Katie Kicklighter Read online

  “What is this place?” Maggie asked.

  “I have no idea,” Katie answered. “Let’s go find out.”

  “Aren’t you scared?”

  “No. Why would I be? Besides, we’re here to find the treasure.”

  Katie began walking from one room to the next, checking the doors. Nothing opened. She rattled each one on both sides of the hallway and couldn’t get any of them to budge.

  Katie then stooped down onto the floor and tried to see beneath the door.

  “Can you see what’s inside?” Maggie asked.

  “Not quite.”

  “What are we gonna do now?” Maggie asked again.

  Katie shrugged. “I don’t know what’s next, but I know we’re not giving up.”

  “But we need a key to unlock these doors.”

  “Maybe,” Katie said. “Or maybe we need a secret passcode to open them.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Look over there, on the wall,” Katie answered. “It’s a keypad.”

  She approached the keypad and began entering numbers.

  “What are you doing?” shrieked Maggie. “We’re going to get in big trouble.”

  Without warning, a large iron door began to descend from the ceiling and a siren began to screech.

  “Let’s get outta here,” Maggie said as she began to run.

  Katie followed her, but just as she got clear of the iron door, she tripped. She slid across the floor and landed with a thud against the wall. Trixie fell out of her pocket in the middle of the room. When Katie went to retrieve Trixie, she noticed something on the floor.

  “What do you make of this, Maggie?”

  Maggie rushed over. “What is it?”

  “I was hoping you could tell me?”

  “It looks like some sort of ancient language.”

  “What do you think it says?”

  “I have no idea,” Maggie said.

  Katie scooped up Trixie and proceeded to have a small temper tantrum. “We’re never gonna find the treasure,” she said as she stamped her foot on the stone floor. After three hard stamps, the wall to Katie’s right began to move. She walked backward, unsure of what was happening.

  “What’s going on?” Maggie asked.

  “I have no idea,” Katie answered.

  Quietly, the wall moved with a small piece of the wall extending forward into the room — and on it was a golden key.

  The one who finds it won’t hear a sound.

  CHAPTER 17

  The Key to Everything

  EYES WIDENING, MAGGIE ASKED, “What’s that?”

  “It looks like a key,” Katie said.

  “And where do we put it?”

  Katie examined the gold-coated key for a moment. It was chipped. Pieces missing, perhaps from age. On the end of the key was a diamond-shaped notch, unlike any key they’d ever seen.

  “I’m not quite sure,” Katie said.

  As the words escaped her mouth, a small portion of the wall behind them began to move, revealing a keyhole.

  “I think we found where to put our key,” Katie said. She walked up to the keyhole and froze. “Do you hear that?”

  “Hear what?” Maggie asked.

  “Footsteps.”

  Maggie nodded. Both girls scrambled around the room, looking for a place to hide. The only spot was beneath the stairwell in the shadows and out of sight.

  In a matter of moments, two security guards arrived in the room and looked around.

  “You see anything?” one of the guards asked.

  “No,” answered the other. “It must’ve been some glitch in the security system. Let’s go back up. This place gives me the willies.”

  Once Katie and Maggie could no longer hear the footsteps of the guards, they exhaled.

  “That was close,” Katie said.

  “You’re not kidding,” Maggie answered.

  They both started walking toward the door when Maggie looked at her watch.

  “Oh, no, Katie! We’re gonna be late.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “The tour was ninety minutes. We’ve only got ten minutes to get back upstairs and rejoin the group at the end of the tour — if they haven’t already noticed we’re missing.”

  Katie didn’t move. “We’ve come this far. Why stop now?”

  “Because we’re going to get in trouble.”

  “Not if we bring back treasure,” Katie shot back.

  “Look. We’ve got the key. Let’s come back tomorrow when we have more time. Maybe we can bring someone with us. Besides you don’t know what’s inside.”

  Katie nodded. Then she darted for the keyhole. She jammed the key inside and turned it to the right.

  “Katie!” Maggie screeched.

  The wall began to move and opened up. Katie and Maggie both stared, mouths agape at the scene before them. The wall slid to the left to reveal amber panels, just like the kind the old man mentioned. Despite the low lighting, the panels sparkled and glistened.

  Katie walked into the room and felt the panels. It was just like the old man described, amber panels fit for a palace. They looked to be worth a large fortune.

  “We found it!” Katie yelled as she hugged Maggie.

  Maggie smiled. “I can’t believe it!”

  They both did a little dance and gave each other high fives before Maggie returned to being the voice of reason.

  “Let’s lock it up and come back tomorrow,” she said. “We’re going to get caught if we don’t hurry.”

  Katie turned the key to the left and watched as the door slid shut and morphed back into nothing more than a wall.

  “Wow!” Katie said.

  Maggie pulled on her arm. “Let’s go!”

  They skipped up the steps, taking two at a time as they climbed. After they finally made it to the top, they hurdled the velvet rope and dashed back to the lobby. The group was rounding a corner with the tour guide, turning the class away from Katie and Maggie’s direction. It was just enough to allow them to slide into the group without getting noticed.

  “And that concludes our tour,” the guide said. “I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay here at Chateau Zbiroh.”

  The group began to disperse and Katie and Maggie acted like they’d been there all along. Only they hadn’t. They’d been on an adventure far more interesting than anything the guide could have told them about.

  ***

  LATER THAT EVENING AT DINNER, Katie and Maggie listened to the other students recount their favorite highlights of the castle tour. When asked what her favorite part of the tour was, Katie shrugged.

  Trey, who was the only one who noticed his two friends were missing but decided not to tell on them at the time, pressed Katie.

  “You mean to tell me there was nothing that interested you?” Trey asked.

  Katie squirmed in her chair. “It’s hard to pick just one thing.”

  “Okay, I’ll make it easy for you,” he said. “Name just one thing you liked that you saw on the tour.”

  Katie growled. “I guess I liked the dungeon.”

  “The dungeon?” Trey asked. “I didn’t see a dungeon.”

  “Maybe you should open your eyes and look a little bit closer,” she snapped.

  Katie felt her cheeks getting hot. She hated the attention she was receiving and determined to give Trey a stern lecture once the evening was over. As she looked around the table, that’s when she saw him: the old man who’d told her about the Amber Room. He was sitting at a corner table and didn’t move his eyes off her. She glanced away and then looked back — he remained fixed on Katie.

  Katie leaned over to Maggie on her right. “The old man knows,” she whispered.

  “Why would you say that?”

  “He hasn’t stopped staring at me since we sat down. I’m telling you — he knows.”

  “Well, what are you going to do about it?”

  “I don’t know, but I’ll think of something and fast.”<
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  Katie looked around the room and watched Miss Dingledine excuse herself from her table to go to the restroom. Without much forethought, Katie decided to follow her. She watched out of the corner of her eye as the old man rose to his feet. Katie hustled to the restroom before he could catch her.

  She leaned against the door once she got inside, startling Miss Dingledine, who was staring at her.

  “Is everything all right, Miss Kicklighter?” Miss Dingledine asked.

  “Maybe, but I need your help.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes, I found this special key and I’m afraid that I’m going to lose it,” Katie said. “Would you mind holding on to it for me?”

  “Why certainly, dear,” Miss Dingledine said as she put the key around her neck. What the rope lacked in ornate design, the key made up for with its glimmering gold shine.

  Katie grabbed the key and tucked in inside Miss Dingledine’s blouse. “Don’t let anyone see you wearing this,” she said. “You might draw too much attention to yourself.”

  Miss Dingledine paused. “Where did you get this?”

  “I found it — but you wouldn’t believe me if I told you where,” Katie answered.

  Before saying another word, Miss Dingledine cautiously eyed Katie. “Very well then. I’ll see you tomorrow morning — hopefully, you’ll already be awake.”

  As Katie exited the restroom, she noticed the old man waiting by the door. He grabbed her by the arm and spoke into her ear. “You don’t know how much danger you’re in right now. You should give me the key.”

  Katie shook her arm away. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She stormed back to the table and sat down.

  “Is everything all right?” Maggie asked.

  Katie nodded and smiled. “I’m fine,” she said. Then she leaned over to Maggie and whispered. “Actually, I’m not fine. The old man knows we found it — but I gave the key to Miss Dingledine in the restroom.”

  Maggie gasped.

  Patting Maggie on the hand, Katie said, “Don’t worry. I’ve got it under control.”

  CHAPTER 18

  A Tight Spot

  IT’S HARD TO CONVINCE YOURSELF of something when you know it’s not true. For all her bluster and brazen courage, Katie knew she had nothing under control. She didn’t have the key, nor did she know what the old man might do. If that treasure really was worth millions and millions of dollars, she feared what he might do to get his hands on it. Katie often watched the news reports about criminals who’d do anything for a fortune, especially ones the size the Amber Room would reportedly bring.

  All night long, Katie tossed and turned in her bed. About two o’clock in the morning, she rolled right off the bed and hit the floor with a thud. Startled, Maggie awoke to tend to her friend.

  “Katie, what’s going on? Are you all right?”

  Katie groaned. “I’ll be fine. Maybe just a little bit sore in the morning.”

  Kneeling on the floor next to Katie, Maggie slapped the floor with her hand. “You’re not fine — and neither am I. I haven’t slept a wink and I doubt you have either. I’ve heard you over here. It sounds like you’re trying to wrestle a lion under the covers.”

  Katie sat up. “Okay, you’re right. I’m not fine. I’m worried sick. But what can we do about it now?”

  “Nothing, I suppose, except stay close to our class and hope we don’t see that old man again.”

  Katie took a deep breath and let it out. “We’ve only got one more night here after tonight. I guess that might work.” She paused for a moment. “But when are we going to show anyone we’ve found the treasure?”

  “Maybe tomorrow sometime after we get back from our tour.”

  Katie climbed back into bed and pulled the sheets over her head. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

  “How bad of a feeling?”

  “It feels like two cheetahs are fighting in my stomach.”

  “That bad, huh?”

  Katie moaned. “Let’s get some sleep. We’ve got a long day tomorrow.”

  ***

  THE NEXT MORNING, Miss Dingledine had to knock twice on the girls’ door to awaken them. She even cleared her throat to prepare to sing before Katie swung the door open. “We’re up,” she said before shutting the door.

  With hair matted to her face, Katie wandered to the bathroom to begin preparing for the day. The image of the old man grabbing her by the arm and telling her that she had something she should give him played over and over in her mind. It was a repeating nightmare that she saw whether her eyes were open or shut.

  The girls barely muttered anything to each other as they got dressed and headed downstairs for breakfast. They sat down at a table with Trey.

  “How’d you two sleep last night?” he asked.

  Katie said nothing and Maggie grunted.

  “That well, huh? Well, I spent the night having plenty of fun. You know that tour guide who scolded me on the tour yesterday? Oh, of course you don’t because you weren’t there. Well, anyway, I saw her walking on our floor. I’d already hacked into the castle’s electrical grid so I could control things if I wanted to — and I made her stay in an elevator for fifteen minutes. I snuck down the hall near the elevators and could hear her crying for help. Serves her right.”

  Katie shook her head. “Trey, you never learn, do you? When are you going to put those hacking skills to good use? One day it’s going to come back to get you. Besides, where did you get a computer anyway?”

  Trey rolled his eyes. “I borrowed Miss McGuffin’s. I doubt she even noticed.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure,” Maggie quipped. “Not much gets by her.”

  “You two got by her,” he said. “She didn’t once notice you were missing on the tour yesterday.”

  Katie smiled. “But we weren’t breaking any laws — unlike you. Stealing and hacking. I’m quite sure those are both things you go to jail for.”

  Before anyone could say another word, Miss McGuffin stormed up behind Trey and grabbed him by the ear.

  “Ow, ow, ow,” he said as he stood up. She let go of his ear and he turned around. “What?”

  “I think you know what,” Miss McGuffin snapped. “Last night, I found some strange files on my computer, which wasn’t where I left it. And this morning, I heard about some electrical malfunctions with the elevator. Now, do you want to tell me what you did or should I just make my own conclusions?”

  “What are you talking about, Miss McGuffin?” Trey stammered.

  “Don’t play coy with me. I can always call your father so we can sort this out with him.”

  “No, no. That won’t be necessary. I borrowed your computer and had a little fun last night. I’m really sorry, Miss McGuffin. Honest. I wasn’t trying to hurt anyone.”

  She bent over and glared at him. “You never are, Trey. But one day someone is going to get hurt by all your shenanigans, whether you mean for them to get hurt or not. You need to stop this.”

  Trey put his head down and nodded.

  “I want you to think about this,” she said. “So, I’m going to have you stay with Miss Dingledine all day. You’ll be eating alone with her for the rest of today’s meals and must remain at her side. And there’ll be no talking to anyone. Do you understand?”

  He nodded and struggled to remove the frown plastered on his face. She then grabbed his arm and led him over to Miss Dingledine before explaining that he was to remain with her at all times except for when he had to use the restroom.

  Katie watched with disappointment. She wanted to tell Trey what happened, but now it looked like there wouldn’t be a chance.

  ***

  THEY BOARDED THE BUS for their final day of sightseeing Prague. The final day included a trip downtown to tour Prague’s National Theater, and Katie and Maggie were excited about the opportunity to get their minds off the treasure. But it didn’t last long when they saw Mister Templeton climb aboard with another younger gentleman.

  “Mister T
empleton!” Miss McGuffin gushed. “Fancy seeing you here.”

  He smiled and shook her hand. “Yes, I heard that this bus was headed downtown for a tour of the National Theater and we thought we’d tag along. I had no idea your class would be on this bus as well.”

  “What a fun coincidence!” she said. “By the way, congratulations on your discovery of all that gold the other day. That’s quite an accomplishment.”

  Mister Templeton hung his head. “Actually, it turned out to be fake gold. We kind of rushed to judgment that it was real. Someone was playing a prank on us, obviously to throw us off track from the real treasure.”

  “And what’s the real treasure?” she asked.

  “Now, now, Miss McGuffin, a good treasure hunter knows better than exposing his quests publicly. Even when I keep it quiet, people try to throw me off track. I’ve learned to be a little bit more discreet about what I say in front of others.”

  That’s when Mister Templeton locked eyes with Katie and winked at her.

  Katie smiled back. She slapped the two seats next to her and Maggie. “Sit here, Mister Templeton. I want to hear more about your treasure hunting adventures.”

  As the bus pulled onto the road and headed downtown, he sat down next to the girls and began to tell a story about a mummy he once found buried in a small pyramid in Egypt that was filled with diamonds. Maggie later remarked it was the quietest she’d seen Katie since returning from the dentist with a numbed mouth.

  Once the bus reached the National Theater, everyone began to exit in an orderly manner. Miss McGuffin rounded up the students and they entered the rotunda to purchase tickets. As soon as everyone was accounted for, a theater guide joined them and began their tour.

  With Katie and Maggie near the back of the group, Katie felt a strong hand grab her arm, preventing her from continuing forward. Maggie stopped, too, when Mister Templeton’s younger companion clutched her upper arm.

  Katie furrowed her brow and looked at the man who’d rescued her, a man she regarded as friendly.