Addison Cooke and the Treasure of the Incas by Jonathan W. Stokes Read Free Book Online Page A

shook his head. “In retrospect, maybe I shouldn’t have parked the horse directly in front of our building.”
    â€œRight,” said Molly.
    Addison locked the front door. He crossed to the windows and turned off the lights so he could peer out into the night. Flashing sirens paraded up the streets. “Thepolice could be here any minute. We need to slip out of here.”
    Addison snagged a backpack and fresh clothes from the closet. He fished through his aunt’s desk and found his passport. “I’m going after the Incan treasure. That’s the only way to find Aunt D and Uncle N.”
    â€œAre you serious?”
    â€œAs a heart attack.”
    â€œThen I’m going with you.”
    â€œMo, you can go stay with our uncle Jasper. I don’t need any help—I can do this myself.”
    â€œYou can’t even ride a horse by yourself. How are you going to flee the country, find the treasure, and save Aunt Delia and Uncle Nigel? You’re not even old enough to have a driver’s license.”
    â€œI’ll hire cabs.”
    â€œWe’re not allowed to.”
    â€œThese are urgent circumstances.”
    â€œAll right, how are you going to hire a cab in South America? You don’t speak Spanish.”
    Addison looked up from his packing. “There’s something in what you say, Molly.” He creased his brow in thought and gave a deep sigh. Finally, Addison arrived at a decision, his face resolute. “Molly, it’s time to assemble the team.”

Chapter Five

Code Blue

    A DDISON CRAWLED ACROSS HIS bunk bed and cranked open the rear window that faced onto the apartment courtyard. On the window ledge, he kept a rubber ball tied to a long piece of string. When he tossed the ball out of the window, it dropped exactly thirty feet to bounce against the bedroom window three stories below.
    Eddie Chang woke to the familiar signal of Addison’s rubber ball tapping against his window. He desperately wanted to sleep, rather than get involved in another one of Addison’s inadvisable adventures. If seventh grade had taught Eddie anything, it was that following Addison on one of his schemes was a surefire path to a grounding. Eddie hid his head under his pillow.
    But the ball kept tapping. And curiosity always got the better of Eddie. He rolled over in bed and switched on the walkie-talkie he kept on his nightstand. “What is it?” he asked sleepily.
    â€œCode Blue!” crackled Addison’s voice through the walkie-talkie.
    â€œPlease,” croaked Eddie, “please no Code Blue.” Eddie looked at the alarm clock on his dresser. “Addison, it’s after midnight.”
    â€œCode Blue is a mission of the highest urgency. You took an oath!”
    â€œI have a piano lesson first thing in the morning. I’m going back to sleep.”
    â€œFine. I guess I don’t need your help retrieving seven hundred and fifty tons of Incan gold.”
    â€œYou are correct.” Eddie switched off the walkie-talkie and closed his eyes. After a minute, his eyes flickered back open. Eddie clicked on the walkie-talkie.
    â€œAddison,” he said slowly, “did you say seven hundred and fifty tons . . . of
gold
?”
    â€¢Â Â Â â€¢Â Â Â â€¢
    At his window ledge, Addison clipped a second walkie-talkie onto a zip line. He gave it a push and watched it whisk along the wire across the apartment courtyard. The walkie-talkie slid directly into the open bedroom windowacross the way, conking a sleeping seventh grader on the head.
    Raj Bhandari woke with a start, rubbing the bump on his temple. He switched on the walkie-talkie and immediately heard Addison’s urgent voice. “Code Blue, Raj!”
    Raj’s eyes opened wide. He'd spent his entire life waiting for a Code Blue. And he was ready.
    Raj ripped off his bedsheets, already dressed in his camouflage army pants, combat boots, black T-shirt,