Down to the Wire by Shannon Greenland Read Free Book Online Page A

a few hours since I’d seen him, but my stomach still whoop-dee-whooped.
    TL leveled unreadable eyes on Wirenut. “Close the door. You three have a seat.”
    David closed the door, and we each took a metal chair in front of TL’s desk.
    He pressed a keyboard button and then turned his attention to Wirenut. “I’m assuming you’re referring to the Ghost impersonator?” TL shook his head. “Not much I can say about that. Your alter ego is being copycatted.”
    “I told you,” Wirenut forced out through clenched teeth. “I’m not going to Rissala.”
    TL didn’t blink. “I know.”
    His calm acceptance seemed to zap the rage from Wirenut. He slumped back in his chair. “Then why would Nancy say that?”
    “Nancy?” TL asked.
    Wirenut shook his head. “A girl at school. She said she saw an excuse note on the fax.”
    TL nodded. “Yes.”
    Beside me, Wirenut tensed. “Well? I told you I’m not going.”
    “I know. David and I are. You have forty-eight hours to train him how to be you. The Ghost.”

    That evening I stood in Wirenut’s electronics room, idly watching him prepare.
    I tried not to be bummed that David would be leaving. I tried to focus on the mission and my part of things. But it just wasn’t fair. Other teenagers didn’t have to deal with this. They could do what they wanted. They could date and get to know each other without “save the world” pressure. They could go out and have fun. Hang out. Laugh. Just exist. Heck, they could lie around all day and watch TV if they wanted.
    “All right,” Wirenut interrupted my pouting. “I’ve turned my room into David’s training grounds.” He checked his watch. “It’s already eight o’clock, and we’ve got a lot to do. So let’s get started.” He motioned to the equipment he’d set up in the open area. “TL and I spent the last few hours putting all this together. It’s a replica of the Rayver System, complete with lasers and a vault.”
    David nodded. “Tell me what to do.”
    Taking a seat in the corner out of their way, I pulled a notepad and pencil from my back pocket. TL told me to takenotes. He wanted me aware of all aspects of this mission. I wasn’t sure why. After all, I’d be operating from home base, decoding the messages. But I figured TL had his reasons.
    “Everything I do is based on degrees. Anybody can jury-rig something, but if done at a different angle, a different degree, you get a completely different result. I’ll teach you the Rayver System first, then we’ll go over all the possible scenarios you may encounter other than the Rayver System.” Wirenut handed David a pair of goggles and tossed a pair to me. “These are fiberlit. Put ’em on.”
    All three of us did. Red lasers became visible, zigzagging the area in front of the guys. Cool.
    Wirenut nodded toward the lasers. “These will be yellow, not red. But yellow fries your skin. Figured you’d want to train on the nonfrying color.”
    David chuckled. “Gee, thanks.”
    Wirenut pulled David over. “Always begin in line with the object you’re after. In this case, the vault. Now lean to the left at a seventy-degree angle. Do you see an opening tunnel in the lasers?”
    Seventy-degree angle? There’s no way I could guess that and get it exactly right.
    David leaned. “No.”
    Wirenut studied David’s form. “Your body’s twisted. Move your right shoulder back.”
    David did. “Still don’t see it.”
    Wirenut got in position behind David. “I can see the tunneljust fine. Your feet are closer together. Slide your left foot to the left seven inches.”
    “Seven inches?” David glanced over his shoulder at Wirenut. “Do you have a ruler? How do you know this?”
    Wirenut shrugged. “I just know.”
    David slid his foot over. “Okay. I see it.”
    Wirenut gave David a remote control. “This is the expander. Extend your left arm down the tunnel. Don’t touch the lasers.”
    DingDingDingDingDing.
    “That’d be the alarm.” Wirenut