The Last Laugh Read Online Free Page A
Author: Franklin W. Dixon
announced.
"And how do you know this when the cops just lost them?" Joe asked.
"I think they'll come out on Lake Ashmere Drive," Frank said excitedly. "On my map, Lake Ashmere intersects with a little access road that runs right out to the highway. It'd make a dandy getaway route."
Joe smiled and threw the car into reverse. "How do I get there?"
Four minutes later Joe had parked their rental car across the mouth of a narrow alley that ran parallel to a steep hill.
Chet leaned forward between the Hardys, a worried expression on his face. "I hope you guys know what you're doing."
Joe smiled. "Relax, Chet. This isn't a comic book, you know. Those crooks may have fancy costumes, but I'm willing to bet they're not immune to a punch in the jaw."
Frank continued to monitor the police band, hearing the growing frustration in the officers' voices as they tried unsuccessfully to locate the fugitive van.
He glanced over at Joe. "All we have to do is hold them up long enough for the police to get here."
"And how are we supposed to do that?" Joe asked.
Before Frank had a chance to answer, Joe saw a silver van barreling down the alley toward them.
"That's the same van that Flame Fiend loaded Johns into at the convention center!" Joe said.
The van screeched to a halt in a cloud of dust, and the door on the driver's side popped open. The Human Dreadnought jumped out, carrying a silver device with a long handle. He charged over to Joe's window and pounded on it. "Move that car, sonny, now."
"No way," Joe said firmly.
"Okay, punk, you asked for it!" the Dreadnought replied in a gravelly voice.
The Dreadnought began battering at the windshield with his fist, bringing his metal-studded gloves down again and again on the glass. The car was rocking with his pounding. Spiderweb cracks appeared in all directions, and the boys could hardly see out.
A second later they heard a scraping sound on the underside of the car, then a series of loud, ratcheting clicks. Frank could see the Dreadnought bent over at the rear passenger-side door.
Suddenly Frank felt his side of the car being lifted up.
"Hey - he's picking the car up!" Chet shouted.
The boys grabbed at the door handles for support as the car landed on its left side, wobbled in that position for a few seconds, then rolled over onto the roof and rocked from side to side with the boys suspended upside down.
With the blood rushing to his head, Joe could hear another scraping of metal on metal. Then the ratcheting clicks began again, and the car fell on its right side and then onto the wheels. Joe had only a moment to brace himself before the car began its dizzying roll once again. It kept rolling over and over, down the steep hillside, steadily picking up speed.
Chapter 4
This is it, Frank thought, reaching out to steady himself against the jolting of the car. He was ready for the car to burst into flames at any second. Then suddenly the carnival ride stopped, and the car came to a shuddering halt on its broad wheel base.
Frank glanced at his brother and Chet. "You guys okay?" he asked anxiously.
Joe moved his head back and forth gingerly, grimacing a little from the pain of a stiff neck. "I'll be all right."
Chet tried to force a smile and gave a thumbs-up sign. "I can't believe I almost got killed by a comic-book character," he muttered.
"Me either," Joe agreed. Seeing that they were all unhurt, he turned on the ignition to see if by some miracle the car still worked. The engine kicked on with a high-pitched screech that gradually died away, leaving an almost normal engine hum.
Frank was astounded. "Pretty good, considering that battering. Well, if this heap can make it that far, take us back to the spot where the Dreadnought pitched us over the cliff," he told Joe.
Peering through the fractured windshield, Joe drove the battered sedan along the bottom of the hill until he came to a spot where the incline leveled off. He shifted into low and made it back onto the road. In
"And how do you know this when the cops just lost them?" Joe asked.
"I think they'll come out on Lake Ashmere Drive," Frank said excitedly. "On my map, Lake Ashmere intersects with a little access road that runs right out to the highway. It'd make a dandy getaway route."
Joe smiled and threw the car into reverse. "How do I get there?"
Four minutes later Joe had parked their rental car across the mouth of a narrow alley that ran parallel to a steep hill.
Chet leaned forward between the Hardys, a worried expression on his face. "I hope you guys know what you're doing."
Joe smiled. "Relax, Chet. This isn't a comic book, you know. Those crooks may have fancy costumes, but I'm willing to bet they're not immune to a punch in the jaw."
Frank continued to monitor the police band, hearing the growing frustration in the officers' voices as they tried unsuccessfully to locate the fugitive van.
He glanced over at Joe. "All we have to do is hold them up long enough for the police to get here."
"And how are we supposed to do that?" Joe asked.
Before Frank had a chance to answer, Joe saw a silver van barreling down the alley toward them.
"That's the same van that Flame Fiend loaded Johns into at the convention center!" Joe said.
The van screeched to a halt in a cloud of dust, and the door on the driver's side popped open. The Human Dreadnought jumped out, carrying a silver device with a long handle. He charged over to Joe's window and pounded on it. "Move that car, sonny, now."
"No way," Joe said firmly.
"Okay, punk, you asked for it!" the Dreadnought replied in a gravelly voice.
The Dreadnought began battering at the windshield with his fist, bringing his metal-studded gloves down again and again on the glass. The car was rocking with his pounding. Spiderweb cracks appeared in all directions, and the boys could hardly see out.
A second later they heard a scraping sound on the underside of the car, then a series of loud, ratcheting clicks. Frank could see the Dreadnought bent over at the rear passenger-side door.
Suddenly Frank felt his side of the car being lifted up.
"Hey - he's picking the car up!" Chet shouted.
The boys grabbed at the door handles for support as the car landed on its left side, wobbled in that position for a few seconds, then rolled over onto the roof and rocked from side to side with the boys suspended upside down.
With the blood rushing to his head, Joe could hear another scraping of metal on metal. Then the ratcheting clicks began again, and the car fell on its right side and then onto the wheels. Joe had only a moment to brace himself before the car began its dizzying roll once again. It kept rolling over and over, down the steep hillside, steadily picking up speed.
Chapter 4
This is it, Frank thought, reaching out to steady himself against the jolting of the car. He was ready for the car to burst into flames at any second. Then suddenly the carnival ride stopped, and the car came to a shuddering halt on its broad wheel base.
Frank glanced at his brother and Chet. "You guys okay?" he asked anxiously.
Joe moved his head back and forth gingerly, grimacing a little from the pain of a stiff neck. "I'll be all right."
Chet tried to force a smile and gave a thumbs-up sign. "I can't believe I almost got killed by a comic-book character," he muttered.
"Me either," Joe agreed. Seeing that they were all unhurt, he turned on the ignition to see if by some miracle the car still worked. The engine kicked on with a high-pitched screech that gradually died away, leaving an almost normal engine hum.
Frank was astounded. "Pretty good, considering that battering. Well, if this heap can make it that far, take us back to the spot where the Dreadnought pitched us over the cliff," he told Joe.
Peering through the fractured windshield, Joe drove the battered sedan along the bottom of the hill until he came to a spot where the incline leveled off. He shifted into low and made it back onto the road. In
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