Riley Mack Stirs Up More Trouble by Chris Grabenstein

voice is extra easy to imitate.”
    Wheels started spinning in Riley’s head. “Could you do it again?”
    â€œ Nyes , dear. But of course.”
    â€œExcellent. We might need it.”
    â€œFor what?”
    â€œFor what we’re gonna do next!”
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œI don’t know yet.”
    â€œWell, I might be busy.”
    â€œHuh?”
    â€œRiley, you just told the president of the country club that I’m singing a Beatles song in old-age makeup on Saturday night.”
    â€œI think it would be cool.”
    â€œRiley? I don’t know any Beatles songs!”
    â€œOkay, skip the Beatles. You could be . . . Fairview’s very own Rapping Granny!”
    â€œYou mean that old lady who was on America’s Got Talent ?”
    â€œYep. It’s granny time!”
    â€œFabtastic!” said Briana. “Granny is in the house!”
    Then she popped mouth noises the whole cart ride back to Mongo’s.

21
    RILEY HAD AN IDEA OF what he should do next but he wanted to run it by his father first.
    Since bumping into Mr. Paxton and Mr. Kleinman, he had cooked up a scheme to get adults to contact the EPA about the water pollution.
    Lots of adults.
    It was almost 10 p.m. in Fairview, which meant it was almost 6:30 a.m. tomorrow in Afghanistan. Riley had his laptop fired up and would video-link with his father at 22 hundred hours on the dot, which was military talk for 10:00 p.m.
    Outside, it was pouring. Rain pattered on the roof and slashed against the windowpanes. This much rain meant there would be a ton of water racing downhill from the golf course toward Schuyler’s Pond.
    And that meant there would, most likely, be a ton more dead fish floating in the creek tomorrow morning.
    Riley’s mom stuck her head in his bedroom door.
    â€œYou getting ready to call your dad?”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œSay hi for me, hon.”
    â€œYou want to talk to him first?”
    â€œNope. I get him all to myself at twenty-three hundred hours.”
    Riley gave his mom a two-finger salute. “Roger that, Mom.”
    She saluted right back. “Over and out. Have fun.”
    She pulled his door shut. His mom and dad both thought it was very important that Riley be able to talk to his father in private on a regular basis. “Just in case there’s any guy stuff you two need to talk about,” his mom always said.
    Riley waited until the glowing red digits in his bedside alarm clock flipped from 9:59 to 10:00.
    He pushed the return key, placing the call.
    The videoconferencing software did its thing. A grainy window opened, the boxy pixels coming together to create the digital image of a soldier in chocolate-chip camo.
    â€œHey, Da—”
    Riley did not finish that thought.
    The soldier on the screen wasn’t his father.
    â€œUm, I think I have a wrong number or something,” said Riley.
    â€œNegative,” said the soldier. “Riley, I’m Sergeant Kenny Lorincz. I have the distinct honor of serving in Colonel Mack’s Ranger battalion. Unfortunately, your father will be unable to chat with you today.”
    â€œIs he okay?”
    â€œRoger that. However, several of our troops are not.”
    Riley winced a little when the soldier said that. “Did they get hurt in a firefight or something?”
    â€œNo, sir. We are currently bivouacked on base. Getting three hot meals a day. Taking showers.”
    â€œOh. Well, that sounds good. . . .”
    â€œAgreed. It sounds excellent. However, the chow being served in the dining hall isn’t agreeing with some of our men.”
    â€œToo spicy or something?”
    â€œYour father suspects some of the food is tainted. We have several men who need to be evacuated out for non-combat-related illnesses. Nausea, vomiting, fever, chills. Couple guys have developed kidney stones. Extremely painful situation.”
    â€œWhat happened?” asked