The 39 Clues: Book 8 by Gordan Korman
Authors: Gordan Korman
Tags: Fiction, General, Historical, Historical - General, Children's Books, Action & Adventure, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Action & Adventure - General, YA), Children's Fiction, Ages 9-12 Fiction, Orphans, Brothers and sisters, Other, Children: Grades 4-6, Siblings, Adventure stories (Children's, Mysteries; Espionage; & Detective Stories, Family - Siblings, Ciphers, Historical - Other, Family & home stories (Children's, Juvenile Historical Fiction
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Park, summer 2005. I sucker punched a bouncer and got Billie Joe Armstrong to autograph my forehead. I didn't wash my face for a month."
"But how are we going to get through to Jonah to ask if he's seen Dan?" cried Amy in despair. "No way can we sucker punch all these people!"
Suddenly, Jonah's voice echoed through the underground tunnels of the Bird's Nest. "Good-night, Beijing! You're the bomb! Word!"
61
The stadium rocked with cheers. In the corridor, the already charged atmosphere went supercritical. The chanting ceased; the cheering ceased; the signs were dropped. Five hundred crazed fans devoted all their energy to pushing.
At the front, Dan, Broderick Wizard, and the security guards struggled to hold off the advancing wall of humanity. Even Jonah, who saw frenzied admirers everywhere he went, was alarmed by the ferocity of this onslaught.
"Let's get out of here, yo! These people are psycho!"
He wheeled away from the dressing room and sprinted for the emergency exit.
That was when Dan made his first mistake. He took his eye off the crowd and turned to look at Jonah. The girl with the money leaped onto his back and hung on, clamping her arms around his head. Blinded, he staggered backward, and the throng poured in through the opening in the line.
When the crowd began to move, oozing forward like an enormous amoeba, Nellie tucked Amy behind her and plowed into the fray.
Amy followed, stumbling over fallen fans, putting all her faith in the au pair. If Amy had bothered to look down instead of scanning the area for a glimpse of Jonah, she would have seen that she had very nearly stepped on the brother she was so anxious to find.
Nellie and Amy barreled right over Dan, following the stampede.
62
"Faster!" Amy shouted.
Nellie stopped, poised like a pointer. The herd was thundering down the hallway to Jonah's dressing room. But Nellie's sharp eyes were focused on the emergency exit.
"You think he left the building?" Amy panted.
"You don't get Billie Joe Armstrong's autograph on your forehead without following your instincts," she shot back. "Come on!"
They blasted through the door to see a Hummer stretch limo parked at the curb. The window was down, revealing none other than Jonah Wizard inside, drinking from a water bottle.
A bodyguard jumped out of the front of the car and moved to bar their way. But Jonah called him back. "It's all good, Bruno. The little chick's my cousin."
Amy saw no reason for small talk. "Jonah, have you heard anything from Dan?"
Jonah looked surprised. "Dan, your brother? Why would he be calling me?"
Those simple words were a cannon-shot to Amy's chest. If Nellie had not been there to hold her up, she might have collapsed on the spot.
"Something wrong?" Jonah asked with concern.
Amy tried to answer, but there seemed to be a short circuit between her brain and her mouth. She had pinned so much hope on the idea that Dan had somehow found Jonah. How crazy was that--like a gambler piling his life savings on a single number on a roulette
63
wheel! And now that her bet had come up empty ... He's gone...
Not temporarily separated or turned around. Lost. For more than twenty-four hours now. A real missing person. And she had absolutely no idea where to look for him.
"We got separated from Dan," Nellie explained to Jonah. "Our cells don't work here, so he's got no way to reach us. We thought he might come to you because you're the most visible."
Jonah nodded. "Makes sense. I'll keep my eyes open. He still might show up."
"Thank you," Amy managed, fighting back tears. "I know we're not on the same side, but Dan's only eleven. This is a huge country, and there are"--an image of Isabel Kabra appeared in her mind--"bad people out there. Some things are more important than winning."
"Right--uh--word." The megastar's eyes strayed to the exit. "Can I offer you ladies a ride? You don't want to get busted if the cops call in the riot squad."
He hustled them inside, and the limo drove off.
"But how are we going to get through to Jonah to ask if he's seen Dan?" cried Amy in despair. "No way can we sucker punch all these people!"
Suddenly, Jonah's voice echoed through the underground tunnels of the Bird's Nest. "Good-night, Beijing! You're the bomb! Word!"
61
The stadium rocked with cheers. In the corridor, the already charged atmosphere went supercritical. The chanting ceased; the cheering ceased; the signs were dropped. Five hundred crazed fans devoted all their energy to pushing.
At the front, Dan, Broderick Wizard, and the security guards struggled to hold off the advancing wall of humanity. Even Jonah, who saw frenzied admirers everywhere he went, was alarmed by the ferocity of this onslaught.
"Let's get out of here, yo! These people are psycho!"
He wheeled away from the dressing room and sprinted for the emergency exit.
That was when Dan made his first mistake. He took his eye off the crowd and turned to look at Jonah. The girl with the money leaped onto his back and hung on, clamping her arms around his head. Blinded, he staggered backward, and the throng poured in through the opening in the line.
When the crowd began to move, oozing forward like an enormous amoeba, Nellie tucked Amy behind her and plowed into the fray.
Amy followed, stumbling over fallen fans, putting all her faith in the au pair. If Amy had bothered to look down instead of scanning the area for a glimpse of Jonah, she would have seen that she had very nearly stepped on the brother she was so anxious to find.
Nellie and Amy barreled right over Dan, following the stampede.
62
"Faster!" Amy shouted.
Nellie stopped, poised like a pointer. The herd was thundering down the hallway to Jonah's dressing room. But Nellie's sharp eyes were focused on the emergency exit.
"You think he left the building?" Amy panted.
"You don't get Billie Joe Armstrong's autograph on your forehead without following your instincts," she shot back. "Come on!"
They blasted through the door to see a Hummer stretch limo parked at the curb. The window was down, revealing none other than Jonah Wizard inside, drinking from a water bottle.
A bodyguard jumped out of the front of the car and moved to bar their way. But Jonah called him back. "It's all good, Bruno. The little chick's my cousin."
Amy saw no reason for small talk. "Jonah, have you heard anything from Dan?"
Jonah looked surprised. "Dan, your brother? Why would he be calling me?"
Those simple words were a cannon-shot to Amy's chest. If Nellie had not been there to hold her up, she might have collapsed on the spot.
"Something wrong?" Jonah asked with concern.
Amy tried to answer, but there seemed to be a short circuit between her brain and her mouth. She had pinned so much hope on the idea that Dan had somehow found Jonah. How crazy was that--like a gambler piling his life savings on a single number on a roulette
63
wheel! And now that her bet had come up empty ... He's gone...
Not temporarily separated or turned around. Lost. For more than twenty-four hours now. A real missing person. And she had absolutely no idea where to look for him.
"We got separated from Dan," Nellie explained to Jonah. "Our cells don't work here, so he's got no way to reach us. We thought he might come to you because you're the most visible."
Jonah nodded. "Makes sense. I'll keep my eyes open. He still might show up."
"Thank you," Amy managed, fighting back tears. "I know we're not on the same side, but Dan's only eleven. This is a huge country, and there are"--an image of Isabel Kabra appeared in her mind--"bad people out there. Some things are more important than winning."
"Right--uh--word." The megastar's eyes strayed to the exit. "Can I offer you ladies a ride? You don't want to get busted if the cops call in the riot squad."
He hustled them inside, and the limo drove off.
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