Speed Times Five by Franklin W. Dixon Page A

Pierre’s knee.
    The thugs grunted and collapsed onto the row of seats just beyond the Hardys. Before the brothers could press their advantage, though, the big men spun and lunged to their feet.
    Jacques’s shoulder caught Frank in the stomach. The air rushed out of the elder Hardy’s lungs as his back smashed into the wall of the metro car.
    Joe ducked under another punch, but Pierre followed up with a quick knee that caught Joe in the ribs. Joe crashed to the floor. He grabbed a seat and pulled himself up once again just as Pierre threw a vicious kick at his head.
    His head spinning, Frank karate-chopped both sides of Jacques’s neck. The hooded thug howled in pain and backed away. Frank leaped forward and grabbed the vertical handrail in the center of the compartment. Using his momentum, the elder Hardy spun around the pole and kicked Jacques full in the chest with both feet. Jacques flew through the air and slammed into the door leading to the adjoining car.
    Joe dodged to the side and Pierre’s kick brushed by his shoulder. The younger Hardy countered with a swift right cross. He caught Pierre square onthe jaw and the thug toppled backward, landing only a few feet from Jacques.
    Dazed, the big men staggered to their feet as the Hardys came at them again. With only a slight glance at each other for confirmation, the thugs opened the door into the next compartment and darted through it.
    The Hardys charged the door, but Pierre held the door handle tight while Jacques opened the door on the far side of the car. As the brothers finally yanked the door open, Pierre sprinted for the opposite door. The Hardys and the thug dashed past a few startled passengers, each trying to reach the far door first. Jacques called encouragement to his compatriot while the bystanders in the car cowered out of the way.
    Just as it seemed the brothers would pull the trailing thug down, Pierre grabbed a frightened old lady from her seat and thrust her at the Hardys. Frank and Joe stopped, making sure the old woman didn’t fall or hurt herself. But as they did that, Pierre and Jacques darted into the next car and pulled the door shut.
    They grabbed an umbrella from a passenger and jammed it in the door handles, just as the Hardys reached the door. Before the brothers could break through, the train pulled into the metro station at Lionel-Groulx.
    â€œThey’re getting out!” Joe said, seeing Pierre and Jacques dash onto the station platform. He and Frank bolted out as the train doors slid shut once more.
    The station at Lionel-Groulx was a modern, multilevel complex, with tall ceilings and balcony walkways. The thugs sprinted up the escalator from the platforms to the first balcony, pushing surprised riders aside as they went.
    The Hardys dashed after them, though the brothers were careful not to harm any of the riders they passed. “A guy could get killed falling from these escalators,” Joe noted as they topped the first escalator.
    â€œOr the balconies,” Frank added. “Duck!” As he spoke, a big trash can, thrown by Pierre, sailed over his head.
    But Joe didn’t hear the warning in time. The heavy container hit him in the chest, and he toppled backward into the balcony railing. For a moment it looked as though he might go over. Then Frank grabbed the front of his brother’s shirt and hauled him back to the floor as the thugs dashed down a stairway on the other side of the balcony.
    â€œPhew!” Joe said. “Thanks for the save.”
    Frank nodded. “Don’t mention it. The bad guys are getting away.”
    He and Joe ran to the stairs the thugs had taken and started down it. As they did so, Pierre and Jacques boarded a train at the platform. The metro’s doors slid closed behind the thugs before the Hardys could reach the platform. As the brothers watched in frustration, the train left the station.
    Joe slapped his fist onto the concrete stair railing.