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“So you want me to stay on the team?” Jackson said to them.
“Arghcheeww,” Flinch said, then turned the knob on his harness. “Ah, you’ve kind of grown on us.”
“It doesn’t hurt that you saved our lives,” Duncan said. “So, if you’ll come back to the team, we’d be happy to have you, Jackson.”
Jackson smiled and nodded.
Just then, the group let out a wicked sneeze.
“The signal,” Ruby cried.
The lunch lady rushed into the room. “Agent Brand wants you out in the parking lot, pronto.”
“The parking lot?” Duncan asked.
“Just go, children,” Ms. Holiday ordered.
In no time, the team was outside. Agent Brand was aboard a real school bus. The lunch lady crawled into the driver’s seat and beckoned the children aboard.
“What’s happening?” Jackson asked as the team found their seats.
“Welcome to the TB-48 Orbital Jet,” Agent Brand said. “Since we lost our rocket, Benjamin gave a real school bus an upgrade.”
“Buckle up, kids.” The lunch lady slammed a blue button on the dash, and the sound of grinding metal and moving parts filled the air. Jackson felt rockets blasting beneath him and watched as a wing extended from the side of the vehicle. A moment later the bus and the NERDS were blasting into the stratosphere.
Ruby looked over to Jackson. “Looks like you get to save the world again, Jones.”
He smiled. “We’re in the field, Pufferfish. Call me Braceface.”
THE FOLLOWING IS A
RECORDED TRANSCRIPT OF A
CALL INTERCEPTED BY NERDS
SATELLITE SURVEILLANCE
AND IDENTIFIED BY
FIELD AGENT THE HYENA,
A.K.A. MINDY BEAUCHAMP, AS
BEING BETWEEN SIMON AND
A GOON SHE REFERS TO AS
DUMB VINCI.
October 10, 09:15
Dumb Vinci:
Hello.
Simon:
It’s me. I see you survived the explosion.
Dumb Vinci:
Not quite. I lost a hand. I had a doctor clean it up. They put a hook on it.
Simon:
Cool.
Dumb Vinci:
It actually hurts a lot and I have to give up the piano.
Simon:
Oh. Your sacrifice is noted and appreciated.
Dumb Vinci:
I’m sorry about the plan, boss.
Simon:
(Laughing)
Dumb Vinci:
Boss? Are you OK? It sounds like you’re laughing.
Simon:
Your concern is amusing, my friend, but completely u
<Co
Mr. Dehaven sat at his desk looking through the Nathan Hale yearbook. He was putting an X through Jackson’s face and smiling when there was a knock at the door. It opened, and Jackson’s father appeared.
“Hello, Mr. Jones, it’s good to see you.”
Jackson’s father sat down at the desk. “Mr. Dehaven, I’ve come to you in hopes that you’ll reconsider my boy’s failure.”
Mr. Dehaven shook his head in disapproval. “Absolutely not. Your son will have to repeat the fifth grade. It’s for his own good.”
“Mr. Dehaven, I was never a smart kid. When I was around Jackson’s age, I got it into my head that my only chance at success was sports. Truth is, if I had buckled down and cracked a book from time to time, I might have been ready when I hurt myself on the football field. Luckily, Jackson’s days as an athlete have come to an end early, so he has a real chance at taking a different direction before it’s too late. And I think with a second chance he’ll do it. Jackson is a hard-working kid. He’s smart and has a lot of potential, and he’s got his father’s can-do spirit in him. And, to be fair, he has more responsibilities than most kids—more than you can even imagine. It’s taken him a while to adjust but he’s back on track. I couldn’t be prouder of him, and I think that if you can let him move on, you won’t regret it. He’s a special kid. He’s going to change the world.”
Mr. Dehaven smiled. “Mr. Jones, Mr. Jones, Mr. Jones. Are you sure we’re talking about the same Jackson Jones? The one I know is constantly tardy and disrespectful, and lacks commitment to his work. Listen, I appreciate you coming down here, but Jackson is a failure in my book and he’s run out of chances.”
“I was afraid you would say that, so I brought someone else who is hoping you’ll reconsider,” Jackson’s father said.
Jackson’s father put his fingers into his mouth and blew a shrill whistle. A second later, Butch raced into the room and came to a halt in front of Dehaven. He eyed the man and let out a low, threatening growl.
“I’ll just let you two talk,” Jackson’s father said as he got up from his chair, walked out, and closed the door behind him.
Ten minutes later Jackson Jones moved on to the sixth grade.
WELL, YOU MADE IT! I CAN’T
BELIEVE IT. NO ONE CAN
BELIEVE IT, BUT HERE YOU ARE.
THE REST OF THE TEAM HAS
ASKED ME TO CONGRATULATE
YOU. YOU’RE NOW AN OFFICIAL
MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL
ESPIONAGE, RESCUE, AND
DEFENSE SOCIETY.
THERE’S ONLY ONE MORE THING
WE NEED FROM YOU …
YOUR CODE NAME. YOU CAN TELL ME WHAT IT IS, BUT NO ONE ELSE. OKAY. GOT IT.
THAT’S IT.
THE BOOK IS OVER.
REALLY, THERE’S NOTHING
MORE TO TELL.
GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY.
YOU NEED SOME FRESH AIR.
Acknowledgments
Many people helped me bring NERDS to life. Revealing them will put their lives at great risk, but I still feel they deserve a hearty thank-you. First and foremost, my editor, Susan Van Metre (code name: Bookworm). Her imagination was just as important to this book as mine. I also want to thank my wife and literary agent, Alison Fargis (code name: Brainstorm), who demanded that I write it. Jason Wells (code name: Headliner) deserves a lot of credit for his tireless efforts to get these books into the right hands. I’d also like to thank Ethen Beavers (code name: Comicstrip) for his amazing art and for agreeing to come on this roller coaster with me. Joe Deasy (code name: Dr. Jeopardy) continues to be an amazing sounding board, and much awe and admiration to Chad W. Beckerman (code name: Masterpiece), whose inspired art direction produced a truly one-of-a-kind book. Special thanks to Howard Sanders and Lauren Meltzner (code names: Holly-Mood and Vine) at UTA. I also want to thank all the bullies who picked on me when I was a ski