Christmas Countdown Read Free Page B

agent and what you decoded makes me pretty certain it is a message.’
    â€˜The riddle spells out DIAMONDS,’ said EJ.
    â€˜Indeed,’ replied A1. ‘And remember the last line.’
    â€˜â€œMy last is in sparkle, which I do, but not in taken, which I have been,”’ remembered EJ.
    â€˜Exactly. Diamonds have been taken,’ said A1. ‘Does that mean stolen? I think so.’
    â€˜But which diamonds, where and by who?’ asked EJ.
    â€˜Excellent spy questions,’ said A1. ‘That’s exactly what we need you to find out. We do, however, have a few ideas about which diamonds.’
    â€˜We do?’ asked EJ.
    â€˜Yes. Now, what did you see when you were in the city yesterday?’ asked A1.
    â€˜The Christmas windows,’ replied EJ, wondering why A1 had changed the subject.
    â€˜Yes,’ said A1. ‘Go on.’
    â€˜The windows theme was the sparkle of Christmas and …’ EJ stopped for a moment, her mouth wide open. A1 hadn’t changed the subject at all. ‘There was a diamond collection on display!’
    â€˜Exactly,’ said A1. ‘The Aurora collection, the largest private diamond collection in the world, is part of the Sparkle of Christmas display. It will be auctioned after Christmas to raise money for a new family shelter. We think someone is trying to steal it and I think the message you just de-coded is part of the plot.’
    â€˜But the message says they are taken and they aren’t,’ said EJ. ‘Gran, Mum and I saw them just yesterday. They were there in the window and surrounded by security guards.’
    â€˜I am not so sure. We received an alert from one of our surveillance agents that there were known SHADOW agents in Christmas Wonderland, next to Delia Stones. I knew GM80 was there so I asked her to check on the situation. She was on her way to investigate when she fell.’
    That made EJ feel sad again. She really hoped Grandma was okay.
    â€˜Your grandma will be fine,’ said A1. ‘She was one of our best agents, and my favourite spy-buddy. It will take more than a little fall to stop her.’
    How did A1 know what I was thinking? wondered EJ. And, more importantly, did she just say that she and Grandma were spy buddies? How cool is that!
    â€˜Oh yes, pretty cool,’ said A1. ‘One year we even tied for Spy of the Year! Ask her to show you her medal one day. But now, EJ, we have work to do. What else do we know?’
    â€˜The cracker,’ said EJ. ‘That came from Christmas Wonderland!’
    â€˜Indeed. Christmas Wonderland may not be all it seems. We will need to investigate. I am despatching surveillance agents JL10, TB12 and NF12 to back up CC12. I may need to send more. Meanwhile we need you to check on those diamonds. Let’s take a look at the area. Light Screen, lower.’
    As A1 spoke, the Light Screen, the access screen to the whole SHINE computer system, including all SHINE intelligence files and the Internet, came down from the ceiling. It could be voice or touch activated. EJ smiled when she saw there was a string of gold stars around it.
    â€˜Well, it is Christmas,’ said A1. ‘Light Screen,’ commanded A1, ‘show city map.’ A map appeared on the screen. ‘Zoom to show block of Delia Stones Department Store.’ The map zoomed in. ‘Show 3D.’
    â€˜Wow, that’s cool!’ said EJ. ‘I can see the mall and the Christmas windows! And there is the gate to Christmas Wonderland.’
    â€˜Zoom Christmas Wonderland,’ said A1.
    The screen zoomed in on a huge warehouse right next to Delia Stones. The whole warehouse building had been painted white to make it look like it was in the snow and there were Christmas trees in pots all around the front. There was an enormous red archway with holly and a long queue of people outside.
    â€˜Light Screen, show all the data on Christmas Wonderland,’