she thought proudly.

  The burglar crept around the bedroom. He’d done his homework and knew the owners wouldn’t be back until late afternoon. Spying a jewellery box he opened it and his eyes lit up with excitement. He took off his backpack and scooped the contents inside.

  ‘Thank you very much for leaving out all your valuables,’ he laughed to himself as he spied a laptop on the desk in the corner.

  Worried that the neighbours might notice an empty ladder outside the house, the window cleaner pocketed an expensive-looking watch from the side table and headed towards the window.

  ‘Quickly, we haven’t got much time,’ barked Spud out of the side of his mouth, as he carried the bag of supplies. ‘He’ll be coming down the ladder any minute.’

  The puppies sprinted to number 22.

  Star took the bag of marbles she’d carried and scattered them at the bottom of the ladder. And a few along the path, she thought. Just for good measure.

  Her brother had taken his bag to the man’s van and scattered the contents on the road.

  ‘He’s coming,’ yapped Star. ‘I can see his feet.’

  Spud rejoined his sister, and both puppies barked in their wildest voices.

  ‘Remember plan A. Make him panic,’ reminded Star. ‘That gives us the upper paw.’

  The window cleaner came down the ladder as fast as he could. ‘Shush, stupid dogs,’ he hissed. ‘The last thing I need is attention!’

  The man’s feet hit the ground and he stumbled on the marbles. He began to run but he was going nowhere except downwards. His arms flailed wildly. His feet were a blur before they disappeared from under him and he was left face down on the path.