The Pacific Conspiracy Read online

  "If you do this thing, there will be no history," Frank pleaded. "Do you know how many people are going to die because of this explosion?"

  Nwali shrugged. "People die all the time. You have to look at the larger scheme."

  There was a sudden jolt as the elevator began moving upward.

  "That's impossible," Nwali said. "They know not to interrupt the launch sequence."

  Now it was Frank's turn to smile. "In the larger scheme of things," he said, "I think that means that you're alone."

  "No," Nwali said, turning toward the control panel. He slammed a button, and the elevator came to a stop. "I won't be stopped now!"

  Frank saw his chance. He kicked out, and the gun went sailing out of Nwali's hand and into the bubbling crater below. "Now we're evenly matched," he said.

  Nwali turned and smiled at Frank. "Evenly matched?" The terrorist shook his head. "I think not. Twenty-five minutes," he said, reading off the time registered on the bomb's display. "I think you'll last for no more than five minutes."

  Frank suddenly realized the man was right. He hadn't slept at all the night before. There was no way he could last more than five minutes, not against a disciplined fighter like Nwali.

  Without warning Nwali launched into a series of sidekicks that drove Frank against the cage wall.

  Frank stepped forward and swung. He missed, and Nwali followed with a flurry of punches that sent him crashing to the floor. Blood trickled from the side of his mouth.

  "Not even five minutes," Nwali said, looming over him. "Pathetic."

  Frank looked up at him, gasping for breath. His gaze bore into the Assassin's. "Tell me, Assassin. What would your father think of you if he could see you now? What would he think of what you're trying to do here today?"

  "Now you're a psychologist, is that it?" Nwali said, suddenly angry. "Get up. Let's finish this."

  Frank struggled to his feet. He knew he looked done, but he wasn't. Not quite yet. He had one good swing left in him.

  Frank pretended to sway, and Nwali grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. Frank smiled at the man.

  "You have nothing to smile about," Nwali said, drawing back his fist.

  "That's what you think," Frank said. He swung with everything he had. His right hand connected with Nwali's jaw, and the Assassins' eyes rolled up into his head. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

  Frank took a deep breath and leaned on the railing, looking out over it into the crater below.

  Maybe it was his imagination, but he thought the gods seemed a little less angry than before.

  ***

  Boris had too much of a head start. He was going to get away, Joe realized.

  Instead of continuing when he reached the helipad, the Assassin paused at the top of the ladder.

  "I'm waiting for you, Hardy," he called down. "Come up without your gun, and I'll fight you." He smiled. "And then I'll throw you right into the crater."

  "Tough talk," Joe said.

  He scaled the ladder as fast as he could. He wanted to fight Boris, too. He knew it didn't make any sense, but he blamed him for Gina's death. It was easier, he guessed, than blaming himself.

  "All right," Joe said once he was within reach of the Assassin. "Step back onto the helipad - "

  Boris slammed his foot down hard on Joe's right hand.

  His fingers exploded in agony.

  "Idiot," the Assassin said. He started climbing back down the ladder, raising his foot again to stomp on Joe's other hand. "Why should I fight you fairly?"

  Joe held his right hand to his chest and tried to back down the ladder. But he knew he couldn't go fast enough to get away from Boris.

  "Hold it right there," a voice said, "or I'll blow you away."

  Boris stopped. Joe looked up to see Haji, the kid who had rented them the motorcycles, standing behind Boris. He was holding a rock up against the Assassin's head. Boris, of course, couldn't see that it was a rock.

  Joe forced himself not to smile.

  "Don't turn around. Just step back up toward me," Haji said. "That's it, nice and slow."

  Joe followed them up and got another surprise.

  Two more helicopters were sitting there. One was full of police, who quickly surrounded Boris.

  "Look who's here," Endang said, climbing up behind Joe. She pointed to the other helicopter.

  The Gray Man and Colonel Mangkupradja stepped out and jogged over to meet them.

  "It's all over," the Gray Man said. He took turns shaking their hands. "Good work."

  "Not quite," Joe said. "Frank's still down there."

  Just then the elevator rose up from below. The gate swung open, and his brother emerged.

  "Where's Nwali?" Joe asked.

  Frank nodded toward the elevator. "In there, with the bomb." He turned to Mangkupradja and the Gray Man. "You've got about twenty minutes to disarm it."

  Mangkupradja nodded. "I can handle that." He barked out a series of orders, and a squad of police immediately formed up around the elevator. Two men in white lab coats climbed out of the same helicopter the Gray Man and the colonel had emerged from, and they entered the elevator.

  "They'll take care of it," Mangkupradja assured them all.

  "How'd you find us?" Frank asked.

  The Gray Man and Mangkupradja pointed to Haji, who smiled.

  "The police like to know who's climbing the mountain," Haji said. "I told them some crazy Americans were running around up there."

  "Ali and I put those reports together with your disappearance," the Gray Man said to Endang. He shrugged. "It doesn't take a genius to get four when you add two and two."

  "It did take some quick decision making to bring the police in," Mangkupradja said. He put an arm around Haji's shoulders. "Let's talk about what line of work you plan to go into."

  "Sure," Haji said. The two of them began to walk toward the waiting helicopters. "Do you know anyone in the computer industry?"

  "Nice work again, boys," the Gray Man said.

  "When are you going to stop calling us boys?" Frank asked.

  The Gray Man laughed. "Come with me and we can talk."

  Frank followed him.

  That left Joe and Endang alone.

  "It was great working with you," he said.

  "Same here." She smiled. "Look me up the next time you're in Indonesia."

  "I will," Joe said. She stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek. "Goodbye."

  "Goodbye," Joe said. Then Endang turned and walked after Mangkupradja and Haji.

  He watched as the police brought up Gina's body and loaded it into one of the copters. He still felt bad about what she'd done to him, but more than anything he felt sorry for her.

  He walked after the Gray Man.

  "I don't know where your brother went," the Gray Man said, leaning against one of the helicopters. "He was here just a second ago."

  "Frank?" Joe looked around but didn't see him anywhere. Finally he spotted him at the top of the crater, looking down the mountain.

  "You see that?" he asked Joe as his brother joined him, pointing down the mountain. Far off in the distance there was a splash of vibrant color.

  "Yeah," Joe said. "What is it?"

  "Temple Besakih," Frank said. "The last day of the Eka Dasa Rudra." He smiled. "The exorcism of evil."

  "We did our part," Joe said.

  "That we did." Frank clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on. Let's go home."

  ***

  Two days later they were back in Bayport, and things were pretty much back to normal.

  Callie Shaw, Frank's girlfriend, was babysitting a neighbor's son for a week while his parents went on a second honeymoon.

  She had brought Eddie over to Frank and Joe's house for that afternoon because the kid really liked Joe.

  Right then Eddie was pouring baking soda out onto the dining room table. He called it a science experiment.

  "Hey, take it easy with that stuff," Joe said. "You'll ruin the table."


  "It's an experiment, Joe," Eddie said. "It's really cool. Just watch."

  The doorbell rang.

  "Hold on a minute, Eddie," Joe said. He went to open the door. Vanessa Bender was standing there.

  "Glad to see me?" she said.

  "You bet," Joe replied. He turned to Frank and Callie. "What do you say we hit the mall? I'm dying for a pizza."

  "Sounds good to me," Vanessa said.

  "Wait, Joe." Eddie had some vinegar out now. "Watch this."

  He poured the vinegar onto the baking soda. The entire mess erupted right there, all over Mrs. Hardy's table and floor.

  "Boom!" Eddie cried out. "See? Just like a volcano!"

  Joe's face went white.

  "What do you think?" Eddie asked, beaming up at him.

  Joe shook his head. "I think whoever came up with that experiment has a sick sense of humor."

  Vanessa and Callie looked at him strangely.

  "You're too sensitive, brother," Frank said.

  "Maybe," Joe said. "But let's get out of here before Eddie starts on his next little experiment."

  Frank laughed.

  The End.

  Frank and Joe's next case:

  Joe's girlfriend, Vanessa Bender, has introduced the Hardys to an old family friend, Brett Cooper. Brett is the pilot and designer of Brett's Beauty, the high-powered piston-engine prop plane set to compete in the upcoming Bayport Unlimited Air Races. But while he's aiming to break the world speed record, someone else has targeted him for terror!

  The key to the case is the mystery of Brett Cooper himself - his hidden past, his hidden enemies. For Frank and Joe, the investigation quickly turns into a crash course in danger as they fly blind into a web of blackmail, sabotage, and murder. They're about to learn that in a world of daredevil pilots and death-defying stunts, the risks can be sky-high . . . in Danger Unlimited, Case #79 in The Hardy Boys Casefiles®.