Secret Weapon Read Online Free PDF

Of. Mars. Or. Your. Two. Friends. Will . . .’ His hand hovered over a touchpad on the control panel. ‘Die. All I have to do is press this and they will be ejected into space. Ice-cold, pitch-dark, air-free space, where they will die in about, ooh, 3.5 seconds, I should say.’
    Peri could not believe what he was hearing. ‘Are you crazy? How can you do this to your own daughter?’
    Jaxx ignored him. He glared at Diesel. ‘I don’t like asking twice, Martian boy.’
    Diesel held on tight to the cylinder. He shook his head. His strip of hair had turned black. ‘You’re not getting the Heart of Mars!’ Diesel said. He raised his phaser and pointed it at Jaxx. ‘I’ve set this to “Stuns” and “Really Hurts”. Step away from the control panel.’
    ‘Oh, that’s a good idea,’ Jaxx said brightly. ‘Go on then. Zap me!’
    ‘You asked for it!’ Diesel pressed the firing button. Nothing happened except that the phaser gave out a low farting noise.
    Jaxx clapped sarcastically. ‘It didn’t occur to you that I’d make Selene disable all on-board weapons systems, did it? Now, I’ve had enough of messing around with you children.’ He snapped his fingers. The other hand moved closer to the touchpad. ‘Heart of Mars. Now.’
    ‘Where are Selene and Otto?’ Peri demanded. He was playing for time. ‘We only have your word that you’ve got them. We’re not trading the Heart for them until we know they’re safe.’
    Jaxx sighed. ‘If you insist . . .’
    He touched some buttons on the control panel. A second later, Selene and Otto materialised on the floor of the Bridge. They were kneeling on the the floor. Both were bound and gagged with Shrink-to-Fit Astro-Gaffer-Tape.
    ‘Mmmmmfff!’ said Selene.
    ‘Ggggrmmmllfsh!’ said Otto.
    ‘Happy now?’ Jaxx said.
    ‘Selene!’ Peri said. ‘Are you OK?’
     

     
    ‘She won’t be OK,’ Jaxx said, ‘unless I get the Heart of Mars. So hand it over or else!’
    Peri looked at Diesel. ‘We have no choice,’ he said.
    For a few moments, Diesel was perfectly motionless. Peri felt an electric prickle in his chest. Surely Diesel won’t let Selene and Otto to die? he thought. But then Diesel nodded and knelt down on the deck.
    Peri breathed out in relief.
    ‘No tricks, Martian boy,’ Jaxx warned. ‘You just stay where you are and roll that cylinder to me – nice and gently.’
    Diesel rolled the cylinder to Jaxx.
    ‘A wise decision,’ Jaxx said and trapped the cylinder beneath his boot.
    As Jaxx bent to pick it up, Diesel suddenly ran straight at the wall. He touched it, making it slide open to reveal the Emergency Escape Mini-Pod. This was a sort of space lifeboat, containing only a radio and enough oxygen to last twenty-four hours.
    Diesel threw back the glass bubble roof and jumped in. The wall slid closed behind him. A moment later, the Mini-Pod was visible on the 360-monitor – a tiny white speck flying away from them.
    What in space is Diesel doing? Peri wondered.
     

     
    Jaxx raised his eyebrows. ‘Strange boy,’ he said. ‘Well, he won’t be missed. I have the Heart of Mars and that is all that matters!’
    He unscrewed the lid of the cylinder and peeped inside.
    Peri saw his forehead crease up in a puzzled frown.
    Jaxx peered in more closely. He shook it. It made no sound.
    Peri gasped in surprise.
    What had happened to the Heart of Mars?
    Jaxx turned the cylinder upside down. When nothing came out, his face crumpled – he looked like a little child who had just been stung by a Venusian flying jellyfish. He let out a wail so piercing that Peri had to put his hands over his ears. ‘It’s gone! Gone! ’
    Peri saw his chance. He beckoned to the control panel and it glided over to him. He quickly re-enabled on-board weapons capabilities. His phaser gave a little bleep, indicating that it was operational once again.
    He kept it trained on Jaxx as he pulled out the Bits and Bobs drawer from the wall. But Jaxx was showing no signs of