"Dixon, Franklin W - Hardy Boys 043 - The Mystery Of The Aztec Warrior" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dixon Franklin W)

"Do you know what this means?" Joe pointed out. "A kidnapping as well as a hijacking."

Chet's usually smiling face was glum. "I sure hope Jack doesn't get hurt. He's too swell a guy. The thing I can't figure is, what does the hijacker hope to accomplish?"

"I guess if we knew the answer to that," said Frank, "we'd have a clue on how to trace Jack and the plane."

Chet wanted to know what the boys were going to do. "Give up the trip?"

The Hardys shook their heads vehemently. "Not on your life!" Joe said firmly.

Frank decided to get in touch with his father. He telephoned home, but the detective was not there, Mrs Hardy, who had answered, was alarmed by what had happened and said she would ring several places where she thought her husband was going to stop.

"You boys wait at the airport, and I'll have him get in touch with you there if I can find him."

They chafed under the delay. All three tried to pass the time by reading newspapers, but the words seemed meaningless as their thoughts reverted to the missing plane and pilot.

Finally Frank announced that he was going to call Mr Weaver, saying it was just possible he might have some lead to offer. The lawyer was astounded at the story and could offer no clue.

"Do you suppose," Frank asked, "that the man who tried to break into the Moore house could also be the hijacker?"

"That's very possible," Mr Weaver conceded. "But we don't know anything about him."

"That's right, except Joe and I did catch a glimpse of him," Frank said. "That, together with a set of his fingerprints and shoe prints, may help to locate the man."

When Frank returned to the waiting-room, he was delighted to find his father there. Mr Hardy was greatly troubled by the news and concerned for Jack Wayne's safety. He expressed the opinion that it would be difficult to locate the hijacked plane. "No hijacker would dare land at a big airport where he would be arrested immediately. He'll probably come down at some farm or uncontrolled airfield.

"Personally," he added, "I believe someone else is trying to locate the Aztec warrior. Apparently he is trying to scare you, thinking you'll give up the case and not go to Mexico to search for the warrior."

Joe, restless, was pacing back and forth as his father talked. "If that's the case," he said, "why don't we take one of the commercial flights to Mexico?"

His father's blue eyes twinkled. "That's just what I was going to suggest."

Frank sped to the reservations counter. By the time the others reached him, he had learned that the boys could obtain reservations on a late-night flight from New York City to Mexico City. "We'll have to take a plane out of here and change at Kennedy Airport."

The boys, eager to start the journey, decided to leave on the next plane to New York and spend a little time looking round the immense New York City air terminal.

"All right," said Mr Hardy, and he purchased three tickets.

When the boys arrived at Kennedy, Frank and Joe watched the incoming and outgoing airliners from one of the observation decks. Chet, declaring he was hungry, had gone to a snack bar.

Suddenly Frank grabbed Joe's arm. "Look at that mechanic down there!" he cried excitedly.

"What about him?" Joe asked.

Instead of answering, Frank started to run from the deck and down the stairs with Joe following, perplexed. They dashed through a corridor until they came to a gate near where the man was standing. "We're detectives!" said Frank to the guard. "Please let us go out and talk to that mechanic with the tattoo!"

The guard looked at them and at first was not inclined to grant their request. But apparently the boys' honest faces convinced him that they were telling the truth, and he let them through the gate. The mechanic was nearing the building and now Joe could see why his brother had been so excited.

The man's sleeves were rolled up. On his left arm was a tattoo of an Aztec warrior!