Rico staggered over to his suitcase. As he fumbled with the locks, Noddy said sharply, ‘Hold it!
Leave it alone! I’l take it as it is.’ He had a gun in his hand, and it pointed at Baird. ‘I’m going to have more than five grand for this job. Make a move, and I’ll give it to you in the guts!’
III
Rico remained like a statue, looking helplessly at Baird. There were seven thousand dollars in cash in the suitcase: every nickel he owned. His hand gripped the handle of the case convulsively. He had warned Baird, and now this pigeon-chested double-crosser would take the money and shoot them.
Baird stood very still, his eyes on Noddy’s gun. His face was expressionless, but the muscle below his right eye was twitching.
‘Turn around,’ Noddy said, ‘then shed your rod. Drop it on the floor. Don’t try anything funny. I’m a dead shot at this range. Go on! Turn around!’
Baird turned. Slowly his right hand went inside his coat and pulled out the Colt. Rico saw him softly thumb back the safety-catch.
Noddy said, ‘This is where you get yours, pal. I’l get a pat on the back for rubbing you two out and capturing Hater. Drop that rod!’
It happened so quickly Rico had no idea how Baird did it.
Baird jumped to the right and turned at the same time. Noddy fired and missed. Baird’s gun exploded three times; the gun flashes lit up the dark hut. Noddy dropped his gun, clutched his stomach with both hands and bent forward as if he had a hinge to his spine. He stood like that for a second or so, then his knees buckled and he fell forward on his face.
Baird stood over him.
Shuddering with relief, Rico came over and peered down at Noddy. All he could think of was that the money was safe.
‘The mug,’ Baird said softly, and stirred Noddy with his foot. ‘To have tried to pul that ancient gag on me.’
Noddy groaned. He looked up at Baird, his breath whistling in his throat.
Baird knelt by his side and ran his hands over his clothes. He found the roll of bills he had given Noddy the previous night.
‘He won’t need his turkey farm now,’ Baird said, and put the money in his hip pocket. ‘Come on! It’s time we moved. Give me a hand with Hater. Where’s that bandage?’
Rico found the wide roll of adhesive bandage, and together they strapped Hater’s hands and ankles together. Baird strapped up Hater’s mouth.
‘I’ll carry him. You bring the case and the Winchester,’ Baird went on. ‘They’re certain to have heard the shots.’
While Rico went over to pick up the case, Baird again bent over Noddy. He had stopped breathing.
Baird touched the artery in his throat. Then he straightened with a little grunt.
‘He won’t double-cross anyone again,’ he muttered.
Then he hauled the unconscious Hater across his shoulder and moved to the door.
Rico followed him down the path, carrying the case and the Winchester.
Rico’s mind was in a whirl. They had got Hater, but they had still to get out of this awful swamp.
They had still a twelve-hour paddle down the river ahead of them before they reached the place where the get-away car was hidden.
Even if they got Hater away, there was still the complex business of getting the money from Kile. The whole scheme now seemed to Rico to be a madman’s pipe-dream.
A distant sound suddenly brought him to a standstill as if he had run against a brick wall. Baird had heard it too, and had also stopped. Both of them looked back along the path. Baird had his gun out.
Away in the distance they could hear the barking of dogs. Even as they listened the barking got nearer.
‘Snap it up!’ Baird exclaimed. ‘They’ve got our scent.’
He turned and began to jog-trot down the path, while Rico blundered after him. Hater’s weight made it impossible for Baird to move fast. He had still some distance to cover before he reached the boat, and he knew he had to conserve his strength for a final burst.
The barking grew louder, and they could hear men shouting to each other. They kept on. Baird even managed to increase his speed a little, but he was already beginning to pant. Rico was so scared he scarcely knew what he was doing as he stumbled blindly along behind Baird.
With every yard of ground covered, the sound of the dogs became louder. Baird was gasping for breath when he saw the river ahead of him. He stepped off the path and dumped Hater in the undergrowth.
Rico came up panting. He kept looking over his shoulder, his eyes rolling. He was hysterical with exhaustion and fear.
Baird grabbed him and pulled him off the path.
‘We’ve got to nail those dogs,’ he said. ‘If they guess we’ve got a boat we’re sunk. They’l come after us in a motor launch. We wouldn’t stand a chance.’
‘What are you going to do?’ Rico sobbed, lying on his side and looking helplessly up at Baird.
Baird grabbed up the Winchester.
