JET FLASHFEET, CHUCK COBRACRUSHER, DONNIE DRAGONJAB, and BRUCE WILLOWHAMMER . . .Together they are THE NINJA MEERKATS! Armed to the teeth with ninja-know-how, this ultimate fighting force has one goal - to thwart the evil ringmaster's plans for world domination. Ninja-Boom! The mystical stone of life has fallen into the wrong hands and an army of statues is causing chaos on the streets of London. The meerkats are summoned to help by the Secret Secret Service, and vow to leave no stone unturned. Can they succeed before the city crumbles? Get ready to rock! “Fast, funny and charming.” ― Kirkus Review, praise for The Clan of the Scorpion “Equal parts silliness and action.” ― Publishers Weekly, praise for The Clan of the Scorpion “Perfect idea for boys who love martial arts or action packed adventures.” ― sbroadhurstreviews.blogspot.com “This is an exciting new series from . . . award-winning author Gareth P Jones. The Clan of the Scorpion are Jet Flashfeet, Chuck Cobracrusher, Donnie Dragonjab and Bruce Willowhammer--these are names to conjure with! . . . Appealingly laid out, pacy and fast-moving, with lots of illustrations and clear font, this is ideal for encouraging boys to read.” ― Amazon.co.uk, Top 500 Reviewer “What is with the sudden love for meerkats?? They started out on that TV advert and now they are everywhere!! Here they are hitting the high street book shelves in their latest hit on market dominanation! . . . I think this book would be great for young boys, gaining confidence in reading alone or sharing with others. It would appeal to fans of martial arts or boys who want to read about something other than football and cars.” ― Amazon.co.uk, VineVoice “Another cracking book by Garteh P Jones--buy this now! The Clan of the Scorpion introduces the amazing ninja meerkats and their cunning skills to keep the evil ringmaster at bay and all done with great comedic moments, for kids and adults to both enjoy. A truly original book.” ― Amazon.co.uk Gareth P. Jones is author of the Dragon Detective Agency series, The Thornthwaite Inheritance, and the Ninja Meerkats series. He also works as a TV producer of documentaries. He lives in London with his wife, Lisa. Luke Finlayson is the illustrator for the Ninja Meerkats series by Gareth Jones. Ninja Meerkats Big City Bust-Up By Gareth P. Jones McMillan Copyright © 2012 Gareth P. Jones All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-250-03403-8 CHAPTER 1 LONDON CALLING In the early evening hustle and bustle of Covent Garden no one paid any attention to the automatic street-cleaning machine that trundled over the cobbles, whisking up discarded trash with its two spinning brushes. Certainly, no one suspected that inside the machine were four Ninja Meerkats. Donnie was sitting at the front, using a control that he had installed to override the automatic route of the cleaner. He steered the machine around the tourists, market stalls, and street performers that filled the famous London square. Jet, Chuck, and Bruce were behind him, squeezed around a long tube that ran through the middle of the cabin, which sucked up trash into a large container at the back of the vehicle. "This is an excellent disguise, Donnie," said Chuck. "Actually it's a rubbish disguise," said Jet, with a chuckle. Bruce pulled his head out of a take-out box and said, "Rubbish? It's the first one we've used that actually collects food — it's brilliant." "I can't believe you're eating again," said Jet. "You ate twelve bags of jellied crickets on the plane here." "That was just a snack. Look, I found half a burger," Bruce exclaimed, excitedly holding up the soggy specimen. He took a big bite. "Hmm, there's a bit too much ketchup, but it's nice of them to leave the pickle in." "Bruce, you don't know where that's been," said Chuck, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "Yeah, but I know where it's going," he replied, taking another huge bite. Donnie pressed a button and the machine came to a standstill. "The meeting point is directly below us," he said. He pressed another button, which opened a hatch in the base of the vehicle, revealing a drain below. "This must be the way in." "I wonder why Grandmaster One-Eye told us to come here. It's all very mysterious," said Jet. "He said he received a message from an old friend," said Chuck. "And that it was a top secret mission." "Hey, look! Street entertainers," said Bruce, distracted by a man juggling with flaming torches next to the vehicle. "Fire juggling. Pah!" said Jet. "If I was a street performer I'd demonstrate my new move, the Quake Maker." "What's that?" asked Bruce. "I'll show you." "Jet, no!" started Donnie. "Not inside the —" It was too late. Jet leaped up and came crashing back down. Had they been outside, the force would have caused the ground to shake, knocking anyone nearby off their feet. But inside the street cleaner it had a different effect — the entire vehicle collapsed in a heap. "Whoops! Sorry," said Jet. "Bruce, Jet