The 39 Clues Turbulence Read Free

favorite books, grateful for the opportunity to spend time with people she knew would never leave her.
    Amy wished she could pull out a book right now. Anything to avoid making small talk with the stern man scowling at her from across the room. With each passing moment, the silence grew heavier, until Amy could almost feel it pressing against her skin. The door pushed open and Amy sighed — finally, someone else had arrived. But it was just Saladin. The Mau strode across the room, his tail held high, and promptly began to rub against Professor Morris’s leg, leaving a layer of long silver hairs clinging to the professor’s wool trousers.
    “Saladin,” Amy chided, grateful for an excuse to break the silence. “Stop it.”
    Professor Morris grimaced slightly, then stood up. “I’m sorry, Miss Cahill, but I don’t have all evening. It appears that the other students have more pressing obligations, so if you’ll excuse me.”
    Amy jumped up from her chair. “No! I mean, just five more minutes. They’re all in the house . . . somewhere. I’ll go look again.” She dashed toward the door, leaving Professor Morris and Saladin staring at each other.
    I’m going to kill them , Amy thought as she ran up the stairs, ignoring the pain in her protesting muscles. But then a grim truth surfaced through her rage. Or the Vespers will do it for me .
    She slowed down when she reached the top of the stairs, taking care not to slip on the plastic tarp that covered the floor. The top level of the house — the site of their new command center — was still under construction. The lights were off, but there were sounds coming from the end of the hallway. Amy stepped carefully over a clump of wires and turned sideways to avoid bumping into a tower of cardboard boxes. A thin sliver of light shone from under the door to the screening room Amy had built in order to analyze surveillance footage and host video chats with Cahills around the world. She opened the door and gasped. Dan, Hamilton, and Madison were hurtling across the room, vaulting over the rows of leather armchairs as they swatted one another with plastic lightsabers. Amy didn’t even have to look at the screen to know that Star Wars was playing. The volume was up so loud that the room shook every time Darth Vader exhaled. She marched up to the control panel and shut the system off.
    “Noooo!” Dan yelled, rushing toward her with his lightsaber waving in the air.
    Amy grabbed the weapon and held it above her head. “What are you guys doing ?” she demanded. “I told you we were meeting in the library. There’s a guest speaker.” She took a breath and forced herself to smile. “We’re going to practice code-breaking. It’ll be fun!”
    Dan rolled his eyes at Hamilton. “I told you she’s lost it.”
    “Cuckoo,” Madison said, making a she’s so crazy gesture.
    Amy felt her chest tighten as she dropped the lightsaber. She was used to people laughing at her. But Grace’s house had always been the one place where no one made fun of her. Where she had felt safe. The Clue hunt had stolen that from her as well.
    Dan’s mocking smile faded as he stared at Amy. For a moment, he looked like a little boy again. But then his expression hardened. “Come on, guys. I think Reagan and Natalie are in the pool. Let’s use the scuba gear to sneak up on them.” Hamilton and Madison dropped their lightsabers and bounded out of the room. Amy could hear their shouts echoing down the hall. Dan stayed where he was, facing Amy but not quite meeting her eyes. “We’re allowed to have fun, you know.” He stared at the wall over Amy’s shoulder. “After all we’ve been through, we deserve it.”
    Amy was tempted to stretch her hand out and ruffle his hair, but something kept her still. “We need to be ready. They’re coming for us, Dan.”
    He turned his head and looked at her with an expression she’d never seen before. The room was dark, and the weak light shining through the