Carolyn Keene - This Side of Evil

“What is it?” Nancy asked.

“It says, ‘Playing blindman’s buff has been fun, but the game’s getting boring. Isn’t it time you cried uncle ?’ ”

The Sunday afternoon traffic was heavier than Nancy had expected, and it was nearly six-thirty when Nancy and Ned finally got to Ashley Amberton’s office.

“You just missed the call,” she told them, greeting Nancy and shaking hands with Ned. Nancy noticed that her left hand was bandaged. She wondered what had happened.

“What did the kidnapper say?” Nancy asked eagerly.

“Here’s the message,” Ms. Amberton said, giving it to Nancy with a chilly smile. “I copied it down exactly.”

“What does it say, Nan?” Ned asked.

“ ‘Your friend is all packed up and ready to go at the Cherbourg Wharf,’ ” Nancy read out loud. “ ‘If you don’t find her by midnight, she’s going to be taking a short ocean trip— straight down .’ ”

Ashley Amberton glanced at her watch. “I’ve taken the liberty,” she said, “of arranging for the company helicopter to fly you over to the wharf. It’s waiting for you on the roof right now. Traffic is heavy at this hour, and the helicopter will have you on the wharf in no time at all. Since you’ll be flying in, you won’t have to worry about the gates, which are locked, of course. It’s a high-security area.”

“What about the warehouse?” Nancy asked. “Is it locked, too?”

Ms. Amberton opened her desk drawer. “This should do the trick.” She handed Nancy a ring of keys. One was marked Warehouse.

Nancy thrust the keys into the pocket of her flower-printed skirt. “Thanks,” she said. She and Ned followed Ms. Amberton to the elevator.

Up on the roof the helicopter was ready to go. Its rotor blades turned lazily as the pilot warmed the engine. When he saw them coming, he gunned the engine and the rotors began to spin more quickly. The stiff wind almost blew Nancy over as she ran across the roof, Ned right behind her.

“One more thing,” Ashley Amberton said as the pilot reached down to give Nancy a hand. “As soon as you find her, I want you to bring your friend here so that I know she’s safe. I’ll stay here and work.”

“We will,” Nancy promised. “Will you please call the police and have them meet us at the warehouse? We’ll need help searching.” The older woman nodded. “And thanks again for everything you’ve done.”

“You’ve got nothing to thank me for,” Ms. Amberton said with a smile. “Now hurry! You’ve got to get over to the wharf fast, before your friend is murdered!”

Chapter Fourteen

The helicopter flew out over the choppy surface of the Saint Lawrence River, carrying Nancy and Ned to the Cherbourg Wharf. Darkness was falling, and the lights of Montreal were flickering on like a web of sparkling diamonds far below. It was like riding a magic carpet, Nancy thought. It might have even been fun if she hadn’t kept thinking about the kidnapper’s ominous message. At midnight, George would be killed! But at least, thanks to Ms. Amberton, they weren’t wasting time just trying to get to the wharf. That left more time to look for George. She checked her watch. It was just after seven. In the seat beside her, Ned was looking out the window.

“That’s the Cherbourg warehouse down there!” the pilot yelled into her ear over the deafening clatter of the copter’s rotors.

Below, Nancy could just make out the dim outline of a very long, narrow building. It took up at least three acres of dock space. Beside it were dozens of huge cargo containers, each the size of a semi trailer, with smaller wooden crates and black metal drums stacked between them. All of it was waiting to be loaded onto the ship tied up at the dock. Her heart sank. If George was stuck in one of those containers, how would they ever find her even with police help?

“I’ll put down at the end of the building, by the main door,” the pilot said, expertly handling the controls. The helicopter banked, hovered briefly over the dock, and then touched down with a gentle thump.

Nancy looked at the pilot. “You’re going to wait for us, aren’t you?”

The man nodded and began turning off switches over his head, cutting the engine. “I’ll stay right here,” he said. “That way, I’ll be ready to go when you get back.” He gave Nancy and Ned a curious look. “What’s going on, anyway?” he asked. “Ms. Amberton wouldn’t tell me a thing.”

“We’ll explain everything when we get back,” Nancy promised, opening the door and jumping down onto the pavement. It felt very solid under her feet after the ride. “Ready, Ned?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Ned answered.

“Come on,” Nancy said. “We’ll find her.”

Although the security floodlights on the building weren’t bright, Nancy could see the outlines of a twenty-foot door in the end of the metal building. It was big enough to drive a freight train through. Beside it, there was a smaller door. Over it hung a sign: “Authorized Personnel Only. Guard Dogs On Patrol.”

Nancy shuddered. “Guard dogs,” she whispered. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

“We’re authorized personnel,” Ned reminded her as she put the key carefully into the lock.

“The dogs don’t know that,” Nancy said grimly. “I suppose Ms. Amberton called to alert any guards on duty. Maybe they’ll help us.”

Inside, the lights were even dimmer than the ones outside. Most of the vast space was in mysterious shadow. As Nancy’s eyes got accustomed to the dark, she was able to make out a long center aisle. It ran the full length of the building. The rest of the warehouse was stacked with containers and crates.

“Now that we’re in here, where do we start?” Ned wondered out loud. His voice was almost lost in the enormous silence. “Maybe we ought to yell. If George hears us—”

“George will be bound and gagged,” Nancy pointed out. “Let’s split up. We’ll cover more ground that way.”

“Not on your life,” Ned objected. “I don’t want to have to search for both of you in here. This place is so big that we should have a compass and a map just to find our way around.” He frowned and stuck his hands in the pockets of his pants. “Besides, how do we even know she’s here.”

“Somehow I’m sure of it,” Nancy replied. “You were right this afternoon when you said you thought George was being held in the wharf area.” She pulled out her flashlight. “But there’s something I don’t understand. I mean, why would the kidnapper let us walk in and just pick her up? Do you suppose—”

“Look,” Ned interrupted, “it’s nearly seven-thirty. Let’s find George first, then we can worry about the kidnapper.”

“Right,” Nancy said, flicking on her flashlight. “I wonder where the police are, though.” She shined it at the huge, trucklike containers that were parked along the wall. “Most of these containers are sealed. They may have been here waiting for a ship for months. If we assume that George is still alive and the kidnapper wants to keep her that way—at least for the moment—it stands to reason that she’s probably not sealed in one of these. Let’s start checking all the loose crates.”

With Ned behind her, Nancy started down the long center aisle. It was like walking down a narrow canyon between two mountains.

“My guess is that the crate we’re looking for won’t be nailed shut,” Nancy went on. “The kidnapper would need to get at her in a hurry.”

Nancy’s small flashlight barely lit up the first group of wooden crates, but it appeared that they were all nailed solidly shut. Between the cracks of the crates Nancy could see the glint of polished steel. The crates must be full of heavy equipment. There were black letters stenciled on the side.