Read Online Strategic Moves by Franklin W. Dixon - Free Book Online
Authors: Franklin W. Dixon
Ads: Link
Zippo. He flipped the lid open, flicked the roller with his thumb, and watched as a flint spark set the alcohol-soaked wick on fire. He let it burn, then flipped the lid shut.
"I think the Gray Man is lying. Or he knows more than he's willing to tell," Frank said, returning the lighter to his pocket.
"Evidence?" Joe asked.
"Hunch. If there's one person who would know that St. Armand was a Network undercover agent, it's the Gray Man."
"Maybe Fitzhugh also knew," Joe added, testing the strength of his cot by sitting on it and then bouncing a little.
"After learning that Fitzhugh is a BCI agent, I wouldn't doubt if this place was crawling with agents," Frank said.
"And I still don't trust Aleksandr," Frank continued. "Twice today we saw Aleksandr get angry. First when the gargoyle fell, and then at the dinner table."
"I don't think he likes Americans," Joe said, satisfied that the cot would hold him.
"He had no reason to be angry," Frank said. "Unless we're not all on the same side."
Joe shot Frank a knowing look.
Ziggy emerged from the shower dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, his wet hair sticking up in spikes in all directions.
"Hey, Frank," Ziggy said, toweling dry his head. "Would you like to play chess?"
"Yeah, right," Frank said wryly.
"I'll spot you my bishops," Ziggy offered seriously.
"I don't mind sympathy," Frank said, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and standing, "but I don't take pity from anybody. Get out the chess set." Frank smiled at his opponent.
A knock diverted their attention to the old wooden door of the room.
Joe hopped up from the cot. "I'll get it," he said in a low voice.
"Wait," Frank whispered, and he moved to one side of the door.
Joe waited until Frank was in position next to the door, then opened it.
Petra stood in the hallway, sleepy-eyed and smiling.
"Hello. I couldn't asleep," she explained.
Frank relaxed and returned to help Ziggy set up the chess set on the room's lone desk.
"Come in," Joe said without hesitation.
"Thanks." Petra walked into the room, and Joe shut the door.
"Where's Katrina?" Ziggy asked.
"She is asleep," Petra replied.
"You walked over here by yourself?" Joe's voice and eyes showed concern.
"I know I shouldn't have, but I wanted to talk to someone." Petra smiled. "Someone my age."
"I'm just what the doctor ordered," Joe replied.
"I see Ziggy has talked Frank into playing chess," Petra said with a nod toward the two players.
"Yeah," Joe replied as he pulled two chairs around to face each other. "I was wondering how I was going to entertain myself while those two spent the next two hours playing - "
"It will not take me two hours," Ziggy announced, a mischievous look on his face.
"I'm going to send your pieces to chess heaven," Frank replied with confidence.
" - but now I have someone to talk to."
Joe and Petra sat.
"It is cold," Petra said with a shudder, crossing her arms.
"I'll turn up the furnace." Joe rose and walked over to the wall furnace. Brasenose had no central heating, only old furnaces fueled by natural gas.
Almost as cozy as a real fire, Joe thought. He returned to his chair. Petra had curled up in her chair, her legs tucked under, her arms crossed, her shy smile of thanks sending warm shivers through Joe.
"Hello," Ziggy said, holding out his hand to Frank as they sat across from each other. "My name is Sitting Bull, and you are General Custer, I presume. Welcome to Little Big Horn."
Frank only smiled. As white, he moved first.
He placed his king pawn in king four position. A typical opening move. Ziggy countered with the same but opposite move with his black pawn.
"Give up," Ziggy joked.
"Die, Russian dog," Frank fired back, moving his queen knight directly in front of Ziggy's pawn.
"I don't know if I can take all this excitement," Joe said. "Ziggy seems more like a showman than a champion chess player."
"I believe you call such behavior 'hamming it up,' " Petra said with a laugh. "This could take hours."
Joe
"I think the Gray Man is lying. Or he knows more than he's willing to tell," Frank said, returning the lighter to his pocket.
"Evidence?" Joe asked.
"Hunch. If there's one person who would know that St. Armand was a Network undercover agent, it's the Gray Man."
"Maybe Fitzhugh also knew," Joe added, testing the strength of his cot by sitting on it and then bouncing a little.
"After learning that Fitzhugh is a BCI agent, I wouldn't doubt if this place was crawling with agents," Frank said.
"And I still don't trust Aleksandr," Frank continued. "Twice today we saw Aleksandr get angry. First when the gargoyle fell, and then at the dinner table."
"I don't think he likes Americans," Joe said, satisfied that the cot would hold him.
"He had no reason to be angry," Frank said. "Unless we're not all on the same side."
Joe shot Frank a knowing look.
Ziggy emerged from the shower dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, his wet hair sticking up in spikes in all directions.
"Hey, Frank," Ziggy said, toweling dry his head. "Would you like to play chess?"
"Yeah, right," Frank said wryly.
"I'll spot you my bishops," Ziggy offered seriously.
"I don't mind sympathy," Frank said, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and standing, "but I don't take pity from anybody. Get out the chess set." Frank smiled at his opponent.
A knock diverted their attention to the old wooden door of the room.
Joe hopped up from the cot. "I'll get it," he said in a low voice.
"Wait," Frank whispered, and he moved to one side of the door.
Joe waited until Frank was in position next to the door, then opened it.
Petra stood in the hallway, sleepy-eyed and smiling.
"Hello. I couldn't asleep," she explained.
Frank relaxed and returned to help Ziggy set up the chess set on the room's lone desk.
"Come in," Joe said without hesitation.
"Thanks." Petra walked into the room, and Joe shut the door.
"Where's Katrina?" Ziggy asked.
"She is asleep," Petra replied.
"You walked over here by yourself?" Joe's voice and eyes showed concern.
"I know I shouldn't have, but I wanted to talk to someone." Petra smiled. "Someone my age."
"I'm just what the doctor ordered," Joe replied.
"I see Ziggy has talked Frank into playing chess," Petra said with a nod toward the two players.
"Yeah," Joe replied as he pulled two chairs around to face each other. "I was wondering how I was going to entertain myself while those two spent the next two hours playing - "
"It will not take me two hours," Ziggy announced, a mischievous look on his face.
"I'm going to send your pieces to chess heaven," Frank replied with confidence.
" - but now I have someone to talk to."
Joe and Petra sat.
"It is cold," Petra said with a shudder, crossing her arms.
"I'll turn up the furnace." Joe rose and walked over to the wall furnace. Brasenose had no central heating, only old furnaces fueled by natural gas.
Almost as cozy as a real fire, Joe thought. He returned to his chair. Petra had curled up in her chair, her legs tucked under, her arms crossed, her shy smile of thanks sending warm shivers through Joe.
"Hello," Ziggy said, holding out his hand to Frank as they sat across from each other. "My name is Sitting Bull, and you are General Custer, I presume. Welcome to Little Big Horn."
Frank only smiled. As white, he moved first.
He placed his king pawn in king four position. A typical opening move. Ziggy countered with the same but opposite move with his black pawn.
"Give up," Ziggy joked.
"Die, Russian dog," Frank fired back, moving his queen knight directly in front of Ziggy's pawn.
"I don't know if I can take all this excitement," Joe said. "Ziggy seems more like a showman than a champion chess player."
"I believe you call such behavior 'hamming it up,' " Petra said with a laugh. "This could take hours."
Joe
Similar Books
