The 39 Clues Invasion Read Free

little kid.
    Even Dan’s bare belly button disapproved of his behavior, a wide O of shock. Dan reached down and grabbed the flesh of his stomach. He might not have six-pack abs, but with a little help he could make his belly button open and close, which was sort of impressive.
    “That Dan Cahill is a huge jerkface, huh?” his belly button said in a gravelly voice. It had been many years since Dan had watched Sesame Street , but he’d perfected the sister-repellent monster voice, and the skill never really went away. “Someone should really teach him a lesson. Like, bleed all over his shirt. That would show that Cahill bonehead.”
    Despite his bleeding nose, Atticus smiled.
    “Anyway, forget that guy,” his belly button said. “Just hang out with me. As long as you keep feeding me pizza, I promise not to eat you.”
    Dan was relieved when Atticus laughed. His friend had been acting so distant lately. Dan hoped he hadn’t ruined things entirely. Other than Atticus, Dan’s sister, Amy, was the closest thing Dan had to a friend. Which was pathetic, because most of the time Amy was pretty lame.
    “I’m sorry, Att,” he said in his own voice. “I just couldn’t breathe, and I freaked out.”
    “It’s okay,” Atticus answered, smiling weakly. “At least now I can say I’ve met a talking belly button.”
    “You know who would really hate that dude?” Dan grinned, handing his phone to Atticus. “My sister. She’s out on a date with her boyfriend. Maybe he’ll see it and it will save him from having to listen to her for an entire dinner.”
    Atticus used Dan’s camera to frame his belly perfectly, cutting out the hands moving it. Atticus wasn’t satisfied with the first attempt, but after a few takes they had a cinematic masterpiece, ready for a red-carpet release. Dan took back the phone, selected Amy’s number, and pressed send. It didn’t go through, so he hit the button again.
    Dan’s laugh caught in his chest. His phone had no service. Signal interrupted , the notification said. But this was the special phone Mr. McIntyre had ordered for him, with a supercharged receiver and service from every network. It always had a strong signal, even when Nellie drove them through the tunnel of the Big Dig or went into the mountains.
    “What’s wrong?” Atticus asked as Dan grabbed his friend’s phone from the desk and checked it. No signal there, either.
    Dan flicked off the light and stepped to the window. It was dark, but he could make out a car parked at the end of the driveway. He tried to breathe deeply. This was just another false alarm, like the squirrel the other day. The person was probably just visiting someone nearby and needed a parking spot.
    He almost believed it, until his eyes adjusted to the darkness. His stomach sank. There were antennas sprouting from the roof of the car. They looked just like the signal jammers he’d seen at one of the Cahill family’s interminable security briefings. Dan’s pulse quickened as the car doors swung open and two dark shapes stepped out. One was slight and moved like a panther, while the other was huge and had biceps the size of Atticus’s waist.
    “Someone’s outside,” Dan said, breathing slowly to try to stay calm. “And I think they’re jamming our cell phones.”
    Atticus laughed. “Nice one. Next you’ll tell me they’re here to steal the mask from the Peabody. . . .” He shoved Dan out of the way to get a view. They watched together as the two shapes started up the driveway. “Burglars,” Atticus squeaked. “Real burglars. What do we do?”
    “We have to get out and call the police.” A part of Dan wanted to try to scare the burglars away, but he knew better. There was nothing they could steal that was worth risking his life over.
    The boys sprinted down the stairs and Dan was about to lead them through the back door when he caught a glimpse of movement. He grabbed Atticus and they headed for the kitchen window. Another shape was