Countdown (novel) facts for kids

Countdown is an exciting adventure book, the third in the Unstoppable series, which is part of The 39 Clues franchise. Written by Natalie Standiford, it was published on April 29, 2014. The book's cover shows a broken Mayan artifact, hinting at the story's main setting in Tikal, Guatemala.

The back of the book tells us: "Time is running out for thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill. As leaders of the world's most powerful family, he and his older sister, Amy, have been in danger for too long. Dan and Amy have always managed to stay ahead of their enemies, but their luck might finally run out. Now Dan is trapped, and only a terrible choice can save him. Amy faces a scary decision: How far will she go to rescue her little brother?"

The Adventure Begins

The story starts with J. Rutherford Pierce, a powerful villain, meeting the Queen in London, England. Pierce is experiencing strange tremors because of a special liquid, called a serum, he has taken. He accidentally breaks a teacup, which makes the Queen unhappy. Pierce sees the Cahills as his final challenge to taking over the world and plans to stop them.

Meanwhile, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, the Cahill family and their friends, the Rosenblooms, are at the airport. They are surrounded by reporters sent by Pierce, who are trying to publicize their every move. The group manages to escape to their waiting helicopter. They realize Pierce's soldiers are also after them, with orders to make their deaths look like accidents. One of Pierce's men jumps incredibly high, showing the effects of the serum.

Flying to Tikal

The helicopter is heading to Tikal, an ancient Mayan city. The kids need to find a special "riven crystal" there to create an antidote for the serum Pierce and his followers are using. Dan, Atticus, and Jake are upset with Amy because she left them behind during a dangerous mission. Amy had also told Jake, her former boyfriend, that she never loved him. Amy believes it's better for her loved ones to be "angry and alive than dead." She also has a small bottle of serum that a friend, Sammy Mourad, made for her, just in case.

As they discuss Tikal, a national park and important archaeological site, the helicopter suddenly shakes. The pilot, who was secretly working for Pierce, jumps out with a parachute, trying to crash the helicopter and kill the Cahills. The group fights off the pilot, and Amy takes control of the helicopter. She struggles to fly it but manages to reach Tikal. The helicopter crashes thirty feet down onto an ancient ball court. Amazingly, everyone survives with only minor injuries. A park ranger helps them and shares information about Tikal.

Searching for the Crystal

At their hotel, the kids ask their friend Pony to find information about Debi Ann, who is a Cahill. Later, Atticus uses a book by Olivia Cahill to figure out where the riven crystal might be hidden.

At the same time, in Trilon Laboratories in Delaware, Nellie Gomez is pretending to be someone else. She contacts Sammy Mourad, who is being held there by Pierce to improve the serum. In Massachusetts, Pony works hard to get information about Debi Ann, which proves difficult.

Back in Tikal, as the group searches for the crystal, Pierce's thugs ambush them. Dan is almost killed. To save him, Amy takes the serum herself. This means she now only has a week to live. In Delaware, Dr. Brent Beckelheimer tries to expose Nellie as a fake, but she uses embarrassing pictures of his hobby to make him seem unreliable. Amy starts to experience serious side effects from the serum that will soon kill her.

Danger and Capture

As the story continues, Nellie discovers that Jeffrey Callendar is experimenting on another Cahill, Fiske. In Tikal, Hamilton, Atticus, Ian, and Jonah try to find out if Amy and Dan have recovered Olivia's book and search for the riven crystal. Nellie manages to warn Pony to tell Amy and Dan that they are walking into a trap.

Despite finding the riven crystal, Dan is kidnapped. Pony is tragically killed by Pierce's thugs, and Nellie and Sammy are captured. The Cahills face their biggest challenge yet.