The Demolition Mission Read Online Free PDF Page A

Listening closely, he heard a moan coming from somewhere in the middle of the pile of debris.
    â€œHe’s buried under those shelves,” Frank said as he scrambled over the twisted metal and boxes. “Joe, where are you?”
    â€œOver here,” came Joe’s muffled reply.
    Frank followed the sound of Joe’s voice. When he reached the area, he began moving auto parts and shelving aside carefully. He didn’t want to start another avalanche of falling equipment.
    Finally he saw his brother’s face looking up at him.
    â€œWhew!” Joe said. “That was a close one.”
    â€œIf it hadn’t been for this grille wedged under the shelf,” Frank said, “the full weight of it would have fallen on top of you. Are you okay?”
    â€œJust get me out of here,” Joe said, rubbing a painful lump on the side of his head.
    Stock and Katie kept the shelf from falling while Frank pulled Joe out.
    â€œThis was no accident,” Joe said once he was back on his feet. “The lights went out, and the next thing I knew, the shelves were caving in.”
    â€œI was right outside when I heard the crashes,” Frank said. “If someone had come out, I would have seen him.”
    â€œI was outside facing the side door,” Katie said. “I didn’t see anyone, either.”
    â€œIs there any other way out of here?” Frank asked, looking around the wrecked warehouse.
    â€œNot that I know of,” Stock said. “There’s just the overhead and the side door.”
    â€œThen he’s still got to be here,” Joe said in a low voice. “But where?”
    â€œLet’s split up and search,” Frank whispered. “We’ll meet back at the side door.”
    Five minutes later the four of them gathered by the door.
    â€œNobody else is in here,” Katie said.
    â€œI can’t believe this,” Stock said. “If someone pushed over the shelves, where is he?”
    â€œI don’t know, but someone is definitely responsible,” Joe insisted. “Before the lights went out, I heard a crack, as if someone had stepped on a piece of glass.”
    Frank scanned the warehouse again. He looked up and saw two grimy skylights set into the ceiling. “Someone could have shinnied up those standpipes against the wall and gotten out through the roof.”
    Frank led the group out the door and around Building B’s outer walls, looking for a way to get up on the roof.
    Joe glanced up at the sound of a whining electric motor. It was Chet in the golf cart.
    â€œNobody knows what it is,” Chet announced, holding up the small plastic part. “I even showed itto Curt Kiser and Jason Dain. I thought Kiser recognized it because he kept staring at it, but finally he said that it had nothing to do with the speedway.”
    â€œThanks,” Frank told Chet, taking the small piece of plastic from his friend. “Did you by any chance see a ladder anywhere?”
    â€œWe want to get up on that roof,” Joe explained. He told his friend what had happened in the warehouse.
    â€œI’ve got a ladder over in the shop,” Stock said. He turned to Chet. “Would you give me a hand with it? It’s kind of heavy.”
    When the ladder was placed against the side of the building, Joe scrambled up the rungs. Slowly he peeked over the edge. “No one here,” he called down.
    Frank followed his brother up while Chet stayed on the ground with Katie and Felix to steady the ladder.
    Joe took one half of the roof area, Frank the other, and they scoured the gravel and tarred surface for footprints and clues.
    â€œNothing,” Joe admitted. “There’s no sign that anyone’s been up here for years.”
    â€œFind anything?” Chet yelled up from the foot of the ladder. “I mean, if there’s nothing up there, maybe we could . . .” His voice trailed off.
    â€œYou wouldn’t be