Read Online The 39 Clues Book 7: The Viper's Nest by Peter Lerangis - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Peter Lerangis
Tags: Fiction, General, Historical, Children's Books, Action & Adventure, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Action & Adventure - General, YA), Children's Fiction, Ages 9-12 Fiction, Orphans, Brothers and sisters, Other, Children's stories, Children: Grades 4-6, Adventure stories (Children's, Code and Cipher Stories, Orphans & Foster Homes, Mysteries; Espionage; & Detective Stories, Family - Siblings, Juvenile Mysteries, Ciphers, Historical - Ancient Civilizations, Historical - Other, Family & home stories (Children's, Cahill; Dan (Fictitious character), Cahill; Amy (Fictitious character)
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was an alphabetical list of street names. "It's a street--Boom Street on the north side of the city, near the zoo! Near Paul Kruger Street."
"Hang on, boys and girls," Nellie said, handing Amy back her phone. "Gomez and Cahills go Boom."
* * *
Boom Street ringed a large field across from the zoo. At the corner of Paul Kruger, Nellie hung a tight left turn, tires screeching.
A traffic sign on a wooden horse said:
DANGER: Construction Site
Hard Hats* Only
76
At the bottom, scribbled in nearly illegible handwriting next to an asterisk, were the words * and Cahills!
"Drive around it," Dan said. "They're up ahead."
Behind the sign, the street dropped off into a steep decline. Parked at the bottom was the purple pickup. Uncle Alistair stood beside it at attention, his cane in hand and his bowler hat neatly on his head.
Nellie put the car in first gear and rode the brake downhill. At the sound of the engine's whine, Alistair looked upward and waved them over.
"Alistair is working with the Holts," Amy hissed.
"He looks worried about something," Dan said.
"Be careful," Amy replied.
As Nellie slowed, Alistair's waving got more urgent. "Um, guys, what's with his hat?"
Two blue wires extended from the back of Alistair's bowler all the way into the driver's window of the pickup. Amy couldn't see anyone inside the cab, but Alistair was looking agitatedly across the street.
There, standing near a thick, gnarled acacia tree, were Eisenhower, Mary-Todd, Reagan, Madison, and Hamilton Holt, along with their pit bull, Arnold. Eisenhower leered triumphantly, his neck the color of rare roast beef. In his hand was a long yellow string leading to Alistair's bowler. "Let's talk," he said.
"Let's book!" Dan said.
Nellie threw the car into reverse.
Alistair's face turned ashen. "No, don't!" he shouted.
"Retreat is not --I repeat, not --recommended!"
77
Eisenhower barked. "If you value human life."
"Don't listen to him!" Amy said. "Go, Nellie, go!"
"Ten-HUT!" Eisenhower held up his hand. "Your uncle is attached by means of technology learned and perfected by myself in Explosives Lab 101, Instructor Todd Bempster, West Point Class of None-of-Your-Business, to the pickup battery, in a manner too electronical to explain in civilianistic terms but easy to set up with the help of a few handy household--"
"Cut to the chase, will you, lamby?" said Mary-Todd.
Eisenhower held up the string with a triumphant smile. "If the hat comes off Alistair's head, the pickup explodes."
"He's bluffing," Dan said shakily.
"He's not." Amy knew Eisenhower meant business. And she liked the idea.
NOW you'll finally feel what our parents felt, Uncle Alistair. You'll know what it's like to be abandoned, instead of the one who abandons.
"YOU IN THE YUGO - COME ACROSS THE STREET, IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU," shouted Eisenhower. "ON THE DOUBLE! -ER, TRIPLE!"
Amy took a deep breath. She tried to grab on to a coherent thought in her brain, but they were flying around inside, slippery and dark like bats.
Dan put his hand gently on her shoulder. "Follow me."
He stepped out of the car and walked downhill toward the Holts. Amy followed behind, numbly. On the other side of the street, she could sense a change in the faces of Reagan and Madison --something like
78
relief. This scheme, Amy realized, wasn't their idea. Hamilton was looking downright panicked.
She tried to meet his glance. He was blinking fast, as if he were embarrassed or fighting back tears. She felt a surge of gratitude toward him. For saving her life. For helping them against Alistair. "Ham ...?" she said.
Eisenhower clapped a beefy hand on his son's shoulder, nearly knocking him over. "We know you're here for the Tomas clue."
"We are?" Nellie blurted out.
Madison rolled her eyes. "Oh, that was convincing."
"Actually," Reagan murmured, "it was."
"When we heard you were going to Peoria on that intercept from Indonesia," Eisenhower said, "we made sure to follow."
"You mean,
"Hang on, boys and girls," Nellie said, handing Amy back her phone. "Gomez and Cahills go Boom."
* * *
Boom Street ringed a large field across from the zoo. At the corner of Paul Kruger, Nellie hung a tight left turn, tires screeching.
A traffic sign on a wooden horse said:
DANGER: Construction Site
Hard Hats* Only
76
At the bottom, scribbled in nearly illegible handwriting next to an asterisk, were the words * and Cahills!
"Drive around it," Dan said. "They're up ahead."
Behind the sign, the street dropped off into a steep decline. Parked at the bottom was the purple pickup. Uncle Alistair stood beside it at attention, his cane in hand and his bowler hat neatly on his head.
Nellie put the car in first gear and rode the brake downhill. At the sound of the engine's whine, Alistair looked upward and waved them over.
"Alistair is working with the Holts," Amy hissed.
"He looks worried about something," Dan said.
"Be careful," Amy replied.
As Nellie slowed, Alistair's waving got more urgent. "Um, guys, what's with his hat?"
Two blue wires extended from the back of Alistair's bowler all the way into the driver's window of the pickup. Amy couldn't see anyone inside the cab, but Alistair was looking agitatedly across the street.
There, standing near a thick, gnarled acacia tree, were Eisenhower, Mary-Todd, Reagan, Madison, and Hamilton Holt, along with their pit bull, Arnold. Eisenhower leered triumphantly, his neck the color of rare roast beef. In his hand was a long yellow string leading to Alistair's bowler. "Let's talk," he said.
"Let's book!" Dan said.
Nellie threw the car into reverse.
Alistair's face turned ashen. "No, don't!" he shouted.
"Retreat is not --I repeat, not --recommended!"
77
Eisenhower barked. "If you value human life."
"Don't listen to him!" Amy said. "Go, Nellie, go!"
"Ten-HUT!" Eisenhower held up his hand. "Your uncle is attached by means of technology learned and perfected by myself in Explosives Lab 101, Instructor Todd Bempster, West Point Class of None-of-Your-Business, to the pickup battery, in a manner too electronical to explain in civilianistic terms but easy to set up with the help of a few handy household--"
"Cut to the chase, will you, lamby?" said Mary-Todd.
Eisenhower held up the string with a triumphant smile. "If the hat comes off Alistair's head, the pickup explodes."
"He's bluffing," Dan said shakily.
"He's not." Amy knew Eisenhower meant business. And she liked the idea.
NOW you'll finally feel what our parents felt, Uncle Alistair. You'll know what it's like to be abandoned, instead of the one who abandons.
"YOU IN THE YUGO - COME ACROSS THE STREET, IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU," shouted Eisenhower. "ON THE DOUBLE! -ER, TRIPLE!"
Amy took a deep breath. She tried to grab on to a coherent thought in her brain, but they were flying around inside, slippery and dark like bats.
Dan put his hand gently on her shoulder. "Follow me."
He stepped out of the car and walked downhill toward the Holts. Amy followed behind, numbly. On the other side of the street, she could sense a change in the faces of Reagan and Madison --something like
78
relief. This scheme, Amy realized, wasn't their idea. Hamilton was looking downright panicked.
She tried to meet his glance. He was blinking fast, as if he were embarrassed or fighting back tears. She felt a surge of gratitude toward him. For saving her life. For helping them against Alistair. "Ham ...?" she said.
Eisenhower clapped a beefy hand on his son's shoulder, nearly knocking him over. "We know you're here for the Tomas clue."
"We are?" Nellie blurted out.
Madison rolled her eyes. "Oh, that was convincing."
"Actually," Reagan murmured, "it was."
"When we heard you were going to Peoria on that intercept from Indonesia," Eisenhower said, "we made sure to follow."
"You mean,
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