Free The Genius Files #4 by Dan Gutman Page A

in his chest as he ran for the trees. Just a few more yards. He knew that if he and Pep could just make it into the woods, the parachutes would—
    Craaaaaaackkkkk.
    It was the sound of a tree branch breaking.
    â€œOooooooof!”
    â€œOwwwww!”
    It was the sound of two bowler dudes moaning.
    The twins, exhausted, couldn’t help but stop and turn around. Looking up into the tree behind them, they could see the mustachioed bowler dude with his arms and legs wrapped around a tree trunk, and hanging on for dear life. The clean-shaven bowler dude was dangling helplessly from his parachute cord, which was tangled in the branches above.
    â€œYou idiot !” said the mustachioed bowler dude, hanging from the tree. “I told you to go left!”
    â€œI went left!” complained his clean-shaven brother. “You don’t even know your left from your right, you moron!”
    â€œ You’re a moron!”
    â€œNo, you’re a moron!”
    â€œYou’re both morons!” Coke said, pointing at them and laughing. “Have fun getting down from there. Come on, Pep.”
    The twins were about to run away when the mustachioed bowler dude called out to them.
    â€œWait!” he shouted. “Help us down, will ya?”
    â€œYeah, we could die up here,” his brother said.
    â€œAre you kidding me?” Pep shouted up at them. You expect us to help you after all you’ve done to us? You’re crazy!”
    â€œLook, we don’t have any weapons,” said the clean-shaven bowler dude. “We’re completely defenseless.”
    â€œThen why do you keep following us?” Pep asked. “What did we ever do to you ?”
    â€œWe didn’t come here to hurt you,” said the mustachioed bowler dude. “We came here to deliver a message.”
    â€œWhat message?” Coke said skeptically.
    â€œThe message is that it’s all over,” said the clean-shaven bowler dude. “You don’t need to fear us, or anybody, anymore. You can enjoy the rest of your vacation. We’re sorry for what we did to you, and it won’t happen again. Now will you help us down, please?”
    The twins looked at the bowler dudes. The sincerity on their faces appeared to be so genuine, they just had to be faking it.
    â€œWe don’t believe a word of that,” Pep said. “You lied to us before.”
    â€œThat’s right,” Coke said, pointing an accusing finger. “Back in Maryland, you told us you had given up hurting kids to devote yourselves to jousting. And then, a few days later, you tried to hurt us when we got to Atlanta.”
    â€œWe were employed by Dr. Warsaw at that time,” said the mustachioed bowler dude. “It was our job to hurt you. But we no longer work for him.”
    â€œOh, I get it. You were only following orders,” Coke said disdainfully. “That’s what the Nazis said.”
    â€œYou’ve got to believe us,” said the mustachioed bowler dude. “ Please help us down. I’m afraid I’m going to fall and crack my head on the ground.”
    â€œWhy should we believe you now ?” Pep asked.
    â€œLook,” the clean-shaven bowler dude told her, “it doesn’t matter if you believe us or not. But consider the facts. Dr. Warsaw has suffered some sort of a mental breakdown. He’s no longer paying us, and as you know, we work for the people who pay us. If nobody pays us to hurt you, we won’t hurt you. It’s simple economics.”
    The bowler dude with his arms and legs wrapped around the tree had a look of panic on his face. His grip was starting to slip.
    Coke would have been willing to let the guy fall, and have a good laugh when he hit the ground. Pep, however, was unable to watch another human being in such distress and do nothing. Something about feelings.
    â€œCome on,” she said to her brother. “If they die out here, it will be our fault.