Read Online Dead on Target by Franklin W. Dixon - Free Book Online
Authors: Franklin W. Dixon
Ads: Link
"That collapsed building was a safe house for the Assassins, and I want to know - "
Frank recognized the voice and quickly shut the door.
"That's Dad," Joe whispered. "What do we do now?"
"Sir Nigel," Frank said, "I think we have a problem." Quickly he explained Fenton Hardy's arrangements for them and where they were supposed to be. "So if our father finds us here, we'll give away the whole show."
"Well, you are heading home now," Sir Nigel said with a conspiratorial smile. "Perkins, why don't you go out there and talk to Mr. Hardy? In the meantime, I'll show the boys the other exit from the office."
On the flight home, the Hardys talked quietly about their narrow escape.
"If Dad had seen us coming out of that office, he'd have skinned us alive," Joe said.
Frank nodded. "It's just lucky that we heard him before he saw us."
"He didn't seem happy," Joe went on. "Maybe his investigation isn't coming along too well."
"No better than ours, I guess." Frank closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat.
"Well, Dad's got a tighter schedule than we have, Frank. He can't stay undercover forever. There's that big Walker rally at the mall. He's the head of security. He'll have to be there."
Frank's eyes snapped open. "What idiots we've been," he said, breathing hard. "What?" Joe said.
"A bombing at the mall. What connection does it have to Iola? Why was she at the mall?" Frank turned to his brother, who was staring at him doubtfully. "Joe, what do we know about this Al-Rousasa?" "He's an Assassin. A heavy hitter never misses." "Besides that," Frank said. "Remember what that guy we caught told us." Joe pulled his brows together as he thought. "He was supposed to be in America to run a big terror campaign.” "And?" Frank prompted. "And what?"
"That campaign had its timing thrown off by a special job." Frank shook his head. "Don't you see?"
"See what?"
"Iola-all of us-were at the mall for a dress rehearsal of Philip Walker's appearance this Saturday. Suppose that bomb in our car was a dress rehearsal, too. Suppose Al-Rousasa was practicing how he'd assassinate Philip Walker!"
Chapter 11
FRANK HARDY'S FIRST question on landing at the airport was, "Where's the phone?" Joe stared in surprise. "Phone? I thought we were going to get right in the car and ... oh - “
"Right," Frank said. "No car."
Joe jingled the change in his pockets. "And not enough money for a cab."
Frank led the way to a pay phone. "I'm going to see if I can get hold of Callie. She'll give us a lift. And then our first stop is the police station."
Frank made the call; then he and Joe waited for Callie. Frank looked impatiently at his watch until Callie's green Nova finally pulled up. "Frank! Joe!" she called. "Where have you guys been? I've been trying to call - "
Frank gave her a quick kiss. "I can't explain right now, but we've got to get to the police station.”
Callie's dark eyes narrowed in concern when she heard their destination. "We're going to be cutting it mighty close," she said as they got in. "The day shift ends right now."
The street in front of the station was jammed with patrol cars. "Looks like the changing of the guard," Frank said as Callie pulled up at the corner.
He and Joe piled out. "Let's just hope the people we've got to see haven't left yet.”
They ran through the big double doors and across the corridor to the desk officer. "Excuse me," Frank said. "I'd like to talk to whoever is handling the security for Saturday's rally at the mall.”
The man behind the desk was a stranger. "Look, boys, right now isn't the best time - "
Behind him a door opened, and Con Riley stepped out, dressed in street clothes. "Hi, boys," he said when he noticed Frank and Joe. Seeing the frustrated look on their faces, he turned to the man behind the desk. "Aw, stop giving them a hard time, Jerry. I know these guys."
"They want to see the man in charge of security for the mall rally," Jerry told Con.
"Oh. I'll take 'em." Con's face was
Frank recognized the voice and quickly shut the door.
"That's Dad," Joe whispered. "What do we do now?"
"Sir Nigel," Frank said, "I think we have a problem." Quickly he explained Fenton Hardy's arrangements for them and where they were supposed to be. "So if our father finds us here, we'll give away the whole show."
"Well, you are heading home now," Sir Nigel said with a conspiratorial smile. "Perkins, why don't you go out there and talk to Mr. Hardy? In the meantime, I'll show the boys the other exit from the office."
On the flight home, the Hardys talked quietly about their narrow escape.
"If Dad had seen us coming out of that office, he'd have skinned us alive," Joe said.
Frank nodded. "It's just lucky that we heard him before he saw us."
"He didn't seem happy," Joe went on. "Maybe his investigation isn't coming along too well."
"No better than ours, I guess." Frank closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat.
"Well, Dad's got a tighter schedule than we have, Frank. He can't stay undercover forever. There's that big Walker rally at the mall. He's the head of security. He'll have to be there."
Frank's eyes snapped open. "What idiots we've been," he said, breathing hard. "What?" Joe said.
"A bombing at the mall. What connection does it have to Iola? Why was she at the mall?" Frank turned to his brother, who was staring at him doubtfully. "Joe, what do we know about this Al-Rousasa?" "He's an Assassin. A heavy hitter never misses." "Besides that," Frank said. "Remember what that guy we caught told us." Joe pulled his brows together as he thought. "He was supposed to be in America to run a big terror campaign.” "And?" Frank prompted. "And what?"
"That campaign had its timing thrown off by a special job." Frank shook his head. "Don't you see?"
"See what?"
"Iola-all of us-were at the mall for a dress rehearsal of Philip Walker's appearance this Saturday. Suppose that bomb in our car was a dress rehearsal, too. Suppose Al-Rousasa was practicing how he'd assassinate Philip Walker!"
Chapter 11
FRANK HARDY'S FIRST question on landing at the airport was, "Where's the phone?" Joe stared in surprise. "Phone? I thought we were going to get right in the car and ... oh - “
"Right," Frank said. "No car."
Joe jingled the change in his pockets. "And not enough money for a cab."
Frank led the way to a pay phone. "I'm going to see if I can get hold of Callie. She'll give us a lift. And then our first stop is the police station."
Frank made the call; then he and Joe waited for Callie. Frank looked impatiently at his watch until Callie's green Nova finally pulled up. "Frank! Joe!" she called. "Where have you guys been? I've been trying to call - "
Frank gave her a quick kiss. "I can't explain right now, but we've got to get to the police station.”
Callie's dark eyes narrowed in concern when she heard their destination. "We're going to be cutting it mighty close," she said as they got in. "The day shift ends right now."
The street in front of the station was jammed with patrol cars. "Looks like the changing of the guard," Frank said as Callie pulled up at the corner.
He and Joe piled out. "Let's just hope the people we've got to see haven't left yet.”
They ran through the big double doors and across the corridor to the desk officer. "Excuse me," Frank said. "I'd like to talk to whoever is handling the security for Saturday's rally at the mall.”
The man behind the desk was a stranger. "Look, boys, right now isn't the best time - "
Behind him a door opened, and Con Riley stepped out, dressed in street clothes. "Hi, boys," he said when he noticed Frank and Joe. Seeing the frustrated look on their faces, he turned to the man behind the desk. "Aw, stop giving them a hard time, Jerry. I know these guys."
"They want to see the man in charge of security for the mall rally," Jerry told Con.
"Oh. I'll take 'em." Con's face was
Similar Books
