The Dangerous Transmission Read Online Free Page B

pointed out. “Or a bird that got trapped in there. Let’s check it out.”
    The Hardys grabbed flashlights, left Jax’s living quarters, and quietly moved into the medical suite. They walked through the reception area and into the hallway that led to the examination rooms. At the end of the hall was the lab and the door leading to the stairway up to the third floor.
    They had to move slowly. The old building had creaky floorboards and stairs. They took each step very carefully, so as not to make any noise.
    Finally they reached the top floor. It was very dark, but they could tell they were in a hallway. Frank turned on his penlight and aimed the beam at the wooden floor. He waited a minute but didn’t hear anything, so he cautiously moved the light around the hall.
    In the shadows he could see that at the end of the short hall stood a wooden door with a dark, frosted glass windowpane in the top half.
    â€œThere’s no light in there,” Frank whispered. “So it’s probably not the jeweler.”
    Frank and Joe stepped silently down the hall toward the door. As they got closer Frank lowered his light so that it shone only on the floor. The beam reflected off the dusty floor back up to his face, causing an eerie light effect.
    When he reached the door, Frank put his ear next to it, coming as close to the door as he could without actually touching it. He heard nothing and gestured that message to Joe.
    Frank grasped the doorknob tightly. He focused on turning the knob slowly and silently. He wasn’t surprised to find it was not locked. When he heard the latch click, he stood very still for a moment. But he heard no sound from the other side of the door.
    Keeping his right hand clenched around the doorknob, he reached over with his left hand and inched the door open.
    He gazed through the narrow opening into inky blackness beyond. He could feel Joe take a small gasp of air, and realized that both of them had been holding their breath. He waited for his eyes to adjust to the lack of light. Then he pushed the door open farther, and he and Joe stepped inside the dark space.
    Frank sidled around the edge of the room. As his eyes became more accustomed to the darkness, he began to see shapes. A narrow glow from a distant window formed silhouettes and shadows across the room. He began to make out stacked boxes and packages and pieces of furniture. Mounted animal head shapes jutted out from the wall, and glass eyes seemed to follow the boys’ movements.
    Frank and Joe continued to circle the large room, staying hidden behind the stored objects. Frank concentrated on his sense of hearing, listening for the slightest sound other than the barely perceptible ones that he and Joe made.
    Frank jumped a little when he felt Joe’s hand pull on his arm. Then Joe stepped behind a stack of boxes, nodding his head toward the left.
    Frank ducked down behind a desk chair. He focused his hearing toward the direction in which Joe had nodded.
    He heard the eerie sound immediately, and it was only a few yards away. Someone—or something —was breathing very fast.
    Frank looked over at Joe, who gave him a knowing nod. Joe gestured that he was going to circle around and try to get behind the source of the breathing.
    Frank peered around from behind the chair and watched Joe’s silhouette inch through the stacks and piles. He saw Joe pick up a chair leg that was leaning against a table.
    For a moment the room was still. Then a bulky shape jumped out from behind a stack of cartons and lunged toward Joe.
    â€œJoe—watch out!” Frank yelled. He clicked on his light. A man, caught in the beam, reversed his direction and swung around to face Frank. Then the man grabbed a hatbox and threw it at Frank’s light.
    Frank jumped back, and the hatbox crashed to the floor and popped open. Like a bowling ball headed toward a spare, the contents of the box rolled to a stop at Frank’s legs. He