Chahda flashed by, and the bow wave lifted Rick and Scotty high into the air. They grabbed at the vinta with their free hands and had to grip tightly to keep from being thrown as it rolled wildly. Rick snapped the safety on and lowered the hammer to half c.o.c.k, then tucked the pistol securely in his belt. For a moment he hung on with both hands, then called to Scotty.
"Let"s. .h.i.t the drink!"
Scotty was trying to sling his rifle on his back while holding on with one hand. He gave it up and went over the side. Once in the sea, he rose to the surface and got the rifle sling into position. Rick waited until the vinta was on the downward slope of the backwash from the sh.o.r.e, then went in headfirst. The cool water engulfed him and he twisted upward and broke the surface.
Scotty was waiting. The two of them swam outward, to where the other four were treading water, waiting for Chahda.
Rick heard the MTB"s horn let go with a long blast, and he rose high out of the water to look. For a moment he thought Chahda was out of control, because the big boat was spinning in a tight circle. That could only be done by putting one engine in full reverse and the other in full forward!
Then the boy saw what Chahda had done. The centrifugal force of the whirling MTB sent a fifty-gallon drum dancing across the water to the full length of a long rope. As the barrel swung wide, Chahda straightened out and put on speed.
"Come on!" Rick yelled at Scotty. He stretched out in the water for a fast sprint. Leave it to Chahda! Had he tried to swing the barrel out while traveling in a straight line, it would merely have fallen astern.
Circling the MTB at a fast speed was the only way to get the rope out far enough from the boat to give them all a chance of grabbing it.
Rick looked up and saw that both he and Scotty were just inside the path that the barrel was traveling. It was falling astern now that Chahda was on a straight course, but it would still be far enough away from the side to catch them all.
He stopped and looked at his friends, and saw that Zircon had locked his legs around Shannon"s chest and was ready. Tony and Torres were facing the oncoming MTB, ready to grab.
"Stand by," he called to Scotty.
"Don"t miss it," Scotty called back.
Chahda flashed by.
Rick had a quick glimpse of Zircon being hauled along like an oversized surfboard, then the rope was on him. He grabbed with both hands and braced himself for the shock. The jerk on his arms was tremendous, but he held tight and flailed his legs to get his head above water. After one gasping breath he managed to turn himself against the force of the water and lay flat on his stomach. By arching his back, he brought his face above water, and in a moment he was planing along like a water ski.
Next to him on the rope Scotty had done the same.
[Ill.u.s.tration: _Rick braced himself for the shock_]
Rick counted anxiously, then heaved a relieved sigh. All present! But unless Chahda slowed down soon, Shannon would be in serious trouble.
Apparently the Hindu boy was keeping a close watch on his catch. He dropped his speed until he was barely making headway, giving Zircon a chance to pull Shannon up to the rope where the injured man could help himself.
Then Chahda hauled in on the rope until Zircon was directly alongside.
The Hindu boy had thrown over the ship"s boarding ladder. Zircon grabbed it and held.
Rick and Scotty left the rope and swam rapidly toward the boat. Both had realized that Zircon would need help. So had Tony, who was already helping Shannon to the ladder.
Chahda lowered a line with a bowline in the end, and Zircon slipped the loop over Shannon"s shoulders and made sure it was secure under his arms. Then the big scientist hurried up the ladder and called down, "Hold him away from the side! Rick, get on the ladder. Scotty, come help me. Tony, keep his feet clear."
In a moment all hands were in position. Rick wrapped one leg around a wooden rung and slipped one arm behind the ropes. Then, as Scotty and Zircon hauled, he held Shannon out from the boat so the injured leg could not strike the side or a rung.
As soon as Shannon"s shoulders were at the railing, Tony went by Rick and helped pull the scientist aboard. Rick waited to give Torres a hand, noting as the Filipino boy climbed up that the rough bandage on his wounded arm was stained with fresh blood. The boy gave him a wide grin as he climbed to safety.
A rifle slug interrupted Rick"s answering grin. It slapped into the hull only a few feet away. With his free hand he found his knife and severed the rope that held the barrel, then he called, "Go, Chahda! Get out of here!"
The roar of the twin engines was his answer. By the time he had climbed over the side and hauled in the ladder, the MTB was reaching top speed as Chahda put the pirate island astern.
Rick glanced back. The pirate vintas were still cl.u.s.tered around the sh.o.r.e near the cove. Far above them, the black rock of the volcano was pink with the rays of the newly risen sun.
For long moments Rick stared at Shan, then he turned with a grin to shake hands with his friends.
CHAPTER XX
The Patrol Takes Over
Colonel Felix Rojas of the Philippines Constabulary paced the deck of the _Swift Arrow_ while he listened to the story related by the Spindrifters. Next to the MTB was a gunboat of the Philippines Naval Patrol, and beyond that a destroyer-escort loaded to the gunwales with constabulary troopers.
Rick and his friends had arrived at the port of Dalun, on Tawi Tawi, just in time to catch the two-ship convoy that was about to leave in search of them. The presence of Colonel Rojas was a surprise, but, as he explained, once reports of the pirates reached him, he had taken the next plane home to a.s.sume command.
The group in the pilothouse of the MTB was complete, except for Shannon and Elpidio Torres who were receiving medical treatment on the gunboat.
Hobart Zircon covered the story from the point of view of the searchers, then Tony Briotti filled in the details of what had happened to him, Shannon, and "Pete" Torres.
Colonel Rojas listened without interruption, then shook his head. "I can"t understand it. The pirates didn"t want you and Dr. Shannon. They wanted the Torres boy. Why didn"t they simply kill the two of you?"
Tony Briotti shrugged. "It wasn"t simple humanity, believe me. They have none. I think they realized that Pete Torres had to be returned alive.
His father is too important a man in this country for Pete to be harmed.
It would mean that the entire armed forces of the country would be turned loose to hunt the pirates down. So, if they planned to send Pete home after getting the ransom, they also had to return us."
"Because young Torres would have reported your deaths, and the Philippines armed forces would probably be augmented by American warships," Colonel Rojas finished. "That"s as good a reason as any.
We"ll accept it for lack of anything else."
Rick spoke up. "There"s one hole in Tony"s reasoning. They also had to a.s.sume that once the prisoners were released, the authorities would have a description of the island. So it would only be a matter of time before the pirate hangout was located."
"Sorry, Rick," Tony corrected. "None of us had the remotest idea of where we were, or what the island looked like. We were brought in by night, blindfolded, and taken to the cliff cave. From there we could see only the western sh.o.r.e. Why, we didn"t even know we were on the side of a volcano until you took us off."
"That gives your reason even greater acceptance," Zircon boomed.
"Actually, what puzzles me is why the pirates kept you so long. Usually, if ransom isn"t forthcoming pretty fast, the victims are never seen alive."
Rojas answered, "That"s generally true, I"m sure. But we have to remember the distances and lack of communications in this part of the world. Also, the ransom was a million pesos. No one has that much in cash, even a wealthy man like Torres. He had sent word that he would pay, but that it would take many days to raise the cash in small bills.
His deadline was the day after tomorrow."
The ransom would never be paid now, Rick thought. Cables had been sent to Manila and Spindrift the very first thing, while Shannon and Torres were being moved to the gunboat"s sick bay.
Zircon waved a big hand. "Anyway, it"s all over now, and reasons become less important. My question, Colonel Rojas, is what are you going to do about these pirates? I"m sure you can wipe out the main island, but there are groups on many other islands."
The constabulary officer smiled grimly. "We will strike Shan just before dawn tomorrow. I a.s.sure you that my men and the sailors of the patrol will take pleasure in breaking up that little nest. As for the other groups, that is a more difficult problem."
"You need spies," Chahda stated.
"We do," Rojas agreed. "However, once the main island is taken, the local groups will have no central leadership. I might add that Paulo Lacson has already broken up the Davao gang."
"So fast?" Scotty asked incredulously.