Read Online The 39 Clues: Unstoppable Book 2: Breakaway by Jeff Hirsch - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jeff Hirsch
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“She looks innocent, but she’s a snake.”
Amy was motionless, leaning forward in her chair. In the flickering light of the TV, her eyes were dark hollows.
“Strong words,” Chet continued. “Ones that lead to perhaps the most important question of all — has Amy Cahill already found her next victim?”
The screen faded to another picture. It was Jake, caught standing in that medina alley. He wore an angry sneer and his fist was cocked, ready to strike the reporter who sat bleeding at his feet. Amy stood in the shadows behind him, watching it all with a look on her face that, had Dan not known her, he would have read as distinctly pleased.
“Jake Rosenbloom — star athlete, honors student, a young man with a bright future ahead of him. How long until Amy Cahill takes all that away, too? For more on this —”
Something zipped through the air by Dan’s head and the TV screen exploded in a shower of glass and plastic and electrical sparks. Dan jumped out of his seat as a crystal ashtray hit the floor and shattered. Dan turned to see Amy standing at the edge of the table with tears in her eyes.
“It’s Pierce that’s doing this,” Dan said. “You know that. This is meaningless.”
“It’s not meaningless to me!” Amy cried. “Maybe you can just run away, Dan, but I can’t. I have to stay! I have to deal with this!”
“I’m not running away!”
“I must have been crazy,” Amy said. “I don’t know why I thought this would work. Dan, call the pilot. Tell him he’s taking Jake and Atticus home. Tonight.”
“Amy,” Jake said. “You can’t think I believe any of this.”
Amy whirled on him. “It doesn’t matter what you believe! We are done talking about this. Dan and I will find the silphium and the police will find your father and that’s it.”
“No,” Jake said. “Amy, that’s not how this is going to work.”
“This is crazy,” Dan said. “You can’t expect them to —”
“That is an order!” Amy roared.
Dan felt himself knocked backward, the sting of Amy’s words like a punch. Everyone in the room went silent. They were like four statues, frozen in opposite corners of the room, muscles tense as steel, vibrating with anger.
“I am the leader of the Cahills,” Amy said, her deadly calm more frightening than a scream. “I don’t want to hear any more thoughts or any more discussion. This is how it’s going to be and that’s it.”
Before anyone could say another word, Amy threw open the door to her bedroom and slammed it behind her.
Jake and Dan and Atticus didn’t move.
“Dan,” Jake said. “You have to talk to her.”
Dan nodded but he didn’t turn back to Jake or Atticus, he just kept staring at the smashed TV.
Amy sat on the floor of her shower, searing water falling over her head and shoulders and filling the room with steam. She had turned the water so hot, her skin was red and aching, but she couldn’t stop shivering.
The faces of Evan’s parents haunted her. It was as if they had been printed with phosphorescent ink on the back of her eyelids, inescapable no matter how hard she tried to block them out. For so long, Amy had drowned out the guilt that raged inside her with the voices of all of the people who told her that it wasn’t her fault. That Evan knew the risks.
Now a few words from Evan’s parents, and the wound was raw again. Evan had gotten involved because of his feelings for her. Amy could have stopped him, but she hadn’t.
Amy shut the water off and went into her bedroom, wrapped in a towel. It was quiet on the other side of the door. She could only imagine what the boys must have said when she left the room. What they must think of her. Amy fell across her bed just as her cell phone began to ring. She wanted to ignore it, but the caller ID showed up as coming from Attleboro. She took a breath and made herself answer it.
“We’re thinking it must be drugs.”
Amy almost smiled with relief at the rich lilt of Ian
Amy was motionless, leaning forward in her chair. In the flickering light of the TV, her eyes were dark hollows.
“Strong words,” Chet continued. “Ones that lead to perhaps the most important question of all — has Amy Cahill already found her next victim?”
The screen faded to another picture. It was Jake, caught standing in that medina alley. He wore an angry sneer and his fist was cocked, ready to strike the reporter who sat bleeding at his feet. Amy stood in the shadows behind him, watching it all with a look on her face that, had Dan not known her, he would have read as distinctly pleased.
“Jake Rosenbloom — star athlete, honors student, a young man with a bright future ahead of him. How long until Amy Cahill takes all that away, too? For more on this —”
Something zipped through the air by Dan’s head and the TV screen exploded in a shower of glass and plastic and electrical sparks. Dan jumped out of his seat as a crystal ashtray hit the floor and shattered. Dan turned to see Amy standing at the edge of the table with tears in her eyes.
“It’s Pierce that’s doing this,” Dan said. “You know that. This is meaningless.”
“It’s not meaningless to me!” Amy cried. “Maybe you can just run away, Dan, but I can’t. I have to stay! I have to deal with this!”
“I’m not running away!”
“I must have been crazy,” Amy said. “I don’t know why I thought this would work. Dan, call the pilot. Tell him he’s taking Jake and Atticus home. Tonight.”
“Amy,” Jake said. “You can’t think I believe any of this.”
Amy whirled on him. “It doesn’t matter what you believe! We are done talking about this. Dan and I will find the silphium and the police will find your father and that’s it.”
“No,” Jake said. “Amy, that’s not how this is going to work.”
“This is crazy,” Dan said. “You can’t expect them to —”
“That is an order!” Amy roared.
Dan felt himself knocked backward, the sting of Amy’s words like a punch. Everyone in the room went silent. They were like four statues, frozen in opposite corners of the room, muscles tense as steel, vibrating with anger.
“I am the leader of the Cahills,” Amy said, her deadly calm more frightening than a scream. “I don’t want to hear any more thoughts or any more discussion. This is how it’s going to be and that’s it.”
Before anyone could say another word, Amy threw open the door to her bedroom and slammed it behind her.
Jake and Dan and Atticus didn’t move.
“Dan,” Jake said. “You have to talk to her.”
Dan nodded but he didn’t turn back to Jake or Atticus, he just kept staring at the smashed TV.
Amy sat on the floor of her shower, searing water falling over her head and shoulders and filling the room with steam. She had turned the water so hot, her skin was red and aching, but she couldn’t stop shivering.
The faces of Evan’s parents haunted her. It was as if they had been printed with phosphorescent ink on the back of her eyelids, inescapable no matter how hard she tried to block them out. For so long, Amy had drowned out the guilt that raged inside her with the voices of all of the people who told her that it wasn’t her fault. That Evan knew the risks.
Now a few words from Evan’s parents, and the wound was raw again. Evan had gotten involved because of his feelings for her. Amy could have stopped him, but she hadn’t.
Amy shut the water off and went into her bedroom, wrapped in a towel. It was quiet on the other side of the door. She could only imagine what the boys must have said when she left the room. What they must think of her. Amy fell across her bed just as her cell phone began to ring. She wanted to ignore it, but the caller ID showed up as coming from Attleboro. She took a breath and made herself answer it.
“We’re thinking it must be drugs.”
Amy almost smiled with relief at the rich lilt of Ian
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