Read Online Perfect Getaway by Franklin W. Dixon - Free Book Online
Authors: Franklin W. Dixon
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British accent, "Better start running now, sir, better start running fast, faster than my bullets."
He saw himself running, stumbling over sand that kept slipping beneath his feet, so that he didn't go forward but just kept digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole.
Finally he was at the bottom of the hole, looking up at the light of the sky above. And then the light was blotted out by a face that belonged to Alex, the man who had grilled him and Frank at the Florida mansion.
Alex was smiling a sneering, triumphant smile and saying, "I didn't have to put you in quicksand, after all. You've dug your own grave."
Then Alex began kicking sand down onto Joe's upturned face, and Joe heard himself shouting desperately, "Frank, come on, time to get going! Move it!"
Then Alex's face was gone, and there was Frank's, close to him, right above him.
"Frank, I knew you'd show up. You know I'd do the same for you," Joe said in relief. Then he saw that Frank's face wasn't smiling, but tight-lipped and grim.
And he suddenly realized that Frank's hand was on his shoulder, shaking him.
Shaking him awake.
He sat up in bed and looked groggily past Frank, and saw Sam standing in the doorway with a gun in his hand and a look of vicious anger on his face.
And Joe knew that this was no dream.
It was a nightmare made real.
Chapter 9
"GET ON YOUR feet—fast," said Sam in a snarl that shredded the last doubts Joe had that he was awake and that this was all real.
Joe sat up, swung himself down out of his bunk, and stood beside Frank. He needed no prompting to follow Frank's lead when his brother put both hands in the air.
"What happened?" he asked.
"I was in the galley about half an hour ago when Sam rang and told me to bring him some coffee. When I did, he shoved this gun in my face and told me to lead him to you. I didn't have any choice."
"And now you don't have any chance," said Sam. "You two kids got your nerve, trying to play me for a sucker."
"How'd you find out?" asked Joe.
"How do you think?" said Sam. "When I woke up from my little nap, I remembered I was supposed to bring those guys down in the hold their chow. I went to the galley and found out that Frank had already gone. After I chewed out the cook for breaking the off-limits rule, I went down to make sure Frank kept his mouth shut about what was down there. I guess you know what I found."
"I guess I do," said Joe, his stomach sinking.
"And I guess you know what's going to happen to you now," said Sam.
"I really don't want to find out," said Joe, searching desperately for a way out of this jam. He hoped Frank was doing the same.
Frank shrugged, apparently unconcerned, and said, "I suppose our luck had to run out sometime. You have to admit, though, we got pretty far."
"And you're going to keep going far—all the way to the bottom of the sea," said Sam.
"What're you going to do?" asked Frank. "Make us walk the plank?"
"No, that would be too public," said Sam. "You won't leave this room alive. After I shoot you two, the only ones who will notice are the fish when you sink past them in the water."
"Gee," said Frank, "I hate to make you miss any sleep while you're waiting for a chance to toss us over the side undetected. You've had so little rest since we left port."
"Yeah, well, I can sleep all the way back to ; Florida on the return trip. Not that I wouldn't mind a little sack-time right now, but—" Sam paused to give a big yawn. "Yeah, wouldn't mind a," — he gave another yawn — "nap. Funny, I feel kind of — " He shook his head, as if trying to clear it.
"Maybe you should sit down," Frank suggested. "You look tired. Really tired."
"Maybe I will," said Sam, sitting down. "But don't you two get any — " Another yawn. "Remember, I still got this — " And as his eyes closed and his head slumped forward, the gun dropped from his fingers and clattered to the floor.
"Whew," said Frank with relief. "Thought that stuff would never get to work."
"Stuff?"
He saw himself running, stumbling over sand that kept slipping beneath his feet, so that he didn't go forward but just kept digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole.
Finally he was at the bottom of the hole, looking up at the light of the sky above. And then the light was blotted out by a face that belonged to Alex, the man who had grilled him and Frank at the Florida mansion.
Alex was smiling a sneering, triumphant smile and saying, "I didn't have to put you in quicksand, after all. You've dug your own grave."
Then Alex began kicking sand down onto Joe's upturned face, and Joe heard himself shouting desperately, "Frank, come on, time to get going! Move it!"
Then Alex's face was gone, and there was Frank's, close to him, right above him.
"Frank, I knew you'd show up. You know I'd do the same for you," Joe said in relief. Then he saw that Frank's face wasn't smiling, but tight-lipped and grim.
And he suddenly realized that Frank's hand was on his shoulder, shaking him.
Shaking him awake.
He sat up in bed and looked groggily past Frank, and saw Sam standing in the doorway with a gun in his hand and a look of vicious anger on his face.
And Joe knew that this was no dream.
It was a nightmare made real.
Chapter 9
"GET ON YOUR feet—fast," said Sam in a snarl that shredded the last doubts Joe had that he was awake and that this was all real.
Joe sat up, swung himself down out of his bunk, and stood beside Frank. He needed no prompting to follow Frank's lead when his brother put both hands in the air.
"What happened?" he asked.
"I was in the galley about half an hour ago when Sam rang and told me to bring him some coffee. When I did, he shoved this gun in my face and told me to lead him to you. I didn't have any choice."
"And now you don't have any chance," said Sam. "You two kids got your nerve, trying to play me for a sucker."
"How'd you find out?" asked Joe.
"How do you think?" said Sam. "When I woke up from my little nap, I remembered I was supposed to bring those guys down in the hold their chow. I went to the galley and found out that Frank had already gone. After I chewed out the cook for breaking the off-limits rule, I went down to make sure Frank kept his mouth shut about what was down there. I guess you know what I found."
"I guess I do," said Joe, his stomach sinking.
"And I guess you know what's going to happen to you now," said Sam.
"I really don't want to find out," said Joe, searching desperately for a way out of this jam. He hoped Frank was doing the same.
Frank shrugged, apparently unconcerned, and said, "I suppose our luck had to run out sometime. You have to admit, though, we got pretty far."
"And you're going to keep going far—all the way to the bottom of the sea," said Sam.
"What're you going to do?" asked Frank. "Make us walk the plank?"
"No, that would be too public," said Sam. "You won't leave this room alive. After I shoot you two, the only ones who will notice are the fish when you sink past them in the water."
"Gee," said Frank, "I hate to make you miss any sleep while you're waiting for a chance to toss us over the side undetected. You've had so little rest since we left port."
"Yeah, well, I can sleep all the way back to ; Florida on the return trip. Not that I wouldn't mind a little sack-time right now, but—" Sam paused to give a big yawn. "Yeah, wouldn't mind a," — he gave another yawn — "nap. Funny, I feel kind of — " He shook his head, as if trying to clear it.
"Maybe you should sit down," Frank suggested. "You look tired. Really tired."
"Maybe I will," said Sam, sitting down. "But don't you two get any — " Another yawn. "Remember, I still got this — " And as his eyes closed and his head slumped forward, the gun dropped from his fingers and clattered to the floor.
"Whew," said Frank with relief. "Thought that stuff would never get to work."
"Stuff?"
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