Agent X- Super Spy
The bullets whipped around Agent X’s ears as he half crouched, and half ran, across the British Museum floor. Flashes from machine gun barrels illuminated the exhibits and priceless vases shattered into fragments. He almost began to panic. As he sheltered behind an Egyptian mummy, he focused on two things. How did the enemy agents know he was going to be here and how was he going to escape? The answer to the first was easy- Constantina Shadow was a double agent. How he was going to escape with his life was not so easy to answer.
A line of bullets thudded into the wall above his head. There was only one thing for it. Machine guns rattled and spat bullets all around him as he bolted across the open floor straight towards a large window. He leapt into it, splintering it into a thousand shards and felt himself plummeting into nothingness from the fifth floor. He pressed a button on his jacket and a small parachute bulged above him. He floated gracefully down to the pavement right next to his Ferrari. In a matter of seconds he had roared away to safety.
The commander was waiting for him at M18 Headquarters.
“Don’t bother to get changed, Agent X,” he said. “We have a new mission for you. Look at this.” Images of mountain ranges flashed up on a wall mounted screen. “Somewhere in these mountains our satellites have detected a secret stronghold. We believe it is being built for purposes that threaten our national security.” He turned to Agent X. “It’s up to you to get into it and find out what is going on. If there is anything dangerous, well, you know what to do.”
“Have a cup of tea?” said Agent X
“Very witty!” The Commander threw a bag across the desk. “You’ll find a watch in there. If you set it to 12 and press the button it will blow open a steel door. There’s also an MP3 player. Press play and it acts as a transmitter; press skip and it releases compressed gas that will stun the enemy. Well, what are you waiting for? There’s a helicopter outside ready for you.”
Gaining access to the stronghold was easy. Agent X had climbed a sheer rock face, cut a hole in the security fence and crawled in. No one had bothered to guard that area as it was considered impossible to climb the rock face. Then Agent X had knocked a guard senseless and stolen his uniform. In this disguise he had walked through the numerous security doors until he reached the control room at the heart of the lair. Agent X began to feel uncomfortable. This was too easy. He was right.
“Welcome Agent X. We’ve been expecting you.“
“Igor Cragvulture!” said Agent X, amazed. The man opposite was extremely tall and wiry. As Agent X stared at the villain’s left hand made of steel, his mind raced backwards. “You remember me then?” Cragvulture sneered. Agent X nodded. They had indeed met before...
Zipping down a steep, snow-covered mountain slope, Agent X fixed his eyes on the man ahead of him. He had been tracking the mad, power-crazed billionaire for weeks. Igor Cragvulture was attempting to run for the Presidency and the British government knew that if he were to win, he would be one step closer to world domination. He needed to be taken out. The trees flew past in a torrent of green as the spy bent forward into the wind. He was picking up speed. He was getting closer. His target moved dangerously close to the edge of the mountain. He was going over the side! Pulling up quickly, Agent X stopped himself just in the nick of time. One second later and he would have plunged to almost certain death. Suddenly, the thunderous sound of a helicopter filled the chilled air and Agent X knew he had been outwitted. The menacing, black machine came up and over the mountain ridge- Cragvulture was laughing as he waved goodbye.
“You are an elusive man.” Agent X held Cragvulture’s gaze while slipping his hand into his pocket and pressing play on his MP3 player.
“Ah, yes, I still remember our soiree on the mountain well.” He smiled, obviously satisfied with the memory. His steel hand slowly caressed the mountain wolf crouching at his side. “I was a candidate for President then. But I was beaten. I was beaten because the media lied about me. They destroyed me. But now I have more power than ever and I will destroy them.” His grip tightened on the mountain wolf. It began to howl.
“You see this small, insignificant gun behind me? When the roof of this building opens, its laser will destroy every communications satellite around the earth and plunge the world into global chaos.”
“And then?” asked Agent X, nonchalantly.
“Then, Agent X, I will take over and become ruler of this world!” The mountain wolf howled again and, to Agent X’s surprise, Cragvulture howled as well.
Stopping suddenly, he clapped his hands and Constantina Shadow appeared. “My assistant - I believe you’ve already met. Constantina, take our guest to the cave crusher. By the way, Agent X, don’t try to escape.” He turned to the slight figure of the double agent who raised her fists. A thousand tiny needled emerged from her black gloves. “Tipped with poison, Agent X. The laser will be ready in 10 minutes.”
Constantina pushed Agent X across the floor of the control room through a steel door with a small window. He found himself in a small cave. Instantly the walls and roof of the cave began to close in on him. In seconds he would be crushed. He could feel his heart pounding hard. What could he do? Of course, the watch! He set it to 12 and placed it against the steel door, then backed away as far as he could. The walls were pushing his shoulders into his chest. 5-4-3-2-1-bang! Job done. The steel door flew open. Agent X tumbled into the control room as the cave walls ground together in a hideous crunch.
Constantina Shadow stood before him, light glinting from the needles on her gloves. Agent X aimed the MP3 player at her and pressed skip. “Ah, sweet music,” he said, as gas hissed into her face. She crumpled like a paper bag. Just then MI8 agents poured in through the doors, guns blazing. They must have got the signal.
But where was Cragvulture? It had been almost ten minutes since he set the arming device on the laser. Agent X dived across the room that was now a battlefield and uncovered the wiring of the arming device. There were seconds left. Which wires needed to be cut to disarm it? There wasn’t time to cut them all. He had to choose. Taking a deep breath, he cut the red. Then the yellow. Result. The timer stopped. The laser was disarmed.
Then, from the corner of his eye he saw Cragvulture escaping though a secret door, the mountain wolf at his heels and the limp body of Constantina Shadow in his arms. The door slammed behind them and they disappeared.
“You may have got away, Cragvulture, but this will be your last chance. I will track you down again,” Agent X murmured. “That’s a promise.”
Literacy Home Learning
Can I identify different types of sentences?
Must:Use three different colours for the following:
- Underline or highlight 5 simple sentences that you think are effective
- Underline or highlight 3 compound sentences
- Underline or highlight 3 complex sentences
Should: Can you now rank all of these sentences showing your order of preference? Can you find two compound sentences that do not use ‘and’ to join their clauses?
Could: Igor Cragvulture is an interesting villain. Can you write a range of sentences about him? You may like to write a brief biography about him, letting the reader see how he became the evil mastermind he is. You may like to add a paragraph into the Agent X story.Can you underline your simple, compound and complex sentences in the same three colours that you used above?
If you would like to revise the different types of sentences (simple, compound and complex) please go to