catch. The truck jolted and dipped suddenly to his left. Jack’s nose collided with the roof.
“Ooof,” he grunted.
The jolt of pain exploded across his face as if he had been punched in the nose. Pain and exhaustion had taken their toll. He couldn’t hang on much longer. Maybe minutes. Maybe only seconds.
He looked up again. Unconsciousness would take him at any time. His arms shook uncontrollably as trees left and right slapped at the roof of the truck. It was heading down a rough track to the ocean.
It reached the pebbles lining the seashore. Jack let out a gasp of relief. At least now the truck would stop and the kidnappers would start the next phase of their journey. Possibly he could smuggle himself onto their boat or he could throw himself at the mercy of a local farmer and get the police involved.
The truck slowed to a crawl as it trundled across the pebbles.
Jack heard the front wheels splash into the water. The vehicle paused momentarily. Jack looked up. An island lay to the north. He could not see a boat. Possibly a boat was due to arrive –.
The engine suddenly surged.
The truck drove at full speed into the water.
Chapter Thirteen
Jack was so surprised he almost let go of the roof. He stared open mouthed ahead of him as water rose up around the vehicle. The truck swayed from side to side. Allowing himself a backward glance he saw the pebbled shoreline behind him. The road he had travelled down disappeared into the hills receding away from him.
The engine changed as new sets of cogs and levers were brought into play. He felt a new surge of power from the rear of the vehicle. The truck began to cut through the waves like a boat.
A memory surfaced from the depths of his exhausted mind.
The underneath of the truck had been oddly shaped. He remembered it now. Earlier in the day he had not given it a second thought, but the undercarriage of the truck had been designed to do exactly this – travel across the water.
This vehicle could move as easily across the waves as it could the land. Jack found he could relax his body slightly. The ‘boat’ moved much more smoothly than it had across the landscape. He still had to hold onto the top of the truck, but not as tightly.
The water splashed up across the front of the vessel. The cold water and the offshore wind were almost refreshing after the day’s journey across the land. He looked up ahead of him. He had been right in his guess about the island. They were rapidly approaching it. A castle rose up high in the centre of the landmass. A thick curtain of forest enveloped the rest of the land.
He laid his face flat on the roof.
Not much longer now , he thought. Please. Not much longer.
The vessel arrived at the shore and slowed down as it reached a sandy cove. It jolted once or twice on the shore and Jack heard the shifting of cogs and gears again. After a momentary whirring of engine parts, it gripped the shoreline and started up the beach.
A large cave loomed ahead of them. Jack lifted his head slightly. All he could see was darkness.
Bazookas!
They were driving straight into it!
A moment later a large black sheet slid over the top of the truck. The weight of it almost dragged Jack off, but he hung on for dear life. Suddenly he found himself inside a large room, dimly illuminated by gas lamps. He could see the tops of shelves and drums stacked almost all the way to the ceiling as the truck drove onto a level concrete surface.
The truck drew to a halt, jolted once and the engine cut out.
Jack almost wept with relief.
He heard people climb out of the vehicle. At one point he heard the angry voice of Jon Harker followed by a thump. Their captors had a long conversation in German. After a time their footsteps headed towards an open doorway leading away from the chamber.
A confusion of footsteps and mingled voices headed away from Jack. The gas in the lamps continued to keep the interior of the chamber dimly illuminated. He rolled painfully
“Ooof,” he grunted.
The jolt of pain exploded across his face as if he had been punched in the nose. Pain and exhaustion had taken their toll. He couldn’t hang on much longer. Maybe minutes. Maybe only seconds.
He looked up again. Unconsciousness would take him at any time. His arms shook uncontrollably as trees left and right slapped at the roof of the truck. It was heading down a rough track to the ocean.
It reached the pebbles lining the seashore. Jack let out a gasp of relief. At least now the truck would stop and the kidnappers would start the next phase of their journey. Possibly he could smuggle himself onto their boat or he could throw himself at the mercy of a local farmer and get the police involved.
The truck slowed to a crawl as it trundled across the pebbles.
Jack heard the front wheels splash into the water. The vehicle paused momentarily. Jack looked up. An island lay to the north. He could not see a boat. Possibly a boat was due to arrive –.
The engine suddenly surged.
The truck drove at full speed into the water.
Chapter Thirteen
Jack was so surprised he almost let go of the roof. He stared open mouthed ahead of him as water rose up around the vehicle. The truck swayed from side to side. Allowing himself a backward glance he saw the pebbled shoreline behind him. The road he had travelled down disappeared into the hills receding away from him.
The engine changed as new sets of cogs and levers were brought into play. He felt a new surge of power from the rear of the vehicle. The truck began to cut through the waves like a boat.
A memory surfaced from the depths of his exhausted mind.
The underneath of the truck had been oddly shaped. He remembered it now. Earlier in the day he had not given it a second thought, but the undercarriage of the truck had been designed to do exactly this – travel across the water.
This vehicle could move as easily across the waves as it could the land. Jack found he could relax his body slightly. The ‘boat’ moved much more smoothly than it had across the landscape. He still had to hold onto the top of the truck, but not as tightly.
The water splashed up across the front of the vessel. The cold water and the offshore wind were almost refreshing after the day’s journey across the land. He looked up ahead of him. He had been right in his guess about the island. They were rapidly approaching it. A castle rose up high in the centre of the landmass. A thick curtain of forest enveloped the rest of the land.
He laid his face flat on the roof.
Not much longer now , he thought. Please. Not much longer.
The vessel arrived at the shore and slowed down as it reached a sandy cove. It jolted once or twice on the shore and Jack heard the shifting of cogs and gears again. After a momentary whirring of engine parts, it gripped the shoreline and started up the beach.
A large cave loomed ahead of them. Jack lifted his head slightly. All he could see was darkness.
Bazookas!
They were driving straight into it!
A moment later a large black sheet slid over the top of the truck. The weight of it almost dragged Jack off, but he hung on for dear life. Suddenly he found himself inside a large room, dimly illuminated by gas lamps. He could see the tops of shelves and drums stacked almost all the way to the ceiling as the truck drove onto a level concrete surface.
The truck drew to a halt, jolted once and the engine cut out.
Jack almost wept with relief.
He heard people climb out of the vehicle. At one point he heard the angry voice of Jon Harker followed by a thump. Their captors had a long conversation in German. After a time their footsteps headed towards an open doorway leading away from the chamber.
A confusion of footsteps and mingled voices headed away from Jack. The gas in the lamps continued to keep the interior of the chamber dimly illuminated. He rolled painfully
Similar Books
