combination?” Judd said.
“Just that it was in a file in Mr. Stahley’s study,” Ryan said.
Judd flipped to a file tided “Construction.” Inside he found bills and contracts for the house. There was nothing listed about the underground hangar. Next he looked in the warranties. There were receipts for a home theater, several cars and motorcycles, and household appliances. In the back was a small receipt from The Stockholm Safe Company.
Judd scanned the writing but found no unusual set of numbers.
“This has to be it,” he said.
“Look on the back,” Ryan said.
Judd turned the paper over. On the bottom corner of the page was a string of numbers. Judd stuffed the paper in his pocket and turned off the flashlight.
Judd and Ryan stopped when they heard a door open and close downstairs.
Voices. Two men.
Judd’s stomach tightened. His heart beat faster. If the men noticed the open picture, they were sunk. A light went on.
Judd and Ryan moved into the shadows.
“What’s this?” a man said.
“I didn’t see those here before.”
“Somebody’s here!” the other man said. He keyed his walkie-talkie and ordered other guards inside.
“You search upstairs, I’ll go downstairs.”
Judd and Ryan watched as a guard ran up the stairs. The man’s gun was equipped with a laser. He looked both ways at the top of the landing. Judd and Ryan were to the right. The man ran left, down the hall. It would only be a few moments before he discovered the files in the bathtub.
Judd and Ryan quickly moved down the stairs. The front door opened, so Judd waved Ryan through the kitchen. Two more guards were in the house.
“Where do you want us to search?” the man said into the microphone attached to his shoulder.
“Main floor and the kitchen,”came the reply.
Judd and Ryan stole to the other entrance to the kitchen. If the guards came this way, they were dead. If they came the other way, Judd and Ryan still had a chance.
Judd saw two pinpoints of red light behind them and moved into the living room. He and Vicki had first met Mr. and Mrs. Stahley in this very room. They kept moving, quickly but quietly. They passed the stairs and heard the guard yell, “I’ve found something! There’s stuff in the bathroom.”
Now they ran full speed toward the opening in the wall. Judd wasn’t about to worry about his shoes at this point. He wanted to get into the wall and latch it shut before the guards saw them.
Judd made it to the opening first and opened the picture.
Ryan stumbled around the corner and fell headlong into the antique vase. It shattered on the floor with an incredible crash.
“Hurry up!” Judd said.
The men converged on the two boys. Ryan tried to stand, but he kept slipping on the waxy floor. In the darkness, he looked likePhoenixon Judd’s kitchen floor when Ryan brought out a treat.
Ryan finally made it through the hole and started down the ladder. Judd closed the picture just as the red lights converged on their end of the hallway.
“Where’d he go?” a man said.
Judd trembled as he descended the ladder. He slid the last ten feet to the ground. Ryan jumped on the square, and the two were led back into their hideout.
Judd was shaking as he pulled the combination to the safe from his pocket. He fumbled for the key card but couldn’t find it.
“Wait,” Ryan said.
“I had it last.” Ryan opened the desk drawer and rummaged through it.
“Hurry up!
“Judd yelled.
From the other side of the wall, Judd heard a man yell, “The/re down here somewhere, I can hear them!”
Ryan found the card and shoved it in the slot. The saferose, and Judd began punching in numbers. When he hit the last one, the door to the safe popped open with a whoosh.
Inside were a stash of bills, some gold coins, and a folder.
Judd grabbed the folder and flipped it open.
“Evidence against the Global Community and Nicolae Carpathia,” was written at the top of the page.
What followed was a point-by-point
“Just that it was in a file in Mr. Stahley’s study,” Ryan said.
Judd flipped to a file tided “Construction.” Inside he found bills and contracts for the house. There was nothing listed about the underground hangar. Next he looked in the warranties. There were receipts for a home theater, several cars and motorcycles, and household appliances. In the back was a small receipt from The Stockholm Safe Company.
Judd scanned the writing but found no unusual set of numbers.
“This has to be it,” he said.
“Look on the back,” Ryan said.
Judd turned the paper over. On the bottom corner of the page was a string of numbers. Judd stuffed the paper in his pocket and turned off the flashlight.
Judd and Ryan stopped when they heard a door open and close downstairs.
Voices. Two men.
Judd’s stomach tightened. His heart beat faster. If the men noticed the open picture, they were sunk. A light went on.
Judd and Ryan moved into the shadows.
“What’s this?” a man said.
“I didn’t see those here before.”
“Somebody’s here!” the other man said. He keyed his walkie-talkie and ordered other guards inside.
“You search upstairs, I’ll go downstairs.”
Judd and Ryan watched as a guard ran up the stairs. The man’s gun was equipped with a laser. He looked both ways at the top of the landing. Judd and Ryan were to the right. The man ran left, down the hall. It would only be a few moments before he discovered the files in the bathtub.
Judd and Ryan quickly moved down the stairs. The front door opened, so Judd waved Ryan through the kitchen. Two more guards were in the house.
“Where do you want us to search?” the man said into the microphone attached to his shoulder.
“Main floor and the kitchen,”came the reply.
Judd and Ryan stole to the other entrance to the kitchen. If the guards came this way, they were dead. If they came the other way, Judd and Ryan still had a chance.
Judd saw two pinpoints of red light behind them and moved into the living room. He and Vicki had first met Mr. and Mrs. Stahley in this very room. They kept moving, quickly but quietly. They passed the stairs and heard the guard yell, “I’ve found something! There’s stuff in the bathroom.”
Now they ran full speed toward the opening in the wall. Judd wasn’t about to worry about his shoes at this point. He wanted to get into the wall and latch it shut before the guards saw them.
Judd made it to the opening first and opened the picture.
Ryan stumbled around the corner and fell headlong into the antique vase. It shattered on the floor with an incredible crash.
“Hurry up!” Judd said.
The men converged on the two boys. Ryan tried to stand, but he kept slipping on the waxy floor. In the darkness, he looked likePhoenixon Judd’s kitchen floor when Ryan brought out a treat.
Ryan finally made it through the hole and started down the ladder. Judd closed the picture just as the red lights converged on their end of the hallway.
“Where’d he go?” a man said.
Judd trembled as he descended the ladder. He slid the last ten feet to the ground. Ryan jumped on the square, and the two were led back into their hideout.
Judd was shaking as he pulled the combination to the safe from his pocket. He fumbled for the key card but couldn’t find it.
“Wait,” Ryan said.
“I had it last.” Ryan opened the desk drawer and rummaged through it.
“Hurry up!
“Judd yelled.
From the other side of the wall, Judd heard a man yell, “The/re down here somewhere, I can hear them!”
Ryan found the card and shoved it in the slot. The saferose, and Judd began punching in numbers. When he hit the last one, the door to the safe popped open with a whoosh.
Inside were a stash of bills, some gold coins, and a folder.
Judd grabbed the folder and flipped it open.
“Evidence against the Global Community and Nicolae Carpathia,” was written at the top of the page.
What followed was a point-by-point
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