Medal Mayhem (9 page)

The dressing room was empty as we hurtled into it. I tried not to fidget as Susie pulled my vest and shorts on, but I couldn’t help glancing at the clock. Taz was due to race in a few minutes’ time and we had to get out of the changing rooms and into the stadium – there wasn’t a second to lose!

EE was no help, of course. I looked up to see him leaning against the wall with his mouth open, fast asleep. I grew even more suspicious of those chocolates. As lazy as EE could be sometimes, I’d never known him to fall asleep on his feet!

Susie shook his arm and his eyes snapped open.

“Fnargle,”
he said, closing his mouth and blinking like an owl. “Sorry, must have dozed off there.”

Susie finished tugging my headband into place and scooped me up in her arms. “Come on, we need to get to our seats!”

EE rubbed his face and gave an enormous yawn. “OK, let’s go.”

Out in the tunnel, I could hear the roar of the crowd. Susie heard it too and started to run. EE lumbered after her but we all came to a screeching halt when a security guard stepped out in front of us. He wore a crumpled grey uniform, with trousers that showed his hairy ankles, and had a badly-fitting hat pulled low over his curly blond hair.

“No entry,” he said, holding up a white-gloved hand. “Zees way is for ze azletes only!”

“But Harriet is an athlete,” Susie said, sounding confused. “And we’re in a hurry.”

The guard smiled. “Zen only rabbit can go through. Ze rest of you must go round ze long ways.”

Susie stepped back and looked at EE, who blinked fuzzily. “Now look here—”

“I do not make ze rules, sir. Just give me ze bunny and I will take good care of er!”

I gave him a hard look. As worried as I was about missing Taz’s race, there was something I couldn’t quite put my paw on about the guard. Had I seen him before somewhere?

Susie looked like she might cry at any moment. EE nodded reluctantly. “OK, take Harriet. But make sure she gets to the triple jump as soon as the one hundred metres is over. She’s got a gold medal to win.”

The next thing I knew, the guard’s hands were clutched firmly around my middle. “Don’t worry,” he said, with a strange little chuckle. “I know exactly what to do wiz er!”

Susie planted a big kiss on my velvet nose. “Good luck, Harriet. Do your best ever jumping!”

That was exactly what I planned to do! I waggled my whiskers and she turned away, pulling EE back up the tunnel. Once they had disappeared around the corner and I was alone with the peculiar guard, he lifted me up to eye level.

“So, ’Arriet ’Oudini, you are mine at last! Zis time, no-one can stop me making you ze star of my magic show!”

In a flash, I knew why he looked familiar – this was no security guard. He was the bunny-napping magician, the Great Maldini, in disguise! I wriggled as hard as I could but the Great Maldini knew me too well and tightened his grip.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a black cloth bag.

“In you go,” he cried, thrusting me inside and gripping it tightly closed with his hand.

Then he began to run and I doubted he was going my way. Furiously, I bounced around in the darkness of the bag, trying to reach the top, but the Great Maldini was holding on to it firmly and there wasn’t even a whisker worth of space to squeeze through. I gnawed at my lip nervously – if I didn’t escape soon, who knew where Maldini would take me? I’d bet my last popcorn stick it would be a long way from my cosy hutch at the Wilsons’.

Thoughtfully, I gnashed my teeth. If I couldn’t get out of the top of the bag, maybe I could force my way out of the bottom?

Jiggling from side to side, I nibbled on the material at my feet. It tasted like one of EE’s mouldy old slippers, but I kept on gnawing. And, before you could say stinky socks’, a tiny chink of light appeared. I chewed faster, my heart pounding. How much time did I have? Were we outside the stadium yet?

Seconds ticked by. The hole got bigger. Now I could see the ground flashing past beneath us. Desperately, I tore at the bag with my trusty teeth until – at last – the gap looked big enough. I forced my head through, squirming and twisting until my front legs were out. The next thing I knew, I was tumbling towards the ground and landed with a mighty thud. The fall might have hurt an ordinary rabbit but I was a Stunt Bunny through and through!

Spitting out black thread, I gazed around. Just as I’d suspected, the Great Maldini had carried me out of the stadium – I could see him disappearing into the distance. Any minute now, he’d realise I wasn’t in his bag and I’d be up to my fluffy tail in trouble again. I needed to get back inside the stadium, fast!

Hopping around in desperation, I searched for something I could use. Then, I saw it – a skateboard. I’d never used one before, but I’d seen a skateboarding meerkat on
Superpets
once – how hard could it be? Without another thought, I leaped on top of it. Immediately, it began to roll and I kicked off as hard as I could. Crouching low, I sped towards the stadium entrance, leaning from side to side the way I’d seen the meerkat do. The skateboard veered left, then right, through the sea of legs and shot underneath the turnstile.

“Oi!” somebody shouted, but I wasn’t stopping for anyone. Flattening my ears against my head, I aimed for one of the tunnels which led to the stands. People gasped and pointed as I zoomed past their seats. Up ahead, I could see the track where Taz and the other animals were getting ready to race. The starting pistol let out a loud bang and they were off, just as I reached the edge of the seats. I leaned back and aimed for a thin gap in the barriers, crossing my paws tightly. Either the skateboard would zip up and through, or I’d end up splattered against the metal.

There was a loud whine as the edge of the board scraped the sides and then I was through. I soared over the track, just as the racers passed underneath me. The noise of the crowd got louder and I risked a glance down to see that Taz was neck and neck with an ostrich! Then the skateboard landed on the grass next to the track. Leaning hard to the right, I steered towards the finish line and jumped off, just as Taz flashed past me to take first place!

“Harriet Houdini, where have you been?” Calvin appeared next to me, hands on his hips. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. I hope you’ve warmed up?”

I watched the skateboard come to a stop and waved a weak paw in reply Thanks to the Great Maldini, I was warmer that I’d ever been in my life!