Part 7 (1/2)
”Against the wall!” the shadow hissed
Rick dutifullyabout six feet away
Overhead, Scotty was clih theRick watched carefully as his pal lowered hi _to the left_
Instantly Rick divined Scotty's tactics If the two boys were apart, the gun couldn't cover both of them at the saer juun would be on them And the shadow had already shown that he wasn't the sht a step or thile the shadoas distracted by Scotty's jued to put a few more feet between hier's voice floated down Rick glanced up and saw the stranger with one leg over the sill He tensed
Scotty said, ”Listen, you”
The shadow's head turned toward Scotty, and Rick left the ground in a wild spring He struck the shadow, hand clawing for the gun He found a wrist, and twisted, falling backward as he did so The shadow, the entire weight of his own body on his wrist froround Rick let go and scrambled for it, but Scotty was there before hier had hesitated on thesill, hand grabbing for the pistol he had tucked in his belt He pulled it free and ailoouish friend froun and fired one snap shot
The stranger's gun dropped to the ground and he fell backward into the room
Scotty thrust the pistol into the shadow's stoainst it Now support your weight on your hands”
The shadow did as ordered Rick took the s and pulled theainst his hands, his outstretched body forle The only way he could round and then get up
Rick picked up the stranger's fallen pistol and hefted it ”Better see about the one upstairs,” he advised ”I'll watch this one”
”I fired at his hand, but I was high,” Scotty told hiet far”
Zircon and Briotti charged around the corner of the hotel in pajauests and members of the hotel staff
”We had a little trouble,” Rick explained briefly
The scientists took in the situation at a glance
”As I said,” Tony Briotti muttered ”Adventure-prone And lucky! How do you beat a co
Steve A Navy lieutenant He spotted the boys ih of relief ”There he is”
”We can turn this whole business over to hiet out of here,”
Scotty returned
The events of the night before had culer to the police, the other by Rick to Steve Ames
However, the duty officer at the UDT base had replied that Aence, and his query had gotten fast results Steve Ames didn't show up, but Navy Shore Patrol officers did The SP's had conferred with the local police, and the affair had ended with the shadow and the stranger, who carried off by both groups First, however, the senior Shore Patrol officer had listened to their story, then instructed the boys, ”Wait for Steve Ames Talk to no one else The police won't ask any questions”
After conferring, the Spindrift group decided to go ahead with their plans The scientists were anxious to transfer their activities to Clipper Cay, not only to get on with their vacation, but to get the boys away froed their footsteps in Charlotte Amalie