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.The light glistened dully on the barrel of the revolver pointing straight at him over the hood of hisown car.Templar's right hand flashed up gripping the tiny target pistol.Fully extending his arm, hepressed the trigger.There was a stab of orange-blue flame, a sharp coughing explosion, and the German youth staggeredback clutching his arm and fell to the ground as the heavy revolver spun away into the dark.The steeljacketed slug had caught the cylinder of the gun and torn it from his numbed hand!The Colonel scrambled to his feet.Klaus and Stefan were advancing menacingly towards him around thebattered front of the coupe.Each of them held a squat, leather-covered blackjack in his upraised hand.Okay, Templar thought grimly, pocketing his gun and preparing for the next attack.When outnumberedin a rough-house, go back to first principles.Dispose of at least one adversary before the fight has reallystarted.It gives the opposition a false sense of your strength and at the same time reduces the odds!As the thought formed in his mind, his trained eyes spotted an opportunity.Stefan had approached ashade too close to him.Quick as an adder's tongue, his left foot snaked out to connect with the boy'skneecap, Stefan howled with pain and jack- knifed nearer as his body involuntarily doubled up.Templarelbowed the youth's jaw, judo fashion, and whirled to meet Klaus, dodging to one side as the wickedblackjack thudded agonizingly into the muscle of his shoulder.As Stefan slumped to the ground, theAmerican's fist thudded to the bulky youth's jaw but Klaus simply shook himself and the hand holdingthe blackjack again.Heinz had now reappeared with a length of bicycle chain dangling from his good hand.Templar had justtime to dance out and lance three lefts to Klaus's body before the chain flailed out at him like an ironwhip.Instinctively, he threw up a protective arm, which kept the murderous weapon from connectingwith his head, but even so it seared across his bicep, the pain robbing him of breath and numbing the armfrom shoulder to wrist.Agony flamed behind his eyes as the blackjack slammed into his neck.And thenStefan was in the fight again, hanging on to his undamaged arm, pummeling and striking against his innerthigh.As he managed with a supreme effort to wrest his arm free and jolt the elbow back against solidflesh, he saw from the corner of his eye a faint gleam of light reflected on the chain as it was flourishedagain. There was another flare of pain as the blackjack struck his head-and then he gave a great upwardsheave.to go abruptly limp at its zenith and plummet to the wet earth.He heard an anguished yelp asthe chain found an unintended victim, and then he was hurling himself sideways against Heinz's legs,grasping them above the knees as he went.For a moment the German teetered upright, and then hecame down on Templar.When her father was hurled across the hood of the car, Susan started up, her hand flying to her mouthand it was then she saw the shadowy figure scrambling hastily up the bank with three heavy cameracases slung over its shoulder on straps.Lisa was getting away with the incriminating films!Without another thought, the teenager shouldered open the door and dashed after her.There was aploughed field at the top of the bank and the fleeing blonde was already some way ahead, her slenderbody a blur against the night.The ground was soft and full of clay, drenched by the rains of the past fewdays, and the sticky clods adhering to the high heels of her boots, allied to the hampering effect of thetight leather skirt, impeded Susan's progress as she squelched frenziedly in pursuit.Finally, however, herlungs bursting, the young American overtook the escaping girl and flung herself in a football tackle at herpounding legs.Lisa crashed to the wet earth with all the breath knocked from her body.Dragging herselfto her hands and knees, covered with mud, Susan grappled with her but she was unprepared for the furyof the German girl's assault.Nails raked viciously across Susan's cheek.A bony knee slammed savagelyinto her belly.Her head was twisted agonizingly back as fingers tangled brutally in her dark hair.The next moment shehad been flung on to her face and Lisa was sitting triumphantly astride her shoulders, forcing her mouthand nose mercilessly down into the waterlogged soil.Susan squirmed and writhed desperately, buckingher body frantically in a vain attempt to shake free of the cruel hands at the nape of her neck.Her mouthand nose were clogged with the sticky mud.She was unable to breathe.But still the relentless pressureforced her face farther and farther into the suffocating wet soil.She could hear her heart hammeringfuriously in her chest.There was a terrible pain in her head and a roaring in her ears that threatened toengulf her.and then suddenly there was a sharp smack of flesh against bone, a choked cry frombehind her, and the pressure was miraculously released!Shaking, she levered herself painfully upright.Her father was standing above her, supporting the sagging,unconscious figure of Lisa by the collar of her jacket."I keep telling you you should take lessons in judo!" he said mildly.Flinging the body of the inert blonde across his shoulder, he led the way back to the wrecked car.Theywere a sorry sight, the two of them
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