Treasure of the San José: Patricia Fisher: Ship's Detective - A Cozy Mystery Adventure by Steve Higgs

Author:Steve Higgs [Higgs, Steve]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-07-13T23:00:00+00:00

Tractor Chase!

From out of the barn and through the gate came six more tractors. Each appeared to have a lone rider which meant they would be lighter. Did that mean they would be faster? Were we about to be caught in our cross-country race, or did that come down to engine power and strange mechanical terms like torque?

I had no idea, but I shouted to be heard over the roar of our engine.

“What?” asked Ruby.

“They are in pursuit!” I repeated, tapping her arm and pointing to make her look back the way we’d just come.

Ruby uttered several rude words before shouting, “Mam! Mammy!”

Helen’s head jinked around at the sound of her daughter’s alarm-filled shouts, and she tracked my pointing arm to see the danger too.

I didn’t know if they were gaining or not, it was too dark out here on the field. The moon shone down but all it really did was turn an invisible blob into a slightly more visible blob. That worked in our favour, of course, for had they been able to see who was on which tractor, I think they would have started shooting.

At the rear, Sam was doing his best to keep pace, but his tractor simply wasn’t as fast as Ruby’s. The men in pursuit would get to him first and I was starting to freak out. What was my way to save this situation?

If I surrendered, they might take me and leave my friends alone. Not willingly, I suspected, but if I got off now and everyone else kept going, I could lead the chasing group in a different direction to buy my friends a little time.

It sounded like a crazy idea in my head, but I was giving it serious thought, nevertheless. They would take me to Dr Disguise and I would finally learn his name. I hoped. I mean, I didn’t know for certain that the man chasing us was here because of the treasure, but it was a sensible assumption to make. I could be reunited with Barbie and the two of us would be able to work together to get free.

I won’t claim I liked the plan or that it felt like a winner, but it possessed certain merits; my friends not getting shot being one of the big ones. Making my decision, I was about to swing a leg over and jump off when Ruby shouted something. I had to ask her to repeat what she said.

“We’re not far from the pub!” she shouted. “We’ve got a locker full of shotguns there!” She checked over her shoulder. “We’re going to make it. Don’t you worry.”

A locker full of shotguns and a position from which we could defend ourselves? It sounded like a wish fulfilled. I looked to our rear again. The chasing pack were closing in, but only on Sam and I didn’t think they were going to get close enough to know the people on his tractor were expendable.

Gambling with lives yet again, I settled back into the seat and held on.

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