White House White-Out by Ron Roy Read Free Book Online

you live in the … White House?” Loren asked.
    KC grinned. “Yup.”
    “And you got kidnapped?” Tinker said. “All five of you?”
    The kids kept interrupting each other as they told the whole story. Natasha perked up her ears when they got to the part about her being locked in the crate.
    When they were finished, Molly andthe two teenagers just stared.

    “That is the most amazing story I ever heard!” Molly said. “And you managed to get away from that man and woman. Do you know who they are?”
    “Her name is Josephine Payne,” Dink said. “I found papers in her glove compartment. And I heard her call him Ace. I think the guy lives near here.”
    “Ace Boyd!” Tinker yelled. “He’s a total wacko! He and my dad got in a big fight when Ace tried to shoot some wild turkeys on our property.”
    “You know him?” Ruth Rose asked.
    “Everybody around here knows Ace Boyd,” Molly said. “But no one wants to know him. He manages to make enemies wherever he sets foot.”
    “I’ve seen him throwing his trash in our field,” Loren said. “Ace Boyd belongs in jail!”
    “I guess he and Jo Payne planned tokidnap Natasha when Jo was hanging wreaths in the White House,” Dink said.

    “Yeah, and we went along for the ride,” Josh added. “That’s the last time I do anything nice for you, Natasha!” Josh gave the dog a big kiss on her head.
    “How did you find her?” Marshall asked Tinker and Loren.
    Tinker smiled. “Dude, your dog found us,” he said. “Loren and I were out doing some night snowmobiling. It got too windy, so we decided to come back here. Next thing I know, this thing all covered in ice jumps in front of me. I almost fell off my snowmobile! I thought it was a grizzly bear come to eat me.”
    “She barked at us and kept backing away, like she was trying to say something,” Loren said. “Finally we just followed her until we saw you guys.”
    KC gave Natasha a smooch. “You’remy heroine!” she said. “I’m going to make you some Christmas doggie cookies.”
    “Speaking of eating, when is the last time you five had a meal?” Molly asked.
    “Yesterday!” Josh said.
    “We ate around two o’clock in the afternoon,” Ruth Rose said. “But our friend Josh is like a baby bird. He has to eat every five minutes.”
    “How do soup and sandwiches sound?” Molly asked, heading toward the kitchen. “And blueberry pie?”
    “Can I come and live with you guys?” Josh asked.

CHAPTER 9
    They ate in the kitchen.
    “This table looks like a pack of wolves had a picnic here,” Molly Makepeace said. The seven kids had devoured all the soup, a plateful of sandwiches, and a whole pie. Natasha lay under the table, waiting for something to fall her way.
    “We saw wolves at the National Zoo,” Dink said. “The puppies look just like dog puppies.”
    “We don’t have any wolves here in Virginia anymore,” Loren said.
    “Really? I was sure I heard wolveswhen we were stuck in that van!” Josh said.
    “You probably heard coyotes,” Tinker said. “My dad told me he sees coyotes around here all the time.”
    “Where is your dad?” Dink asked. He remembered the four stockings hanging above the fireplace.
    “In the army,” Loren said. “But he’ll be home in time for Christmas.”
    “Yikes, what time is it?” Tinker said. He jumped up. “Come on, Loren, let’s turn on our snowmobile lights. The president is coming!”
    Everyone put on hats, coats, and boots. Molly found a leash for Natasha. “We don’t want her running off again!” she said.
    While Tinker and Loren started their snowmobiles, Molly found a few flashlights. Then she led the five kids out to a large, flat area behind the house. “Inthe summer, this is a pick-your-own strawberry field,” she said. “The kids run the business and save the profits for college.”

    Tinker and Loren came roaring around the corner on their snowmobiles. They made a giant circle in the snow, then pulled up and parked next to