"There must be evidence of sabotage in that helicopter. Why do you think we ran into those guys?"
"Sure," Joe agreed. "They must have been after the evidence, too."
Frank raced the van ahead. "I just hope we get back to the hangar before they destroy everything."
The hangar door was still locked when they arrived. No cars were parked out back. In fact, the entire area seemed deserted. Joe thought that was a good sign, but Frank wasn't so sure.
Hoping the window hadn't been locked, they ran around to the side. Frank went first, lifting the glass and climbing inside. Joe followed.
The lights were still out as they crept slowly across the floor to the chopper.
Suddenly Frank froze. He grabbed Joe's arm.
"I hear something," he whispered, listening intently. "Ticking!"
"Hit the deck!" Joe yelled, pulling Frank down with him.
But before they were down, the force of an exploding bomb blasted them backward, knocking them hard against the wall.
Frank and Joe tumbled to the floor and rolled behind a Dumpster as the chopper burst into pieces, showering flames and burning shrapnel over the whole hangar.
Chapter 9
"OUT! QUICK, BEFORE everything blows!" Joe yelled, pulling Frank to his feet.
The hangar was filled with smoke and flaming debris. Sirens moaned in the distance, growing louder by the second. "We've got to find the door," Joe said, groping through the smoke.
"Here," Frank said.
He heaved against the hangar door, then he and Joe stumbled out, gasping in the fresh air. Frank blinked, his vision blurred from the smoke. There seemed to be a blue wall in front of him. Then he realized it was a line of men in blue uniforms — police officers, with guns in hand pointed at the Hardys. Two cops pushed them to the ground and handcuffed them with their arms behind their backs. Archie Fraser knelt to look at them.
"Hey, what gives, Chief?" Joe cried.
Fraser gave them a grim look. "Take them to headquarters," he ordered, "and get Sy Osserman on the phone. I think we've found his saboteurs."
"You've got it wrong, Chief," Frank said. "We came back here looking for evidence of sabotage. We figured we'd find it in the chopper. That's why the real saboteurs blew it up."
"Maybe," Fraser said. "But here's another scenario. Two brash stuntmen see their boss injured and want a police investigation. First they tell us about three thugs who disappeared into the Garfield mansion. When that doesn't work, they blow up the stunt helicopter to turn attention back on the case."
He smiled bitterly. "Well, you got my attention." He turned to his men. "Take them away."
Frank and Joe spent the next hour in the Newbridge jail. The cell was old and small, with one window high above their heads. Frank sat on the bed while Joe paced back and forth.
"They didn't properly arrest us," Joe complained. "They didn't even read us our rights."
"That's because we're not under arrest," Frank explained. "We're merely being held for questioning."
"Well, I just wish they'd get on with it then," Joe growled.
Finally an officer unlocked the iron gate and escorted them into Chief Fraser's office.
Sy Osserman, wearing a white suit, turned to greet them as they entered.
"I see you boys have gotten yourselves in hot water," he said, shaking his head in disapproval.
The chief's brow furrowed. "Mr. Osserman, destroying a helicopter is not hot water, it's a serious crime."
"We didn't destroy anything," Joe protested. "We explained what happened."
"Did word come through on that license plate?" Frank asked.
"Yes," Fraser said. "Oddly enough, no such number was ever issued in this state."
"But that can't be," Joe insisted. "I know I got the number right."
Sy Osserman sighed. He raised his hand and smiled. "Look, Chief, this is getting us nowhere. The producers have insurance that will cover the cost of the helicopter."
"That doesn't solve the criminal matter," Fraser said.
"I'll vouch for Frank and Joe," Osserman said, leaning across the chief's desk.
"Sure," Joe agreed. "They must have been after the evidence, too."
Frank raced the van ahead. "I just hope we get back to the hangar before they destroy everything."
The hangar door was still locked when they arrived. No cars were parked out back. In fact, the entire area seemed deserted. Joe thought that was a good sign, but Frank wasn't so sure.
Hoping the window hadn't been locked, they ran around to the side. Frank went first, lifting the glass and climbing inside. Joe followed.
The lights were still out as they crept slowly across the floor to the chopper.
Suddenly Frank froze. He grabbed Joe's arm.
"I hear something," he whispered, listening intently. "Ticking!"
"Hit the deck!" Joe yelled, pulling Frank down with him.
But before they were down, the force of an exploding bomb blasted them backward, knocking them hard against the wall.
Frank and Joe tumbled to the floor and rolled behind a Dumpster as the chopper burst into pieces, showering flames and burning shrapnel over the whole hangar.
Chapter 9
"OUT! QUICK, BEFORE everything blows!" Joe yelled, pulling Frank to his feet.
The hangar was filled with smoke and flaming debris. Sirens moaned in the distance, growing louder by the second. "We've got to find the door," Joe said, groping through the smoke.
"Here," Frank said.
He heaved against the hangar door, then he and Joe stumbled out, gasping in the fresh air. Frank blinked, his vision blurred from the smoke. There seemed to be a blue wall in front of him. Then he realized it was a line of men in blue uniforms — police officers, with guns in hand pointed at the Hardys. Two cops pushed them to the ground and handcuffed them with their arms behind their backs. Archie Fraser knelt to look at them.
"Hey, what gives, Chief?" Joe cried.
Fraser gave them a grim look. "Take them to headquarters," he ordered, "and get Sy Osserman on the phone. I think we've found his saboteurs."
"You've got it wrong, Chief," Frank said. "We came back here looking for evidence of sabotage. We figured we'd find it in the chopper. That's why the real saboteurs blew it up."
"Maybe," Fraser said. "But here's another scenario. Two brash stuntmen see their boss injured and want a police investigation. First they tell us about three thugs who disappeared into the Garfield mansion. When that doesn't work, they blow up the stunt helicopter to turn attention back on the case."
He smiled bitterly. "Well, you got my attention." He turned to his men. "Take them away."
Frank and Joe spent the next hour in the Newbridge jail. The cell was old and small, with one window high above their heads. Frank sat on the bed while Joe paced back and forth.
"They didn't properly arrest us," Joe complained. "They didn't even read us our rights."
"That's because we're not under arrest," Frank explained. "We're merely being held for questioning."
"Well, I just wish they'd get on with it then," Joe growled.
Finally an officer unlocked the iron gate and escorted them into Chief Fraser's office.
Sy Osserman, wearing a white suit, turned to greet them as they entered.
"I see you boys have gotten yourselves in hot water," he said, shaking his head in disapproval.
The chief's brow furrowed. "Mr. Osserman, destroying a helicopter is not hot water, it's a serious crime."
"We didn't destroy anything," Joe protested. "We explained what happened."
"Did word come through on that license plate?" Frank asked.
"Yes," Fraser said. "Oddly enough, no such number was ever issued in this state."
"But that can't be," Joe insisted. "I know I got the number right."
Sy Osserman sighed. He raised his hand and smiled. "Look, Chief, this is getting us nowhere. The producers have insurance that will cover the cost of the helicopter."
"That doesn't solve the criminal matter," Fraser said.
"I'll vouch for Frank and Joe," Osserman said, leaning across the chief's desk.
Similar Books
