Cole Read online

  “Or if my invention had worked,” Jay said.

  “Had the tree landed six inches to the right, it would have disabled at least half the skeletons,” Zane said.

  Cole didn’t answer. Instead, he just turned around and headed back to the ninja camp. He never looked back to see if the others were following.

  The next morning, Cole called a meeting. Sensei Wu was off meditating, so it seemed like a good time to talk to the other ninja.

  “Things like last night can’t happen again,” he began. “Next time, someone might get killed. I’m the leader of this team, and —”

  “Maybe that’s the problem,” Kai broke in. “Maybe we need a new leader.”

  “Could be, um, Kai is right,” said Jay.

  “I’m glad you agree with me,” Kai replied, slapping Jay on the back. “Now, when I’m running things —”

  “You?” Jay interrupted. “I was talking about me. I think we need a leader who’s more inventive. You kind of think with your fists.”

  Now it was Zane’s turn to cut in. “Actually, I believe the team would benefit from a more analytical approach to things. Rushing into battle in the grip of fury is a recipe for disaster.”

  Cole abruptly stood up. “Okay. I’ve had it. You think it’s easy leading the three of you? It’s not. If one of you thinks you can do a better job, then go ahead.”

  With that, Cole walked away.

  For a few moments, the three remaining ninja sat in uncomfortable silence. Zane was about to suggest they go after Cole when Kai spoke up.

  “All right then,” said the Ninja of Fire. “If that’s how he feels, fine. Let’s pick a new team leader.”

  “Okay,” said Jay. “How? Should we ask Sensei Wu who should do it?”

  “The sensei chose Cole,” replied Zane. “It is logical that he would prefer to continue with him.”

  “We’ll take a vote,” said Kai. “The winner will be the new leader. We can even do a secret ballot.”

  Zane went and got three small pieces of paper and pencils. Each of the ninja wrote down a name, folded his paper, and then tossed it onto the ground in front of them. Kai did a quick shuffle of the papers. He picked them up and began to unfold the first.

  “Okay, let’s see who won and why I did,” he said. Kai looked down at the first piece of paper and smiled as he said, “Kai.”

  He unfolded the second paper and his face fell. The others could see it had the name “Zane” written on it. The third paper turned out to be a vote for Jay.

  “It would appear we all voted for ourselves,” said Zane.

  “Now what?” asked Jay.

  Kai stood up. “The next mission we tackle will decide it,” he said. “Whoever does the best job will be the new leader. So you guys better get some sleep tonight — you’re going to need it.”

  Jay was the first to wake up the next morning. Before he had even opened his eyes, he noticed that it felt unusually cold. He went to pull his blanket up, but his hand found nothing. Puzzled, he lifted one eyelid and took a look. His blanket was gone.

  As he sat up, Jay wondered if some animal had snuck into camp during the night and dragged off the blanket. A quick glance showed him it would have had to be a bunch of animals, and very strong ones, too. Everything in the camp — the pots and pans, the weapons, the blankets, even the wagon — was gone. The ninja had been robbed in the night.

  Jay woke up Zane and Kai. Cole had been on guard duty last night, and if something like this had happened, then something worse might have happened to Cole. Together, the three ninja headed for the outskirts of the camp.

  They found Cole in the tall grass. He was unconscious, but a little cold water revived him. He winced in pain as he opened his eyes and saw his three teammates.

  “Ohhh, my head is pounding,” said Cole. “What happened?”

  “That’s what we were going to ask you,” said Jay. “Did someone hit you? I don’t see any marks.”

  With some help from the others, Cole got to his feet. “I guess so. One minute I was keeping watch, the next, bam! I never saw or heard anyone, though. Are you guys okay?”

  “Yes, but all our gear has been stolen,” said Zane. “This makes no sense. If it was a skeleton warrior, would he not have harmed us rather than just taken our equipment?”

  Cole shook his head. “I would have heard one of those boneheads from a mile off. I don’t think this was any skeleton.”

  Kai noticed something buried in the tree bark next to him. Cautiously, he plucked a shuriken out of the wood. Attached to it was a note.

  Kai unfolded it and read:

  This is your first warning. I have taken your possessions and next I will take something much more precious from you. Your only hope is to surrender to me.

  —The Phantom Ninja

  Cole pulled his ninja hood off and ran his hand through his hair. “This is bad,” he said. “This is very bad.”

  “Do you know this person?” asked Zane.

  Cole shook his head. “Not personally, just by reputation. Before Sensei Wu approached any of us, he recruited an established ninja … or tried to. This warrior demanded gold in return for his services. When Sensei Wu said no, the Phantom Ninja didn’t take it well. He vowed that Sensei would someday regret his decision … and it looks like today is the day.”

  “What are we so worried about? He’s just one ninja. There are four of us. We can take him,” Kai said.

  “Not without a plan. Remember, it would seem he has far more experience than we do,” said Zane.

  Kai shrugged. “Okay, fine. So we need a plan. Who’s going to make it?”

  Jay folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the tree. “Well, Kai, that’s usually the leader’s job, isn’t it?”

  Almost by reflex, everyone turned to look at Cole. He, in turn, took a couple of steps back. “Oh, no,” he said. “I’m not in charge anymore, remember? One of you can do it this time … if you can decide who gets the honor.”

  Kai started walking away, beckoning for Zane and Jay to follow. “Forget it. We’ll come up with a plan on our own.”

  Cole watched them go, a faint smile curling around the edges of his lips.

  When the ninja team reassembled a few hours later, Kai’s group had the beginnings of a plan. Since there was no way to track the Phantom Ninja down, it would be necessary to lure him into a trap. Jay would act as bait in the camp, while the other ninja hid in the woods and waited to ambush their foe as soon as he showed himself.

  “What if he spots the trap?” asked Cole.

  “He won’t,” Kai replied. “Hey, we’re ninja, aren’t we?”

  “So is he,” Cole reminded the group.

  As the sun set, Kai, Zane, and Cole took up positions in the woods. Jay busied himself puttering around the camp, trying to look like he wasn’t waiting to be attacked. The hours dragged by. At one point, Zane almost launched an attack on a figure in the forest, only to discover it was a wild boar hunting for its dinner.

  By midnight, even Kai was ready to admit that the trap had been a failure. Either the Phantom Ninja had spotted it, or he simply wasn’t out prowling tonight. Kai started down the tree and was about to call out to the others to go back to camp when he heard Cole yelling. He couldn’t make out the words, and the sound was cut off a moment later. But Kai knew where Cole had been posted and ran in that direction.

  By the time he reached the spot, Cole was gone. All that remained was his black ninja hood, pinned to a tree with a dagger. A note was wrapped around the knife handle.

  Zane and Jay arrived just as Kai was opening the note. By the light of Jay’s torch, they read:

  Sensei Wu is even more of a fool than I thought. Did you really think you could trap me with such an obvious trick? Now I am insulted. I have taken your friend Cole. Find him by the next day, and you can have him back. Otherwise, you will never see Cole again. Your first clue is to look where moss grows.

  I am waiting for you.

  —
The Phantom Ninja

  “We must find Sensei Wu,” said Zane. “He must be informed.”

  “Right,” snapped Kai. “And when he finds out why it happened, we’ll be packing to go back home. No, we have to solve it ourselves. So let’s think about the first clue: ‘look where moss grows.’ Any suggestions?”

  “Trees?” offered Jay. “We’re in a forest, maybe he is trying to tell us Cole is still nearby.”

  Zane frowned. “Too obvious. As a clue, that would tell us nothing at all.”

  “Moss grows on trees. We’re surrounded by trees,” Kai said. “Doesn’t give us much of a direction.”

  Zane’s expression suddenly brightened. “Direction? Kai, I think you have figured out the clue.”

  “I did?”

  “Where does moss grow? Moss grows on the north side of trees,” said Zane. “That means he’s taken Cole somewhere to the north of here.”

  “All right, here’s what we do —” Kai began.

  “Wait a minute,” Jay interrupted. “It was your idea to make a trap for the Phantom Ninja, and look what happened. Now we’ll try things my way.”

  Kai wheeled on Jay, with anger flashing on his features. “And what way is that?”

  “I can build something that can track the Phantom Ninja. Just give me some time, and —”

  Zane cut him off. “Time is not something we have, Jay. What is needed is the same kind of analysis I just used to decode the clue.”

  “You said I figured out the clue!” said Kai.

  Zane nodded. “You provided a direction, quite unknowingly, but it was my knowledge of the forest that —”

  “Enough!” yelled Jay. The other two ninja turned to look at him. “We only have a day to find Cole. Let’s not waste it arguing. We’ll head north, and when we find him, we can each come up with our own plan to save him. Okay?”

  Zane and Kai nodded their agreement. Together, the three ninja set off in silence into the north woods. Although they were a team, they had never felt less like one. Yet no one wanted to be the first to admit it.

  After walking for about an hour, they came to a bridge over a raging river. The timbers in the center of the span had been smashed, making it impossible to pass. A note was pinned with a ninja sword to the railing of the wrecked bridge. It read:

  The three of you must find a way to make it across without using Spinjitzu, or Cole will not be making it back.

  — The Phantom Ninja

  “We can swim it,” said Zane, then added, “I think.”

  “Says the guy who thinks sitting at the bottom of ice-cold ponds is fun,” replied Jay. “If I only had my tools and some materials …”

  Kai looked around. To his surprise, he spotted a length of rope nearby. Not far away was some of Jay’s gear. “All right, this will be easy,” he said. “All I have to do is tie the rope to one of those tree limbs overhead and swing across.”

  Jay, poring through his gear, ignored Kai. “Great, great. With all this, I can build rocket packs and we can fly across the bridge. Piece of cake.”

  Zane watched the two of them, his brow knitted with concern. Then he walked over to the nearest tree and held up his torch. Looking up, he shook his head. “Kai, these tree branches are rotten. In fact, all the big branches around here are. If you try to swing from one, it will snap and you will wind up in the river.”

  “I can do it,” insisted Kai.

  “No. You can’t,” Zane replied. “The amount of momentum you would need to cross the river would make it almost certain the tree branch would break.”

  Jay walked over, his arms full of metal parts. “We don’t need him to swing anywhere. It won’t take me long to build the rocket packs. Isn’t it kind of funny how the Phantom Ninja just dropped my gear here?”

  “I don’t think it was meant to be funny,” said Zane. “Not at all.”

  Jay set to work as Kai scaled the largest of the nearby trees. Zane watched as Kai shimmied out onto one of the branches and started tying the rope to it. Once he was done, he climbed down the tree and gave the rope a tug.

  “Kai …” Zane began.

  “I know what I’m doing!” snapped the Ninja of Fire.

  Before Zane could say anything else, Kai stood up, took the rope in both hands, and leaped into space. He soared in a beautiful arc toward the river. At the apex of his swing, there was a sound like a huge firecracker going off. The next instant, arms flailing, Kai was falling toward the river.

  Zane took three quick steps and leaped, hoping he had calculated Kai’s rate of fall correctly. He caught his teammate in midair and used Kai’s weight to propel them into a somersault. Zane landed on the remains of the bridge, each foot precariously balanced on opposite sides of a broken railing.

  “You,” Zane said, calmly but breathlessly, “have put on weight.”

  “Put me down,” said Kai, his face almost as red as his ninja garb.

  “If I do, you will get wet,” Zane pointed out. “I have a better idea.”

  With one smooth motion, Zane hurled Kai backward toward the river bank. The Ninja of Fire landed in the dirt with a grunt. Jay burst out laughing at the sight, but the look on Kai’s face quickly silenced him.

  “How are you progressing, Jay?” asked Zane.

  Jay shrugged. “Well … I can build a rocket pack, but only one. There aren’t enough parts here for two others. So one of us could use it to get across, but that’s all.”

  “You go ahead, then,” said Kai, back on his feet and brushing the dirt off his clothes “Find Cole. Zane and I will manage to get across somehow and catch up to you.”

  Jay hesitated for a moment, then he strapped on his rocket pack. He was just about to fire it up when Zane said, “Wait! We’re making a mistake.”

  “Another one?” said Jay.

  “Remember the note,” Zane explained. “It said the three of us must find a way across the river … not just one. If you go over the river and we stay here, we will have failed the test, and who knows what will happen to Cole? No, we must find a way to succeed together.”

  Kai kicked the rope that lay on the ground. “Rope won’t do us much good if the tree branches aren’t strong enough to hold us.”

  “And Jay is not strong enough to carry both of us across,” said Zane. “But we cannot just give up. There must be a way.”

  Jay suddenly smiled and rushed over to where Kai stood. “I think maybe there is. Quick, tie the end of the rope around your waist, Kai.”

  “Huh?” said Kai, but then did as he was asked. “What crazy idea do you have now?”

  “Now you, Zane,” said Jay, offering his friend the rope. “Tie it around you. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before.”

  Once Kai and Zane both had the rope securely knotted around their waists, Jay took the free end of it and tied it around himself. Kai still looked puzzled, saying, “Great. Time’s running out and he wants to experiment with our lives.”

  “No, no,” said Zane. “I believe I see his idea. It will turn out to be a very good one … if we survive it.”

  “Thanks. I think,” said Jay. “Now, hang on as tight as you can!”

  With that, Jay fired up his rocket pack. The thrust of the engine propelled him forward toward the river. Behind him, the rope pulled tight and Kai and Zane found themselves being jerked off their feet and into the air.

  “Oh, boy,” yelled Kai. “How do I get off this ride?”

  Zane’s answer was cut off as both he and Kai realized that the other side of the cliff was fast approaching.

  “Tell me you know how to land, please!” shouted Zane.

  “Well, actually …” Jay yelled back.

  As he passed over the far bank, Jay abruptly cut the power to the rocket pack. He went into a nosedive, slamming into a bunch of prickly bushes along with Zane and Kai.

  “If you ever — ow! — come up with an idea like that again — ouch! — you won’t just have the Phantom Ninja to worry about!” threatened Kai, as he pulled
thorns out of his arms and legs.

  “Now, Kai,” Zane said gently. “The idea did work, and that is what counts. We made it across the river and met the Phantom’s condition. Now we should —”

  An arrow shot past Zane and buried itself in a nearby tree. Wrapped around the shaft was another note.

  “Never mind the arrow!” shouted Kai, already on the run. “He had to be close enough to shoot it! Find him!”

  The three ninja charged into the forest. They were so focused on the chase that none of them noticed the vines stretched across the path. In short order, all three had sprung traps and were hanging upside down from tree limbs high in the air.

  “I think you left out the part about ‘watch where you’re going,’” Jay said to Kai.

  “Look below!” cried Zane.

  Down in the clearing stood a ninja, clad from head to toe in charcoal gray. He was looking up at his three captives and laughing. “Is this what Sensei Wu has taught you?” said the Phantom Ninja. “I suppose I must have overrated him as a ninja master.”

  “Just cut us down,” growled Kai, “and I’ll show you a few things the sensei has taught us.”

  “You will get yourselves down, I’m sure, hothead,” the Phantom Ninja said. “But here’s a clue to think about while you are up there: A man is drowning, yet not wet. Where is he?”

  Before any of the ninja could answer, their nemesis had vanished back into the forest. Kai immediately began to swing back and forth on his vine until he built up enough momentum to swing his arms up toward his ankles. He grabbed the vine with one hand and with the other tore his foot loose from it. Then, he swung over to the others and repeated the process for them. After that, it was a long drop to the ground, but Sensei Wu had taught them all how to fall safely.

  “When I catch up to that guy, I swear —” Kai began.

  “Save it,” said Jay. “That ‘man drowning’ is probably Cole, which means we better figure out that clue fast.”

  “But in what can a man drown without getting wet?” wondered Zane. “On the face of it, it does not seem to make sense.”