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

Chet, speechless with relief, sat down on his suitcase and wiped the perspiration from his face. "Don't ever do that to me again!" he pleaded. "I lost five years off my life."

"Too bad it wasn't ten pounds," said Joe. "We took our lives in our hands - and all for nothing!"

Frank said it was his fault and asked if either of the boys had taken the number of the taxi carrying Jack Wayne. Neither of them had.

"I was too busy watching traffic," Joe confessed. "I did notice one thing, though. The taxi was yellow."

"And needed paint," Chet added.

"I saw a triangular dent in the right-hand back door," Frank said. "Well, that's pretty good identification. I think we should track down that taxi and quiz the driver."

"Not me!" Chet said firmly. "Do you realize all that has happened to us in the short time we've been in this city? I think you fellows imagined that was Jack Wayne. He would have called out to us. I vote we go to our hotel. I'm for a bath and a nap."

Frank had spotted an empty taxi and hailed it. The boys climbed in with their luggage, and the driver was directed to their hotel. The room assigned to them was large and had three beds in it. Chet gave a flying leap and sprawled on to one of them.

"Boy, does this feel good!" He closed his eyes, and a minute later it was evident from his deep breathing that the stout boy was asleep.

"First casualty," Frank said with a grin. "I guess we'll have to carry on alone for a while." He became serious. "It seems to me that Jack Wayne must still be a prisoner and was waving a distress signal."

"Do you suppose it was just a coincidence that he saw us?" Joe asked.

"I doubt it," Frank replied. "But I'm fairly sure that we weren't supposed to see him. His taxi was following us and because of the flow of traffic was forced to pass us. I'll bet the man who jumped into our taxi to arrest the driver was a phoney and an accomplice of the abductors. Maybe it was an attempt to capture us."

"Good logic, but we still haven't a clue who our enemies are," said Joe. "One thing seems certain. That Aztec warrior object must be mighty valuable."

Frank looked at Chet, then said, "Joe, while he's asleep, how about you and me going to police headquarters and reporting everything?"

"We certainly need all the help we can get," said Joe. "Let's go!"

Frank wrote a note to Chet, then the boys went downstairs and asked the way to the policia. It was not far, so the brothers decided to walk. When Chief Diaz heard their story he told them that the taxi driver had reported the incident of the attempted arrest. The phoney officer had jumped out of the taxi at the next traffic light.

Gravely the chief said, "I had a report from the States about your friend Jack Wayne, but we have no leads to him. He did not land at our airport. Now you say he is probably in our city. I will use every method to find this man."

"We'd appreciate that," Frank said. "Perhaps you can also help us find two other men we are looking for -Senor Tatloc, the archaeologist, and a Roberto Hermosa." The chief promised he would help them in any way he could.

The boys thanked him and left. As they retraced their steps to the hotel, Joe said, "Why don't we hire a taxi and cruise round to see if we can find the one which was carrying Jack?"

Frank waved down an oncoming taxi. After the boys had jumped in, he described to the driver in Spanish the kind of car for which they were searching.

The man looked inquisitive. He said politely, "It is not for a driver like me, Gomez, to be curious about my passengers' wishes, but may I know why the two young gentlemen wish to locate this vehicle?"

Joe smiled. "Would you believe me if I told you we're after a kidnapper?"

The Mexican's black eyes blinked several times. "I do not wish to have any trouble with a kidnapper," he said, "but I will ride round the streets so that you can find the car you seek."

He went up one street and down another, through alleyways and back on to the famous Paseo de la Reforma. There had been no sign of the yellow taxi with a dent in a back door.

Gomez looked at his meter. "This ride will be very expensive for you," he said.