Read Clive Cussler for Free Online Page A

Lacey. "How did you ever get here across the bay?"
    Not being able to answer, Floopy frantically licked the twins' faces, he was so glad to see them.
    "He must have been carried over the water by Hotsy Totsy," reasoned Casey. "She must be waiting at the ferry building."
    Lacey reached through the bars and hugged her dog. Then she noticed something in Floopy's mouth. She pulled it away and saw that it was a piece of cloth. "What's this?" she asked, looking into Floopy's big brown eyes.
    "Looks like a piece of the Boss's pants," Casey said with a big smile growing across his lips.
    Lacey threw the piece of torn pants on the bed as she scratched Floopy's long ears. "That means the Boss knows Floopy is on the island looking for us. He must be crazy mad after being bitten."
    "Not the first time either," recalled Casey.
    "The Boss will come to check on us as sure as there is a sun and moon," Lacey said, becoming fearful. "No telling what he'll do if he catches Floopy with us."
    "We've got to get out of here quick." Casey took up a string file and began desperately rubbing it against the bar. "You cut on the top of the bar while I cut on the bottom."
    For the next five minutes Casey and Lacey pulled the string files, filled with a sense of urgency. By now their hands were tired and sore.
    "We'll never make it," Lacey said wearily.
    Casey didn't look defeated. "We'll need another twenty minutes before we cut all the way through the bar," he said. "With Floopy's help we can try and force the bar to break off."
    "How can Floopy help?" wondered Lacey.
    "You keep cutting while I take a spring off the bed, stretch it out and wrap one end around the bar and the other around Floopy's collar."
    Lacey saw the genius in her brother's thinking and clapped. "You're a wizard," she said.
    He laughed. "I only wish I was a wizard."
    Casey soon twisted a spring off the lower bed, wrapped it around the bar and attached the other end to Floopy's collar. "Okay," he said to his sister. "Lie down and we'll both kick the bar as hard as we can while Floopy pulls from his side."
    Floopy knew what was expected of him and leaned forward, pulling with all his might.
    On the other side of the bars, the twins kicked as hard as they could.
    At first nothing happened. The bar seemed as solid as ever and didn't bend.
    "Harder!" Casey called out. "We've got to try harder."
    This time they gave it all they had while Floopy dug his paws into the concrete floor and pulled and pulled. Just as it seemed they were wasting their time, suddenly the top piece of the bar broke loose. Now they gained extra pressure by bending the top half of the bar outward. It snapped and fell to the floor with a loud twang. Casey helped Lacey through the opening in the bars and quickly followed.
    "We're free!" Lacey said with great relief.
    "We'll have to hurry if we want to reach the ferry house before the Boss and his henchmen find us," Casey urged his sister. "Hotsy Totsy will carry us back across the bay."
    They ran down the catwalk, ran down the stairs, ran through the cell block and out the big steel door. Although there were no lights except from the moon and the streets of San Francisco, they followed the white tip of Floopy's tail, knowing he would lead them straight to Hotsy Totsy. They darted across the parade grounds and dashed down the steps into the ferry house. It was almost completely black inside, but they could make out their beloved speedboat tied to the dock where Floopy had left her.
    The Boss and his henchmen couldn't find Floopy. Finally, the Boss sat down, catching his breath from running all over the prison grounds.
    "We've looked everywhere," he said. "Where could that stupid dog be?"
    "He must have been looking for them kids," said the Beard.
    "Nay," mumbled Wrinkle Face. "You locked the main door to the cell house."
    "I didn't lock it. You did."
    "Did not. You did."
    "Not."
    "Did."
    "Are you idiots telling me you forgot to lock the main door?" yelled the