Read Online Home Alone 3 by Todd Strasser, John Hughes - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Todd Strasser, John Hughes
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accidentally.
Alex checked the TVs. Jernigan, now sporting a flattop haircut that had sheared straight through his hat, had taken a ladder from the garage and was trying to climb into a second-floor window.
Too bad they were still doing renovations on the floor in that part of the house. Many of the floor joints had been removed.
Crash! Through the baby monitor Alex heard the sound of Jernigan crashing through the second floor.
Smash! Then through the first floor.
Crunk! He'd just landed in the basement. That would take care of him for a while.
Alex looked back at the TVs in time to see Alice take a running start at the back porch. That meant she'd noticed that the porch steps had been sawed.
By jumping over the sawed steps she would avoid that obvious booby trap.
Alice ran and jumped. She easily cleared the steps and landed on the porch itself. Where more boards had been sawed.
Ka-bong! A board flew up and smacked her in the back of the head.
"Help!" She screamed as she fell through the porch and into a stairwell leading down to the basement.
"Alice?" Through the baby monitor came the sound of Beaupre calling to her. If Beaupre was looking for her, he'd probably step up on the back porch, too.
Alex counted to himself. Three . . . two . . . one.
Ka-bong! Beaupre had just stepped onto the porch where a loose board flew up and smacked him in the face.
"Help!" And now Beaupre was joining Alice in a heap at the bottom of the stairwell.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound of rapidly fired shots rang through the house. Alex wondered what Beaupre was firing at now.
Grooof! Grooof! Ahhh-wooo! From all over the neighborhood came the sound of alarmed dogs barking at the sound of the shots. Alex thought it was rather inconsiderate of the burglars to disturb the neighbors.
Another crash meant that Unger had found his way to the basement also. Up in the attic, Alex nodded grimly. Things were going according to plan.
Brrrriiinnnggg! Suddenly, a phone started ringing somewhere downstairs. Alex caught his breath. That was definitely not part of the plan!
40
It was a really bad time to leave the attic, but Alex had no choice. He ran downstairs to his parents' room and grabbed the phone. "Hello?"
"Hi, hon, how's it going?" It was his mother.
"Everything's fine," Alex quickly replied. He could hear movement down in the basement. The burglars were probably getting ready for their next attack.
"The weather's terrible," his mom said. "It's snowing really hard. I was thinking of coming home as soon as I could."
"No!" Alex gasped a little too quickly. "Take your time. I'm, er, playing Chinese checkers with Mrs. Hess. She's creaming me."
He could hear the burglars coming up the basement steps. He couldn't let his mom come home now. The burglars might take her hostage or something. Then he'd have a real mess on his hands.
"Oh, I'm glad," his mother said. "I mean, not that Mrs. Hess is creaming you. But that she's there."
Now Alex heard a new sound. It was closer. It sounded like the burglars were in the kitchen.
"Mom, I have to go," Alex said in a rush. "Mrs. Hess gets nutty when you make her wait."
He hung up the phone and ran into his room to get Doris. It was time to call out the reserves. Holding the white rat firmly in his hands, he snuck out into the second-floor hall.
He heard a louder creaking sound now. The burglars were coming up the steps from the first floor!
Alex quickly put Doris down in the hall. The rat scampered away toward the stairs.
Alex turned to run back upstairs. Wait! He couldn't! They'd hear him. He looked around desperately for a place to hide.
The burglars were nearly to the top of the stairs.
Alex pulled open a door. It was the linen closet, filled with towels and sheets. Not a real good hiding place. But he had no choice. He stepped in and quickly closed the door.
It was dark in the closet. Alex tried to stay perfectly still. Outside he could hear the creaking footsteps as the burglars
Alex checked the TVs. Jernigan, now sporting a flattop haircut that had sheared straight through his hat, had taken a ladder from the garage and was trying to climb into a second-floor window.
Too bad they were still doing renovations on the floor in that part of the house. Many of the floor joints had been removed.
Crash! Through the baby monitor Alex heard the sound of Jernigan crashing through the second floor.
Smash! Then through the first floor.
Crunk! He'd just landed in the basement. That would take care of him for a while.
Alex looked back at the TVs in time to see Alice take a running start at the back porch. That meant she'd noticed that the porch steps had been sawed.
By jumping over the sawed steps she would avoid that obvious booby trap.
Alice ran and jumped. She easily cleared the steps and landed on the porch itself. Where more boards had been sawed.
Ka-bong! A board flew up and smacked her in the back of the head.
"Help!" She screamed as she fell through the porch and into a stairwell leading down to the basement.
"Alice?" Through the baby monitor came the sound of Beaupre calling to her. If Beaupre was looking for her, he'd probably step up on the back porch, too.
Alex counted to himself. Three . . . two . . . one.
Ka-bong! Beaupre had just stepped onto the porch where a loose board flew up and smacked him in the face.
"Help!" And now Beaupre was joining Alice in a heap at the bottom of the stairwell.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound of rapidly fired shots rang through the house. Alex wondered what Beaupre was firing at now.
Grooof! Grooof! Ahhh-wooo! From all over the neighborhood came the sound of alarmed dogs barking at the sound of the shots. Alex thought it was rather inconsiderate of the burglars to disturb the neighbors.
Another crash meant that Unger had found his way to the basement also. Up in the attic, Alex nodded grimly. Things were going according to plan.
Brrrriiinnnggg! Suddenly, a phone started ringing somewhere downstairs. Alex caught his breath. That was definitely not part of the plan!
40
It was a really bad time to leave the attic, but Alex had no choice. He ran downstairs to his parents' room and grabbed the phone. "Hello?"
"Hi, hon, how's it going?" It was his mother.
"Everything's fine," Alex quickly replied. He could hear movement down in the basement. The burglars were probably getting ready for their next attack.
"The weather's terrible," his mom said. "It's snowing really hard. I was thinking of coming home as soon as I could."
"No!" Alex gasped a little too quickly. "Take your time. I'm, er, playing Chinese checkers with Mrs. Hess. She's creaming me."
He could hear the burglars coming up the basement steps. He couldn't let his mom come home now. The burglars might take her hostage or something. Then he'd have a real mess on his hands.
"Oh, I'm glad," his mother said. "I mean, not that Mrs. Hess is creaming you. But that she's there."
Now Alex heard a new sound. It was closer. It sounded like the burglars were in the kitchen.
"Mom, I have to go," Alex said in a rush. "Mrs. Hess gets nutty when you make her wait."
He hung up the phone and ran into his room to get Doris. It was time to call out the reserves. Holding the white rat firmly in his hands, he snuck out into the second-floor hall.
He heard a louder creaking sound now. The burglars were coming up the steps from the first floor!
Alex quickly put Doris down in the hall. The rat scampered away toward the stairs.
Alex turned to run back upstairs. Wait! He couldn't! They'd hear him. He looked around desperately for a place to hide.
The burglars were nearly to the top of the stairs.
Alex pulled open a door. It was the linen closet, filled with towels and sheets. Not a real good hiding place. But he had no choice. He stepped in and quickly closed the door.
It was dark in the closet. Alex tried to stay perfectly still. Outside he could hear the creaking footsteps as the burglars
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