Read Online The Pacific Conspiracy by Franklin W. Dixon - Free Book Online
Authors: Franklin W. Dixon
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last. If Joe doesn't come up alive," he said, lowering his voice, "you die, anyway."
Boris shrank back. Frank hoped the big man wouldn't call his bluff, although at this point he wasn't so sure it was a bluff.
Then he realized he'd lost count.
He felt helpless. Less than a dozen feet away his brother was drowning.
Endang surfaced again. "I found him!" She boosted herself onto the canal wall beside Frank, rope in hand.
"Use one of those branches," Frank said, nodding in the direction of a huge tree that overhung the canal. Endang draped the rope around the nearest and thickest branch she could find and began pulling.
"Wait a minute," Frank said. "I've got a better idea. Boris will pull."
The Assassin glared as Endang handed him the end of the rope. She held on to the line, too, feeding it to Boris as he began pulling Joe up.
Ten seconds later Frank heard his brother come up out of the water, coughing and gasping for air. Even though he wanted to turn and make sure Joe was okay he kept his gaze fixed on Boris the entire time.
"I've got you," he heard Endang say. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her grab hold of Joe and lift him onto the edge of the canal.
"Let go of the rope," Frank told Boris. "And step back."
In one motion Boris tossed the end of the rope at Frank's face and dived to his left, into the forest.
Endang was after him like a shot. She returned a minute later, empty-handed and out of breath.
"He got away," she said, bending over to catch her breath, her hands on her knees. "I think that little dive into the canal took more out of me than I thought."
"Good riddance," Joe said as Endang untied his hands and broke the cement to get his feet free. "The guy was nothing but dead weight anyway."
Frank and Endang groaned simultaneously.
"Quick," Frank said. "Help me get out of this bucket before he makes any more bad jokes."
***
Four hours later Joe didn't even feel like smiling, much less making more jokes.
He poured himself another cup of tea and sank back into the plush hotel room couch. Endang sat next to him while Frank paced back and forth - across the living room of the suite Colonel Mangkupradja had arranged for them. Joe couldn't understand why his brother was walking around. His feet must've felt the same as Joe's, he figured. They'd had to smash the concrete-filled buckets with the shovel to break free, and that had hurt.
It didn't hurt as much as blowing the case did, though.
After they'd gotten free Endang had walked up the main road, found a phone, and called for help. The police, led by Colonel Mangkupradja, had arrived shortly thereafter and taken Bob into custody.
Meanwhile, another contingent of officers had raided Krinski's mansion, only to discover that no one was home. The house was deserted, as was the building out back. The computers had been wiped. Even the dragon was gone.
And the Hatta had left port.
Mangkupradja relayed the bad news to them as they headed downtown in his staff car. Then he dropped them off at the hotel to shower and change, promising to return shortly. That had been almost an hour before.
Boris must have gotten back to Krinski's Pretty quickly to enable the Assassins to move so fast, Joe thought. Nwali's terrorists must have been ready to move instantly, which meant that the bomb was close to being finished.
Now they'd lost their only lead to the terrorists.
All at once Joe stood and started pacing next to his brother.
Just then there was a knock at the door, and two men walked in. One was Colonel Mangkupradja. The other was the Gray Man.
He was the same as always, unassuming, unnoticeable. Maybe there were a few extra worry lines around his eyes, Frank thought, but considering what was happening, that wasn't surprising.
"Hello, boys," Gray said, taking a seat on the couch. "Ali" - he indicated Colonel Mangkupradja - "has filled me in on what's happened. Good work."
"Good work?" Frank asked incredulously. "We've lost the Assassins."
The
Boris shrank back. Frank hoped the big man wouldn't call his bluff, although at this point he wasn't so sure it was a bluff.
Then he realized he'd lost count.
He felt helpless. Less than a dozen feet away his brother was drowning.
Endang surfaced again. "I found him!" She boosted herself onto the canal wall beside Frank, rope in hand.
"Use one of those branches," Frank said, nodding in the direction of a huge tree that overhung the canal. Endang draped the rope around the nearest and thickest branch she could find and began pulling.
"Wait a minute," Frank said. "I've got a better idea. Boris will pull."
The Assassin glared as Endang handed him the end of the rope. She held on to the line, too, feeding it to Boris as he began pulling Joe up.
Ten seconds later Frank heard his brother come up out of the water, coughing and gasping for air. Even though he wanted to turn and make sure Joe was okay he kept his gaze fixed on Boris the entire time.
"I've got you," he heard Endang say. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her grab hold of Joe and lift him onto the edge of the canal.
"Let go of the rope," Frank told Boris. "And step back."
In one motion Boris tossed the end of the rope at Frank's face and dived to his left, into the forest.
Endang was after him like a shot. She returned a minute later, empty-handed and out of breath.
"He got away," she said, bending over to catch her breath, her hands on her knees. "I think that little dive into the canal took more out of me than I thought."
"Good riddance," Joe said as Endang untied his hands and broke the cement to get his feet free. "The guy was nothing but dead weight anyway."
Frank and Endang groaned simultaneously.
"Quick," Frank said. "Help me get out of this bucket before he makes any more bad jokes."
***
Four hours later Joe didn't even feel like smiling, much less making more jokes.
He poured himself another cup of tea and sank back into the plush hotel room couch. Endang sat next to him while Frank paced back and forth - across the living room of the suite Colonel Mangkupradja had arranged for them. Joe couldn't understand why his brother was walking around. His feet must've felt the same as Joe's, he figured. They'd had to smash the concrete-filled buckets with the shovel to break free, and that had hurt.
It didn't hurt as much as blowing the case did, though.
After they'd gotten free Endang had walked up the main road, found a phone, and called for help. The police, led by Colonel Mangkupradja, had arrived shortly thereafter and taken Bob into custody.
Meanwhile, another contingent of officers had raided Krinski's mansion, only to discover that no one was home. The house was deserted, as was the building out back. The computers had been wiped. Even the dragon was gone.
And the Hatta had left port.
Mangkupradja relayed the bad news to them as they headed downtown in his staff car. Then he dropped them off at the hotel to shower and change, promising to return shortly. That had been almost an hour before.
Boris must have gotten back to Krinski's Pretty quickly to enable the Assassins to move so fast, Joe thought. Nwali's terrorists must have been ready to move instantly, which meant that the bomb was close to being finished.
Now they'd lost their only lead to the terrorists.
All at once Joe stood and started pacing next to his brother.
Just then there was a knock at the door, and two men walked in. One was Colonel Mangkupradja. The other was the Gray Man.
He was the same as always, unassuming, unnoticeable. Maybe there were a few extra worry lines around his eyes, Frank thought, but considering what was happening, that wasn't surprising.
"Hello, boys," Gray said, taking a seat on the couch. "Ali" - he indicated Colonel Mangkupradja - "has filled me in on what's happened. Good work."
"Good work?" Frank asked incredulously. "We've lost the Assassins."
The
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