Balloon Blow-Up (2 page)

Joe stared at Mo. With his mantis mask and hood, he looked exactly like he did in the Green Crawler movies!

“Boo and hiss all you want!” Mo declared. He pressed his pointy hands together. “I'm praaaaaaying that the Green Crawler balloon is destroyed so I can fly over Bayport in all my villainous glory!”

Suddenly—
poof!
A thick cloud of green smoke swallowed up Mo Mantis.

“Where did he go?” Frank wondered out loud.

The smoke cleared. Mo was gone. In his place was—

“The Green Crawler!” Joe exclaimed.

Everyone cheered as the Green Crawler stepped out of the smoke. Tucked in his enormous muscled arm was a giant can marked
PEST SPRAY
.

“You all know I'm one strong dude,” the Green Crawler told the crowd. “Well, I'm looking for a strong kid to hold down my balloon in the Fall Fest parade!”

Hands shot up as kids shouted, “Me! Me! Me!”

“Then what are we waiting for?” the Green Crawler said. “Let this mean green contest begin!”

Another man joined the Green Crawler. He was introduced as Mitch Snyder, the owner of Snyder's Department Store. The biggest department store in Bayport sponsored the Fall Fest parade every year.

“Hey, kids,” Mitch said, holding up a big envelope. “I've got the winning drawing right here.”

Joe wished he had X-ray vision. Was the winning drawing his?

“Everyone take out your tickets,” Mitch went on. “The ones with the numbers printed on them.”

Frank was already holding his ticket, number sixty-five. “Why don't you take out your ticket?” he asked Joe.

“I don't have to,” Joe said. “I know it's number sixty-six.”

A hush fell over the crowd as Mitch opened the envelope. He looked inside, then said into the mike, “The winning drawing is . . . number sixty-six.”

“Huh?” Joe said. Had he heard what he thought he'd just heard? His eyes lit up as Mitch pulled a drawing from the envelope. It was his drawing!

“Way to go, Joe!” Frank said, patting Joe's back. “Where's your ticket?”

Joe dug through his pockets. Where had he put his ticket?

“Um . . . I don't know.” Joe gulped.

“What do you mean, you don't know?” Frank cried. “You need the number to win!”

Joe was about to panic when he remembered the pocket on the knee of his cargo pants. He reached in and—

“Here it is!” Joe sighed with relief. He tossed his lucky claw to Frank and squeezed through the crowd to the stage.

“And we have our winner!” the Crawler said after matching Joe's ticket to the numbered drawing. “What's your name, big guy?”

“Joe Hardy!” Joe said into the mike.

“Well, Joe,” the Green Crawler said, “who will you pick to march with you in the parade? You get to choose one friend or relative.”

“That would be my brother, Frank,” Joe said. “We're not just brothers, we're detectives.”

Frank smiled from the crowd. He and Joe made an awesome detective team—even though they were totally different. Frank was the serious, cautious type. Joe was serious too—about jumping into any mystery head-on!

“Detectives, huh?” The Green Crawler chuckled. “Maybe you can help me battle Mo Mantis one of these days!”

“Deal!” Joe said.

“Here you go, Joe,” Mitch said, handing Joe a big brown envelope. “This will tell you all about the parade.”

“Like what?” Joe asked excitedly.

“Like that there'll be a parade orientation next Saturday morning in the park at seven thirty,” Mitch said. “We'll be blowing up the Green Crawler balloon for you to practice with.”

“Thanks!” Joe said. He took the brown envelope and then ran offstage to meet Frank.

“I guess this thing was lucky!” Frank said, tossing the Crawler claw back to Joe.

Joe grinned as he stuck his claw into his back pocket. He was about to look for Chet and Iola when he saw someone else. . . .

“Isn't that Mo Mantis over there?” Joe asked.

Frank followed Joe's gaze. Sure enough, leaning against the wall was Mo, sipping from a cup through his mask. The hand holding the cup was free of its glove.

“Cool,” Frank said. “Let's go over and say hi.”

The brothers hurried over to Mo.

“Hey, Mo,” Joe said. “I'll bet you're drinking a sinister brew that'll make you eviler with each sip!”

Frank and Joe waited for Mo's reply. Instead, he silently glared at Joe through his mantis mask. Gulp.

“Let's go,” Frank whispered.

“Whoa,” Joe said as they walked away. “Did you see those scary eyes?”

“And did you see the tattoo on his hand?” Frank asked.

“A tattoo?” Joe said. “Of what?”

“A praying mantis,” Frank replied. “What else?”

Chet and Iola pushed through the crowd to get to Frank and Joe.

“I can't believe you won, Joe!” Iola said.

“Believe it, because here it is,” Joe said as he held up the brown envelope. “The grand prize!”

Suddenly—

“Hey!” Joe cried as someone snatched the envelope out of his hand. Spinning around, Joe saw Adam and Tony. Adam was holding the brown envelope and grinning nastily.

“Give it back!” Joe demanded.

“No way!” Adam sneered. “I had the winning number!”

“You did not!” Joe said. “I had number sixty-six.”

Adam shook his head. He used his free hand to hold up his ticket. “See? . . . Number sixty-six.”

“That's number ninety-nine upside down,” Iola snapped. “Nice try, Ackerman.”

Joe tried to take the envelope, but Adam held it back.

“Come on, Adam!” Frank said angrily. “That was Joe's drawing of the Green Crawler they picked, not yours.”

“You probably drew Mo Mantis, Adam,” Chet said. “It takes a villain to know one.”

Adam glared at Chet. He then raced off with the envelope, Tony right behind him.

Joe froze as he watched the bullies get away. That envelope had everything he needed to be in the parade!

“What are we waiting for, Joe?” Frank cried. “Let's get Adam—and that envelope!”

T
he Hardys and the Mortons chased the bullies through the mall. They darted past the sports store and the music shop, and even zigzagged through the tables in the food court.

“Stop!” Joe yelled.

Frank and Joe picked up speed. They were about to catch up with Adam and Tony when the two slipped inside an elevator.

“Rats!” Frank said as the doors began to close.

“Game over!” Adam laughed as he waved the envelope.

“Not yet!” Joe said. He thrust his Crawler claw between the closing doors. Adam gasped as the claw snatched the envelope from his hand!

“Hey!” Adam yelled as the doors closed.

Joe turned to Frank and his friends. He waved his trusty gadget with the envelope.

“I told you it was lucky!” Joe said.

•  •  •

The next Saturday morning couldn't come quickly enough for Joe and Frank. They could hardly sit still in the backseat of their dad's car as he drove them to parade practice.

“Do you have the envelope?” Fenton Hardy asked. “And your IDs?”

“Check!” Joe said, holding up the envelope.

“Check!” Frank said, lifting the ID around his neck.

“Your mom and I signed the permission slips,” Mr. Hardy said as he drove. “Now, remember the parade organization's agreement that you both signed.”

Frank nodded. “Any disrespectful behavior like vandalizing parade property means we're out of the parade,” he said.

“Who do they think we are?” Joe joked. “Adam and Tony?”

Mr. Hardy dropped Frank and Joe off at the park. After saying good-bye, the brothers made their way toward the special parade tent. On the way the boys spotted a shiny red motorbike parked against a tree.

“Somebody rode here in style,” Frank said.

But Joe had his eye on something else. It was big and green, and stretched out over a nearby field.

“Look, Frank!” Joe said. “That must be the Green Crawler balloon before it's blown up.”

Some workers spread out the balloon, while others tethered it to the ground. Joe wondered if they were balloon handlers—just like him and Frank.

Also in the park were the parade floats. One was decorated to look like a pirate ship. Another had a castle with a big purple dragon on top.

The biggest float carried a small red barn and a haystack. Teenagers and kids dressed up like scarecrows practiced a dance while a girl with long brown hair sang.

“That's Taylor Smyth!” Frank said. “She's a huge star.”

Joe shook his head as he pointed to the Crawler balloon. “
That's
the biggest star in the parade,” he said.

Frank and Joe were watching some clowns practicing handstands when they spotted Sammy and his Nutty the Squirrel fan club. The club members were walking quietly through the park, toward the balloon.

“What are they doing here?” Joe wondered.

The club stopped to stare at the Green Crawler balloon. After a signal from Sammy the kids turned and continued walking.

“Did you see them staring at that balloon?” Frank asked. “I hope they're not here to make trouble.”

“Those kids?” Joe scoffed. “They make Nutty the Squirrel seem ferocious!”

Frank's eyes lit up as if he'd just remembered something. He pulled a camera out of his pocket. “I brought this to take pictures of the balloon.”

“And I brought this,” Joe said, pulling the Green Crawler claw from his back pocket. “My lucky charm.”

“But you already won the contest!” Frank said.

Joe shrugged and said, “You can never be too lucky!”

The brothers entered a tent set up for parade volunteers. There to greet them was the parade director, Kevin Lively.

“Hi, guys,” Kevin said. “Welcome to—”

“Excuse me, Mr. Lively!” a woman interrupted. She wore a blue-and-gold marching band uniform and a big scowl.

“Boys,” Kevin said, “meet Kit Abernathy, the high school band director.”

Kit nodded at Frank and Joe. She then turned to Kevin and said, “What's this about my band being followed by the Green Crawler balloon?”

“What's wrong with that?” Kevin asked.

“All eyes will be on the balloon, not on the Bayport Boomerangs!” Kit complained while waving her conductor's baton in Kevin's face.

Joe gulped. That thing would make a dangerous weapon!

“My kids are musicians,” Kit went on. “Not escorts for some giant green blob with legs!”

“Sorry, Kit,” Kevin said. “But I can't change the lineup now.”

“What?” Kit cried.

“One more thing,” Kevin added. “Teach your band the Green Crawler theme song. It'll be perfect for the parade.”

Kit angrily turned on her boot heel and huffed off.