Free Challoner Bride by Unknown Page B

swung the gun
    away from Flynn, his intent clear.
    But Flynn was in motion before the weapon could be trained on Angie. His hand came away from the
    windshield in a movement that resembled a striking snake. The quick, savage blow sliced into Ramon’s
    wrist. Even as Ramon’s howl of pain and rage began, Flynn was driving his other fist into the man’s jaw.
    A shot crashed through the night and then the semiautomatic flew into the air as Ramon sagged
    backward against the wheel. The boat swung crazily as his weight replaced the guidance of his hand.
    „Flynn! The boat!“ Hastily Angie snatched the dagger back to safety. She staggered, trying to catch her
    balance as the craft swerved abruptly.
    Flynn yanked the half-conscious, groaning Ramon away from the wheel and tossed him down into the
    seat. Then he reached out to take control of the boat. A moment later the world steadied again. Flynn cut
    the engine.
    Angie sat down abruptly as the boat came to a gliding halt in the water. It bobbed gently on the waves
    as Flynn released the wheel to concentrate on Ramon.
    „Are you all right?“
    Angie knew the harsh question was directed at her, not at the man sprawling on the seat. She huddled
    into herself, trying to stop shaking. Her body seemed to be going first hot and then cold. „Yes,“ she gasped.
    „Yes, I’m fine.“
    „Good. Then put down that damn dagger and come take the wheel.“
    It took a surprising amount of effort to unlock her fingers from the box, Angie discovered. But she
    managed it, setting the object carefully down on the rear seat. Uncertainly she got to her feet.
    „You saved us, Flynn.“
    „No, Angie, I think I’ll let you have full credit for this idiotic situation.“
    „What are we going to do with him?“ She scrambled over Ramon’s feet to get to the wheel.
    „Dump him.“
    Her eyes widened in shock. „Overboard?“
    „That would be the simplest answer. But I guess we can afford to be generous. We’ll head back toward
    shore and leave him on the beach somewhere.“ Flynn was rapidly going through Ramon’s pockets.
    „What are you looking for?“
    „I’d like to know who hired him.“
    „It’s obvious who hired him. That horrible Alexander Cardinal!“
    „Maybe. Maybe not.“ Flynn produced a wicked-looking switchblade knife, a wad of Mexican currency
    and some loose change from one pocket. The next yielded a supply of gum wrappers and a half stick of
    gum. There was nothing else to be found.
    „Looks like he’s not carrying a nice, neat, notarized contract signed by Cardinal,“ Angie observed. „But
    you can’t have any real doubts about who hired him, Flynn. It must have been Cardinal.“
    „It does look suspiciously like that, doesn’t it?“ Flynn finished his task and then began rummaging around
    in one of the boat’s storage compartments.
    „Now what?“ Angie watched him intently.
    „I need something to tie his hands with. Ah, here we go. Fishing line. That should do the trick.“
    A few minutes later Cousin Ramon lay securely bound in the back of the boat. He groaned occasionally
    but other than that made no real effort to communicate. Flynn took the wheel, switched on the engine and
    headed toward shore. They were a couple of miles up the coast, out of sight of the resort.
    „How did you know he was going to kidnap us?“ Angie sat up front, peering through the windshield as
    dawn warmed the horizon.
    „It was no great burst of cunning logic. I simply realized, finally, that the lights of the resort were at our
    back as we left the dock and they didn’t shift. They stayed in the same position behind us as they did the
    night we were taken to Cardinal’s island. They should have altered position as we turned toward Cancun. I
    guess good old Cousin Ramon figured that in the darkness we might not notice until it was too late.“
    „That was very quick of you, Flynn,“ Angie said admiringly.
    He cocked an eyebrow, slanting her an odd glance. „Not as quick