Dead on Target by Franklin W. Dixon Page B

a figure popped out of a rack of clothing, tossing a sweater into Joe's face. Tony fired and missed. "We'll have to split up to find him," Frank said.
    They were like hunters beating their way through a forest - a forest of Orion, Dacron, and wool.
    Callie and Frank met at the end of one aisle. "It's weird," said Callie. "I've been in this store a million times. Now everything seems spooky."
    "That's because we don't know - " From the corner of his eye, Frank caught movement. "Down!"
    One of the trio of mannequins on a platform had whirled around, drawing a bea on them. As a dart flitted over their heads Frank and Callie crashed to the floor together, their guns going off. Neither shot hit Al-Rousasa. 'The "mannequin" had disappeared. "Over here!" Frank yelled.
    The quick slap of footsteps indicated that Joe and Tony were coming on the run. "Oh no you don't!" they suddenly heard Joe yell. Then they heard the hiss of a dart. Frank, Callie, and Tony changed course.
    "Caught him trying to sneak down the escalator to the next floor," Joe said. From the distance came sounds of footsteps on metal treads.
    "So he went upstairs instead." Frank ran for the other escalator, only to throw himself flat as something came flying at him.
    "I think he's discovered the cutlery department," Tony whispered. "We've got to get upstairs” Frank said.
    "Well, he can't be guarding every way up," Callie pointed out. "You and Joe keep him here. I'll go up the other escalator."
    "And I know a set of service stairs," Tony added. "How do you know about Lacey's service stairs?" Frank asked. "I, uh, kind of had a thing going with one of the sales girls in ladies' underwear.'!
    "'I'm not going to touch that line," Joe said. “Get going," whispered Frank.
    While Callie and Tony set up the flank attack, Frank and Joe tried to keep Al-Rousasa's attention. They made lots of noise and fired a dart up the escalator. Joe even threw the knife back upstairs. No response.
    “Frank? Joe?" Callie's voice floated down from upstairs. “There's nobody here."
    "Then where'd he go now?" Joe asked.
    A muffled shout gave him the answer.
    "Oh, no!" Callie said. "Tony!"
    They found the unlocked door to the service stairs - and Tony painfully crawling out of it.
    "What happened?" Frank asked.
    "Turns out he knew about these stairs, too," Tony said. “He was coming down."
    "You met him?" said Callie.
    "Met him?" Tony groaned. "I think I've got one of his footprints on my chest!"
    "You're lucky he didn't kill you," said Joe. “Nah. He just knocked me down a flight of stairs and stole my flashlight." Tony started a shaky effort at standing up.
    "Take it easy," Callie advised.
    "No way. If he took this route, I think I know where he's heading." Tony got to his feet. "I really want to get him now. He hurt my pride." He groaned again. "As well as my chest.
    Come on."
    He led the way down the service steps. "When we saw this guy first, he was out in the mall. Now he's in Lacey's."
    "Isn't Lacey's part of the mall?" Callie asked as they raced down the stairs.
    "Yeah, but it's pretty much cut off. Once they get you in this store, the idea is to keep you there. Even the maintenance passageways don't hook up. Except ... " "Except where?" said Frank.
    "There's a connecting doorway in the third subbasement. I used it on break time to see Debbie." Tony stopped for a second. "I mean, my-friend."
    "You've got to hand it to this Al-Rousasa guy," Joe said. "He knows all the make out spots in town." "Uh - uh!"" said Tony. "I think only Debbie and I know about this combination-the door and the service stairs. The only other person who might know is somebody who spends a lot of time in the third subbasement. And I don't think anybody works down there."
    "So you're saying it must be Al-Rousasa's hangout," Joe said.
    "Or hideout," Frank suggested eagerly. "Where are we now?" He pushed ahead. "First subbasement," Tony said.
    Frank swung around the landing, then suddenly halted. "I think you may be