In the Blink of An Eye by Jerry Baggett (ebook reader for surface pro TXT) 📕

yourself, with only one airplane. Also, two cabin attendants. And, Miss Peggy Weaver, another licensed pilot, handles all scheduling and planning for the aircraft. She goes wherever the aircraft goes.”

“I can’t say enough about Peggy. She’s an overachiever with grown children. I wouldn’t care to lose her. The company executives love her, and she loves her job. I’m sure you know that you’ll be making at least two trips each year to Japan, and one or two trips to London. Doctor McGowin and your brother carry a lot of weight on the board of directors for United Equity Investments of Tokyo. Doctor McGowin’s staff keeps us in the air more than she or your brother. They’re considering the purchase of another airplane.”

A week in San Francisco had been enough. He was pleased and called Samantha. “Hear me out, please. I understand. I expect to arrive tonight, late evening. Would you prefer that I stay at the hotel? I’ve already booked a room there on the island.”

She hesitated before answering. “That won’t be necessary. Come straight to my place. Tomorrow is Sunday. What are your plans for the day?”

“We’ll talk about that when I arrive. I’ll check into my room and go straight to your cottage.”

Today’s Saturday. Steven would likely be checking on Samantha’s activities. As a precaution, he’d booked a room for two nights at a touristy harbor-front inn, hoping Sam would agree to accompanying him back there for the rest of the night.

He finished signing in and walked to her cottage. He entered the unlocked door on the beach side where she’d left the light on. He walked through the well-lit kitchen, expected Sam to be there, waiting up for him. He opened her bedroom door and spoke softly. “Sam! Are you asleep? It’s me.”

He moved into the dark room, close enough to see the bed was empty, then headed straight to the larger casual room where large windows opened toward the beach, flooding the area with moonlight. He stopped in the doorway. Every muscle tensed up. Samantha sat upright on the sofa, with moonlight reflecting off a white pillow case over her head. She appeared stiff, obviously restrained.

Responding to a sound, from behind, Dick spun quickly, with elbow out. He felt solid contact with a man’s head, then his long arm struck the wrist of someone raising a club over his head. A baseball bat flew across the room. He moved toward the man he’d made contact with, slammed a foot into his mid-section, spun around again, saw no one behind him. He turned back to Samantha. A second man attacked from her bathroom. Light reflected off a knife. Dick grabbed a throw pillow and rushed the shorter man, letting the pillow absorb the knife thrust. He slammed a straight, hard jab into the man’s nose, felt cartilage crunch. The assailant crashed against the wall, landing on the floor.

Dick stomped down on the man’s wrist, forced the knife from his hand, before looking up at Samantha. She appeared to be OK. He turned to see one man run through the kitchen, knocking the screen door off its hinge.

He scanned the poorly-lit room in a hurry and screamed at Samantha. “Are you OK?” She nodded her hooded head. He yelled again. “Was there more than two who attacked you?” She shook her head from side to side. He flipped on the light, removed the cloth sack from her head, brushing his lips across her forehead.

“Stay where you are!” he yelled at the man on the floor, wiping blood away from his face. He obviously has a problem seeing out of swollen, blood-soaked eyes.

Dick removed the adhesive tape holding a wadded wash cloth inside Samantha’s mouth. He kissed her eagerly on the lips, and released her bound hands. “The bastards used adhesive tape from your medical kit to bind you up.”

Samantha relaxed her death grip on his arm and inhaled several deep breaths. “Thank you.” She pressed her face into Dick’s chest. “Keep your eye on that man with the knife. He tried to choke me at first, then tied me up. Call the sheriff’s department. Hurry, Dick, they know me. The number’s there in my cell phone.” She strained to speak. “Why were they after me? I’ve never been bothered by anyone before.”

Dick saw bruise marks on her throat. Her voice sounded like that of a habitual smoker. “Let’s see what the sheriff has to say. Those men would have caused you tremendous harm.”

Chapter 17

Sheriff’s Deputy Bennett held up the plastic bag with the knife. “You’re lucky, Commander. This is a damn wicked weapon, sharp enough to shave your face. You could have been a victim as well.”

“I’m not completely helpless, Sheriff, having spent two years as a combat marine officer before qualifying for navy flight training. Quick thinking and luck have everything to do with surviving an attack of this nature.”

“You need to wait for Special Agent Hunt, with DEA. He’s under way as we speak, about ten minutes out. Paramedics are working on the man who attacked you. He appears to be badly injured. Severe swelling has closed both eyes.”

“We’re not going anywhere, Jonathan. My injuries are not serious,” Samantha said.

Hunt went directly to Samantha. “Now what have you got yourself into, Samantha? I may need to rethink having you involved in what we’re doing here. These people will go after anyone and everyone without mercy, but, why you?”

She looked at Dick before answering. “The first thing that came to mind was the man who murdered my mother. I’ve been on edge since he was released from prison.”

Dick held her gaze, wondering if he should speak up and involve the good doctor and a jealousy motive. Hunt looked from one to the other. “Are you sure there couldn’t be other possibilities?”

Her eyes teared up. “I feel terrible about bringing this up, but,