Treasure Hunters--The Plunder Down Under Read online

More laughter from his kin.

  The helicopter swooped down like a magpie with whirling blades on its head and tail.

  I couldn’t believe what was painted on the side of the chopper!

  NCTE!

  That meant Mom and Dad’s number one nemesis was about to make a surprise guest appearance in the Australian Outback!

  CHAPTER 58

  “Collier!” said Tommy, spitting out the “K” sound in the name.

  NCTE was short for Nathan Collier’s Treasure Expeditions. Collier, who always dresses in an explorer’s costume and keeps his greasy hair slicked back tight, except for a spit curl dangling over his forehead, is our parents’ number one rival.

  He’s also a terrible treasure hunter. He couldn’t even find the toy surprise buried inside a box of cereal. Instead, he follows Mom and Dad or us Kidd kids around, lets us find the treasure, then he drops in and tries to claim our treasure as his own. He then puts his “extraordinary explorations and exploits” on TV. He’s one of the Treasure Channel’s biggest stars—right up there with the dog, Winky, who digs up interesting things in people’s backyards (I loved the Winky! episode about a buried bag of dirty diapers).

  Nathan Collier was hanging out of the door of his large, cargo-size helicopter, with a bullhorn.

  “Don’t you dare harm a knotted hair on Charlotte Badger’s head,” he barked through his megaphone, which squealed when he squeezed the Talk button. “With my mentoring, she’s going to be the next big star on the Treasure Channel. She’s gonna be our Kardashian.”

  “Give me my opals!” Badger snarled at the Tasmanian Twins. “I need them for TV.”

  “Ha!” laughed Beck, Terry, Tabitha, and me, simultaneously. It’s a twin thing.

  “Both of the black opals in our possession were stolen twenty years ago!” proclaimed Uncle Richie. “They shall now be returned to the proper Australian authorities in Sydney.”

  “They will also set our parents free!” cried Storm, raising a defiant fist to the sky.

  When she did that, the entire army of Arrernte warriors cheered, honked their horns, and rattled their weapons. I have a feeling Storm would’ve made a great Joan of Arc.

  “Very well, Kidd Family Treasure Hunters,” Nathan Collier declared through his bullhorn. “You may keep the opals. But Lasseter’s Gold belongs to me and Ms. Badger.”

  “Says who?” shouted Jabiru.

  “Me!”

  “Really? You and what army?”

  This time, Storm (whose photographic memory extends to memorizing pitch perfect snatches of tunes she’s heard) warbled up the Arrernte war cry. When she did, more than two hundred voices echoed it in response. I even gave it a try, although I sounded more like a belching emu.

  “This gold, good sir,” declared Uncle Richie, “has always belonged to the people who have lived on this land long before the dawn of European history on this continent. This is not Lasseter’s Gold. It is the Arrernte people’s gold as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever more shall be!”

  There were more cheers, whoops, and weapon rattling.

  Nathan Collier shook a fist at us. “Curses! You Kidd kids have not heard the last of me! You, either, you two little Tasmanian devils! Come on, Charlotte. It’s time to make our grand exit. He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day!”

  With that, a rope ladder was unfurled from the hovering helicopter. Charlotte Badger and her twelve scurvy pirates scampered up it like they were climbing the rigging on a mizzenmast.

  Or rats fleeing a sinking ship.

  CHAPTER 59

  “Thank you, Jabiru,” Uncle Richie said to the Arrerntes’ leader. “You saved us from certain danger and, perhaps, even death. And now, if I may be so bold, I would like to request a favor from you.”

  “Certainly, wise old-timer,” said Jabiru. “For even though this vein of gold has, as you said, always belonged to us, none of us could remember where to find it until you and the young Tasmanians came along. What can we do for you, old-timer?”

  I was going to suggest, “maybe you could quit calling him old-timer,” but Uncle Richie had a more practical request.

  “Might we borrow a pair of the swiftest vehicles in your fleet? We need to transport our two opals to Sydney as rapidly as possible. More lives hang in the balance.”

  “Certainly,” said Jabiru. “Why, with Lasseter’s Gold, we will be able to purchase an entire fleet of replacement vehicles!”

  “Bully!” said Uncle Richie. He turned to us. “Quickly, children. Gather up some water and whatever provisions you might need. We are racing back to Alice Springs. He tossed Tommy the satellite telephone. “Thomas? Kindly procure us another private jet.”

  “Kewl. Do I get to fly it again?”

  Beck, Storm, and I were standing behind Tommy frantically shaking our heads “No.” Beck and I were even making prayer gestures, pleading with Uncle Richie.

  “We shall see, Thomas,” said Uncle Richie. “We shall see.”

  Hopefully, that was his polite way of saying, “No way, Tailspin Tommy.”

  The seven of us hopped into two very fast desert vehicles and raced back to Alice Springs where Tommy had chartered us the fastest jet available at the airport. It was dusk by the time we took off. We were running out of time!

  “Bummer,” said Tommy when we were all strapped into our seats. “This jet wasn’t on my Xbox flight simulator program. I don’t know how to fly it.”

  “Bummer, indeed,” said Uncle Richie. “Fortunately, I am certified to fly it and, having had several strong cups of coffee, I am ready to jet us back to Sydney!”

  “Hurry!” I said. “The clock is ticking. It’s nearly tomorrow.”

  Yep. We were approaching our final day. Our week was almost over.

  As the jet thundered down the runway and lifted off, I closed my eyes and imagined Detective Superintendent Ruggiere filling out his retirement papers and packing Hawaiian shirts for his family’s long-delayed vacation to America.

  We landed without incident (because Tommy was nowhere near the controls) in Sydney and found a van that would haul the seven of us down to Long Bay Correctional Complex.

  “Just visiting or doing jail time?” the chatty driver asked.

  “Just visiting,” said Storm, sounding like a square on a Monopoly board.

  “Good on you,” said the driver.

  “Our parents are the ones behind bars,” I said.

  “But not for long!” added Beck.

  “You lot going to bust them out, eh?” said the driver.

  “Indeed, we are, good man,” said Uncle Richie. Then he thumped the dashboard. “If you don’t mind: more haste, less chitchat. We are in something of a hurry.”

  The driver nodded and accelerated. “Most blokes planning a jailbreak usually are.”

  “Indeed! For the sun is up. We are nearly out of time!”

  We made it to the jail. There was a long line of visitors. It took what seemed like hours for us to be screened by security. When we finally cleared the metal detectors, we went dashing up the corridor to where visitors could meet with prisoners.

  We rounded a corner.

  And practically bulldozed over Detective Superintendent Ruggiere who was strolling up the hall whistling “It’s a Small World (After All).”

  He had a very official-looking sheaf of papers in his hand.

  CHAPTER 60

  “Ah, Detective Superintendent Ruggiere!” said Uncle Richie.

  He looked at his watch. “Only for twenty-nine more minutes.”

  “Then I shall be brief. We have brought you the second and third Lightning Ridge opals. With them, you now have the complete set and know that Thomas and Susan Kidd were framed on board The Lost. Your twenty-year-old cold case can now be closed.” Uncle Richie handed the detective the pair of velvet pouches we had ripped off Charlotte Badger’s belt. “You and the AFP are now in possession of all three missing gemstones: The Black Prince of the Inland Sea, the Pride of Australis, and
the Black Galaxy!”

  “Crikey,” said Ruggiere. “You lot did it. You pulled off the impossible.”

  “We also found Lasseter’s Gold,” I told him, “but we’re not here to talk about gold. We’re here to talk about setting our mom and dad free.”

  Ruggiere nodded. “A deal is a deal.” He glanced at his watch. “Shirley’s waited this long to go to Disney, she can wait another blooming minute or two. Come along, lads and lassies. We need to fill out a few release papers for your parents!”

  In no time at all, Mom and Dad were walking out of the prison in their own clothes instead of the orange jumpsuits they’d been wearing all week. They were free. We were all back together again. Detective Ruggiere was on his way to the airport and retirement. I told him to be sure to check out Space Mountain.

  “Well done, children,” said Dad. “Your mother and I are very proud of you. You, too, Richie.”

  “You guys should really thank Terry and Tabitha,” said Tommy. “They, like, saved our bacon a bazillion times.”

  Mom grinned. “As we knew they would.”

  “Huh?” Beck and I said at the same time.

  “Why do you think we suggested you go visit our former colleague Timbo Tyler?” Dad said with a soft chuckle.

  “He’d informed us that his niece and nephew would be visiting when we arrived in Australia,” Mom continued. “He also informed us of their incredible talents and survival skills.”

  Dad propped a proud hand on both of the Tasmanian Twins’ shoulders. “They know this country and they know how to persevere in the harshest of conditions. We knew you five would be safe if they were traveling with you.”

  “So,” said Tommy, “they were like our babysitters?”

  Mom and Dad nodded.

  “Awesome,” said Tommy. “Because, like I said, if it weren’t for those two little Tasmanian terrors, the rest of us would be totally dead right now.”

  Storm nodded and elaborated. “We’d be nothing but five piles of bleached bones scattered in the Outback. Our carcasses picked clean by roving packs of dingo dogs. Our eyes plucked out by swooping magpies.” Yeah. She’s morbid that way.

  “Where’s my favorite niece and nephew?” boomed a jolly voice from an Aussie Troopie that’d just pulled into the prison parking lot. It was Timbo Tyler.

  He climbed out of the vehicle. Terry and Tabitha ran over to greet him and he caught them both up in a huge hug.

  “Strewth, you two are fair dinkum heroes!” said Timbo. “You’ve earned some Vegemite ice cream, that’s for sure.”

  “How about mint chocolate chip instead?” said Terry.

  “With sprinkles,” added Tabitha.

  “You have a deal.”

  Mom and Dad went over and bear-hugged Timbo Tyler.

  “Your family saved our family,” said Dad.

  “Aw, they’re all good kids. Reckon they saved each other. And you gave all that gold you found to the locals?”

  “That we did,” said Uncle Richie. “It seemed only fair.”

  “Good on you. Who knew I had a didgeridoo with a treasure map painted on it?”

  We had a nice visit there in the prison parking lot.

  But then it came time to say good-bye, which was kind of hard. Especially for me and Beck and Tabitha and Terry.

  “We sort of misjudged you guys when we first met,” I confessed. “We thought you were a pair of wild Tasmanian devils.”

  “And we thought you were a pair of American twits,” said Terry.

  “We were wrong,” I told him.

  “We were, too.”

  Then we all shook hands. And hugged.

  And launched into a quadruple Twin Tirade—just for fun.

  It was a beautiful thing.

  CHAPTER 61

  The Tylers headed back to Camp Billabong.

  We headed off to Sydney Harbour where The Lost was released by the Australian Border Force.

  “Thanks for your help in retrieving the Lightning Ridge Opals, mates,” said the customs officer who gave us a crisp salute when we reboarded our ship.

  “You’re welcome,” said Tommy. “Thanks for looking out for our vessel.”

  “Let’s get ready to shove off,” said Dad.

  “Aye, aye!” we all said in reply and, like a well-oiled machine, we all took care of our individual tasks and readied The Lost for powering out of the port. Tommy inspected the engine and bilge for leaks. Beck and I checked the fuel and oil levels. Storm powered up the navigational computer. Mom and Dad ran through a series of safety checks. Uncle Richie went down into the galley to make sandwiches.

  In no time at all, we were puttering away from Sydney Harbour, taking one last look at the bridge and the Opera House as they faded behind us.

  We were ready to set sail for who knows where and who knows what.

  “Hey,” said Beck, “we should go visit Antarctica. It’s the only continent we haven’t visited!”

  “Because penguins don’t bury treasure,” I told her.

  “It would only take us two days to sail there,” reported Storm.

  “We could stop off at New Zealand on the way,” suggested Tommy. “That’s where they filmed all the Lord of the Rings movies!”

  “But what kind of treasure are we going to hunt in Antarctica?” I asked.

  “Antarctica is home to some of the oldest ice in the world,” said Storm.

  “Seriously?” I said. “We’re going to go dig up ancient ice? It would melt before we could donate it to a museum.”

  And while we debated where we might sail next, Mom and Dad stood up in the wheelhouse, just holding each other tight, staring off at the horizon. There were big smiles on both their faces.

  I think they were just happy to be free.

  To have their family safe and all together.

  And to sail wherever the fair winds and gentle tides might take us.

  JAMES PATTERSON received the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community from the National Book Foundation. He holds the Guinness World Record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers, including Max Einstein, Middle School, I Funny, and Jacky Ha-Ha, and his books have sold more than 385 million copies worldwide. A tireless champion of the power of books and reading, Patterson created a children’s book imprint, JIMMY Patterson Books, whose mission is simple: “We want every kid who finishes a JIMMY Book to say, ‘PLEASE GIVE ME ANOTHER BOOK.’” He has donated more than three million books to students and soldiers and funds more than four hundred Teacher and Writer Education Scholarships at twenty-one colleges and universities. He has also donated millions of dollars to independent bookstores and school libraries. Patterson invests proceeds from the sales of JIMMY Patterson Books in pro-reading initiatives.

  CHRIS GRABENSTEIN is a New York Times bestselling author who has collaborated with James Patterson on the I Funny, Jacky Ha-Ha, Treasure Hunters, and House of Robots series, as well as Max Einstein: The Genius Experiment, Word of Mouse, Katt vs. Dogg, Pottymouth and Stoopid, Laugh Out Loud, and Daniel X: Armageddon. He lives in New York City.

  JULIANA NEUFELD is an award-winning illustrator who has also worked with James Patterson on the Treasure Hunters and House of Robots series. Her drawings can be found in books, on album covers, and in nooks and crannies throughout the internet. She lives in Toronto.

  JIMMY PATTERSON BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS

  JAMES PATTERSON PRESENTS

  Sci-Fi Junior High by John Martin and Scott Seegert

  Sci-Fi Junior High: Crash Landing by John Martin and Scott Seegert

  How to Be a Supervillain by Michael Fry

  How to Be a Supervillain: Born to Be Good by Michael Fry

  How to Be a Supervillain: Bad Guys Finish First by Michael Fry

  The Unflushables by Ron Bates

  Ernestine, Catastrophe Queen by Merrill Wyatt

  Scouts by Shannon Greenland

  THE MIDDLE SCHOOL SERIES BY JAMES PATTERSON

  Middle School, The Wor
st Years of My Life

  Middle School: Get Me Out of Here!

  Middle School: Big Fat Liar

  Middle School: How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli, and Snake Hill

  Middle School: Ultimate Showdown

  Middle School: Save Rafe!

  Middle School: Just My Rotten Luck

  Middle School: Dog’s Best Friend

  Middle School: Escape to Australia

  Middle School: From Hero to Zero

  Middle School: Born to Rock

  Middle School: Master of Disaster

  THE DOG DIARIES SERIES BY JAMES PATTERSON

  Dog Diaries

  Dog Diaries: Happy Howlidays!

  Dog Diaries: Mission Impawsible

  THE I FUNNY SERIES BY JAMES PATTERSON

  I Funny

  I Even Funnier

  I Totally Funniest

  I Funny TV

  I Funny: School of Laughs

  The Nerdiest, Wimpiest, Dorkiest I Funny Ever

  THE TREASURE HUNTERS SERIES BY JAMES PATTERSON

  Treasure Hunters

  Treasure Hunters: Danger Down the Nile

  Treasure Hunters: Secret of the Forbidden City

  Treasure Hunters: Peril at the Top of the World

  Treasure Hunters: Quest for the City of Gold

  Treasure Hunters: All-American Adventure

  Treasure Hunters: The Plunder Down Under

  THE HOUSE OF ROBOTS SERIES BY JAMES PATTERSON

  House of Robots

  House of Robots: Robots Go Wild!

  House of Robots: Robot Revolution

  THE DANIEL X SERIES BY JAMES PATTERSON

  The Dangerous Days of Daniel X

  Daniel X: Watch the Skies

  Daniel X: Demons and Druids

  Daniel X: Game Over