Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz Page B

Vole. This time Mr. Grin went in one of the cars.
    Alex had to time his return carefully. As the truck picked up speed, rumbling back up toward the road, he left the cover of the rocks, ran forward and pulled him self in. There was hardly any room with all the boxes, but he managed to find a hole and squeezed himself into it. He ran a hand over one of the boxes. It was about the size of a toaster oven, unmarked, and cold to the touch. Close up, it looked like the sort of thing you might take on a high-tech picnic. He tried to find a way to open it, but it was locked in a way he didn't understand.
    He looked back out of the truck. The beach and the jetty were already far below them. The submarine was pulling out to sea. One moment it was there, sleek and silver, gliding through the water. The next it had sunk below the surface, disappearing as quickly as a bad dream.

DEATH IN THE LONG GRASS
    ALEX WAS WOKEN up by an indignant Nadia Vole, knocking at his door. He had overslept.
    “This morning it is your last opportunity to experience the Stormbreaker,” she said.
    “Right,” Alex replied.
    “This afternoon we begin to send the computers out to the schools. Herr Sayle has suggested that you take the afternoon for leisure. A walk perhaps into Port TalIon? There is a footpath that goes through the fields and then by the sea. You will do that, yes?”
    “Yes, I'd like that.”
    “Good. And now I leave you to put on some clothing. I will come back for you in ...zehn minuten. ”
    Alex splashed cold water on his face before getting dressed. It had been four o'clock by the time he had gotten back to his room and he was still tired. His night expedition hadn't been quite the success he'd hoped. He had seen so much-the submarine, the silver boxes, the death of the guard who had dared to drop oneand yet in the end he still hadn't learned much of anything.
    Yassen Gregorovich was working for Herod Sayle. That much was certain. But what about the boxes? They could have contained packed lunches for the staff of Sayle Enterprises for all he knew. Except that you don't kill a man for dropping a packed lunch.
    Today was March 3 1. As Vole had said, the computers were on their way out. There was only one day to go until the ceremony at the Science Museum. But Alex had nothing to report, and the one piece of information that he had sent-Ian Rider's diagram-had also drawn a blank. There had been a reply waiting for him on the screen of his Game Boy when he turned it on before going to bed.
    UNABLE TO RECOGNIZE DIAGRAM OR
    LETTERS /NUMBERS. POSSIBLE MAP
    REFERENCE BUT UNABLE TO SOURCE
    MAP. PLEASE TRANSMIT FURTHER
    OBSERVATIONS.
    Alex had thought of transmitting the fact that he had actually sighted Yassen Gregorovich. But he had decided against it. If Yassen was there, Mrs. Jones had promised to pull him out. And suddenly Alex wanted to see this through to the end. Something was going on at Sayle Enterprises. He'd never forgive himself if he didn't find out what it was.
    Nadia Vole came back for him as promised, and he spent the next three hours toying with the Stormbreaker. This time he enjoyed himself less. And this time he noticed when he went to the door, a guard had been posted in the corridor outside. It seemed that Sayle Enterprises wasn't taking any more chances where he was concerned.
    One o'clock arrived and with it a sandwich, delivered on a paper plate. Ten minutes later the guard released him from the room and escorted him as far as the main gate. It was a glorious afternoon, the sun shining as he walked out onto the road. He took a last look back. Mr. Grin had just come out of one of the buildings and was standing some distance away, talking into a mobile telephone. There was something unnerving about the sight. Why should he be making a telephone call now? And who could possibly understand a word he said?
    It was only once he'd left the plant that Alex was able to relax. Away from the fences, the armed guards, and the