The White Fox Chronicles by Gary Paulsen Read Free Book Online Page A

farmer unlocked the cellar and held the door open for his son. The young man dropped Toni on a stack of corn husks and turned to Cody. “If you are who you claim to be, you will be free to go in a few days. If you are not … well, I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes when the soldiers get here.” He grinned and pretended to slice his throat with his thumb. Laughing, he stepped out the door and locked it behind him.
    Toni sat up. She waited until she heard footsteps moving away from the door. Then she spoke in a low voice. “Do you see any way out of here? The floor is made of dirt. Maybe we could dig our way out.”
    “Why don’t we just go out the way we came in?” Cody took out his lockpick and felt for the keyhole. In seconds he had the door unlocked.
    Toni put her hand on his shoulder. “Did anyone ever tell you that you are amazing?”
    “Wait till you see my magic tricks.” Cody pushed the door open a crack. “They must have gone in the house to make some calls. I don’t see anybody.”
    “In that case, let’s go. I don’t think it’s going to be too healthy for us to hang around here.”
    Cody slipped through the door, waited for Toni and then closed it. The old farmer had left his pitchfork leaning against the outside wall and when Cody turned he tripped on it, sending it clattering to the ground.
    “Hey. What’s going on there?” The son came running from the hay shed. He grabbed Cody by the collar and squeezed, nearly choking the life out of him. Toni jumped on the large man’s back. He let go of Cody and pulled Toni over his head. She landed flat on her back with the wind knocked out of her.
    Cody grabbed the pitchfork and jabbed with it threateningly. “Stay back. I won’t hurt you if you leave us alone.”
    The big man laughed. “You think you can take me with that? You are nothing but a small puppy. I will make you eat it.”
    He faked left and lunged. Cody brought the pitchfork up in front of him, aiming at the man’s legs, but the movement threw him off and the big man took the prongs full in the stomach. He dropped to one knee, his face white, staring at the fork in disbelief. “I’ve been killed … killed by a … boy.”
    Cody dropped the handle and stepped back. Toni made it to her feet. She pulled on his arm. “Come on. You did what you had to. There’s no time to think about it.”
    Cody swallowed. The fork, he thought, the fork had just been there and then it had disappeared into the man’s stomach. Just there and …
    He shook his head and turned and blindly followed her toward the mountains.

CHAPTER 18
    “A re you sure there’s a base up here?”
    Toni nodded. “I’m sure.”
    “Why would they put it in the mountains? Nobody would want an air base in the middle of a bunch of trees.”
    “That’s what we’re hoping the CCR will think. Just over this next hill is the Jicorrilla Valley. It’s a perfect hiding spot, surrounded on all sides by the mountains.”
    Cody scrambled up the hill behind her.He was breathing hard. “What do you say we take a break? This altitude is killing me.”
    At the top of the ridge, Toni dropped to her stomach and pointed below them. “See, I told you. There it is.”
    Cody frowned. “I don’t see anything.”
    “Look carefully. Almost everything is covered with camouflage netting.”
    Cody knelt and studied the scenery. There were breaks in the trees and bushes where large green blobs sat. “I think I see it now. They’ve done a good job disguising it.”
    Toni turned to him. “Still want to take that break? Or would you like to meet part of the team that’s going to get our country back?”
    Cody stood. “Part of the team? You mean there are more?”
    “We have three bases in strategic locations and there are ground troops just waiting for the order to fight. Also, Canada, Mexico and England have agreed to lend their support.That’s part of the information I was bringing back when I was shot down.”
    Cody started