Thunder Raker Read Online Free PDF Page A

rocket was fast approaching, as a swirl of smoke racedtowards him. He hurried to the side of the road to let Beth shoot past.
    She skidded and screeched to a halt just past Alfie and he ran to catch her up. She wasn’t wearing roller skates today, but was on a skateboard like the boy had on the surveillance video.
    â€œI thought it looked neat, so I made this one last night,” she said.
    â€œDidn’t you do your homework?”
    Beth grinned. “Chips did it for me.”
    â€œIs he your brother?” Alfie wondered.
    â€œNo, silly. He’s my computer. Do you have a computer?”
    Alfie shook his head. “Dad lets me use his if I need to. I don’t even have a games console.”
    â€œDon’t tell Chloe,” Beth said. “She has all the latest kit. She’s got a Playstation 7, a Z-Box, a Wii Mark 9, and the new Omni-Processing Decryptotron. Lucky thing.” Beth adjusted her helmet strap. “See you.” And in a blur of speed and a curl of smoke, she was gone.
    Alfie passed three more men in darkoveralls hiding in the hedges outside the school. He pretended not to notice them as they whispered and murmured into radio handsets and drank tea. Sergeant Custer opened the gates for Alfie and snapped a neat salute.
    â€œDad says you can come and play after school one day if you want,” Jack told Alfie as soon as he got into the classroom. “Once you’ve been positively vetted, of course. There’s a form you need to fill in.”
    Miss Jones arrived before Alfie could reply. “There’s a special assembly this morning,” she announced. “Mr Trenchard has some important information.”
    They went to the school hall but Mr TrenchardAgent Alfie 19/6/08 14:09 Page 81 told them he didn’t know who they were or why they were there, and could they all please go away and leave him in peace.
    â€œAh, no, hang on a minute,” Mr Trenchard’s voice boomed down the main corridor as they left.
    No one seemed at all surprised by this, but simply turned round and trooped back into the hall.
    â€œRight, good,” Mr Trenchard said. He was holding a piece of paper and staring at it over the top of his spectacles. He stood at a lectern on the stage at the end of the hall. The other teachers sat on chairs behind him. “Important information here. Everyone pay attention.”
    â€œWe’re lucky he can remember how to read,” Sam said as he edged his wheelchairinto the gap between Alfie and Harry.
    â€œNow,” Mr Trenchard was saying, “we all know that SPUD has been trying to infiltrate the Service and get hold of our advanced technology.” He paused and pushed his glasses up his nose. “Do we know that? Yes, I suppose we do. Might have slipped our minds but yes, indeed.” He cleared his throat and went on: “Now, those boffins at the Government Inventing Taskforce…”
    â€œGIT!” someone shouted from halfway down the hall.
    â€œAbsolutely,” Mr Trenchard agreed. “Those boffins at GIT have got a spy satellite in a spot of bother up in orbit. Or rather, out of orbit.” He paused to check his sheet of notes. “That is to say, it crashed to earth. Yesterday. And SPUD would
    like nothing better than to get their hands on it.”
    â€œWhy is that?” the Major asked.
    â€œBecause it’s secret, that’s why.”
    The Major nodded. “I see.” His chair lurched precariously to the side as one of its legs fell off.
    â€œNow the GIT chappies did manage to arrange for their satellite to crash just about…
    here.” Mr Trenchard frowned and re-checked his notes. “Well, not here exactly, in this hall, but somewhere in the local area. So it’s up to us to recover it before SPUD agents move in and find it.”
    â€œTerrific,” Jack whispered. “A real mission at last.”
    â€œCould be dangerous,” Harry said quietly.
    Jack