Read Online The Dark Side of the Island by Jack Higgins - Free Book Online
Authors: Jack Higgins
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we're leaving you here, you're crazy. When the Germans turn out, they're bound to search this place."
"I won't be here," Alexias said. "I'll be safe in town at The Little Ship. Help me on to the cart and I'll have myself there in half an hour."
"But what about me, uncle?" Katina said.
He managed a smile and patted her arm. "You must take them to Mr. Van Horn as soon as you can. With. luck he may be able to return with you to The Little Ship tonight."
"You seem to have it all worked out," Lomax said.
"The way he puts it, it's all we can do," Boyd told him.
Lomax nodded. "That's it then. Let's get him out to the cart before we do anything else. The sooner he's safe in town and off the road the better."
He and Boyd supported the Greek between them as they went outside and Katina brought the horse and cart across to the bottom of the steps. They helped him up on to the narrow seat and he supported his injured leg on one of the shafts.
Boyd went inside and came back with one of the submachine guns. Alexias slipped it under his seat and smiled down at them, teeth gleaming in the darkness.
"Don't worry. Everything's going to be fine. I feel it in my bones. This won't make any difference to the main plan. As soon as I get things moving, I'll be in touch."
He picked up the reins and moved away into the darkness and Lomax turned to Boyd. "We haven't got much time. Let's get our friend outside as quickly as possible."
Katina followed them and stood in the door watching as they pulled the German's gauntlets over his stiffening fingers and strapped on his helmet. As they brushed past her with the body, she turned her face away, but a few moments later as they eased the body into the sidecar, she came out on the porch.
"Who's going to drop him?" Boyd asked.
"I will," Lomax told him. "You get the kit down and be ready to move as soon as we get back."
Boyd nodded and ran up the steps into the house and Lomax turned to Katina. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to show me the nearest suitable spot."
She came down the steps without a word and he mounted the machine and waited for her to get on to 'the pillion. As soon tis she was seated, h&.kicked the starter and let in the clutch.
They followed a well-defined path trp out of the valley and then she pressed his shoulder and pointed and he swung the machine into a track that cut across the dark earth like a white line in the night
The wind on his face carried the good fresh smell of the sea and he could taste the salt on his lips and then they came over a small rise and the dark line of^ the cliffs was no more than fifty yards below.
He cut the motor and turned as she dismounted. "Is this the place?"
She nodded. "The cliffs are a hundred feet high here. At their base there is an old jetty and a boathouse where my father kept his boat before the war for the fishing. Now the1 Germans have forbidden us to use it."
He pulled the body from the sidecar and laid it on the-ground. Then he put the machine into neutral and let it roll towards the edge of the cliffs.
He hoisted the dead man on to his back and went down the slope. For a moment he stood at the edge, looking at the white line of surf breaking on the rocks below, and then he tossed the body down after the machine and went back to the girl.
She was standing at the top of the rise where he had left her and he was conscious that she was looking at him through the darkness.
"I'm sorry you had to get mixed up in this," he said awkwardly. "It's been a hell of a night by any standards."
She stood quite still without saying anything and he moved closer. "Are you all right?"
And then she started to cry and he put an arm round her gently, pulling her close. After a while, they started back through the darkness towards the farm.
Of Action and
"I won't be here," Alexias said. "I'll be safe in town at The Little Ship. Help me on to the cart and I'll have myself there in half an hour."
"But what about me, uncle?" Katina said.
He managed a smile and patted her arm. "You must take them to Mr. Van Horn as soon as you can. With. luck he may be able to return with you to The Little Ship tonight."
"You seem to have it all worked out," Lomax said.
"The way he puts it, it's all we can do," Boyd told him.
Lomax nodded. "That's it then. Let's get him out to the cart before we do anything else. The sooner he's safe in town and off the road the better."
He and Boyd supported the Greek between them as they went outside and Katina brought the horse and cart across to the bottom of the steps. They helped him up on to the narrow seat and he supported his injured leg on one of the shafts.
Boyd went inside and came back with one of the submachine guns. Alexias slipped it under his seat and smiled down at them, teeth gleaming in the darkness.
"Don't worry. Everything's going to be fine. I feel it in my bones. This won't make any difference to the main plan. As soon as I get things moving, I'll be in touch."
He picked up the reins and moved away into the darkness and Lomax turned to Boyd. "We haven't got much time. Let's get our friend outside as quickly as possible."
Katina followed them and stood in the door watching as they pulled the German's gauntlets over his stiffening fingers and strapped on his helmet. As they brushed past her with the body, she turned her face away, but a few moments later as they eased the body into the sidecar, she came out on the porch.
"Who's going to drop him?" Boyd asked.
"I will," Lomax told him. "You get the kit down and be ready to move as soon as we get back."
Boyd nodded and ran up the steps into the house and Lomax turned to Katina. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to show me the nearest suitable spot."
She came down the steps without a word and he mounted the machine and waited for her to get on to 'the pillion. As soon tis she was seated, h&.kicked the starter and let in the clutch.
They followed a well-defined path trp out of the valley and then she pressed his shoulder and pointed and he swung the machine into a track that cut across the dark earth like a white line in the night
The wind on his face carried the good fresh smell of the sea and he could taste the salt on his lips and then they came over a small rise and the dark line of^ the cliffs was no more than fifty yards below.
He cut the motor and turned as she dismounted. "Is this the place?"
She nodded. "The cliffs are a hundred feet high here. At their base there is an old jetty and a boathouse where my father kept his boat before the war for the fishing. Now the1 Germans have forbidden us to use it."
He pulled the body from the sidecar and laid it on the-ground. Then he put the machine into neutral and let it roll towards the edge of the cliffs.
He hoisted the dead man on to his back and went down the slope. For a moment he stood at the edge, looking at the white line of surf breaking on the rocks below, and then he tossed the body down after the machine and went back to the girl.
She was standing at the top of the rise where he had left her and he was conscious that she was looking at him through the darkness.
"I'm sorry you had to get mixed up in this," he said awkwardly. "It's been a hell of a night by any standards."
She stood quite still without saying anything and he moved closer. "Are you all right?"
And then she started to cry and he put an arm round her gently, pulling her close. After a while, they started back through the darkness towards the farm.
Of Action and
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