Rat Gang Crew and The Overgrounders Chapter 4 Convincing Tommy Smith
The Rat Gang Crew crouched behind a bush near the old oak tree, their hearts pounding like tiny drums. Tommy Smith didn’t look like much of a hero. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground, meticulously sketching something in a worn notebook. His messy hair flopped over his eyes, and his backpack was covered in patches with slogans like Save the Planet and Nature is Home.
“He doesn’t look like someone who can stop diggers,” Scarlett muttered. “He looks like someone who’d tell us not to litter.”
“Give him a chance,” Amelie whispered back. “He might surprise us.”
The crew exchanged nervous glances, then stepped out of the bush. Amelie took the lead, walking right up to Tommy’s scuffed sneaker. “Excuse me!” she called in her clearest, most confident squeak.
Tommy froze mid-sketch. His pencil hovered in the air as his eyes darted down. When he saw the group of rats staring up at him, he blinked a few times but didn’t look scared—just curious.
“Talking rats,” he said, his voice calm. “That’s unusual.”
“You’re not afraid?” Amelie asked, her whiskers twitching.
“Why would I be?” Tommy asked, tilting his head. “You’re just animals. Animals are great. Humans are the ones who ruin everything. I have always been able to communicate with animals. I am very special. I have Aspergers. Ask me anything about animal, go on.”
Atlas had a burning question, "Why can't I keep a giraffe in my bedroom?'
"Your bedroom is too small and you need a special licence. Giraffes grow to around eighteen feet tall and it would be cruel to keep one in your bedroom. You should not keep wild animals indoors, unless they are sick of course."
“Okay, I like him,” Scarlett muttered, folding her arms.
“We need your help,” Amelie said. “Your dad’s company, Smithies Construction, is planning to destroy our home—and the tunnels that support Ratropolis. If the diggers start tomorrow, everything will collapse.”
Tommy’s expression shifted. “Ratropolis?”
“It’s the underground city where we live,” Ivy explained, holding up a small, hand-drawn map. “It’s right below your dad’s construction site.”
“Humans don’t think about what’s below the surface,” Tommy said quietly, staring at the map. “They just build wherever they want. I hate that.”
“So… will you help us?” Atlas asked, stepping forward.
Tommy didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he opened his notebook and flipped through pages filled with intricate drawings of animals, plants, and diagrams of ecosystems. Finally, he looked back at the crew. “I don’t like what my dad does. But I don’t know if I can stop him.”
“You don’t have to stop him completely,” Amelie said. “Just slow him down. Buy us time to come up with a bigger plan.”
Tommy nodded slowly. “Okay. But only if we can do it without hurting the environment. Deal?”
“Deal!” Amelie said, her tail twitching with relief.
The Plan
Back at The Burrow, the Rat Gang Crew and Tommy brainstormed. Tommy’s encyclopedic knowledge of nature and his sharp focus proved invaluable.
“We could clog the machines,” Scarlett suggested, “just enough to stall them.”
Tommy shook his head. “No. That’s dangerous, and it could cause more harm than good. But we can use nature itself to slow them down.”
“Like what?” Ivy asked.
Tommy opened his notebook and pointed to a page labeled Endangered Species Laws. “If there’s evidence of an endangered species on the site, my dad will have to stop construction. He’s terrified of bad publicity.”
Scarlett’s whiskers twitched. “Endangered species? You mean… fake it?”
“No,” Tommy said firmly. “But we can give nature a nudge. There’s an abandoned bird’s nest near the site. If we move it to the digger’s path and make it look like it belongs to an endangered bird, they’ll have to stop and investigate.”
“That’s brilliant!” Amelie said.
“Of course it’s brilliant,” Tommy replied matter-of-factly. “I thought of it.”
Atlas smirked. “I think I like this kid.”
Operation Nest Move
Under the cover of darkness, the Rat Gang Crew and Tommy crept to the construction site. The diggers loomed like sleeping giants, their yellow frames casting eerie shadows in the moonlight.
Tommy led the way, his movements deliberate and focused. “The nest is in that tree,” he whispered, pointing to a scraggly branch.
Scarlett and Atlas climbed up the tree, retrieving the nest with surprising ease. Meanwhile, Tommy rummaged in his backpack, pulling out feathers, twigs, and bits of fluff. He began carefully arranging the nest to mimic the home of a rare bird he’d read about.
“This looks convincing,” he said after a few minutes. “Now we just need to place it.”
They found the perfect spot—a cluster of bushes directly in the diggers’ path. Tommy placed the nest gently, then added a few strategically placed feathers.
“Are you sure this will work?” Ivy whispered.
Tommy adjusted his glasses and nodded. “It will. Humans take paperwork seriously. If there’s even a chance this belongs to an endangered bird, they’ll stop everything to avoid trouble.”
The Aftermath
The next morning, the Rat Gang Crew watched from their hiding spot as the construction workers arrived. Tommy lingered near the site, pretending to study a plant.
“What’s that?” one of the workers shouted, pointing to the nest. A small group gathered, and soon the foreman was on the phone.
“Endangered species?” he barked into the receiver. “We can’t afford a lawsuit. Shut it down until we get an expert out here.”
Tommy shot a subtle thumbs-up toward the bush where the rats were hiding. Amelie squeaked softly in triumph.
As the workers packed up for the day, Tommy walked over to the bush. “That should buy you a week or two,” he said. “But you’ll need a bigger plan. My dad won’t give up that easily.”
Amelie nodded. “Then we’ll be ready. And… thanks, Tommy. You’re not so bad for a human.”
Tommy shrugged. “I just like nature more than people. Rats included.”
Atlas grinned. “Fair enough.”
As the Rat Gang Crew scurried back to The Burrow, Scarlett turned to Amelie. “We’re going to need all the help we can get.”
“And I think we just found it,” Amelie said, her whiskers twitching with determination. “Because Tommy’s not just any human—he’s one of us now.”
To be continued…
©2024 Sarnia de la Mare
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