Carolyn Keene - Hit and Run Holiday

“What’s happening?” Kim asked.

“We’ve almost reached the island,” George said. “The Rosita ’s too big to go all the way to shore, so they take everybody in on little speedboats. We’ll be stopping any minute.”

“And after everybody’s ashore, the Rosita sails away,” Bess continued. “With us on it.”

“Yeah,” Nancy said with a grim smile. “Then Lila’s private party begins.”

The girls looked at each other fearfully; they knew what was going to happen, but they didn’t know how to stop it. At that moment, the door handle clicked. Everyone jumped, and then Bess gasped.

Standing in the open doorway was Dirk Bowman, a dimpled smile on his face and a shiny revolver in his hand.

Chapter Fourteen

In a flash, Bess darted across the room, stopping just a couple of feet in front of Dirk.

“Listen to me, Dirk! Please listen!” she cried. “I know what you think, but it’s not true, it’s really not! I don’t know what’s going on here. I don’t know anything , and even if I did I wouldn’t tell. You have to believe me!”

“Wait a minute,” Dirk said, frowning. “I—”

“There’s no time to wait!” Bess interrupted frantically. “I know what Lila plans to do with us, and you have to get me out of here. Please, Dirk, I’ll do anything you want, I’ll say anything you want, if you’ll just let me go!”

As the other four listened in amazement, Bess kept on pleading with Dirk Bowman to save her. Kim and Maria stared at her in horror; obviously, they thought she was so panicked that she was willing to say anything to save her own neck.

Nancy was amazed too, but for a different reason: She knew that Bess was acting—and it was working. Dirk couldn’t get a word in edgewise; he’d try to say something, but Bess would immediately interrupt him, pleading, whining, shouting, whispering, doing anything to distract him. From the look on George’s face, Nancy could tell that she hadn’t been fooled either. If the situation hadn’t been so serious, the two of them might have started clapping. It was a beautiful performance, and it was up to Nancy to take advantage of it.

Slowly but smoothly, Nancy moved closer to Dirk Bowman. Bess was saying something about how she and Dirk could spend the rest of their lives together. “It’ll be fantastic, just the two of us, I promise you!” she pleaded, her voice almost cracking. Dirk was completely distracted. He didn’t notice anything but the near-hysterical girl in front of him.

Nancy was less than a foot away from him; it was time to make her move. Without warning, she pivoted into a powerful spinning back kick, her heel hitting Dirk’s hand. The gun went flying upward, and Nancy moved in slamming her shoulder into Dirk’s stomach, pushing him across the room and into a stack of storage crates.

“Somebody get the gun!” Nancy shouted, scrambling off of Dirk.

“Got it!” George called triumphantly, holding the revolver up. “Nice work, Nancy!”

“You taught me that move, remember?“. Nancy said. Turning to Bess, she grinned. “I think you missed your calling. You should go on the stage.”

Bess laughed. “I just hope I don’t have to give any encores. I’ve never been so scared in my life!”

Kim and Maria were standing over Dirk. “He’s out cold,” Kim reported. She put an arm around Maria and hugged her. “We’re free,” she said.

“Yeah, but now what?” George asked.

“What do you mean?” Bess said. “Now we split!”

“No, wait.” Nancy thought a minute. “It’s not such a great idea for all of us to go trooping up on deck together. I think I’d better scout around first and see what’s happening. Maybe I can figure out a way to get us off this boat.”

“What about him?” George asked, pointing to Dirk.

“Sit on him if you have to,” Nancy replied. “And don’t forget, if anybody comes knocking, you’ve got the gun.”

Nancy drew in a deep breath and pushed the door open. She checked the hall, then gave the others a thumbs-up signal and slipped into the empty corridor. She ran silently up the metal stairs.

The Rosita had come to a complete stop. Nancy could feel it. She hoped that meant that everybody was gathered on one side of the deck, waiting to be taken to the island. If someone was in the galley, Nancy knew she’d be a sitting duck when she raised that trap door, but there was no way to tell. She’d just have to take her chances.

Cautiously Nancy pushed the door up about half an inch and waited. Nothing. She pushed some more until the opening was big enough for her head. From a distance, she heard the laughter and shouts of people waiting for the launches, but she didn’t see anyone in the galley.

It’s now or never, she thought, and pushed the door up until the opening was wide enough for her to crawl through. She lowered the door as quietly as possible and then crouched on the floor, waiting.

Nancy didn’t know how long the galley would remain empty. She had to get moving or she’d be trapped again. She crept forward, until she could peer around the edge of the entrance.

The partiers were gathered at the railing, milling around, joking. Nancy didn’t see Lila or any of her boys and figured that they were either directing traffic or driving the launches.

Suddenly Nancy realized that a launch was her answer. If she could just get her hands on one of those speedboats, then the five of them might have a chance of breaking free for good.

For a second, Nancy was tempted to join the crowd and lower herself over the side of the Rosita . But then she saw one of Lila’s boys—the guy who had delivered the flowers—making his way through the party-goers. He moved slowly and casually, smiling at everyone, but his eyes darted swiftly over the faces of the crowd, and Nancy knew that Lila had posted him as a lookout. If Nancy tried to lose herself in the group, he’d spot her. She could just see herself halfway down the rope ladder, trapped in the glare of a powerful flashlight, like an animal paralyzed by the headlights of a car.

But a launch was the only way off the Rosita , and Nancy knew she had to get her hands on one. She was trying to figure how when she saw the “florist” making his way toward the galley.

He was fifteen feet away, and Nancy knew there was no going back. In one quick move, she stepped through the galley entrance and slid around to the far side of the deck. Then she waited, heart pounding, listening for a shout, for rapid footsteps that meant he had seen her and was coming after her.

Nothing. Nancy slumped against the outer wall of the galley, knowing she was safe—for the moment. But she couldn’t hang around much longer. She had to find a way to get herself and four other people off the boat, or that fancy move she had used to flatten Dirk would turn out to be a total waste.

The noise of the crowd was dying down; it wouldn’t be long before everyone was off the boat and on the island. Suddenly, over the sound of the fading laughter, Nancy heard footsteps approaching the galley.

Move! she told herself, and slipped quickly along the rail, glancing over her shoulder every step of the way. She had to find someplace to hide, fast, or she might as well go back down and join the others.

It was as she neared the bow that Nancy saw the metal ladder leading to the top deck. She raced for it, her bare feet almost silent on the deck, and scampered up. She reached the top rung, glanced back, and saw the florist rounding the galley. Nancy gripped the ladder and willed him not to look up.

But apparently Lila’s florist was just looking for stray partiers and only glanced carelessly down the passageway before disappearing. Nancy let her breath out and climbed onto the top deck, immediately flattening herself out on her stomach.