Read Online The Crowning Terror by Franklin W. Dixon - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Franklin W. Dixon
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to trigger it was someone coming in or out of the room.
"No!" Frank screamed as the door swung open and the wire pulled taut.
Chapter 11
Frank leapt for the door and slid across the rug. Just before the trip wire stretched to full tension, he ripped it from the door.
He quickly studied the bomb and realized his guess was correct. So long as the wire wasn't pulled completely taut, the bomb wouldn't ignite. Relieved, he rolled on his back, sprawling across the rug. He found himself staring up at the puzzled bellhop, who carried a tray full of food.
"Don't mind me," Frank said. "Put it anywhere." As the bellhop set the tray on the foot of the bed, Frank stood and dug his wallet from his pocket. His fingers brushed the crumpled plans to the Carlyle Museum, and he pulled out the paper and threw it on his pillow. The bellhop handed him the check.
"You can't tip for your meal, sir," the bellhop said. He still watched Frank suspiciously, but Frank smiled mischievously and took the check and pen. With a flourish, he put his signature on the check and handed it back.
"Can your tip go on that, too?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," the bellhop said.
"Write yourself in for a fifty-percent tip," Frank said. "I don't think we'll be needing anything else tonight."
"Yes, sir!" the bellhop said. The money had driven any doubts from the bellhop's mind. With a slight bow, he left the room, closing the door behind him. Frank turned the safety bolt. If anyone wanted to get in then, they'd have to break down the door to do it.
"Is it soup yet?" Joe called from the shower. He appeared in the bathroom door, a towel wrapped around him.
"Yeah, dinner's here," Frank replied. "And that's not all. Look." He bent over and picked up the thermite bomb.
Joe's jaw dropped. "Starkey?"
Frank nodded. "A little present, set to fry us and half this hotel."
"I can see playing for keeps in the espionage racket, but this guy's out of his mind," Joe said. "We've got to put him out of business, Frank, before someone really gets hurt."
Frank threw himself on the bed and took the lid off one of the plates on the food tray. The aroma of steak and baked potato hit his nostrils, and he inhaled deeply. "I already got a small shot back at him. He's paying for the room, remember? I ordered the most expensive meals and gave the bellhop a whopping tip. I'd like to see Starkey explain that on his budget reports."
They both laughed. "I guess we'd better get some sleep and find a new hotel in the morning."
For the first time Frank realized how tired he was. After they finished their meal, Joe took the first watch while Frank slept. He had no dreams, and no one else came to the room.
They were out of the hotel at seven next morning. None of Starkey's men were anywhere around. It was as if the government man and his ; agents had never existed.
Half a mile away the Hardys checked into another hotel. At the coffee shop in the lobby, they were eating breakfast when, in the middle of a bite of toast, Joe asked, "Any ideas on what we do now?"
"Let's see where we are," said Frank, wiping his lips. "We've got Russians who've kidnapped Uncle Hugh to steal a crown for them. We've got a crazed counterespionage agent who's determined to prove Uncle Hugh's a traitor. And we've got some mystery woman — it's anybody's guess whose side she's on. We're stuck in a city three thousand miles from home, and we're being hunted by a government agency that has orders to shoot to kill."
Joe grimaced. "Do you get the feeling we're out of our depth?"
"That's putting it mildly," Frank said. "The question is, what do we do about it? We've got to get more information."
"I vote we get it from Starkey," said Joe. "I'm itching to take a crack at him, just him and me. I know I can make him talk."
"Yeah, he seems to be at the center of this, more than Uncle Hugh and what's her name— Charity? From the way Starkey's been acting, I know he has more up his sleeve than he's been telling. Of course, we do
"No!" Frank screamed as the door swung open and the wire pulled taut.
Chapter 11
Frank leapt for the door and slid across the rug. Just before the trip wire stretched to full tension, he ripped it from the door.
He quickly studied the bomb and realized his guess was correct. So long as the wire wasn't pulled completely taut, the bomb wouldn't ignite. Relieved, he rolled on his back, sprawling across the rug. He found himself staring up at the puzzled bellhop, who carried a tray full of food.
"Don't mind me," Frank said. "Put it anywhere." As the bellhop set the tray on the foot of the bed, Frank stood and dug his wallet from his pocket. His fingers brushed the crumpled plans to the Carlyle Museum, and he pulled out the paper and threw it on his pillow. The bellhop handed him the check.
"You can't tip for your meal, sir," the bellhop said. He still watched Frank suspiciously, but Frank smiled mischievously and took the check and pen. With a flourish, he put his signature on the check and handed it back.
"Can your tip go on that, too?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," the bellhop said.
"Write yourself in for a fifty-percent tip," Frank said. "I don't think we'll be needing anything else tonight."
"Yes, sir!" the bellhop said. The money had driven any doubts from the bellhop's mind. With a slight bow, he left the room, closing the door behind him. Frank turned the safety bolt. If anyone wanted to get in then, they'd have to break down the door to do it.
"Is it soup yet?" Joe called from the shower. He appeared in the bathroom door, a towel wrapped around him.
"Yeah, dinner's here," Frank replied. "And that's not all. Look." He bent over and picked up the thermite bomb.
Joe's jaw dropped. "Starkey?"
Frank nodded. "A little present, set to fry us and half this hotel."
"I can see playing for keeps in the espionage racket, but this guy's out of his mind," Joe said. "We've got to put him out of business, Frank, before someone really gets hurt."
Frank threw himself on the bed and took the lid off one of the plates on the food tray. The aroma of steak and baked potato hit his nostrils, and he inhaled deeply. "I already got a small shot back at him. He's paying for the room, remember? I ordered the most expensive meals and gave the bellhop a whopping tip. I'd like to see Starkey explain that on his budget reports."
They both laughed. "I guess we'd better get some sleep and find a new hotel in the morning."
For the first time Frank realized how tired he was. After they finished their meal, Joe took the first watch while Frank slept. He had no dreams, and no one else came to the room.
They were out of the hotel at seven next morning. None of Starkey's men were anywhere around. It was as if the government man and his ; agents had never existed.
Half a mile away the Hardys checked into another hotel. At the coffee shop in the lobby, they were eating breakfast when, in the middle of a bite of toast, Joe asked, "Any ideas on what we do now?"
"Let's see where we are," said Frank, wiping his lips. "We've got Russians who've kidnapped Uncle Hugh to steal a crown for them. We've got a crazed counterespionage agent who's determined to prove Uncle Hugh's a traitor. And we've got some mystery woman — it's anybody's guess whose side she's on. We're stuck in a city three thousand miles from home, and we're being hunted by a government agency that has orders to shoot to kill."
Joe grimaced. "Do you get the feeling we're out of our depth?"
"That's putting it mildly," Frank said. "The question is, what do we do about it? We've got to get more information."
"I vote we get it from Starkey," said Joe. "I'm itching to take a crack at him, just him and me. I know I can make him talk."
"Yeah, he seems to be at the center of this, more than Uncle Hugh and what's her name— Charity? From the way Starkey's been acting, I know he has more up his sleeve than he's been telling. Of course, we do
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