Read Online Buried Alive! by Gloria Skurzynski - Free Book Online

back!”
    Like a dog showing its teeth, Chaz pulled back his lips threateningly. “Get that sister of yours and run along. Nicky has already cost me plenty.”
    â€œDo what he says,” Nicky told them stiffly.
    â€œBut we’ll freeze to death out here!”
    Chaz gave a short bark of laughter. “That’s what I’m counting on.” He slipped his hand into his parka and pulled out a silver, snub-nosed gun. Although Jack’s brain felt thickened by images and words that didn’t make sense, this he understood: Gun. Chaz had a gun, and it was pointed right at the base of Nicky’s skull.
    Ashley’s hands flew to her mouth. “Chaz, no!”
    Chaz looked down at Ashley, but his eyes held no emotion at all. He bit off every word as he said, “I’m going to tell you and your brother one more time. Get out of my sled.”
    Jack sat frozen. What should he do? What could he do? All he could see was the gun.
    Now Chaz spoke only to Nicky. “My boss says your daddy will cooperate once he hears your voice on the phone. You’re the one I want. Tell them.”
    â€œAshley,” Nicky said hoarsely. “Get out of here.”
    Neither one of them moved. Jack felt as if his brain had disconnected from his body.
    â€œAre you two deaf?” Chaz demanded, waving his gun in the air. “Leave or I will shoot your friend right in the head.” His face contorted. “Now!” he screamed, so loud his voice echoed off the northern face of the mountain, the now, now, now, bouncing into the air until it disappeared like a dying note. Then shoving the muzzle in Nicky’s neck, he cocked the gun.
    Jack and Ashley scrambled out of the basket and stood woodenly in the snow. The color had drained from Nicky’s face. “It’s OK, Ashley,” he whispered. “Try to save yourself.”
    â€œHow noble!” Chaz pulled back the gun, leaned down, and with a quick jerk pulled up the snow hook and dropped it beside his feet. Resting the gun on the handle of the sled, he said, “You’ll talk to your dad, and after that, who knows? It could be like what happened to my friend—remember that little story I told, Nicky? Well, guess what? This just might be your day to die.”

CHAPTER SIX
    A wind gusted up and scoured the riverbed, spinning a gauzy curtain of powdered snow that hit Jack full in the face. The coldness stung him, waking his senses, jump-starting his fear-frozen mind. He had to think, and he had to do it fast. The dogs barked furiously.
    Ashley took a small step toward the sled.
    â€œStay where you are!” Chaz ordered. His arm spun around to aim the gun right at Ashley’s chest. His eyes were deadly.
    Jack could hear the quaver in his sister’s voice as she asked, “Why are you doing this?”
    Chaz just snickered. The gun dropped to his hip as he grabbed the snow hook.
    â€œDon’t leave us!” Ashley pleaded.
    â€œIt will look like a tragic accident. You two found frozen in the Denali wilderness, while Nicky’s remains—lost. They’ll figure the wild animals got him. And me? Oh, they’ll never find me. I’ll be long gone. I’ve got my plane parked at the Glen Creek airstrip. I’ll put my basket and dogs and Nicky right inside, and then we’ll be off. Me and Nicky are about to disappear.”
    â€œBut why?” Ashley demanded. “I don’t understand!”
    Chaz didn’t answer. Instead, he snapped the hook beneath the runner. His right hand still clutched the gun, which once again hovered dangerously close to the back of Nicky’s head. The sled pitched forward, but Chaz’s fierce command of “whoa” once again held the dogs in check.
    What could Jack do? Different scenarios flashed through his mind, considered for an instant and then discarded. He and Ashley could turn and try to run, but Chaz could pick them off like tin ducks in an