“We’ll explain everything when we get back,” Nancy promised, opening the door and jumping down onto the pavement. It felt very solid under her feet after the ride. “Ready, Ned?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Ned answered.
“Come on,” Nancy said. “We’ll find her.”
Although the security floodlights on the building weren’t bright, Nancy could see the outlines of a twenty-foot door in the end of the metal building. It was big enough to drive a freight train through. Beside it, there was a smaller door. Over it hung a sign: “Authorized Personnel Only. Guard Dogs On Patrol.”
Nancy shuddered. “Guard dogs,” she whispered. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“We’re authorized personnel,” Ned reminded her as she put the key carefully into the lock.
“The dogs don’t know that,” Nancy said grimly. “I suppose Ms. Amberton called to alert any guards on duty. Maybe they’ll help us.”
Inside, the lights were even dimmer than the ones outside. Most of the vast space was in mysterious shadow. As Nancy’s eyes got accustomed to the dark, she was able to make out a long center aisle. It ran the full length of the building. The rest of the warehouse was stacked with containers and crates.
“Now that we’re in here, where do we start?” Ned wondered out loud. His voice was almost lost in the enormous silence. “Maybe we ought to yell. If George hears us—”
“George will be bound and gagged,” Nancy pointed out. “Let’s split up. We’ll cover more ground that way.”
“Not on your life,” Ned objected. “I don’t want to have to search for both of you in here. This place is so big that we should have a compass and a map just to find our way around.” He frowned and stuck his hands in the pockets of his pants. “Besides, how do we even know she’s here.”
“Somehow I’m sure of it,” Nancy replied. “You were right this afternoon when you said you thought George was being held in the wharf area.” She pulled out her flashlight. “But there’s something I don’t understand. I mean, why would the kidnapper let us walk in and just pick her up? Do you suppose—”
“Look,” Ned interrupted, “it’s nearly seven-thirty. Let’s find George first, then we can worry about the kidnapper.”
“Right,” Nancy said, flicking on her flashlight. “I wonder where the police are, though.” She shined it at the huge, trucklike containers that were parked along the wall. “Most of these containers are sealed. They may have been here waiting for a ship for months. If we assume that George is still alive and the kidnapper wants to keep her that way—at least for the moment—it stands to reason that she’s probably not sealed in one of these. Let’s start checking all the loose crates.”
With Ned behind her, Nancy started down the long center aisle. It was like walking down a narrow canyon between two mountains.
“My guess is that the crate we’re looking for won’t be nailed shut,” Nancy went on. “The kidnapper would need to get at her in a hurry.”
Nancy’s small flashlight barely lit up the first group of wooden crates, but it appeared that they were all nailed solidly shut. Between the cracks of the crates Nancy could see the glint of polished steel. The crates must be full of heavy equipment. There were black letters stenciled on the side.
“What does it say?” Ned asked.
“It’s French for This Side Up,’ ” Nancy replied, stepping backward. Suddenly the silence was broken by a piercing squeal. Nancy saw a huge black shape dart along the top of one of the crates and disappear behind it.
Instinctively, she pressed against Ned. “What was that?” she asked breathlessly.
“It’s just a rat,” Ned said reassuringly.
“Just a rat?” Nancy hissed. “Did you see the size of that thing? It was as big as a cat!”
“Come on,” Ned said. “It doesn’t look like there’s anything back there.”
“Wait!” Nancy said, grabbing the sleeve of his sweater. “What’s that rat doing here?”
Ned frowned. “This place must be full of them,” he replied. “Warehouses always are.”
“Maybe, but most of this stuff is heavy machinery, Ned. Rats can’t eat cold steel.”