him. The motorists who had climbed out of their cars to watch now dove back inside them.
As they fell to the road, Callie managed to slip out of the loosened grip of her captor. Quickly, she rose to her knees, still holding the briefcase in her hand.
"Oh, no, you don't!" Clifton tripped Callie, grabbing for the briefcase handle with one hand. The gun in his other hand wavered, giving Frank his chance.
Frank lunged forward, snapping a karate kick that sent the pistol flying off. Callie took advantage of the moment to yank on the briefcase, trying to pull it free.
Clifton swung her around, sending her into Frank. Both Callie and Frank went tumbling backward, but Callie kept her death grip on the handle. With a snap the briefcase tore open, sending papers flying in the air around them.
Quickly Frank and Callie scrambled for the papers.
"Joe! Help us catch them!" Frank yelled.
"I'll do my best," Joe replied.
"Aaaaaaaagh!" came Clifton's voice.
Frank, Joe, and Callie looked up from their paper chase. Clifton was buckled over against the side of a truck, holding his stomach. Standing in front of him, fists clenched, was a thick-shouldered man wearing a T-shirt and work pants.
"Come on, you lousy coward!" the man was shouting. "You like terrorizing young girls? How about picking on someone your own size?"
The door to the truck's cab was wide open where the man had obviously just climbed out. Frank and Callie looked over to see that the truck had rolled over the motorcycle, twisting its body and flattening both its tires. Joe laughed. "So that's where we got those great sound effects! It really sounded like two gunshots, didn't it?"
A dull thud came from the front of the truck, and they turned to see the truck driver slumped against a car. Then, with a sharp, strong karate chop, Clifton struck the man's shoulder. The truck driver fell to the ground, helpless.
Joe grabbed the papers from Frank and Callie, stuffing most of them into the tan briefcase. "You guys run for Callie's car. I'll take care of this." Looking to his right, he knocked on the door of a small blue sports car nearby. "Help us out with this, will you?" he called.
The driver, a young, brown-haired woman in a silk blouse and pin-striped jacket, grinned and pushed open the rear door for Joe.
Meanwhile, Clifton rushed for Frank and Callie, trying to cut them off before they reached Callie's car. Frank whirled around, setting his feet in a karate stance.
The crooked detective tried to dart past, going for Callie. But Frank threw a low kick at him, moving to protect her. Pivoting on one leg, Clifton dodged, then sent a flashy high kick at Frank's face. While Frank blocked that, Clifton threw a fist to the side of his head.
Frank gave ground, realizing he might be outclassed. Clifton came on with a barrage of martial-arts blows and kicks while Frank blocked and backpedaled, unable to launch an attack of his own.
"Hit him, Frank! Let's get out of here!" Callie called out.
That distraction got Frank on the ground—sent there by a smash from Clifton's elbow. Groggily, he pushed himself up on one knee, expecting a deathblow. But Clifton had been distracted too.
The crackling sound of paper had caught his attention. He snapped his head around to see Joe frantically stuffing papers into a briefcase in a nearby car. A low chuckle escaped his mouth. "Divide and conquer, huh? Too bad it didn't work."
Nimbly, he made his way across the lanes of stalled cars as Frank stumbled after him, yelling, "Look out, Joe!"
But when Joe glanced up from the rear seat of the car, it was too late. Clifton had reached in through the open window to grab his neck.
"You ought to know better than to involve innocent people," he said. In the front seat the woman stared at him in fear.
"Give the guy what he wants," she said to Joe. "I don't want to get involved."
Joe reluctantly reached down to the seat beside him. "No monkey business!" Clifton warned. "I can snap your neck with
As they fell to the road, Callie managed to slip out of the loosened grip of her captor. Quickly, she rose to her knees, still holding the briefcase in her hand.
"Oh, no, you don't!" Clifton tripped Callie, grabbing for the briefcase handle with one hand. The gun in his other hand wavered, giving Frank his chance.
Frank lunged forward, snapping a karate kick that sent the pistol flying off. Callie took advantage of the moment to yank on the briefcase, trying to pull it free.
Clifton swung her around, sending her into Frank. Both Callie and Frank went tumbling backward, but Callie kept her death grip on the handle. With a snap the briefcase tore open, sending papers flying in the air around them.
Quickly Frank and Callie scrambled for the papers.
"Joe! Help us catch them!" Frank yelled.
"I'll do my best," Joe replied.
"Aaaaaaaagh!" came Clifton's voice.
Frank, Joe, and Callie looked up from their paper chase. Clifton was buckled over against the side of a truck, holding his stomach. Standing in front of him, fists clenched, was a thick-shouldered man wearing a T-shirt and work pants.
"Come on, you lousy coward!" the man was shouting. "You like terrorizing young girls? How about picking on someone your own size?"
The door to the truck's cab was wide open where the man had obviously just climbed out. Frank and Callie looked over to see that the truck had rolled over the motorcycle, twisting its body and flattening both its tires. Joe laughed. "So that's where we got those great sound effects! It really sounded like two gunshots, didn't it?"
A dull thud came from the front of the truck, and they turned to see the truck driver slumped against a car. Then, with a sharp, strong karate chop, Clifton struck the man's shoulder. The truck driver fell to the ground, helpless.
Joe grabbed the papers from Frank and Callie, stuffing most of them into the tan briefcase. "You guys run for Callie's car. I'll take care of this." Looking to his right, he knocked on the door of a small blue sports car nearby. "Help us out with this, will you?" he called.
The driver, a young, brown-haired woman in a silk blouse and pin-striped jacket, grinned and pushed open the rear door for Joe.
Meanwhile, Clifton rushed for Frank and Callie, trying to cut them off before they reached Callie's car. Frank whirled around, setting his feet in a karate stance.
The crooked detective tried to dart past, going for Callie. But Frank threw a low kick at him, moving to protect her. Pivoting on one leg, Clifton dodged, then sent a flashy high kick at Frank's face. While Frank blocked that, Clifton threw a fist to the side of his head.
Frank gave ground, realizing he might be outclassed. Clifton came on with a barrage of martial-arts blows and kicks while Frank blocked and backpedaled, unable to launch an attack of his own.
"Hit him, Frank! Let's get out of here!" Callie called out.
That distraction got Frank on the ground—sent there by a smash from Clifton's elbow. Groggily, he pushed himself up on one knee, expecting a deathblow. But Clifton had been distracted too.
The crackling sound of paper had caught his attention. He snapped his head around to see Joe frantically stuffing papers into a briefcase in a nearby car. A low chuckle escaped his mouth. "Divide and conquer, huh? Too bad it didn't work."
Nimbly, he made his way across the lanes of stalled cars as Frank stumbled after him, yelling, "Look out, Joe!"
But when Joe glanced up from the rear seat of the car, it was too late. Clifton had reached in through the open window to grab his neck.
"You ought to know better than to involve innocent people," he said. In the front seat the woman stared at him in fear.
"Give the guy what he wants," she said to Joe. "I don't want to get involved."
Joe reluctantly reached down to the seat beside him. "No monkey business!" Clifton warned. "I can snap your neck with
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