Free The Number File by Franklin W. Dixon Page A
Authors: Franklin W. Dixon
search me." Alicia's grin grew wider as she reached behind her. "I've had this all along." She pulled something out from her baggy jeans.
"The revolver!" Joe stared in amazement.
"Dad said I should take it just in case."
"Fantastic! Let's invite Mickey back in here, threaten him with the gun, and then take over the ship," Joe said.
"Not so fast," Frank cautioned. "If Mickey forces us to use this gun, that would warn the others. Besides, remember what Mickey said about a rendezvous tomorrow. We need to find out where that meeting is."
"But they're going to dispose of us before then."
"Look. There's no way we can reach Florida by tomorrow, so the rendezvous must be at sea."
"We've got to figure out where the rendezvous is, and then find a way out of this mess. It shouldn't be too difficult to pick the lock on this door — the only real problem is how to overcome the crew."
"Are there just the four of them?" Joe asked.
"I only saw two," Frank answered.
"There are three," Alicia confirmed. "The short, fat guy with the funny voice stayed behind."
"Croaker," Joe said. "Did you happen to notice the name of the boat?" he asked excitedly.
"The Sea Mist."
"Great. Then I know how to get to the wheelhouse and the captain's cabin."
"Good," Frank said, feeling more confident now. "Tonight the boat will probably be on automatic pilot, and we'll know the direction of the ship. Picture that as a straight line from Bermuda to someplace on the U.S. mainland — "
"But you said we won't reach the mainland," Joe interrupted.
"That's not the important thing," Frank said. "If one of us can get to the wheelhouse and reset the pilot—heading us off course— we'll be able to find the rendezvous point."
"How?" Joe wanted to know.
Frank drew a line in the dust on the floor with his finger. "Let's say this is the original route." He ran his finger partway along the same line, then turned off at an angle. "Here's where we turn the ship during the night." He extended the line.
"But tomorrow morning they'll discover they're miles off course," Joe said.
Alicia chimed in, understanding Frank's plan, "And they'll have to plot a new direction. And where that course crosses the original course is where the rendezvous is set."
As Alicia spoke, Frank drew a new line that intersected the first. "X marks the spot!"
"It's a big triangle," Joe said.
"That's why it's called the triangulation method. It's really nothing more than geometry."
"Once we know where the meeting place is," Frank added, "we can contact the authorities and head back to Bermuda. Got it?"
"Got it!"
The three were not interrupted again as they sat quietly and discussed their plans. No one had even brought them any food. It was after five when Frank said it was time to move. He picked the lock on the door in about fifteen minutes, using the wire from one of Alicia's barrettes. Joe crept out and found his way up to the wheelhouse. Everyone was asleep, and he wasn't seen. The wheelhouse was empty, and Joe had no trouble setting the automatic pilot for a different course. He then returned to their prison.
"Done," he said when he reentered the room.
"Any problems?" Frank asked.
"The only problem I had was coming back here without going after those hoods. It seems crazy not to take care of them now that we're free."
"We need to know that rendezvous point," Frank emphasized once again. "We're too tired to think clearly now anyway—let's get some sleep. Then we'll figure out a plan in the morning before anyone comes back."
There was nothing to do now except wait. The three captives flattened out some boxes to lie on. Joe took the revolver from Alicia and slipped it under one of the boxes. Then they all huddled together on their hard, makeshift bunks and went to sleep.
The sharp sound of a piercing alarm woke them a couple of hours later. "What's that?" Alicia asked, startled.
"The radar warning system," Frank informed them. "It probably means there's something in the
"The revolver!" Joe stared in amazement.
"Dad said I should take it just in case."
"Fantastic! Let's invite Mickey back in here, threaten him with the gun, and then take over the ship," Joe said.
"Not so fast," Frank cautioned. "If Mickey forces us to use this gun, that would warn the others. Besides, remember what Mickey said about a rendezvous tomorrow. We need to find out where that meeting is."
"But they're going to dispose of us before then."
"Look. There's no way we can reach Florida by tomorrow, so the rendezvous must be at sea."
"We've got to figure out where the rendezvous is, and then find a way out of this mess. It shouldn't be too difficult to pick the lock on this door — the only real problem is how to overcome the crew."
"Are there just the four of them?" Joe asked.
"I only saw two," Frank answered.
"There are three," Alicia confirmed. "The short, fat guy with the funny voice stayed behind."
"Croaker," Joe said. "Did you happen to notice the name of the boat?" he asked excitedly.
"The Sea Mist."
"Great. Then I know how to get to the wheelhouse and the captain's cabin."
"Good," Frank said, feeling more confident now. "Tonight the boat will probably be on automatic pilot, and we'll know the direction of the ship. Picture that as a straight line from Bermuda to someplace on the U.S. mainland — "
"But you said we won't reach the mainland," Joe interrupted.
"That's not the important thing," Frank said. "If one of us can get to the wheelhouse and reset the pilot—heading us off course— we'll be able to find the rendezvous point."
"How?" Joe wanted to know.
Frank drew a line in the dust on the floor with his finger. "Let's say this is the original route." He ran his finger partway along the same line, then turned off at an angle. "Here's where we turn the ship during the night." He extended the line.
"But tomorrow morning they'll discover they're miles off course," Joe said.
Alicia chimed in, understanding Frank's plan, "And they'll have to plot a new direction. And where that course crosses the original course is where the rendezvous is set."
As Alicia spoke, Frank drew a new line that intersected the first. "X marks the spot!"
"It's a big triangle," Joe said.
"That's why it's called the triangulation method. It's really nothing more than geometry."
"Once we know where the meeting place is," Frank added, "we can contact the authorities and head back to Bermuda. Got it?"
"Got it!"
The three were not interrupted again as they sat quietly and discussed their plans. No one had even brought them any food. It was after five when Frank said it was time to move. He picked the lock on the door in about fifteen minutes, using the wire from one of Alicia's barrettes. Joe crept out and found his way up to the wheelhouse. Everyone was asleep, and he wasn't seen. The wheelhouse was empty, and Joe had no trouble setting the automatic pilot for a different course. He then returned to their prison.
"Done," he said when he reentered the room.
"Any problems?" Frank asked.
"The only problem I had was coming back here without going after those hoods. It seems crazy not to take care of them now that we're free."
"We need to know that rendezvous point," Frank emphasized once again. "We're too tired to think clearly now anyway—let's get some sleep. Then we'll figure out a plan in the morning before anyone comes back."
There was nothing to do now except wait. The three captives flattened out some boxes to lie on. Joe took the revolver from Alicia and slipped it under one of the boxes. Then they all huddled together on their hard, makeshift bunks and went to sleep.
The sharp sound of a piercing alarm woke them a couple of hours later. "What's that?" Alicia asked, startled.
"The radar warning system," Frank informed them. "It probably means there's something in the
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