"Emergency! Emergency! We have lost the world's fastest driver!"
He crawled toward the pillows.
Then, suddenly, his expression changed.
He gasped.
"Oh no! It's worse than we thought!"
Elena looked up.
"What happened?"
Mateo turned toward her with enormous seriousness.
"The car has been kidnapped."
Elena raised an eyebrow.
"Kidnapped?"
"By aliens," Mateo explained.
Then he leaned closer and whispered, "Very dangerous aliens."
Carlos glanced away from his phone.
Mateo noticed.
For the first time that afternoon, he had both parents' attention.
And he was determined not to waste it.
Chapter 5: The Rescue Mission Nobody Expected
Mateo climbed onto the pile of pillows and began digging through them.
His voice became increasingly dramatic.
"Captain Mateo reporting from Planet Couch. We have discovered a secret underground base!"
He pulled out a pillow and threw it behind him.
"There's no time! The aliens are escaping!"
Elena laughed softly.
Mateo pointed toward the kitchen.
