Undercover Tailback (8 page)

Spike had more time to position himself. His pass to Cris was right on the mark. Cris was all by himself. Before he was brought
down by a Piranha safety, he had gained twenty-five yards.

The Kudzu offense was in Piranha territory for the first time that day.

T
he guys on the bench were jumping up and down with excitement.

It carried over to the field.

By switching signals at the last minute, the offense stormed down the gridiron. In just four quick plays, they crossed into
the end zone for their first score.

The talented toe of Huey Walker made the conversion good.

The scoreboard now read: Piranhas 7, Kudzus 7.

The kick to the Piranhas wasn’t that great, but it kept them in their own territory.

“Okay, defense, it’s your turn!” shouted Coach Isaac. “Spike, get some rest.” Then, in the next
breath, he asked Spike, “What’s going on out there?”

Spike explained the change.

“I never would have figured you guys could do it,” said the coach. “But I’m glad it’s working. Might as well keep it up.”

Meanwhile, the Piranhas were in control of the ball.

They were playing it a little safer. Their quarterback kept the ball on the ground as much as possible.

Even though the Kudzus defense was fired up, the Piranhas managed to grind out yard after yard. After three first downs, they
were within striking distance of the goal.

But with ten to go on the Kudzus’ thirty, they tried a draw play that misfired.

The Kudzus defense broke through for the blitz and a seven-yard loss.

The next play produced even worse results for the Piranhas. A pass to their wide receiver was intercepted by Ned Bushmiller.
The Kudzu
safety ran with it until he was forced offside on the enemy’s forty yard line.

The crowd went wild.

The offense grabbed their helmets and rushed onto the field. Biting cold wind and frost on the hard ground meant nothing.
They could smell a chance at victory.

There was no question about what the Kudzu offense had to do. It would be Parker’s system, one play at a time.

If the Piranhas got wise, they could always shift back to their regular signals.

They didn’t have to.

On the very first play, Spike slipped the ball into Fabian’s hands. The waiting fullback sprung forward. At the line, Tripp
Collins and Darren Shultz had opened a big hole for him. He sped through it into the Piranhas’ backfield, where he was brought
down. It was a gain of eight yards.

On the next play, Spike spun around and shoved the ball into Parker’s waiting hands. Parker
raced toward Moose. The Kudzus’ tight end blocked his man and cleared the way for the charging tailback.

It was all the daylight Parker needed. With lightning-quick moves, he wove his way through the few Piranhas left standing.
He sped down-field and crossed the goal line.

Stacy was the first to reach him. The wide receiver gave him a big hug. The rest of the team followed with slaps on the back,
high fives, and cheers.

They got into position for the conversion. Huey kicked a wobbler. It just made it into fair territory to put the Kudzus ahead,
14-7.

But as the play cleared, Parker rolled over on the ground. He started to get up, then fell back, clutching his leg.

Rook Stubbs ran onto the field with his black leather bag.

“What’s the matter, Parker?” he asked.

“It’s my ankle,” said Parker. “It hurts something awful.”

He tried to get up, then groaned.

“Just take it easy,” said Stubbs. He carefully felt around the area and asked a few questions.

“I don’t think it’s broken. Probably just a bad sprain. Can’t really tell much out here,” he said. “We’d better get you off
the field. Think you can make it with some help?”

“I’ll … I’ll try.” Parker groaned.

Stubbs waved over Tripp and Darren, who were standing nearby. They got on either side of Parker and boosted him up gently.
Leaning on them, he hopped off the field on one leg.

There was a big cheer from the crowd as he reached the bench. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Joni clapping
her hands.

“What do you think, Rook?” asked Coach Isaac.

“Don’t really know yet,” said Stubbs. “Give me a few minutes.”

The coach nodded and turned back to watch the action on the field.

Rook gingerly removed the rubber-cleated shoe from Parker’s foot. Parker winced and clenched his fists.

“Does that hurt?” asked Rook, poking just above the ankle.

“A little,” said Parker. “But I’m really freezing, too.” He shuddered and shook. “The half’s almost over. Maybe … maybe we
could go in and warm up.”

“Yeah,” agreed Stubbs. “We could do that. I’ll get a couple of guys to give you a hand.”

“No!” Parker hissed in a loud whisper. “I don’t want anyone to think I’m a wimp. I’m sure I can make it by myself if I just
lean on you a little.”

“Sure,” Stubbs said, nodding toward the team on the bench. “They’re all watching the game. No one will notice. We’ll take
it real slow and easy.”

Leaning on the sturdy trainer, Parker hopped off into the locker room.

“Now, let’s take a good look at that ankle,” said Stubbs.

“It’s really okay,” said Parker. “Look, I can stand on it.”

“Careful!” shouted Stubbs. “You might do some damage.”

“No, really,” said Parker. He jumped up and down on one foot, then the other.

“That’s the fastest comeback I’ve ever seen,” said Stubbs, scratching his head. “Wait a minute! Parker, were you faking it?”

“Yes, I was,” Parker admitted. “But, you see —”

“Parker Nolan, I’m fed up with your —”

“Please, Mr. Stubbs, this is no lie. I mean, there’s a reason I faked getting hurt. It’s for the good of the team, I swear.
And I promise you, I’ll be able to explain everything if you just trust me. Besides, when they see me on my feet, everyone
will think you’re a miracle worker,” said Parker. “All I ask is one favor, one tiny favor.”

“I don’t care about credit for something I didn’t have anything to do with,” said Stubbs. He sighed. “Okay, Parker. Just tell
me what’s on your mind.”

“Well, uh, you know there’s been a lot of funny stuff going on lately,” said Parker.

“What do you mean, ‘funny stuff’?” asked Stubbs.

“I mean how we’ve been getting murdered out there by their defense. Seems like the last couple of games, they know our plays
almost better than we do.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Parker. And on the other guys,” said Stubbs.

“I mean it,” Parker insisted.

He told Stubbs about seeing someone come out of the coach’s office with a camera and then run off.

“That’s when we started losing so badly,” he pointed out. “Today, when we started changing signals at the line, you saw how
it went.”

Stubbs scratched his head.

“You have a point there,” he admitted.

“I also have a plan,” said Parker. “But there isn’t much time. All you have to do is stay behind that back row of lockers
with me.”

“That’s all? For how long? First half’s almost over. The guys’ll be pouring in here.”

“It won’t be long,” said Parker.

“I don’t know …,” Stubbs said, hesitating.

“I promise — all we have to do is stay quiet back there for a few minutes.”

“All right.” Stubbs sighed. “Here, let me give you a hand.”

Without thinking, Parker started limping toward the locker.

“Wait a second. You don’t need any help. There’s nothing wrong with your ankle!” scolded the trainer.

“Whoops!” said Parker. “I almost forgot.”

A
s they huddled behind the last row of lockers, Parker and Stubbs could hear the field announcer.

“Second and ten, the ball is on the Piranhas’ own forty.”

“Third and eight.”

“One minute left to go in the period.”

“Penalty against the Kudzus. The Piranhas have an automatic first down.”

There were just a few seconds remaining when the door to the locker room slammed open.

Parker and Stubbs heard someone enter and stomp toward a locker.

The locker door clanged open.

“They’re still here!” boomed an angry voice.

“Let’s go!” hissed Parker to Stubbs.

The two of them rushed out from their hiding place.

They came around the corner and saw Spike Newton holding a yellow FotoQuick envelope. He was scratching his head and staring
at its contents.

As soon as he saw Parker and Stubbs, Spike tried to stow the envelope back in his locker.

But it was too late.

“What’s the matter? ’Fraid to let anyone see your little pictures?” sneered Parker.

“Let me just take a look there,” said Stubbs. He took the envelope from Spike and pulled out the contents.

Just as Parker suspected, there were the photographs of the Kudzus’ plays.

“What are you doing with these, Spike?” asked Stubbs.

“I … I was having trouble remembering the plays, so … so I got these from the coach’s playbook,” the Kudzus’ quarterback stammered.
“And what about you?” he suddenly
snapped at Parker. “What’s in that envelope you dropped in the huddle?”

Parker pulled the envelope out from under his pads. He handed it to Stubbs.

The trainer removed its contents — a bunch of blank index cards.

“You tricked me, you rat!” cried Spike. “I thought you had found my pictures. But it doesn’t mean anything. Like I said, I
forgot my plays and —”

A whistle blasted outside, followed by a loud roar.

Then, with a clatter of cleats and slapping of pads, the Kudzus burst into the locker room.

Coach Isaac spotted his quarterback, tailback, and trainer. “What’s going on here?” he asked. “Is this a private huddle?”

Spike began to protest his innocence, but Stubbs stopped him. He told the story he had put together from what Parker had said
and what he had seen with his own eyes. “You be the judge, Coach,” he finished.

There was silence in the locker room. Everyone
had quieted down. They were all listening to hear what the coach would say.

“No,” Coach Isaac replied. “I’m not going to make any judgments. I’m going to ask one question.”

He stared Spike straight in the eye. The quarterback hunched his shoulders and bent his head down.

Very softly, the coach asked, “Spike, did you take pictures of my playbook and do something wrong with them?”

So quietly that you could hardly tell that he had spoken, Spike answered after a pause, “Yes, sir.

“Thank you for telling me the truth, Spike,” the coach went on. “Now, can you tell me what you did with the pictures?”

“I … I loaned them,” said Spike. “To some other teams.”

“Other teams?”

“You know — the Leopards, the Piranhas.”

“And what do you mean ‘loaned’ them?”

“I let them borrow them and make copies. And then they gave them back.”

Coach Isaac sighed a deep sigh.

“Why did you ‘loan’ our plays to our opponents, Spike?”

It seemed like forever before the red-faced quarterback replied.

“They gave me money for them.”

“So, you
sold
our plays,” said the coach.

“Yes, sir,” said Spike. “I … I needed money, for lunch and stuff. My dad got laid off, and my family doesn’t have much money.
…”

Spike wasn’t the only one staring down at the floor now. The other Kudzus felt pretty bad hearing his story.

He went on. “Then one of the guys on the Leopards bumped into me and offered me a lot of money if I could get copies of our
plays for them to see. He even gave me this little camera. It’s in my regular locker upstairs.”

“What about the Piranhas?” the coach asked.

“The guy on the Leopards told one of them
about it. Then he got in touch with me and offered the same deal,” Spike said.

“It was just one of the guys each time?” asked Coach Isaac. “Not their coach or anyone else connected with the team?”

“No, sir,” said Spike.

“So that’s why you never wanted to try any new plays!” said Huey.

“I kept thinking you hated taking anyone else’s suggestions,” said Cris. “Never could figure out why, though.”

“I … I didn’t want to double-cross those guys who got the plays from me,” Spike admitted.

“What a mess!” said Coach Isaac. “And no one would ever have known if —”

“If this youngster hadn’t gone and twisted his ankle!” said Stubbs, clapping Parker on the back.

P
arker took a deep breath before speaking. “That’s not exactly true,” he admitted. “I didn’t hurt my ankle, Coach. I … I set
Spike up.”

“You what?”

Parker explained his little plot to get Spike to look for the pictures. He showed his own FotoQuick envelope with the blank
cards.

“How did you know it was someone on the team?” asked Rook Stubbs.

“At first, I didn’t know who it was,” said Parker. “But even though no one believed me, I
did
see someone with a camera run out of your office, Coach.”

“You thought it was Spike? You didn’t say so
when you told me about the incident,” Coach Isaac said.