Danger in the Extreme Read Online Free PDF Page B

him to stay silent, but a few minutes into the ride, Neal started talking.
    â€œSome of the stuff is cool,” he said. “You know, about being the president’s son and all that. It’s like being on a cruise ship—all the food you can eat, whenever you want it. People dressing up and stuff all around you. There’s an indoor pool, a gym. They even let me build a kickin’ half-pipe on the East Lawn. That was sort of cool.”
    â€œWhat’s not to like?” Frank asked.
    Neal shrugged. “Being on a cruise ship all the time gets to be a drag. You know, the ship is nice, but you can’t leave—you’re in the middle of the stupid ocean.”
    â€œI think I get it,” Frank said. “You like being the son of the president, but it stinks that you can neverget away from it. You can never just go somewhere to be yourself.”
    Neal glanced at Frank. “Exactly, man. That’s it exactly.” He spoke in a low voice. “Last night wasn’t the first time I got away from them.”
    Agent DuBelle looked over her shoulder and frowned at Neal.
    â€œOnce I climbed over the White House fence and went to see a late movie,” Neal continued. “The only problem was, it was easier to break out than to break in. They caught me when I came home.” He giggled. “You should’ve seen them, acting like I was some kind of terrorist trying to sneak into the White House. They were pretty embarrassed when they figured out it was me.”
    â€œYou could have been shot,” Agent DuBelle said angrily. “It wasn’t funny.”
    Neal shrugged again and smiled. “I was laughing,” he said.
    Agent Ardis swung the truck into a parking lot across the street from the stadium. The ice-climbing wall had been set up over there, with its own temporary bleachers rising up on both sides of it.
    Frank noticed the Hardys’ van in the stadium lot. Joe was there, getting ready for the next round of snocross. Some spectators had already arrived and were waiting at the gate. Max Games employees hustled around getting things ready.
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    Back at the stadium, Joe threw his screwdriver across the pit area in frustration.
    â€œHey! Watch it there. You’ll take someone’s eye out!”
    Joe looked up to see Amanda Mollica standing there, smiling.
    â€œMorning, Amanda,” he grumbled.
    Amanda knelt down beside him. “What’s the malfunction?”
    â€œThe right ski is all twisted up. I’ll never get through the next round on this thing.”
    â€œYou don’t have a spare?”
    Joe shook his head. “Edwards isn’t the only one who doesn’t have a sponsor,” he said glumly. “I don’t carry around a bunch of extra parts.”
    â€œStay here,” Amanda said, standing up. “I’ll be right back.”
    She jogged off, and Joe went over to look for the screwdriver he’d thrown. He asked another competitor if he had a ski he could use. The guy said he was sorry, but no.
    A few minutes later Amanda came jogging back around the corner, carrying a brand-new ski. She handed it to Joe.
    Joe ran his hand over the smooth edge. “Wow. Thanks. Where’d you get it?”
    Amanda didn’t answer right away. “Hurry up,” she said. “I heard them announce the first semifinal heat. You’ve got to get out there.”
    â€œWhere did you get it?” Joe asked firmly.
    Amanda stared at the floor. “I asked Jim Edwards for it,” she admitted. “He said he felt bad about what happened last night and he wants you to have it.”
    Joe turned the part over in his hands. He didn’t want to accept it, but the alternative was to drop out of the race. No way he was going to do that.
    â€œOkay,” he said finally. “Thanks. Tell Jim thanks.”
    Amanda smiled with relief. “I will,” she said. “Good luck.”
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