Read Online The Caper of the Crown Jewels by Elizabeth Singer Hunt - Free Book Online Page B

“England” appeared on the map.
    From inside the country, a red light began to glow. Jack pulled his Book Bag out from under his bed and checked his Watch Phone for the code of the day. After receiving it, he punched the word—Q-U-E-E-N—into the bag’s lock. Almost instantly, it opened, revealing what was tucked inside.
    In addition to the usual gadgets, there was the Encryption Notebook, the Ear Amp, and the Tornado. The GPF had just added the Heli-Spacer, a device that enabled you to fly using your hands to control your direction. Although Jack hadn’t needed it yet, he was hoping he’d get a chance to use it on this mission.
    Jack closed his Book Bag and ran over to the map. As the light from inside the country grew to fill his room, he smiled and yelled, “Off to England!”
    With those words, the red light burst, swallowing him into the Magic Map.

Chapter 3:
The Tower of Infamy
    As soon as Jack arrived, he was aware of something sinister above him. He quickly hit the ground, rolled over twice, and got himself out of harm’s way. Looking up, Jack noticed a row of iron spikes hanging inside a rounded arch.
    â€œDon’t worry,” said a male voice from behind him. “The only way that portcullis comes down is if I let it down.” Jack knew that the word portcullis meant a gate or grating that slid up and down.
    Jack whipped round. Standing nearbywas a man dressed in a long blue jacket with a red crown and two letters— E and R —embroidered on its chest. He also had a red and gold badge attached to his arm. Because of the way he was dressed, Jack knew not only what the man was but also where he was. The man was a Yeoman Warder, a legendary protector of the Tower of London.

    â€œYou must be Jack,” he said. “The GPF said they’d be sending you. My name is Tommy,” he added. “I’m one of the Yeoman Warders.”
    Jack took a good look at Tommy—the GPF trained him to look at details. He was middle-aged, of average build, and had grey hairs sprouting within his brown beard.
    â€œNice to meet you,” said Jack, excited to be speaking to a real Yeoman Warder. He was fascinated by the history of the Tower of London and had been there several times with his mum and dad. He knew that Yeoman Warders were sometimes called Beefeaters because in the old days they were probably paid their wages in beef.
    Jack looked past Tommy to the cobblestone street ahead. Because he’d been here before, he knew that the Towerof London was a popular tourist attraction. Hundreds of tourists usually filled the streets. Today, however, there was no one around.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” asked Jack, figuring something bad must have happened if there weren’t any visitors.
    â€œWell,” said Tommy, taking off his hat and scratching his bald head. “We have a slight problem.” Before Jack could respond, he added, “Someone has stolen the Crown Jewels. And between you and me”—he leaned towards Jack—“the Queen’s not pleased.”

Chapter 4:
The Caper
    â€œWhat?” said Jack, who was completely shocked. “I can’t believe someone’s stolen the Crown Jewels!”
    â€œNeither can I,” said Tommy, his face looking serious.
    â€œHave you contacted Scotland Yard or MI5?” asked Jack, referring to the country’s finest law-enforcement agencies.
    â€œNot yet,” he said. “The Queen’s given the Warders four hours to locate the crooks before she notifies them herself.”
    â€œHow could this have happened?” asked Jack.
    â€œI don’t know,” said Tommy. “It’s very embarrassing. The Jewel House is locked up tighter than you would believe. We have some pretty hi-tech security equipment in there,” he added. “The jewels were there one second and gone the next. We’ve even looked at the footage from the security