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Authors: Carolyn Keene
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carefully.”
Nancy sighed wearily. “We have to stop them,” she said. “And we have to get Dad back.”
“But how?” Alana asked.
The sound of a car door loudly slamming out in front of the lodge interrupted her.
“Could that be the men who were chasing you earlier?” Ben remarked, his gaze going to Nancy.
She could only shrug as he flipped off the overhead lamp and moved on tiptoe to the window. The light from the flickering fireplace made eerie shadows and they could all hear the sounds of footsteps on the creaking boards of the wide front porch.
12. Uncertain Flight
Nancy got to her feet and joined Ben at the window. The car was parked in a patch of moonlight bright enough to show the marks of mud that had dried nearly halfway up the sides.
“It’s those men,” she whispered.
“What’ll we do?” Alana gasped.
“You two go out the back door and circle around to the front,” Ben ordered. “They don’t know me, so I’ll talk to them.”
“We’ll stay near my car,” Nancy said, “in case we have to leave in a hurry.”
The girls nodded, and Nancy followed Alana toward the rear of the old lodge. Once they left the lobby, the darkness was so complete she could see nothing but the pale blur of her friend’s blouse. The halls were uncluttered and Alana moved with confidence until they reached the dimly lit kitchen. Here Alana paused for a moment.
Nancy slipped by her and peered out the kitchen window. The area beyond was dark, and tall evergreens shadowed the house. There was no sign of movement there. “I think it’s safe,” she whispered, even as the pounding sounds came from the front of the house.
Alana opened the door and the two of them stepped out into the cool darkness. The sound of the pounding was still audible. A man’s voice shouted for admittance. Then abruptly the sounds ceased. Nancy followed around the crossed-log corners of the house toward the front.
“What do you want?” Ben asked, somehow managing to sound both angry and sleepy.
“We’re here to see Nancy Drew,” one of the men said.
“There’s no one here by that name,” Ben told them calmly.
“Her car is out in your lot,” the man grumbled, not giving up.
“I can’t help that. She’s not here.” Ben didn’t yield an inch.
“I don’t believe you.”
“I don’t really care whether you do or not.
Now if you’ll just get on your way, I’d appreciate it. All this noise will disturb the people who live here. We—” Ben s words were interrupted by the sounds of a scuffle, then the door slammed. Nancy peeked in the living room window and saw two men standing in the lobby with Ben.
“Are those two Cole and Borge?” Nancy whispered to Alana.
Alana peeked in, and then shook her head. “I’ve never seen them before, but that voice is familiar. I heard it once when I met with Cole and Borge to discuss the history of the Tundra. I’m sure he works for them, so they probably both do.”
“Out of our way,” the bigger man snarled, shoving Ben to one side. “We’re going to find the girl.”
Ben started to swing, then seemed to think better of it. “Search if you like,” he said. “Just try not to disturb any of the people upstairs. They might call the police about burglars like you.”
The other man chuckled evilly. “Not on your phone lines,” he said.
Alana and Nancy gasped and looked around. It took only a moment to spot the cut lines.
“What are we going to do, Nancy?” Alana whispered.
“We’re going to get out of here,” Nancy replied. “Come on.”
They left the protection of the log structure and made their way through the trees to where the cars were parked. Nancy studied them, then grinned. “Let’s let the air out of two tires on every car,” she said. “Except for mine, of course.”
Alana started to protest, then she giggled. “Even my car?” she asked.
Nancy considered for a moment, aware that Alana’s car was bigger and more powerful, then she
Nancy sighed wearily. “We have to stop them,” she said. “And we have to get Dad back.”
“But how?” Alana asked.
The sound of a car door loudly slamming out in front of the lodge interrupted her.
“Could that be the men who were chasing you earlier?” Ben remarked, his gaze going to Nancy.
She could only shrug as he flipped off the overhead lamp and moved on tiptoe to the window. The light from the flickering fireplace made eerie shadows and they could all hear the sounds of footsteps on the creaking boards of the wide front porch.
12. Uncertain Flight
Nancy got to her feet and joined Ben at the window. The car was parked in a patch of moonlight bright enough to show the marks of mud that had dried nearly halfway up the sides.
“It’s those men,” she whispered.
“What’ll we do?” Alana gasped.
“You two go out the back door and circle around to the front,” Ben ordered. “They don’t know me, so I’ll talk to them.”
“We’ll stay near my car,” Nancy said, “in case we have to leave in a hurry.”
The girls nodded, and Nancy followed Alana toward the rear of the old lodge. Once they left the lobby, the darkness was so complete she could see nothing but the pale blur of her friend’s blouse. The halls were uncluttered and Alana moved with confidence until they reached the dimly lit kitchen. Here Alana paused for a moment.
Nancy slipped by her and peered out the kitchen window. The area beyond was dark, and tall evergreens shadowed the house. There was no sign of movement there. “I think it’s safe,” she whispered, even as the pounding sounds came from the front of the house.
Alana opened the door and the two of them stepped out into the cool darkness. The sound of the pounding was still audible. A man’s voice shouted for admittance. Then abruptly the sounds ceased. Nancy followed around the crossed-log corners of the house toward the front.
“What do you want?” Ben asked, somehow managing to sound both angry and sleepy.
“We’re here to see Nancy Drew,” one of the men said.
“There’s no one here by that name,” Ben told them calmly.
“Her car is out in your lot,” the man grumbled, not giving up.
“I can’t help that. She’s not here.” Ben didn’t yield an inch.
“I don’t believe you.”
“I don’t really care whether you do or not.
Now if you’ll just get on your way, I’d appreciate it. All this noise will disturb the people who live here. We—” Ben s words were interrupted by the sounds of a scuffle, then the door slammed. Nancy peeked in the living room window and saw two men standing in the lobby with Ben.
“Are those two Cole and Borge?” Nancy whispered to Alana.
Alana peeked in, and then shook her head. “I’ve never seen them before, but that voice is familiar. I heard it once when I met with Cole and Borge to discuss the history of the Tundra. I’m sure he works for them, so they probably both do.”
“Out of our way,” the bigger man snarled, shoving Ben to one side. “We’re going to find the girl.”
Ben started to swing, then seemed to think better of it. “Search if you like,” he said. “Just try not to disturb any of the people upstairs. They might call the police about burglars like you.”
The other man chuckled evilly. “Not on your phone lines,” he said.
Alana and Nancy gasped and looked around. It took only a moment to spot the cut lines.
“What are we going to do, Nancy?” Alana whispered.
“We’re going to get out of here,” Nancy replied. “Come on.”
They left the protection of the log structure and made their way through the trees to where the cars were parked. Nancy studied them, then grinned. “Let’s let the air out of two tires on every car,” she said. “Except for mine, of course.”
Alana started to protest, then she giggled. “Even my car?” she asked.
Nancy considered for a moment, aware that Alana’s car was bigger and more powerful, then she
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