Chapter 4

Chapter 4 The squad followed Zippy out the back door and then settled under the mail truck parked at the curb. "Fill 'em in, Zippy," said Sugar. "This truck is going to take us half a mile closer to town," explained Zippy. "Nancy Lee has been on the route for the past nine years. She parks the truck, then walks east for a quarter of a mile. At the last house, three blocks down, she turns around, crosses the street and delivers the mail on the other side of the street, headed back to the truck. When she gets here, she's going to roll up the back door and drive one half mile, where she will begin deliveries again...."

"So all we have to do is figure out how many houses there are in a quarter of five tomatoes," suggested Sweetie. "Then divide that by how many houses there are on the north side of the street, and that will tell us approximately how long before she gets back. AND SHOW YOUR WORK!" Sweetie was breathing hard. "It's okay, Sweetie," said Dirt. "You're going to be just fine." "That's one way," said Sugar. "Or we could just look right at her. She's fifteen feet away."

"When Nancy gets back to the truck," explained Zippy, "she's going to slide the rear panel up, and we're going to jump in." "Isn't she going to notice three chickens, a hamster, and a rainbow ball of yarn hopping into the back of the truck?" said Dirt. "Not if she's distracted," answered Zippy as Nancy Lee's dark shoes appeared just inches from the back tire. Zippy and the squad held their breath as Nancy rolled the back door open.

"Distracted by what?" whispered Poppy. Just then Nancy Lee screamed and dropped her mailbag as half a dozen bees did a choreographed flyby very close to her head. "GO, squad. Go!" said Sugar. Zippy and the squad hurried out from under the truck and hopped into the open back, taking cover behind a white plastic mail bin. The bees flew away, and the back door rolled down.

"I don't feel good about that," said Dirt. "She could have gotten hurt." "Male honeybees, no stingers," explained Sugar. "Purely for show!" One minute later, Zippy and the squad lurched forward as the truck came to a sudden stop. "Get ready to jump when the door opens," announced Sugar. "Won't she notice three chickens, a ball of rainbow yarn, and a hamster hopping out of

the open door?" asked Dirt. "Doubt it," said Sugar as the back door rolled open. "MEOW MEOW MEOW," said an orange and-white–striped cat with sparkling green eyes. "Well, aren't you a beautiful little kitty!" said Nancy, turning away from the open door. Zippy and the squad took cover behind the rear tire and, when the coast was clear, followed Zippy's lead to the rhododendron bush at the entrance to a small park. When they turned around, the cat was right behind them. "Knuckles!" said Sugar. "Been a long time. You look good."