— Well, now that we are officially at war against a guy dressed as a wizard with henchmen and all… what's the plan, geniuses? — asked Marta, crossing her arms as they walked down the sidewalk back to Alex's house.
— "War"? I love how that sounds — said Carlos excitedly, pulling out his idea notebook. He had "MAX RECOVERY OPERATION" written in red marker on the cover, underlined three times and decorated with kawaii skulls.
Alex, for his part, was more worried than ever. Although the situation was getting out of hand, his mind was still focused on Max. On how he had ended up with that strange collar, and what Severino planned to do with it.
— What if we call the police? — suggested Alex suddenly.
Carlos and Marta looked at him as if he had just proposed to surrender.
— And tell them what? — replied Marta —. "Officer, a weird guy with a cane wants to steal my dog's collar." Sounds completely believable.
— Well… if you put it that way… — Alex sighed —. But we can't just do nothing.
— Exactly! That's why I've designed… three plans! — announced Carlos, opening his notebook as if he were presenting a project to NASA.
Marta raised an eyebrow.
— Three?
— Yes. And each one more bold, reckless, and possibly illegal than the last — said Carlos with a smile that did not inspire confidence.
Plan A: "Epic Exchange Operation"
— We sneak into Severino's store, find the secret hideout where he keeps Max, exchange him for a replica of the collar, and escape without anyone noticing.
— Do you have a replica of the collar? — asked Alex.
— No, but I can make one with modeling clay and spray paint. I have hidden talent…
— And what happens if he notices? — asked Marta.
— Plan B — replied Carlos, turning the page.
Plan B: "The Ghost Dog" — We make Severino believe that Max is haunted. We put a speaker on his collar with sounds from beyond the grave, a projector with holograms, and a recording of a priest shouting "The power of the little dog compels you!"
Alex looked at him with a mix of horror and fascination.
— That is… incredibly stupid.
— Thank you — replied Carlos, satisfied —. But if that fails…
Plan C: "The Planned Chaos" — We organize a massive distraction in the park near the store: mariachis, clowns, water balloon war, whatever. Meanwhile, one of us goes in disguised as a delivery person and looks for Max.
— And if we get caught? — asked Marta.
— We have disguises. And an escape planned on electric scooters.
— And if it doesn't work? — insisted Alex.
— Then we improvise, as always — said Carlos, shrugging.
Silence.
— I vote for Plan C — said Marta.
— What? Seriously? — Alex blinked.
— It has mariachis. That's always a plus.
— Perfect, then — Carlos took out his phone and started taking notes —. I need to contact the Mariachi 'Los Tacos del Trueno', see if Pablo still has the giant hot dog costume, and book twenty biodegradable water balloons. Let's go, team!
The next day was, in a word, ridiculous.
At 3:00 p.m., the park that was right in front of Severino's store was unrecognizable. A mariachi band was playing "Cielito Lindo" while a dozen people in costumes — among them a banana with sunglasses and an inflatable unicorn — danced to the rhythm. Children were throwing water balloons in all directions and a guy was selling cotton candy shaped like Pikachu.
— Are we sure this is going to work? — asked Alex while adjusting his "Paquete Express" delivery cap. He was carrying an empty box under his arm.
— No — replied Marta and Carlos in unison.
— Great.
Marta blended into the crowd with a portable speaker that emitted cow sounds every time she pressed it. Carlos, wearing a ridiculous poncho and a fake mustache, pretended to be part of the mariachi and played a toy trumpet that sounded like a broken flute.
— Now, Alex! — he shouted through his hidden microphone.
Alex crossed the street and pushed the store door. The bell rang again. Severino was not in sight, only the short henchman, reading a cooking magazine.
— Delivery for… Severino? — asked Alex, using a delivery voice.
The henchman lowered the magazine and frowned.
— Aren't we expecting anything?
— Sign here, please — said Alex, stretching out a sheet that said "This is not a trap" in small letters.
The henchman hesitated, but signed.
— Thanks. Can I use the bathroom?
— What?
— The bathroom! I'm about to explode, sir! Delivery person in danger!
— Third door on the right — said the henchman, still confused.
Alex quickly disappeared down the hallway. As he walked, he looked around: shelves with strange books, display cases full of shiny objects, and a mannequin dressed as a pharaoh with LED lights.
— Where are you, Max...? — he murmured. A half-open door revealed a dark room. Upon entering, he saw him: Max, lying on a velvet cushion, eating half a ham sandwich that he had surely stolen from someone. The collar shone with a faint glow.
— Max! — Alex whispered, kneeling. Max recognized him immediately. He wagged his tail furiously, dropped the sandwich, and jumped into his arms, licking his face as if they had been apart for months.
— I missed you, crazy bug! But at that moment, an alarm sounded.
— We have intruders! — shouted Severino's voice from a speaker —. Capture them! Alex hugged Max and ran down the hallway while the short henchman slipped on a fallen wax figure.
— Carlos! ACTIVATE PHASE TWO!! — he shouted into the communicator. From the park, Carlos took out a box and pressed a red button. From the center of the chaos emerged a drone disguised as a giant bee that began to launch confetti and pink smoke.
Severino came out of his tent coughing.
— But what the hell is this?! — he roared. Marta threw a water balloon directly at his face.
— Don't underestimate the power of the avenging hot dog! — she shouted while running.
Alex shot out the door, Max in his arms. He jumped onto an electric scooter that Carlos had prepared for him and escaped at full speed through the confusion.
Half an hour later, the group gathered at Alex's house. Max was fine, biting a stuffed toy shaped like a sausage. They were all soaked, disheveled, and exhausted.
— That was… the most absurd thing I've done in my life — said Marta, laughing uncontrollably.
— And it worked — said Alex —. We got Max back.
Carlos served himself a lemonade and let himself fall onto the sofa.
— Guys… I don't know if you noticed, but that necklace that Max was wearing… shone when I took it out of the store. And it recorded a kind of pattern on my tablet...
— A pattern? — asked Alex.
— Yes. And it seems… a map.
Marta and Alex looked at each other.
— A map to what?
Carlos stood up and looked at them intently.
— That's what we have to find out. But one thing is for sure…
— What? — asked Marta.
Carlos smiled with bright eyes.
— This is just the beginning...