cleared the shoulder holster. He doubled over from the blow, and Frank's hand came down on the back of his neck with blurring speed. The man slumped to the deck.
Frank didn't stop to admire his work. The thug behind the wheel was turning, starting to make his move. Frank spun around, swinging his left leg up for a roundhouse kick. The side of Frank's foot smashed into the man's jaw. The thug's sunglasses flew off, and his head smacked the steering wheel.
Frank didn't give him a chance to fall. He pushed him up against the side rail and reached inside the man's coat. He felt cold steel and leather and pulled out a .45 automatic pistol. Frank thumbed off the safety and shoved the gun in the man's face.
"Where's my brother?" Frank rasped.
The thug sneered. "You mean the jerk with the girl?"
Frank pressed the gun against the man's skin. "The only jerk I see is the one with the barrel of a forty-five up his nose. Now, where are they? I won't ask again."
The man shrugged. "It don't make no difference anyway. There's nothing you can do. They're on Kahoolawe."
***
"What's wrong?" Joe asked. He was standing on a rocky beach, the parachute bunched up in his arms. "Those guys aren't coming after us. As soon as they saw us land here, they took off. They probably would have ripped the bottom out of that boat if they tried to bring it in here."
Jade didn't respond. She had the harness half off and was staring at a signpost stuck in the sand. Danger! it warned in big red letters. Keep Off! Beneath that was a single Hawaiian word, Kahoolawe.
"Hey," Joe said when he saw the sign. "I thought you said all the beaches in Hawaii were public. Who's this Kahoolawe guy?"
Jade turned to him. There was fear in her eyes. "That's the name of the island," she said. "The whole thing belongs to the navy."
"So we'll get arrested for trespassing on government property," Joe replied. "It's better than wrestling with sharks."
Jade shook her head. "You don't understand. Nobody comes here - not even the navy.
"They use the island only for target practice."
Chapter 9
The Big Deal raced toward Maui. Frank had the throttle wide open. Every time the boat hit a wave, the bow reared up out of the water and then crashed back down. Salt spray splashed the windshield.
Frank checked the fuel gauge. Almost empty. Barely enough to make it. If he had tried for Kahoolawe, he would have ended up stranded there with his brother and Jade. He glanced back at his two passengers, firmly tied up with the anchor line.
He pulled into the small marina in the harbor at Lahaina, ignoring the No Wake signs. He killed the engine and let the speedboat drift to the dock. He was already standing on the bow when it scraped against the pier. He jumped off and wrapped the bowline around a post.
"Hey, man!" a voice called out. "Where's our para-sail? You said you'd bring it back."
Frank turned and saw Mike Ahina, his brother Freddie behind him.
Frank nodded at the white speedboat with the red lightning bolt. "I got something almost as good," he replied. "The creeps that stole it."
Frank looked at the two hired thugs bound hand and foot on the deck of the boat. One of them was still out cold. The other was glaring back at him.
Frank turned back to the Hawaiian brothers. "Listen, could you keep an eye on those two until the cops get here? I'll call them right after I get through to Pearl Harbor."
"You know somebody at Pearl?" Freddie asked.
"No," Frank replied. "But my brother's stuck on Kahoolawe, and only the navy can get him off."
"Kahoolawe?" Freddie Ahina said. "You know what they use that island for?"
Frank nodded quickly. "Yeah, but I don't know when they plan to use it next. So I'm kind of in a hurry. Where's the nearest phone?"
Mike Ahina scowled. "You'd just be wasting your time, man. They won't call off a bombing run just because some kid calls them up and tells them to."
Frank looked at him. "You mean they're going to bomb it today?"
Freddie shrugged. "They
Frank didn't stop to admire his work. The thug behind the wheel was turning, starting to make his move. Frank spun around, swinging his left leg up for a roundhouse kick. The side of Frank's foot smashed into the man's jaw. The thug's sunglasses flew off, and his head smacked the steering wheel.
Frank didn't give him a chance to fall. He pushed him up against the side rail and reached inside the man's coat. He felt cold steel and leather and pulled out a .45 automatic pistol. Frank thumbed off the safety and shoved the gun in the man's face.
"Where's my brother?" Frank rasped.
The thug sneered. "You mean the jerk with the girl?"
Frank pressed the gun against the man's skin. "The only jerk I see is the one with the barrel of a forty-five up his nose. Now, where are they? I won't ask again."
The man shrugged. "It don't make no difference anyway. There's nothing you can do. They're on Kahoolawe."
***
"What's wrong?" Joe asked. He was standing on a rocky beach, the parachute bunched up in his arms. "Those guys aren't coming after us. As soon as they saw us land here, they took off. They probably would have ripped the bottom out of that boat if they tried to bring it in here."
Jade didn't respond. She had the harness half off and was staring at a signpost stuck in the sand. Danger! it warned in big red letters. Keep Off! Beneath that was a single Hawaiian word, Kahoolawe.
"Hey," Joe said when he saw the sign. "I thought you said all the beaches in Hawaii were public. Who's this Kahoolawe guy?"
Jade turned to him. There was fear in her eyes. "That's the name of the island," she said. "The whole thing belongs to the navy."
"So we'll get arrested for trespassing on government property," Joe replied. "It's better than wrestling with sharks."
Jade shook her head. "You don't understand. Nobody comes here - not even the navy.
"They use the island only for target practice."
Chapter 9
The Big Deal raced toward Maui. Frank had the throttle wide open. Every time the boat hit a wave, the bow reared up out of the water and then crashed back down. Salt spray splashed the windshield.
Frank checked the fuel gauge. Almost empty. Barely enough to make it. If he had tried for Kahoolawe, he would have ended up stranded there with his brother and Jade. He glanced back at his two passengers, firmly tied up with the anchor line.
He pulled into the small marina in the harbor at Lahaina, ignoring the No Wake signs. He killed the engine and let the speedboat drift to the dock. He was already standing on the bow when it scraped against the pier. He jumped off and wrapped the bowline around a post.
"Hey, man!" a voice called out. "Where's our para-sail? You said you'd bring it back."
Frank turned and saw Mike Ahina, his brother Freddie behind him.
Frank nodded at the white speedboat with the red lightning bolt. "I got something almost as good," he replied. "The creeps that stole it."
Frank looked at the two hired thugs bound hand and foot on the deck of the boat. One of them was still out cold. The other was glaring back at him.
Frank turned back to the Hawaiian brothers. "Listen, could you keep an eye on those two until the cops get here? I'll call them right after I get through to Pearl Harbor."
"You know somebody at Pearl?" Freddie asked.
"No," Frank replied. "But my brother's stuck on Kahoolawe, and only the navy can get him off."
"Kahoolawe?" Freddie Ahina said. "You know what they use that island for?"
Frank nodded quickly. "Yeah, but I don't know when they plan to use it next. So I'm kind of in a hurry. Where's the nearest phone?"
Mike Ahina scowled. "You'd just be wasting your time, man. They won't call off a bombing run just because some kid calls them up and tells them to."
Frank looked at him. "You mean they're going to bomb it today?"
Freddie shrugged. "They
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