The Lethal Target(52)

‘What the?!’ roared Muir.

He tried to stand up, but fell over again as the helicopter gave another dreadful lurch; and then came back to earth with a crash and nearly toppled over. At the impact, Lemski had fallen out through the open doorway and was lying on the ground.

‘Jump!’ yelled Jake.

And he grabbed Lauren and almost threw her out through the door, leaping down after her. They landed on the figure of Lemski, who yelled out in pain and writhed, making them both stumble. Jake saw the edge of the book sticking out of the professor’s inside pocket. He reached down and snatched it up, but as he did so he felt a punch in his back, and then clawing fingers grab him round the neck.

Jake swung his elbow back, and heard a grunt of pain and angry swearing in English as the fingers released their grip. Muir!

Jake swung round, just as Muir leapt at him again. The American’s gun had gone, possibly fallen under one of the seats, Jake guessed.

Jake swung a punch as hard as he could into the American’s face and felt it connect, and an intense pain shot through his hand and up his arm.

I’ve broken my hand! realised Jake.

He saw Lauren getting to her feet and reaching into the helicopter, and guessed she was reaching for one of the guns. Muir was too intent on getting the book back from Jake to keep his eye on Lauren.

I need to get him away from her, thought Jake. It’s the book he’s after!

As the American once again threw himself at Jake, Jake brought his elbow up into Muir’s face, sending him staggering back. Then he broke into a run, clutching the book in his one good hand, but before he could get far the American was on him again, crashing into Jake’s back and sending them both smashing to the ground.

Jake twisted round and kicked out, and felt his shoe thud into Muir; but the American was crazed, nothing seemed to affect him. Jake kicked again, and this time he felt Muir’s hold on him relax enough for Jake to scramble up and run. As Jake did, he realised that the helicopter had come down nearer to the edge of the cliff, and that edge was now just a metre away from him.

Jake pulled to a halt and turned, just in time to see Muir rushing towards him, arms outstretched, an expression of fury on his face. Jake swung the book out, as if he was going to hurl it over the edge of the cliff, and Muir launched himself in desperation at Jake, his fingers clutching for the book. As Muir’s hands closed on it, Jake snatched it back and then kicked out, his foot hitting Muir on the side of the knee. Muir yelled in pain and stumbled. Jake saw the American scrabbling at the air, desperately trying to regain his balance . . . and then he fell, disappearing over the edge of the cliff with a scream.

Jake moved back from the edge and saw Lauren engaged in a struggle with four of the Russians, who’d obviously rushed out of the cottage when the helicopter came down. She had the pistol in her hand and was trying to aim it, but the weight of numbers was overwhelming her, and she went down, taking the Russians with her.

Jake ran towards her, and as he did he saw Lemski lurch to his feet. The Russian professor had managed to get his hands on a pistol, and Jake saw that he was trying to get an aim on Lauren.

‘No!’ yelled Jake.

At the shout Lemski swung round, and now he pointed the pistol at Jake.

BANG!!

The bullet hit Jake right in the middle of the chest, knocking him over backwards. Even with the protection of the body armour, the impact hurt.

As he struggled to his knees, he saw Lemski approaching, the pistol held out at arm’s length, pointing straight at Jake.

‘Give me the book!’ roared the professor.

‘No!’ shouted back Jake.

This time, the professor swung the pistol back and then brought it down hard on the side of Jake’s head. Pain flooded through Jake’s skull. Then he felt more pain as the gun was smashed down on his good hand that held the book, and the book dropped from his fingers.

Lemski snatched up the book, and then hit Jake with the gun one more time, the metal barrel crashing agonisingly against his skull and sending him face first down to the ground.

He lay there, dazed and in pain. He struggled to push himself up off the ground. I have to get up, he thought. I have to save Lauren! I mustn’t let them take her!

He heard the sound of an approaching helicopter. The second helicopter. This one would take Lemski, and Lauren, and the book, off the island. If that happened, he’d never see Lauren again.

He forced himself to stand up. Both his hands were nothing but pain; the fingers of both hands were broken. But I’ll stop them some way, vowed Jake as he forced himself to run towards where Lauren was now being hauled to her feet by the Russians. He saw Lemski turn and point the gun at him. Because of the deafening noise of the helicopter now immediately overhead, he never heard the pistol go off; he just saw the puff of smoke from the barrel of the pistol, and then that powerful impact again as the bullet struck him, smashing him backwards to the earth once more.