Relief flooded through Nancy. Karen had no part in tying up Angela or Ned. She stood up.
“Karen,” she whispered desperately. “Don’t be alarmed—you’ve got to help me get them out of here. It’s Bangs, he—” The words died in her throat.
Philip Bangs was standing in the doorway. Coolly, he surveyed the room, a wide smile spreading across his face.
“Good evening, Ms. Drew,” he drawled. “You caught us at an awkward moment.”
Nancy took a step out from behind the cartons. “Don’t move,” Bangs ordered. Turning to Karen, he said, “Don’t panic, Karen. Everything will be all right if you do just as I say. Go wrap up that meeting. Get everyone out of here—before our girl detective tries anything else.”
Wordlessly, Karen left the room. At the doorway, she turned, throwing Nancy a look she couldn’t decipher.
“You should have left when you had the chance,” Bangs said casually. He gestured to the unmoving figures of Ned and Angela. “Now you’ve put their lives in jeopardy.”
“They have nothing to do with this,” Nancy exclaimed. “I’m the only one who knows about the CLT.”
To her satisfaction, Bangs started at the mention of the chemical. “You have figured it out, then.” He grinned and saluted her. “You’re more clever than I suspected.”
“Let them go, Bangs,” Nancy bargained. “I’ll help you get away if you do.”
Bangs cocked an eyebrow at her. “Will you, now? I’m afraid that’s impossible. Your friend Ned here asked a few too many questions about me. So you’re lying, Ms. Drew—you’re not the only one who knows about CLT.” Reaching behind him, Bangs drew a gun from the waistband of his pants.
Inwardly, Nancy groaned. Poor Ned. In trying to help her and Angela, he had put himself—and Nancy—in even greater danger.
“First, come out from behind those cartons where I can see you,” Bangs directed. “Sit cross-legged on the floor over there.”
Nancy stepped out from the desk and sat beside Ned.
“Not there. Over there,” Bangs screamed, taking a step toward her. Quickly, Nancy scooted away.
“That’s better. You think he’s going to wake up and help you, but you’re wrong,” Bangs muttered. He walked over to Ned and nudged him roughly with his foot. Ned didn’t make a sound.
Nancy cringed. “You’re going to pay for this, Bangs,” she promised.
Bangs smiled. “Will I? I doubt it. You may be smart, but don’t forget I’m smarter. I masterminded this whole thing single-handedly. In fact, POE was created specifically to steal the CLT. Quite clever, I think, when you realize none of the members have any idea what the stuff really is. After all, who would believe that an antitechnology group was stealing an extraordinarily dangerous biological weapon?”
“No one,” Nancy said, playing along with the game. She had suspected the true nature of CLT, but Bangs had just confirmed it for her.
Bangs chuckled. “So, you knew what the CLT really was, then. Perhaps you’re smarter than I thought.”
Nancy pretended to be as cool as Bangs. “Of course,” she said. “Once I put the Shiranti Corporation together with the time you were at Jamison, I knew what you were up to. CLT affects bacteria in the same way it affects animals.
“You heard about Maszak’s ‘accident’—that his growth hormone got mixed up in a rheumatic fever culture and that the disease began growing out of control—and that’s why you’re so interested in it,” Nancy said grimly. “Because a disease that spread so fast could wipe out whole towns at once.”
Bangs looked delighted at the thought. “And the best part is, it would be impossible to trace. If you planted CLT in a city water system the relatively harmless bacteria already there would create an immediate plague. No one would know where it came from. Particularly if the hormone itself was shipped in by a well-known pharmaceutical company—along with its regular supply of medicine.” Bangs rubbed his hands together gleefully.
Nancy was sickened by Bangs’ twisted mind.
“The world is full of dangerous bacteria, Ms. Drew,” he said happily. “And CLT would have the same effect on any number of them. We have to thank Maszak for that—his treatment is the key. Somehow, he makes the hormone compatible with the bacteria.”
“Yes, something only Maszak knows,” Nancy said thoughtfully. “The lab here—you’ve been using your medical background to try to duplicate Maszak’s treatment. But you haven’t found it,” Nancy stated, realizing the whole truth at once. “If you had, you would have left Emerson a long time ago.”
“A nosy girl detective and her macho boyfriend put a little kink in my plans,” Bangs said savagely. “But not for long. Karen works in the dean’s office. She’ll continue to feed me Maszak’s files. Bob is a clever engineering student—he made the tunnels usable for me. I have many people helping, you see. And all in the name of a good cause—saving the world from Maszak’s biological weapon.”
“You’re very clever,” Nancy conceded.
Bangs nodded proudly. “You did give me a scare,” he said generously. He glanced at Ned and Angela. “I was hoping she would help steal the secret. As a biochem major, she knew the lab, and no one would have suspected her questions. But unfortunately, your friend Ned made her a little suspicious. When Angela learned I was taking the CLT, she tried to warn Maszak. Luckily, I got her away in time.”
“But not before she left a clue behind,” Nancy said, pulling on the earring she was wearing.
Bangs shrugged. “I almost had her convinced we were taking CLT as a blow against biotechnology everywhere. None of these silly students knows the real reason.”
“There are an awful lot of students involved,” Nancy said. “You can’t keep them in the dark forever.”
“I don’t need to,” Bangs replied. “The little disturbance tomorrow will probably mark the end of POE, anyway. The school will ban them after a stunt like the gun battle they have planned.”
“People could be killed,” Nancy said coldly.
Bangs shrugged. “If they are, no one will be thinking about my little theft, will they?”
Nancy was revolted. Bangs was a madman, but she had to keep him talking until Ned woke up, or until Amber and Jan brought help.
“So now what?” she asked. “You still don’t know the formula. What are you going to do about that?”
“Forget the formula,” he said angrily. “I don’t need it. I can sell the CLT and cut my losses. I’ll still be a billionaire.” Bangs waved his gun toward Ned and Angela. “And only the three of you stand in my way.”
Nancy licked her lips. “I admire your plan, Bangs,” she said, bluffing. “Maybe we could work together.”
Bangs frowned. “I always work alone. And I’m wasting time. Say goodbye, Nancy Drew.” He aimed the gun at Nancy’s head.
Suddenly a figure flew out of the doorway at Bangs, knocking him backward—Karen Lewis. She must have stayed outside the door and listened to the whole conversation.
As Nancy leapt toward Bangs, Karen struggled with him. The gun went off, and Karen sank to the ground, clutching at her left arm. Bangs dropped the gun and fled down the hall.
Nancy knelt by Karen’s side. “Karen, are you okay?”
The other girl nodded. “Get Bangs,” she gasped. “Don’t let him get away.”
Nancy hesitated.
“I’m okay,” Karen insisted. “Go!”
Karen was right, Nancy knew. If she didn’t go now, she was going to lose Bangs. With a last look behind her, Nancy sprinted down the hall. She raced up the stairs, two at a time, and sprang into the meeting room.
The place was in an uproar. The students milled about in confusion, bewildered by the sight of Bangs running out of the building. Nancy desperately pushed her way past them. She burst through in time to see Bangs jump into his car. “Let me through,” Nancy cried.
The crowd swelled around her. She couldn’t get out!
Chapter
Sixteen
N
ANCY, WHAT HAPPENED?”
Amber and Jan pushed through the crowd toward Nancy.
“Did you find Ned?” Jan asked, panting.
“Or the CLT?” Amber whispered.
“No time to explain,” Nancy gasped. “Get me out of here!”
Together, the three girls pushed a clearing through the crowd and made it outside.
Nancy’s mind raced. Bangs had left without the CLT. That meant he didn’t have it in the building. He must be on his way to get it now.
“Amber, Jan—listen. Ned and Angela are inside. Karen Lewis is there, too. She’s been shot. You’ll need to get her to a doctor right away.”
Amber gasped, but Nancy went on. “Karen is on our side. They’re all downstairs, last door on your right. I’m going after Bangs. I don’t think anyone else will bother you—but hurry!”
Leaving Amber and Jan gaping after her, Nancy sprinted toward her car.
“Be careful,” Amber shouted after her. “Bangs could be dangerous.”
She had no idea how dangerous, Nancy thought.
Gunning the motor, Nancy drove as fast as she dared, headed for the one place where Bangs could have hidden the CLT.
A glare in her rearview mirror caught her attention. A car’s headlights were directly behind her.
Could one of Bangs’s henchmen be following her?
It was impossible to see who was behind the wheel. Nancy told herself it was probably just a student leaving the meeting. Bangs hadn’t had enough time to instruct anyone to follow her.
Turning onto campus, Nancy swept past the security check post. The guard leapt out when she failed to stop, but she kept on going. The car following her reached the security booth. With a quick glance in the rearview mirror, Nancy saw the other car come to a complete halt. The driver leaned out his window, and he and the guard exchanged words.
It was no one, Nancy thought with relief. Just a student leaving the meeting.
Determined now, she sped toward the cafeteria, the one place on campus where Bangs could have hidden the CLT. After the exploding doorknob incident, the campus police had searched the cafeteria thoroughly. Nothing had been stolen, she remembered, but no one had checked to see if anything had been left there.
Pulling into the parking lot at the rear of the building, near the cafeteria kitchen, Nancy braked next to Bangs’ red sports car. The cafeteria windows were dark, but the door to the kitchen stood ajar. Holding her breath, Nancy slipped inside. The open door of the walk-in freezer threw a halo of light onto Philip Bangs.
Nancy spotted the light switch and flipped it on. “You won’t get away this time,” she cried.
Bangs froze, caught in the act of hauling a shiny cylinder of CLT out of the freezer. For a moment he did nothing. Then he bent down abruptly and rolled one of the three huge canisters directly at her.
Just as it was almost on top of her, Nancy jumped, clearing the canister completely. Bangs actually laughed out loud.
“Very clever,” he drawled, advancing upon her.
Nancy drew back and surprised Bangs with a karate kick that sent him spinning. He plowed into a rack of pots and pans, which banged and clattered onto the floor. He recovered quickly and ran toward her again.
Nancy assumed her fighting stance, preparing to fend off a blow. Instead, as he was almost close enough to reach her, Bangs launched himself toward the counter on Nancy’s right, reaching for a heavy carving board.
Bangs grabbed the board and slashed it through the air, aiming at Nancy’s head. She jumped back but he kept on coming, his arm swinging the block wildly, challenging her.
Bangs advanced and Nancy retreated. He was backing her into a corner, she realized, where she would be trapped. She flung out an arm to ward off his attack and her hand knocked into a box mounted on the wall. A fire alarm, Nancy realized!
If she pulled it, help would come—if she could elude Bangs until then. At the same moment as she moved to pull the lever, Bangs realized what she was doing. He threw himself at the alarm box.
In the same second Nancy spied a frying pan lying a few feet away. She leapt at it even as Bangs was bringing the carving board down onto the glass face of the fire alarm. The glass shattered and the board splintered from the force of the blow.
Sickened as she realized how narrowly she’d escaped that blow herself, Nancy swung the heavy iron pan into the backs of Bangs’ legs. His knees buckled and his feet slid out from under him. Bangs fell, crying out in pain and surprise. Her heart pounding, Nancy backed off, waving the pan threateningly above her head.
The kitchen door burst open and two police officers rushed into the room.
“Freeze,” one of them shouted, pointing his gun uncertainly, first at Nancy, then at Bangs.
“Not her—him! The one on the floor,” a voice from the door directed.
Nancy whirled in surprise. “Mike O’Shea,” she gasped breathlessly. “What are you doing here?”
• • •
“Well, I couldn’t sit around and do nothing,” Mike said cheerfully to the crowd.
With Ned’s arm securely around her shoulder, Nancy grinned happily from the loveseat. They were in the living room of Ned’s frat house, with Amber and Jan sprawled on the sofa, and Karen and Angela perched on pillows by the fireplace.
Sitting in the peaceful room, it was hard to believe that only hours before, they had all been involved in a life-or-death struggle.
“Tell us, Mike,” Ned ordered. “How did you end up at the kitchen just when Nancy needed you?”
“With two police officers in tow,” Nancy added.
Mike grinned bashfully. “It was easy. After Nancy and the girls left, I followed them,” Mike explained. “I figured someone better keep an eye on them. I drove after them to POE headquarters and parked along the edge of the road to wait.”
“So that was you in the car I saw!” Nancy exclaimed in surprise.
“Right,” Mike confirmed with a smile. “When Bangs’ car peeled out of there, I didn’t know what to do. But when I saw you tearing down the driveway, I decided to give you some backup, just in case. I know you’re a famous detective and all”—Mike grinned—“but I figured, once in a while, everyone needs a little help from their friends.”
“You figured right,” Nancy said wryly. She felt Ned’s arm tighten around her.
“Anyway,” Mike went on, “I stopped at the security gate and told them to call the police.”
“And a good thing, too,” Ned declared. “But Nancy, how did you guess where Bangs was headed?”
“It was easy, once I realized he didn’t have the CLT.”
With the mystery solved, Nancy had felt free to fill in the others on all the details.
“I reasoned he didn’t have it, because he hadn’t been able to get it off campus,” she continued. “There aren’t too many places you can hide something that big, and frozen, too. Then I remembered the doorknobs.”
Angela looked blank. “I don’t think I’ve heard this part.”
Nancy smiled at her. “Bangs put an explosive on the doorknob to my closet. He thought he’d scare me away.”
“Never!” Ned declared comically.
Grinning, Nancy continued. “I talked to the security men, and they said three other doors on campus had been blown up, too. One of them was the door to the cafeteria. The other two doors, which were to the library and the computer room, were probably hit to disguise the real target.”
Jan frowned, looking puzzled. “Then he must have blasted his way in there after he had stolen the CLT.”
“Exactly,” Nancy agreed. “The tunnels were the real clue—they connect all the original buildings on campus. The cafeteria is a modern building, so there was no way to get in from below. Bangs had to blast his way in there to store the stolen CLT.”
Mike whistled. “Pretty clever guy.”
“Very clever,” Nancy agreed. “My guess is he stored the CLT in the cafeteria for a few days until he could get it safely across the stre
et.”
For a moment nobody spoke. Then Karen Lewis let out an anguished moan.
“How could I have been so stupid?” she cried. “I should have known what was going on.” She stared down at her hands. Tears began to well up in her eyes.
The others exchanged uncomfortable glances, except for Angela.
“It wasn’t your fault,” Angela told Karen sympathetically. “He fooled me, too. I thought Bangs wanted to save the world, not destroy it.”
Karen nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes. “It’s sad, really. In the beginning, we were so full of purpose. I thought POE would do great things. Somehow, helping Philip steal the CLT seemed like the right thing to do. The way he explained it, being chosen for his ‘special mission’ was a real honor.” She spat out the words bitterly. “I never realized what I was getting into.”
“That’s why I was so worried about Angela,” Ned said quietly. “Sometimes, you can get carried away in a group and not even know right from wrong anymore.”
“I was in too deep, I guess,” Karen said. “Suddenly things were going too fast for me to think clearly. And,” she added, looking ashamed, “I guess I wanted to please Philip.”
“He’s a pretty forceful guy,” Nancy put in. “He could have used that power for good, but unfortunately he chose to use it for evil instead.”
Karen looked up with fresh tears in her eyes. “But I’m still to blame for a lot of it,” she declared. “I helped form the group; I went along with everything he said.”
“You didn’t know what he was really doing,” Ned pointed out.
“No,” Karen admitted, “but that doesn’t make me feel any better.” She gave a weak smile. “I still feel like I got off too easily.”
“You got hurt,” Amber exclaimed. “That’s not ‘easily,’ if you ask me.”
“And you did save us,” Angela added, “I mean, in the end.”
Karen looked up with a newly determined look on her face. “There is something I can do,” she announced. “I can stop the demonstration tomorrow. There won’t be any guns in the auditorium, fake or not. And I can turn POE back into the group it should be—a peaceful group, one committed to truly protecting our environment.”