Flight to the Lonesome Place by Alexander Key

Rico?”
    The captain looked grave. “If I know Bernardo, he’ll see that that devilish aunt of his takes her straight on to Santo Domingo. I’m sure the Señora can get her in without trouble. But once there, that will be the end of her. She’ll simply disappear.”
    â€œBut—but, golly, can’t something be done to help her?”
    â€œIt’s got me beat. I’m going to retire next month, and I’ll have time to look into it. But that doesn’t help matters now.” The big man shook his head. “Puerto Rico’s like a foreign country. No one but Bernardo himself could really straighten the thing out. He has the power and the money. But the fellow is a rascal …”
    Ronnie, looking thoughtfully astern, had forgotten his own troubles entirely when he was aware of movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he saw Ana María Rosalita hurrying toward him.
    â€œBoy Blue, you were so long with the captain,” she began worriedly. “Surely you had no trouble?”
    â€œOh, no,” he told her. “It was just that I couldn’t fool him. I had to tell him everything. And I’m glad I did. He turned out to be a real friend.”
    â€œOh, I knew he would be. You see, he’s one of my two friends.”
    â€œIs the other one Black Luis?”
    The tiny girl nodded. “Did the captain tell you what happened?”
    â€œYes,” Ronnie replied soberly. “And now I know you’re in a worse spot than I am. I’ve been trying to figure out what to do.”
    â€œBut I decided last night I’ll run away,” she said quickly. “As I told you, I thought and thought for hours—first about you, then about me. If you can get into a private school—”
    â€œNo,” he interrupted. “The captain had the same idea. Only, I don’t believe I’d better.”
    â€œBut you’d be safe—”
    â€œMaybe. Though I think I’ll be just as safe in that beach cottage he got from your father.”
    â€œOh, no!” she said instantly. “Don’t go there!”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œBecause it’s the wrong place to hide. I know! It was the first place I thought of, because it’s so near Papa’s old villa, where Bernardo lives. And of course I wanted you there, for now you’re my third friend, and I’d feel so much better knowing you were near. But I was just being selfish. You must not go there.”
    He looked at her curiously. His main reason for deciding to go to the beach cottage was so he would be near enough to help her. For surely, if the captain was right, she was going to need all the help she could get.
    â€œI don’t understand, camarada ,” he said finally. “What’s wrong with it?”
    Her dark eyes grew round and fearful. “Boy Blue, every time I think of you going to the cottage, your trouble sign turns almost black. That means something terrible will happen.”
    He looked grimly at the vessel’s wake, flowing into the distance. “Then I’d better stay away,” he muttered. “Only, I don’t want to go to a school—”
    â€œOh, but you don’t have to,” she hastened to say. “I’ve another plan, just in case. You must find Black Luis.”
    â€œBlack Luis?” he repeated, startled.
    â€œYes. That’s what I am going to do if I have to run away from Bernardo.”
    â€œWhere is he?”
    â€œI—I don’t know exactly,” she admitted. “But he can always be found by the right person—someone like you or me, or Captain Anders. You see, he’s had to go underground since Papa died.”
    â€œUnderground? You mean he’s hiding?”
    â€œOf course he’s hiding, silly. If Bernardo finds him, he’ll be sent back to Santo Domingo, which would be awful. Papa gave him a little piece of land for helping me, and he’s