Gatwick Bear and the Secret Plans (12 page)

The next set of enquiries about the little white bear were carried out in Lugano City Airport. Security staff there had checked CCTV footage for Miss Acid. They could see the little white bear jumping into Gatwick's box. If they had nothing to hide, why was she travelling in that box?

“What a woman! That Miss Acid is really somethin'!” Stud exclaimed, “If only all the spies we Eagles have around the world were as clever as she is”.

He had to put her in for promotion. Maybe JFK Airport in New York, surely she was wasted at Gatwick Airport.

The next email from Miss Acid was even more interesting. She herself had been through all the CCTV footage of the few days before Gatwick left Gatwick Airport. As clear as anything she'd seen in her life, there was Gatwick speaking to Arnold White, the big polar bear. They talked for a very long time indeed. It was also very clear that Arnold White had given Gatwick something. A close-up showed that it was some kind of silver coin, maybe a token of some sort.

Stud couldn't believe this. He called Bird Dog and Sam telling them to be pretty sharp about it.

“OK, ya two now just perch ya fat backsides on those them chairs a moment. What I'm gonna tellya is gonna shockya. I know that anyone can be anyone, I've been in the spy trade for years, but this is the most surprising case ever”.

“Hey, sir, so what's your problem?” Bird Dog asked.

“Shut it a moment willya? I'm gettin' there ya jerk. It's like this: Gatwick has been captured on CCTV at Gatwick Airport talkin' to Arnold White for a long time. Arnold's body language suggested destruction. And, before he left, Arnold gave Gatwick a token. Probably to open up lockers at Gatwick Airport. D'ya two fat heads know what this means? Ya don't get it, d'ya?”

Bird Dog and Sam looked at each other. Well, yes, in actual fact, no, they didn't get it.

“It means that Gatwick is in the pay of Arnold White. It means that Gatwick is Arnold's spy. It means that Gatwick through Arnold White has always been at our service”.

Now for readers who do not know who Arnold White really is, here is a quick run up. Arnold White, also known as Anton Weiss, is without doubt the most powerful creature on our planet. In other words, he can make mincemeat of the world, shove it into sausage skins and send it out into space. Under the guise of selling ice, he is the biggest arms trafficker in the world. In the North Pole, he has warehouses full of all sorts of arms and ammunition, anything you could think of: from hand guns, to rockets, to missiles, and to atomic and nuclear bombs. Up in the North Pole, Eagle Knevil, Arnold's chemist genius, toys with red mercury and plutonium every day. Arnold only needs to press a button to trigger a nuclear reaction. He knows how to handle detonators and he can destroy any government. In short, the world is in Arnold's hands.

“You don't say!?” exclaimed Bird Dog.

“It's a helluva problem we got here, sir; I just threw Gatwick in one of our prison cells”.

“Then you go get him out, ya thick skull. Bring him here, we gotta make it up with Gatwick before we upset Arnold”.

Back in Lugano City prison, the Chief Inspector was making his way to Gatwick's prison cell. He was going to question him again, especially about the whereabouts of his sister and the money. The heavy metal door wasn't locked.
‘
Strange', he thought. He put his head round the door, and his suspicions were confirmed: Gatwick had escaped! The inspector scratched his head and wondered how Gatwick could have done that. Only a highly sophisticated brain could plan such an escape in such a short time and carry it out. And, Gatwick didn't seem that intelligent – but he must have been very, very clever to pull this off. Wow! That had never happened before. The Inspector rushed to set the alarm bells ringing. All the staff ran to search the prison itself and some then got into Jeeps and drove all around the nearby fields. Gatwick was nowhere to be found.

“Send the helicopters out again. I want that bear and his sister here now!” the Inspector shouted.

The police were soon out in full force and whizzed their way to Emerald Mountain. He had to be up there.

Little Sister and Mama were on their way back from their hideout. Up near the lake, they had found an injured sparrow. Mama had cut one of her apron strings off with her teeth and had bandaged the sparrow's leg. She placed the little bird in her apron pocket and decided to take it back to the cave, so she could nurse it until it was better. When they arrived back in their cave, they started making lasagne... but, then they heard a noise at the cave entrance. Little Sister ran to the entrance thinking Gatwick might be back. Mama ran after her.

“Hello, can I come in, please?” It was Jet.

“Oh, Jet. Yes, of course, come in. Have you any news about Gatwick?”, Mama asked.

“Yes, he was arrested by the Swiss Police. I found out he was in prison and I helped him to escape”.

“So, where is he now?”, Little Sister asked.

“He's with some friends of mine. But when he's finished talking to them, I'm sure they'll bring him here”.

Oh, the relief to know that he was still alive and well.

“Do you think he'll be back this evening in time for my lasagne?”asked Mama.

“I don't know about that. I wouldn't bank on it”, Jet replied.

“Well, you can join us, then.”

“No, I'm so sorry I've got to be getting back. I just wanted to let you know Gatwick's OK”.

“I'll come with you a little way until you take flight. Thanks so much for bringing us news of Gatwick”, Little Sister insisted that she should accompany Jet.

“OK”, Mama agreed, “but don't dilly-dally on the way, you know how worried I get”.

So, Jet and Little Sister set off. One thing Jet hadn't realised was that the Swiss Police were following him. They had recognised him when they flew past him in their helicopter. Jet had showed up on the CCTV footage in the bank robbery scene, he was perched on the rooftop opposite the bank. Probably, another accomplice.

Jet flew off. One of the helicopters followed him. They couldn't catch him; he twisted, turned and span. The helicopter was not as agile as Jet. The other helicopter crunched its way to Little Sister.  She ran as fast as her little furry legs could go. Then, she stopped to think: if she ran back to the cave, the police would find Mama in there, it would be leaked out that there was another adult brown bear on Emerald Mountain, and she would surely be shot. Little Sister gave herself up to the Police. If Gatwick had been through this, she could endure it, too. And, who knows, Jet might come and help her escape. She stood there, quite still, waiting for them to land. A man came towards her, and showed her his identity badge. Following him into the helicopter, she thought of Mama, how very sad she'd be on her own, without her little cubs. Poor Mama! But, at least she was safe, nobody would shoot her.

They locked Little Sister in a prison cell similar to the one Gatwick had been in but in the female wing of the prison. Soon the Inspector arrived.

“Now, little Miss, I just want to ask you a few questions about last Friday” began the Inspector. “Do you remember where you were?”

“Oh, yes. That was the day we went shopping. We bought a handbag, a suitcase and some chocolates. Oh, and we also went to the bank”.

“What did you go to the bank for?”

“To get some money. We got lots and lots, then we put it all in my suitcase”.

“So it was a big amount. Do you know how much?”

“No, sorry, all I know is that half was in francs and the other half in pounds”.

“How do you know that?”

“Well, Gatwick asked me how I wanted the money”.

“So, you knew about this?”

“Well, of course, that's what we went to the bank for”.

“Don't you think that Gatwick did something very wrong, very uncivilised?”

No! Now she realised why she was there. Gatwick had dropped litter. She remembered how she had started crying because he was not civilised; how Gatwick had felt so guilty. “Inspector, I am so sorry for what my brother did. I think that being civilised means that you always do the right things. Doing the wrong things means that you will go to jail”.

Now Little Sister was worried. She went on:

“I promise you that he will never ever do it again. I will make sure of that. I hope you will forgive him. We didn't think anyone saw us. Really, he'll never do it again”.

Then Little Sister burst out crying: “I told him he shouldn't do it, and I did tell him off”.

“Well, it's too late for that now. You're an accomplice. Will you sign a confession?”

“Yes, of course Inspector. I'm very civilised, though I don't know what
‘
accomplice' means. I might be that as well”.

“Where's the money now?”, asked the Inspector.

Little Sister wasn't going to do something as stupid as to tell him that. Not because of the money, but because the suitcase was in the cave with Mama and, if they found the suitcase, they would find her Mama:

“I'm so sorry, Inspector, I can't tell you that”.

“Why, can't you tell me?”

“Because I don't know”.

“I don't believe you. We're going to look for that suitcase. You mark my words. We will get it, I promise you, whether you tell me where it is, or whether you don't”.

“All right, Inspector, I'll tell you the truth. I know where it is, but I'm not telling you!”

“OK, we'll talk about that later. For the time-being, we'll get your confession drawn up. I'll be back soon. Do you want anything to eat or drink?”

“Yes, please. Could I have a fizzy drink and some chips?”

“Fine, I'll see what I can do. By the way, that necklace you're wearing. Where did you get it from?”

“Oh, this? It was a gift from Gatwick. He found it”.

The Inspector went off thinking what a strange pair these two bears were. He was quite confused, couldn't believe how easy it had been to get them to confess. But, they really did not want to hand that money back. He called a prison warden and told her this cell had to be guarded 24 hours a day. One escape was enough. What would public opinion be of the police now?

*

Mama Bear cried in despair. All she had left to keep her company was that little lame sparrow. She cried and cried. “Mannaggia! Damn it!”, she wailed. “God, I have such a pain here in my heart. First I lost my Bertie, then I lost my son, and now I've lost my daughter. Why?! Why?!” She threw the lasagne out of the cave entrance and it rolled down, down all the way into the valley below.

Gatwick was still watching television in his cell in White Alp. He'd been watching some well-preened brainless robins, cavorting around, flaunting their legs and their breasts. He thought he was a show-off, but these were just something else. He'd soon got fed up with those and started watching some owls on another channel. The quiz show was called Universal Challenge. Four owls were sitting in a row above another  row of four. A rooster was firing questions at them telling them to: ”Come on!” That was the same rooster as he'd seen talking about the war of the rooks. Universal Challenge was too difficult for Gatwick, so he switched it off. As he was looking around him, to see how to keep himself busy, his cell door opened. It was Sam:

“Oh, Mr. Gatwick. Our boss Mr. Stud, would like to invite ya to his office”.

“Fine, I'll be up in a moment. Could you carry my wooden spoon up for me, please?”

“Of course, sir. This way”, Sam beckoned to Gatwick, unfolding his wing to show him the direction.

“Nice red carpet you've got here, a very fluffy pile, very soft to the paws”.

“Yes, sir. I'm glad ya like it. We put it down for you”.

Gatwick entered the room. Stud and Bird Dog stood up. They held out their wings and gave Gatwick's paw a hearty shaking.

“Would ya like to sit down?”

Gatwick said: “Thank you”, as he took a seat.

“How was your trip here?” Stud asked.

“Pleasant, I've always liked travelling. But, that smell at the entrance here. Well, it's really bad”.

Stud didn't know what he was talking about so let that pass: “Can we offer ya a drink and some food, sir?”

“Oh, yes, please I'd love a fizzy drink, a tuna sandwich and some ice-cream”.

“No, problem. Sam, could ya go get Mr Gatwick what he asked for”.

“Yes, sir!”, and off Sam went.

“Mr. Gatwick, ya might be wonderin' why we called ya up here. I hope ya didn't take it bad. We simply wanted to meet ya and tell ya how much we admire ya. Also, we wanted to give ya a gift to show we're friends of yours”.

Sam came in with the fizzy drink and food. Stud had to wait for Gatwick to finish eating and drinking before he could continue speaking.

“As I was saying there, I want ya to accept a little present from us. Sam, can ya go and get the box from the basement”.

Sam went off again, while Bird Dog kept smiling at Gatwick. There was a long silence so Gatwick thought he'd try some small talk:

“Rotten weather, isn't it?”

“Oh, ya, ya, really rotten. I haven't been out in a long time. Really, rotten, eh, Bird Dog?”

“Oh, ya, ya, really, really rotten”, agreed Bird Dog.

“The sun keeps coming out and going back in, it doesn't know what it wants to do, does it?” Gatwick said.

“No, it doesn't know what to do, it keeps coming out”, agreed Stud.

“No, it doesn't know what to do, it keeps going back in”, said Bird Dog.

Thankfully, Sam came back with the box.

“Hey, that's my box. I had it stolen from me!”

“Believe me, Mr. Gatwick. We found it, and we brought it back here for safekeepin'. Ya know we didn't want it to get lost”.

Gatwick didn't ask any questions, he had got his big box on wheels, tied up with red rope, back and that's all that mattered. Well, what a surprise, never in a million years would he have expected to see his box again. And, right here of all places!