Read literal leigh 05.7 - mission impawsible for Free Online Page A

really suck at being stealthy,” Esmeralda said as we joined her. “All right, Professor Bologna. I’m going to level with you. We came for the bear. I’m going to be kind and give you to the count of ten. More than enough time to get out of our way.” Ezzy slapped the wand in the palm of her hand.
    “Wait! Is that supposed to be a magic wand? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
    “I kid you not, Oscar.” Ezzy leveled the wand at an old folding chair and blasted it into a pile of smoking scrap metal.
    “What are you people? Faeries?”
    “Please. Another insult like that and you’re next. We’re witches.”
    “Hold on, Ezzy. I’ve got a question for the professor before he leaves, or you incinerate him. Professor, why do you have this bear caged? What were you planning to do with him?”
    Professor Bologna took slow backwards steps. “Witches. What a coincidence. It’s a rather long story. Suffice it to say, I’ve been hunting for a bear like this all of my life. He’s actually a werebear. Considering your interest in him, you are already aware of that.”
    “How did you know?”
    “Contrary to the belief of the local idiots, I am not a biologist. I’m actually a professor of European folklore. Thirty years ago, I came upon the legend about a clan of werebears that were captured by a witch and cursed to live as circus bears for all eternity. I went looking for those bears, and I’ve tracked down every myth, every campfire story, and every tabloid headline… if there was even a hint about a werebear. Finally, I came upon them in a small village in Romania. I set out to capture just one and get blood samples.”
    “Blood samples?” I asked.
    “Yes. I wanted the samples so I could have them analyzed. That was just a start. I also wanted to observe them, study them… I wanted to know their secrets. I had to know if they still had the ability to shift. Centuries of circus travel must have driven them all mad. I was the one who ended up captured.” The professor paused as if he was suddenly being tortured by an awful memory. “That bitch… ”
    “Let me guess, Ursula?”
    “Yes! She was the one who locked me in the dungeon of an abandoned castle. Then came the bears. They taunted me, day and night. I lived off the scraps of food that was thrown down to us. The day finally came when Ursula decided to move us to a new location. Perhaps she was worried the locals were getting suspicious of her and the bears. Anyway, that’s when I made my escape. Eighteen months I lived in that hell hole.”
    “So, why are you here? And why are you still hunting for werebears?”
    “Good question, Kelly. One would think the man would want nothing more to do with bears.”
     The distinctive sound of a metal door slammed shut behind us. “Nice, Dad. Why didn’t you tell them about Mom? Or me?” We all turned around to see who was speaking.
     

Chapter Eight
     
    “ C andy!” Morgan shouted.
    Esmeralda yelped. “What?” That was all she got out before Candy fired Gabe’s tranquilizer rifle. The dart struck Ezzy’s thigh and she collapsed. The wand rolled to Professor Bologna, and he stopped it with his shoe.
    “I didn’t tell them everything. I was trying to protect you and your mother.”
    “Pfff. Mom can take care of herself. You see, ladies, Dad here was quite the player back in his day. Truth is, he tried to seduce my mom in order to get closer to her circus bears.”
    “Your Ursula’s daughter?”
    “You must be the smart one,” Candy sneered. “Of course I am. My name is Candy Bear. Dad didn’t escape. Mom kicked him out. When I was old enough to start school, my mom sent me to live with him. She didn’t think I’d have a healthy, normal childhood roaming around Eastern Europe with her circus. So she sent me to Wisconsin of all places. It’s a circus all its own.”
    “Why here? Caldron Falls? And I still don’t know why you captured this bear.”
    “This bear? You mean Gabe? Ha! Didn’t