Read Online Home Alone 3 by Todd Strasser, John Hughes - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Todd Strasser, John Hughes
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reached the top of the stairs.
41
In the basement, Peter Beaupre had listened in on the kid's telephone conversation with his mother. As much as he wanted to kill the little worm, he had to admit he was pretty courageous for an eight-year-old.
Meanwhile on the second floor, Alice, Jernigan, and Unger had reached the top of the stairs.
"I'll go left," said Alice. "Mr. Unger goes right. Mr. Jernigan covers the stairs."
In the closet Alex noticed a button in the doorknob. It must have been the lock. He reached up and pressed it.
Click! Oh, no! The noise it made was too loud.
Outside in the hall Unger heard the noise. He knew exactly where it had come from. He grabbed the doorknob.
Inside the closet, Alex watched in terror as the doorknob jiggled. Someone on the other side was trying to get in.
They'd found him! Alex backed into the towels and bit his lip in an effort not to cry out in fear.
The doorknob rattled and then stopped. Alex's heart was pounding so hard he could feel the blood thumping through his forehead. He could hardly breathe.
He heard a metallic squeak and a grunt.
"I'm coming to get you, shorty," a deep voice growled. "I'm coming to pay you back for all the misery you caused me."
It sounded like Unger. Alex looked around desperately for a place to hide. His eyes focused on a big fabric storage hanger hanging from the inside of the door. The pockets of it were filled with cleaning supplies, rags, and brushes.
Snap! The next thing he knew, the doorknob fell right off the door!
42
The door swung open. Unger stared in with a malicious smile as if he couldn't wait to turn Alex into chicken feed.
The smile faded. There was no trace of Alex. Unger scowled. It wasn't possible! He'd heard the lock click. Since when did doors lock by themselves?
Alice came up behind him with her gun drawn. "So?" she asked.
"Towels," Unger replied with a shrug. He even turned on a closet light and looked around. "I don't get it. I saw this door close. I heard it lock."
Alice shook her head as if to imply that Unger was imagining things.
"Would I make it up?" Unger sputtered. "What's the point? It's not like we're working on commission here."
He closed the door.
Hanging between the fabric storage hanger and the door, Alex felt a wave of relief wash through him. He let go and dropped to the closet floor.
That was close. Way too close.
He pushed the linen door open just a little and peeked out. The hall was empty, but he decided to wait before he tried to get back to the attic.
43
Alice went back to her side of the second floor. She was disgusted. Unger was just an idiot imagining kids in linen closets. They'd be better off without him.
With Jernigan behind her, she came to a closed door. She glanced back at Jernigan. "Cover me," she whispered as she closed her hand on the doorknob and turned it.
Holding her gun high, Alice pushed the door open slowly and looked in. It was a girl's bedroom. The room was a mess. The floors were covered with clothes and magazines. Posters were falling off the walls.
Just then Alice caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye. There in the bed! Someone was sleeping!
Holding her gun out in front of her, Alice moved slowly toward the bed. She could barely see the person under all the blankets and clothes, but she could easily imagine that kid hiding there.
If he could set up all those booby traps, he could probably fire a gun, too.
Alice's finger closed nervously over the trigger of her gun.
She stepped closer.
Suddenly, the person in the bed moved.
44
Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound of rapidly fired bullets made Alex wince and duck. The sound had come from Molly's room. Alex had a feeling one of the burglars had just shot up Molly's other gorilla.
In Molly's room, Alice shoved her still smoking gun into her pocket. Whoever was in that bed had just bought a ticket to the big chat room in the sky. Alice noticed a field hockey stick in the corner and picked it up.
She
41
In the basement, Peter Beaupre had listened in on the kid's telephone conversation with his mother. As much as he wanted to kill the little worm, he had to admit he was pretty courageous for an eight-year-old.
Meanwhile on the second floor, Alice, Jernigan, and Unger had reached the top of the stairs.
"I'll go left," said Alice. "Mr. Unger goes right. Mr. Jernigan covers the stairs."
In the closet Alex noticed a button in the doorknob. It must have been the lock. He reached up and pressed it.
Click! Oh, no! The noise it made was too loud.
Outside in the hall Unger heard the noise. He knew exactly where it had come from. He grabbed the doorknob.
Inside the closet, Alex watched in terror as the doorknob jiggled. Someone on the other side was trying to get in.
They'd found him! Alex backed into the towels and bit his lip in an effort not to cry out in fear.
The doorknob rattled and then stopped. Alex's heart was pounding so hard he could feel the blood thumping through his forehead. He could hardly breathe.
He heard a metallic squeak and a grunt.
"I'm coming to get you, shorty," a deep voice growled. "I'm coming to pay you back for all the misery you caused me."
It sounded like Unger. Alex looked around desperately for a place to hide. His eyes focused on a big fabric storage hanger hanging from the inside of the door. The pockets of it were filled with cleaning supplies, rags, and brushes.
Snap! The next thing he knew, the doorknob fell right off the door!
42
The door swung open. Unger stared in with a malicious smile as if he couldn't wait to turn Alex into chicken feed.
The smile faded. There was no trace of Alex. Unger scowled. It wasn't possible! He'd heard the lock click. Since when did doors lock by themselves?
Alice came up behind him with her gun drawn. "So?" she asked.
"Towels," Unger replied with a shrug. He even turned on a closet light and looked around. "I don't get it. I saw this door close. I heard it lock."
Alice shook her head as if to imply that Unger was imagining things.
"Would I make it up?" Unger sputtered. "What's the point? It's not like we're working on commission here."
He closed the door.
Hanging between the fabric storage hanger and the door, Alex felt a wave of relief wash through him. He let go and dropped to the closet floor.
That was close. Way too close.
He pushed the linen door open just a little and peeked out. The hall was empty, but he decided to wait before he tried to get back to the attic.
43
Alice went back to her side of the second floor. She was disgusted. Unger was just an idiot imagining kids in linen closets. They'd be better off without him.
With Jernigan behind her, she came to a closed door. She glanced back at Jernigan. "Cover me," she whispered as she closed her hand on the doorknob and turned it.
Holding her gun high, Alice pushed the door open slowly and looked in. It was a girl's bedroom. The room was a mess. The floors were covered with clothes and magazines. Posters were falling off the walls.
Just then Alice caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye. There in the bed! Someone was sleeping!
Holding her gun out in front of her, Alice moved slowly toward the bed. She could barely see the person under all the blankets and clothes, but she could easily imagine that kid hiding there.
If he could set up all those booby traps, he could probably fire a gun, too.
Alice's finger closed nervously over the trigger of her gun.
She stepped closer.
Suddenly, the person in the bed moved.
44
Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound of rapidly fired bullets made Alex wince and duck. The sound had come from Molly's room. Alex had a feeling one of the burglars had just shot up Molly's other gorilla.
In Molly's room, Alice shoved her still smoking gun into her pocket. Whoever was in that bed had just bought a ticket to the big chat room in the sky. Alice noticed a field hockey stick in the corner and picked it up.
She
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