Free Twelve Hours To Destiny by John Glasby

opening, sliding the glass back into place after dropping lightly on to the chair. In spite of this disturbing discovery, he experienced a sudden sense of relief. At the back of his mind, he knew he had been wanting the girl to be proved right, even if it meant finding out that Kellaway was working with the enemy. Again, he made an impulsive decision. If Kellaway had been passing information about his movements to the enemy on the mainland, then he could no longer go ahead with the original plan.
    He had to get out of there before Kellaway returned, had to get to the quayside and meet the girl. He checked the wristwatch which lay on the table—to have taken it with him would have been a direct giveaway—saw that it was now five minutes past nine. Outside, it was already dark. If he hurried, he might just be able to get there before she left.
    Pausing only to strap on the holster and the heavy Luger, it and pick up the papers with which Kellaway had so thoughtfully provided him, he let himself out of the rear door.
    The moon shone whitely on the streets as he made his way quickly in the direction of the harbour.
    He stopped at the bottom of a narrow alley, looked quickly about him with an all-embracing glance. The road to his left, leading down towards the quayside less than half a mile away, with the waters of the narrow channel gleaming palely in the moonlight and starshine, was deserted. He was on the point of moving out into it when he caught sight of the three dark figures moving in his direction. Swiftly, he pressed himself into the shadow of a doorway, held his breath until it hurt in his lungs as the men drew level with him. They were talking earnestly in low voices, speaking in Chinese. Carradine stiffened. Two of the men he did not recognise, the usual type of Chinese coolie one met in Hong Kong, with narrow faces and bright eyes that gleamed ferally in the dimness.
    It was easy to believe that they could be hatchet men for the Red Dragon operating inside Hong Kong. But he did not give them a second thought as they moved past his hiding place without even suspecting his presence there; for it was the third man who caught and held his attention. Evidently Chao Lin had known what he was about when he had suspected his Number Two of working in collaboration with the enemy. The third man was Kellaway !
    The trio continued up the street for a little way, then paused beneath one of the lights. Kellaway had a piece of paper in his hand, was holding it so that the other two could see clearly. They were too far away for Carradine to pick out any of their conversation, even if he had been able to understand the language fluently. But it was not so difficult to guess at the gist of it. These, he felt certain, were the men who would have been waiting on board the boat to ferry him across to the spot on the Chinese mainland, the men he would have accompanied unsuspectingly, going trustingly to his death.
    He waited for what seemed an eternity, but which could only have been three minutes at most. Then the men moved away into the stretch of anonymous darkness which lay beyond the solitary lamp. The sound of their footsteps died away into the echoing distance. Stepping out of the doorway, he made his way rapidly to the harbour, scanning the multitude of junks for the one bearing the yellow dragon on its square-cut sail.

 
    CHAPTER 4
    NIGHT LANDING
     
    “So you now believe that I was telling you the truth this morning?” Ts’ai Luan pulled strongly on the rope, tightened it, then motioned to Carradine to draw up the anchor. “What made you change your mind?”
    “I found his secret transmitter less than an hour ago.” Carradine said simply. “I also passed him on the way back to his house with two hatchet men. No doubt they have been planning the best method of getting rid of me before I could start more trouble.”
    The girl seemed to sense the bitterness in his thoughts. “I have seen too much of this double-dealing