Day of Doom by David Baldacci Read Free Book Online Page A

cover. While her men covered Amy and theoncoming cops with their guns, Isabelslipped down into the hole. Her menquickly followed. The last one slid theheavy cover back into place with a clang.
    Amy rushed forward and tried to liftthe cover but she wasn’t strong enough. She turned back to the sounds of the cops,which had grown ever closer. She quicklythought about what she would say to them.
    Then Dan poked his head around the
    corner.
    Amy looked at him, stunned.
    “Dan?” She looked behind him.
    “Where are the cops?”

    He held up his phone. “I doubledback and saw what was happening. Idownloaded an action movie onto myphone and played the scene where the SWAT team comes in to save the day. With my amp upgrade and movie-quality,modified speakers on steroids, it soundedlike the real thing, didn’t it?”
    She smiled. “Yeah, it did. You’re afreaking genius.”
    She   walked  over  to  him  andsqueezed him tight.
    “I love you, little brother. And thanksfor saving my life.”
    The two stood there for a longmoment just holding on to each other. Tears slid down Amy’s face because sheknew how close she had come to never
    seeing her brother again.

    And tears slid down Dan’s face
    because he realized the very same thing.

    The bus pulled to a stop outside the motel. It was designed to look like a Swiss skichalet, although there was no snow andthus no skiers. Ian and Evan stepped offthe bus, the only passengers to disembarkhere. The bus pulled off and they stoodthere looking around.
    Ian said, “This truly is the middle ofnowhere.”
    “No, where they’ve got the hostages

    is the middle of nowhere,” Evan pointed out. “To them this would be paradise.”
    Ian looked at him guiltily, no doubt thinking of his sister. “You’re right. Let’s go find Phoenix.”
    As it turned out they didn’t have to. Phoenix found   them.
    Before they even reached the frontdoor of the motel, Phoenix rushed over tothem from a shadowy corner.
    “I’ve been watching for you,” heexplained.
    Evan was startled when Phoenix
    hugged him so tightly that he thought his already queasy stomach might give back whatever was in it. But he also realized
    that Phoenix was just a kid and had just been through an ordeal that would have paralyzed most adults.

    Both Evan and Ian noted that Phoenixwas dirty and thin and looked like hehadn’t eaten in weeks.
    “It’s   okay;   you’re   not   alone anymore,” said Evan, patting him on the back.
    “Quite right,” added Ian. “The light cavalry is in position and we’ll be calling up reinforcements in no time. It’s time to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.”
    Evan said, “Phoenix, are you hurt?”
    “Just bumps and bruises and some cuts from when I fell. And from crawling around the countryside. The mountains have lots of sharp edges.”
    Evan, once more noting Phoenix’s emaciated look, said, “Let’s get you something to eat. You can tell us everything then. Okay?”

    Ian added, “Right. A bit of food andyou’ll feel so much better.”
    Phoenix looked torn. He was indeedhungry, but he was obviously also thinkingabout the other hostages. Finally, his bellywon out.
    “Okay, but let’s hurry.”
    They walked into a small restaurant
    just off the lobby and sat down at a table.

    Outside, the vehicle was mostly hiddenbehind a large tree but still had a clearview of the motel’s front entrance. Sandy Bancroft, the intrepid weatherman andalso Vesper Four, was driving. In the frontpassenger seat was the malicious andhighly dangerous Cheyenne Wyoming,

    also known as Vesper Six.
    “So that’s where our little one got to,” commented Sandy.
    “Stunned that he was able to escape,” groused Cheyenne, looking accusingly at Sandy.
    “My dear girl, these things happen. But we have now reacquired the wayward youth and we can execute our plan. In fact, it’s much better now.”
    “I guess I see that.”
    “Two additional