Assignment - Treason by Edward S. Aarons

Author:Edward S. Aarons [Aarons, Edward S.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

chapter TWELVE

A CLOUD drifted over the face of the moon. The sea wind felt cold through Durell’s wet clothing. From far down the beach, where the picnic fire still burned, came a tattered fragment of dim laughter. He looked that way and saw against the luminous sky the outline of Hackett’s two guards, big and dark atop the jetty, their narrow heads and thick necks thrust forward like twin birds of prey. They were scanning the dune where he stood with Mrs. Gibney, looking directly at him.

Mrs. Gibney had not seen them. She said, “I hope you take my warning seriously, Mr. Durell.”

“I know you mean it. Who are those men?”

She looked toward the high jetty. Her dimpled hand fluttered. “They work for Amos Hackett. Quenton, really. Arethey looking for you?”

“I think so. But I need ten minutes with Corinne first.”

“Will you hurt Roger, Mr. Durell?”

“I’ll try not to.”

“Tell me why you’re here,” she insisted. “I want to know. If I can, I might help you. You can stay with Henry and me. You can be safe there. I don’t think Quenton would dare try anything violent. If only I knew—”

There was no more time. One of the men leaped lightly to the sand from the jetty, his body quick and pantherish. The other followed. They trotted at an easy gait, side by side, along the beach toward the grassy dune where he stood with the fat woman. Their advance was swift and silent and purposeful. Mrs. Gibney sucked in a slow breath.

“Will you stall them for me?” Durell asked quickly.

“Yes. Hurry. I’ll meet you at my house. Corinne will show you where it is. Run!”

Durell retreated over the crest of the dune. The two men down the beach saw his move and abruptly cut away from the water’s edge and ran at a diagonal to intercept him in the wild salt-water bogs inland of the dunes. Their trot became a swift loping run. Durell slid down the opposite side of the dune into knee-deep water, thrashed forward for a dozen steps, and came upon another weedy rise. The sea was out of sight. The moon was hidden behind thin clouds, but the scene was washed by warm starlight. He took the gun from his pocket and looked to right and left. House lights twinkled distantly to the north. But he wanted to go south, back of the sea wall, where Corinne waited for him. If she waited.

The two men suddenly appeared on the crest of the dune, rising from the earth with shocking suddenness. They looked big and dark and ominous against the night sky. Metal glinted in the hand of the first man. Then Mrs. Gibney appeared, too, calling to them. They turned their heads toward her, but they did not swing aside.

Durell backed toward the high ridge of land that formed the backbone of the island. The road was in that direction. If he could double back on the landward side and circle around the Quenton place, he might not be too late to reach Corinne.

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