13 DEAD END

CHAPTER 13 DEAD END. Alexander flopped around like a trout. But he couldn't get off the tracks. His arms were bound tight, and the coaster car was inching toward him. "Run for it!" Alexander shouted to his friends. "Not without you!" said Nikki. "Rip! Dottie! Let's lift him into the coaster!" "This ought to be good," said the crab-ra cadabra, smiling. He propped himself up on a fake boulder to watch.

With a grunt, Rip, Nikki, and Dottie hoisted Alexander up to the edge of the moving car and OOF!—dumped him in. Then they jumped in, too. "So long, pincher-brain!" said Rip. "You'll never catch us now!" The car coasted ahead at one mile per hour. "BAR-HAR-HAR!" The monster laughed. "Thanks for saving me!" said Alexander. "Don't thank us yet," said Nikki. "We're not exactly making a speedy getaway." The crab-ra cadabra scuttled past the car, over to the tunnel exit. Then he opened his claw above a piece of track. CLANK! He clamped down, snipping the metal like cardboard.

"Dead end!" said the monster. The car inched forward. "The big boss was totally right!" the monster continued. "She knew you'd stick together to save Alexander instead of running to safety." "Wait," said Rip. "You have a boss?" "Sure," said the crab-ra cadabra. "The boss- monster! She's in charge. And I'll show her I'm better than the balloon goons, the P-rex—all those dumb monsters!" "Better at what?" asked Nikki. "Better at crushing the S.S.M.P., once and for all," said the monster. "Finally, Stermont will belong to us!" "Not a chance!" shouted Alexander. He wriggled around, trying to see where their car was headed. It was coasting straight for the broken tracks, where the giant crab stood grinning. His sharp claw sparkled in the lantern light.