Time Benders Read Online Free PDF Page B

you, thank you. I wouldn’t last five minutes in there.”
    The guard stopped. He chuckled to himself and took out the keys. “That is a very good idea, foreigner. By tomorrow morning, if I’m lucky, maybe I will only have one of you to put up with.” He unlocked Zack’s door and dragged him out kicking and screaming.
    Jeff stood back and waited while the jailer tossed Zack into his cell.
    “Well?” the jailer asked. “I thought you were going to rip him up.”
    Jeff walked up and punched Zack a straightshot to the forehead. Zack went down like a stone.
    “That’s it?” The disappointed guard turned on his heel. “One hit?”
    “If I do it slowly it’s more fun.”
    Another guard called and their jailer left them. They waited until they heard him close the door at the top of the steps.
    “You were great,” Jeff whispered. “I thought I’d actually knocked you out.”
    Zack didn’t answer.
    “Zack?” Jeff shook him.
    Zack mumbled, then took a breath. “What happened? Oh yeah, you hit me. Hard.”
    “I had to—otherwise it wouldn’t have looked real.”
    “Next time I’ll settle for a little less real.” Zack sat up and shook his head. “I can still see stars.… Where’s the tunnel? We’d better get out of here before he gets curious and comes back and you have to hit me again.”
    Jeff tugged on the stone and opened the tunnel. “Where exactly are we going?”
    “Back to our room. If my equipment’s still there I’m going to try contacting the Time Bender.”
    “What if it doesn’t work?”
    “Then we better look for a fast camel.”

C HAPTER 15
    “It’ll just take a minute,” Jeff said.
    “We don’t have time. The guard could sound the alarm at any second.”
    “That ball is special,” Jeff insisted. He moved out from their hiding place behind a giant urn. “I’ll just sneak it out of the dining hall and then we can go.”
    He crept up next to the door and peeked around the corner. Everyone had gone and the basketball was sitting on the table in plain sight. Jeff tiptoed over and grabbed it.
    “So, you have managed to escape.”Horemheb was standing in one of the side doorways. He pulled a sharp, short sword from his belt. “How appropriate that I shall be the one to catch you.”
    Jeff edged toward the main entrance, where Zack was waiting. “Wait a minute, General. Can’t we talk this over?”
    “Only if you find yourself able to speak without a head on your shoulders.” Horemheb started for him.
    “Run, Jeff!” Zack shouted.
    Jeff blasted around the table, trying desperately to keep some space between himself and the general.
    “You cannot escape me!” Horemheb jumped, landing in the center of the massive table. “Your fate is sealed.”
    Jeff slid beneath the table, crawled to the end, and came out on the other side.
    “No more games.” Horemheb waved the sword.
    Jeff raised the basketball over his head, drew back, and slammed it as hard as he could into the general’s stomach. Then he ran like mad for the door.
    “Guards!” Horemheb choked out. “Stop him!”
    Zack led the way down the hall and almost ran head-on into two guards who had heard Horemheb call for help. “This way,” he shouted, and ducked into the closest exit.
    The angry soldiers stood at the opening but did not attempt to follow them in.
    Jeff looked behind him. “That’s strange. They’re not coming after us.”
    “It’s not strange considering where we are. Look around. We’re in the girls’ section. The harem.”
    Jeff stopped running.
    Several frightened females dashed behind tall screens to hide themselves from the intruders.
    “Go after them!” Horemheb had recovered and was standing in the doorway. “That’s an order.”
    “This way, Jeff!” Zack found a passageway leading to one of the courtyards.
    “Right behind you.”
    They came to two doors. Zack chose the leftone. It was locked. He quickly tried the right. It was locked too. Horemheb and the guards were right