Deep Trouble II Read Online Free PDF Page B

commanded.
    The burly blond guy grabbed me. He pinned my arms behind my back with one
hand and gripped me around the neck with the other.
    “Let go of me!” I shrieked. “That hurts!”
    “Quiet—or I’ll really hurt you!” the blond guy threatened.
    The beaky guy grabbed Sheena. She squirmed and tried to kick him. But he was
too strong for her.
    “Let them go!” Dr. D. cried.
    Mel tightened his grip on me.
    “I’m so sorry, Dr. Deep,” Dr. Ritter said. “I hate to harm a fellow
scientist. But you shouldn’t have snooped around here. I hate snoops.”
    He sighed. “What a shame you wandered into my plankton beds. What a shame you
poked your nose into my experiments.”
    “What experiments?” Dr. D. asked.
    Dr. Ritter laid a strong hand on Dr. D.’s shoulder. “I’m working on such a
brilliant project. It could change the world. It could solve all our problems!”
    “What is it?”
    “Ha-ha. You are a curious fellow!” Dr. Ritter laughed. “Well, I may as
well tell you. I’ve been injecting a growth hormone into the plankton beds in
these waters. The fish who feed on the plankton grow to be very large. You’ve
seen the results yourself.”
    Dr. D. nodded. “But how does that solve any problems?”
    “In my heart, I’m a good man,” Dr. Ritter said. “I don’t want to hurt anyone.
I want to help everyone ! I plan to raise huge fish to feed the world. No
one will ever have to go hungry!”
    “Let go of me!” Sheena screamed. Adam still held her tightly.
    “This one is noisy,” Adam complained.
    “Let her go,” Dr. Ritter said. “For now.”
    Adam dropped his arms. But he stayed right behind Sheena.
    “Your experiments sound interesting, Dr. Ritter,” my uncle said. “I’d like to
hear more. Are they working?”
    Dr. Ritter smiled. I could tell he liked to talk about his work. “Well, there
are a few kinks at the moment. But nothing I can’t fix.”
    “What are you going to do with us?” Sheena broke in.
    Dr. Ritter frowned at her. “I’m afraid you know too much.”
    “But I am a scientist,” Dr. D. declared. “I would never tell anyone about your work. You have my word on that.”
    “Your word isn’t enough,” Dr. Ritter growled. His temper flared. His face
reddened. “I can’t let anyone steal my idea.”
    “I would never steal!” my uncle insisted.
    “I’ll make sure of that,” the other scientist replied coldly. He turned to
his two assistants. “Take them.”
    Before Sheena or I could move, Mel and Adam grabbed us and forced us into
their motorboat.
    I broke away for a second. And scrambled for the ladder, trying to get back
to the Cassandra.
    But before I could reach it, they grabbed Dr. D. and forced him aboard their
boat too.
    Mel cut the line with one flick of a knife. Adam started the motor.
    It all happened so fast. We didn’t have a chance.
    Dr. Ritter jumped aboard and grabbed the wheel. He steered the boat out to
sea.
    “Where are you taking us?” I cried. “What are you going to do?”

 
 
19
     
     
    “Get down there!” Adam shoved Dr. D. down into the small cabin. Sheena and I
stumbled after him. Mel followed behind us.
    “What are you going to do?” I repeated.
    “You’ll see,” Adam growled.
    We marched through a tiny galley. Mel and Adam forced us through a small door
into a stuffy cabin with a table and chairs. Mel tied Dr. D. to a chair.
    “This really isn’t necessary,” my uncle said softly. I could see he was
trying to sound calm.
    “Tell that to Dr. Ritter,” Mel muttered.
    Adam tied up Sheena, then me.
    “Not so tight!” I cried. I leaned over and bit Adam’s arm.
    “Good one, Billy!” Sheena bounced in her chair.
    “Hey!” Adam pulled back, rubbing his arm. “This kid bit me!”
    “Bite him back,” Mel muttered.
    Adam bared his teeth at me. But he didn’t bite me. And he didn’t tighten my
ropes.
    My plan worked. I was tied to the chair—but not as tightly as he thought.
    Mel and Adam studied us.