Free Deathgame by Franklin W. Dixon Page B

taught me how to make it. I guess he was doing some kind of counterinsurgency stuff. He never talked much about it," Terry answered as he studied the tree he was to climb.
    "Time to get ready," Frank said when he had finished the exotic drink. "Take your places."
    Lauren climbed nimbly up the tree she had chosen. She had her knife drawn, and for an instant sunlight glinted off the razor-sharp metal.
    "Watch it!" Joe called up to her. "Hammerlock could spot that."
    She realized what had happened and scraped the knife blade against the bark of the tree to dull the shine. "Sorry," she said in a whisper. "I didn't realize. And you'd better keep your voice down, or he'll hear us for sure."
    Joe gave her a thumbs-up sign and whispered, "Now we're even."
    As Joe settled himself in the brush, he had an odd sense of deja vu. Why? It came to him suddenly. Except for the fact that there were fronds and scrub and sand, the act of lying in wait reminded him of the night he and Frank and Biff and Tony Prito had played their survival game in Bayport.
    It seemed a lifetime ago.
    Biff had given the signal, a circular wave of his hand. The thickets were silent, the ambushers holding their collective breath as Hammerlock moved toward the bend in the trail. He came into sight, then stood motionless.
    Listening.
    Eyes searching.
    Hammerlock wore a torn olive-drab safari shirt. His bulging arms were smeared with black and green camouflage paint. He pressed himself up against a tree trunk, almost willing himself to become a part of it.
    Come on! Move! Joe thought, trying to will him to take three more steps. That would place him right between the two Hardys.
    What's stopping him? Some sixth sense? Joe wondered.
    Hammerlock sprang away from the tree, moving all in a rush. He was going to run right by them. It all happened so abruptly that Joe was afraid Hammerlock would be past and gone before they could spring the trap. He pushed himself outward, ready to wrap his arms around the colonel's strong midsection. His hands slid on greased flesh. He couldn't hold on!
    Hammerlock had expected the attack. He was already whirling away from it, flinging Joe into the scrub. His pistol appeared in his hand, as if from nowhere, and the barrel erupted with flame. The gun sounded like a cannon.
    He had aimed up at the tree where Terry was stationed. The .44-caliber bullet tore the limb from beneath Terry's feet!
    Terry gasped, clawing at branches, anything to stop his fall. He plunged downward, hit a branch, and tumbled into the scrub near where Joe had hidden.
    Hammerlock spun around, his attention back on Joe. His gun was lowered, ready to fire again.
    Now the weapon that had pulverized the tree limb was aimed directly at the bridge of Joe's nose. He was as good as dead, no doubt about it! Hammerlock couldn't miss at this range.
    Joe took a deep breath.
    Lauren landed on Hammerlock's back, booted feet first. The blow would have knocked a normal man to the ground. But not Hammerlock. The shock just knocked his gun hand a few inches off. The gun exploded with flame and thunder and the bullet whizzed by just above Joe's head.
    She saved my life! Joe thought, diving off the trail. How can I ever make it up to her?
    Lauren hit the sandy path, rolling into the scrub. She came up fast and was running immediately. Joe found her right beside him as he hurtled through the jungle foliage.
    "I thought I was dead!" he told her.
    "I thought you were, too," she answered.
    "How'd he know where we were?" Joe asked furiously. "It isn't fair! One moment, we had him dead. And then the next second, he's on to us!" Almost, he thought, as if someone had told him.
    "I just hope Frank and Terry are all right," Lauren said as they reached Biff.
    "It was a fiasco, huh?" he asked. "A complete fiasco," Joe admitted.
    Frank Hardy's heart hammered in his chest as he ran. Hammerlock was gaining on him. And Frank knew it!
    Frank crushed roots underfoot and shoved branches out of his way as he