Free Strategic Moves by Franklin W. Dixon

cot," Frank added. "Here we are."
    A light blue British Ford sedan was parked across the street from the twin cottages. Two men - agents, Joe suspected - sat in the front seat. Both kept their eyes on the Hardys.
    Joe was surprised at the size of the cottages. They were small, whitewashed structures no larger than a two-car garage. Each had one door framed by two small windows.
    Frank pushed open the door of the men's cottage. It had two rooms. One was a large room with a sofa, an overstuffed chair, twin beds, and two chests of drawers. The cot stood at the end of the beds. The other room was a small utility kitchen with a back door. Just like some American hotel rooms, Joe thought.
    "Joe!" Ziggy shouted as the Hardys entered the cottage.
    "Hey, Ziggy. How's it going?" Joe looked around for Petra.
    "She went to her cottage," Ziggy said with a knowing smile.
    "I think we'd all better get some rest," Frank said with a yawn. "It's almost midnight, and we've got to be up in a few hours for our tour."
    "Tour?" Joe asked, unbuttoning his shirt.
    "The trip to Salisbury Plain," Ziggy replied, excited. "And Stonehenge."
    "I'd forgotten." Joe yawned. Although he'd been unconscious for two hours, he was exhausted. "At least we won't have to worry about Lewis browbeating us about sculling."
    Ziggy laughed.
    "What's so funny?" Joe asked.
    "Lewis is the tour guide," Frank said. "He not only teaches sculling, he is also a professor of medieval English literature and folklore. You should have read the brochure."
    "Great," Joe moaned as he sank onto his cot.
    ***
    Joe didn't remember going to sleep, and he didn't remember waking up. He remembered lying down and talking to Frank and Ziggy, and the next moment he realized that the room was dark and he was wide awake. He turned his head and saw Frank standing in front of one of the small front windows. The curtain was pulled open slightly, and a thin beam of moonlight highlighted his brother's features.
    "What is it?" Joe asked in a whisper, trying not to awaken Ziggy.
    "I think someone just panicked," Frank replied in the same low whisper.
    Joe swung his legs over the edge of the cot, rose, and walked to the window. Frank stepped back to let Joe look out through the crack.
    "I heard a car pull up," Frank explained. "Then two car doors slammed."
    Joe looked through the crack. Joe could make out the tall form of Fitzhugh talking to two men. Joe recognized them immediately. One was Howard Markham. The other was Chris St. Armand.

Chapter 11
    "Do you know that Salisbury Plain is the legendary battleground of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table?" Ziggy asked Joe as they approached the tour buses.
    "Really," Joe said with a sigh.
    All through breakfast, Joe, Frank, and Petra had listened to Ziggy as he gave them a verbal guided tour of Salisbury Plain and Stonehenge. Ziggy loved British history, Petra explained, especially medieval history, and considered the Tuesday tour to Salisbury Plain the highlight of his two-week stay.
    The students climbed aboard three buses. Frank, Joe, Ziggy, and Petra sat in the back on the bench seat that ran the width of the bus. Frank sat next to Joe, who sat next to Ziggy.
    Petra sat on the other side of her brother. Joe started to plan a way to get Ziggy to move so he could sit next to Petra.
    Fitzhugh and Lewis sat in the front of the bus.
    "I think what we've stumbled on," Frank said in a low voice so only Joe could hear him, "is the makings of a conspiracy. We're not looking for some clandestine terrorist group."
    "We have found the terrorists, and they are among us," Joe quipped.
    "Right."
    "Do we keep this to ourselves?" Joe nodded toward Ziggy and Petra.
    "We don't know who else is involved." Frank wiped the dust from his sunglasses with his shirttail and then held them up to the morning sunlight to check for cleanliness.
    "You think the Gray Man is a part of this?" Joe asked.
    "Why not?" Frank slid his sunglasses on and leaned back in his seat. "If