Free Girl on a Slay Ride by Louis Trimble Page A

able to?” His voice was cutting.
    “Because there are no restrictions on me,” Graef told him pleasantly. “I can use any method I choose in order to make Blalock tell me where the money is.”
    Mallory could see Graef’s satisfied expression with a sideways glance. Graef was thinking of arguments to put forth to meet other objections Mallory might raise, but he was not thinking about what Mallory was doing right now.
    Mallory’s mind shouted that this was the time.
    He turned and threw the coffee past Denise, into Graef’s face. Then he dropped the carton and put both hands on the wheel. He twisted it savagely toward the ditch on the right side of the road and at the huge fir stumps beyond.
    Graef’s voice rose in shrill, surprised curses. Thoms lifted himself from the rear seat with startling speed. He leaned forward. The right front wheel of the wagon struck the shallow ditch. Mallory tried to swing the steering wheel back, to make the wagon hang half in the ditch and half out.
    Thoms was too quick. He put one big hand on the wheel and twisted it out of Mallory’s grasp. He forced the wagon to keep going to the right. The front wheel went down into the ditch and climbed out. The other wheels dropped in. The wagon bounced viciously across the ditch. Mallory’s foot instinctively hit the brake. The wagon stopped, its bumper jolting gently against a stump. Mallory realized dully that he had lost.

Chapter X
    T HOMS cuffed Mallory’s head, knocking it against the window. He took the key from the ignition. He dropped back into his seat.
    “Miles, are you all right?”
    Graef had stopped screaming curses. He was mopping his face with a handkerchief. His jaw muscles were working spasmodically. His eyes were cold and muddy.
    He said thickly, “Get Mallory out of the car, Nick.”
    Thoms opened his door. Mallory’s head hurt from Thoms short, vicious blow. But he had sense enough to open his door and climb out on the soft dirt. In the open, he thought vaguely, he might have a better chance to fight.
    He heard Denise crying softly. He had no time to look at her.
    Thoms came around the rear of the wagon. Mallory braced himself and swung as Thoms reached him. Thoms knock his arm aside and grabbed his shirtfront. Mallory chopped his hand at Thoms’ wrist. It was like chopping at an ax handle. Mallory tried to hit Thoms in the face. Thoms rolled his head contemptuously to one side.
    Graef had got out of the car. He said, “Bring him here, Nick!”
    Thoms pushed Mallory, forcing him to walk backward. He stumbled in the soft dirt but Thoms’ grip kept him from falling. He tried to stop once and kick at Thoms and the man casually rapped his knuckles under Mallory’s eye.
    Futility and frustration welled up in Mallory, choking him. He’d always considered himself as better than average in strength because of his many years of outdoor living. But in the grip of a man like Thoms he was as helpless as a child. He kicked again, and again Thoms rapped his cheek with his hard knuckles.
    They were almost to where Graef was standing. He said, “That’s far enough, Nick. Turn him around.”
    Thoms caught Mallory’s left arm at the elbow. He let loose of Mallory’s shirtfront. He spun Mallory around. He got a hard grip on Mallory’s other elbow. He brought Mallory’s back tight up against his rock-hard chest. Mallory stared helplessly at Graef.
    Mallory took a deep breath and swung his head toward the wagon. Denise sat with her hand over her face, her shoulders hunched forward.
    Mallory shouted, “Denise! Get going! Run!”
    Graef was tucking his handkerchief in the breast pocket of his suit coat. He reached up and slapped his fingers across Mallory’s mouth.
    Denise made no move. Mallory tried to shout at her again. Graef hit him casually in the throat with the edge of his hand. Mallory’s words turned to a retching gasp.
    Graef’s features had begun to work. The icy mud of his eyes glittered insanely. His breath began