The city continued to vibrate under the afternoon sun, and Alex had not rested for a second since Max disappeared. Marta and Carlos accompanied him down a narrow street filled with antique shops, where strange objects seemed to multiply in every window.
— Are you sure you saw him enter here? — asked Marta, sweating under her green jacket.
— Yes! It was Max! I wouldn't confuse that tail even in my dreams! — asserted Alex as they approached a dusty shop that had a sign hanging from a rusty hinge: "Curiosities of Time." The bell on the door rang with a lazy cling when they entered. Inside, the shop looked more like a wizard's cave than a modern store. Clocks, ancient maps, figurines, and a bust of Napoleon with sunglasses filled every corner.
— This gives me a bad feeling — said Carlos quietly, clutching his backpack as if hiding a treasure. And he wasn't far from the truth. From the back of the store emerged a thin man, with an elongated face and eyes so sunken they looked like tunnels. He wore a black cloak over a purple suit and carried a cane with a crow's head.
— Welcome... — he said in a deep voice —. Are you looking for something... specific?
— Yes — interrupted Alex before thinking twice —. Have you seen a little white dog pass by here, floppy ears, adorable look, but with serious attention problems?
The man stood still for a second. Then he squinted.
— A little white dog...? Maybe... What do you have to offer in exchange?
— In exchange? — Marta repeated.
— Yes... that dog was wearing a collar with something... valuable — he said while pulling out a kind of old tablet, which displayed a blurry image of Max running with a strange amulet hanging from his neck —. That amulet... is mine.
— Did Max steal that? — asked Carlos, wide-eyed.
— Impossible! Max doesn't steal! Unless there's the smell of meat involved! — said Alex, indignant. — That object is part of my private collection, and you must return it to me — the man pointed with his cane —. Or you will face... the consequences.
Suddenly, two hooded figures emerged from the back room. One was very tall and thin, the other short and round like a croquette. Both wore dark glasses and gloves.
— WHAT!? Do you have henchmen? Who has henchmen in 2025!? — exclaimed Marta.
— I do — replied the villain with a twisted smile —. My name is Severino, and you are involved in something you do not understand.
Carlos, instead of getting scared, took out his modified pet locator and held it like a weapon.
— Back, Severino! This can emit disruptive microwave frequency waves that... well, that sound very ugly!
— Don't make me laugh, genius boy. Capture them! — ordered Severino.
The store erupted into chaos. Alex launched himself between two shelves, knocking over a box full of rusty keys. Marta grabbed an antique candelabrum and wielded it like a pirate movie sword. Carlos slipped under a table and began to program something on his device, mumbling like a madman.
— Estimated time to hack the store's security system: 14 seconds! — shouted Carlos.
— Do it in 5! — replied Marta while blocking one of the henchmen with a lava lamp.
The tall henchman tripped over a rolled-up rug and fell like a freshly cut tree. The short one tried to catch Alex, but he jumped over the counter and rolled to the door.
Cling cling cling.
— Marta, Carlos, over here! — he shouted.
Carlos pressed the button on his device and all the lights in the store flickered before going out. High-pitched beeps echoed and then a soft explosion was heard... followed by the unmistakable sound of a toilet flushing.
— That wasn't what I expected... but it worked — he said proudly.
The Three
The three ran and did not stop until they reached a square. They collapsed on a bench, panting.
— What... what was that? — asked Marta.
— That Severino is weirder than Carlos eating cereal with a fork — joked Alex.
— It wasn't my fault, it was to avoid getting the cookies wet! — defended Carlos.
— Max is in danger — said Alex, becoming serious —. And now we know that that necklace he wears... is worth more than we thought.
— Are we going to leave it like that? — asked Marta.
— Of course not! — replied Carlos —. We are going to get Max back... and unmask that collector of weird things!
— How? — asked Alex.
— With a plan. A plan so ridiculous that only we could think of it.
— My God, here we go again... — sighed Marta.
But they all smiled. Because although the situation was dangerous, they were together. And when Alex, Marta, and Carlos joined forces… it was only a matter of time before everything exploded into chaos, laughter, and probably more chases.