Read Online Grk Undercover by Joshua Doder - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Joshua Doder
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bring large groups of tourists from the ground to the second level of the Eiffel Tower. Four more smaller lifts take smaller groups of tourists from the second level to the top. And when you reach the top, there is only one way to go: back down again to the bottom.
“Down,” said Tim. “If we go up, we’ll be trapped at the top.”
“Up,” said Natascha. “They’ll be expecting us to go down. They’ll be waiting for us at the bottom. If we go up, we’ll get away from them.”
Max looked around, wondering what to do, trying to decide whether to go up or down.
The decision was made for him. He could see Colonel Zinfandel’s bodyguards fighting their way through the crowd, thrusting people aside and searching for any sign of three children and a dog. He could also see the long lines of tourists waiting for the lifts going down to the ground.
“This way,” said Max. “Follow me. We’re going to go up.”
He darted forward and clambered over a low metal fence. The others hurried after him. They went down a corridor and found themselves beside the small lifts that took tourists to the top of the tower. A sign said:
VERS LE SOMMET
TO THE TOP
A door was closing. Max lunged forward and planted himself in the way, holding the door for the others.
Inside the lift people protested, demanding to know what he thought he was doing. Max ignored them. He held the door open until Tim and Natascha and Grk had stepped inside. Then Max stepped inside himself and the door slid shut. People shuffled backward, making roomfor the three children. Grk squatted at their feet, watching out for other people’s legs. He didn’t want to be trodden on again.
The lift was ready to leave. The bodyguards wouldn’t get into this one. But they would be coming in the next one. They would only be a few moments behind.
The lift shuddered upward toward the summit.
Tim stared out of the window at the view. He could see the tower’s metal struts and, beyond them, the river and the city. Hundreds of meters below, boats cruised slowly along the glistening water. Tiny cars whizzed along the roads. Tim wished he was down there now, rather than up here, locked in a small lift.
Max turned to his sister. It was his first chance to talk to her. Other people could hear him, but he was so angry that he didn’t care about their presence. He said, “What are you doing here? How did you find me? Why did you stop me? Are you crazy?”
Natascha didn’t know which one of these questions to answer, so she didn’t answer any of them. She just said, “Are you okay?”
“No,” said Max. “I’m not okay at all. I was
this close
.” He placed his fingers together, leaving a tiny gap between them. “
This close!
And you stopped me. Why did you do that?”
“I wanted to help you,” said Natascha.
“Help me?” Max shook his head. “What’s wrong with you? Don’t you know who he is? Don’t you know what he did to our parents?”
“Of course I do,” said Natascha.
“Then why did you stop me?”
“Because killing people is wrong.”
Max laughed bitterly. “Tell that to Colonel Zinfandel.”
“If you kill him, then you’re as bad as he is.”
“Evil deeds should be punished,” said Max. “Don’t you understand that? Don’t you understand anything?”
Max and Natascha were just about to start shouting at one another when Tim interrupted both of them. “Why don’t you finish this argument later?” he said. “Right now, we’ve got more important things to worry about. Like how to get away from those guards. And how to stay alive.”
Natascha and Max looked at Tim. They knew he was right. If they didn’t think of a way to escape, Colonel Zinfandel would kill them himself and their arguments would be completely pointless.
At that moment, the lift stopped and the door opened. They had arrived on the top of the Eiffel Tower. Max stepped out of the lift, followed by the others. They looked at their surroundings.
They were
“Down,” said Tim. “If we go up, we’ll be trapped at the top.”
“Up,” said Natascha. “They’ll be expecting us to go down. They’ll be waiting for us at the bottom. If we go up, we’ll get away from them.”
Max looked around, wondering what to do, trying to decide whether to go up or down.
The decision was made for him. He could see Colonel Zinfandel’s bodyguards fighting their way through the crowd, thrusting people aside and searching for any sign of three children and a dog. He could also see the long lines of tourists waiting for the lifts going down to the ground.
“This way,” said Max. “Follow me. We’re going to go up.”
He darted forward and clambered over a low metal fence. The others hurried after him. They went down a corridor and found themselves beside the small lifts that took tourists to the top of the tower. A sign said:
VERS LE SOMMET
TO THE TOP
A door was closing. Max lunged forward and planted himself in the way, holding the door for the others.
Inside the lift people protested, demanding to know what he thought he was doing. Max ignored them. He held the door open until Tim and Natascha and Grk had stepped inside. Then Max stepped inside himself and the door slid shut. People shuffled backward, making roomfor the three children. Grk squatted at their feet, watching out for other people’s legs. He didn’t want to be trodden on again.
The lift was ready to leave. The bodyguards wouldn’t get into this one. But they would be coming in the next one. They would only be a few moments behind.
The lift shuddered upward toward the summit.
Tim stared out of the window at the view. He could see the tower’s metal struts and, beyond them, the river and the city. Hundreds of meters below, boats cruised slowly along the glistening water. Tiny cars whizzed along the roads. Tim wished he was down there now, rather than up here, locked in a small lift.
Max turned to his sister. It was his first chance to talk to her. Other people could hear him, but he was so angry that he didn’t care about their presence. He said, “What are you doing here? How did you find me? Why did you stop me? Are you crazy?”
Natascha didn’t know which one of these questions to answer, so she didn’t answer any of them. She just said, “Are you okay?”
“No,” said Max. “I’m not okay at all. I was
this close
.” He placed his fingers together, leaving a tiny gap between them. “
This close!
And you stopped me. Why did you do that?”
“I wanted to help you,” said Natascha.
“Help me?” Max shook his head. “What’s wrong with you? Don’t you know who he is? Don’t you know what he did to our parents?”
“Of course I do,” said Natascha.
“Then why did you stop me?”
“Because killing people is wrong.”
Max laughed bitterly. “Tell that to Colonel Zinfandel.”
“If you kill him, then you’re as bad as he is.”
“Evil deeds should be punished,” said Max. “Don’t you understand that? Don’t you understand anything?”
Max and Natascha were just about to start shouting at one another when Tim interrupted both of them. “Why don’t you finish this argument later?” he said. “Right now, we’ve got more important things to worry about. Like how to get away from those guards. And how to stay alive.”
Natascha and Max looked at Tim. They knew he was right. If they didn’t think of a way to escape, Colonel Zinfandel would kill them himself and their arguments would be completely pointless.
At that moment, the lift stopped and the door opened. They had arrived on the top of the Eiffel Tower. Max stepped out of the lift, followed by the others. They looked at their surroundings.
They were
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