Read Online Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers by Chris Grabenstein - Free Book Online

Jamal and called an emergency meeting of his crew—in the parking lot of the middle school because the Pizza Palace didn’t open till noon on Saturdays.
    Yes, he had promised his mom and his dad that he’d stay away from Gavin Brown. But right was right, and wrong was wrong. Stealing a puppy from one of Riley’s best buds? That was definitely wrong and needed a little righting.
    â€œIn short,” said Riley, “we can call off the search party. Gavin Brown stole Noodle. He gave her collar to his grandmother to sell in her junk tent.”
    â€œI’m going to hurt Brown so bad!” said Mongo,slamming his fist into his palm. “His new name will be Black-and-blue!”
    â€œThat’s the wrong move,” said Riley. “If we push Gavin, he’ll just deny it, go running to his daddy. If we push too hard, maybe he hurts the dog.”
    Jake, tucked inside his hoodie, nodded. “It would be in keeping with his sociopathic character.”
    â€œBut, Riley,” whined Briana, “we have to do something !”
    â€œDon’t worry. We will. The Browns are not getting away with this.”
    â€œThank you,” said Mongo.
    â€œNow then,” said Riley, “I figure there are two ways we can play this thing. One, we do what we’ve been doing. We keep the posters up; maybe make some new ones where the word Reward is bigger, bolder. In a couple days, when they think Mongo’s mom is super desperate and willing to pay whatever they ask, someone, probably not Gavin or the chief, but someone working for the Browns will make the call. When they do…”
    Briana gasped. Shot up her arm. She knew this answer. “We call the police!”
    The boys all arched their eyebrows. Stared at her.
    â€œUm, Briana?” said Jake. “Chief Brown is the police.”
    â€œOh. Right. Duh. My bad.”
    â€œWhen the caller makes contact,” said Riley, “wefind out where the money drop is set to take place.”
    Mongo raised his bicycle up over his head with both hands. Started thrashing it around. “And then we ambush the guy and jump him and kick him and…”
    Mongo only stopped because Riley was shaking his head.
    â€œWe don’t do that?” Mongo said, gently lowering the bike.
    â€œNo,” said Riley. “You give him the cash and take your dog home.”
    â€œThat’s it?”
    â€œYep. That’s all you do. Meanwhile, Jake, Briana, and I video the whole transaction. We tail the dognapper. We follow the money all the way back to Brown’s house, no matter how many stops it makes along the way or how many couriers relay it back to poppa. When we have proof, we take it to some friends of my father’s, former soldiers now employed by the FBI.”
    â€œWhy don’t we just call those guys right now?” said Jake.
    â€œRight. Dognapping. I believe it is currently at the top of the FBI’s priority list, right up there with terrorism and counterfeiting.”
    â€œGot it,” said Jake. “We wait. Till we have solid proof.”
    Mongo’s eyes widened in anticipation. “So what’s the second option?”
    Riley smiled and pulled a sheaf of paper out of his jeans jacket. He had another devilish gleam in his eyes. “The second option is a little more complicated. A little more fun. A little more what we do best.”
    â€œFabtastic!” said Briana. “Spill.”
    Riley passed around the stack of papers. “I just worked this up. Ran off a couple copies at the drugstore. I call it Operation Blind Date.”
    â€œNice,” said Jake.
    â€œI likee, I likee,” added Briana.
    â€œWhat do we do?” asked Mongo.
    â€œWe convince Gavin to give our friend Briana here a certain goldendoodle.”
    â€œWe do?” said Briana. “How?”
    â€œGavin won’t know it’s you he’s giving it to. Now, to get this ball rolling, we need to