Thunder Raker

Thunder Raker
Justin Richards

A hilarious new series for younger readers, following the misadventures of an ordinary boy at an extraordinary school for young spies…Jake's dad is head of the Secret Service. Alice's dad is a double agent. Harry's dad has infiltrated SPUD – the Secret Partners for Undertaking Destruction. And Alfie's dad… is a postman.Thunder Raker Manor is a very exclusive school. All the pupils are there because their parents or guardians are agents and spies.All except one.Because eight-year-old Alfie's dad isn't anything to do with the secret services. He's the local postman who just reckoned that Thunder Raker Manor was a great school. So when the Head Teacher receives a letter from the Prime Minister saying that Alfie has been given a special place and will start immediately, he isn't to know that Alfie's dad wrote it and slipped it in with the 'special' post…Now Alfie has to get to grips with Thunder Raker’s unusual curriculum and some even stranger new friends. He’s got classes in camouflage (if anyone can ever find Mr Trick) and Assassination (only kids keep going missing from Miss Fortune’s class). And he’s now in permanent danger from SPUD agents. But to his surprise, Alfie finds that he might just be quite good at this spying game…

AGENT ALFIE THUNDER RAKER

Justin Richards

Illustrations by Jim Hansen

For Chris—whose dad is a writer. No, really.

Table of Contents

Cover (#u79734138-f4ab-5d8d-813d-220acd96a547)

Title Page (#ud51f0a71-eaa5-5dff-bb56-cfe3381f7702)

Dedication (#ue2ead0b4-aacd-5ced-94ac-e4d869b4f633)

Introduction (#ua6f9ad64-7130-5118-b83d-e0d11249c200)

Chapter 1 (#u44167e77-4d19-5203-98ef-35eaeac01584)

Chapter 2 (#u307f09b4-e050-535e-a749-357311cc26f6)

Chapter 3 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 4 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 5 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)

Hedgehog Slab Illusion (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Author (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

Introduction (#ulink_85d78f18-b40a-51f2-a506-570da4f1178a)

Welcome to Thunder Raker Manor

An Introduction to the School

By Mr Trenchard, Head Teacher

Thunder Raker Manor is an exclusive school for boys and girls from 8 to 18. Some of the children come daily, some are boarders. Some of them I remember, some of them I—er, what was I saying?

Anyway, all our students are here because their parents or guardians are connected with the Security Services. Spies and agents are happy to send their children to Thunder Raker Manor secure in the knowledge that they will be safe from any possible threats.

We teach a full curriculum at Thunder Raker, fully compliant with the National Thingummy. And alongside the English and Maths and History and Geography, our students learn skills that may just come in handy back home or in their future careers —if they have inherited their parents’ inclinations and aptitudes.

As well as being an honorary CT (Classified Training) Academy, Thunder Raker is especially pleased with its latest SATS results. We take the Special Agent Training Standards very seriously indeed and have achieved excellent levels in Surveillance, Code-Breaking, and Sabotage.

And if the Security Services need a bit of help from some youngsters for a special mission, or if the villainous agents of that dastardly organisation known only as the Secret Partners for Undertaking Destruction (S.P.U.D.) try to take over the school or kidnap one of the teachers—rest assured, every one of our students is ready and prepared.

Mr Trenchard has been the Head Teacher of Thunder Raker Manor since Mrs Muldoom’s unfortunate accident on the assault course all those years ago. He is superbly qualified and takes great pride in his work. When he can remember what it is. Very good—carry on. Um. Yes…

Mr Trenchard

Colonel Hugh Dare-Swynne’s Class of the Week This week the Colonel focuses on Class 3D, which is taught by Miss Jones.

Miss Jones

Miss Jones says:

3D is a lovely class and works hard. This week was especially exciting for everyone as we had a new student start—Alfie (surname classified). Alfie is already settling in very well, and even has his own cover story—some nonsense about his father actually being a postman. As if!

Alfie

Alfie fits in well with the other children. He is nine years old, and he’s a clever, practical boy with lots of common sense. He’s brave and loyal and fun. Though I have to say he doesn’t always quite understand some of the lessons or the way we do things here at Thunder Raker. But his common sense approach is a breath of fresh air and he sees the world—and our problems—in a much less cluttered and complicated way than the other children..

Jack

Next up is Jack. Jack’s dad is head of the Secret Service, though of course we don’t mention that. But it does explain why Jack’s a bit full of himself. He is always coming up with terrific ideas and plans, though usually they are rather impractical and just too involved ever to work.

Harry

Harry’s dad has infiltrated SPUD and sends him strange, coded text messages and letters written in invisible ink. Sometimes the children have to go and rescue or help him, which cuts into the school day. Harry isn’t the brightest of the bunch by a long way, but his questions often throw up problems with Jack’s ideas. He is brave and loyal and willing and likes doing PE—on the school assault course.

Sam

Sam’s mum works in Whitehall for Hush Hush, designing equipment for agents and spies. Sam uses a motorised wheelchair—which looks ordinary but has amazing gadgets built into it. Sam’s mum made him his wheelchair because the NHS one didn’t have a very good anti-missile protection system. And one of the wheels was wonky.

Chloe

Moving on to the girls, Chloe is the daughter of a renowned spy (and doesn’t she know it). If you thought Jack was a bit full of himself, he’s got nothing on Chloe. She just has to be the centre of attention, wearing the latest fashion—and spying—accessories. At home she’s got her telly wired up with a Playstation 3, a Wii, and the very latest omni-processing decryptortron. Unfortunately Alfie isn’t terribly impressed by all this, so he and Chloe haven’t really hit it off.