The Kids From B.A.D.
	Stories by Allen Morgan
	detective story collection
	no illustrations
	six stories - 128 pages

The Lunch Box Phantom (part 4)

The cookies worked perfectly at school too. Monday morning Billy and some of his friends put them into their lunch boxes before school started, and by lunch time they were gone. The Kids from B.A.D. watched Shane and Eddie very carefully when they walked out to the far side of the baseball diamond after lunch. Eddie was carrying a large paper bag.

"Something tells me we don't have long to wait," said John.

He was right. About two minutes later both Eddie and Shane started shouting. They threw the paper bag against the fence and made a wild dash for the water fountain inside. All the detectives laughed at them as they ran by, especially John and Mike. They were laughing so hard they could hardly stand up. When Eddie and Shane came out again about five minutes later they went right over to Mike and John. Their faces were red and their eyes were still watering. They weren't very happy about it.

"You think you're pretty hot stuff, don't you," said Eddie.

"You're the ones who look kind of hot," laughed John.

"You just better watch your step, kid," growled Shane, stepping up close to John. "You start messing around with us and you're going to wish you never even saw us."

Even though John was a lot shorter than Shane he held his ground and stood up to him. They were toe to toe and both boys had their fists clenched and ready for action.

"You're the ones who are going to feel sorry," John told him. "We know what you and Eddie are doing with the lunch boxes. We stuck those cookies in there just to prove it to everybody. It's a warning to you: stop ripping off the little kids or we're going to arrest you and take you in to the principal."

Shane just laughed and looked at Eddie. Eddie snickered.

"You're going to arrest us?" he asked. "You and who else?"

"The rest of the detectives," said John. "That's who else."

"What detectives?" Shane scoffed. "All I see here is a bunch of grade five babies who couldn't even lick a stamp. You guys are pitiful. You can't even spit straight, let alone fight anybody."

"You better watch it," Jessica warned him. "I know judo."
"Hey," sneered Eddie. "Some of the detectives are girls."

"They're all girls," said Shane. "Just a bunch of sissies."

As he spoke he grabbed John by the shirt and pushed him backwards. Eddie dropped to his knees behind John at the same moment. John fell over him and Eddie was on him in a flash. When he finally hauled John to his feet he had him in a wicked finger hold.

"Anybody moves and I break off his finger," Eddie told the rest of the detectives. He pulled back on John's hand until he cried out.

"Don't start crying, little boy," Shane said. "You've got nine more fingers if that one breaks off. It'll only hurt for a week or so." He laughed and then spat on the ground. "You guys better get this straight right from the start. Nobody messes with us if they want to stay alive. If we feel like ripping off lunch boxes then we do it, see?" He-spat again and turned to Eddie. "Let the sissy go now, before he starts calling for his mama."

Eddie laughed. He gave John's finger one last twist before letting go of it. Then he pushed John at Mike, and before anyone could stop them Eddie and Shane escaped across the yard.