Read Online Riley Mack Stirs Up More Trouble by Chris Grabenstein - Free Book Online Page A

molecules from H 2 O . . .”
    â€œJamal?”
    â€œYeah?”
    â€œDo you ever shut up?”
    â€œNot when I have interesting information to impart.”
    Briana spun around to confront Riley. “Seriously. Why are you doing this?”
    â€œI need to gather samples.”
    â€œOf dead fish?”
    â€œYeah. Anybody have a plastic bag?”
    â€œI do,” said Jamal. “See, I brought a change of dry clothes, which I packed inside a Ziploc freezer bag that I will use for my swimsuit once it gets wet, which, I’m guessing, isn’t going to be any time today.”
    â€œI packed a couple sandwiches,” said Mongo. “And a pickle.”
    â€œGive me whatever you guys can spare.”
    Riley collected half a dozen empty plastic sacks and stuffed them into the side pockets of his backpack, which he tossed up and over the eight-foot barricade.
    â€œCorrect me if I’m wrong, Riley Mack,” said Jamal, “but I assume you intend to run an autopsy on the dead fish to pinpoint the exact cause of this apparent ichthycide.”
    â€œThis what?” said Mongo.
    â€œIchthycide,” said Jamal. “See, an ichthyoid is any fishlike vertebrate. If someone killed a fish, they would be guilty of ichthycide. It’s sort of like homicide, but with fish instead of people.”
    Briana groaned. “So now you’re making up your own words?”
    â€œWhen I have the time, Briana. When I have the time.”
    â€œYou guys?” said Jake. “Why don’t we just call a wildlife ranger or the EPA?”
    â€œOrdinarily,” said Riley, “a good idea. The Environmental Protection Agency would be my first choice.”
    â€œSo let’s let them handle this,” said Briana.
    Riley shook his head. “My gut tells me it’s the wrong move. This fence? Whoever put it up already knows what’s going on down there and they’re trying to cover it up.”
    Riley grabbed a fistful of chain. Mongo gave him a boost. In three swift moves, Riley was up at the corner where the gate met the taller panel.
    â€œSwing your left leg up and over. Brace your left hand on the other side, like this. Bring your right leg up and over and—ta-dah!”
    Riley clambered down to the ground on the other side of the fence.
    â€œLet me know if anybody’s coming.”
    â€œYou got it,” said Mongo.
    Riley scampered off the path and down to the creek.
    He almost gagged at what he saw.
    Dozens of dead fish floating sideways on the surface of the water.
    Jamal was right.
    This was a serious case of ichthycide.

14
    RILEY BAGGED A HALF-DOZEN DEAD-FISH samples and stowed them in his backpack.
    He tried to make sure he had at least one of every different kind of fish he could see. A lot of them were trapped in a shallow eddy created by a cove of moss-covered rocks.
    His socks were squishing inside his tennis shoes as he made his way back to the narrow path.
    He wondered if whatever killed the fish could kill him. Maybe his toes were already turning black. Maybe they’d shrivel up and fall off before he hiked home. Maybe he’d mutate into some kind of alien swamp creature with gills, webbed feet, and googly fish eyes.
    Maybe he watched too many monster movies.
    Riley needed some grown-up assistance to get to the bottom of what had caused this fish kill. Jake was right: It was time to call in the Feds. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This might be more than he and his crew could handle.
    Riley changed his mind when he saw several signs staple-gunned to trees:
    NO TRESPASSING
    Violators Will Be Prosecuted
    By Order of John Brown
    Chief of Fairview Township Police
    Chief Brown. Riley’s old nemesis; a word Jamal had taught him. It means a rival or opponent you cannot defeat.
    Chief Brown. The guy whose son, Gavin, used to be the biggest bully in town. If Brown’s name was all over the NO TRESPASSING signs, that meant he