Bring On the War Mice

By Ryan Schneider

Bring On The War Mice is Book Three of the epic serial adventure series The Go-Kids by Amazon Top 100 science fiction writer Ryan Schneider.

After surviving the worst attack on American soil in the nation’s history, only to be informed that his dad has been listed as Missing In Action, Parker is the victim of mistaken identity and kidnapping. He soon finds himself and his irrepressible friends in a Top Secret government facility confronted with technology the likes of which none of them has ever seen. But could it be a way for him to rescue his dad? Will Parker accept the mission? Will Sunny fall prey to Colby’s flirtations? Will Parker’s nightmares continue? Find out in Book Three of the ongoing serial adventure series, The Go-Kids.

Though it is a story about kids, it is far more than just a kids' story. It is a story involving young protagonists dealing with universal themes of growing up, friendship, and making the right moral choices.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ryan Schneider
• Release date: May 16, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458066770

Ryan Schneider

I write fiction. I will make you think and feel. That is my job.I am a husband, aspiring father, writer, and novelist.I try to write stories I would enjoy reading.My work is sometimes dark and heavy, sometimes light and fun, even romantic.I co-authored "The Pillow Book" with Petal Darker.I earned a Bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of the Pacific. I have worked as a newspaper staff writer, a film critic, as well as co-host of a radio show. I studied screenwriting and independent producing at UCLA.I have written 7 novels, many short stories, a dozen screenplays, and many essays. I also co-produced a 35mm short film.I am also a commercially-licensed pilot with multi-engine and instrument ratings. I have flown various aircraft: Cessna 152, Cessna 172, Piper Arrow and Piper Seminole.I live with my wife Taliya in Palm Springs. Taliya is a singer/songwriter and musician. Her music has been likened to Enya, Yanni, and Sarah McLachlan. Taliya plays guitar, piano, and flute. She was awarded a Guinness World Record for recording her original song "Flower Child" in 15 languages. She has toured much of Europe and the United States. She has written and produced two albums and is currently in the studio at work on her third album.In 2013 I published the science fiction romantic novel EYE CANDY. Read it. You'll like it.I also published THE DEMON DRIVERS TRILOGY BOOK 1 -- THE BEGINNING. It's all five books of The Go-Kids adventure series collected in one volume for the first time ever! Read it. You'll like it.I am presently working on Book 2 of THE DEMON DRIVERS (coincides with book 6 of TGK), the epic tale of a thirteen-year-old boy named Parker who has the weight of the world on his shoulders, and the lives of his friends in his hands.

Book preview

Bring On the War Mice

Book Three of THE GO-KIDS

by

Ryan Schneider

Copyright © 2010 Ryan Schneider

All Rights Reserved

All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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First Edition

Also By Ryan Schneider

The Pillow Book

(with petal darker)

A Shadow Passed Over the Son

Book One of THE GO-KIDS

Hallowed Be Thy Name

Book Two of THE GO-KIDS

Chapter 1

Milk, Milk, Lemonade . . .

Parker caught Dr. Seabrook glance sideways at General Ramsey: I told you so.

You know something, Mr. Perkins? said Colby. For once you and I are in total agreement.

Dr. Seabrook tapped his screen and a new schematic appeared up above. It was a diagram of a Battle-Suit, of Go-Boy Ultra. It was bigger and leaner than Igby’s One-Zero-One, more refined. This is Go-Boy Ultra, said Dr. Seabrook. It’s a prototype, the latest and greatest in the never-ending quest for the ultimate Battle-Suit. And as you’ve just seen in the surveillance video we cut together documenting its escape, it’s pretty serious. It also doesn’t suffer the same problems that plague the original Go-Boy Battle-Suit. Don’t get me wrong, the One-Zero-One is very impressive. But Go-Boy Ultra can fly circles around it. It’s lighter, faster, more maneuverable, and it’s better armored. And better armed.

So what’s the problem? asked Bubba.

The problem, said General Ramsey, is that Dr. Red stole it. It’s gone. That’s what we just watched. The greatest, most amazing, most potentially horrifying machine ever built, ever conceived, is out there somewhere, flying around, doing God knows what. It is literally in the hands of a mad scientist.

So I guess your Top Secret underground base has some really super-duper security, huh? said Colby. Despite his irreverence, Colby had a point.

If he’s mad, why did you ask him to help you? asked Sunny.

Good question, said General Ramsey. Dr. Seabrook? Would you care to answer the young lady? Because I still can’t figure this one out.

As I said before, said Dr. Seabrook, clearly working to maintain his composure, Igby and I were having difficulty with the new pilot interface. Without the pilot interface, the suit is useless. We were stuck for almost a month. So we found someone we thought could help us. We didn’t give him access to the entire project. At least, not at first. But as we worked the problem, we realized it went deeper than we thought. That necessitated giving Dr. Red more and more information. Eventually, he had everything he needed. Though at what point he decided to steal the suit I don’t know.

Don’t cry over spilt milk! said Bubba. And, if life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

Lots of it, said General Ramsey.

Milk, milk, lemonade, around the corner fudge is made, said Colby. Igby giggled.

I hate to sound like a broken record, said Parker, even though I’ve only seen records in the Smithsonian when my parents took me there after I got straight-A’s on my report card, but you still haven’t said what you need us for. What’s the deal?

The deal, said General Ramsey, is this: you’re going to track down Dr. Red and capture Go-Boy Ultra! His face was one gigantic smile, as if he’d just given Parker the secret for spinning straw into gold.

Parker had only one thought: You’ve got to be kidding.

Chapter 2

If Life Hands You Lemons . . .

You’ve got to be kidding, said Parker. He stared at the elated General, whose enthusiasm had not waned during fifteen seconds of horrific silence.

No, said the General, I’m not kidding. The plan is simple. You hop in the Battle-Suit and go get Go-Boy Ultra.

Me? By myself? You just said Go-Boy Ultra can fly circles around the One-Zero-One. Not to mention that stuff about being better armed. Forget it. I’m not doing that.

Not just you, said General Ramsey. All of you! Even Igby. He’s been dying to get out and do some real flying for a change, instead of always in the simulator or stuck inside this hangar making itty-bitty test flights. We have five working Battle-Suits. One for each of you. They’ll require a bit of polishing, but they’re in excellent condition. And Igby and Dr. Seabrook finished this one this morning. It’s ready to go. He motioned to the nearby suit. The team had yet to reassemble it and it looked far from being ready to go anywhere. Well, it’s almost ready.

Parker sneaked a peak at the other kids. Their faces were blank. They seemed to be as much at a loss as was he.

Look, I know this is unexpected, General Ramsey continued, and again, I apologize. But when Go-Boy Ultra was stolen, we knew we had to do something. And do it fast. So I came up with a plan. The only way to catch the deadliest machine ever built is to use the second-deadliest machine ever built. That meant I needed a pilot. Who better than the person with the most experience flying a Go-Boy Battle-Suit? The star of the Go-Boy SV show and the movies . . . Colby Max!

Parker heard Colby puff up from eight feet away.

So we arranged to sort of borrow Colby for a bit.

Borrow me? asked Colby. What am I? A library book? Besides I’d say it’s more like kidnapping.

What are you yelling about? asked Bubba. Parker’s the one who got kidnapped. Not you.

They meant to take me, said Colby.

Meant schment, you big crybaby, said Bubba. Colby glowered at him.

As I was saying, General Ramsey cut in, I had originally planned to use just one pilot, with Igby’s assistance, of course. But when I saw the four of you upstairs, I remembered the five original Go-Boy suits and Igby and Dr. Seabrook down here slaving away with the team. I knew I had the answer.

If life hands you lemons, declared Bubba, make lemonade!

"‘Stop saying that!’ said Colby. He affected an English accent, ‘You seem a decent fellow; I hate to kill you.’ ‘You seem a decent fellow; I hate to die.’"

General Ramsey waited for Colby to finish, then resumed. The five of you will spend a couple weeks training, learning some procedural stuff to keep the Federal Aviation Administration off my back, get a crash course in aerodynamics and Battle-Suit configuration, then suit up and take down Dr. Red.

Assuming he doesn’t kill us all, said Parker.

The ensuing silence pounded like a jackhammer.

Say we do somehow manage to survive, said Parker, what do we do once we’ve uh . . . you know?

Neutralized him? suggested the General.

Right. What do we do with Go-Boy Ultra?

Ideally, you bring it home. It’s worth quite a pretty penny. Otherwise, destroy it. Don’t worry, this won’t be one of those political jobs where you’re forced to fight with one hand tied behind your back. There’ll be none of that ‘do-not-fire-until-fired-upon’ nonsense. When you get out there, you have a job to do. Then get back home in one piece. You’ll be authorized to accomplish the mission by any means necessary. The question, my friends, is if you’ll accept the mission.

General Ramsey’s last sentence hung in the air like the stench from a decaying carcass everyone knew to be in the room but was too polite to mention.

No way, Jose! said Colby, finally breaking the silence.

That’s General Ramsey to you, son, said a large technician sitting at the computer console.

That’s okay, Tupper, said General Ramsey, Colby is entitled to his opinion.

That’s right, said Colby. And my opinion is that this is nuts.

I love nuts, said Bubba, almonds and cashews. Especially smothered in chocolate.

They have them upstairs in the Mess Hall, said Igby. Macadamia nuts, too. From Hawaii.

Really? asked Bubba. Can we go up there?

If you two are finished with your culinary pow-wow, would you mind putting a sock in it? said General Ramsey. We’re discussing matters of major international importance here. Global security, if you will.

But General, began Igby.

Zip it.

Yes, sir, said Igby.