Read Benjamin Franklinstein Meets the Fright Brothers Online

Authors: Matthew McElligott

Benjamin Franklinstein Meets the Fright Brothers (12 page)

BOOK: Benjamin Franklinstein Meets the Fright Brothers

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“It's okay,” Scott said. “I don't think they can see us.”

Victor looked closer. The people's eyes were open, but they stared blankly into space, as still as statues. Victor recognized all five of them from the news: Mayor Milstead, Police Chief Hawkins, WURP reporter Katie Kaitlyn, Mr. Girard from the FAA, and Dr. Kane, the zoologist.

Victor and Scott cautiously approached the five people. A relay of clear tubing pumped blue fluid into their necks.

“Yuck!” said Scott.

“More harmonic fluid,” said Victor. “Strange.”

The machine behind them hummed and pulsated eerily. It looked like a stack of steel and glass inner tubes, and was topped with an antenna that projected up through a hole in the ceiling. Every few seconds, the hum grew louder and the people sat up straight. When the hum softened, they relaxed again.

“Is the machine making them do that?” Scott asked.

“Sure looks like it. Jaime said that the Emperor was controlling the Wright brothers. I'll bet he's using this machine to command these people too.”

“How?”

“Those tubes leading to their necks must be injecting them with the harmonic fluid. Maybe the Emperor uses it to hypnotize them or something.”

“Creepy,” Scott said. “Like a remote controlâfor humans!”

“Exactly. And that would explain why the mayor and these officials said there weren't any giant bats. They were under the Emperor's power.”

“It's like this movie I saw where people were taken over by plants from outer space, and they all became pod people!” Scott said. “So how do we get them out of here?”

Victor considered the question. “We can't. Not yet. We're just here to collect information.”

“But won't theyâhang on a second . . .”

“What?”

“Dust. I'm gonna sneeze . . .”

“No!” Victor looked around. He snatched up a sheet of paper from the top of the crate and shoved it in front of Scott's face.

“
Aaaaaaa-CHOOO!
Phew! Thanks.” Scott wiped his nose with the paper and stuffed it into his pocket.

Victor peered over the crate at the Wright brothers. They hadn't heard.

He rifled through the papers on the crate. “Hey, check out these plans!”

“Uh, Victor?”

“They're blueprints of their giant plane. This could be the key to everything.”

“Victor! They're waking up!”

Chief Hawkins was the first to rise, followed by Katie Kaitlyn. One by one, they all stood, tottering from side to side like zombies, their eyes fixated on Victor and Scott. Mayor Milstead raised her arm, pointed at the boys, and shrieked.

A siren blared from above. Lights flashed. Victor looked up and saw a security camera swiveling directly over their heads. Far at the other end of the long room, the Wright brothers turned in alarm.

“Run!” Scott shouted, already halfway to the door.

Victor grabbed an armful of blueprints and dashed for the exit as Scott disappeared through the doorway just ahead.

Fwooooooosh!

Suddenly, Orville Wright stood before him, blocking the door.

“How did youâ?” Victor gasped for breath. “You . . . you were way back there!”

Orville grasped a strange device, the size of an electric razor. Two long, sharp needles extended from it. Orville drew closer and aimed it at Victor's throat.

“No!” Victor scrambled back.

Fwooooooosh!

Wilbur stood behind him. Like Orville, he also clutched a double-needle device.

“You should not have come here.” Wilbur's voice was low and menacing.

“Prepare to join us,” Orville said, pressing a button on the device. The needles began to hum.

“Hey, vampiresâsay cheese!”

There was a bright flash. Orville and Wilbur dropped their weapons and staggered back, shielding their eyes.

Flash! Flash! Flash!

Scott shot three more pictures. “Come
on,
Victor!”

Victor and Scott sprinted for the door and slammed it shut behind them.

Thunk!

Two sharp needles pierced the wooden door inches from Victor's ear.

Scott shot down the stairs. Victor scrambled behind. Ten steps down, his foot slipped and he tumbled the rest of the way. He landed flat on his back, and the blueprints scattered all over the floor.

Victor groaned and looked up. The brothers were standing at the top of the stairs, brandishing their weapons.

Fighting the pain, Victor clambered out the window. As he hung from the sill, he suddenly remembered the blueprints on the floor. They were too important to leave behind.

Fwoooooooshhhhh!

The Wright brothers stood at the window, inches from Victor's face. He let go of the windowsill and dropped to the pavement below.

THUNK! THUNK!

Above, the needles punctured the windowsill. Blue harmonic fluid splashed into the air.

“Run!” Victor yelled to Scott. “Really, really fast!”

As they tore down the alley, Victor glanced back to see the Wright brothers watching from the window, shielding their eyes from the midday sun.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Reading Between the Lines

“
And that machine
you saw,” Franklin said, from across the kitchen table. “Why do you suppose it controlled only those people? Why not everyone in the city?”

“I think I know,” said Victor. “When I was climbing out the window, one of the brothers came at me with a strange weapon. It had two needles for injecting harmonic fluid. My theory is that's how the Emperor has taken control of them.”

“By shooting it into their necks,” Scott added. “Vampire style!”

“I'm still not sure I understand,” said Franklin. “How exactly does the harmonic fluid give him control?”

“Remember when we tried to use your body as an antenna for the electrophone?” Victor said. “This is the same idea.”

“I see,” said Franklin. “When the brothers inject harmonic fluid into people's bodies, that makes them into antennas too.”

Victor snapped his fingers. “And I just remembered something else. At the warehouse, the noise that giant machine was making sounded a lot like the noise that came out of my phone.”

“But my grandfather's radio didn't make that noise,” said Scott.

“No, it didn't. But it did fall into the harmonic fluid. It could be sending a different signal, like static, that drives Ben and the Wright brothers crazy.”

“Then the machine at the warehouseâand the cell phone call at Ernie'sâwere broadcasting something more specific,” Franklin said grimly. “Instructions from the Emperor that cannot be disobeyed.”

“So if those needles had hit us,” Scott asked, “then we would have been under his control too?”

Victor gulped.

“It's brilliant in its own depraved way,” Franklin admitted. “First the Emperor took control of the Wright brothers, then used
them
to take over others. One shudders to imagine his next move.”

“After we got far enough away from the warehouse,” Victor said, “I called the number on Jaime's cell phone and left a message reporting what we'd seen.”

“Then I smashed the phone with a brick,” Scott said. “It was awesome!”

“That might explain the communication I received,” Franklin said. “In all the excitement, it slipped my mind. Just before you arrived, the electrophone began broadcasting again.”

Victor sat up straight. “What did it say?”

Franklin looked around the kitchen cautiously.

“No words,” Franklin said. “Only letters and numbers. I would estimate the broadcast lasted only ten minutes before ceasing entirely. I was fortunate to be in the lab at the time.”

He reached into a pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “I'm no stranger to puzzles, but I've gone over this a dozen times and admit that I am baffled.”

He handed the slip of paper to Victor, who unfolded it and read.

“C-6-H-8-O-7.”

“Maybe it's another code,” Scott suggested.

“This is no code, it's a chemical formula,” Victor said. He switched on his phone and connected to the Internet. “Yup, citric acid. The stuff in oranges. Why would Jaime send this?”

The front door opened. “Hi, boys,” Mrs. Godwin said. She dropped her gardening trowel into the sink and reached into her back pocket. “Victor, a girl handed me this flyer a few minutes ago. She told me you'd asked for information about summer volunteer work. Good for you.”

“Really?” Victor said. He glanced at the paper. The heading read “Maintain Our Parks.”

“Mr. Benjamin, I need to run down to the store for some of those new lightbulbs. Do you mind keeping an eye on the boys?”

“Not at all,” Franklin replied.

After she left, Victor put the flyer on the table for the others to see. “Here's another piece of our puzzle.”

“What do you mean?” Scott asked.

“Don't you see?” Victor said. “Maintain Our ParksâM-O-P. This must be a message from the Order. And that girl must have been Jaime.”

Victor read it aloud.

“Moms, dads, brothers and sisters!

“Please help us with our plan to control litter in Fairmount Park! Everyone in Philadelphia is invited to help us clean it up this Wednesday, from morning until night, using whatever tools you have at hand. Rain clouds or sunny skies, we'll be there.

“Be sure to stop by the registration tent at Lemon Hill Mansion to sign in. And don't forget your glove and bat. Afterward, we'll celebrate with a softball game and a recycled paper airplane contest.

“Thanks for your help. Philadelphia needs you!

“What a strange message,” Victor said. “Why did she hand-deliver it?”

“Yeah, she could have just called,” Scott said. “You know, on the electrophone.”

“She did call on the electrophone,” Franklin reminded him. “The question is, how are the two messages related?”

Victor placed the chemical formula on the table next to the flyer. “Now, that's interesting.”

“What do you see, my boy?” Franklin asked.

“The letter mentions the mansion at Fairmount ParkâLemon Hill. Oranges aren't the only fruits that contain citric acid. Lemons do too. I think that's a hint. Come here!”

Franklin and Scott followed Victor to a lamp. Victor removed the lamp shade and flicked the switch. He held the letter over the hot lightbulb.

“If you dip a toothpick in lemon juice and write on paper,” Victor explained, “it dries clear. But the citric acid in the juice weakens the paper slightly. Then, when it's held over heat, the invisible writing turns brown.”

“Invisible ink,” Franklin said. “Of course!”

They stared at the paper as dark lines began to appear beneath certain words.