Free The Mystery of the Russian Ransom by Roy Macgregor Page B

to Dmitri that this would be the room they would try.
    They moved fast down the hall, still staying low, ready to bolt at any time.
    Travis was first to the door. How, he wondered, had the pounding of his heart not set off the alarms? It sounded like a marching band, his heart like the big drums the marchers wore on their chests.
    Dmitri was right beside him.
    They examined the door. It had a latch on the outside, just as Travis had hoped.
    He turned the handle slowly, then opened the door.
    The bright light blinded them a bit. Travis blinked, stared. He was looking at one of the two young men who had been coaching Sarah.
    The man said something in Russian. Travis knew it wasn’t “Welcome! Come on in.”

24
    T here was a message on the phone when I returned to my room and got out of my hockey equipment. It was Travis. He said they are in the building. Now all I can do is wait – and try to remember to breathe.
    I’m so scared and nervous. I may as well scribble while I wait, or else I’ll go mad.
    I thought I heard a door click, but I can’t look out to check. Still, I’m sure I heard something.
    Didn’t I?

25
    T ravis tried to speak, but some other foreign language – not Russian, not English – came babbling out. Dmitri brushed past him and stood between Travis and the Russian coach.
    This was a Dmitri that Travis didn’t know. Always so shy and soft-spoken back home, here he was being firm and confident and talking fast. Travis just had no idea what was being said.
    The young Russian coach talked back. Heseemed angry at first, then thoughtful. More and more, the talking was being done by Dmitri.
    Finally, the Russian coach nodded hard, stood up, and walked over.
    Travis thought he was going to be hit. Or Dmitri was going to be slapped. At the very least, they were now going to be captured as well.
    The coach said something in Russian.
    Dmitri turned to Travis. “His name is Pavel. We’re to go with him.”
    Travis’s heart sank. They were caught.

    With sagging shoulders, Travis followed Pavel and Dmitri down the hall. All the Screech Owls had managed to do was create more trouble. If the ransom was ten million rubles for Sarah alone, it would now be thirty million. And if the others were caught, seventy million.
    Not even Mr. Petrov had that kind of money.
    They came to an office-like room. Pavel reached inside the door and unhooked a bunch of keys from their place on the wall. He turned, jangling the keys.
    We’re going to be locked up
, Travis thought.
Put in prison
.
    They left the office and made their way along a short corridor. Here was a room where no light leaked out. A prison cell, thought Travis. A dungeon.
    Pavel stopped, inserted the key, and turned it. He swung the door outward and stepped back so that Dmitri and Travis could enter.
    Travis was crying as he stepped through. He couldn’t help it. His eyes were streaming salty tears.
    The light blurred in his tears. There was someone sitting on the side of a bed.
    It was a girl. She had a Screech Owls coat on – and a pink backpack.
    It was Sarah
.
    “Trav!” Sarah shouted. “Dmitri!”
    She jumped off the bed and hugged Travis so hard he thought his chest was going to explode. Hecouldn’t believe it. He hadn’t seen her in days. At moments, he’d thought he might never see her again. But here she was. All ready to go – just as he had asked her to be. Now, all three of them would be locked up together.
    “How did you get in?” Sarah asked, still not understanding. “How’d you get the key?”
    Dmitri, who had said nothing, merely stood to one side and pointed out the doorway.
    Pavel stood there, looking in, his face crumpling. He said something in Russian, and Dmitri explained that they were to follow him.
    For a moment, Travis thought he had misheard.
    Pavel was going to show them the way out
.
    The three Screech Owls – Sarah with her backpack, Travis, then Dmitri – hurried along behind Pavel as he led them in another