" Sky vs. Spies" by Frank Knebel

[esercito sconfitto]

Sky vs. Spies
Fiction by Frank Knebel
As always, thanks to Jeb and the Editorial Broad


Chapter 1



“Please, Uncle Sky! I want to help too!”
The young blonde put the most entreating expression she could muster onto her pretty face. It was an expression, she knew, that her uncle found difficult to resist.
“No, Copper,” he said calmly but firmly. “This is something that you just can’t be a part of. It’s not really up to me, so you can stop the begging.”
A look of near-agony spontaneously replaced the look of calculated pleading on her features.
“But you know how much help I can be to you! I can fly the Hummingbird almost as well as you can. I can ride, and I can shoot, and I can follow trails, and I ---“
“Can stop anytime now,” replied Sky Ryder with a little smile. “It’s a matter of clearance as far as the Air Force is concerned. You don’t have one and I do, and I couldn’t get you one even if I asked them. And besides…”
He hesitated.
His shapely niece folded her arms across her chest (which her close-fitting checkered western shirt showed was very female in its outlines) and cocked her head to one side.
“You think it might be too dangerous for a girl!” she finished.
“For a young woman,” corrected Sky. “Anyone who voted last fall is now a woman in my book. And I won’t have any idea if this will be dangerous until I hear what it is.”
He looked at his wristwatch.
“Captain Atkins is due here in a few minutes, honey. It would probably be better if you were out of the house well before that, so why don’t you just take that list of chores out to Merrill?”
Copper did not reply. She frowned thoughtfully and dropped into an armchair. It was apparent that her resistance to Sky’s suggestion would be the passive type.
“Atkins,” she murmured. “Atkins. Where have I heard that name before? Another of you’re old service buddies, I’ll bet.”
“Wrong. Captain Atkins’ war service was mostly getting her high school classmates to collect scrap metal.”
Copper’s jaw dropped.
“Her war service? You mean that Captain Atkins is a woman?”
Sky Ryder gave a slight grimace at his slip.
“You’re getting me out of here so you can meet with some woman on a top secret matter?” Copper continued. “What makes her more able to keep a secret than me?”
“Well just for starters, she’s a captain in the Air Force and you’re not. She has a clearance for secret material and you don’t. And General Wheeler trusts her with just about anything. So for all those reasons, plus the fact that she told me that whatever it is we’re going to talk about needs to be kept secret, I’m asking you as nicely as I can to just accept that you can’t be involved in this.”
Copper folded her arms again and resumed her pouting. Sky watched her for a moment with a look of patient amusement on his face. He loved his independent-minded and somewhat willful niece and was generally glad to have her assist him in anything he did, but he had to remain firm in this matter.
Before either of them could say anything more, they heard a car engine slowing outside the front door and the sound of tires braking on the gravel between the highway and the gate. Sky stepped to the screen door and peered out into the late spring sunlight. Forgetting all about maintaining an icy exterior, Copper rose and stood beside him.
The car that had drawn up to their front gate was a rather plain looking, two-year-old white sedan with two women in the front seat. Copper stood on tiptoes and craned her neck for a better look.
“It’s just a plain old car!” she said with some surprise.
Sky looked at her with a little smile.
“Did you expect it to be marked ‘For Top Secret Air Force Use Only’?”
Though the girl rolled her eyes at him, she could not help smiling back.
“Oh, Uncle Sky!”
The car had stopped in the shade of one of the sturdy cottonwood trees that lined the highway in front of the ranch. Both doors opened and the two women, both in Air Force uniforms, got out of the car. The driver had three stripes on her sleeve, and she now went around the car to confer with her passenger. The sergeant was a short blonde of about thirty whose ripe, womanly curves were barely contained by her light blue Class A uniform. Her knee-length, close fitting skirt showed attractive legs, and her slightly round face, though hardly movie star gorgeous, was pretty and well made up. The uniformed woman emerging from the other side of the car was an even more pleasing contrast. She was tall and slender, though the fit of her jacket and skirt plainly indicated a good bust size, a trim waist, and shapely hips and legs. Her dark brown hair was cut just above her shirt collar and was gently curled at the ends, neatly framing a long, aristocratic face with intelligent brown eyes. Her look and graceful exit from the car suggested a woman who was used to being photographed upon her arrival at exclusive East Coast society events. She reached into the back seat and took out a small attaché case which she held as she spoke in a low voice to her driver
Copper watched her closely.
“She’s an Air Force captain?” the girl exclaimed.
Sky was smiling dreamily.
“Quite a sight, isn’t she?”
“Should I summon the footman to help her inside and ring for tea?” Copper asked sarcastically.
The remark jolted Sky from his reverie.
“No, you don’t need to ‘ring for tea.’ I’ll introduce you to Julie, I mean Captain Atkins, then you can excuse yourself to go see Fred with that list.”
She glared sullenly at her uncle, but knew that protests would be useless.
“All right, Uncle Sky.”
He regarded his niece affectionately.
“And don’t worry. I’ll see that she doesn’t talk me into marrying her, at least until you get back.”
Copper smiled in spite of herself.
“See that you don’t!” she said trying to sound commanding.
“At least I’m not greeting her in my tuxedo,” he added jokingly.
She laughed again before turning to their visitors. The sergeant remained by the car standing in the shade. The dark-haired woman walked toward the house. As she stepped into the sun, Copper could see the two silver bars indicating the rank of a captain on her shoulders and her cap. The woman was smiling pleasantly at them as she approached.
“Hello, Sky,” she called in a melodious voice as she reached for the handle of the screen door.
Sky swung the door open for her and took the extended hand in his own.
“Hi, Julie. It’s good to see you again.”
Copper could not help noticing that after a perfunctory shake or two their hands remained clasped for a moment before letting go. Even when their hands were no longer touching, they seemed to be making some kind of contact with their eyes. The expression in Sky’s eyes Copper could read as barely hidden delight. Since Captain Atkins was a stranger Copper was not so sure about her, but her womanly instincts told Copper that there was something between the two.
Sky put a hand at the back of the officer’s shoulder and gently turned her toward Copper.
“Julie, I’d like you to meet my niece, Coppelia.”
Captain Atkins smiled at Copper and put out her hand again.
“And I know that everyone calls you Copper,” she said, taking the girl’s hand. “You must call me Julie.”
The attractive brunette’s warm smile and the unexpectedly friendly familiarity were such that Copper, as she often did, momentarily forgot her possessiveness and jealousy. She smiled in return and shook the officer’s hand.
“It’s a pleasure Captain--- I mean, Julie. Are you really an aide to a general?”
The girl’s eyes had widened slightly as she asked the question, as though stunned that such an important person could be treating her as an equal.
“I sure am,” Julie replied. “He has only one star right now, but we think there’ll be another coming along in a few months.”
“It’s hard to think of people calling Bud Wheeler ‘general’ or even ‘sir’ when I think of the guy I knew back during the war,” said Sky.
Julie turned to him with a twinkle in her eye.
“Yeah, he’s told some of us about all the dives you two closed in those days.”
Copper turned to Sky, her eyes even wider now.
“Uncle Sky!” the girl scolded.
“There’s no need to get into all that now,” Sky said hurriedly. “You have to get that list out to our foreman, remember?”
“Oh, a few more minutes won’t hurt anything, Sky,” said Copper.
Julie gave Sky an amused look.
“Of course not, Sky. We’d like a little time to get acquainted.”
Noticing Julie’s twinkle, Sky retained his good humor.
“But this is important Air Force business, isn’t it Captain? Shouldn’t we get down to it right away?”
Copper looked at him in surprise.
“ ‘Captain’? My, aren’t we formal all of a sudden? You know, I think that… ”
She stopped when she saw that they were regarding each other with affectionate amusement. Julie turned to her.
“He’s right, Copper. This is an important assignment from the Air Force, and it’s really for his ears only.”
Copper’s face fell. Julie reached over and took the girl’s hand.
“But I’ll be in town for a while, so we’ll have plenty of time for girl talk.”
The younger woman brightened.
“Well, all right. Where’d I leave that list now?”
“On the coffee table,” said Sky.
Copper picked up the list. After shaking hands with Julie again she headed for the door but stopped just before pushing open the screen. She turned back with an arched eyebrow.
“Now, are you two sure that you won’t need a chaperone?” she asked, smiling coyly.
Julie covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her giggle as she looked at Sky.
“We’re sure,” Sky said patiently. “Get on with it, young lady.”
Copper smiled wider and pushed the screen door open. Sky and Julie strolled over to one of the windows and watched her go to the corral and lead her pinto pony out to the yard. As she mounted, Copper noticed them at the window. With a final wave, she trotted off to the north.
Captain Julie Atkins turned and looked up at Sky.
“Copper’s quite a young lady, Sky. You’ve done a very good job raising her. I hope it’s been worth giving up your career for her.”
“The Navy seems to have done all right without my services,” Sky said. “They can always find more pilots, but a young girl gets only one chance to grow up.”
“A lot of kids do fine being service brats. Copper probably could have made it too.”
Sky smiled ruefully.
“Maybe if she’d been born into being a service brat I’d have tried it. But she was eleven and used to another way of life when my brother and his wife died. I didn’t want to make it any harder on her than it already was. And I’ve had a great time raising her.”
She smiled knowingly.
“She’s a very attractive girl too. There must be a lot of young men in her life. I hope she knows what girls need to know.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“And what is it that girls need to know?”
“Oh. I’m not talking about just the physical things, Sky. I know you’d be able to deal with that.”
She raised an eyebrow too.
“You certainly know enough about girls,” she continued. “What I’m talking about are things like making smart choices in life. Like not leaving college to join the Army Air Force and losing her head completely over some handsome pilot she meets, only to have him walk out of her life a couple years later.”
“Copper went to college for a while,” Sky answered calmly. “But she decided that she wanted a life of adventure more than being a student just now. Besides, I’ve heard that girls who leave college for adventure can finish college later and go on to very successful lives and careers.”
She continued to look at him earnestly.
“That’s true. But there’s always something that seems to be missing.”
There was a pause as they looked at one another. Julie finally looked down.
“But I suppose things are different now,” she said. “After all there’s no war now.”
“Only a cold one,” Sky said softly.
Julie took a breath and looked up. She smiled slightly and assumed a bright and efficient manner.
“And that’s why I’m here today, Sky. The Air Force would like your help on a bit of touchy business.”
Sky took Julie’s change to a down-to-business manner as a chance to offer her some iced tea. She accepted gratefully. He went to the kitchen and returned with two glasses. He extended one of them to her, gesturing for her to take a seat on the couch.
“Should I ask your sergeant if she’d like one too?” he asked.
“”That shouldn’t be necessary,” Julie said as she sat. “I think Connie has a cooler full of Cokes and ice on the floor in the back seat. She’s probably enjoying one right now.”
Sky looked out the front door. As Julie had predicted, the comely sergeant was leaning her back against the car as she sipped a bottle of the soft drink.
“You know her pretty well,” he said with a grin as he crossed to take a seat beside her.
“She’s been with me for three years now. Connie Wade has a weakness for Coca-Cola and maybe for fancy chocolates too, but I know I can count on her whatever happens. And she knows how and when to keep her mouth shut.”
She looked seriously at Sky.
“And this is one of those times, Sky. Do you remember the flap about the so-called flying saucer that crashed in New Mexico about ten years ago?”
Sky furrowed his brow.
“You mean that Roswell thing?”
Julie nodded.
“Exactly. Well, you probably know that those people didn’t find a flying saucer, but it was something that we didn’t want anyone to know about. It was actually a top-secret program to check on Russian nuclear testing.”
Sky nodded.
“Project Mogul,” he said. “They used balloons that looked like the ones for weather monitoring.”
Julie looked at him in surprise. She cocked an eyebrow and smiled.
“Is there anything we do that you don’t know about?”
Sky shrugged.
“I don’t believe in visitors from other planets. But when all that happened I did some checking with a couple of old friends---“
“Including Bud?”
Sky nodded.
“Including Bud. Of course, I haven’t broadcast what it really was. And I’m sure that under the circumstances the Air Force doesn’t care if folks think that it might have been Martians at that.”
“Not really, but you should have seen some of the nut cases that came out of the woodwork.” She shook her head at the memory. “Thank God we’ve finally heard the last of it!”
Sky chuckled as she opened her attaché case and drew out a map.
“And officially the Project has ended, since we now have other ways of keeping an eye on our Russian friends.”
“Spy planes,” said Sky. “Especially the one based in Japan that---“
Julie held up a hand to stop him, shaking her head once again.
“Maybe you should be in charge of briefing the President, when you can take time out from feeding the cattle, that is. Anyway, the project isn’t quite ended. We still launch a balloon every now and then just in case that some things aren’t detected in other ways. One of them came down last week somewhere near or maybe even on your ranch, we think.”
Sky raised his eyebrows.
“Your retrieval boys must be pretty good to have picked it up without anyone here knowing about it.”
“That’s just it, Sky. We haven’t found it yet. They’re all equipped with a transponder to send out a radio signal so they can be picked up. Apparently, this one malfunctioned. And not only that, but we have reason to believe that agents in the pay of the other side are looking for it to try to create some kind of international incident.”
Sky whistled.
“You think they could make much out of this? To me, it seems pretty small stuff to try to make into a major incident.”
“We don’t know if they really could, but we’d rather be the ones to find the balloon and its information just to be sure. We’ve searched several locations near here where it might have gone down and come up empty. Your place was next on the list, so I thought I’d come over and try to enlist your cooperation.”
“And you’ve got it. I take it that all these other searches were secret.”
She nodded.
“No official vehicles or uniformed personnel. In your case, what could be more natural for a ranch owner to fly over his own property?”
Sky grinned at her.
“Very clever. No one should suspect a thing.”

The stocky, mustachioed man raised his binoculars again and peered at the ranch house. His tall, lean, ferret-faced companion waited a moment before asking:
“See anything?”
The husky man lowered the glasses.
“Nah. The Captain’s still inside talking to Ryder.” He smiled knowingly at the other man. “That cute little driver of hers is waiting in the yard drinking a Coke. Think she’d share one with you?”
The lean man grinned.
“She sure is a hot one, that sergeant of hers.”
“Well you may get a chance to drink one of her Cokes and have a little fun with her if things work out.”
The two men lay near the top of a rocky formation perhaps a half mile away, across the road from Sky’s ranch. They wore work pants and shirts but their city style hats looked out of place in the land of ranchers and farmers. The lean man raised himself on his elbow to look more closely at the ranch house.
“I think they’re comin’ out!” he said.
“Keep your voice down, will ya!” the husky man whispered. “Sound can travel a long way out here. Let’s keep an eye on ‘em.”
A woman’s voice came from the hand held radio the man had laid beside them.
“Rowlands. Rowlands, come in. What do you have to report?”
The man handed the field glasses to his partner and took up the radio.
“The lady captain and Ryder just came out of the house. Wait a minute.”

“Sergeant, Mr. Ryder and I are going for a little flight around his ranch so I can get some kind of idea of what the place looks like. We shouldn’t be gone too long.”
She looked questioningly at Sky.
“About an hour, I’d guess,” he told the sergeant.
“You can just wait here for us.”
“Very good ma’am,” replied the sergeant.
“And you’re welcome to use anything you need in the house while we’re gone,” said Sky. He looked meaningfully at her. “Any room at all.”
She smiled and stifled a giggle.
“I’ll probably have to take you up on that in a few minutes. Thank you, sir.”
They both smiled at her as they walked toward the landing strip behind the ranch house.

Rowlands squinted into the distance.
“What’re they doin’?”
“Looks like they’re headin’ for where he keeps the plane.”
Rowlands pressed the button on his transmitter.
“Looks like the captain and Ryder are goin’ for a little plane ride.”
He released the button and listened.
“Excellent!” said the woman’s voice. “I’ll send Carson and Hammer to help. You know what to do?”
“Of course. It’ll be a cinch.”
The radio went silent. Rowlands looked at his partner.
“Let’s get back to the car. We’ve got work to do.”
The lean man was studying the house as Sky’s Cessna Bobcat T-50 took off. He lowered the glasses and the two scurried down from their perch.
“It’ll be real easy now,” said the lean man.
Rowlands looked at him questioningly.
“The sergeant just went in the house.”
Rowlands grinned.
“If it’s for what I think, we can really catch her with her pants down. Let’s go!”

As Copper Ryder rode back toward the house, she could see the plane climb and head to the southwest. The girl wondered what was going on, and why she, who had helped Sky with so many of his adventures, now had to be left out. Copper regarded herself as quite an amateur detective, even if Sky had had to rescue her a couple of times. Well, more than a couple of times, if she were totally honest. But the important thing was that Copper had discovered enough that the villains had had to capture her to keep her from spoiling their plans. She had merely been unlucky that they were still around when Copper had found them out.
Unconsciously, the girl’s lower lip had begun to protrude. It was so unfair, she thought. And now one of Sky’s old flames, a very hot flame if the girl were any judge, had come back from the past to work on a case with Sky. It was true that Julie had treated her quite well, but was the woman simply playing up to her so that she might get her hooks into Sky more easily? And now Copper could see that three more cars were pulled up to the house. Who else was here? It was odd that Captain Atkins sergeant was no longer standing by their car.
Copper left her pony in the corral and headed toward the front door. There were no visible occupants, the woman sergeant or anyone else from any of the parked cars around. As Copper climbed the porch steps, she could hear sounds of movement from inside the house. Then there was a man’s voice answered by another.
“Who’s here now?” the girl wondered. “More Air Force people or the Secret Service?”
Without calling out, she opened the front door. The girl’s first thought was that a cyclone had hit the room while she was gone. The furniture had been moved away from the walls as though someone had looked behind every piece and the couch and chair cushions had been pulled out and strewn on the floor. Copper recognized Captain Atkins’ briefcase lying wide open on the coffee table, its contents scattered about. As Copper gaped at the sight a man stepped out of Sky’s room heading across the hallway. He turned and saw Copper.
“Hey, Rowlands!” he called surprise written all over his hard, rather ugly face. “We got company!”
Copper turned to run back out the front door only to collide with a woman who now stood in the doorway. She was tall and dark, her smooth hair pulled tightly back over her head. Her face was attractive, but cold looking. An ominous smile, gleaming white teeth visible between her bright red lips, spread over her face. Her right hand grabbed Copper’s left wrist.
“Well, well,” she said. “A pretty little visitor’s come to our party. A not very welcome one, I’m afraid.”
“Let me go!” demanded the girl. “I’m no visitor; I live here. You’re the ones who aren’t welcome. You’d better get out of here while you can.”
The woman laughed.
“Or you’ll what, my dear?” She turned the girl and gave her a push. The ugly man had been joined by a tall, lean one and a husky man with a mustache. “Tie her up with the other one.”
“Come on, you,” said the husky man, grabbing her by the hand. “Don’t give us any trouble.”
The lean man took her other arm.
“Let me go!” Copper yelled. “You just wait ‘til my Uncle Sky gets hold of you.”
“I’m paralyzed with fear,” the lean man said as they hustled her into her room.
The two of them dragged her into her own bedroom. Copper was amazed to see the blond sergeant sitting on her bed. Her uniform skirt and jacket were gone. Clad in only her uniform shirt, half-slip and underwear, she sat looking wide eyed at Copper over a wide band of cloth that covered her mouth and lower face. The band had been drawn tightly enough that Copper could see that it held a wad of cloth in the woman’s mouth. The woman’s legs were bound at her ankles and just above her knees, and her arms were drawn behind her back with several bands of cord passing around her arms and body. She squealed in alarm when she saw Copper in the grip of the men.
The husky man pulled Copper’s arms behind her back and began tying her wrists with rope. The lean man was smiling unpleasantly as he searched her dresser drawers. When her turned back to her, she saw that he was wadding a couple of her handkerchiefs in his hand. Before she could protest, he jammed the wad into her mouth. She struggled, trying to avoid the gag, but her hands were now tied and the husky man held her firmly. The lean man continued to smile as he held his hand over her mouth to keep the wad inside.
“Be patient. This won’t take a minute now.”
“Come on, Klee,” said the other man. “We haven’t got all day.”
The lean man drew a long scarf from one of Copper’s drawers.
“I just want to enjoy myself.”
Obviously relishing every second, he drew the scarf into a tight band and pressed it against the wadding in Copper’s mouth. He pulled the two ends tightly across her face and passed them to his partner. The husky man drew them behind her head and tied a secure knot.
“Sit down.” he ordered, pressing the girl’s shoulder roughly.
She sat down beside the lingerie-clad sergeant. The two men bound her ankles and knees as they had the other woman’s. Then they wrapped several coils about her arms and body to further trap her hands behind her.
“There,” said the husky man. “That ought to hold her. Come on. We’ve got work to do.”
He left the room with a purposeful stride. The lean man stopped at the doorframe and looked back. The unsettling grin remained on his face.
“Now don’t go away, girls. I won’t be long.”
The husky man’s voice came from down the hall.
“Klee! Let’s get moving!”
The lean man looked in the direction of the voice, then back to the women. He gave a brief chuckle, then left.
Copper writhed uselessly in her bonds. She looked at the sergeant who was squirming in her own bonds. The sergeant looked at Copper, then shook her head. It was no use.
“Sky’ll get us out of this,” thought Copper desperately. “He just has to get us out of this!”

End of Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Back to Friends' Page
Copyright © 2002 by Frank Knebel



Sky vs. Spies
Fiction by Frank Knebel
Chapter 2
“Your ranch certainly is an impressive sight, Sky,” said Captain Julie Atkins as Sky banked the Hummingbird to the right. “Of course I’m just a city girl from the East, but I’m sure impressed.”
They had begun their tour of the Flying Coronet with a swing along the southern edge of the property. As they turned north the barren, rocky hills and scrub forests had then given way to more watered fields. The cattle below grazed peacefully as the plane passed overhead. Here and there a man on horseback would look up and wave.
“Thanks,” said Sky. “My brother and I started this spread before the War, when it looked a lot wilder out here than it is now. We had some tough times. When I went into the Navy, it was all he could do to keep things together with so many of the men in the service or working in war industries. It was just beginning to pay off when he…”
He stopped. Julie looked at him sympathetically and laid a hand on his arm. He turned to her. She smiled slightly and squeezed his arm. He nodded. After a moment he continued:
“Do you have any idea where your balloon might have come down? It’ll save us a lot of time if we can narrow the search area a bit.”
Julie shook her head.
“There’s not too much to go on. The transmitter never sent out any signal at all, and we lost our key radar station for several minutes at the worst possible time. We thought it would land somewhere northwest of your ranch, but the winds aloft were strong and they shifted during the balloon’s descent.”
She picked up the map from her lap and scanned it for a moment. She held it up so he could see as she pointed.
“It could be anywhere in this general area,” she said sweeping her index finger in a large oval lying roughly southeast to northwest across the rectangle of the map. “Or maybe even a little farther south and east.”
Sky whistled as she repeated the movement, widening the area slightly. He took one hand from the yoke and pointed to areas as he spoke.
“We’re about here now. My place extends from here to… oh about here. The area off to the north is the Wellman’s ranch. This area over to the northeast is the Hammond’s. Just to the east of me are the Johnson and McCovey places. To the south and east is Summer Smithers’ ranch. Due west is county land, and pretty rough country.”
Julie looked to the west. There was little but rocky wasteland with a few scrub trees here and there.
“I hope it’s not out there,” she said with a wry laugh. She studied the map again. “No. I’d bet it’d be toward the southeast corner, or maybe even east of your place. The winds were from the northwest and west-northwest that day.”
“Should we head that way then?” Sky asked. “We can continue north as far as the ranch house then head back east.”
Julie smiled at him and gave a decisive nod.
“Let’s try it.”

Copper Ryder writhed her hands behind her, trying to get her hands in a position so she could pick at the knots with her fingers. It was useless. Her wrists were tied so that her palms faced one another with the loops made tighter by a seize between them. Despite the fact that the seize forced her hands slightly apart she could not reach the knots, even with her fingertips. She looked at her fellow captive, Captain Atkins driver. The voluptuous, scantily clad sergeant was grunting and moaning in her exertions to free herself, but her efforts had been unsuccessful so far. Copper took a quick look at her fellow captive. The sergeant’s ankles had been crossed before they had been tied, so she would be unable to stand. Though Copper’s ankles had been tied so her feet were side by side and she could possibly stand and hop, there was no telephone extension in the room. And with her arms tied securely to her body just below her breasts and just above her waist she doubted that she could reach for anything sharp to cut the ropes, even if she could find something.
“Maybe if I could see how the sergeant’s hands were tied I could find some way to get her loose,” the girl thought desperately.
She shifted some weight to her feet and scooted herself closer to the other woman. Her fellow blonde looked up in surprise as Copper bumped into her. Copper made motions with her head indicating that she should try to turn around. After a brief, uncomprehending look, the sergeant nodded and twisted herself, turning her bound hands to her fellow prisoner. Copper looked closely at the ropes. The sergeant’s wrists had been crossed and tied in what appeared to be a figure eight style. Copper turned herself and scooted back, looking over her shoulder at the sergeant’s hands as long as she could and reaching back with her fingers. After some searching, Copper’s fingers found the knots securing the sergeant’s wrists and began probing. As a ranch girl, Copper’s nails were not long and the rope was rather thin, so the work was slow. But she had finally managed to find the seam between two ropes when a woman’s voice interrupted her.
“So! Our two little blondes try to get into mischief, do they?”
The two captives looked to the doorway. The tall, elegant brunette Copper had run into near the front door was regarding them with a mocking smile.
“I thought it had become a bit too quiet in here,” she continued. “I missed the sound of you two straining at your bonds, and doubted that it could be because you had become comfortable as you were.”
She turned back to the hallway.
“Hammer!” she called. “Come here at once! I need you!”
She turned again to the two bound women.
“In just a moment I shall personally see to your increased discomfort.”
Two men appeared in the hall behind her. One was the husky, mustachioed man Copper had seen earlier. The other was a new one, well built and a bit older with a slightly pockmarked face.
“What happened?” asked the man with the mustache.
“Thanks to your bungling, these two little bundles might have succeeded in freeing themselves,” she said disdainfully, not taking her eyes from the helpless women. “Fortunately I was alert.”
“They don’t look like they’re getting away to me,” the mustachioed man said dryly.
The woman turned to him. Though she was much smaller, the man seemed to wilt a bit at her look.
“Get back to work!” she snapped. “These two must be fixed for good, but I need only Hammer to assist me. Keep the other men searching.”
The husky man departed. The woman looked back at Copper and the sergeant. The look of cold amusement on the woman’s face made Copper quite uneasy.
The woman spoke softly, enunciating very precisely.
“I prefer to do most of this personally.”

The Hummingbird was now headed east. Julie had settled back in her seat, quietly taking in the sights of the ranch. The beauty of the landscape from the air and the drone of the Cessna’s engines had put Julie in a peaceful and reflective state. Sky would occasionally point out a landmark or place of interest below, and Julie found herself nodding and smiling warmly at his remarks. All thoughts of her mission were temporarily forgotten. She was mainly aware of the pleasant quality of his voice, how handsome he still was almost ten years after their last meeting, and how much he seemed to love and glory in his ranch. She turned to him, intending to say something about some cattle drinking from a small water hole, when she saw that he was looking intently to the southeast.
“Is something wrong, Sky?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” he said slowly. He reached into the map compartment and took out a pair of binoculars. After looking through them for a few seconds he turned to her. “Did anyone else know you were coming to the ranch today? Are you expecting anyone else from the Air Force to join you?”
“I don’t think anyone knew we were coming out here,” she replied. “And I wasn’t expecting anyone else to join us. There are recovery people I can call if we need them, but they wouldn’t follow us on their own initiative.”
Sky handed her the glasses.
“Well somebody else is at the ranch now. Anyone you know?”
Julie peered through the binoculars for a moment, then lowered them.
“I don’t recognize any of those cars, Sky. I’m sure they aren’t our people. What does it mean?”
“I’m not sure,” he said as he reached for his radio microphone. “But I don’t like surprises like this. I’m calling the Sheriff, then we’re going to head north to where my foreman and some of my men are working.”
Sky banked the plane to the left as he put in a call to Sheriff Winchell.

Copper Ryder watched helplessly as the woman worked on the sergeant. The man who had stayed, Hammer the woman had called him, had pulled the chair out from its place at Copper’s dressing table and half-pushed, half-dragged the girl to it. He now stood beside her, a hand on her shoulder, watching disinterestedly as the woman regarded the bound blonde who sat on the edge of Copper’s bed dressed only in her uniform shirt, tie, half-slip and underthings.
“So attractive for a sergeant,” the woman said icily, as she looked at the bound blonde. “Since American women always want to look their prettiest, let’s see how alluring we can make you.”
She reached down and ripped open the woman’s shirt, exposing her bra and the tops of her breasts. Buttons flew off, but since there were loops of rope around the sergeant’s arms and torso the garment would part only so far. The brunette reached below the body loops and pulled on the shirt again, ripping it below the coils of cord. The sergeant squealed in alarm as the rest of her buttons were torn off and scattered on the floor.
“Much better, eh?” the woman remarked. “Very sexy, isn’t she Hammer?”
The man said nothing. The woman shook her head and leaned over the sergeant.
“What a pig he is, don’t you think? He has no appreciation of beautiful women.” She arched an eyebrow. “I, on the other hand, know just what to do with beautiful women.”
She grabbed the sergeant’s tie and pulled hard down and to the side. The sergeant screamed into the gag as she fell over onto the bed. The woman kept up the pressure as she lifted her prisoner’s crossed and bound ankles onto the surface of the bed. The sergeant’s body stiffened and she began to gasp for breath.
Copper leaned forward and tried to stand up, protesting into her gag. The man put a hand on her shoulder, forcing her to sit again. The woman turned and looked at Copper in a vaguely amused way.
“So? The rancher’s niece is tender hearted, is she? We must remember that.”
She turned back to the sergeant, releasing the pull on the woman’s necktie as she did. The bound woman’s body relaxed as she got air into her lungs again. The brunette watched her with a thin, evil little smile. She looked over to Hammer.
“Rope.” She commanded.
Still without any expression at all, the man reached into the pocket of his suitcoat and tossed her a length of cord. She caught it easily and turned back to her prisoner.
“This will be a good reminder to you to behave yourself,” she said to the sergeant.
She rolled the bound woman face down, took hold of the sergeant’s crossed and tied ankles and bent her legs back until her feet, still in her low-heeled black pumps, were only a few inches above her shapely behind. The brunette ran the piece of rope through the lines of the ankle bonds and pulled it taut. She grabbed the woman’s tie once again and twisted it around so that the knot was now at the back of the servicewoman’s neck, and began to tie the rope from her ankles to the hanging ends of the tie. The sergeant mewed in alarm and tried to arch her body more to relieve the pressure around her throat. The woman kept tying.
“Yes, this will be a good reminder indeed,” she said.
Copper watched in horror, afraid not only for the poor airwoman but also in dread of what the woman had in store for her. She mewed a protest into the packing of her gag.
“Oh, don’t worry, Miss Ryder,” said the woman. “This shouldn’t be tight enough to strangle your friend. But it should make her think twice about any attempts to escape.”
She finished her work and turned to the ranch girl. She cupped her chin in her hand as she regarded the petite blonde.
“I think that I shall need more rope, Hammer. A good deal of it.”
Copper’s eyes widened in alarm.

Fred Merrill, Sky’s tall, muscular foreman, watched the Hummingbird land in the nearby pasture. Though it was not unheard of for Sky to land so close to cattle, the big foreman knew that something fairly important was up. The other men stopped working on the fences and kept the cattle calm as the plane landed. Joe Bailey, medium height, very lean and sixtyish, came up and stood beside Merrill as the plane taxied to a stop.
“What do you think it is, Fred?” asked the older man.
“I don’t know, Joe,” Merrill answered. “But it’s probably something pretty important.”
The two watched as Sky climbed out of the plane then turned to help an attractive woman in an Air Force uniform. The two headed for the ranch hands at a fast walk. Merrill and Bailey strode toward them.
“What’s up, Sky?” called Merrill.
“I’m not exactly sure, Fred,” replied Sky. Noting the surprise on the faces of his men, he added. “This is Captain Atkins of the Air Force. She came to the ranch to see me today, and I think that a few unwelcome visitors followed her. They’re still at the house.”
Merrill nodded slowly. In his eight years working for Sky Ryder, the big foreman had heard similar stories from time to time.
“What do you want us to do?” Merrill asked. “I’ve got Joe and four other men here, and there are three more between us and the ranch house.”
Sky nodded. His face was deadly serious.
“I know you have your rifle,” he said. “I hope some of the others have one too.”
Merrill turned to Bailey. The older man nodded. He turned and trotted a few steps toward the other men, who had all stopped working to see what their boss wanted. Bailey waved his arm.
“Come on, you guys,” called Bailey. “Sky needs our help.”
The men left their work and trotted toward them.
“Here’s what we’re going to do,” Sky began.

The cool-looking brunette pulled a rope taut and tied it off in a secure knot.
“There, Miss Ryder,” she said. “I hope that will convince you that resistance is useless.”
Copper was now securely bound to the low-backed chair from her vanity. The woman had applied a number of coils of rope around Copper’s body and the chair back and seat to hold her firmly in place. The girl’s bound hands were pressed between her body and the chair back but she was not too uncomfortable as it was.
The woman regarded her with satisfaction. She strolled completely around her captive checking all the new bonds she had added. A groan and noisy, half-strangled breath from the bound sergeant on the bed distracted Copper as she watched her captor complete her circuit. The girl grew uneasy. There was something too simple about things as they were.
“You are concerned about your friend?” the woman asked with mock solicitude. “And about yourself too, I think.”
She sidled up to the bound girl. She reached down and drew her right index finger across the girl’s bust. Back and forth it went several times. Copper looked up in alarm.
“You have noticed that I put no ropes over your breasts, dear,” cooed the woman. “That is because I know how women here like to present their breasts attractively.”
Copper stared at her. The woman had a fine bust measurement herself, and the V-neck of her clingy, light gray dress showed a bit of attractively presented cleavage. She also wondered what the woman meant by ‘women here.’
The woman reached down and began unbuttoning Copper’s shirt. When some of the rope lines around the girl’s body got in the woman’s way, she patiently pulled the material either up or down so she could get at them. Copper mewed in alarm as she watched her bra and chest being exposed.
“There! Much better don’t you think? Now you are a real western woman in distress. It is too bad that I do not have an Indian costume to wear while I do a war dance around you.”
As best she could, Copper tried to stare daggers at the woman. The brunette simply smiled and picked up one more rope. She folded the rope in half to create a half loop and fed the free ends through it, then took a swift step behind her prisoner and dropped the loop over Copper’s head. She tightened it, though not enough to cause much pressure on the girl’s windpipe. The woman turned to the man Hammer, who had been watching the scene unemotionally.
“Push her feet back under the chair seat,” she ordered.
Hammer knelt and forced Copper’s bound booted feet back under the seat of the chair. The woman squatted down and ran the free ends of her noose down the back of the chair, under it and around the seize in the girl’s ankle bonds. She tied it off securely as her prisoner struggled to take gurgling breaths.
“An admirable deterrent to escape attempts don’t you think, Miss Ryder?” the woman asked as she stood up and circled around to face her prisoner again.
Both Copper and the sergeant mewed into their gags, their eyes wide and entreating.
“Come, Hammer,” said the woman. “We have other work to do.”
Leaving Copper and the sergeant struggling to keep the pressure of ropes from their throats, the woman and her henchman departed. They had no sooner reached the living room when Rowlands reported to her.
“Nothing,” he said simply.
“Very well,” she replied. “If there is nothing here that tells us where the balloon is, then we must have Captain Atkins herself. You will remain here and take her from the plane when she returns. I will wait for you at the house. Bring her to me.”
“You want us to take the nooses off those two women?” asked Rowlands. “We can’t leave ‘em tied like that for too long.”
She gave him a look of surprise mingled with contempt.
“They have seen our faces,” she said. “We cannot leave witnesses. Bradford and Williams will plant a bomb. The young ladies will be neatly disposed of.”
“What about Ryder?” asked Rowlands.
“Kill him,” she said coolly. “Come, Hammer. You will drive me.”
She walked briskly through the front door followed by the expressionless Hammer. Klee joined Rowlands watching them depart. They heard a car start outside.
“So that’s it?” asked Klee.
“Yeah, you heard her,” said Rowlands. “The place goes up. Including your sweet little sergeant.”
He looked back toward Copper’s room uneasily.
“Somethin’ wrong, Rowlands?” asked Klee.
Rowlands gave him an irritated look.
“Yeah, somethin’s wrong. I don’t like killing, and I like killing women even less. The cops get really serious when you start killing people.”
Klee looked in the same direction Rowlands had.
“It’s a shame about that little sergeant,” he said. He licked his lips. “You don’t suppose I could have a few minutes alone with her, do you?”
Rowlands looked at him with disgust.
“There’s no time for that. We gotta let Bradford set up the bomb and get the men posted to meet than plane.” He looked uneasily in the direction of the landing strip. “I hear that a lot of guys have tried to kill Sky Ryder, but he’s still here and they’re not. Let’s go.”
Copper had heard most of the exchange between the woman and her henchmen.
“I’ve got to do something to help Sky,” the girl thought desperately.
She tried again to loosen her bonds, but with all the added ropes holding her to the chair there was little she could do. And with her bound feet connected to the slip loop around her neck any attempts the girl made to move her chair would cause her to choke herself. In fact, she wondered how long she could keep her feet tucked so far under the chair to ease the pressure around her throat. Once her muscles tired, her legs would straighten and she would be slowly strangled. It was taking some effort already. What would happen in another ten or twenty minutes?
Copper looked over at the sergeant on her bed. The helpless woman seemed to be in some distress from the rope connecting her ankles and her necktie. Copper could see the woman trying to work her wrists free, but she doubted that she would be able to loosen the ropes enough to escape before they both succumbed. And now the intruders were going to plant a bomb in the house.
“I don’t see how we’re going to get out of this!” Copper thought.
But rather than despair, the girl redoubled her efforts to free her hands.

Sky Ryder could see the ranch house and buildings and the landing strip clearly now. The nose of the Bobcat was pointed a little to the west of the house as he maintained a southerly heading. Now sky turned the yoke the left and the plane banked gently to the east. He glanced over to a nervous looking Captain Atkins.
“Are you ready, Captain?” he asked.
She turned to him. She was biting her lower lip apprehensively. His use of the word ‘captain’ finally struck her. She smiled slightly.
“Ready when you are, Commander Ryder.”
Sky smiled in response then scanned the highway to the north.
“I don’t see any signs of the Sheriff yet,” he said. “But I think we can give whoever’s there a pretty good surprise.”
He looked back over his shoulder, then at Julie again. She nodded.
Sky leaned over and opened a compartment under the plane’s control panel. A police-style .38 revolver lay inside. He drew it out and checked the cylinders, then pushed the yoke forward to begin their descent.

Rowlands entered the ranch house by the rear door. He walked quickly down the hall to the living room. Klee stood near the kitchen doorway watching two men rig the explosives.
“How’s it goin’?” asked Rowlands.
The men looked up from their work. Both were broad shouldered, sturdy looking men. One had a youthful, perpetually smiling face, giving him the appearance of a college boy with a naughty prank up his sleeve. The other was grave and rather handsome with a slight hook to his nose that suggested an Indian chief. It was the chief who answered.
“A few more minutes. Is everything else set?”
Rowlands pushed his hat back and wiped his forehead with his sleeve.
“I’ve got Carson, Semels and Buster out by the shed and Bice is near the barn. I could use Williams if you don’t need him any longer.”
The grave man nodded.
“Sure. I can finish this alone.”
“Are you sure you can get along without me, Bradford?” the youthful man asked, his smile now an insolent grin. “I wouldn’t want you to blow yourself up.”
The other man ignored the joke.
“Go ahead. I’ll manage.”
“Okay,” Rowlands told the grinning man. “Go out to the barn and help Bice if he needs it. Klee and I will be out in a minute.”
“When all the shootin’s stopped?” asked the smiling man as he drew out a revolver.
“Just keep your eyes open,” said Rowlands, glaring at the man.
The young man lightly touched his temple with the muzzle of his pistol in salute, then ambled down the hallway. The remaining three heard the door swing shut as he left.
“What a jerk!” said Rowlands, shaking his head.
The sound of approaching plane motors interrupted him. He motioned to Klee.
“Come on. Let’s get out there.”
Bradford kept working as the two went out the back way.
Rowlands and Klee met three men in the shaded back yard. The man with the square ugly face took a step to Rowlands.
“We’re ready,” he said.
Rowlands nodded.
“Get out to the shed where you can greet our friends. Klee and I will cover you from here.”
The man reached to his belt with his left hand and drew his revolver. He grinned at Rowlands.
“It’ll be a pleasure.”
“And remember, Carson,” Rowlands cautioned, “you’ve got to get the woman alive. Unhurt if you can, but get her alive.”
“The Boss Lady wants to have some fun with her? That’d be somethin’ t’ see.”
He grinned even wider.
“Never mind that,” Rowlands snapped. “Just get on with it.”
The ugly man motioned to the two others and they all trotted toward a small shed by the strip. Rowlands shook his head as he watched them go.
“Does anybody here think outside of his pants?” he asked aloud. He turned to Klee who was looking back at the ranch house. Klee started as though surprised.
“Did you say somethin’?” he asked.
The plane motors were now quite loud. Rowlands pointed toward the landing strip.
“Keep your mind on your work,” he said.
They drew their pistols and took cover behind trees.

As the Cessna Bobcat taxied to a stop, three men appeared from behind the little toolshed and walked toward the plane. Sky opened the door and climbed out, then assisted Julie in stepping onto the wing. Putting both hands around her waist, he was about to help her down when the man with the square, ugly face called to them.
“Are you Sky Ryder?”
Sky lifted Julie and swung her easily to the ground.
“I’m Sky Ryder,” he answered, turning to face them. “What can I do for you?”
“We’d like a word or two with the Captain here, if you don’t mind,” the man said.
“We’re a little busy right now,” Sky replied cordially. “But I’m sure she’d be glad to see you back at the Air Force base in a few days. You’re welcome to make an appointment.”
“I’m afraid we’ll have to insist then,” the man said.
He and both of the other men behind him went for their guns, but the two were too fast. Julie ducked under the plane to take cover on the other side while Sky reached behind his back to draw his own pistol from his belt. The square-faced, left-handed man was raising his pistol when Sky fired. The man dropped his own gun and grabbed for his left side with his right hand. Another of the men fired at Sky but missed. Before he could shoot again a shot was fired from the plane. The man dropped instantly. Joe Bailey, his Winchester rifle poised, slid from the open plane door out onto the wing. Another man with a rifle appeared behind him.
The third man fired wildly in Sky’s direction and began running toward the house. As Sky was about to take aim, two more shots rang out. One bullet hit the ground to his left and another struck the Hummingbird. The tall rancher quickly took cover behind the tail of the plane. Two men were firing from the open barn door on the other side of the landing strip. He fired back. One of the men ducked back as his bullet struck the wooden door.
“Joe! Wes!” called Sky. “Look out for the men in the barn!”
In reply, Joe and his companion both began firing toward the barn. The two men inside took cover then tried to return fire. One of them, a stocky man with hair turning gray, was hit and fell. The other, younger man continued shooting.
“I don’t like the way this is going,” Klee said to Rowlands as they attempted to give the man in barn covering fire. The third man, who had fled from the confrontation at the plane, had now reached the cover of the shed and was shooting at Sky’s party.
“Yeah,” replied Rowlands. “They’ve got Williams trapped in the barn now. I just hope the fool doesn’t try to run for it.”
As if on cue, Williams dived for the pistol of his fallen companion. After taking cover for a moment, he reappeared at the doorway firing both guns. He began running in the direction of the house.
Sky Ryder took aim and fired. The man grabbed his leg then fell and lay writhing in pain.
The man at the shed fired at the plane, breaking one side of the windshield. He was about to fire again when he suddenly looked to his right. He was swinging his arm to fire in that direction when he too was felled. The shot had come from a small stand of trees to Rowlands’ and Klee’s right. In the confusion, five men on horseback had come up and were taking cover behind trees and the corral fence nearby. A tall, husky man had already begun firing his rifle.
Klee turned to Rowlands. Klee’s narrow, ferret-like face plainly showed his fear.
“We’re the ones in the trap now!” he cried.
Rowlands squeezed off a shot at their new enemies.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said without panic, but with obvious urgency. “Back through the house.”
They both fired a couple more times to delay the pursuit then ran to the back door.
Bradford looked up from his work on the bomb as the pair ran down the hall toward him.
“What’s going on out there?” he asked.
“It was a trap,” Rowlands replied. “Start the timer and get to the car. We’re getting out.”
“It’s not ready yet,” the man said.
Rowlands had little time for thought.
“Get to the car,” he repeated. “I’ll be with you in a second.”
Klee and Bradford left by the front door. Rowlands went to the door of the room where the two women were tied. He could hear the words of his woman boss.
“They have seen our faces. We cannot leave witnesses.”
Copper Ryder struggled to keep her bound feet under the chair. The pull of the ropes connecting her feet to the loops around her throat was becoming difficult to avoid. She had heard the shooting and the flight of some of the gang through the house, and hoped that help might be at hand. Both she and the poor sergeant on her bed needed help soon to avoid being strangled.
Then she saw the man in the doorway. It was the husky man with the mustache who seemed to be the leader. He reached into his right hand pocket and took out something, then brought his other hand over to it. Copper squealed into her gag when she saw what he was doing.
He was unfolding the blade of a knife!

End of Chapter 2

[esercito sconfitto]

Fiction by Frank Knebel
Chapter 3
Copper Ryder watched in horror as the husky, mustachioed man lowered his left hand to reveal his pocketknife’s gleaming blade three or four inches long. Holding the knife about shoulder high in his right hand, the man advanced toward her. There was little doubt what he intended to do.
The girl’s eyes grew wide with terror. She shook her head and struggled madly, protesting and pleading into her gag. It was only when the movement of her feet tightened the noose around her throat that the girl was forced to stop from lack of air. The man stepped behind her and pulled slightly on the ropes that led from the slipnoose down the back of her chair. Copper’s head was thrown back in an involuntary response to lessen the pressure on her throat. She found herself looking into the man’s face, upside down, above her. She closed her eyes and waited for the end.
To her surprise the girl felt no slash from the knife, only some pulling at the loops about her throat. Then the noose loosened. She opened her eyes. The man’s face reappeared as her straightened up. Not only had he not killed her, he had cut the cords threatening to strangle her.
As she gasped for breath, she watched as he crossed to the bed. The sergeant was also watching him, no longer in fear but in amazement as the man severed the rope that his woman boss had used to connect her ankle ropes to her necktie. Her feet, still encased in their dress pumps, dropped immediately to the bed. As the man straightened up again, his eyes met Copper’s. The girl tilted her head slightly, as if in question. The man said nothing, but a brief suggestion of embarrassment crossed his face and quickly he looked down. He folded the blade of his knife back into the handle and hurried from the room. The two stupefied women watched him go, continuing to stare at the vacant doorway for several seconds. Then they looked at one another. Copper shrugged expressively.

Rowlands ran from the front door of the ranch to the waiting sedan. Klee was at the wheel; Bradford sat in the back seat. He had drawn his revolver but gave no indication that he was about to use it. As Rowlands opened the passenger door Klee wagged his head to the north.
“Look!” he shouted.
Two black and white cars with flashing red lights on their roofs and large stars and the legend ‘County Sheriff’ on their sides were pulling up only forty yards away. There were two men in each car, and another flashing light could be seen on the road to the north.
“What do we do?” howled Klee.
Rowlands drew his pistol again, wiping his mouth with the back of his left arm as he thought. He looked at Bradford, who seemed cool enough.
“Try to get a tire of the car on the right,” he said. “I’ll get the one on the left.”
Bradford nodded and took aim. He squeezed off a shot. Dust kicked up a foot or so from the left front tire of the car. He fired again and missed, but the third time he hit home. The patrol car listed to the driver’s side. Rowlands fired at the other car and missed. His second shot found its target.
“That oughta hold ‘em,” said Rowlands, grinning at the others. “Come on, Klee. Drive!”
Klee threw the car into reverse and gunned the motor. The sedan shot backward.

“Sheriff!” called Deputy Charlie Barnes. “They shot out a front tire!”
The lanky Barnes looked down again at the flat tire, one hand still on the door handle. His service revolver was ready in the other hand, but the targets were getting away.
Sheriff Winchell swore under his breath. He turned to the other car.
“How about you, Harry?”
Stocky, fair-haired Deputy Tyler shook his head.
“They got us too, Sheriff,” he called.
Winchell drew out his revolver.
“That was a pretty good trick, boys,” he said, addressing the fleeing men. “But two can play at it, you know.”
He took aim and squeezed off a round. Dirt flew a few inches from the right front tire of the sedan. Tyler saw at once what the Sheriff was doing and he began shooting too. His tall and Latin appearing partner joined him.

Rowlands heard the thud of bullets hitting the ground.
“Step on it, Klee!” he shouted. “They’re trying the same trick on us.”
Klee threw the car into another gear and jammed his foot down. The car leaped forward as the deputies continued firing. There were several thuds of rounds hitting the car, but it did not stop. In a few seconds it was headed south at high speed.

Sheriff Winchell slid his pistol back into its holster.
“Dang,” he muttered.
“I’m sure that Andy hit him,” called Tyler. “Right rear tire, but it didn’t go flat.”
“You hit him too, Sheriff,” added Deputy Andy Rivera.
“I’m sure we all hit him,” said the Sheriff calmly. “The trouble is, we didn’t stop him.”
“What was all this about, Sheriff?” Tyler asked.
“I don’t have any idea,” Winchell replied. “Maybe Sky can tell us now.”
Sky Ryder appeared at the side of the house followed by Julie Atkins. Fred Merrill and two other men, all armed with rifles, came around the other side.
“I really don’t know, Winch,” said Sky. “It has something to do with Captain Atkins here. Those men and a few others wanted something from her.”
Winchell and the deputies smiled as a unit as Captain Julie Atkins stepped closer with Sky. They had obviously never seen such a pleasant sight in an Air Force uniform. Rivera and Tyler touched their hat brims in salute. Barnes merely stared.
“Well, I can understand any young man wanting to talk to you, Captain,” said Winchell as he stepped forward and took her hand. “I’m Hardy Winchell, Sheriff of Kermit.”
Julie smiled at the older man’s compliment.
“Julie Atkins,” she replied. “Just an old friend of Sky’s here for a visit.”
Winchell looked puzzled.
“If you’re just here for a visit, what did those men want with you?”
“There are a few things to take care of before we get into that, Winch,” said Sky. “There are several more of them out back. We’ll need an ambulance for them.”
“Three of them won’t need an ambulance, Sky,” put in Merrill. “The one in the barn’s dead. So’s the one at the shed, and one of those who came out to meet the plane. Joe and Wes are watching the wounded ones.”
Winchell turned to the other patrol car.
“Get a couple ambulances, Andy,” he said. “And see if Doc Barton can come too.”
“Right, Sheriff,” the young Deputy replied.
“Has anyone seen Copper or the Captain’s driver?” asked Sky.
No one had.
“They didn’t take anyone with them,” said Merrill. “They must be in the house.”
Julie grabbed Sky arm with one hand and raised the other to her mouth in alarm.
“Oh, Sky,” she cried softly. “If they’ve hurt Copper because of me…”
Though concern showed in his face, Sky patted her hand reassuringly.
“Let’s go look for them.”
The two of them hurried to the house, Merrill and Sky’s other men following. A third Sheriff’s car arrived and Winchell went to meet it.
Sky threw the front door open.
“Copper!” he called. “Copper! Sergeant Wade! Are you in here?”
To their relief they heard a chorus of muffled responses from Copper’s room. Sky took a step, but Julie tugged at his sleeve. She pointed to the bomb on the floor nearby. Sky examined it closely.
“Fortunately, they didn’t have enough time to finish rigging it,” he said. “Come on. Let’s find the girls.”
They strode quickly to Copper’s room and found the two women still bound and helpless, but unscathed. Sky leaned over Copper and released the gag ties. Julie went to help Sergeant Wade.
“Are you all right, honey?” asked Sky.
His niece spat out the gag wadding and took a couple of deep breaths. Julie helped Sergeant Wade sit up and began working the knot of her gag.
“We’re all right, Uncle Sky,” she gasped. “But we almost weren’t.”
Sky noticed the noose hanging loosely about her neck and started to remove it.
“I can see that,” he said grimly. “What were those men after that they’d do all this to you?”
“It wasn’t the men who did that,” she said, gesturing to the noose ropes with her head. “I mean, the men tied us up and searched the place, but it was a woman who tried to choke us.”
“What?” asked Julie, as she removed the sergeant’s gag.
“It’s true, ma’am,” confirmed Sergeant Wade. “The real leader of the gang seems to be a woman. I think they were trying to find out where the balloon had gone down. When they didn’t find any papers or map to tell them, they were going to kidnap you and force you to tell.”
Sky thought for a moment.
“Well that blows the lid off,” he said. “Or at least partway off. This can’t be kept secret anymore.”
Julie looked at him imploringly.
“Please, Sky,” she said. “This is my assignment and I don’t want to call the General yet. If we could just---“
Copper cleared her throat.
“Before we call any strategy meetings,” she said, “could you help the sergeant and me with one thing?”
The preoccupied Sky and Julie looked at her curiously.
“We’re pretty uncomfortable. Could you please untie us?”
Sky looked at the sergeant in her shirt and underclothes and at his niece’s exposed brassiere and chest.
“What happened to you two?” he asked as he reached for his pocketknife.

The car was slowing and the ride becoming increasingly rough. Rowlands looked at Klee.
“What’s wrong with the car?” he asked.
“Search me,” Klee answered. “I don’t know anything about cars, except how to drive ‘em.”
“I think they got a rear tire,” said Bradford. “The one on your side, Rowlands.”
“Great!” exploded Klee. “What’re we gonna do now?”
“Relax,” said Rowlands. “At least we got away before it went flat. And we made sure that they can't follow us." He turned to Bradford. “Any sign of ‘em back there?”
Bradford looked out the back window.
“I don’t see any lights,” he replied. “But there was another sheriff’s car coming up. We’ve gotta get another car somewhere.”
Rowlands scanned the area ahead. He peered at something to their left front.
“There’s a house or something up there,” he said, pointing to the southeast. “Make a left up there, Klee.”

Summer Smithers opened her eyes. She was very relieved to discover that her headache was gone. Two aspirin and a couple hours’ nap on the couch had done the trick. Maybe she could now risk a little light. She sat up on the couch. A few moments of sitting up told her that the pain was really gone. She yawned and stretched. It felt good.
Summer rose and went to the picture window, now covered by a thick curtain. Before throwing the drapes open, she looked down and noted now she was dressed or, more correctly, nearly undressed. After giving instructions for the rest of the afternoon to her foreman, Summer had come inside and immediately shed her jeans and boots. Despite a pleasant breeze, it was a fairly warm day and her headache had made it seem even warmer. After drawing the drapes to keep the living room cool, she had undone most of the buttons on her light colored linen shirt before taking the aspirin and laying down for a nap. Her bra and a good deal of her belly and chest would be on display if she opened the curtains.
But who would be there to see? All of her ranch hands were several miles from the house, and though the road was only fifty yards or so from the window there was usually little traffic. She looked down. The two lowest shirt buttons were the only ones still fastened. She reached down and undid them. Throwing the shirt wide open. Summer pushed back the drapes. The road, the yard and the semi-circular gravel driveway were empty. She could just see the back of her station wagon parked beside the house and a small cloud of dust from a car on the north/south road that intersected a mile or so from the house with the one that ran past her window. Idly, she wondered if it was Sky Ryder’s car.
She looked down at her well-displayed body. Maybe she was over thirty, but she was certainly in prime shape. Not fat, but definitely curvy. And the frilly bra she wore was certainly well filled. There were very few local men who knew that she liked especially feminine underwear like it under her practical rancher’s clothes. Sky was one who knew. She had been a widow for more than three years now and, next to keeping the ranch making a profit, Sky had been her main interest. There had been periods of intensity in their relationship, the greatest following his rescue of her from an escaped woman convict a year or so ago.
The memory of that time drew a sigh from the attractive brunette. They had been so close then. He had been strong and protective after she had been found stripped almost naked and bound, gagged, and blindfolded in his bed. At her urging they had replayed her rescue several times for their own fun. Of course, they had been unable to play the scene in which she had been bound face-to-face with his niece, Copper. That had been an exciting little episode in its own way. The girl was understandably fond of Sky, but Summer wondered if Copper would ever allow any woman to take her place as the most important woman in Sky’s life.
But whatever the future held in the long-term, Summer wanted some companionship today. If it was Sky in the car, she decided that he would find her as she was now. But she needed a brief stop in the bathroom first, not only for a call of nature but also a little freshening of her make-up.
Pausing just long enough to slip off her socks, since men loved a woman’s bare feet, especially if her toes were painted attractively, Summer slipped out of the living room.

Sheriff Winchell’s orders to Deputies Norris and MacKeever were short and clear.
“I want you two to go south to the junction then head east. Keep an eye out for a dark blue sedan, a Chrysler about two years old with California plates, number unknown. They might try to steal a car from the Geller or the Santori or the Smithers place. If don’t see the car, double back and head west from there. I’ll try to get some help from the State Police, and we’ll be along as soon as we get the tires changed.”
“Right Sheriff,” replied Ben Norris. “We’ll get ‘em.”
“There are three of them and they don’t seem shy about using their guns,” cautioned Winchell. “Don’t start a battle unless we’re with you.”
The two nodded. MacKeever put the car in gear and they started off. Winchell walked back to the cars. His three other deputies and two of Sky’s men were at work on the cars. Harry Tyler was fitting a spare on the front of his car.
“Won’t be long, Sheriff,” said Tyler.
The Sheriff nodded. Deputy Rivera was rolling the flat back to the trunk.
“How long on that ambulance, Andy?”
The young man checked his watch.
“Fifteen minutes ago they said a half hour,” he replied.
Winchell nodded again and went around the house. In the yard were three bodies covered with blankets. Another of Sky’s men stood guard. Winchell went through the back door and down the hallway.
The two wounded prisoners were in the kitchen being guarded and by Merrill, Bailey, Wes Donovan and another of Sky’s men.
“How long’s it gonna take to get a doctor for us, Sheriff?” demanded one of them, the man with a square, ugly face. “You fixin’ t’ let us die? Or tryin’ t’ make us squeal by keepin’ the doc away until we talk?”
“If you’re so delicate,” Winchell said dryly, “the next time you try shooting up one of our ranches, I hope you’ll call ahead so we have a doctor standing by.”
Despite the sarcasm of his remark, he looked at Bailey who was pressing a clean towel against the man’s bleeding side. Bailey shook his head.
“He’s all right, Sheriff,” the old cowboy said. “Just a little blood. Nothin’ vital hit.”
Winchell turned and walked back to Copper’s room to find Sky and the women.
“Everybody all right here?” he asked.
The sergeant had found the rest of her uniform still in the bathroom and put on the skirt. Copper had rebuttoned her shirt and was helping the sergeant keep her shirt closed by using safety pins near each buttonhole.
“They seem to be fine, Winch,” said Sky. “It was another narrow escape for Copper and Sergeant Wade here though.”
“I saw that bomb they tried to set out there,” said Winchell. “That means that these people aren’t common thieves. They came for a reason. Right now I’ve got to get after them, but I hope that you’ll tell me what it’s all about. And I mean the real reason.”
They both looked at Julie.
“All right, Sheriff,” she said. “We can talk about it tonight.”
“That seems fair enough,” he said with a nod. “I’ll have to leave two men to ride the ambulances back to town with those jaspers. Can you spare a couple men to drive the other patrol car back?”
“Sure. I’ll go out with you, Winch. We can make all the arrangements.”
Sky found a man to drive the Sheriff’s car to town and another to follow in his station wagon to bring them both back to the ranch. Deputy Barnes appeared at the door reporting that both patrol cars were ready. Sky and Winchell strolled out on the porch.
“I’ll get the Hummingbird in the air as fast as I can to help you search,” said Sky. “But there’s one thing I’d like to ask in return, Winch…”
He paused for a moment.
“Julie and her driver are going to be staying at one of the motels in town. Could you spare someone to stay with them? Just in case, you know.”
Winchell smiled.
“That gal’s pretty important to you, isn’t she? Something between you two?”
Sky pushed his hat back on his head.
“There was once, Winch. Now, I don’t know.”
“Well,” said Winchell, “I think that between Amy and Sue, my new dispatcher, they can handle the job.”
Sky looked around the yard.
“Amy’s not out here chasing those men, is she?”
Winchell laughed.
“Don’t worry about that, Sky. I had to pull most of the day shift for this, so she’s out handling an accident by the east county line right now. She’s miles away.”
Sky let out a breath.
“I’m glad of that. I’ve caused her an awful lot of trouble over the past year or so, and I’d hate to make any more.”

Deputy Amy Cole pressed the accelerator down hard. With the minor accident out of the way, she hoped that she still might be in time to help with the mysterious goings-on at the Flying Coronet ranch.

Klee pulled the dark sedan into Summer Smithers’ drive. The three men looked around carefully. There was no one in the yard or around the barn.
“What do you think?” Klee asked nervously.
Rowlands kept his gaze moving from side to side.
“I don’t know. It looks pretty quiet.”
He looked at the station wagon parked by the side of the house then examined a small building nearby. He turned to his companions.
“I think that’s a garage over there,” he said. “Bradford, you move the car in there so it’s out of sight. Klee, you come with me.”
The three men got out of the car, Bradford moving to the driver’s seat. They all took care to open and close the car doors quietly. Bradford pulled the car slowly toward the garage while Rowlands and Klee crossed the yard to a door at the rear of the house.

Summer Smithers returned to the living room and looked out of the big window. The road was empty. Noticing the reflection of her freshly reddened lips in the mirror, she suddenly felt foolish as well as disappointed. It was silly for her to have leaped to the conclusion that the approaching car had been Sky and to have put so much hope into a visit from him. She shook her head. It must have been from some dreamy state caused by her nap. On an end table beside the couch was a box of tissue. She pulled out two or three and wiped off the excess lipstick.
There was a slight noise in the kitchen. She turned quickly, wondering if her foreman had returned. Maybe something was wrong. She pulled her shirt closed. It hung just barely far enough to cover her panties and there was no time to button it or to find other clothes.
“Ken?” she called.
It was odd. Ken would have let himself in, but he would have knocked loudly first then announced himself immediately upon entering. She called again and walked to the kitchen.
A tall, lean man with a pointed, evil-looking face stepped into the doorway just in front of her. Summer screamed and turned to run toward the front door. The man reached out and grabbed her by the arm. She managed to pull her arm away and began to run from him. He grabbed again and caught the sleeve of her shirt. As she took her first strides, the shirt peeled off. The man stared at it incredulously.
Summer got one hand on the front doorknob only to be grabbed from behind by another man, a husky one with a mustache. She wriggled in his grasp, then tried to turn and punch him.
“Hold on there, you little wildcat,” he said. He had his left arm around her waist and used his right to hold her right wrist. Though she had little room to swing, she tried to hit him with her left. “Come on, Klee. Help me with her.”
Klee crossed the room eyeing the bra and panty clad woman with a grin. He still held the shirt in his hands.
“You need help with a cute little package like her?” Klee said, licking his lips. “And she dressed real nice for us. Made herself up too.”
“What do you two want?” demanded Summer. “Don’t get any funny ideas. I’ve got twenty men working for me and they’re due back here pretty soon.”
“I doubt that,” said Rowlands. “But don’t worry, little lady. All we want is your car.”
Summer relaxed a bit. She stopped trying to hit Rowlands with backhand lefts.
“The keys are on the table right there,” she said using her head to indicate a small table by the door. “Take the car and go.”
Klee picked up the keys.
“Well, it’s not quite as simple as that,” he said. “We’ll have to keep you from calling the police.”
Bradford entered from the kitchen. He had several coils of rope in his hand. If he was surprised to see an attractive woman in bra and panties, his stolid face did not show it.
“The car’s out of sight,” he said. He lifted the rope. “I found this in the garage. I guess it’s a good thing I brought it.”
“It sure is,” said Rowlands, grabbing a piece. “Now let’s do this the easy way, Missy. My friend here” – he nodded toward Klee- “would like to do it the hard way, but I don’t think that you would.”
She looked at the two men, Bradford with his Indian-like impassivity and Klee grinning and licking his lips.
“Okay, you win,” she said sullenly. “I don’t suppose you’d let me get dressed first.”
Rowlands pulled her arms behind her, crossed her wrists and began looping them with cord.
“I think you look real cute as you are, honey,” said Klee.
He reached his right hand toward her thinly covered left breast.
“That’s enough o’ that,” said Rowlands. “Find me something to use for a gag.”
Klee held up the shirt he still held in his left hand.
“How about this?”
“Yeah that’ll do. Tear it up. Bradford, close those drapes just in case anybody comes by. We’ll put her on the couch.”
Bradford drew the curtains closed while Rowlands pushed Summer across the room to the couch. He pressed her shoulder and ordered her to sit. Reluctantly she sat. Rowlands began looping her arms and body with more ropes. Bradford knelt and started tying her ankles together. Klee ripped her shirt into several pieces.

The patrol car approached the Smithers ranch. Deputy Norris, in the passenger seat, looked out.
“That’s the lady rancher’s place, isn’t it Al?” asked Norris
“Yep. That’s it. Any sign of that blue car?”
Norris peered at the yard and buildings.
“I don’t see it. Isn’t her car a silver station wagon?”
MacKeever nodded.
“That’s hers, all right. Not stolen yet. The Santori place is next. About twelve miles.”
The patrol car went on.

Summer watched helplessly as her arms were trapped against her torso. Rowlands wrapped several coils just below her breasts, then started a new set just above her waist. When Bradford finished tying her ankles side by side, he moved on to her legs just above her knees. When the big man finished, he stood up.
“That ought to slow her down,” he said matter-of-factly.
Rowlands looked down at her legs.
“Yeah, good job,” he said. “Better tear the phone out just to be sure she can’t call the cops too fast. Then take those keys and make sure that car of hers runs.”
Klee handed the keys to Bradford. He continued to leer at her as he advanced, wadding a piece of her shirt in his hands.
“I think we ought to take her along with us,” he said. “She sure would make the trip more pleasant.”
Rowlands continued his tying.
“Forget it. We’ve got enough trouble as it is. Just gag her.”
He leaned over holding a piece of her wadded shirt so she could see it.
“Open your mouth, darlin’,” he said mockingly. “And I’ll give you something that tastes real good.”
Summer looked coldly at the grinning face before her.
“Go to Hell,” she said. She opened her mouth.
“You got a lotta spunk,” he said. “I like that.”
He jammed the cloth home roughly enough that it drew a muffled shriek from the bound woman. Despite her mews of protest, he packed her mouth full of cloth. Rowlands finished tying the body loops and looked up.
“Easy there,” he warned his partner. “Give me another strip to hold it in.”
Klee handed him one of the shirt’s sleeves.
“You’re always soft when it came to women, aren’t ya Rowlands?” Klee sneered, as he watched Rowlands adjust the packing in Summer’s mouth before securing the gag.
“I just never believed in roughing up women like you do,” Rowlands replied. “They’re still looking for you for that in California, aren’t they?”
“Whatsa matter? Not as noble as sellin’ Army goods on the black market like you? At least I didn’t do five years in Leavenworth like you did.”
The exchange was interrupted by the sound of tires on the gravel outside.
“That can’t be Bradford,” said Rowlands. “See who it is.”
He took another piece of cloth and bound it over Summer’s eyes as Klee crossed the room and separated the curtains enough to look outside.
“It’s a lady cop!” he whispered.
Rowlands gave Summer a little push and watched her fall over on the couch.
“Well, we’d better be ready,” he said, drawing his pistol from his belt.

Deputy Amy Cole opened the door of her car and stepped out onto the gravel of Summer’s driveway. The shapely and beautiful, blue-eyed deputy had heard the radio calls for ambulances at the Flying Coronet and the request for the fourth two-man patrol unit, the last one available on this shift, to join the Sheriff at the ranch. Since there had been some real trouble, Amy decided to warn Summer Smithers as she passed her ranch.
When she had slid out of the seat, she started to reach back inside for her wide-brimmed Western hat, but decided against it. She never wore it while driving, and this way she wouldn’t have to fuss with tucking the ponytail of her dark brown hair under it. As she walked to the front door, she noticed the rear bumper of Summer’s station wagon protruding just past the corner of the house. And the car was running.
It was odd. Of course, Summer might be getting ready to go into town, but it was worth a look. The slender deputy walked quietly to the side of the house. A big man Amy had never seen was getting out of the car. Amy’s right hand dropped beside her holster.
“Hello, there,” she said, stepping out from the corner of the building. “You a new hand here?”
The man looked up quickly. Though his features were impassive, mild surprise showed.
“Oh, yeah,” he said after a moment’s hesitation. “Johnson’s the name, Bill Johnson. Just been here a couple days.”
“Mrs. Carter want you to drive her into town?” Amy asked blandly.
“Actually I’m going into town for her, She isn’t feeling too well this afternoon, and she asked me to go.”
Amy drew her revolver.
“Interesting. But the lady who lives here is named Smithers.”
“We’ll have to remember that, deputy,” said a voice behind her.
Amy turned to see two men pointing pistols at her.
“Drop the gun,” said Rowlands.
“Then come on in and join the party,” said Klee with a grin.

End of Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Back to Friends' Page
Copyright © 2002 by Frank Knebel



Sky vs. Spies
Fiction by Frank Knebel
Chapter 4
The front door of Summer Smithers’ house was thrown open and an unarmed Deputy Amy Cole, her arms held on either side by Rowlands and Klee, was hustled in. Bradford, Amy’s revolver in his hand, followed keeping a watch on the road to be sure they were not seen. He closed the door behind them.
“Nobody out there,” he reported to Rowlands. He nodded toward Amy. “What about her?”
“I got some ideas,” said Klee, leering at the shapely deputy. “She’s really a hot one!”
“Relax, or I’ll let her scald you,” said Rowlands flatly. He noticed her belt. “Here.”
He passed the arm he was holding to Bradford and unsnapped a case on her belt just behind her empty holster. He drew out her handcuffs.
“Put her hands together behind her,” he ordered.
Klee grinned as he and Bradford forced the woman’s hands together. Rowlands applied the cuffs, making sure he closed them securely around her small wrists.
“Was that all the rope you found in the garage?” he asked Bradford.
The big man nodded.
Rowlands chuckled mirthlessly.
“I’m just a city boy, but this is some strange ranch with no rope around.” He turned to Klee. “Go into the bedroom and find some things to tie her up with.”
“Like what?” asked Klee. He looked blankly at Rowlands.
“Use your imagination,” Rowlands said irritably. He turned to Bradford. “Hold her.”
Amy looked down and said nothing as the big man held her by the arm. Rowlands disappeared into the kitchen, returning a moment later carrying a chair with red plastic covered seat and backrest. The chair legs and the backrest stiles were of gleaming metal pipes. He set the chair down a few feet from the sofa where the trussed and helpless Summer Smithers lay. Bradford laid Amy’s revolver on an end table and prodded the girl forward.
“Sit down, Deputy,” said Rowlands.
“What’re you going to do?” Amy asked.
“Nothing much, if you cooperate,” he replied. “We’re just going to tie you up good to slow you down a little, that’s all.”
“But if you’re a bad little girl,” added Bradford softly, “we’ll go outside and leave you with our friend for a while.”
Amy looked at him. His big, rather dark and impassive face made his quiet words more chilling than any wild threats. She sat in the chair. Bradford looked at Rowlands and winked.
Klee returned from the bedroom with an armload of odds and ends trailing to the floor.
“I found these,” he announced.
There were a number of nylon stockings, the fabric belts from several dresses and a terrycloth bathrobe, scarves, and a sheet and pillowcase.
“Good. Let’s get to work.”

Fred Merrill paused in his walk to the Hummingbird to watch the two ambulances depart. The remaining Sheriff’s patrol car and the tan and white station wagon with the wood paneling on the sides and the Flying Coronet logo on the front doors immediately followed them. He turned back to the plane and started walking again.
“All set, Sky,” he called to his boss. “How’s it goin’ there?”
Sky and Copper were securing a clear plastic emergency windshield to stanchions above and below the shot-out window on the passenger side. The tall rancher turned.
“Almost done, Fred,” he said. “We’ll be down in a second.”
Merrill waited as they finished their work. The two climbed down from the plane.
“The deputies have taken everybody away,” Merrill reported. “The Doc’s gone back to town. Joe, Wes, and I will stay with the captain and her driver until you get back.”
“Good work, Fred,” said Sky. He scanned the paling skies. “There’s only a couple hours’ light left, but I need to help find the rest of those men if I can.”
“We need to find those men,” Copper interjected. “I’ve got a score to settle with anyone who tries to strangle me then blow me up!”
Sky regarded with niece with amusement.
“All right, we’ve got a score to settle. Are we ready?”
Copper looked at her uncle with amazement, then grinned. He had not made any objection to her going along.
“Race you for it!” she cried scampering back to the plane door.
Both men laughed. Sky had half turned when his foreman stopped him.
“Sky…” Merrill began. The big man tried to speak a couple times but could not. He looked down at his feet. “Could you check and see that Summer Smithers is all right? Those men headed south, you know, and they might have gone past her ranch…”
He trailed off. Sky smiled.
“I think that Winch sent a car past there already, Fred. But if you think it’s important, I sure will.”
“I know I’m just a hired hand, Sky,” the big man said haltingly, “but I just couldn’t bear the thought of her…I mean of those men finding her and maybe…”
Sky gripped his foreman’s hand.
“It’s the least I can do for someone who saved me and my niece and my ranch. You must have been something to see in the hedgerow country in Normandy.”
Merrill looked up and grinned as they shook hands.
“Oh, those fellas weren’t much. They didn’t even have any Tiger tanks with ‘em.”
“Take care of things while I’m gone.”
Copper had started the plane’s engines. Sky turned and made his way to the door. Merrill watched them take off, giving them a wave as they headed south.

Deputy Amy Cole sighed as she looked down at her own helpless form. After having her lift her cuffed hands over the low back of the kitchen chair, the three men had used torn strips of the sheet to tie her to the chair back and seat. The dress and bathrobe belts bound her legs at the ankles and knees, and one of the stockings connected, and pulled, her bound feet to her hands. Rowlands wadded one of the scarves into a ball and rolled the ball inside another scarf he had folded into a long band.
“Aren’t ya gonna let me do that?” asked Klee.
“We’ve got to find you a more useful hobby,” Rowlands said dryly as he worked. “You two get to the car and start the engine.”
Klee shook his head as he looked over the bound Deputy Cole and helpless Summer on the couch. Bradford had used another of the nylons to hogtie the rancher. The left shoulder strap of her bra had slipped down, partially exposing a nipple.
“They sure do have some good-lookin’ women around here.”
Rowlands looked at Bradford. “Get him outta here.”
Bradford put a hand on Klee’s shoulder and prodded him toward the door. Klee started to react angrily, but one look at the solemn, dangerous face stopped him. They left.
“You’re not going to get away with this, you know,” Amy said unconvincingly.
“Crime doesn’t pay?” asked Rowlands. “Just be glad it wasn’t any worse than this.”
Amy looked up. “I am. Thanks for that. But I still don’t like being left in my own handcuffs and all tied up.”
“And you’re gonna like this even less,” said Rowlands as he thrust the gag wad into her mouth. He stepped behind her and bound the scarf ends tightly at the back of her neck.
There were several items left from Klee’s haul in the bedroom. Rowlands looked at the pile and picked up the pillowcase. Spreading the sides out as far as they would go, he dropped it over Amy’s head like a hood. The shapely deputy shrieked as her vision was cut off.
Rowlands picked up Amy’s pistol from the table where Bradford had laid it and looked at it and her thoughtfully. With a practiced move he flipped the cylinder open and emptied the cartridges into his hand. He put the bullets into his pocket, closed the cylinder and laid the pistol on a table. He then went out the front door.
Rowlands closed the door behind him. He could hear the station wagon’s running engine around the corner of the house. Before going to it, he stopped at Amy Cole patrol car. He pulled the radio handset jack out of its socket and tossed the set into some nearby bushes, then did the same with the ignition keys. He walked quickly around the side of the house, and climbed into the passenger seat. Bradford was at the wheel, Klee in the back.
“Drive,” he said.

Once in the air Sky pointed the nose of the Hummingbird due south.
“Why are you following the road, Sky?” Copper asked. “The Sheriff will probably be miles west of here by now. Why don’t you cut across to the southwest?”
“Just a little promise I made to Fred Merrill,” said Sky. “He asked me to check on Summer and make sure she was all right. I want to follow the road to be sure those men haven’t hidden for a little while then doubled back.”
“Oh, sure, I see,” the girl replied. She gave Sky a sideways look. “I think that Fred’s got it pretty bad for Summer, don’t you?”
Though his niece had attempted to make her remark sound innocent, Sky caught the look she was giving him, a look that suggested that anyone with a conscience would stay out of the way of the two love birds. Copper had always acted particularly jealous when Summer and Sky had spent time together.
“You’re probably right about Fred,” said Sky. “But I doubt that Summer knows anything about how he feels.”
“Well, she is very attractive,” said Copper, continuing to feign that she was not trying to make a point. “If she didn’t get so much attention from important ranchers around here, she might notice what a fine man Fred is. And he might feel a little freer to tell her how he feels.”
“Maybe you two should have coffee one morning so you can advise her,” Sky replied with a twinkle.
Neither said anything more. The junction was in sight and there were no cars visible in any direction. He banked the plane smoothly to the east.
“We’ll just have a quick look at her place,” Sky said. “But the deputies have been by and I’m sure there couldn’t be anything wrong.

Deputy Amy Cole lowered her head forward and shook it vigorously. She had already tried bending to either side and wiggling and shaking to get the pillowcase off without success. This attempt did no better. The pillowcase hung so far down that weight of the fabric gathered at the edges was enough to keep it in place. Of course, since the fabric was a couple inches from her eyes and was not especially heavy, the young deputy was not in total darkness. She could see light coming from a kitchen window a few yards ahead. And if she turned to her right, she could just make out the dark shape of the couch only three feet away.
If Summer could somehow get off that couch and free the ties that held Amy in the chair, the deputy felt that she could slip her cuffed wrists under her rump, legs and feet to get her hands in front of her. Once that was done, Amy could free herself easily from the hood and gag, and get the spare handcuff key from its hiding place in the lining of her belt. But nothing would work while she remained tied to the chair. And her gag, while hardly soundproof, made any communication with Summer impossible.
Summer Smithers lay on her tummy on the couch. The blindfold had prevented her from seeing what had happened earlier, but she had clearly recognized the voice of her fellow prisoner as Amy Cole’s. As best she could interpret the noises, the men had brought a chair from the kitchen and bound Amy to it very close to where Summer lay. She hoped that once the men were gone she would be able to help to free Amy. But one of the men had rolled her face down, bent her legs back and connected her wrist and ankle bonds in a hogtie. Now getting off the couch would be very difficult. The pull on her shoulder had caused the bra strap to fall off, and she could feel the fabric against her left nipple. It was going to be hard, but it was their only hope.
She inched here knees toward the edge of the couch. Somehow, she was going have to try to slide off.

Deputies Norris and MacKeever were heading back west. They had checked the three ranches the Sheriff had mentioned along the east/west road and were now doubling back. A car approached them, on the same road headed in the opposite direction.

“Hey, Rowlands,” said Bradford. “Somebody’s coming.”
Rowlands squinted at the tiny shape ahead.
“What about it? It’s a public road.”
“The cops’ll be looking for three men,” Bradford said.
Rowlands nodded.
“Yeah. Even if this is a different car, we’d better play it safe.” He turned to Klee. “Get your head down back there.”
Again, Klee looked blankly at him.
“What for?” he asked.
“Just do as he says, Klee,” said Bradford, raising his voice meaningfully.
Klee hunkered down in the back seat. Rowlands removed his hat and slid down below the level of the dash. Twenty seconds later the patrol car sped past them.

Copper Ryder was keeping a sharp lookout.
“There’s her ranch, Uncle Sky!” said the girl. “That’s funny. I don’t see any blue sedan, but I don’t see her station wagon either.”
Sky nodded.
“She usually parks it beside the house if she’s going to use it.” He pointed. “And look there.”
“It’s one of the Sheriff’s cars,” said the girl.
Sky reached for the radio handset.
“We’d better find out if Winch sent anyone to keep an eye on Summer,” he said.

Summer Smithers inched herself toward the edge of the couch knowing that falling off was the only way she could help free Deputy Cole and herself, but aware that, bound as she was, she would have no way to break her short fall to the floor. Though the blindfold prevented her from seeing, her efforts to get to the edge had pulled two of the couch cushions away from the backrest. As she tried to wiggle herself off, the cushions came with her. When she finally did get her bound knees to the edge, the cushions tipped toward the floor and turned her fall into a slide. She could not help a slight twist to her left side as she slid, but the landing was a fairly soft one. Once on the floor, she used a slow hula type motion, alternating pushing with her knees and chest, to edge herself sideways to Deputy Cole’s chair.

“No, Sky,” said the voice of Sheriff Winchell from the speaker. “I didn’t send anyone to stay with Mrs. Smithers. It could be MacKeever and Norris. They might have stopped there on their way back to join the rest of us searching to the west. Over.”
“This is Norris in Car Two, Sheriff,” said another voice. “We’ve started back west on Rock Canyon Road. We’re still about five miles east of her place. We can stop and check it out. Over.”
Sky looked at the patrol car again.
“This is Hummingbird,” he said. “Has anyone heard anything from Amy Cole lately? Over.”
“Car Four. Car Four, this is Sheriff Winchell in Car One. Do you read me? Over.”
There was silence for several seconds. Winchell tried again with no result.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this, Winch,” said Sky. “I’m going down for a look. Over.”
“Roger, Sky,” Winchell answered. “Car Two, stop at the Smithers ranch and help him out. Over.”
“Willco that, Sheriff. Car Two out.”
Sky looked at the ground behind Summer’s house. He edged the yoke forward.
“We can put down just south of the corral, I think. Hold on, Copper. It could be a little rough.”
The Hummingbird descended toward the dusty field.

Klee looked out the back windows of the station wagon.
“I don’t see any cops,” he reported, looking less nervous.
Rowlands looked toward the west, but his face was angled upward.
“And I don’t see that guy’s plane either,” he said. “That’s what worries me more.”
“Do you think he’d be able to get it off the ground so soon?” asked Klee. “Old Buster shot out the windshield before they got him.”
“Poor Buster,” grunted Rowlands. “If this guy Ryder is smart enough to turn our ambush into one of his own he’s probably got a shed full of spare parts. I don’t think it’ll stop him for long.”
“In that case,” said Bradford, “we’d better get rid of this car pretty quick too.”
Rowlands thought for a moment.
“Let’s get back to the hideout,” he said. “We’ll have to hide this car until dark. Then you two can take it and one of the other ones out to the other side of the county and leave it somewhere. Use the other one to get back. I’ve got to report to the boss lady.”
“She ain’t gonna be happy,” observed Klee innocently.
Bradford almost chuckled. Rowlands looked at Klee in the rearview mirror.
“How do you think that Buster and Semels and Bice feel about it?” he said. “She’ll just have to think of something else.”

The Hummingbird came to a stop about two hundred yards from the house, but the engines did not stop. Sky reloaded his revolver with bullets from a box in the plane’s map compartment and stuffed a few more rounds in his pants pocket.
“You stay here,” he told Copper. “If I wave my hand in a circle, you can cut the engines and come on in. If I make any other motions to you, no matter what they are, I want you to take off and radio for the Sheriff.”
Copper gulped and nodded.
“I understand, Sky, but can’t I come too? I want to help.”
“They’ve already tried to ambush us once today,” Sky replied. “You can come in when I’m sure it’s safe.”
This time it was Copper who made no argument.
“Okay,” she said.
Sky slipped out of the plane and took cover behind the corral fence. Using cover and concealment as much as possible, he made his way to the back door.

Amy Cole waited helplessly as Summer Smithers tried to find some way to attack the deputy’s bonds. The blindfold kept the attractive rancher from locating any of the knots in the sheets that held Amy in the chair. Summer had to reach blindly hoping to run into something. Being hogtied on the floor meant that her reach was very limited. Amy could hear Summer grunting with exertion and feel her bumping the chair legs but, hooded with the pillowcase and tightly gagged as she was, she could neither see nor direct Summer’s efforts.
There was a noise at the back door. Both women mewed into their gags in alarm, then froze. They heard the door open very quietly. Soft and careful feet made their way across the kitchen into the living room.
Someone was crouching in front of Amy. She could feel something touch the pillowcase. It was lifted off, and she found herself looking into the face of Sky Ryder. In his right hand was a pistol at the ready. She closed her eyes for a moment, mewing in relief into her gag. He reached behind her head with his left hand and loosened the gag knot enough to pull down the tie. She pushed the wadding out of her mouth and took in a deep breath.
“Are they gone?” Sky whispered.
“Yes,” she gasped, nodding for emphasis.
She watched as he went to the back door and stepped outside, waving his hand in a circle overhead.

“I’m sure glad that everybody’s all right,” said Sheriff Winchell to the assembled group in Sky Ryder’s living room, “but I’d feel even better if I knew what this was all about.”
Copper came in from the kitchen. She had a tray of mugs and a pot of coffee. Sergeant Connie Wade followed her carrying another tray loaded with bottles of cola and ice-filled glasses.
“Coffee, Sheriff?” Copper asked brightly.
The beginning of the group meeting was delayed as all participants crowded around for drinks. Copper poured coffee into mugs as the sergeant passed out soft drinks. As the members of the meeting received their drinks, they returned to their places. Sky sat in his favorite armchair; Winchell sat in a matching chair across from him. Captain Atkins, Copper, and Summer shared the couch. Sergeant Wade moved to the wooden chair that served Sky’s desk across the room, and next to her, in the little swivel chair on wheels that stood at the radio set was Deputy Amy Cole. Harry Tyler, chief deputy of the day shift, stood near Sergeant Wade. Fred Merrill stood by the end of the couch where Summer Smithers sat. When all were ready, Winchell stood up again, sipped from his cup and repeated his opening statement. All eyes went to Julie’s end of the couch. Sky sat only inches away.
“Sheriff,” Julie began, “Sky and I talked a long time about how we were going to handle this. But before we do anything, everybody in this room has to understand that this is an important government operation and must be handled with absolute secrecy.”
“Of course, Sheriff Winchell had to be included,” continued Sky. “And we decided that as few people as possible would know the situation, and either he or I would have to vouch for everyone here.”
He looked intently at the circle of faces.
“So you can be flattered that you’re in the room tonight. This is a very exclusive group.”
Captain Atkins spoke again.
“Does everyone understand the need for complete secrecy?”
There were nods and murmurs of assent all around.
“The reason I’m here,” said Julie, “and the reason those men came to this ranch this afternoon, is that the Air Force has lost a bit of property.”
She went on to describe the balloon and its cargo without divulging its exact purpose, something of how it had been lost and the Air Force’s guess that it had fallen somewhere on either Sky’s ranch or possibly on Summer’s.
“On my ranch!” Summer gasped in alarm. She put a hand to her breast. “You mean those men are agents of a foreign government and they might come back again to look for this whatever-it-is attached to the balloon?”
Sky smiled reassuringly.
“I don’t think they’d come to the house and attack you,” he said. “There’d be no reason to think that you had it sitting in the living room. But they might have men search your fields and any place that doesn’t get much traffic.”
Winchell added:
“We know the identities of the men killed or taken into custody today. They’re mostly small-time criminals with long records, not enemy agents. We figure that they were just hired for the job and really don’t know what they’re involved in. So without mentioning anything you’ve heard here tonight, have Ken and your other men on the lookout for any strangers poking around and for anything that looks like the wreckage of a balloon. ”
“Oh, I will, Sheriff!” Summer replied. She lowered her eyes demurely and added: “I’d hate to have to ask Sky to save me again.”
“Well, I didn’t really do very much this afternoon,” said Sky. He looked at Merrill. “The one who really risked his life to save you last time was Fred.”
She looked up at the big foreman and patted his arm.
“I guess that’s true. I never really did thank you properly, did I, Fred?” she said. She turned immediately back to Sky.
Copper had been watching the exchange between Summer and her uncle, as well as checking Julie’s reactions, like someone watching a tennis match. She caught a glimpse of an expression of near-rapture flitting across Merrill’s face.
“Yes, that was terribly brave of Fred, don’t you think?” the girl put in. “I mean it looked like the house was about to go up in flames with you and Deputy Cole inside all tied up and gagged and---“
“We don’t need to go into anymore detail about us when we were rescued,” interrupted Amy Cole. She looked at Copper and added: “Or about you either.”
Sky and Winchell laughed. Harry Tyler, who had only heard the story, grinned. Amy smiled slightly. Merrill’s suntanned face turned noticeably red. He looked at Summer uncertainly. She smiled up at him. The two Air Force women looked puzzled.
“Is there something we don’t know about, here?” asked Julie.
Copper noticed Sky’s frown in her direction.
“Some other time,” said Copper.
“For now, the important thing is to keep Captain Atkins safe,” continued Sky. “To do that, Sheriff Winchell is going to detail a team to stand guard at their motel while they’re there and a female officer to stay in the room with them.”
Winchell looked at Deputy Cole.
“That’s either you, Amy, or Sue,” he said.
“Right, Sheriff,” said Amy with a nod.
“The team on guard will escort Captain Atkins car from the motel to Sky’s ranch in the morning,” said Winchell, “and a team from the second shift will take them back to town every evening.”
Harry Tyler nodded.
“Everybody got the plan?” asked Sky. When all had acknowledged he concluded: “So we start it tomorrow. With any luck, Operation Recovery should go very smoothly.”

Rowlands stood in the beautifully furnished living room of the ranch, his hat in his hand as the icily beautiful brunette considered his report.
“So you let this man Ryder foil your ambush and drive you away without getting our Captain Atkins, did you?” she said. “Not a very brilliant job on your part, Rowlands.”
If Rowlands had quailed before her imperious glance and tone in the afternoon, he was in no mood to do so now.
“We didn’t let him do anything, Mrs. Dorrin,” he said flatly. “Somehow he got wise to us and had his own men and the Sheriff surprise us.”
“And the two women were left alive as well,” she said. “They saw me and you too, Rowlands. That is very serious indeed.”
“Bradford couldn’t get the bomb ready in time,” said Rowlands, “and there wasn’t time to do anything else. We barely got away as it was.”
“You were worried about saving your own skins---“ she began.
“Three of my men were killed as it was,” he interrupted with heat, “and two more wounded and taken by the Sheriff. If we didn’t do well enough, you can risk your own precious hide next time.”
Mrs. Dorrin regarded him with surprise. He had more backbone than she had at first thought.
“Very well. What steps have you taken since then?”
“If you want us to get that lady captain for you, we’re going to need more men. I sent Duncan into Tucson to get a couple guys he knows and I called L. A. to a friend of mine. We should have four or five more men tomorrow.”
“And what of Captain Atkins and her friends?”
“Hammer and I watched them for a few hours tonight. They had some kind of big powwow at Ryder’s ranch. The Captain and her driver went back into town guarded by a couple Sheriff’s cars. They’re staying at a motel called ‘Amzie’s’ with two of the sheriff’s men watching and a female deputy in the room.”
“Anything else?”
“Bradford and Klee are dumping that car we stole from the lady rancher on the other side of the county. I hope it’ll convince Ryder and the Sheriff that we’ve left town.”
“Good.”
She rose from her comfortable chair and walked toward a large sliding glass door covered, at the moment, by a thick curtain.
“It is a good thing you will have more men tomorrow,” she said musingly. “But I think that the job we have here calls for a woman’s touch.”
She strolled to the edge of the curtains and pulled on the drawstring. The curtains parted to show a swimming pool set in a flagstone deck illuminated by torches. Two young women were laughing and frolicking in the water, but when they heard Mrs. Dorrin slide the glass door open they both turned to her. One was a fresh-faced brunette the other an angelic blonde. Both were quite beautiful and the brief bikinis they wore covered very little of their luscious bodies.
“Did you want something, Aunt Joanna?” asked the blonde.
Joanna Dorrin turned to Rowlands. The man looked awestruck.
“And my nieces,” she said with a superior smile, “are just the women we need.”

End of Chapter 4

[esercito sconfitto]

Sky vs. Spies
Fiction by Frank Knebel
Chapter 5
Knocking sounded at the motel room door. Deputy Amy Cole was no longer asleep but she was still lying on the cot that had been set up at the feet of and perpendicular to the two beds in the room. She swept off her covers and swung her shapely legs to the floor. Though her hair was tousled and her blue eyes were bleary, Amy was still quite a fetching sight in her short, light blue nightgown.
“Who is it?” she called as she drew her revolver from its holster on the low dresser beside her.
“It’s Mrs. Noland, Deputy Cole,” the voice replied. “Estrelita and I have your breakfast.”
Amy looked to Sergeant Connie Wade, who had just finished zipping up her skirt. Amy pointed to the window. Connie nodded and pulled the edge of the curtain back just enough to look out. She looked back at Amy and nodded again.
“It’s breakfast all right,” she said.
Amy put the pistol back in the holster and stepped to the door. It took a few seconds to unfasten the chain and turn the two bolts to open the door. Two women bustled inside.
“I hope you had a pleasant night again, ladies,” chirped Amzie Noland as she put the tray she was carrying onto the room’s only small table. “I know that I’d sleep a lot better with an armed deputy around, wouldn’t you, Estrelita?”
“Si, señora, I would, agreed the pretty girl with the raven ponytail and wearing a maids uniform who followed her in.
There was no more room on the table for her tray, so she looked around for somewhere to put it. Her eyes fell on the dresser top, but Amy’s Colt .38 and holster were there. The girl looked at the weapon anxiously. She wagged her head at it as she said to Amy:
Would you mind moving that, señorita? she asked diffidently.
Oh, sure, said Amy. She smiled reassuringly as she took the gunbelt from the dresser.
The girl put down her tray. Amy began folding up the cot to make movement around the beds easier. Julie Atkins stood in the bathroom doorway putting on her earrings as she watched the activity. Mrs. Noland noticed her.
“Oh, good morning, Captain. I hope you slept well.”
Instead of her uniform, Julie was wearing a lightweight dress that fit her figure quite becomingly.
“Good morning, Amzie,” she said as she struggled with the second earring. “But please remember not to call me ‘captain.’ We’re not in uniform now, and we won’t be until we leave.”
Amzie Noland put both hands over her mouth in embarrassment over her gaffe. She was a demurely pretty, slender, rather bird-like woman of about forty-five. Though she was by no means a beauty, it was evident that she had been quite attractive when younger. And with her hair unmarked by gray and her figure still shapely she could undoubtedly catch the eyes of Kermit’s middle aged bachelors. Of course, owning a popular motel and its adjacent coffee shop, both bearing her name, made a widow of any face and figure more attractive.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Captain, I mean Miss Atkins. It’s just that the Sheriff and Mr. Ryder wanted me to take good care of you.”
“And you are, Amzie. You certainly are.”
Sergeant Wade strode purposefully toward the tray on the table.
“Oh, that smells good!” she said. “What’s for breakfast?”

Thirty-five minutes later, at exactly seven fifteen, Deputy Harry Tyler knocked on the door again.
“Seven-fifteen, Captain Atkins,” he called.
“Thanks, Harry,” came the muffled reply.
Tyler walked across the parking lot to his patrol car. Deputy Rivera sat behind the wheel scanning the area. As Tyler opened the door to the car, the motel room door opened as well. Connie and Julie, both in civilian clothes, left the room and headed for their own car parked nearby. Rivera started the engine of the patrol car. When he was sure that the women’s car had started, Rivera put the patrol car in gear and pulled out of the parking lot. Connie Wade, at the wheel of the women’s car, followed him closely.
They did not notice the occupants of a sedan across the street watching their every move.
“Okay, Wilke,” said the innocent-looking blonde in the passenger seat. “Follow them.”
“But not too close,” added the brunette in the back seat.
The blonde put her clipboard in her lap with her right hand in order to take a bite out of a chocolate bar in her left. A little fragment of chocolate dropped almost directly into the cleavage displayed by her low-cut blouse. She dabbed the tip of her figure at it. The bit of chocolate stuck to the fingertip. The sharp-nosed, balding driver watched with interest. The blonde noticed him.
“Keep your eyes on the road, Sugar,” she said sweetly.

“How ‘bout another cup of coffee, Uncle Sky?”
Sky Ryder was busy making his usual pre-flight checks and had not noticed Copper’s approach.
“Thanks, Copper,” he called. “As soon as I’m finished.”
His last check was the new windshield. When he was satisfied with everything, Sky hopped down from the plane and went toward his niece. She held out the cup to him.
“Thanks, honey,” he said, taking the cup. He sipped from it.
“How’s the new windshield?” she asked.
“Excellent work for such a rush job,” her uncle answered. “We got almost a full day’s search in yesterday, and we’ll do even better today.”
Copper watched him take another sip and raised an eyebrow.
“It couldn’t be that you’re so pleased just because you get to spend all day up there alone with Julie, could it?”
Sky made a face at her.
“If I were half the Romeo you seem to think I am, I’d be too tired to run the ranch let alone do all the other things I do!”
“Like helping the Air force find secret spy stuff,” Copper began, counting on her fingers as she went. “Helping the Sheriff catch bank robbers, escaped convicts, and counterfeiters, and helping my friends when they’re in trouble.”
“I’m beginning to think I’m underpaid,” said Sky jokingly. He took another sip of coffee as Copper made a face back at him. “Honestly, for all that I do, you wouldn’t think that a little time alone with a beautiful woman is too much to ask.”
Copper became suddenly serious.
“It’s not, Sky, really it’s not,” she said slowly. “Of course I’m prejudiced, but I really think that you’re quite a guy, and I know all the women around here agree with me.”
She paused for a moment and gulped.
“And I know that someday one of them is going to land you, and it’s something you’re entitled to. I mean after waiting so long while you were raising me. It’s just that… that…”
She looked at him earnestly.
“I just want to be sure that you get the right one. Or the right one gets you.”
She looked down.
“I just hope I know her when I see her.”
Sky put his arm around the little blonde.
“And I hope I know her too,” he said gently. “And I hope I know the right guy when he comes along for you.”
She smiled and playfully slapped his chest. Their attention was diverted by the sound of arriving cars. A Sheriff’s car was pulling in by the gate followed by the sedan used by Julie and Connie. Sky and Copper walked back toward the house to meet their guests.

Summer Smithers sat on her horse quietly watching her cattle graze. From the west came the soft buzz of airplane motors some distance away. She shielded her eyes from the sun with one hand and looked. It was a twin engine Cessna Bobcat: Sky. Then she corrected herself: Sky and Julie.
“Mrs. Smithers!”
A man’s voice much nearer took her gaze from the plane. Her foreman was riding toward her at a good speed.
The thought flashed through Summer’s mind that one of her men had found the missing balloon and its precious package. And if that were so, Captain Julie Atkins’ mission would be accomplished and she would return to the Air Force base. And Sky would probably be grateful.
“What is it, Ken?” she called, trying to remain calm.
Ken Moore drew up his horse.
“We’ve got a problem,” the man reported. “It looks like a cat came down out of the hills and killed a couple head last night.”
Summer sighed.
“All right. Let’s go have a look.”

Sergeant Connie Wade sighed and turned a few more pages of the magazine she had been reading. It was her third time through this particular issue and the sergeant was finding it increasingly difficult to find anything of interest. She leaned forward on the couch to reach her bottle of coke on the coffee table in Sky’s living room. There was only one swallow left in it. After emptying the bottle, Connie rose and went to the kitchen. Copper Ryder, wearing an apron over her checkered shirt and jeans and wielding a large spoon, was bustling about. There were several large saucepans on the stove, and the kitchen table was simply but attractively set for four.
“Somethin’ smells good!” said Connie.
Copper turned.
“It’s spaghetti, my specialty of the house.”
“I’ll bet you’re a terrific cook too,” said Connie. She opened the refrigerator and took out an unopened bottle of Coke.
“I’m not a great cook,” the girl said sheepishly. “We eat a lot better when Sky does the cooking. But I do make pretty good spaghetti.”
Before the airwoman could reply, they heard the sound of an approaching plane.
“Sky!” cried Copper.
She flung the spoon onto the counter and slipped the apron over her head. The girl ran to the back door followed by Sergeant Wade. The Hummingbird was coming in for a landing.
“I wonder if they found anything!” said Copper.
“Wouldn’t they have radioed in if they had?” asked Connie.
“Probably not. Sky learned in the war that anything you say on the radio might be heard by the enemy too. I think he’d rather not broadcast to that gang if he’d found the balloon. It might be dangerous for us if they did.”
Both women involuntarily put a hand to their throats, remembering the events of two days ago. When they saw each other’s reaction, they both laughed.
“We’re not spooked very much by that idea, are we?” said Copper. “I’m sure going to be suspicious of any extra cars I see parked here.”
“And I’m never going to take advantage of the Captain being away to take off my skirt to cool off while I use the bathroom again,” said the sergeant.
“Well, we should feel a little safer these days.”
Copper pointed to one of Sky’s men sitting in the shade of a tree nearby. A Winchester rifle stood against the tree next to him. Both women knew that another man was in a chair on the front porch standing guard as well.
The plane landed and Sky emerged. He helped Julie get down from the wing and spoke to her briefly. Julie began walking toward the house as Sky rolled the plane toward the hangar.
“Any news?” called Copper as Julie drew near.
“I’m afraid not,” she answered. “There’s a lot of land out there, and some of it’s pretty rough country. We’re not giving up.”
Julie had one of Sky’s canteens slung over her shoulder by its strap. She unslung it and handed it to Sergeant Wade.
“That Coke you’ve got looks pretty good, sergeant. Think you could find a couple more for Mr. Ryder and me?”
“Sure, Captain,” the noncom said.
She took the canteen and disappeared into the house. Copper looked at her, smiling widely.
“So did you two have a nice day up there?” she asked, unable to hide her eagerness. “All alone for hours on end, I hope you found enough things to talk about. Like old times.”
Julie smiled wryly at the young blonde.
“We talked about a lot of things, including you,” she said. “One subject that I asked about was your tendency to look jealous every time a woman shows any interest in your uncle.”
Copper did her best to look innocent.
“Why whatever do you mean?”
“Come on now, Copper. Is it every woman or just Summer Smithers and me you don’t approve of?”
Copper looked at the ground and wrung her hands in embarrassment.
“You know,” Julie continued more gently, “that your uncle’s a pretty amazing man. And he’s the kind of man that a lot women would find very attractive.”
“Oh, I know,” said Copper. “A few women around here have set their sights on him.”
“And not one of them has brought him down yet, have they? I know Sky. He’s not going to tumble until he’s ready and he’s just not ready yet. But when he does, I hope you won’t stand in his way, just as when one day when you tumble for a man you won’t want anyone to stand between you and him, will you?”
Copper looked up at Julie. It was obvious she had never thought of this possibility.
“You’re right, Captain. I wouldn’t want that.”
Julie put her arm around Copper’s shoulder.
“I thought we’d agreed that you were going to call me Julie. Come on in and talk to me while I wash up.”
“I made spaghetti for dinner for all of us!” Copper said eagerly.
They started walking toward the house.
“That sounds fine. And it sure smells good!”

Joanna Dorrin took a sip from her glass of wine. She did not replace the stemmed glass on the clear glass top of the coffee table before her, but leaned back on the sofa and regarded her two nieces with a little smile.
“You have a plan?” she asked.
The sweet looking blonde and the fresh-faced brunette exchanged a look and a giggle before turning back to their imperious aunt. Rowlands stood nearby, hat in hand.
“We’ve watched them two straight mornings,” said the blonde. “They’re vulnerable at several times in the routines of leaving and returning to the motel.”
“Yes,” added the brunette. “But Donna and I think that we couldn’t guarantee that there wouldn’t be some kind of fight with the deputies if something went just a bit wrong”
“And having seen some of Rowlands’ men,” said Donna the blonde, “it’s too likely that something would go wrong.”
Mrs. Dorrin noticed that Rowlands bristled a little at Donna’s remark, but he said nothing.
“Myra and I have a little idea we think is foolproof,” continued the blonde.
“And that idea is?” asked Mrs. Dorrin.
The brunette looked over at Rowlands.
“We’ll need some help from Rowlands and his men,” she began. “But the key thing will be surprise.”
The elegant Joanna Dorrin sipped her wine again.
“Continue,” she said.

Estrelita Verdugo opened the door of the motel office with her key.
“Señora Noland! she called. Señora Noland! I am here.
There was no answer. The girls alarm at thinking that her usually unerring boss had overslept subsided when she saw the two trays of covered dishes sitting on the reception desk. She closed the door behind her and walked further into the room.
Señora! the girl called again. It is almost six-thirty!
Behind the registration desk was a doorway leading into Amzies small office. There was also a bathroom attached for the convenience of whoever was on duty. Thinking that Mrs. Noland must be in there, the girl went through the doorway.
She stopped abruptly. Her eyes widened, and both hands flew up to her face, and she gasped when she saw what was inside. Two women pointed pistols directly at her. Both women had their faces masked by large scarves that had been stretched across their faces and the four ends gathered and tied behind their heads. The scarves covered the women’s hair and hung down almost to their upper lips. Estrelita could see only their eyes peering out through eyeholes that had been cut in the fabric.
The straight-backed desk chair had been pulled from its place at the kneehole and moved to the center of the room. In it sat her employer, or a woman that Estrelita guessed was her employer Amzie Noland, dressed only in her bra and panties and bound with rope and gagged and blindfolded with strips of white cloth. Her hands had been passed between the outer stiles and the center splat of the chair’s back, then her wrists crossed and tightly tied. More ropes circled her torso and the chair, and several strands passed around her waist and secured where the seat, back, and legs of the chair all met. The woman’s bare legs were tied together at the knees and ankles, and a line ran from her ankle bonds to the stretcher directly under the seat. A band of brilliantly white cloth was bound around her head covering her eyes. Another ran around her head lower, passing between her jaws. Estrelita could see Amzie’s lips on either side of this band, and also some cloth ends between the band and the woman’s lips. There were even little stains of her lipstick on some of the ends. Evidently, the band held a packing wad of more of the same cloth in poor Amzie’s mouth.
Estrelita looked at the two women in horror.
“What have you done to Señora Noland? she cried.
Nothing really, replied one of the women. And nothing much will happen to you if you cooperate.
The two women were an ill-matched pair, despite being of similar height and build, and Estrelita could not help noticing that their figures were both quite sensational. One was dressed in blue jeans, a low cut top and sandals. The other wore a rather matronly style of lightweight dress with a floral print that looked oddly familiar and a pair of low-heeled shoes. It took a moment for the girl to recognize the dress. It was one of Amzie Noland’s.
“All right, girl,” said the other woman. “Strip.”
Estrelita’s eyes widened even more.
“You want me to take off my clothes? But why?”
“Never mind that,” said the first woman, the one wearing Amzie’s dress. “Just do it.”
Teary eyed, Estrelita began unbuttoning her uniform.
“But I am a good girl,” she began. “Now everyone will think that ---“
“Don’t worry about that,” said the woman. “They’ll know you had no choice.”
The woman wearing jeans turned to the desk, the top of which was piled high with rope and more cloths. She took a prepared wad of cloth and a long strip from the pile. As the frightened maid finished undoing the buttons the woman turned back to her. Estrelita was pulling the garment open and off her shoulders when the woman took a couple quick steps to her and forced the cloth wad into her mouth. Estrelita’s muffled mew of alarm brought an answering exclamation from Amzie Noland.
“Don’t fight it,” the woman said as she pushed the wad firmly into the girl’s mouth.
Estralita stopped resisting and stood quietly holding her unbuttoned uniform just off her shoulders. Though Estrelita was a small woman, the body revealed was an alluring one. She wore no slip, only a well filled white bra and panties. Her waist was trim, her hips nicely rounded and her legs shapely.
Once the woman had finished with the gag wad, she took the long strip of cloth and wound it around the girl’s head so that it passed between her teeth and secured the wadding. It was long enough the go around three times. She knotted it just under the base of the ponytail at the back of the girl’s neck, taking the uniform from Estrelita afterward. When her hands were empty, the girl reacted to her undressed state by folding her right arm across her chest and covering her pubic area with her left hand. Her captor noted the action.
“Pretty demure for such a hot little number, isn’t she?” she asked her partner.
The woman with the gun picked up a piece of rope from the desk and tossed it to the other.
“Maybe we should have her get rid of the bra too,” she suggested.
Both Estrelita and the helpless, unseeing Mrs. Noland responded with gagged protests. The woman in jeans casually reached over and began undoing the hooks of Estrelita’s bra. The girl looked at her with wide, pleading eyes and shook her head. The woman ignored her and continued unhooking. The bra came loose, and Estrelita grabbed for it before it could slip off. The woman pushed her hands away and pulled on the bra, causing it to fall off the girl’s shoulders. Estrelita tried to cover her breasts with her right hand and arm.
“Yessiree,” the masked woman went on. “This is one hot little tamale here, all right.” She turned to her partner. “What do you think?”
“How can I tell with her covering herself up like that?”
“Give me your hands, girl,” ordered the jean-clad woman.
Estrelita looked at the woman with the gun and meekly lowered her hands placed them behind her back. The woman in jeans crossed them and started to tie.
“Oh, yeah,” said the woman in the dress, eyeing the bare breasted Estrelita. “That’s one cute little señorita you’ve got there. Let me help you with her.”
She laid the pistol on the table and picked up a long piece of rope. As her partner bound Estrelita’s wrists, the other lifted her piece of rope over Estrelita’s head and let it drop just below her shoulder blades. She began winding it around the girl’s body and arms just below her breasts. The young maid looked down in alarm.
“All done,” said the woman in jeans as she stepped back and admired the tying job she had done on the prisoner’s wrists.
“I’ll finish with her,” said the other, continuing with her windings. “You’ve got to get dressed.”
The other woman immediately reached to her waist to unbutton her jeans. She quickly slid them off. Estrelita turned to watch her. The woman tying her around the arms and torso noticed and pulled a rope tight. Estrelita looked back with a grunt of protest.
“Stop being so nosy,” the woman said. She tied a very tight knot between the maid’s breasts. “I’d better keep you from seeing too much anyway.”
She took a strip of cloth from the desk and wound it into a long band. As Estrelita watched her apprehensively, the woman stepped behind the girl and bound the cloth over her eyes, causing her to emit another mew of protest. Mrs. Noland, hearing her maid’s distress gave a little mew of inquiry and protest into her own gag.
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Noland,” said the woman soothingly. “Your little Estrelita’s going to be all right. We’re going to have to tie her up good and tight though. After all, she’s a little younger and more agile than you are.”
The other woman had now finished removing her jeans and low-cut peasant top. She took Estrelita’s uniform from where it had fallen and began putting it on. The already disguised woman was now looping more cords around the maid’s waist, further securing her arms against her body.
“How’s it fit?” asked her partner.
“All right. I’m going to need her shoes too.”
“Let’s get her on the floor.”
They forced her to kneel then lowered her to the office floor. The woman in the maid’s uniform slipped the no-lace style tennis shoes from Estrelita’s feet. As she tried them on her own feet, her partner took another length of rope and bound the girl’s ankles together.
“Look at that!” said the new maid. “Even the shoes fit!”
“Great.” The other woman tossed her a piece of rope. “Do up her legs, then hogtie her while I get myself and the trays ready.”
Within five minutes she had everything prepared. All the covered plates had been taken off the trays and replaced with their neatly folded clothes and six rolls of two-inch wide white adhesive tape. One pistol was on each tray as well. She took lightweight kitchen towels and covered both trays completely, then turned her attention to herself. She took up the wig from where she had left it hidden behind the reception desk. It was the same color and style of Amzie Noland’s hair. She stepped back into the office and glanced at her partner’s progress with Estrelita. The young maid’s bound legs were bent back, her tied ankles hovering over her plain white cotton panties. The other woman was finishing with the knots holding Estrelita’s ankles in place. The woman in the print dress took the wig and stepped into the small adjoining bathroom. She removed the scarf mask that covered her head. An angelic face surrounded by blond waves looked back from the mirror. The woman wound her hair on top of her head, slipped on the wig, and began tucking any visible blond strands under it. A sultry brunette appeared in the door, her dark hair rubber-banded into a ponytail as Estrelita's had been.
“All set?” asked Donna.
“All set,” replied Myra.
The two stepped back into the office. Donna surveyed the two bound women. With a mischievous wink, she reached around Amzie Noland and took a breast in each hand. The woman protested into her gag.
“Too bad I can’t reach the hooks on your bra too, Mrs. Noland,” she whispered to the captive. “You’re a pretty hot number yourself. I don’t mind playing you at all, since I can’t play with you.”
Mrs. Noland whimpered into the cloth stuffing. Donna chuckled. She knelt beside Estrelita and rolled the hogtied girl onto her side. She took a breast in each hand and massaged them for a few moments as the girl writhed and protested feebly. She stood up.
“Well, it’s been fun ladies. I wish we could have more fun with you, but business calls. Have a nice time and happy struggling.”
Myra giggled at Donna’s little joke. They returned to the office and each picked up a tray.

Deputy Tom Willard yawned and stretched. It had been another dull night for the young man. He looked at the other man writing on a clipboard in his lap in the front seat of the patrol car. Deputy Bob Falk was in his mid-forties and had a long, melancholy face that reminded Willard of a sad horse.
“How could it take so long to write up a night as boring as that?” the young man asked jokingly.
“Mind your manners, Sonny,” Falk replied calmly. “The Sheriff likes his reports to be very complete, and Tyler and Rivera’ll be along any time now. I want to be done when the shift ends. I have to take my daughter to the dentist this morning.”
Willard rubbed his eyes. He wanted the shift to be over too. Ham and eggs and coffee were calling to him, and he was glad that he had an old hand like Falk to rely on to end the shift on time. The young deputy looked at the door of the room that held the women they were guarding.
“They sure do have nice lookin’ women in the Air Force,” he mused. “If they’d had women like that where I was stationed, I’d have stayed in the Army.”
Falk chuckled but did not look up from his writing.
“You must not have been a hero,” he said as he wrote. “Don’t you go to the movies? Guys like John Wayne always find women like Maureen O’Hara or Donna Reed or Virginia Mayo.”
Willard chuckled. He was about to reply when a radio call came in asking for an ambulance and an assisting unit to help with one car accident west of town.
“Wonder who cracked up,” said Willard.
Falk must have been wondering the same, for he shushed the young deputy as the radio traffic between office and the unit on the scene continued. Willard looked back the room they were watching.
Two women carrying trays covered with gleaming white towels were headed for the room. This was exactly as things had been done the past two days, though a glance his wristwatch showed Willard that it was almost ten minutes to seven, a few minutes later than before. The women carried the trays high, obscuring their faces, but Willard recognized clothes, hair and general shape of Amzie Noland and Estrelita Verdugo.
“That Estrelita is one well-stacked little piece,” Willard said idly.
The women knocked at the door and were admitted.
“Funny,” said Willard, watching as Mrs. Noland turned sideways as she went in. “I never really noticed that Mrs. Noland has a pretty good set too.”
“Hush!” said Falk, who had returned to his writing as he listened to the radio. The officer on the scene read a plate number to the dispatcher. “By golly, I think that’s old Elmer Jensen’s car. I hope he’s not hurt bad.”
Another Sheriff’s car turned from the street into the parking lot.
“Tyler and Rivera are here, Bob,” said Willard.
The officer reporting the accident spoke again. The driver of the car had only minor injuries.
“Thank God,” sighed Falk. He looked sharply at the younger man. “What was that you were saying about Amzie? Nothing disrespectful, was it?”
Willard looked at him innocently.
“Oh no, Bob.” He opened the door of the car. “Let’s give Harry the log so you can get some breakfast before you have to take your kid to the dentist.”

Sue Kendall, the new woman dispatcher for the Sheriff’s office, stood with her hands raised. She wore a checkered bathrobe, not having had time to get into her uniform yet. Sergeant Connie Wade, wearing a loose-fitting skirt and blouse, also had her hands up, a sane enough response to the two pistols trained on them. From the closed bathroom door behind Connie came the sound of water running in the shower.
“The Captain’s running a little late today,” the woman in the floral dress said matter-of-factly. “That’s good. It’ll give us a chance to get a little acquainted.”
She strolled over to Sue and pulled on the belt of her bathrobe. The robe fell open to reveal a white, baby-doll type nightgown with matching panties.
“Lose the robe, Deputy.”
The pretty, dark-haired girl slipped the robe off her arms. She was slender and shapely, her well-sculpted legs and hips making up for an average bust size. She bit her lower lip nervously as the woman surveyed her.
“Very cute, Deputy.”
Sue’s face reddened. She lowered her eyes.
“I’m not a deputy,” she said softly. “I’m just a dispatcher.”
The woman reached over and fingered the material of her nightie.
“Oh, yeah? Well let’s see how fast you two can dispatch your clothes onto the dresser.”
The eyes of both women opened wide.
The woman in the maid’s uniform spoke up.
“And let’s not forget anything, ladies. Every stitch.”
Sue turned to Sergeant Wade. The blonde shrugged.
“We don’t have any choice,” she said and unbuckled her skirt belt.
Sue reached for the button that fastened her nightie just above her breasts. She looked uneasily at the maid as she took a couple rolls of adhesive tape from one of the trays.

End of Chapter 5
Chapter 6




Sky vs. Spies
Fiction by Frank Knebel
Chapter 6
Julie Atkins turned off the water in the shower and slid the green plastic shower curtain open far enough to reach out for the towel she had left on the edge of the sink. Her fingers touched the top of the little counter beside the sink but found no towel. She pulled the curtain open a bit farther and looked out. The towel was not on the counter nor had it dropped to the floor directly below. The underclothes and lightweight dress she had left hanging on the back of the bathroom door were gone as well.
“Connie,” called Julie. “This is no time to be playful!”
There was no response.
The only dry towel left in the bathroom was a hand towel hanging on a rack by the sink. With a sigh, Julie took it and began to dry herself as best she could.
“Maybe those stripes on your sleeve have warped your sense of humor,” Julie said good-naturedly. “If that’s the case, there’s something I can do about it.”
She held the little towel at her waist so that it hung down over the area between her legs and opened the bathroom door. A towel was thrown over her head and shoulders. She dropped the one she was holding and pulled the larger one from around her head. The sight that greeted her made her gasp.
The wide-eyed and tape gagged faces of Sergeant Connie Wade and Officer Sue Kendall looked at her over their shoulders. Both women were seated at the foot of one of the beds with their bare backs to the bathroom door. Both women had their hands bound behind them with inch or inch and a half wide white adhesive tape, and both women had identical wide bands of tape bound around their bodies and arms passing just above their elbows. Though their buttocks were partly hidden by their bound hands, it was quite obvious from the expanse of the bare skin of their backs that they were both naked. And standing in front of the two was a lovely brunette about twenty years old in a maid’s uniform pointing a pistol at them. A sweet-faced blonde of the same age had thrown the towel in her face. She also held a pistol.
“Nice to see you this morning, Captain,” the blonde said as she stuffed a washcloth into Julie’s mouth. “You can dry yourself with that towel before you join in the game with us. And play nice if you know what’s good for you and them.”
Julie looked at the fearful faces of Connie and Sue. As the blonde packed the gag wadding into her mouth, Julie turned to her and nodded. Quickly, she toweled herself dry as best she could.
“Good girl, Captain. Lose the towel now.”
Julie dropped the towel. The brunette put her pistol in her uniform pocket and picked up a roll of tape from a tray on the table. As she walked around the bed she started tearing a long piece of tape from the roll. The blonde took up a roll of tape and plastered a piece over Julie’s mouth, sealing the washcloth inside.
“Turn around, Captain,” said the brunette. “Hands behind your back.”
Julie crossed her wrists and held them together in the small of her back. The brunette circled them a number of times with the tape. Once her hands were secure, both girls looped tape about Julie’s arms and body, the blonde just below Julie’s breasts and the brunette just above her waist. They circled her arms and torso several times. Julie grunted as the pressure from the upper loops squeezed her tightly enough to make breathing a bit uncomfortable.
“Okay, Captain,” said the blonde, smiling pleasantly. “Over to the chair and sit down.”
Julie did as she was ordered. The chair was near the foot of the bed, so as Julie went to it and sat down she could see Connie and Sue much more clearly. The women were indeed naked, Sue slender and graceful, Connie quite voluptuously so. Their legs were also tape bound just above their knees and at their ankles, and their cheeks bulged slightly from packing in their mouths just behind the tape. The blonde turned to her partner.
“I’ll take care of the Captain’s legs. You finish the work on her two friends.”
The blonde knelt in front of Julie’s chair and went to work winding more loops of tape around her legs just above the knees. The brunette hauled Officer Sue Kendall to her feet and forced her to hop from the foot of the bed around to the side, then had her sit. Without ceremony, the brunette picked up the pretty dispatcher’s bound feet and yanked them up the surface of the bed. Sue nearly fell over backward, crying out into her gag.
“Come on, sweetie,” snapped the brunette. “Up to your knees.”
She helped Sue struggle to a kneeling position. As she sat on her haunches trying to catch her breath from her bound exertions, the brunette gave the nude officer a loud slap on her bare backside. Sue yelped into the gag and turned to look daggers at her tormentor.
As the blonde finished with Julie’s knees and turned her attention to her ankles, the brunette returned to the foot of the bed and repeated her routine with Connie, eyeing the sergeant’s bouncing breasts as she hopped to the side of the bed. This time the brunette gave her prisoner a loud swat on the buttocks before having her sit. She then forced the shapely blonde to kneel facing Officer Kendall.
“Ready,” the brunette announced.
The blonde made one more circle of tape around Julie’s ankles then tore the roll off. She crossed to the bed on Sue Kendall’s side.
“All right, ladies,” she said. “Straighten up and get real close now.”
The brunette stood behind Connie, the blonde behind Sue. They pushed and urged the two captives toward each other. Sue and Connie tried to scoot themselves closer together. The blonde nodded to the brunette, and they gave both women another ringing slap on their posteriors.
“Come on, girls,” the smiling blonde ordered. “I want to see those boobies all smushed together.”
The two women did their best. The brunette climbed up on the bed beside them and helped pass more tape around the two of them at the shoulders, waists, and thighs. Sue and Connie grunted in discomfort as they were pressed closer to one another. When she reached the end of the roll of tape she was using, the blonde reached for another roll and said:
“All right. Let’s blindfold ‘em and lay ‘em down.”
She joined her partner on the bed to wind more tape around their captives’ eyes. They then lowered the helpless women onto their sides. The brunette took more tape and, by forcing the two to point their toes toward the foot of the bed, bound their lower legs together. The two women were stretched out full length and tightly bound face to face. The blonde turned to Julie.
“Pretty sexy huh, Captain?’ she asked, still with the same innocent smile on her soft features. “Don’t worry though. We’ve got some very hot ideas for you too.”
She looked into one of the drawers of the low dresser and found a handkerchief. She folded it into a rectangle and pressed it over Julie’s eyes as her brunette partner wound tape around the airwoman’s head. When the blindfold was secure, they forced Julie to sit on the floor with her knees up almost against her breasts. More tape was run around her from behind her back around her and under her thighs, effectively binding her into a ball. The two women stripped the sheets from the other bed and wrapped their prisoner inside them. Then they covered Connie and Sue with the bedclothes of the bed on which they lay.
“Have fun in there, you two,” cooed the blonde as she covered the two. “Julie’s going on a little trip now, and I’m afraid she won’t be coming back. You’ll just have to console each other as best you can.”
“All we have to do now,” said the brunette, “is wait.”

Rowlands looked at his watch. He turned to the two men in the back seat of the car.
“All right, you two,” he said. “Get ready.”
The sedan in which they sat was parked across the street from a filling station six blocks from Amzie’s Motel. The two men in the back seat checked their pistols. One of them was Bradford; the other man was blond haired, with a pale, sad, and somewhat dissipated face. Tied around both their necks were black scarves ready to serve as masks. Klee was at the wheel. He turned to Rowlands.
“You think this is really gonna work?” he asked. “What kind of outfit is this going along with some plan made up by those two girls?”
The blond man gave a leering smile.
“I think that we oughta spend some time getting’ t’ know those two,” he said. “I think they could convince me this idea was all right, if they went about it the right way.”
Bradford looked at him coolly.
“You’d better not try layin’ a hand on either of them, Duncan. I gotta feeling that they’d stick a knife in you if you tried.”
Duncan looked offended.
“I think I could handle them.”
“Then you think wrong,” said Rowlands. He kept his eyes on the station across the street.
The other men said nothing. Rowlands looked at his watch again. He turned to Klee and nodded.
“Let’s go.”
Klee started the car. The men in the back pulled the masks up over their noses. Klee pulled out to the street then turned immediately into the gas station. There was an unoccupied car at one of the pumps, but otherwise the station was quiet. Rowlands pulled a mask over his face too. When they were opposite the office, Bradford and Duncan jumped out of the back seat and ran inside. A uniformed young station attendant was at the counter poring over a map with the lone customer, a middle-aged man in an ill-fitting suit.
“Everybody reach!” yelled Duncan. “This is a stickup!”
For emphasis he pointed his revolver at the ceiling and pulled the trigger.
Rowlands looked around. Just a little way behind the parking space from which they had come, a man had just strolled out of a diner. The sound of the shot caused the man to duck. He turned and looked directly at the station.
“Get away from that register, you two!” Duncan ordered the attendant and customer. He fired into the ceiling again.
When the man Rowlands was watching saw what was happening and heard the second shot, he dashed back into the diner. Rowlands turned to Klee.
“It’s going fine,” he said.

Deputy Andy Rivera looked uncertainly at Harry Tyler.
“What should we do, Harry?”
Tyler frowned as he thought. It took him less than five seconds.
“There’s no one else even close,” he said. “Let’s go. I’ll call it in.”
Rivera started the car. They were only six blocks from the gas station that was being robbed and everything was quiet and normal at the motel.
“This is Car Five,” Tyler said into his radio microphone. “We are proceeding to Canby and Lowell unless you want us to hold here, Sheriff. Over.”
Sheriff Winchell took the microphone from the duty deputy.
“Negative Car Five,” he said decisively. “Proceed to Canby and Lowell. We’ll meet you there.”
He handed the microphone back. Deputy Amy Cole stood a few feet away holding a coffee cup and watching him expectantly. Aside from her and the deputy manning the radio the room was empty.
“Dang,” he said softly. “With that accident out to the northwest and the shift changing they’re the only ones who can get there fast.”
He looked at Amy.
“Come on, Deputy. Let’s see who’s shooting up the town.”
She put down her cup.
“Ready when you are, Sheriff.”
They both walked quickly to the front door.

Deputy Bob Falk sat at the counter in Jeb’s Café thoughtfully sipping a cup of steaming coffee. Something was sticking in his mind; a remark so inconsequential he had not even noticed it at the time it was said. But now it occupied him so fully that he did not even react when the waitress put a plate of eggs and bacon in front of him. She noticed.
“Are you all right, Bob?” she asked.
The tall, sad faced looked blankly back at her for a second. Before he could reply, the door swung open and Deputy Charlie Barnes put one foot inside. He looked around and spotted Falk.
“Bob,” he called. “Come on, quick! Someone’s shooting up Jim Lester’s gas station!”
Falk put down his coffee and turned back to the waitress.
“Tell Jeb to keep it warm, Sally,” he said.
He slid off his stool and trotted out after Barnes.

Hammer watched the Sheriff’s car pull out of the motel parking lot, its red rotating beacon light flashing. When it turned the corner and disappeared he opened the door of the laundry truck. Two other men sat in the front seat. Both were big, solid looking men. The one at the wheel had dark hair and a very strong, dangerous and unattractive face. The man in the middle was fair with a friendly, open countenance. He would have been ideal for the role of Lennie in a summer stock production of Of Mice and Men.
“Okay, Gordon,” said Hammer, sliding in and closing the door behind him. “Let’s go.”
The driver started the truck. He waited for a car to pass, then pulled onto the street. When he reached the entrance to the motel lot he turned in.

Rowlands turned to Klee.
“Time to play my part,” he said.
He threw open the car door and took several quick steps to the office doorway.
“Cops!” he yelled and returned to the car.
Bradford and Duncan were still pointing their pistols at the attendant and his customer. The attendant pushed a button on the register and the cash door came open.
“Here,” he said. “Take everything---“
“Never mind that now!” said Bradford. He turned to Duncan. “Let’s get out of here.”
The two masked men ran from the office and got into their car. The driver hit the accelerator hard and the vehicle sped away. The attendant and customer gaped in surprise for a moment, then looked at one another.

Gordon backed the laundry truck toward the door of Julie and Connie’s motel room. When the vehicle was in place all three men got out. Gordon opened the double cargo doors at the back while the other two went to the room. Hammer knocked on the door.
“Who is it?” asked a female voice.
“Hammer.”
The door opened. Donna, now dressed in a form fitting skirt and short sleeved, button-style blouse admitted the three men. The dark wig was gone. Her blond hair was now combed in the same general way as Sergeant Wade’s. Myra stood before a mirror by the closet. The maid’s uniform and ponytail had disappeared, and she now wore the summer dress that Julie had left on the bathroom door. A maid’s uniform and a floral print dress lay on the floor. Myra was pinning up her long hair to resemble Julie’s shorter style.
Hammer glanced at the squirming bundle of sheets by the foot of the bed.
“That her?” he asked, pointing.
Donna nodded.
“All done up bright and clean for the trip,” she said with a kittenish smile. “Very fitting, don’t you think? Her friends are still in bed.”
Big Gordon grinned. Remarkably, the expression of delight failed to make his features any less unattractive or sinister.
“Let’s have a look, Harvey.”
He and the big, lighter haired man went to the bed. Gordon pulled the covers away to reveal the two naked, tightly trussed women. Both men grinned wider.
“You really fixed ‘em up good, didn’t you?” said Gordon.
Harvey reached out his right hand and stroked Connie Wade’s bare hip. The woman mewed a gagged protest.
“Be gentle with the rabbits there, Lennie,” said Donna with a smirk.
Harvey looked up quickly.
“I’m not some kind of half-wit,” he said. His tone was crisp and intelligent, but the expression on his face still appeared simple and friendly.
“Enough of that!” Hammer said sharply. “Cover ‘em up and get the Captain out to the truck. The others aren’t going to keep the cops away very long.”
At his direction, Gordon and Harvey lifted the bundled Julie and carried her out. They placed her gently inside on a pile of laundry. Hammer climbed in with her and Gordon closed the doors. Donna watched from the room door.
“Get going,” she ordered.
Gordon and Harvey got in the truck’s cab. The engine started and the truck pulled away.
Donna closed the door. Myra had finished with her hair.
“How do I look, cousin? Good enough to be a Captain?”
A muffled protest came from under the bedclothes nearby. Donna whacked the covered form a couple times on the backside with her open hand.
“No comments needed from you.” She turned back to Myra. “You look just right. All we have to do is wait.”

Copper Ryder sat at the stoplight nearby. Since she was not allowed to take part in the aerial searches and it was boring to sit at the ranch and wait, she had decided to take the station wagon in for a lube job and oil change. Maybe there would be some excitement in town.
Sure enough, the girl looked in her rearview mirror in time to see a Sheriff’s car coming toward her, its rotating beacon flashing. As it neared the intersection it slowed and pulled into the oncoming lane to avoid the several cars waiting with Copper. The siren sounded briefly, stopping two cars that were about to cross the intersection from Copper’s right. Once through the crossing, the car accelerated again.
Oh boy!” thought Copper. “Here’s something exciting! I wonder what’s happened?”
As she waited for the light to change, she heard the sound of a horn to her left. The cars that had stopped for the Sheriff had continued on only to nearly collide with a laundry truck that was pulling out of Amzie’s motel. Copper looked at the truck. The legend ‘Brite and Kleen’ was on the truck sides.
“I hate those cutesy names,” thought Copper. “Just shows that people who like them aren’t very good drivers.”
The light changed. Copper put the car in gear and went in search of adventure.

Estrelita Verdugo squirmed uselessly. The ropes were just too secure for her to slip out of. Hogtied as she was, there was no chance that she could summon help in usual ways, since she could not open doors or reach any of the office telephones which were all on desk or table tops. And the same went for Amzie Noland who was tied securely to a chair. The only thing Estrelita might be able to do would be to locate a telephone cord and pull it so that the instrument fell from its place onto the floor with her. But being blindfolded made the problem of finding a phone difficult. Then there would be the problem of dialing without the use of her hands or eyes. But it was their only chance.
The girl was in front of Amzie’s office desk, and the telephone was connected behind it. Somehow the helpless girl would have to get all the way around the desk to find the cord. One end of the desk was against the wall and the chair with the bound Mrs. Noland was at the other, open end. It would be a long crawl for bare skin along the rug, but it had to be tried.
Estrelita took a deep breath.

Copper Ryder pulled the station wagon into a parking space and walked fifty or so yards to the scene of the excitement. Sheriff Winchell was standing outside the filling station office talking to Jim Lester, a stocky man in his mid forties with wiry, graying hair. Other deputies were trying to keep back the curious and talking to two men inside the office.
“Like I say, Sheriff,” Lester was saying, “I wasn’t here. I was having breakfast at Jeb’s. But from what Gary told me it was the danged strangest robbery you ever saw.”
Winchell nodded.
“I’ve already talked to Gary and the customer, Jim. They seem to have been a couple of real nervous Nellies all right.” He turned and grinned when he saw Copper approaching. “Well, good morning young lady! What brings a pretty girl like you into town at this hour of the day?”
“Looks like I picked a bad day to have the car serviced,” the girl replied. “What happened here?”
“Two fellows came in here about ten minutes ago and announced a stick-up. They shot two holes in the ceiling of Jim’s office, but before they could get around to taking anything they were scared off.”
“Well that was sure lucky,” said Copper.
Winchell nodded. He was about to say more when another Sheriff’s car arrived. Deputies MacKeever and Norris got out. MacKeever reported to Winchell.
“What do you want us top do, Sheriff?” asked the deputy.
“Right now, you and Ben can relieve Tyler and Rivera on keeping the crowd away. Tell Harry to go back to the motel.”
MacKeever touched the brim of his hat in salute.
“Right, Sheriff.”
Copper looked at Winchell.
“You mean that they had to leave the motel for this?” asked Copper. “What about Julie and Connie?”
“Don’t worry about them. My men have only been away for ten minutes or so and Sue’s still in the room with them.”
He looked about uneasily.
“Still, there’s something not quite right about this.”
The car containing Tyler and Rivera pulled past Deputies Amy Cole and Bob Falk, who were leaning on the Sheriff’s car, out of the station and headed back for the motel.

Myra peered out between the curtains.
“They’re coming back.”
“All right,” said Donna. “We’ll wait until they’re busy parking. Did you put our clothes in the Captain’s car?”
“I sure did.”
Myra kept watching. A minute later she turned and let go of the curtain.
“Let’s go.”
The two headed for the door, Donna stopping briefly to lift the bed covers and give Sergeant Connie Wade another swat on her bare behind as they left the room.

Deputy Harry Tyler looked up from the clipboard on which he was writing to see two familiar looking figures leave the motel room.
“No reason to make a neat job, Andy,” he said to Rivera. “They’re ready to leave.”
Rivera had been looking over his shoulder as he backed the car into a parking space. He turned to look ahead and saw the two women, a blonde and a brunette, close the motel room door and get into a white car parked nearby.
“Well,” he muttered. “It’s a lot less boring than just sitting here.”
Tyler waved to the two. The blonde waved in return. Rivera put the car in gear and drove to the lot entrance, the women’s car following.

Klee pulled the car into an alley near the outskirts of town where two other cars, one black and one green, waited. A short, broad-shouldered man stood with his back against one of the cars. The four men got out of the robbery car. Rowlands addressed the waiting man.
“You got the plan, Gentry?” asked Rowlands.
The short man nodded. He took off his hat to mop his brow, revealing thinning gray hair.
“Yeah. I take Bradford and Duncan back to the hideout, but I don’t go anywhere near the route that they’re going with the truck.”
Rowlands nodded.
“Good. We’ll see you there in a couple hours.”
Bradford and Duncan got into the green sedan with Gentry driving. Rowlands and Klee took the black car. They left the robbery car in the alley. The green car headed out of town. The black one went back in the direction from which the robbery car had come.

Copper Ryder strolled over to Deputy Cole.
“Hi, Amy,” said Copper eagerly. “Lots of excitement, huh?”
The beautiful brunette smiled at her slightly younger friend.
“Well not nearly as much as I thought there would be. We’d hoped to catch a couple guys robbing the place, but they beat a hasty retreat.”
“So I heard,” said Copper. “And they left so fast that they didn’t get any money.”
Amy nodded.
“The boy on duty even opened the cash drawer for them, but they didn’t stop long enough to take anything out. It’s kinda strange, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it is,” agreed the girl. She looked at Deputy Falk, who was staring thoughtfully at the sidewalk. “Bob must think it is too.”
The deputy made no response. Amy smiled. Copper giggled.
“He must be working it all out in his head,” said Amy, keeping an eye on the tall deputy for some sign of response.
“Yeah, like Sherlock Holmes used to do,” added Copper, warming into the little game. “In a few minutes he’ll insist that you have to find a short, red-haired, left handed man carrying a pocketknife and a yo-yo.”
Falk furrowed his brow, apparently oblivious.
Sheriff Winchell walked over. He had overheard the last remark and was smiling.
“What’s going on here now?” he asked.
“We’re trying to get the attention of Deputy Falk, Sheriff,” said Copper, giving Falk a sideways look. “And not having much luck, I’m afraid.”
“It’s a sad comment when a member of the force doesn’t notice two pretty girls.”
Falk looked up suddenly.
“I always notice pretty girls, Sheriff. But if there’s a guy I know who’s faster than I am to notice a pretty girl it’s young Willard. And today he noticed something different about Amzie Noland, something he’d never seen before.”
The three looked quizzically at him.
“He said he’d never noticed what a good figure she had,” he continued.
“What’s so odd about that?” asked Copper.
“I think Amzie’s got a pretty good figure myself,” said Winchell.
“I do too,” Falk went on. “But you see, Sheriff, a guy his age means something different than we do when we say that. And I didn’t really think about it at the time, but there was something different about the way she and Estrelita walked when they brought breakfast to the Captain and the others.”
Amy was beginning to understand.
“And now this happens to draw the guards away from their room, even though only for a little while.”
The Sheriff was now alert. He pointed to Amy and Falk.
“You two get over to Amzie’s Motel right away and check things out. Let me know what you find.”
The two deputies hurried to the car.
“I’m coming too!” yelled Copper grabbing the back door handle.
Falk started the engine as Copper tumbled in.

Myra pointed. Traffic was collecting behind a slow moving cattle truck a hundred yards or so ahead of them.
“Here’s our chance,” she said.
“I see it,” Donna said. “I think I can work this right.”
She waited until several cars came abreast of the Sheriff’s car behind them, trapping it in the right lane. Donna swung the sedan into the left lane to pass the truck, then returned to the right lane. The truck blocked all sight of the Sheriff’s car. Donna made a right turn at the next intersection just as the light turned red.
“Nice work, cousin,” said Myra with a smile.
“Easy as pie.”

The Brite and Kleen laundry truck passed the last few buildings lining the two-lane road at the north edge of town. The driver accelerated leaving Kermit behind. Gordon called back over his shoulder:
“We’re out of town. Looks like clear sailing.”
“Nix with that!” snapped Hammer. “I’m superstitious. Just keep your eyes open.”
He unwrapped some of the sheets that bundled up Julie Atkins, and looked at his naked, helpless prisoner.
“She’s quite a sight. Too bad you two have to watch the road.”
Though the woman was bound with her knees almost touching her chest, he managed to reach in and tweak one of her nipples. Julie squirmed and mewed into the tape gag.
“You’re a real honey all right, Captain,” he said softly. “And the boss lady’s gonna know just what to do with you.”

End of Chapter 6

[esercito sconfitto]

Fiction by Frank Knebel
Chapter 7
“Control, this is Car Five. Be advised that we have lost the target car. I say again, we have lost the target car. Over.”
Deputy Harry Tyler’s voice was apparently calm, but Deputy Amy Cole could tell from the manner in which he clipped the ends of some words and his use of the military phrase ‘I say again’ that he was agitated by this unexpected turn. As Tyler informed the dispatcher of the last know position of Captain Atkins’ car, Amy noticed that Deputy Willard was manning the office radio. She took up the microphone in her own car.
“Control, this is Car Four. Is that you Tom? Why isn’t Sue on the radio? Over.”
“She hasn’t checked in yet, Amy. I told Sullivan I’d take the overtime to man the set until she came in. Over.”
Amy checked her wristwatch.
“She’s more than twenty minutes late now,” she said to Deputy Falk as he turned the corner only a hundred yards from the motel entrance.
“Is that bad?” asked Copper leaning forward and resting her arms on the back of the seat.
“Sue’s never late,” said Amy.
Falk nodded grimly.
“Something’s wrong for sure. Tell the Sheriff.”
Amy notified Winchell that they were at the motel and that Officer Sue Kendall had not reported for work as expected. Winchell had already heard about the disappearance of Captain Atkins’ car.
“Looks like this robbery was a decoy, but it might also be a trap for you, Amy” he warned. “I’ll send MacKeever and Norris to help search for the car. Barnes and I will join you at the motel. If it looks like trouble, wait for us. Over.”
Falk pulled the car into a parking space near the motel office.
“Roger, Sheriff. We’re on the scene. Car Four out.”
Both deputies got out of the car with their service revolvers drawn, Copper cautiously following.

Captain Atkins’ two-year-old sedan turned into an alley and continued to the parking lot of an abandoned machine shop halfway down the block. A black sedan sat waiting. Donna brought the car to a quick stop. She and Myra jumped out and ran to opposite sides of the black car. They threw open the back doors and dived inside. Almost before they could close the doors, the car bolted into motion. The vehicle followed the alley to the end of the block, turned right at the next street, then turned left at the first corner. The car was now headed south, in the opposite direction of the laundry truck, and ninety degrees from the easterly direction that Donna and Myra had been going under the escort of the Sheriff’s deputies.
Rowlands turned to look into the back seat. Myra had opened the cloth laundry bag lying on the back seat and was distributing the clothes inside it into two piles, one for Donna and on for herself. Donna had unbuttoned the blouse she had taken from Connie and was slipping it off. Connie’s skirt already lay on the floor in front of the backseat.
“Hiya, Rowlands,” the blonde cooed enticingly. “Ya wanna watch us?”
The look Rowlands gave her was expressionless, save for the hint of disdain suggested by the curling at one corner of his mouth.
“I just wanted to know if everything went all right,” he said.
Myra had unbuttoned Julie’s lightweight dress. She pulled it back and let it drop from her arms and shoulders then raised her shapely derriere from the seat to slide it off onto the floor. Both young women sat for a moment wearing only bras and panties.
“Everything went just fine. Captain Atkins is all tied up in a laundry truck headed for the ranch. It’s too bad we don’t have any pictures for you, ‘cause she’s a real cutie bare-assed naked and tied into a ball.”
Myra giggled.
“Her friends are havin’ a real good time too, all tied up face-to-face in bed.” She looked at Klee. “That blonde sergeant is quite a sight with no clothes.”
“And we’ve got ’em close enough to do this,” added Donna.
She put her arms around Myra and gave her a long kiss on the lips. When they broke the kiss, they stayed in each other’s arms.
“They aren’t real kissin’ cousins like we are though,” Donna said sweetly.
Rowlands looked at Klee. Klee was staring at the two vixens in the rearview mirror. When Rowlands looked forward again the car was starting to cross the centerline.
“You’d better keep your eyes on the road, Klee,” he said.
Klee returned the car to its own lane. Rowlands glanced into the rearview mirror to see the two girls giggle, then kiss again.
He looked at the road ahead, wishing he had never taken this job.

Amzie Noland stopped to catch her breath. She had begun struggling when she heard Estrelita begin trying to crawl around her chair and the desk. Amzie had been able to figure out that Estrelita intended to try to get to the phone, and knew that the hogtied and blindfolded girl stood little chance of even finding and reaching the telephone, let alone summoning any help. She had tried to stop the girl by talking into her gag, but could not make herself understood. The two young women who had confronted them with guns had looked not more than two or three years out of high school, but they had certainly bound and gagged them with the skill of seasoned criminals. Though she had tried everything she could think of, Amzie could find no way to slip out of her bonds.
She tugged at her wrist ropes again, but all the knots remained secure. In addition to being tied together, the two girls had forced her to pass her hands on either side of the supporting center splat of the chair back. Even if she could somehow stand up she would be unable to free her arms from the chair. She would have to move the chair with her. But there was no way she could stand up with her body bound to the chair with coils of rope about several places and her tied ankles had been drawn back under the seat and secured there. And gagged and blindfolded as she was, what could she do if she were able to stand?
Estrelita had stopped to rest also. The poor girl tried to moan something to her employer, but Amzie was unable to understand what she was trying to say. It was very quiet as they both rested. The knocking at the outer office door startled both captives. The knocking turned to pounding, and was joined by a man shouting.
“Amzie! Amzie, are you in there?”
Amzie heard the sound of the knob being tried, but their captors had locked it behind them. She and Estrelita both tried to call for help. The gags reduced their cries to nasal humming.
Then came the crash of an impact against the wooden door. It splintered and flew open so far that it banged against the wall.
“Mrs. Noland! Are you in here?”
It was a woman’s voice this time.
“Mrs. Noland! It’s Deputy Cole, Mrs. Noland! Where are you?”
Both bound women raised a chorus of gagged response.

Officer Sue Kendall took a deep breath through her nose and tried to remain calm. At first, both she and Sergeant Wade had struggled to free themselves from the securely looped adhesive tape that bound them individually and together. But it had not taken many minutes to tell them that there was no escape. They would remain nude, face-to-face, hands bound behind their backs, gagged and blindfolded in the motel bed until someone freed them. The only thing they could do was to stay relaxed, since breathing was much easier that way.
As with many small town girls, Sue had believed that what her life lacked most was adventure. Her mother had had the gravest misgivings about Sue’s working for the Sheriff’s office and had been relieved when she learned that Sue’s job would be as radio dispatcher, well out of the way of any speeding cars and flying bullets. It was Sue who had been disappointed to find out that she would begin with the dispatcher’s job.
Then had come the wonderful news that with only five months’ experience, Sue would have a chance at some real deputy work in guarding the Air Force captain and her sergeant/driver. Sheriff Winchell had even issued her a revolver, gunbelt and handcuffs for the week. All she had to do was alternate nights with Amy Cole in sleeping in the airwomen’s room. It had been pretty routine work, and much of the thrill had been taken from it when she was told that two deputies were on duty outside the room as well. All she had wanted was a chance to show her worth as a policewoman. Now she was bound, gagged, blindfolded and naked and pressed tightly against another woman who was in the same state. Bound as they were, there was no way for them to even attempt any escape. They would have to wait for rescue. It was a humiliating turn of events.
She heard muffled sounds outside the room. The door was tried but did not open. A key was put into the lock and turned. The door flew open, but all was silent for a moment.
“Somebody’s still in here!” called a voice Sue seemed to recognize as Amy Cole’s.
The bedclothes that covered the bound pair were thrown back.
“Great Caesar!” exclaimed a man.
“Oh my God!” Amy exploded. “Copper! Come quick!”
“You’d better handle this,” said the man.
“Right,” Amy replied. “Let the Sheriff know, Bob. Captain Atkins has been kidnapped.”

Sky Ryder poured himself another cup of coffee. He looked out of the window over the kitchen sink at the still quiet landscape outside sipping the coffee thoughtfully. All looked peaceful but the tall rancher felt somewhat uneasy, the same kind of uneasiness he had experienced in the War when things were too quiet. He shook his head. The strange feeling he had was probably due to Copper having gone into town so early to have the car serviced. His niece was rarely an early riser by choice, but he understood that waiting at the ranch made the girl nervous. It was better that she have a few tasks to do.
“Calling Flying Coronet. Calling Flying Coronet. This is Copper, Uncle Sky. Do you read me? Over.”
Sky put his cup on the counter and hurried to the radio set in the living room.
“This is Sky at the ranch, Copper. I read you. Is something wrong? Over.”
Copper Ryder looked through the open door of Amy Cole’s patrol car into the motel office. Inside the room a local doctor and two ambulance attendants were attending the freed and dressed Amzie, Estrelita, Officer Kendall, and Sergeant Wade.
“I’m at Amzie’s Motel, Sky,” the girl said fretfully. “You’ve got to get here quick! The gang was here early this morning. Two women tied up Mrs. Noland and the maid and impersonated them. They got into Julie’s room, tied up Sergeant Wade and the policewoman and kidnapped Julie. Over.”
“I’ll be there as fast as the Hummingbird can get me to town. Out.”
Sky grabbed his hat and hurried to the back door. Within three minutes he was in the air.

Sheriff Winchell put a hand to his chin as he stood before the four women seated in the waiting area of the motel office. Amzie Noland, Estrelita, and Officer Kendall had recovered the clothes taken from them, and Sergeant Wade had other clothing in their room.
“So beyond the fact that it was two young women who attacked you,” he said, “you can’t tell me very much about who they were.”
“How in the world could we tell you much about them, Sheriff?” said Amzie Noland. “Why they had scarves tied over their faces when they came in the office, and after they tied and gagged us they put blindfolds on us! We never had a chance to see who they were!”
Copper Ryder had found the coffeepot from the unserved breakfast and was attempting to pour a cup for Amzie. In her agitation, the woman kept gesturing with the hand in which she held the cup, making Copper wait.
“You just drink this, Mrs. Noland,” said the girl soothingly. “You’ll feel a lot better.”
Mrs. Noland took a breath as Copper leaned over and began to pour coffee into her cup, but a sudden thought occurred to her and she turned suddenly to the Sheriff again. The cup went with her, causing Copper to pour a bit of coffee into empty air and onto the carpet before the girl could tilt the pot back.
“Well they were a couple of young hussies, Sheriff!” Amzie went on with great heat. “They really enjoyed making us take off our clothes. They made Estrelita take off her bra even though there was no reason for it! They had her uniform. That was all they needed.”
She looked at the circle of faces around her. Deputy Amy Cole was giving glasses of water to Estrelita and Officer Kendall. Deputy Falk was writing in his notebook. Amzie glanced at Falk and the Sheriff again.
“I’d be too embarrassed to tell you what else they did,” she finished, lowering her eyes.
“Amzie,” Winchell said gently, “I’m the Sheriff. I have to know everything, if it’ll help us find them.”
Amzie looked up and shook her head.
“They felt us up a little and played with our breasts, Sheriff,” said Estrelita in a soft but resolute voice. “Their voices were young, and they both had very nice figures.”
“And they had men helping them Sheriff,” added Sue Kendall, “The ones who took the Captain away were definitely men. And there were at least three of them.”
Sergeant Connie Wade added:
“And I think that one of them was one of the men who tied up Copper and me at the Ryder ranch the other day.” She furrowed her brow in thought. “I can’t be certain, because he didn’t say much then, but I’m pretty sure that I recognized the voice.”
Winchell nodded. Falk wrote in his notebook.
“Did they do or say anything that would help us find out where they were taking her?” asked Winchell.
Connie Wade’s expression was very grim. She fretfully rubbed the side of her face.
“They loaded her in some kind of truck with metal doors on the back. I heard them close. One of the women said that the Captain was going on a little trip and wouldn’t be coming back.”
They all looked uneasily at one another.
“Well the part about the small truck helps,” mused the Sheriff.
“Maybe some kind of delivery van or truck,” suggested Amy.
“One of the women said something kind of strange, Sheriff,” added Officer Kendall. “She said that the Captain was all ‘bright and clean’ for her trip. That seemed an odd thing to say.”
Copper was leaning over to pour coffee for Sergeant Wade. She abruptly straightened up.
“Bright and clean?” the girl cried. “The laundry truck! I saw it pull out of here! It was spelled wrong, but I wonder if that’s what she meant!”
It took a moment or two of explanation to explain her point.
“I might not have remembered it without that funny spelling.”
“Which way did the truck go?” Winchell asked.
“North.”
“Get on the radio to Sky. Describe the truck and tell him to get north of town as fast as he can and start looking for it. I’m going to put every deputy on the day shift after them. We’ll get Captain Atkins back.”

“Okay, Copper,” said Sky Ryder. “I’ve got the information. Small white truck with the logo ‘Brite and Kleen’ in red letters on both sides. Was headed north out of Kermit on White Mountain Road. Is that right? Over.”
“Right, Uncle Sky,” answered Copper. “We think there are three men in the truck with her. I’m with the Sheriff headed that way now. There’s another car with us and two more cars are headed north on Apache Gulch Road. Over.”
Sky looked at the dry landscape below. The town of Kermit was barely two miles ahead.
“Sounds like a good plan. I doubt that they can get too much speed out of a truck like that. I’ll be north of town in about two minutes. I’ll keep you all informed. Over.”
Sheriff Winchell took the radio microphone from Copper leaning over the patrol car seat and pressed the transmitter button.
“We’ll be with you as fast as we can, Sky. Car One out.”
“Roger, Winch. Sky out.”
Sky hung the handset on its hook and gripped the yoke firmly.

Hammer stuck his head from the cargo section of the truck into the cab between Harvey and Gordon to check the speedometer.
“Not too fast now, Gordon,” he cautioned the big man. “We don’t want anyone to think we’re doing anything but delivering laundry here.”
The driver turned his unattractive, menacing face toward Hammer for a few seconds then looked back at the road.
“I know what I’m doing. But if you’re so worried we can switch jobs for a while. You can drive and I’ll go back there and take care of the Captain. I wouldn’t mind that at all.”
Harvey gave Gordon a friendly grin.
“I’ll bet you wouldn’t. Neither would I.”
“Just keep the truck on the road and watch out for cops,” said Hammer without any sign of amusement or friendliness. “I’ll take care of the pretty Captain.”
He disappeared into the back of the truck. Gordon looked briefly at Harvey and shrugged.
Julie Atkins, naked and bound into a knees-to-chest ball with white adhesive tape, was wriggling ineffectually atop piles and bags of linens in the back. Hammer knelt on the pile of laundry and walked back to her on his knees.
“I hope you’re enjoyin’ the ride, Captain,” he said. “It’ll be a while ‘til we get there, but I wouldn’t be in any hurry if I were you. The boss has some real special plans for you.”
Julie mewed into her gag and shook her head. Hammer looked at her hungrily and ran a hand down her bare side and leg. She flinched at his touch but could do little to draw away from him.
“I guess we really don’t have to keep you tied up like that though. The girls just wanted to bundle you up kinda small and have some fun with you.”
He drew a pocketknife from his jacket and opened the blade. He sawed on the tape loops between her leg and shoulder. Finally they separated, easing the pressure on her back, abdominal and leg muscles. Slowly and carefully he peeled the tape from around her back and under her legs. She sighed with relief.
“Better, huh?” whispered Hammer as he wadded the tape into a ball and tossed it aside. “I’ll bet you’re grateful too, aren’t you Captain?”
He ran a hand over her shoulder and down her side again. Julie froze for a moment. Though blindfolded, she turned her head toward him as though looking him in the face. She mewed into the gag again and shook her head.
“Tsk, tsk, Captain. Not grateful? That’s too bad. You see, the boss lady’s always prancin’ around in front of us, shakin’ her behind and showin’ off her boobs. And we, the hired help, get kinda tired of it. Makes us a little crazy when we see a woman who’s more agreeable.”
He ran his hand over one of the loops of tape around her body and arms up to her breast. He toyed with her nipple for a moment. She protested into the gag and raised her knees up to try to push him away with her feet. He easily fended her off.
“Oh, come on, Captain,” he said mockingly. “You don’t really think that one little tied up woman can beat up a man, do you?”
He ran his hand down her shapely leg. Julie moaned into her gag.

Sky Ryder scanned the empty road below him. There was so little traffic that he had no doubt about being able to find the white truck, so he had kept the Hummingbird at a high enough altitude that the plane, if spotted, would not be immediately identified as part of a search. He had passed two sheriff’s cars a few minutes ago. They were now several miles behind him. To the east he knew that there were two more patrol cars headed north on a parallel road. Somehow Sky had to be sure that the Sheriff and his men could find the truck and catch it.
The truck appeared on the road to the north. Sky estimated that it was about ten miles ahead of the pursuing police. His guess that the truck would not be going too fast was correct, and the much faster police cruisers would be able to overtake it soon. But there was also a risk of the truck turning off the main road at any junction ahead. If he followed too casually, he might lose his quarry in one of the canyons or pine forests in the hills.
Sky looked ahead. There was flat country for several more miles, so no need to make a move yet. He reached for the radio.
“Hummingbird calling Sheriff’s Car One. Calling Sheriff’s Car One. Are you there, Winch? Over.”
The reply was prompt.
“Car One to Hummingbird. What have you got, Sky? Over.”
“They’re dead ahead of you, Winch. Ten, maybe twelve miles, but not going very fast. They’re getting close to the Maloney ranch. Over.”
“Roger, Sky. We’re stepping on it. Can you do anything to slow them down? Over.”
“I’ll try, Winch. But I can’t risk wrecking them with Julie in back of the truck I’ll have to be careful. Over.”
“I’ll have Tyler and Rivera head west on one of the county roads when you give the word. They may be able to set up a roadblock for you. But watch out. They’ll probably start shooting once they spot you. Over.”
“I’m going to have to count on that, Winch. As long as they’re shooting they won’t be trying to give us the slip. Wish me luck. Over.”
Copper Ryder reached over the seat between Deputy Cole at the wheel and Winchell and took the handset from the Sheriff.
“You be careful, Sky,” she said.
“I’ll do my best, Copper. Hummingbird out.”

Hammer caressed one of Julie’s breasts, ignoring the helpless woman’s struggles and protests. He slipped his arm around behind her and raised her head and shoulders. Their faces were very close.
“Now, Captain,” he whispered, “let’s see some of that military courtesy.”
He leaned down to nuzzle her cheek and jaw. The bound woman thrashed uselessly.
“Hey, Gordon,” said Harvey. “Look over there. You don’t see planes flying that low very often.”
Harvey pointed casually out the truck window on his side. Gordon leaned over to look at the twin engine Cessna Bobcat.
“Yeah. What’s he doin’? Dustin’ crops? He doesn’t look like a cropduster.”
Hammer straightened up. He lowered Julie back onto the laundry piles and scrambled to the opening to the cab.
“Plane?” he demanded. “What plane?”
Harvey pointed again. His good-natured face radiated childish delight at seeing an airplane so close.
“You fools,” shouted Hammer. “That’s Sky Ryder. We’ve been spotted!”
He started to draw his gun from inside his suitcoat, only to have the Cessna bank sharply left toward the road ahead. The plane crossed the highway a hundred yards or so in front of the truck. Gordon slammed on the brakes and turned the wheel to the left. All three men were thrown off balance.
“Be careful, Gordon!” screamed Hammer. “You’ll kill us all!”
Gordon accelerated again only to have the plane repeat its action from the left. Again the truck was forced to slow.
“What are we going to do?” yelled Harvey.
Hammer drew out his revolver.
“We’re gonna shoot him if we get half a chance, you big oaf,” he snapped. “You’ve got guns, so start usin’ ’em.”
The plane veered in from the right again. Harvey drew his pistol but was unable to get off a shot at the swiftly moving Cessna. Hammer looked out the window behind Gordon, watching for the next pass from the left. But the wily flier circled behind the truck and came in from the right again. The startled Gordon turned quickly, causing two wheels to go off the asphalt into the hard sand of the shoulder. On the next pass Hammer guessed correctly that the plane would come from the left and managed to get off two shots. They had no effect.
For some minutes the duel continued. The fleeing men fired a number of times at the Hummingbird but were unable to hit the pilot or disable the plane. Sky took no unnecessary chances, coming from as close to directly behind the truck as possible to limit the time the men had to aim. Each time he passed in front of the truck he forced it to slow for a time. As he circled behind his quarry after a dozen or so passes he finally saw police cars come into view.
Hammer had not seen the cars, but he was able to figure out Sky’s plan.
“He’s trying to slow us down!” he yelled to Gordon. “The cops must be on our tail. You’ve got to keep movin.’ He’s not going to risk wrecking us with his precious Captain inside. Next time, just don’t slow down.”
“I’ll try. But it’s not easy to do when a plane just appears in front of you.”
As if to illustrate his point, the Cessna swooped down from directly above the truck and flew just ahead of it for several seconds at an altitude of thirty feet or so. Harvey and Hammer both put their arms outside the windows and fired. The plane climbed and sped away to the front. Only when he was well out of range did Sky bank to go behind them again. He repeated the maneuver, again climbing and speeding ahead of the truck.
“The cops are getting’ close!” shouted Harvey pointing into the mirror on his side of the cab. “Two of ‘em!”
The flashing red lights of the police cars were now plainly visible.
“There’s no way out of this,” Gordon said grimly. “We might as well give up.”
Hammer pointed his pistol at the big driver.
“Just keep goin’, Gordon. They haven’t got us yet.”
Hammer looked ahead. The plane was heading directly toward them.
“What’s he doin’ now?” wailed Harvey. “Is he gonna hit us?”
“He’s no kamikaze,” said Hammer.
A few hundred yards ahead of the truck, the plane dropped down extremely low. A cloud of sand blew up in front of it.
“Look out!” cried Harvey as they headed right for it.
The Cessna climbed out of the dust, but the cloud raised by its propellers hung in the air. The truck plunged into the blinding mass.
“Keep goin’!” howled Hammer.
But Gordon, unnerved and now blinded, could not control his instincts. He hit the brakes hard, bringing the truck to a stop. He and Harvey threw the doors open and stumbled out. Hammer dived into the back of the truck.
Sky Ryder watched the truck go off the road and stop. Winchell and another car were coming from the south. A third police car appeared to the north. He looked for a place to land.
Neither Gordon nor Harvey got very far from the road. Even after the dust cloud had settled, the two had to stop to try to clear sand from their eyes and throats. As they coughed and spat out dirt, two police cars roared up from the south. Both men drew their pistols and made a run for some nearby rock formations. They were still thirty yards away when the police cars pulled off the road. Winchell and Deputy Cole got out and took cover behind the doors of one car. Deputies Falk and Barnes did the same at the other car.
“Stop or we’ll shoot,” shouted Winchell. “Give it up, you two.”
Gordon turned and fired a hasty shot. Winchell took aim and returned fire. Gordon grabbed his leg and fell in a heap, his gun falling several feet away. Falk fired at Harvey. The shot missed but kicked up sand only a few feet in front of the big man. He stopped and dropped his gun, turning with raised hands to his pursuers.
“Don’t shoot, Sheriff. We’ve had enough.”
He turned his oddly amiable face to look at the wounded Gordon. Copper Ryder emerged from the backseat of the Sheriff’s car. Deputy Barnes started forward, but Winchell stopped him with a hand motion.
“Where’s the other man?” called Winchell.
Before they could answer him the back doors of the truck swung open. Hammer stepped out. In his right hand he held his pistol. His left arm circled the waist of the naked and bound Julie Atkins. He held the helpless woman in front of him shielding his own body with hers. He raised his gun to the head of his hostage. Though she was still gagged and blindfolded, when the muzzle of the pistol touched her temple, Julie sensed what it was and froze.
“All right, Sheriff, just stay where you are or the pretty Captain here gets hurt.”
“Give it up, son,” Winchell said calmly, his revolver pointed at the man. “If she or anyone gets hurt it’ll just go harder on you. Throw down your gun.”
“No thanks, Sheriff. I like things as they are.”
“How far do you think you’ll get in this desert with a tied up hostage and a wounded man?”
Hammer laughed. He waved the gun in the direction of Gordon and Harvey.
“You can have my friends here, if you want ’em. But I’m takin’ the Captain and getting’ out of here. You’re gonna tell the deputies in that car that’s comin’ t’ get out and let me and the Captain in.”
He gestured toward Copper with his pistol.
“And that cute little blonde back there’s gonna be our driver.”
Copper stared at Hammer. Just behind him Sky Ryder appeared. As he crept up behind the man, Sky nodded to his niece.
“It’s okay, Sheriff,” she said to Winchell. “I’ll do what he says.”
Winchell tried not to look at Sky, fearing he would give the game away. The resulting uncertain expression worked perfectly.
“Be careful, Copper,” said Winchell.
She walked slowly toward Hammer and his prisoner.
“I think you were at the ranch the other day, weren’t you?” she asked. “If I remember right, your name’s Hammer.”
He smiled.
“Good memory, kid. The Boss Lady was pretty rough on you. I’m glad she didn’t---”
Sky Ryder grabbed the man from behind, using his right hand to seize Hammer’s gun hand at the wrist and swing it skyward. As Hammer tightened his grip on the gun it went off once. Simultaneously, he released his hold of Julie. The sightless and ankle bound woman swayed helplessly for a moment until Copper lunged forward to catch her and get her out of the deputies’ line of fire. Hammer twisted away from Sky, managing to throw the tall rancher off balance. As he started to raise his gun four shots rang out. Winchell and all three deputies had fired almost at the same instant. Hammer fell heavily.
Winchell holstered his revolver.
“Bob, you and Charlie take care of our friends who’ve had enough,” he ordered. “Amy, get the first aid kit and see if there’s anything you can do for the other one.”
Sky Ryder bent over the motionless form of Hammer. He shook his head.
“It’s too late for him, Winch.”
He hurried over to Copper and Julie. Copper had removed the tape from Julie’s eyes and was now carefully peeling off the strips that sealed her mouth. She stepped aside so that Sky could take Julie in his arms while she continued working.
“Julie,” was all he said.
Copper finished pulling off the tape and helped Julie get the wadded washcloth out of her mouth. Julie closed her eyes and leaned her head against his chest.
“Oh, Sky...” was all she could say.

End of Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Back to Friends' Page
Copyright © 2002 by Frank Knebel



Sky vs. Spies
Fiction by Frank Knebel
Chapter 8
Joanna Dorrin rose from her seat in an overstuffed armchair and paced back and forth a couple of times. Rowlands, his hat in hand, stood watching her. Myra and Donna, both wearing only tiny bikinis and pouting expressions, sat on the couch nearby. Mrs. Dorrin stopped pacing and faced Rowlands.
“Again, Rowlands,” she said, “you and your men have proven unequal to the job, and a rather simple job at that. How three men could fail to deliver one bound and gagged woman to us seems incredible! And not only did they fail in their mission, but their failure might have drawn the attention of the authorities in this direction.”
“It was a great plan, Aunt Joanna,” said Donna glumly. “Those men must have bungled it somehow.”
“I don’t see how they could have,” added Myra.
They all looked at Rowlands. He shrugged.
“Somehow or other somebody spotted the truck,” he said with a shrug. “With that plane of his Ryder has all the advantages in a chase if he knows what to look for.”
“He must be eliminated,” Joanna said.
Rowlands chuckled mirthlessly and shook his head.
“A lot of others have tried it in the past and he’s still here. We tried it and lost five men. Now he’s on the alert. Captain Atkins and her driver have moved out to his ranch and his men and the sheriff’s are guarding the place around the clock. There’s no way to get at them there.”
Donna looked imploringly at her aunt.
“We really had her, Aunt Joanna. We had her stripped and all tied up for you. She’s very beautiful too.”
“You’d have enjoyed playing with her,” said Myra, putting a comforting arm around her cousin’s shoulder.
“You’ve hired the wrong kind of men, Rowlands,” said Joanna.
He raised an eyebrow.
“What kind would you have hired? Men who can shoot down a plane with a pistol? Men who can hit a moving target at a hundred and sixty miles an hour? There aren’t very many men who can do that. Now Hammer’s dead and the Sheriff has Gordon and Harvey. Three of the new men cleared out when they heard, so I’ve got only six men left. Any more plans better not require an army.”
“I hope that those six will prove to be better than the others.”
He paused and ran a finger over his mustache.
“You know, nobody asked me but I’d never have tried that last plan to kidnap the Captain.”
The three women looked at him in surprise.
“I’m not saying that it couldn’t have worked,” he continued. “It was a pretty slick idea, and it should have worked. Ryder and the Sheriff are plenty clever and they must have been lucky too. But even if we’d gotten the Captain, what would we have? A woman who has some idea where the balloon came down, but not the thing itself. We’d still have to go search for it. I say why not let them find it and take it from them? If you want to kidnap the Captain, it’d make more sense to use her for leverage. You know, trade her for the instrument package. I think that would be a lot smarter.”
Mrs. Dorrin ran a finger over her jaw as she looked thoughtfully at him. The girls on the sofa sat up.
“You have some kind of plan, Rowlands?” asked Mrs. Dorrin.
The man gave a hint of a smile.

Summer Smithers heard the sound of the plane nearby and turned in the saddle to look for it. She had on a wide-brimmed Western hat, and she also raised a hand to help shield her eyes from the sun as she searched. Finally she located the plane to the southwest. The Cessna Bobcat was headed east across the southern parts of her ranch. She lost sight as it came near the brightness of the morning spring sun.
Summer sighed. She had heard about Sky’s prominent role in the rescue of the beautiful Captain Julie Atkins from her kidnappers. And now she and her driver were quartered at the Flying Coronet under the guard of Sky’s men and the Sheriff’s deputies. If only they would find that balloon and its instruments today! The Captain’s mission would end and she would return to her base. And Sky would no longer think of her. After all, he hadn’t carried a torch for her for the last nine years, so why would he now? She would be out of his life once again. And she, Summer, would be back in.
The dark haired rancher sighed. It was all wishful thinking, she knew, unless they found that balloon quickly. For the past couple days they had been concentrating their search on her ranch. If there were only some way she could help them. Having her ranch hands drop their work and search full time was out of the question. Not only could she not neglect the daily work of the place, but word would get out what was happening and draw the attention they had tried to avoid. She could do it herself, but alone and on horseback it would be wasted effort. She would need a plane and a pilot, since she could not fly. But how could she get a trusted pilot?
And then, in a blinding flash of intuition, came the solution!

Julie lowered her binoculars and dabbed at her eyes with a white handkerchief. Sky glanced over at her.
“Tired eyes?” he asked. “Hours of looking at the sand every day will certainly cause them.”
Julie sighed wearily.
“I don’t know, Sky. I was so eager for this assignment at first. It was like having my own command in a way. I sure felt more like an officer than I do back at the base watching over an office full of clerk/typists. Out here I’m actually doing something.”
She paused for a moment.
“And then what happens? First Connie and Copper are taken prisoner and nearly killed by this gang, then they tie up four innocent women and ambush me coming out of the shower before I can even get dressed. Naked, bound and gagged I’m taken away in the back of a truck and have to be rescued by you and the Sheriff. Oh, I can really take care of myself all right.”
Her voice quavered as though she were about to cry. Sky reached over and laid his hand on hers.
“That’s enough of that, young lady,” he said gently. “I don’t know what you think you ought to have done in that situation. But even Audie Murphy wouldn’t have had many options if he’d been in your place.”
She glanced over at him. There was a gentle smile on his handsome face. Almost involuntarily, she smiled back.
“No. I guess he wouldn’t have.”
She squeezed his hand with her left hand as she raised her binoculars with her right. Very slowly she moved her head from side to side as she examined the arid land below. Sky also swept the landscape with his eyes.
Julie took in a sharp breath.
“Sky!” She pointed to the right below. “Look down there! I think we’ve found something!”
Sky craned his neck to look over the instrument panel but could not see it clearly. He put both hands on the yoke and banked the plane to the right.
“Let’s take a closer look.”
He made two passes over the object below, one so that his side of the plane faced it and one with Julie’s side facing. She looked at it closely both with the binoculars and with her unaided eyes. A long streak of something light colored and reflective stretched out from a few cacti below.
“That might be it, Sky!” Julie cried, vainly trying to suppress her excitement.
He smiled at her.
“There’s only one way to find out.” He scanned the ground below and nodded toward a barren strip free of rocks. “That area looks pretty flat. Better buckle up again.”
Julie fastened her seat belt as Sky eased the yoke forward to begin their descent.

Rowlands watched through his field glasses as the Cessna Bobcat came in for a landing. Klee scrambled up to the rocky point where Rowlands knelt.
“The car’s hidden,” Klee announced as he climbed the last few feet.
Rowlands turned away from the plane and looked at Klee.
“You want to say that again louder when the plane’s engines stop?” he asked sarcastically. “I mean, just in case Ryder can’t hear every word clearly.”
Klee glared at him.
“I don’t care how well sound carries out here. They can’t hear us in that plane.”
“Maybe not,” said Rowlands as he raised his binoculars again. “But they may have deputies following them on the ground. Ryder’s no dummy. He’s gonna be watchin’ for an ambush from now on.”
Klee swallowed and looked around, shielding his squinting eyes with one hand as he did.
“I don’t see anybody.” He noticed the plane descending, but tried to keep his voice low. “Hey! What’s goin’ on?”
Rowlands shook his head.
“I don’t know. They must’ve seen something.” He swept the glasses over the area, then froze. “Hey! What’s that?”
Klee continued to squint as he looked toward the plane.
“I can’t see anything with the glare off the sand.”
Rowlands put down his binoculars.
“Well I see somethin’ over there. There’s somethin’ shiny on the ground. Come on. We gotta get closer.”
The two made their way toward the landing Cessna.

Ten minutes after landing Sky and Julie were climbing over rough, rocky ground toward the object they had seen from the air. Sky wore his gunbelt and he had his revolver in his hand as they drew near.
“Oh, Sky!” cried Julie. “This is it!”
As Julie ran toward the large strip of material, Sky paused to take a cautious look around. Seeing nothing, he followed her. Julie was kneeling beside the material feeling it with her fingers. She turned back to him.
“It’s one of our balloons all right,” she announced.
Sky looked at the piece of balloon material. One end had somehow become around the base of a cactus. It was roughly rectangular, about thirty feet long and twelve feet wide. The edges were torn and frayed as if it had been ripped apart. The ragged edges flapped and waved in the desert breeze.
“Well it’s part of one anyway,” he said. “There’s not nearly enough here to be a whole balloon. Those Mogul balloons were much larger. This is only a piece.”
He walked slowly around the flapping wreck.
“And no sign of any instrument pack or any of the lines that held it to the balloon.”
“What happened to the rest?” Julie asked.
Sky looked to the west.
“I’d say it came down a few miles out that way and got caught somewhere, in trees, rocks, or something. The winds through those canyons tore the balloon to bits.”
“Why do you think it landed west of here?”
“The winds lately have been mostly westerly and fairly strong too. I’d guess that the instrument pack, being the heaviest part, got lodged on something and is still back there while pieces of the balloon blew out this way. This piece got stuck here when it wrapped around this cactus.”
Julie looked as Sky pointed to various points as he talked. He walked about fifty yards to the west, looked at the ground and pointed again.
“It’s hard to tell after so many days,” he said, “but I think you can still see the marks where it dragged across the sand.”
Julie looked west into some very rugged-looking country. A half-hour earlier they had seen them from the air: rocky hills scored by deep ravines and canyons.
“How can we find it back there?” she asked Sky.
He smiled wryly.
“I doubt we’ll be able to do the whole job from the Hummingbird. I’ll have to fly low over those ravines and gorges to spot it but, since there’re no good places to land around there, we’ll have to have a team on the ground to recover the instruments.”
“On horseback?”
Sky nodded.
“We’ll put your long experience on horses to good use.” He glanced around uneasily. “We’d better have some deputies along too. Our friends could be watching us to see if we turn up anything so they can take it away from us.”
Julie looked around nervously.
“I hope you don’t mean that,” she said unconvincingly. “I mean, thanks to you, they’ve gotten a couple of bloody noses already. They wouldn’t try again, would they?”
“I hope not.” He smiled encouragingly and extended his hand to her. “Come on. Let’s get back in the air. Maybe we’ll see something on our way back to the ranch.”
She smiled and took his hand, then gave him a quizzical look.
“Shouldn’t we take this part of the balloon back?”
Sky shook his head.
“If it’s not important I think we should leave it. If our friends are out hunting too, maybe they’ll see it and waste some time looking out here.”
She put her arm around his waist and squeezed.
“How did I get along for all those years without you, Sky Ryder?”
He gazed at her for a moment.
“I’ve been asking myself the same question.”
He bent over her and kissed her.

Summer Smithers could see the sturdy looking guard on Sky’s front porch stand and pick up his rifle as she brought her station wagon to a stop by the front gate. She noted that it was Wes Donovan and waved as she got out of the car. He relaxed and waved back.
“’Morning, Wes,” said called as she trotted toward the front door.
“’Mornin’, Mrs. Smithers,” he called back. “Sky and the Captain are still out in the plane.”
“That’s all right, Wes. I came to see Copper.”
Wes was of average height but his thick, broad shoulders gave him a powerful appearance that was reinforced by his sparing use of language. He smiled genially, ran a big hand through his dense, wiry brown hair then pointed toward the door with his thumb.
“Go on in.”
Wes lowered himself back into his chair as Summer bounded up the steps and knocked loudly, calling Copper’s name as she did. Not waiting for an answer, she opened the door and went in. She met Copper coming from the hallway.
“Hi, Summer,” the girl said, obviously surprised to see her neighbor. “What brings you over?”
“Oh, nothing special,” Summer replied. “I’m going into town today and just thought that you might like to come with me.”
Copper’s lower lip protruded a bit.
“Well, there’s nothing much for us to do around here.” She looked into the living room. “Is there, Sarge?”
Sergeant Connie Wade was sitting on the couch with her legs crossed and well displayed by a short, tight fitting skirt. She looked up from the movie fan magazine she was reading. There was a sizable pile of similar magazines, all new, on the coffee table in front of her next to a bottle of Coke.
“Not a thing, Copper,” she called. “We just wait and keep the home fires burning.”
“Good!” said Summer. “You can use some entertainment then. Let’s go!”
Copper grinned and grabbed her cowboy hat from the table by the door. She and Summer hurried out to Summer’s station wagon and were soon on the road.
They were barely half a mile from the ranch when Copper looked shrewdly at Summer.
“Okay, Summer. I can tell that you’ve got something up your sleeve. What is it?”
Summer feigned a look of pained innocence.
“Why Copper! What could you possibly suspect me of?”
Copper folded her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes.
“Come on,” she demanded. “Out with it.”
Summer laughed.
“Okay. You’ve got me. Look, this watching Sky out there every day and waiting for something to happen is driving me crazy. And I know that it must be getting to you too.”
“It sure is,” the girl pouted. “Here I am, a perfectly good pilot, and I have to wait on the ground every day while Sky gets to do all the fun stuff. And I think that I handled myself pretty well in that crisis the other day. Julie might not have been rescued if it hadn’t been for me!”
“Exactly!” said Summer. “And this week they’ve been flying over my ranch. If there’s some possibility that the wreckage is on my spread, I want to find it as soon as I can. I don’t want that gang hanging around!”
“But what can we do?” said Copper with a shrug. “Your station wagon couldn’t get into the rough country to the south and west. And it would take weeks to search all that land on horseback.”
“True,” said Summer looking studiously at the road. “But it wouldn’t take long with a plane.”
“But Sky’s using the Hummingbird, and you don’t have a plane,” objected Copper.
“Ted Barry’s a pilot. And he’s got a nice little Piper Cub.”
“The only problem is that Ted’s in New York until next week.”
“But he’s a good friend of Sky,” Summer continued calmly. “And I know that he’s told Sky that he’s welcome to use his plane anytime.”
Copper’s eyes lit up with excitement at the realization.
“And I’m sure that it’d be okay with the guys at the airport!”
“I’ll pay for the gas,” said Summer enticingly.
Copper giggled in anticipation.
“When do you want to start?” she asked.
“There’s no time like the present,” answered Summer.
She pressed the accelerator a bit more as they headed for Kermit.

Rowlands and Klee waited to approach the wreckage until the Hummingbird was in the air and several miles away. Rowlands knelt beside the fabric and examined it closely. Klee leaned over, hands on his knees.
“What is it?” he asked.
Rowlands was amused by his partner’s denseness.
“All this work and trouble, and you don’t know when we’re starting to get close.”
Klee stared at him blankly.
“It’s part of the balloon,” said Rowlands. “You know, the thing we’ve been looking for.”
Klee looked at it in disbelief. He spread his hands expressively.
“You mean that this is it?”
Rowlands shook his head.
“Nah. It’s just only a piece of it, and not the most important piece. We want the instruments that the balloon took up.”
“Where do you think they are?”
Rowlands straightened up and pointed to the west.
“Out there somewhere. The winds have been blowing from that direction, so I figure that the main part of it’s still back where it fell.”
Klee nodded.
“What do we do now?”
“First we get back to the car and report in. Ryder and the Captain found this too so they’ll be looking back there too.”
Klee squinted at the rocky hills in that direction.
“Pretty rugged country out there,” he said.
“Yeah. We’ve gotta find out what they’re gonna do, then figure out how to get one jump ahead of ‘em.”
Klee grinned at Rowlands and gave him a poke in the midsection with his elbow.
“The Lady Captain and Ryder looked pretty friendly, didn’t they?”
Rowlands chuckled.
“That Ryder must work pretty fast.” He looked at Klee significantly. “And remember that about them being so sweet on each other. It may come in handy. Let’s go.”
The two headed back for their car.

Fred Merrill dismounted and hitched his horse to one of the wooden fenceposts of Sky Ryder’s corral. As the big foreman walked around the house to the front porch, a police car drove slowly past the ranch. Merrill waved and the deputy in the passenger seat waved back. The car continued on. Wes Donovan, on guard on the small front porch, also waved to the deputies as they passed, then nodded at Fred when he saw him coming.
“ ‘Mornin’ Wes,” said Fred. He walked up to the end of the porch and leaned on the rail. Wes ambled over to meet him.
“Fred,” was all he said in reply.
“Didn’t I see Miss Summer’s car pull in here about twenty minutes ago?”
“Yup,” said Wes, maintaining his verbal economy.
“What did she want?”
“Didn’t really say.”
“And she’s gone already?”
Wes nodded. “Didn’t stay long. Took Miss Copper into town.”
“Thanks, Wes.”
Wes employed his main form of communication by nodding once more. Knowing that Wes was talked out, Fred walked slowly around the house to check the guard at the back. There was something about Copper and Summer’s departure for town that bothered him.

Within twenty minutes of their arrival at the Kermit Airport, Copper and Summer were in the air. Though Copper was now more used to the twin engine Hummingbird, she had trained extensively on single engine planes and had no trouble in handling the Cub.
“We made it!” exclaimed Summer once they were airborne.
Copper laughed.
“It was kind of close there, wasn’t it?” she said.
Summer giggled.
“I’m glad I had you along to flirt with Tim back there. Even though he was in charge this morning, he’s more your age. I think he’d have done anything for you after you played up to him like that.”
“Believe me,” the girl replied, “he liked having the attractive older woman batting her eyelashes at him too.”
They both laughed.
“Where should we start?” asked Copper.
“I don’t know anything about air searches,” admitted Summer. “What do you think?”
“Well, if it had come done someplace where you have cattle regularly, it’d have been found already. So let’s start a little south of your main grazing area.”
“Sounds good to me.”
The little plane headed southeast.

Rowlands was breathing hard from climbing up and down the rocky landscape. He turned back to Klee.
“How much farther to the car?”
He pointed ahead.
“It’s right over there. I found some good cover for it, even from an air search. Ryder’d have to fly right over it to see it.”
They stood panting for a moment. Rowlands suddenly became alert and held up a hand.
“What’s that?” he asked.
Klee listened. The low hum of airplane engines could be heard.
“Take cover!” ordered Rowlands.
The two men hid themselves among the rocks. When the sound of the engines did not become louder, Rowlands peered out from his concealment. Klee followed his example. To the north, a white single engine plane was heading east, flying low and rather slowly. Rowlands took his binoculars from the case slung over his shoulder and studied the plane carefully.
“It’s not Ryder,” said Klee. “But he looks like he’s searchin’ for somethin’ too.”
Rowlands reached into a hip pocket and drew out a small notebook and a pen. He wrote a few numbers on a sheet.
“Yeah, it does look that way, doesn’t it?” he said. “We’ve got to find a phone. I want to have a man check the airport and see who’s using that plane.”
The two mad their way through the rock to the car. In a few minutes they were back on the road and headed toward Kermit.

That night there was another meeting in Sky Ryder’s living room. The same principals who had gathered a few days before were back again. Sky had done most of the talking, bringing everyone up to date on the progress of the search. He did not say exactly where traces of the balloon had been found or where they would be concentrating their efforts the next day, but mainly outlined the new search plan.
“Let’s see if I get it,” said Deputy Amy Cole. “You’re going to continue the air search with Julie on horseback leading the ground team. Who’s going with her?”
“It’s going to have to be someone who can handle a horse in rough country,” said Julie. “I’ve been riding since I was five so I know it won’t be easy.”
Sky nodded.
“And my trailer holds only two horses. So who’s it going to be?”
Sky looked at Tyler, but the stocky deputy shook his head.
“I’m a city boy from Phoenix,” he said. “Rivera’s from L.A. I haven’t ridden very much, but I’ll do my best.”
“No, Harry.” Sky shook his head. “That area’s no place for a beginner. Who else do we have?”
Winchell rubbed his chin. After a glance toward Tyler and Amy he fixed his eyes on the carpet.
“I don’t know, Sky,” he said slowly. “I don’t really have anyone---“
Amy Cole took a step forward.
“Come on, Sheriff,” she said firmly. “You know I’ve got a drawer full of rodeo medals and I’m the best rider on the force. I’m the logical choice.”
Winchell said nothing but his expression indicated this was true.
“No, Amy,” said Sky. “It’s far too dangerous. That gang might be out there waiting in ambush. Maybe you could deputize Fred, Winch.”
Sky was surprised to note the look of alarm on Merrill’s face at the suggestion.
“Too dangerous for a deputy sheriff?” Amy protested. “Do you think I joined the force just to write parking tickets? It’s my job to do things like this! And besides, with you in the plane you’ll need Fred to run the ranch.”
“I don’t like sending a woman out on this either,” said Winchell. “But Amy is my best rider, and she’s near the top in pistol marksmanship too.”
“That sounds good to me, Sky,” said Julie. “I’ll feel safe with Amy along.”
Sky and Winchell exchanged indecisive looks.
Harry Tyler spoke up.
“Al MacKeever drove a colonel’s Jeep across Europe, didn’t he? The Department has a couple of surplus Jeeps. He and Ben could use one to stay close to the gals. With Sky watching from the air, that should be enough to keep them safe from ambush.”
Amy smiled gratefully at Tyler.
“And Barnes and I will be patrolling out this way,” added Winchell. “We’ll keep an eye on the ranch and be available to help if we’re needed.”
“All right,” Sky said, though he sounded less than convinced. “I want to be sure that Sergeant Wade and Copper are safe as well.” He looked at Summer. “I hope you’ll have a few of your men within hollering distance of the house too.”
Summer smiled and gave Copper a sideways look.
“Oh, don’t worry about me, Sky,” she said. “I think that Copper and I’ll spend the day in town tomorrow.”
“It’s just as well, isn’t it, Uncle Sky?” asked Copper. “I mean, since we can’t be of any help in the search we might as well amuse ourselves doing something else.”
Copper had given him such an innocent and entreating look that Sky gave his permission without hesitation. But as the discussion went on he became more and more uneasy about the knowing looks that Copper and Summer were giving one another, as though the two were sharing some sort of private joke. Other matters drew his attention from them and he might have forgotten all his misgivings had he not noticed that Fred Merrill was watching Summer to Copper as well.

Joanna Dorrin, dressed in a filmy and low-cut negligee, sat in a reclining chair beside the torch-lit swimming pool of their rented house. Donna and Myra were in the pool giggling and splashing one another. Water from one large splash arched over the concrete patio deck and spattered on the newspaper that Joanna was reading. She said nothing, merely lowering one hand to look disdainfully at the two. The girls became silent for a moment. Finally Donna spoke.
“Sorry, Aunt Joanna.”
The woman was about to reply when tapping came from the glass doors to the patio. Rowlands stepped from the house and slid the door closed behind him. He took his hat off and held it beside him.
“Well?” Mrs. Dorrin asked.
Before Rowlands could speak Donna and Myra glanced at one another, faced Rowlands and pulled down their bikini tops, baring their breasts.
“Hi, Rowlands!” they called in unison.
The man was unfazed. His expression a blank, he nodded to the girls.
“Ladies.”
Joanna Dorrin watched him with some amusement.
“You have something to report, Rowlands?”
He turned to her.
“Yeah. I sent Lynch to the airport to find out about that other plane that we saw searching the Smithers woman’s ranch.”
“And?”
“It belongs to a businessman in town, a good friend of Ryder’s. But the owner wasn’t flying it today. He’s out of town.”
Rowlands paused for dramatic effect.
“It was Ryder’s niece who was flying. She and the Smithers gal were out most of the day, and they told the manager they’d be back tomorrow.”
“Oh, goody!” squealed Donna. “She’s playing detective!”
“Quiet girls!” ordered Mrs. Dorrin. She turned back to Rowlands. “You have some kind of plan, Rowlands?”
Rowlands fingered his hat.
“Well, as long as they’re out there looking, I think we ought to give them something to find.”
“This Smithers woman,” Myra interrupted. “She’s attractive isn’t she?”
“She’s a looker all right,” he replied. “A brunette.”
Myra looked eagerly at Donna.
“One for each of us, Donna,” she said. “I get the niece, cause she’s a blonde; and you can have the brunette!”
“Come out of that pool and cover yourselves up, girls,” Mrs. Dorrin said firmly. “Mr. Rowlands has seen women’s breasts before.”
Rowlands raised one eyebrow slightly but said nothing.
“We must make plans in order for you to get the little presents you want,” she continued as the girls pulled up their bras and climbed out of the pool.
“Oh, Auntie Jo,” said Myra, looking rather embarrassed. “If Donna and I get the Ryder girl and her friend, what fun can you have?”
Joanna Dorrin looked into the desert darkness that surrounded the patio.
“I will claim the right to the beautiful Captain Atkins.”

End of Chapter 8

[esercito sconfitto]

Fiction by Frank Knebel
Chapter 9
Joanna Dorrin stood looking out of the glass doors leading to the concrete patio and pool of their rented house several miles north of Kermit. It was early enough that the spring sun was still pale, though the day promised clear and fair. She was dressed for the day’s activity: brown slacks tucked neatly into high black boots and a white, long-sleeved blouse buttoned only two-thirds of the way up. In her left hand was a glass of orange juice; in her right was a riding crop, which she tapped absently against her boot between sips.
A ripple of youthful female laughter came from the hallway behind her. She turned just as Donna and Myra entered the living room. The girls were dressed for an active day as well. Both wore blue jeans and clingy, low-cut short-sleeved tops, Donna’s with red and white horizontal stripes and Myra’s light blue. They also carried small duffel bags over their shoulders, which both girls dumped on the couch.
“All ready, Auntie Jo,” Donna announced brightly.
The two stood at attention, grinning expectantly at their aunt who strolled over and gave them a thorough look from head to toe.
“I’m glad to see that you have both worn boots,” she said, pointing with the crop at the sturdy cowboy boots visible under their jean cuffs.
“You told us to,” said Myra.
Mrs. Dorrin’s eyes worked their way up the girls.
“But there may be some exertion necessary to subdue our little friends,” she continued. “So I think it would be a good idea for you to wear bras.”
Donna pouted slightly.
“But the men will like it better if we don’t wear them.”
“You may tease the men some other time. This is important.”
“All right, Auntie Jo,” Myra said glumly.
The two turned and slowly went back toward their room. Joanna stood one of the duffel bags on one end and opened the other to check its contents. Three rolls of two-inch wide adhesive tape had been carefully stored near the opening. The rest of the bag was stuffed with coils of rope. She also found two items she had never seen.
When the girls returned, they were not laughing as before, but their smiles and eager conversation with one another showed their high spirits remained.
“Just what are these, pray tell?” Joanna asked, holding up two red rubber balls in the middle of foot-long pieces of rope.
“Do you like them?” asked Donna excitedly. “Klee made them for us!”
“We saw them in some pictures he got through the mail!” added Myra.
“But what are they?”
Donna took one from her aunt. She turned to Myra, who giggled and opened her mouth wide. Donna gently pressed the ball into her cousin’s mouth. Myra giggled again, though very little sound came out.
“Gags!” Donna announced proudly. “One of these covered with tape will keep a girl quiet as a mouse.”
Joanna nodded.
“You have done well, girls. I take it that one of these bags is for me?”
“It sure is,” said Donna as she helped Myra remove the ballgag. “There’s plenty of rope and two gags in each of them.”
“The Captain may bring her Sergeant along,” said Myra, wiping some saliva from her lips.
They heard the sound of car engines in the driveway outside the house.
“It’s time,” said Joanna.
Both girls took a duffel bag and followed their aunt through the foyer and outside where two cars were waiting. Rowlands got out of the first car.
“What arrangements have you made, Rowlands?” asked Mrs. Dorrin.
“I figure that the girls won’t need too much help with the Ryder’s niece and the Smithers woman, so Bradford and Klee will go with them. Lynch is headed for the airport, and he’ll join us later. Wilke and Duncan are watching Ryder’s ranch to see what they’re up to. Gentry and I are with you.”
“Very good. Let’s go.”
Donna handed one of the duffel bags to Rowlands, who tossed it in the front seat. He opened the back door of the sedan and stood waiting for Joanna Dorrin. Donna and Myra went to the second car where Klee held the back door open for them.
“Good hunting, girls,” called Joanna.
The two giggled.
“Don’t worry, Auntie Jo,” said Donna. “We’ll bring ‘em back alive.”
They giggled again as Klee shut the door.

“Hummingbird calling Deputy Cole, Hummingbird calling Deputy Cole. Do you read me, Amy? Over.”
Sky Ryder released the transmit button of his radio handset and leaned over to look at the station wagon at the side of the road below as he waited for a reply. It was only a few seconds in coming.
“We’re here, Sky,” came Amy Cole’s voice. “We can see you above us. Over.”
Sky looked again. A Sheriff’s department Jeep with two deputies in the front seat was parked nearby. He pressed the button and made another call.
“Hummingbird to Car 10. Are you there, Ben? Over.”
“We read you too, Sky,” Deputy Norris replied. “Any signs of trouble? Over.”
Sky swung his gaze over the country around them. He could not see anything but the landscape of jumbled rock formations and rust colored gorges.
“I don’t see anybody, Ben,” said Sky. “I’ll start on my first run to the east. Stand by and keep your eyes open. Over.”
“Roger that, Sky. Norris out.”
“Cole out.”
In the Flying Coronet station wagon, Amy Cole hung the radio handset on its hook and swung her legs out of the car. She stood up and gazed at the rugged terrain around her. It was forbidding looking country. The Jeep was about fifty yards behind the station wagon and trailer. Deputy MacKeever was keeping watch, slowly searching the horizon with a pair of binoculars. Norris yawned and stretched in the seat beside him.
Amy drew out her service revolver and checked to be sure it was loaded. The sounds of the horses’ hooves on the wooden floor of the trailer and Julie’s voice as she spoke to them came to Amy. Just as she was holstering the weapon, Julie, wearing khaki colored slacks, a white blouse and Army-type boots, appeared behind the trailer. She held a white, broad-brimmed hat in one hand. She wiped her forehead on the back of her arm as she sauntered to Amy.
“We’ll have to get them out of the trailer pretty soon,” said Julie.
The deputy nodded.
“I know. The sun’ll make the trailer too hot for them Better to get them out now, even if we have to walk them down the road as Sky searches.”
The two women went to the tailgate of the trailer.

Copper Ryder and Summer Smithers were smiling coquettishly at the tall, crew cut young man behind the counter.
“You know, Copper,” he said, “I really shouldn’t be doing this without talking to Mr. Barry.”
“Oh, come on, Tim,” said Copper. “You know that Sky and Ted have been friends for thirty years, and Ted would never object to him using his plane.”
“Yeah, but Sky’s not the one using the plane,” Tim said uncertainly. “You are.”
Copper leaned over. She had left one more button open at the neck of her checkered shirt than she usually did. She crossed her arms under her breasts and leaned her forearms on the counter. Her hand brushed against his fingers that were fiddling with the corner of a stack of papers lying between them.
“But you know that it’s all the same,” she said. “I’m helping Sky with something really important right now. He just didn’t have time to call you this morning to let you know.”
Both women noticed Tim staring at Copper’s cleavage.
“And I’m paying for the gas we’re using,” added Summer. “What trouble could you possibly be in?”
She took a deep breath. Tim watched as her chest expanded.
“Well, all right,” he said, glancing around as though checking for witnesses. “You’ll take good care of it, won’t you?”
“You know we will,” said Copper. She ‘inadvertently’ touched his hand again.
Tim ran his tongue over his lips.
“Okay. I’ll have Ralph and Johnny bring her out and gas her up. But don’t go around bragging about it.”
“We promise,” said Summer.
Tim left the little office building. Copper and Summer looked at each other and laughed. They quickly stifled their merriment when they saw it had drawn the attention of the lone occupant of the waiting room. He was a medium-sized man in his forties with light brown hair thinning to a widow’s peak. He looked up at them from the magazine he had been reading.
“Anything wrong?” he asked.
There was a pleasant smile on his face though his voice was harsh and grating.
“No nothing at all,” replied Summer pleasantly.
The man turned back to his magazine, but stopped to check his wristwatch. He peered at the clock over the counter.
“Excuse me, ladies,” he said. “Do you know if that’s the right time?”
Both women checked their watches against the clock. They verified that the time showing was correct.
“I wonder what’s keeping my friend?” the man said.
“Is it something important?” asked Copper.
“Oh, probably not,” he replied. “It’s just that I have a friend who flies his own plane. He was out southeast of town a few days ago and saw something odd in the desert. I was interested and asked if he’d show it to me. We were supposed to meet here at 8:30, but it’s past that now.”
“What was this thing he saw southeast of town?” Copper asked, trying to sound casual.
The man shook his head. He began to smile broadly.
“It was just something shiny, he didn’t know what. But after he was done describing it he said, ‘You know, it looked like one of those flying saucers.’”
He laughed.
“Can you imagine?”
Copper and Summer looked at one another. Copper grabbed Summer’s sleeve.
“That sure sounds odd all right,” said Summer. “Just where was this?”
“Oh, about thirty-five miles south of town and a few miles east of the main county road. My friend said that some woman owns the place. A good-looking brunette he claims, though I wouldn’t know.”
“Just imagine that,” said Summer with a look at Copper. “A woman rancher with a flying saucer!”
“Personally, I don’t believe in those things from other planets,” the man said affably. “But they have made some interesting movies about them though, haven’t they?”
“You know,” said Copper, “we weren’t going that way but it might be worth a look”
Tim came through the door at that moment.
“You can go on out, ladies,” he said. “They’re almost finished filling her up.”
“I hate to bother you, son,” said the man. “But did anyone call and leave a message for me? The name is Lynch."
Tim ruffled through some papers.
“Yessir. A man left a message just over a half-hour ago. Said he wouldn’t be able to meet you today, and that you should call him.” He handed the paper to him. “Here’s the number.”
The man made an agreeably rueful face.
“Well, I guess I don’t get to chase any mysteries today. Good luck to you with it, ladies.”
He nodded in farewell and walked easily to the door. Copper and Summer hurried out the opposite door toward the field. Lynch smiled as he paused to put on his hat.

Wilke, his long, sharp nose making him resemble a large bird of prey, looked down from the rocky tor to the county road below. From his perch, he could see Julie Atkins and Deputy Cole standing by their saddled horses a hundred feet beneath him and some two hundred yards to his front. A bit behind them and to their left he noted the two deputies in their Jeep. Beside him, Duncan was peering through a pair of binoculars at the hilltops to the south.
“Any sign of Ryder?” he asked.
“Nope,” replied Duncan moving the binoculars back and forth as he searched. He swung the glasses in the direction of the women below. “They sure are a couple of cute little numbers! You s’pose the Dragon Lady’ll give us a chance for some fun with ‘em?”
Wilke snorted.
“By the time she and those two nieces of hers get through with ‘em, I doubt that---“
Rowlands’ voice over the hand held radio interrupted him
“Wilke. Wilke, this is Rowlands. What do have to report?”
Wilke picked up the radio.
“The Captain and that girl Deputy are out here with horses. Ryder’s searching some canyons to the south of us. It looks like he’s gonna give ‘em directions or something. And there’s two deputies in a Jeep with ‘em, standing guard, I guess.”
“All right. Just keep watchin’ ‘em. We’ll be there shortly.”
Wilke put the radio down. He looked anxiously at the sky to the south, then at his partner. Duncan still had the glasses trained on the two attractive, dark-haired women below. He ran his tongue over his thin lips.
“They sure are a couple o’ good lookers, all right,” he muttered.
Wilke gave him a light backhand slap on the upper arm. Duncan looked up.
“Keep your eyes open for Ryder,” Wilke growled.

Copper Ryder giggled. Summer Smithers turned from the plane’s window to look at her.
“What is it, Copper?” she asked.
“I was just thinking what Sky’ll say if we’re the ones to find the balloon.”
Copper giggled again. Summer raised a qualifying finger.
“Hold on there, chum,” she cautioned. “We haven’t found anything yet, and there’s no guarantee that the thing the man’s friend saw was the balloon.”
“Oh, it has to be! Nothing belongs out here. Only something that fell from the sky could even get here! It just has to be."
Summer smiled.
“Well, we’ll see.”
The Cub being a wing above type aircraft made their search of the ground relatively easy. Not many minutes had passed when Summer reached over to grab Copper’s arm.
“Copper! I see it!”
Copper banked the plane toward Summer’s side. She could see some kind of oval or rectangular patch of shiny silver material below.
“Do you think that’s it?” the girl asked excitedly.
Summer looked at it through binoculars.
“I’m pretty sure it is,” she said. “The balloon must have gotten torn somehow, but that must be it. Let’s go down and take a look!”
Copper pointed to the area just east of the balloon.
“It looks like I can land over there. I’ll check it out.”
The girl eased the yoke forward.

Ten minutes later the two women were scrambling over the rocks and scrub toward the balloon skin. Summer reached it first. She dropped to her knees and took the flapping edge of the material in her hands. Copper knelt beside her, looking at the wreck in amazement.
“Oh, Copper!” shrieked Summer. “I can hardly believe my eyes, but this is it! We found it!”
“We really did it!” Copper said dazedly. “We got here first.”
The two women hugged each other in their excitement.
“I’d say that congratulations are in order,” said a woman’s voice nearby.
Summer and Copper turned. Two attractive young women, one blond the other brunette, and two men had appeared from behind a nearby rock formation. Both men had pistols pointed at them. The blond woman had a length of rope on one hand; the brunette had rope ends hanging from her pockets. Both women recognized the two men from a few days before. One man was very lean, with the long, pointed face of a weasel; the other was strongly built, with an equally strong, stoic face.
“What is this?” asked Summer. “Who are you?”
It was a rhetorical question, though the two young women were strangers.
The blonde spoke again.
“It doesn’t really matter who we are, as long as we have the guns.”
“We don’t have much money with us, if that’s what you’re after,” said Summer.
A smile spread slowly over the blonde’s sweet-looking face.
“Oh, we don’t want any money, Sweetie. We just want you.”
Copper gasped. She involuntarily covered her mouth with one hand as the realization came to her.
“These must be the two women who tried to kidnap Julie the other day,” she whispered to Summer.
“Very good, Miss Ryder,” said the brunette. “And now we’re here for you.”
“Don’t bother getting up,” continued the blonde. “You two are going to spend quite a bit of time on your knees for a while. So just stay there.”
The men kept the pistols pointed at Summer and Copper. The women circled behind the two prisoners. The brunette pulled a piece of rope from one pocket as she moved. Copper looked over her shoulder.
“What are you going to do?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” said the blonde as she stepped behind Summer and dropped to one knee. The brunette took her place behind Copper. “Hands behind your backs, ladies.”
Copper looked at Summer. The beautiful rancher glanced at the pistols in front of them and nodded as she swung her arms behind her. Copper did the same. The women began tying them.
“Well, how nice!” cooed the blonde. “That’s making it easy on yourselves. Still it seems a shame that we don’t have the pleasure of making it a little rough.”
As she said the last word, she pulled hard on the ropes around Summer’s wrists. Summer grunted as the loops were drawn taut.
“Don’t worry about that, cuz,” said the brunette. “I’m sure we’ll think of something later.”
Summer and Copper exchanged a worried glance.
“Just wait until my Uncle Sky gets hold of you two,” said Copper, trying to sound confident. “You’ll be in jail so fast that---“
“Yes, we know all about that,” said the blonde, in an exaggeratedly bored tone. She finished knotting Summer’s bonds, and drew one of the homemade ballgags from her hip pocket. “But for right now, we’d like some quiet.”
She held the ball up to Summer’s mouth. The brunette did the same to Copper.
“What’s that?” asked Copper.
“Don’t worry,” the blonde said with a smirk. “They taste great.”
“Open up, both of you,” ordered the brunette.
Copper slowly opened her mouth. The brunette forced the ball between the girl’s teeth and pulled it back, causing Copper to give a ‘hmmph', of discomfort. As the brunette tied the ends of the rope at the back of Copper’s neck, the blonde grabbed a handful of Summer’s dark hair and forced her head back. With a little cry of pain and alarm Summer turned her face to the sky. The blonde jammed the ball into her mouth, then pushed the rancher’s head forward so she could secure the ends. Copper and Summer gave each other a worried look as they tried to adjust their jaws to the balls.
The blonde gave Summer a swat on the behind, drawing a muffled grunt from her captive.
“That’s better,” she said. She leaned over to Copper and smiled sardonically. “You wanna tell me about your big, bad uncle now, Honey?”
Copper mumbled something into the gag. Her captors laughed. The blonde took a roll of wide tape from her back pocket, tore three strips from it, and handed it to her partner.
“Let’s seal ‘em up.” As the brunette tore tape from the roll, the blonde turned to the lean man. “Go get the car, Klee. Bring it up as close as you can. On your feet, ladies.”
After plastering the tape over the ballgags, they grabbed Summer and Copper by their arms and hoisted the women to their feet. With two longer pieces of rope, the girls fashioned slipnoose-style leashes for both prisoners. The blonde, leading Summer, went first followed by the brunette and Copper. The tall, sturdy man tucked the pistol into his belt and took up a hand held radio as he walked.
“Rowlands, this is Bradford. We got ‘em.”

Sky Ryder swept low over a rock and brush littered arroyo. Seeing nothing on the first pass, he banked the Hummingbird in a wide arc in order to make another pass in the opposite direction. The gnarled but sturdy little trees were just the kind of place for a dragging instrument pack to become entangled, so they had to be checked closely. But even a third pass revealed nothing.
Sky had been following the path of a streambed that was in the final stages of drying up. The last traces of the winter and early spring rains were stubbornly yielding to the dryness that would hold the land in its grip for the next six months. In the areas exposed to the pitiless Arizona sun there was no water left, but a few of the deeper canyons and small gorges, as though paying tribute to the source of their formation, shielded a few shallow pools. Ahead of Sky, to the east, was a fairly flat area of a mile or so, after which the ground fell away. Thousands of years of water coursing through the bed had cut a narrow canyon in the rocky ground. It was a place that needed a good look.
“Hummingbird, this is Julie. Do you read me, Sky? Over.”
He took up the radio handset.
“Julie, this is Hummingbird. I read you loud and clear. Over.”
“Sky, we’ve lost sight of you. Can you climb a little so we can check your position? Over.”
“Roger, Julie. Wait out.”
Sky pulled back on the yoke and added some throttle. The sturdy Bobcat rose steadily. Sky turned north for a moment and looked back where he knew the road to be. He finally spotted the horse trailer and Jeep. They were not very far north of him, though he was now several miles east of the road.
“Julie, this is Sky. I can see you. Can you see me? Over.”
“We see you, Sky. Anything look promising over there? Over.”
“There’s a deep gorge just east and a little south of me. I’m going in for a look. Any signs of trouble around you? Over.”
“Quiet as can be. We’ll be here if you need us. Ground team out.”
Sky Ryder banked the Hummingbird to the east and headed for the narrow canyon.

Rowlands shaded his eyes with his left hand and looked up to the hill where Duncan and Wilke were keeping watch on Julie and Amy’s team. The men were attentive but it was obvious that nothing unusual was happening. At the sound of approaching footsteps he turned quickly to see Joanna Dorrin coming. To avoid talking any louder than necessary, she did not speak until she was within three feet of him.
“Anything to report, Rowlands?”
He shook his head.
“He keeps searching, they keep waiting.”
She idly tapped the side of her boot with the riding crop.
“Very well. At least we have his niece and the Smithers woman to bargain with if it becomes necessary.”
“It’s your call,” he said with a shrug.
She stared into the distant hills for a few moments, then looked decisively back at him.
“No!” she declared. “If we can take the device from them when they find it, we will. If not, we must get Captain Julie Atkins. She will be a very pretty bargaining chip to add to our stack.”
Rowlands was about to reply when a small pebble landed a few feet from him. He looked up to see Duncan waving at him. He and Joanna Dorrin began climbing up to them.

“That’s great news, Sky!” said Julie Atkins into the radio mike. “How far into the canyon is it? Over.”
“The canyon itself is about a half-mile long,” Sky answered. “I’d say the wreckage is somewhere near the middle. There are a few little trees in the shelter of the canyon walls, and it looks like the lines are snagged on them. Over.”
Julie turned. Amy was bringing up the horses.
“We’re on our way, Sky. Over.”
“I’ll circle to mark the spot for you, then look for a place to land. It’ll be a little way off though. It’s pretty rough around there. Be careful. Hummingbird out.”
Deputy Amy Cole handed Julie the reins of her horse.
“Let’s go, Captain,” she said eagerly.
“Right behind you, Deputy.”
As they mounted their horses, Deputy MacKeever started the Jeep’s engine.

Summer Smithers stumbled and fell to her knees in the sand. With the large ballgag and adhesive tape keeping her from breathing through her mouth, the pace her captors had set was just too fast for her. Blond Donna turned and arched an eyebrow at her.
“What’s the matter, Rancher Lady? Can’t keep up?”
Myra stopped too. Though Copper was still on her feet, it was obvious that the girl was having difficulty too. Both prisoners had sweated through their shirts.
“Mine can’t keep up either,” said Myra. “What’ll we do?”
Donna looked innocently at her cousin.
“They just need some encouragement.”
She turned to Summer with her peculiar, angelic smile and yanked hard on Summer’s leash. The noose tightened about the woman’s neck. She began to make gurgling noises.
“Come on, Sweetie,” Donna said gently. “Get up now.”
Summer got one foot back on the ground and tried to push herself up, but wobbled and appeared ready to fall. Donna showed no signs of letting any slack into the line around her neck. Myra opened her mouth to say something.
Before she could speak, Bradford took three or four quick steps forward and grabbed the leash rope. With one strong motion he pulled it from Donna’s hands. The loop about Summer’s throat released. She looked gratefully up at him.
Donna regarded the big man with amusement.
“Well, Bradford. Aren’t you the gallant gentleman?” she said. The smile remained on her face, but her eyes glittered dangerously. “However, if you ever do anything like that again---“
“You’ll… what?”
Though his voice was very quiet, he seemed to grow taller. His face darkened and his dark eyes blazed. Again he was the image of a powerful Indian chief. Myra took a step back, and even Donna recoiled a bit. The glitter in her eyes faded to be replaced by amusement.
“I’ll tell my Auntie that you aren’t letting us have our innocent fun,” she finished.
Bradford took Summer by the arm and helped her to her feet. He removed the noose from her neck.
“Let’s go,” said Bradford. “The car’s not far away.”
Donna took Summer by the arm and led her away. Myra looked uncertainly at him and removed the leash from Copper herself. She touched the petite blonde on the arm as a sign she should move, and they began walking. Bradford tossed the noose-leash into some nearby brush then followed.
In less than five minutes they found Klee leaning his back on the car. He licked his lips when her saw the two prisoners with their sweat-soaked shirts plastered to their bodies.
“You must’ve given ‘em quite a workout,” he said. He licked his lips again.
Donna looked at him, still smiling. She avoided looking at Bradford.
“Sorry we can’t let you have a little fun with them, Klee. Maybe later. For now just open the trunk.”
Klee took the keys from his pocket and went ahead to open the trunk. Donna and Myra marched their prisoners to the rear of the car. Klee popped the trunk lid and waited hopefully. Donna stretched out her hand.
“Give me your gun, Klee.”
“Huh?”
“Your gun. I need your gun.” Her eyes darted to Bradford who stood glowering at her at the other end of the car. “Just to keep them covered for a minute.”
Klee took the revolver from his belt and handed it to her.
“Thanks,” she said keeping her eyes on the two prisoners. As though remembering he was there, she turned to him and added. “Go on up and have a word with Bradford. He’s nervous. Maybe you can calm him down.”
Thoroughly puzzled, Klee ambled over to Bradford. The bigger man did not even look at him. Klee said nothing.
“Untie their hands,” Donna told Myra. As the brunette went to work, Donna pointed the gun in their direction and added: “This is only temporary, girls. Don’t try to take off those gags or you’ll be real sorry. Understand?”
Both women nodded. When Copper’s hands were free, the girl rubbed her wrists gently as Myra moved over to untie Summer’s hands. When Myra was finished, she stepped over and opened the back door of the sedan, emerging with a small duffel bag.
“All right, girls,” said Donna. “It’s a long ride home and there’s only room for four in the car, so you’ll have to ride in the trunk.” She smirked at them. “It’ll be pretty hot in there, so go ahead and strip.”
One side of Myra’s mouth curled in a sardonic smile.
“We’re only thinking of your comfort, you know.”
Copper’s eyes grew wide over the tape. Summer hummed something into her gag.
“You heard me,” Donna ordered. “Strip. Take everything off.”
Copper and Summer looked at one another again. Summer shrugged and unbuckled her belt as Donna and Myra beamed at them.

When Sky was certain that Julie and the others knew the canyon’s location, he looked for a landing spot for the Hummingbird. The closest strip of hard, level ground was a mile or so south of the canyon. Though it was the closest place, the ground between it and the canyon mouth was very rough and broken. Though a mile was less than a ten-minute walk for the tall, reasonably fit rancher, the uneven terrain would at least double that time. But any other suitable landing area was so much farther that the easier walk would be longer. With a fresh canteen and his gunbelt and revolver ready in the seat beside him, Sky prepared to land.

Rowlands looked through his binoculars at the figures on horseback and the Jeep in the distance. Joanna Dorrin looked at him expectantly.
“Well? What is it?” she demanded.
Rowlands continued studying the scene.
“It looks like Ryder’s landing a couple miles to the south. The women are making for the mouth of that gorge up there and the deputies are following.” He looked at the narrow opening of the gorge for some moments. “I don’t think they can get that Jeep down there. It’s too steep and broken.”
He swung his glasses to the left. After a long look, he lowered the glasses and studied the ground between them and the gorge.
He turned to Joanna and Duncan.
“Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll take Gentry and Lynch and follow this wash around to the left. I think we can get through into the gorge without having to go past the deputies. If I’ve got it figured right, they’ll stay at the entrance to the canyon to protect the women’s backs. Duncan, you and Wilke get closer to the Jeep. If you hear any shooting, open up on the deputies. Keep ‘em busy so they can’t come to the rescue.”
“And what do we do if we don’t hear any shooting?”
“If they try to go into the canyon on foot, open up on ‘em and keep ‘em there. If they stay, just cover us when we bring the women back this way. Got it?”
Duncan nodded. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His eyes darted about nervously.
“I’m going with you, Rowlands,” Joanna announced.
Rowlands eyebrows went up.
“It won’t be easy,” he said. “And there may be shooting.”
She looked at him coolly.
“Just the same, I am going. Have Lynch bring up a weapon for me and the bag from the back seat.”
The sturdy, mustachioed man regarded her dubiously. He shrugged.
“It’s your call.”

Summer Smithers rolled her sweat soaked panties down her legs and stepped out of them. Copper stood next to her, still gagged, now naked, and very unsure about what to do with her hands. Donna and Myra were ogling them hungrily.
“Very pretty, don’t you think, Myra?” asked Donna.
Myra looked Copper up and down. The girl moved her left hand to cover her crotch and folded her right arm over her bare breasts.
“Yummy!” said Myra. She turned the duffel bag upside down, spilling coils of brilliantly white clothesline on the ground.
“Okay, girls,” Donna announced. “It’s time to tie you up again. But this time we do it for real. Hands behind you, and keep real still.”
The two prisoners slowly turned around and presented their hands for binding. Donna crossed Summer’s wrists left over right and began looping them with cord. Myra tied Copper’s wrists palm-to-palm. Longer lengths of cord went around their arms and bodies just below their breasts and elbows and around their waists, trapping their arms tightly against their sides and backs. Myra spread a thick blanket over the trunk floor, arranging it so that its edge extended beyond the trunk covering the rear bumper.
“Have a seat, girls,” Myra said.
Summer and Copper sat on the bumper. Their captors bound their legs at the ankles and above and below the knees. Donna stood admiring their work as Myra scooped up most of the unused ropes and returned them to the duffel. When she straightened up, she held another roll of wide tape.
“Blindfolds?” she asked Donna hopefully.
“What for? They won’t see anything from the trunk.”
Now Myra pouted.
“But I like blindfolds a lot. I want them.”
“We’ll blindfold them tonight,” said Donna consolingly. She smiled mischievously. “When we take them to bed.”
They both giggled.
“Won’t that be great!” squealed Myra. She looked longingly at their prisoners. “They certainly are a lovely sight!” she murmured.
Donna stepped over to the side of the car.
“All right you two,” she called to the men.
Klee, who had been barely able to control himself while watching, and the impassive Bradford stepped forward. Donna was studying the two bound women thoughtfully, an index finger in the center of her slightly pursed lips said:
“I think that Miss Ryder should go in first.”
The two men picked up Copper and laid her in the trunk. Donna strolled over and regarded her thoughtfully.
“Bend her legs back,” she ordered.
When they did, she used one of the remaining pieces of rope to connect the petite blonde’s ankle and wrist bonds. She doubled two more pieces and laid them one the floor, making sure to scoot them under Copper’s body, one just below her waist and the other near her shoulder blades.
“All right,” she said. “Now the other one.”
Bradford took Summer by the shoulders, Klee by the feet. They lifted Summer as though they intended to put in the trunk face-to-face with her friend.
“Oh, not like that,” Donna mock scolded them. She smiled wickedly. “Put them face-to-bush.”
Klee and Bradford lifted turned and put Summer in the trunk so that her face was opposite Copper’s crotch and vice-versa. Myra added a hogtie connection to Summer’s hands and feet. Then she and Donna each wrapped one of the doubled ropes from the floor around the women and passed the free ands through the ‘lark’s head’ loop. When they pulled the loops about the women tightened, pressing them against one another. They tied the ends off.
“There!” said Donna. “After a while, I expect you two will be real good friends.”
“If you aren’t already,” added Myra.
The two giggled. Donna took Myra in her arms and kissed her long and deeply.
“See how much fun it can be?” asked Donna. Myra giggled again then reached up for the trunk lid.
“Well, bye for a while girls,” she said. “I hope you have a good time.”
She slammed the lid, shutting Copper and Summer in the trunk. In a few moments, the engine started and the car began to bump along over the uneven desert floor.
Copper Ryder strained at the ropes holding her hands behind her back. It was no use. The knots were too secure. She and Summer were helpless and on their way to some kind of ordeal at the hands of these monstrous girls. There seemed to be no escape.
“Sky’ll save us,” the girl told herself. “Somehow he’ll find us and save us.”
But she had no idea how.

End of Chapter 9

[esercito sconfitto]

Chapter 10




Sky vs. Spies
Fiction by Frank Knebel
Chapter 10
Deputy Al MacKeever stood looking doubtfully toward the canyon mouth. He pushed his Western-style hat back and scratched his head just above his dark hairline.
“This is about as far as we can go, Amy,” he said to Deputy Cole. He pointed to the ground in front of them. “It’s too rough even for one of these babies---“ He nodded back toward the Jeep—“and even if we could get down the slope, the end of that canyon looks too narrow to drive through.”
Julie and Amy looked ahead. It was not far to the mouth of the canyon, and it appeared that they would have to go in single file just to get the horses through. The two exchanged a glance. Julie nodded.
“I think you’re right, Al,” said Amy. “We’ll have to go on alone from here.”
Deputy Ben Norris, standing beside MacKeever, turned his youthful, lightly freckled face to the older man. MacKeever looked at the two women with obvious concern.
“You want us to go in with you?”
Amy shook her head.
“You’d have to go on foot and that’d only slow us down. I’d rather have you wait here and make sure we’re not being followed.” She looked uneasily to the north and west. “I’ve had this funny feeling…” She trailed off.
“Yeah, me too,” said MacKeever looking in the same direction.
“Have you seen anything, Al?” asked Norris. He dropped his hand to the handle of the revolver in his holster and unsnapped the little strap over the hammer.
MacKeever shook his head.
“Nope. Just a couple noises and a feeling that something was moving out there.”
Amy put her hand on her revolver.
“We can take on anything that’s in front of us if you take care of what’s behind.”
MacKeever rubbed his chin. Finally, he nodded.
“Yeah. That’s probably the best plan. Ben, turn the Jeep so we can keep an eye out that way.”
Julie smiled at the two men.
“Thanks Al, Ben,” she said. “I’m sure we’ll be all right.”
As MacKeever waited for Norris to move the Jeep, Amy and Julie mounted their horses.
“Let’s take it slow now,” said Amy. “Sky gave us the most sure-footed horses he had, but we’ll still need to be careful.”
“Right. Let’s go.”
The two women turned the horses’ heads to the canyon entrance and began picking their way down the rocky slope. The two deputies took up their vigil.

Rowlands raised one hand as a ‘halt’ signal to his little party. Giving the others a signal to wait, he clambered up the sloping sides of the wash and cautiously looked over the edge. After a few seconds he half-slid, half-climbed back down. Joanna Dorrin, Gentry and Lynch waited.
“Well?” asked Joanna.
Rowlands wiped the dust from his lips with the back of his hand and took a few gasping breaths.
“The deputies stopped near the mouth of the canyon, and the women have gone ahead,” he said softly. “The canyon isn’t far off and I can see an opening. If it goes all the way through, we can surprise ‘em.”
Joanna smiled and nodded.
“You have done well, Rowlands. You will be rewarded.” She turned to the others. “You will all be rewarded.”
The other two men grinned. Rowlands frowned at them.
“Let’s get moving,” he urged. “You can count your money later.”
He started down the wash again, the others following.

It was getting very warm in the trunk of the sedan. Copper Ryder was sweating profusely. She had hoped that the moisture of their perspiration might make it possible for them to slip out of their ropes, but so far that was not the case. Her wrists were still held securely behind her. The sweating did allow the girl slide her arms a bit against her sides and back, but the rope loops showed no signs of loosening.
The young woman groaned into her gag. She wondered why the women had hogtied them. Locked inside a car trunk, what means of escape was supposed to be thwarted, what movement foiled? Copper knew that there was no real reason other than the added discomfort to their leg muscles. Their two captors were true sadists, delighting in exercising every possible bit of power over their prisoners. That was also the reason that they were naked. She was surprised that they had not been blindfolded as well, even though neither their nudity nor the hogties meant anything in terms of security.
Every breath the girl took through her nose reinforced the overwhelming sense of captivity: the stale smell of the blanket on which they lay, the rubber of the spare tire a few inches from her head, her own and Summer’s sweat, and the strong female smell from Summer. The first few minutes of their journey had been off road and the jolting and bouncing had caused her nose to bump into in her fellow captive’s pubic hair. Then, thankfully, the ride became smoother, though they were still going rather slowly. The girl supposed they had reached some kind of trail. Copper guessed they were now on a paved highway. Their speed was obviously greater, and the whine of tires was seldom interrupted by bumps. They were on their way to the villains’ hideout, and the girl shuddered at the thought of what might lay ahead of them.
She struggled to free her hands again. Her attempt failed, but she realized that even had she succeeded it would have meant little.
“Oh, Sky,” thought the desperate girl. “You’ve got to help us!”

Sky Ryder paused and took a sip from his canteen. He had covered about half the distance to the canyon. The two deputies were sitting in the front seat of the Jeep at the top of a little incline that led into the gorge. From the absence of horses, Sky guessed that Julie and Amy had gone ahead. With the deputies protecting the rear, Sky was confident that the women were well protected. But his war experience had taught him never to be complacent or underestimate an enemy.
The tall rancher started walking again, picking up the pace a bit as he did.

Julie Atkins guided her horse through the narrow, but gradually widening canyon. Ahead she could see a long, thin pool of water down the center of the canyon, whose walls were now twice the height of a woman on horseback. At its widest part, where perhaps four riders could comfortably ride abreast, there were a few small trees hiding in the shade of the sheer walls.
Amy brought her horse alongside Julie. The beautiful deputy’s gaze was fixed on the trees ahead.
“That must be the place up there,” she said.
Julie nodded.
“I can’t see anything yet, but it has to be. Come on.”
She gently kicked her heels at her mount’s sides and trotted ahead, Amy hurrying to keep up. The ground was level and firm enough that the horses and riders had no trouble with a faster pace. Suddenly, Amy pulled up.
“There!” she called, pointing to the trees on the northern side of the cut. “I see it!”
Julie looked. Some of the same kind of material she had seen the day before on Summer’s ranch hung from a limb to the ground. A breeze passing through the canyon caused it to flap slowly. She could see lines stretched tautly from the near end of the material to something caught between a large rock and the bottom of the tree trunk.
Julie urged her horse ahead, followed by Amy. The pair covered the last hundred and fifty yards at a quick trot. They threw themselves from their saddles and hitched the horses to another scrub tree thirty feet away. Both women advanced and knelt beside the small pack of instruments.
Amy looked at Julie.
“Is it what it looks like?” she asked.
Julie turned to the deputy.
“We have to get them back to---“
A bit of dirt kicked up just in front of them followed by the thunderous echo of the shot. They looked up to see three men and a woman with drawn guns advancing. They were still beyond effective pistol range.
“Hold it!” yelled the mustachioed man who had fired. “Stand up and drop your guns!”
Amy drew her revolver and quickly squeezed off a shot at him. The bullet hit a rock a few feet to his left. The gang took cover and began firing at them.
“What’ll we do?” asked Julie.
Amy squeezed off another shot and looked around. With their horses tethered in the open, flight was impossible. The walls of the canyon were practically vertical with no obvious caves or recesses for cover.
“This is the best spot around,” she replied. A couple more shots rang out, causing them both to duck. “See if you can find someplace to hide that pack while I hold them off.”
Julie looked around.
“Hide them?”
More shots were heard. Amy spotted a target and fired again.
“The sound of the shots will bring Al and Ben pretty quick,” Amy said. “If we can hold them for a few minutes, they may decide not to tangle when the odds are even. But for now, hide the pack.”
“Good thinking, Amy,” said Julie.
She took a knife from her pocket and cut the lines holding the pack to the balloon remains. The pack was not especially large but it was heavy enough that she had some difficulty lifting it enough to move it.
“I’ve got it,” she gasped.
Several bullets struck the tree and the rocks around them.
“Good girl,” said Amy. “I’ll try to keep their heads down.”
After tossing away her hat, to reduce the risk of being seen more easily, Amy reloaded her pistol and moved ahead a few feet, seeking a target. When she saw something moving ahead, she began firing. Julie carried and pushed the pack back to some rocks at the canyon walls. Amy fired without haste, but emptied her revolver fairly quickly. She was reloading when she heard a tattoo of gunfire coming from the mouth of the canyon.
“Now what?” thought the deputy as she pushed a fresh round into one of the cylinders.

Wilke watched the two deputies by the Jeep. The reddish-haired, freckled younger one was standing by the vehicle apparently stretching his legs, while the older one was checking the area to the west with his binoculars. Duncan was sitting beside Wilke, his back against the rock Wilke was leaning on, his hat pushed forward to cover his eyes.
The boom of an echoing gunshot came from the canyon. Both deputies were immediately alert. Duncan quickly stood up. More shots were fired.
“What happened?” he whispered.
“I dunno,” replied Wilke. “But I think that Rowlands found the women in the canyon. Let’s go.”
Wilke took his pistol from his belt, took aim at the standing deputy and fired.

“Amy’s in trouble Al!” cried Norris. “We’ve got to go---“
The young man dropped to the ground as a gunshot rang out from nearby.
“Ben!” shouted MacKeever.
The veteran deputy did not lose his head. He dived out of the Jeep as more shots were heard, two of the bullets striking the hood of the Jeep. Using the vehicle for cover he crawled behind it and found Norris. As he grabbed the man’s collar and pulled him behind the Jeep, he was relieved to hear Norris moan. The young man had been hit in the right shoulder. The wound was bleeding freely, but MacKeever could see that no vital organs were in danger. He tore Norris’ shirt open and pressed his handkerchief over the wound. Norris groaned again, but opened his eyes and looked up dazedly.
“What happened?” he asked.
“You’re hit, Ben. Shot. But it’s not too bad.” He grabbed Norris’ left hand and put it on the handkerchief over the wound. “Just hold that there while I take a look.”
Bullets continued to hit the ground around him. MacKeever drew his own revolver and looked for the source of the ambush.

“I got one of ‘em,” said Wilke with grim satisfaction as he and Duncan fired at the Jeep. “And the other one’s pinned down.”
“Yeah, but now they’re hidden behind the car with no way to get at ‘em,” said Duncan. “They’ve got us nearly as well as we’ve got them.”
Wilke looked around. It was true. There was little cover or concealment on either side of the rocky top of the ridge they had chosen to watch the deputies. Any attempt to get around the deputies’ position would expose the one trying.
Wilke wiped his lips with the back of his sleeve. He began reloading his pistol while watching the Jeep. No return fire had come from the deputies as yet.
“Look,” he said to Duncan, “I’ll try to circle around to the right. The other deputy’s probably too busy taking care of his pal to shoot back but, if he tries, you keep him busy.”
Duncan looked at him doubtfully.
“All right.”
Wilke looked uncertainly at the still silent Jeep. When Duncan was poised, Wilke started down the ridge to the right. There was no shooting. Wilke found momentary cover behind a rock. He nodded to Duncan and started to move farther to the right. A shot rang out from the Jeep and Wilke fell heavily, dropping his pistol and grabbing at the fresh wound on the outside of his upper left thigh. He lay there groaning.
“Wilke!” called Duncan. “Are you all right?”
“Of course I’m not all right!” howled the wounded man. “Get over here and help me!”
Duncan glanced uneasily at the Jeep. He fired two quick shots and took a step in Wilke’s direction only to have a bullet strike his covering rock a foot or so from his head. He ducked back under cover for a moment then looked out, preparing to shoot again. Another bullet struck close to him. A third shot came from a slightly different direction. A tall man on foot with a canteen slung over his shoulder was hurrying to cover. Duncan had never seen him but knew instinctively who he was. Sticking his pistol into his belt, the man slid down the reverse slope of the ridge and ran for his life.
“Duncan! Duncan, come back here!” yelled Wilke. “Come back here, you yellow coyote!”
Sky Ryder ran to the Jeep. Deputy MacKeever stood up.
“Thanks for the help, Sky,” said MacKeever. “Can you look after Ben while I go out and get that fella that’s hit?”
More shots came from the canyon.
“What’s that?” asked Sky.
“We were just about to go in and help Amy and the Captain when those hombres started shooting at us,” said MacKeever.
“I’ll be all right while you bring that guy in, Al,” said Norris. His face was pale but his voice was strong enough. “You’d better go help Amy, Mr. Ryder.”
Sky handed his canteen to the young man.
“I’ll do that, Ben,” he said. “Al, when you get back, radio the Sheriff to get out here with every man he can spare.”
“Right, Sky.”
As MacKeever went out to get Wilke, Sky ran toward the canyon entrance. The shooting had now stopped.

Rowlands fired another shot at the woman deputy. Gentry and Lynch, to his right did the same. The gun battle was achieving very little except to use ammunition. Rowlands looked around.
“What are you doing, Rowlands?” asked Joanna.
Rowlands calmly regarded his usually imperious employer as he reloaded his revolver.
“We’re not getting anywhere like this,” he said. “Were going to have to get behind them somehow.” He took another look. “There’s only two of them, but there’s not much room to work in here.”
He turned to Lynch and Gentry.
“Move a little more to your right, both of you,” he said. He pointed to the canyon wall ahead. “See if you can get up on that ledge, Gentry. You might be able to shoot down on them.”
“If I don’t get picked off first,” he replied.
Rowlands snapped the cylinder of his revolver closed.
“The Captain may not have a gun. The Deputy’s the only one shooting, and we’ll keep her busy. Go on.”
The two men moved slowly to the right.
“The men know that Captain Atkins must be taken alive, don’t they?” asked Joanna.
“Yeah. They know. That may not be so easy in a gunfight, but we’ll do what we can.”
She seemed on the point of a demanding outburst, but apparently realized the man’s practical point of view. She simply nodded.
Rowlands fired at Amy. Lynch did the same.

Amy Cole loaded her last extra rounds into her revolver. Movement to her left front indicated that something was happening.
“Julie!” she whispered urgently. “They’re getting closer. Have you finished?”
There was no answer from Julie, but two more bullets hit the rocks around her, one causing a whining ricochet.
“Julie!” Amy called softly.
A falling rock to her left front drew her attention. She saw a man moving from one cover to another. She fired but missed.
“Amy!” came Julie’s whisper from behind her. The deputy turned to see Julie crawling back toward her. “It’s all right. It’s hidden.”
A slight movement a few feet above and to the right of Julie caught Amy’s eye. A middle-sized man had appeared on a small ledge-like formation against the canyon wall. He raised his gun to point at Julie. Amy quickly brought up her pistol and fired. The man seemed to disappear from his perch. There was another noise to Amy’s right but before she could turn she felt a gun barrel against her head.
“Drop it, Deputy,” said a familiar male voice.
Amy let her weapon fall. A hand grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. She looked into the face of the stocky mustachioed man she had encountered a few days ago. The man she had just missed came through the little stand of trees and dragged Julie to her feet. A commanding looking dark-haired woman followed the man with the mustache. She looked around.
“Where is our other man?”
Rowlands prodded Amy in the side with his pistol.
“This little deputy here is as good as she is beautiful,” he said with a wry smile. “She got Gentry right through the chest. I’ll bet he was dead before he hit the ground.”
Lynch nodded.
“He’s dead all right.”
Joanna Dorrin regarded the two women coolly.
“All right. Tie them. We must move quickly.”
Rowlands took the handcuffs from Amy belt again.
“Come on, Deputy. You know the routine by now.”
Amy put her hands behind her back to be cuffed. Lynch took rope from his pocket and began tying Julie hands. Joanna watched the men work with amusement. She dug into the bag she carried and handed both men a ballgag.
“Gag them as well,” she said. “Even if there is no one to hear them, I want them silenced.”
Rowlands held the ball up to Amy’s mouth. The deputy opened and allowed him to pull it between her teeth. As he tied the rope ends at the back of her neck, Joanna took Amy’s chin in one hand and forced her to look up at her.
“Yes, quite lovely,” Joanna noted. “Just the kind who needs breaking.”
Amy kicked dirt on Joanna’s boots. The woman chuckled then gave the helpless deputy a ringing slap across the face. Julie was now gagged but took a step forward with a muffled protest.
“Oh, the beautiful Captain objects, does she?” said Joanna. She raised a hand and stepped toward her. “Well, I will certainly no play favorites.”
Before she could strike Julie, Rowlands stepped forward.
“Aren’t we losing sight of what we came for?”
Joanna lowered her hand.
“Ah yes, we are. You are invaluable at times, Rowlands.”
The man surveyed the lines connected to the balloon.
“Cut,” he announced. “I’ll bet that the Captain’s the one who cut it loose. What did she do with it?”
“I’m sure that she will be glad to tell us,” Joanna said. “Won’t you, Captain?”
Julie, unable to speak, did nothing.
Joanna smiled. She walked back toward Amy but kept her eyes on Julie.
“Well, after a little play with her friend, I think that the Captain will be more cooperative.”
She took hold of Amy’s uniform shirt and ripped it open, revealing a well-filled lacy white bra. Joanna took one of Amy’s breasts in each hand and began to squeeze them together. The deputy’s knees buckled and she groaned into her gag. Julie tried to step between them but Lynch held her by the arm.
The echo of noises and shouts came from the canyon entrance. A tall man was coming toward them. Both gagged prisoners exclaimed into the balls.
“It’s Ryder,” said Rowlands.
“I thought that Wilke and Duncan were going to stop anybody coming that way,” said Lynch.
“If Ryder’s here, you can probably take both of them off your Christmas list,” Rowlands said dryly.
“We cannot leave without the balloon instruments,” Mrs. Dorrin insisted.
“We’ve got the Captain,” said Rowlands. “They’ll trade them for her.”
Joanna Dorrin looked at him then at the man coming toward them.
“Yes. You’re right. Bring the women.”
With Julie and Amy in tow, the three survivors headed back the way they had come.

Summer Smithers tried for perhaps the twentieth time to shift to a more comfortable position. Once again, she found it impossible. The ropes keeping her pressed against her young neighbor were unyielding. It was now quite warm in the trunk and Summer did not know how much longer they would be able to stand it.
She tried to adjust her shoulders a bit to ease the strain on the spot that was taking the weight of her upper body. As she did, she felt her breasts against Copper’s belly. It was odd, she thought, that her nipples were hard. It was the fear, she supposed; something akin to the reaction she had riding a roller coaster or watching a scary movie. In some ways the body did not discriminate as to its sources of excitement. And yet there was none of the pleasure of the thrill ride or the dark theater here. She was really in danger. She felt it much more now than when the three men had bound and gagged her to steal her car a few days ago. These two young women took pleasure in their power over other women, and she and Copper were now their playthings.
How odd it was! Her earlier adventures with Sky had resulted in her being bound and gagged against Copper. Then she and Sky had used recreations of her peril and rescue for their own romantic play. And now, in her efforts to re-light the romantic fire, here she was, bound and in danger again. Only she now knew in her heart that any rescue by Sky would not rekindle their relationship. Now there was Julie. And here she was, naked bound, and gagged in the trunk of a speeding car and headed for unknown torments at the hands of two young women.
Now Copper tried to shift her position. Oddly enough, against her own sweat- covered belly, Summer could feel Copper’s nipples. They were also hard.
The car slowed. The car made a turn, pressing the two women against one another again. When the car straightened, it continued to go slowly, obviously on a softer surface, probably an unpaved road or drive.
The thought that their journey was coming to an end was no comfort to Summer.

Sky returned to the Jeep riding one of the horses and leading the other carrying Gentry’s body slung across the saddle. The appearance of a body and the horses without their former riders told Deputy MacKeever that something was wrong.
“What happened, Sky?” he asked as the big rancher dismounted.
MacKeever was putting away the first-aid kit as Sky rode up. Deputy Norris, his uniform shirt gone and the arm of his bandaged shoulder in an improvised sling was sitting with his back against one of the wheels looking much better. He had tucked his revolver into the left side of his belt while he watched the prisoner. The big, hawk-nosed man was sitting in the open, his hands cuffed in front of him so he could apply direct pressure to a thick piece of gauze over his leg wound.
“The gang got into the canyon somehow and ambushed the girls,” Sky said. “I saw them being taken away, but I was too far away to do anything.”
“Were they all right?”
Both deputies were looking earnestly at Sky.
“They both must be pretty healthy. From what I could see, the gang had them tied up. And Amy got this fellow here” - he jerked his thumb over his shoulder – “in the gunfight.”
“What do you think they want with them?” asked Norris.
Sky shook his head.
“I don’t know, Ben. But we’ve got to get on their trail fast. Is the Sheriff on his way?”
“As fast as he can get here, Sky,” said MacKeever. “He’s pulled Tyler and Rivera to help and the State Police are sending some men too.”
Sky looked at the wounded prisoner then back at Norris.
“Ben, do you think you’ll be all right with this guy for a few minutes?”
Norris drew his pistol with his left hand. He fired, taking off the top of a small cactus some thirty yards away.
“I think I can handle him,” the Deputy replied.
“Good. Al, I want you ride with me to the Hummingbird then bring my horse back with you. I’ll get in the air and see if I can help find the gang. With some luck, I may be able to direct the Sheriff right to them.”
“Got it, Sky.”
They went to work untying Gentry’s body from the other horse.

Fred Merrill drove into Summer Smithers’ driveway. Her station wagon was not parked beside the house. He peered at the nearby garage. Its doors were standing open and there was no car inside.
He put the car in neutral, considering whether or not it would be a waste of time to ring the doorbell. With nothing to lose, he pulled up to the front door and left his car idling while he tried the bell. After two rings he knew it was useless. Climbing into his car again, he paused long enough to take a couple bites from the sandwich beside him on the front seat as he wondered how best to use the rest of his lunch hour. With no particular end in mind, he pulled out of the driveway and headed east.
He drove slowly so that he could watch the land to his right for any sign of Summer. Two or three cars whizzed past him as he searched. There was no sign of her or any of her men. But Merrill did notice one thing rather strange: the gate to a little dirt road sometimes used to truck in water for the stock had been left open. It was too early in the season for that road to have been used.
He pulled off the highway to check it and continued down the road, following the fresh tire tracks in the dirt.

Sky Ryder kept the Hummingbird low as he headed north. He could see MacKeever taking the horses back to the Jeep, and in less than a minute he passed Norris and his prisoner waiting there. Far to the north he could see the rotating beacons of several cars on the county road. But there was no sign of any of the gang or their prisoners. He did not even spot any cars. They must have hidden them well or have come from another direction. He headed east, toward the spot where he and Julie had found the first piece of the balloon. It seemed unlikely that the gang could have come from there, but there was little else to try.
Another ten minutes in the air brought him within sight of the highly reflective wreckage. But now there was something else there. A single engine Piper Cub was sitting in the same spot in which he had landed yesterday. He went down for a closer look.
The area seemed deserted. The plane’s propeller stood motionless, and there was no one about. Sky took a closer look at the plane’s identifying number.
“Sheriff’s Car One to Hummingbird. Do you read me, Sky? Over.”
Sky took up the handset.
“I read you, Winch. What’s the story? Is Ben all right? Over.”
“He’s fine. The Doc’s looking over the man you and Al caught here, and we’ve identified the dead man as a small time hood from California named Gentry. I brought some of your men to bring your station wagon and horses back to the ranch. Over.”
“Any sign of the gang? They’ve got Julie and Amy you know. Over.”
“Nothing yet, but we’re going to be looking. Do you need any help? Over.”
“I’m back at the place we found wreckage yesterday. Ted Barry’s plane is out here right next to it. Check with the airport and see if it was stolen. Maybe the gang’s using it. I’m going down to stake it out. I might catch them coming back if I’m lucky. Over.”
“Be careful, Sky. Give me a location and I’ll send Tyler and Rivera over to help you. Keep me posted. Over.”

The car stopped. Within a minute, the trunk was opened, blinding Summer and Copper with their first look at daylight in over an hour. The two young women peered gleefully at the two captives.
“Aren’t they cute?” squealed Myra. “Such pretty girls tied up in such a sweet little bundle!”
Donna ran her hand over the women’s sweating sides.
“They almost glisten when they’re all sweaty like this. It’d be a shame to cool them off.”
“Oh, but they really need it,” insisted Myra. “How should we cool them?”
Donna pretended to be giving the matter deep consideration.
“I know!” she said. “Let’s take them for a swim in the pool!”
“Great idea!”
As the two bound women shook their heads and protested into their gags, Klee and Bradford appeared and untied the hogties and the ropes that held the Summer and Copper tightly together. They lifted the women one at a time out of the trunk, then hoisted them over their shoulders. From odd angles, Copper and Summer could see that they had been brought to an opulent ranch-style home set in a stand of pine trees. The men did not carry them to the front doors of the house, but took them around to the back. A high board fence kept them from seeing what was there until Donna ran ahead and opened the gate. The captives were carried onto a concrete and flagstone patio surrounding a swimming pool. Copper was lowered from Klee’s shoulder to her still bound feet before Bradford let Summer down. Copper screamed into her gag. Summer strained to see what had terrified Copper.
There were two cinder blocks sitting beside the pool, and Donna and Myra were running ropes through the openings in them.
“Oh my God!” thought Summer. “They’re going to drown us in the middle of the desert!”

A half-hour later found Sky hidden behind some rocks thirty yards from the plane. He had found nothing out of the ordinary in the cabin, but there was a chance that the gang might return. He kept a watchful eye to the west, his revolver ready.
There was a noise to Sky’s right. Shifting his position quickly and quietly, he waited.
“Sky? Is that you over there?”
It was the voice of Fred Merrill.
“Fred?” he called.
The big man stood up and stepped out from a tangle of tress and sagebrush. Sky holstered his gun.
“I thought there was somebody watching,” Merrill said. “And when I circled around to the left, I could just see the nose of the Hummingbird over there where you hid it.”
“I thought that maybe the gang had stolen Ted’s plane to get out here. They’ve captured Julie and Amy Cole, you know.”
The big man looked grim.
“I hadn’t heard,” he said. “But it’s even worse than that.”
He drew out a bundle hanging from his belt and opened it. It consisted of two sets of women’s clothes.
“Miss Copper was wearing some of these this morning. And I figure the rest belong to Summer Smithers.”
Sky held up Copper’s shirt. He nodded.
“Now they’ve got all four of them,” he said.

End of Chapter 10

[esercito sconfitto]

Sky vs. Spies
Fiction by Frank Knebel
Chapter 11


Rowlands dropped a doubled loop of rope over Amy’s head and shoulders and, when it had fallen just below her breasts, pulled on the free ends to tighten the noose. The young deputy’s open, buttonless uniform shirt was pulled farther apart, and she gave a little mew of discomfort as the rope pinched the bare skin just under her bra. Rowlands lifted the free ends over her head and circled her body several times. Duncan was looping more ropes around the attractive brunette’s waist, further pinning her arms. He paused for a moment to pull Amy’s shirt open a bit more to better display her thinly covered breasts.
“That’s better,” he said. Somehow neither his leer nor his grin put any color into his pale, rather wasted face. “We want a real good look at that nice set of yours, Deputy.”
Amy glared at him and tried to say something through the sizable rubber ball.
“A lotta spirit too,” he noted. “I like that in a woman. At first, anyway.”
Rowlands ran out of rope. He anchored the free ends and tied them off.
“That’s enough o’ that, Duncan,” he said. “If this little lady’s hands weren’t cuffed behind her, she’d probably tear you apart. Gentry learned the hard way.”
Duncan ogled the helpless woman.
“Fortunately for me, she is all tied up.” He finished his tying and reached up to push the shirt back off her shoulders. He slid his index fingers under the straps of her bra. “This way we can get a lot better acquainted.”
Before he could slide the straps off her shoulders, Amy kicked him in his left shin. As he yelped in pain and hopped on his left leg, she kicked that shin too. Rowlands could not help laughing. Duncan leaned over to massage his legs for a moment, glaring at Amy. When he straightened up his body, his right hand kept rising, as if he was preparing to slap the bound woman. Rowlands stepped forward and grabbed Duncan’s wrist. His eyes glinted dangerously.
“What’s the matter, Duncan? You want me to tie her feet so you don’t get hurt?”
“You saw what she did!” he screeched.
“Yeah, and you had it comin’. Now shut up and let’s finish with her so we can get outta here.”
Duncan bent over and rubbed his left leg again.
“Little wildcat,” he mumbled.
Rowlands reached over to the seat of the car and picked up a roll of adhesive tape.
“If you’ve got so much fight left in you, why don’t you go back and tangle with those deputies some more?”
“I tell you I got one of ‘em,” Duncan protested. “If Wilke hadn’t lost his head and made a run for it, I might’ve got the other one too.”
Rowlands took two pieces of rope from the seat and, with a skeptical look, tossed them to Duncan. He put his hand on Amy’s shoulder and backed her to the car.
“Sit down, Deputy,” he said. After he helped Amy find the backseat, he turned to Duncan.
“Tie her feet and legs. And be careful.”
Rowlands tore some strips from the tape roll and plastered them over the lower part of Amy’s face, sealing the gag. The bound woman did not resist as Duncan bound her ankles together side by side, then tied her legs above the knees.
“Get in,” Rowlands told Duncan. “You’re driving.”
Duncan opened the front door and sat behind the wheel. Rowlands turned to the car behind them. Lynch and Joanna Dorrin had just finished binding Julie’s legs and taping over her gag. Lynch lifted Julie’s legs into the backseat, closed the back door, then took his place at the wheel. Joanna waved to Rowlands.
“We’re ready,” she said.
“Follow us,” said Rowlands.
Before getting into the backseat with Amy, he carefully picked up her bound feet from the ground and put them on the floor. He then circled the car and got in the other side.
“We’re going to have a nice, quiet ride here, Deputy,” he said. “Just remember: if I have you get down, you stay down. Understand?”
Amy looked at him reproachfully. Slowly, reluctantly, she nodded.
“Good.” He looked her up and down, keeping his eyes on her face for a few seconds. “You’re a good-lookin’ woman, Deputy, and you’ve got a lot of spunk. But if you want some friendly advice, if I were you I’d watch that spunk in front of the Boss Lady. Make it easy on yourself.”
The car started. Duncan pulled onto the road and accelerated. Rowlands stared out of the open window, looking blankly at the arid landscape around them for a few moments.
“Something’s not right with her,” he added softly. “She’s twisted.”
Amy was now staring at Rowlands. He looked back at her, apparently startled that she was listening so attentively.
“Just some friendly advice,” he repeated.

Lynch followed Duncan and Rowlands.
“We are heading in the direction of Ryder’s ranch, are we not?” asked Mrs. Dorrin. “Why did Rowlands choose this way?”
“He figures that they’ll expect us to get as far east as possible,” Lynch replied in his grating voice. “So our best chance is to go in the direction they’ll least suspect. By the time they find out what we’ve done, we’ll be long gone.”
“Very good. Yes, very good, indeed,” said Joanna. She looked at Julie beside her. “We wouldn’t want the Captain to miss any of the hospitality we have planned for her.”
She reached over and began unbuttoning Julie’s blouse. The wide-eyed captive writhed ineffectually.
“Oh, come now, Captain,” chided Joanna. “My nieces tell me that they had you at a much greater… disadvantage, shall we say? They were very disappointed that we were unable to entertain you like that. But rest assured that the fun was only delayed.”
She finished with Julie’s blouse buttons and spread it open.
“Oh, my,” Joanna said. “Such an attractive bra, and such lovely breasts, Captain! It’s a shame that a uniform should cover such bounty. Let’s see what other treasures I can discover before we arrive home.”
As Julie squirmed and protested into her gag, Joanna reached over and unfastened her belt.

Sky Ryder was back in the air. He flew north to Summer’s ranch and checked the traffic on the road, but Merrill’s was the only car he saw. A look at the fuel gauge told Sky that he could not remain on patrol for much longer. Guessing that the gang would head east, away from the most likely route that reinforcements would come, Sky turned that way.
No dread he had ever experienced as a combat pilot could compare with that he now felt at the thought of Copper, Julie, Amy, and Summer all being in the hands of the gang. If his analysis of the situation was right, none of the women were in mortal danger yet. He guessed that the gang had discovered that the balloon payload had been found and would probably offer to trade the women for it. And that presented a serious problem. Sky was the only one who knew where it was.
After a twenty minute search, he checked the gauge again. It was time to refuel. There was still no sign of anyone on the road below. It would be the better part of an hour before he could get back out here. By then, it would most likely be too late. The gang would probably have slipped away. But an airplane needed fuel to stay in the air.
Reluctantly, Sky set a direct course for the Kermit airport.

Copper Ryder and Summer Smithers sat at the shallow end of the pool of Joanna Dorrin’s rented house. Their bound legs hung over the side; their bound feet were in the water. Donna and Myra had chased Bradford and Klee into the house and drawn the drapes over the glass doors leading to the living room. Both girls were now busy with the two cinderblocks they had moved to the edge of the pool several feet away. They had strung rope through the openings of the blocks and tied them off, leaving a small loop at the middle of both blocks to which a thin metal O-ring was threaded. Once that was done, as though performing a synchronized demonstration, both girls took a short length of rope and fashioned a small running noose on one end. Then they each took a metal clip, the type opened by pressing the thumb against a springy piece of strong metal, and attached them to the tiny nooses.
“All set?” Donna asked Myra.
“Ready.”
Still synchronizing their movements, the two both reached down and grabbed the bottom hems of their clingy tops from their jeans. As one, they pulled the tops off over their heads and tossed the inside-out garments onto a nearby lounge chair. Both then unbuttoned their jeans, slid them down their legs, and stepped out of them. They tossed the pants away, then pulled off their boots. Keeping their eyes on the prisoners, they reached behind their backs to unhook their bras and slid them down their arms. Both girls were grinning broadly as they stripped off their panties then threw the underwear with the rest of their clothing. The two naked beauties then took up the prepared ropes and lowered themselves into the pool. Donna took her rope and ran the free end around the seize in Summer’s ankle bonds, leaving the clip and about a foot of rope extended in front of Summer’s bound ankles. Myra did the same to Copper.
“Which one first?” asked Myra.
Donna studied the two with exaggerated care.
“The taller one, I think.”
The two girls took Summer on either side and stood her up in the water.
“Let’s hop now, Mrs. Smithers,” said Donna, giving the naked prisoner a light swat on the backside.
Assisted by her two equally naked captors, Summer hopped into deeper water. When the water was just short of shoulder high, Donna and Myra stopped her and turned her around to face Copper.
“That’s perfect,” said Donna with an approving nod. “Now for the other one.”
They repeated the operation with Copper though, being about four inches shorter, she did not get as far into the pool as her neighbor. She was left a couple feet from and facing her fellow prisoner.
“Now for the blocks,” said Myra.
Donna stepped between the two bound women.
“Now don’t fall down, you two,” she warned with a smile. “You’ll miss the fun.”
Copper watched the two breathtaking nude beauties lift one of the cinder blocks from the pool’s edge and bring it beside her.
“One… two… three,” counted Donna.
Both girls took a deep breath and went under water. Copper could see them place the block just in front of her feet and clip the ring connected to her tied ankles to the O-ring on the block. Then the two surfaced. After a couple of gasping breaths, the two grinned at one another.
“One to go,” said Donna.
As they headed back for the other block, Copper struggled to free her wrists.
“If I had known they meant to do this,” the girl thought, “I’d have tried to rush them back at the plane. I’d rather be shot than drowned while bound and gagged!”
She continued to struggle desperately with her bonds, taking care not to lose her balance. Any fall would be fatal.
The two girls did the same to Summer, placing the block in front of her feet and attaching the clip to the ring. They surfaced and grinned at one another again, then at their captives. They nodded to one another. Donna waded over to Summer, Myra to Copper.
Copper closed her eyes and waited for the pull on her feet, the first sign that she was to be dragged under. She thought of Sky, her happy life at the ranch, and ruefully cursed her love of adventure.
But the only thing she felt was Myra peeling the tape from her gag. She opened her eyes and found not only was it true, but Donna was doing the same to Summer. After a sigh of relief, the girl became wary again. What could these two be up to?
After balling up the tape and tossing it onto the patio, the girls stepped behind their prisoners and untied the ballgags. They also tossed these onto the deck as Summer and Copper tried to work the stiffness out of their jaw muscles. Almost immediately, the two girls grabbed their prisoners in tight embraces from the front, putting one arm around them and using the other to cover their mouths.
“You two probably want to know what this is all about, don’t you?” asked Donna.
The two hand-gagged women could do nothing but look at their captors.
“Well,” she continued, “we’re not going to drown you, if that’s what was worrying you.”
Both prisoners sighed through their noses.
“We’re going to play a little game,” said Myra, wrapping a leg around Copper and pressing her breasts against her captive’s. “At least it’s our variation on an old game.”
“You’re probably heard of bobbing for apples,” Donna said. “Well our game is called ‘Bobbing for Nipples’.”
Both prisoners squealed in alarm into the hands that covered their mouths.
“You have to stay under water until you find one of our nipples with your mouths,” Myra explained. “Then you have to give it a good going over. When we’re satisfied, we let you back up for air.”
“Are we all ready?” asked Donna. She looked at Summer. “We’ll go first, Mrs. Smithers. Take a deep breath now.”
She removed her hand from Summer’s mouth and took hold of the ropes around her upper torso. When she pulled, Summer’s face disappeared under the water though Copper could see the top of her dark-haired head pressed close to Donna’s body. The blonde did not react for a moment, then gasped softly and half-closed her eyes.
“Oh, that’s good,” she murmured. “That’s the way to do it.”
Myra had wrapped herself around Copper like a constricting snake. She leaned over and whispered in her ear.
“I hope you’ve had some experience with women, Miss Ryder. I can be kind of hard to please in this game.”
After what seemed like an eternity, Donna released Summer’s ropes and the brunette’s head reappeared. Donna waited as Summer gasped for breath for a few moments, then clamped her free hand over her prisoner’s mouth again.
“Not bad for your first time, Mrs. Smithers,” said Donna. “Of course, the best thing about this game is, like all games, you get better with more practice.”
“My turn!” cried Myra. She grinned at Copper and took her hand from the girl’s lips, grabbing the upper body loops. “Breathe real deep now and…”

“We just passed Ryder’s ranch,” Duncan reported. “You can get up now.”
Rowlands rose from the back seat. As they approached the ranch he had pushed Amy down so that her legs were on the floor and her upper body was on the seat and warned her to keep low. He had hunkered down beside her, holding her with one arm. They had been face to face, though upside down, for the time that it took to pass the house, and Amy had been able to read his face during the time. She had seen him look her lush torso up and down, noted the hunger in his eyes and felt the pressure of his arm on hers and his hand on her hip. But once they were past the ranch, he straightened up and took his arm away immediately. She looked up at him with her clear blue eyes from the seat.
“You might as well stay down there, Deputy,” he said. “Just in case, we wouldn’t want you to see the way to our hideout. As a matter of fact…”
He searched his pockets until he found the roll of tape. He tore four more short pieces off.
“I shoulda done this right away, I suppose.”
He kept looking at her, as though reluctant to break eye contact. He leaned over and gently turned her shoulders so she was looking straight up. He began sticking the tape over her eyes. She gave a soft mew of disapproval, but did not resist.
Duncan looked in the rearview mirror.
“Taping her eyes, huh? That’s a good idea. Not that she’ll ever be able to tell anybody where we’re takin’ ‘em.”
“What’re you talking about?” asked Rowlands, continuing to work.
“Well, we’re gonna get rid of ‘em after we get the goods, aren’t we?”
Amy breathed in sharply.
“Kill a woman cop?” Rowlands asked sarcastically. “Brilliant! They’d be twice as determined to bring us in if we did that. ‘Never Kill Cops’ and ‘Never Kill Women’ are the first two rules on my list.”
He pressed the last piece of tape over Amy’s eyes.
“Nah. We’re gonna trade this little sweetheart and the others for those gadgets they took off the balloon. They’ll be four times more anxious to deal with us now.”
Unconsciously, Rowlands dropped his arm onto Amy’s side again and gave her a reassuring pat. Amy felt strangely comforted by his words. As the two men continued to talk, Amy turned over more onto her side. Rowlands’ hand slipped down onto her nearly exposed breast. He stopped talking and drew it away hastily.
Amy thought about what would happen when the gang tried to trade her and Julie (and were there others?) for the instruments from the balloon. Would Sky and the Sheriff agree? And what would happen after the trade was done?

Summer spat out pool water and breathed as deeply as she could as she watched Myra react to Copper’s stimulation of her breasts. The brunette gasped and giggled as Copper’s head bobbed and moved around Myra’s left breast. Summer looked pleadingly at Donna, but the blonde was wholly absorbed in her cousin’s expressions of sensual pleasure. Though Donna was no longer hand-gagging her, Summer said nothing. She had tried to reason with Donna before her second and third dunkings but they had ignored her, and her pleas had left her short of breath. Since then she had not attempted to speak.
Myra let go of Copper’s chest ropes, and the petite blonde’s head emerged from below the surface. She coughed and spat out water between breaths.
“All right, Summer,” cooed Donna. “My right boob this time, if you please.”
Summer took as large a breath as she could. Donna waited until her prisoner was ready, then pulled Summer’s chest ropes to force her face under water. Summer opened her eyes and pressed her cheek against Donna, searching for her nipple. Finding it quickly, she put her lips around it and began stroking it with her tongue. For the present, Summer’s mind was a blank, without any sense of outrage or humiliation. She merely functioned, as she knew she must to survive. She had seen that neither Donna nor Myra would hold them under long enough to really be dangerous. They were merely toying with their prisoners. It was difficult to decide whether it was sexual pleasure or the pleasure of power was their chief satisfaction here. Probably a mingling of both. But the important thing was to survive.
Donna released the ropes above Summer’s breasts, allowing her to raise her head again. As she gasped for air, she wondered how much longer the game would go on.

Fred Merrill drew his car up to the front gate of the Flying Coronet ranch. He had spent nearly two hours in a vain search for any signs of the gang. Since he had no radio, he decided to return to the ranch to see if Sky or anyone else had a lead.
Wes Donovan was still on guard in front. He waved as Fred walked up the path to the porch.
“Hey, Wes.”
The muscular cowboy merely nodded.
“Did Sky call in, Wes? You know there was some trouble during the search this morning.”
Wes nodded again.
“Figgered as much. Two Sheriff’s cars and an ambulance came by while back. They had Joe and a couple o’ the boys with ‘em.”
“Any news from Sky?”
Wes rubbed his chin.
“I heard the Lady Sarge talkin’ on the radio. Saw Sky out that-a-way” --- he pointed northeast --- “headed fer town a half hour or so ago. Musta needed gas.”
“Anything else happen here?”
Wes shook his head.
“Nope. A few minutes ago, two cars come by headed north is all.”
Merrill was instantly alert.
“Two cars? What kind? How many people in ‘em?”
“Good sized four-doors. One black, one dark gray. Only one man in the first, one man drivin’ a woman in the second.”
Merrill leaped off the porch and ran to his car.
“I’m goin’ after ‘em, Wes. Have the Sarge tell Sky or the Sheriff. I’ll report back when I can.”
Wes Donovan calmly watched as Merrill jumped into the car and lurched away with a squeal of tires and a cloud of sandy dust. He scratched his chin as the car disappeared.

Sky Ryder looked out of the airport office window as two men refueled the Hummingbird. He took up the microphone of the office radio.
“Sky Ryder calling Sheriff’s Car One. Calling Sheriff’s Car One. Do you read me, Winch? Over.”
“This is Car One,” replied Sheriff Winchell. “I read you, Sky. Where are you? Over.”
“I had to return to the airport for gas, Winch. I’m going to bring Tim out to fly Ted’s plane back to the field. We’re almost ready to take off. Where are you, Winch? Over.”
“I’m at the ambush canyon, Sky. Joe Bailey and a couple of your men have started back for your ranch with your car and horses. Two of my cars and two State trooper units are out looking for the gang. I’m still waiting for Doc Barton and the ambulance boys to finish with Ben and the man you and Al captured. Over.”
“Give Al most of the credit for him, Winch. Over.”
“He says he’s really glad you were around to help chase away the other man. Over.”
“Listen, Winch, there’s something I need your help with. Can you wait there for me? I’ll see that Tim gets in the air and be with you as soon as I can.” He looked at his watch. “Say forty five minutes? Over.”
“If you say it’s important, I’ll be here, Sky. Over.”
“Good. I’ve got an idea what the gang wants with the hostages they’ve taken today. And it’s not an easy decision to make. Over.”
“See you when you get here, Sky. Sheriff out.”
Sky put down the mike. He beckoned to Tim and walked quickly toward the door to the field, Tim following.

Copper and Summer sat at the edge of the pool once again. Neither woman was gagged; both were breathing almost normally again. After a good half-hour or more of play, Myra and Donna had unhooked them from the concrete blocks and helped them hop to the shallow end. They allowed the prisoners to sit while they recovered the blocks from the bottom of the pool.
“Are you all right, Copper?” asked Summer.
The young blonde coughed out more pool water.
“I guess so,” she replied. “I mean, I’m as all right as I can be for being half drowned while forced to suck on a woman’s breasts!”
Summer tried to swing some very wet, dark hair out of her face.
“I know what you mean,” she gasped. She looked earnestly at her neighbor. “But we’re alive, and we’re going to do whatever we have to do to stay alive.”
Copper looked up at her. Summer tried to smile. Copper nodded.
“Okay, Summer,” she said. She looked down at the ropes around her body. “I guess there’s not much else we can do, is there?”
Donna and Myra, both still nude, came toward them carrying large pink towels.
“Well, ladies,” said Donna. “That was so much fun that we hated to quit, but it’s time to dry off.”
“I hope we’ll get to play again,” added Myra with a smile.
Donna tossed her towel onto a patio chair.
“We’re even going to untie you so you can get yourselves nice and dry.”
Myra raised a .38 revolver from under the towel and pointed it at them.
“And we know you’ll be very good girls while you’re free.”
Donna pulled Copper’s legs out of the pool and opened a small pocketknife to cut her ankle bonds. She looked directly at Copper.
“And don’t get used to being untied. It’s not going to last.”

Captain Julie Atkins lay on the floor of the backseat of Joanna Dorrin’s car. During the trip, Joanna had removed the attractive officer’s slacks, socks and boots, rebound her legs and feet and blindfolded her with several strips of adhesive tape.
“Discomfort is the key, Captain,” Joanna said quietly. “There are many forms of torture we could apply to you and your friends, but the simplest and easiest is merely to keep you uncomfortable for a long period of time. Uncomfortable and well aware of your helplessness.”
She leaned back in the corner of the backseat opposite the driver, stretched out her legs and rested the heels of her boots on Julie’s shoulder.
“You shall soon tell us about the recovery of the instruments,” she continued. “Though that is no longer so important. I believe that Sky Ryder has them now and that he and the Sheriff will be quite anxious to trade them with their evidence of spying for you and your friends. You see, we have not only captured you and the lovely deputy, but also his niece and her friend Mrs. Smithers.”
Julie gave a mew of alarm.
“The value of having so many hostages is that if one or two are needed to demonstrate our … How shall I say it? … determination, we have an expendable prisoner available.”
Again Julie protested into her gag.
“Oh, never fear, my dear,” cooed Joanna. “You are not one of the expendable ones.”
The car passed a slow-moving pickup truck.
“Not too fast, Lynch,” Joanna commanded. “We wouldn’t want to attract the attention of any deputies watching for speeders.”
Lynch chuckled a moment before replying in his hacksaw voice.
“I haven’t seen a deputy the whole way around town. They’re all looking for us south and east of here.”
“Nonetheless, be careful, especially about passing trucks. I wouldn’t want anyone to see the Captain’s plight before we choose to reveal it.”
With a malevolent smile, she pressed her heels into Julie’s shoulder. The helpless woman groaned into her gag.

Merrill swung his car around the heavily laden pickup truck and continued north. In the flat, barren landscape between Sky’s ranch and Kermit, it had been relatively easy to keep the two cars in sight at some distance. A few more miles north of town and they would encounter better-watered, hilly country dotted with pine forests. He might easily lose them before long. But the big foreman sensed he was on the right track. This was more or less the route taken by the kidnappers in laundry truck a few days before. With a little luck, he could narrow the search area considerably.
He accelerated a bit, trying to close the distance without seeming obvious. The sun was now to his left. The day was wearing on, but there was plenty of daylight remaining.

Sky Ryder and Sheriff Winchell walked briskly through the canyon headed for the tiny group of trees ahead.
“It sounds reasonable, Sky,” Winchell was saying. “If they didn’t get the payload, they’ll probably want to swap the women for it. But you know that we can’t give it to them.”
“We have to, Winch,” Sky said grimly. “They have Copper and Amy and Julie and Summer. From what Julie and the others told us about those two sadistic young women, there’s no telling what they might do to any women hostages.”
They stopped walking. Winchell took off his hat and mopped his brow.
“Sky, I know how you love Copper. I love her too. I’ve watched her grow up here. And you know how I feel about Amy Cole. Both of them are like my own daughters. And I know that there’s something between you and both Julie and Summer, or there was something at one time. But no matter how we feel about them, we can’t betray the government.”
Sky looked earnestly at his old friend.
“I wore a uniform for five years, Winch. I know what it means to be loyal to our country. Julie’s in uniform and it’s her duty to take risks. Amy wears a different uniform, but danger’s also part of her job. But it’s different with Summer and Copper. They’re just ordinary people. And our country can’t just ask ordinary people to sacrifice themselves for it without being able sacrifice some things for them at times.”
He started walking again, heading for a rocky formation against one of the canyon walls.
“I’m the only one who knows where the instrument pack is, Winch. And I’m going to trade it with that gang in order to get Julie and Copper and the others back. I just wanted you to know about it first.”
The two men stopped near the canyon wall. Sky sat on his haunches and reached into a little opening in the rocks. He pulled hard on something hidden there. After two or three tries, he pulled the pack out of its hiding place. Winchell looked at the instruments and raised an eyebrow.
“All of this has been over that?” he asked.
“It’s gotten five men killed, several more wounded, and five headed for prison,” Sky replied.
The Sheriff shook his head wearily.
“Well, the government might not agree with you, Sky. But in this case, I do. We’ll make the trade if they offer.”
Sky grinned and clapped Winchell on the shoulder.
“Let’s get this back to my ranch. We shouldn’t have too long to wait.”

At the sound of approaching cars, Donna and Myra leaped off the sofa where they had been lounging and ran to the front window. Both girls were now dressed, though barely. Myra wore short shorts and a halter-top, while Donna favored cut-off jeans and a bandeau top that left her midriff bare. Neither girl wore anything on her feet. Parting the drapes enough to peek out, they saw the two familiar cars pull in the drive and stop in front of the house. They watched eagerly as their Aunt Joanna supervised the unloading of their human cargo. The bound, tape-gagged and tape-blindfolded woman Rowlands hoisted over his shoulder wore a deputy’s uniform. The one held by Lynch wore only an open white blouse, a bra and panties.
“That’s the Captain!” cried Myra, pointing as Lynch lifted her onto his shoulder. “I’d know those legs anywhere!”
Donna licked her lips.
“The other one must be the woman deputy some of the men had a run-in with the other day. She’s a pretty fine looking piece herself.”
The two hurried to the door and opened it just as Joanna reached for the knob.
“What did you bring us?” the nieces asked in excited chorus.
Joanna smiled at the two.
“Rowlands told us that you were also successful this morning. What have you done with them?”
“We played with them in the pool!” Donna said proudly.
Joanna’s smile turned into a scolding pout. One eyebrow went down.
“I hope that doesn’t mean that---“ she began.
“Oh, no!” Myra said hurriedly. “They’re all right. We’ve got them all tied up in Donna’s room.”
“Tied up good and tight,” added Donna.
“Well done,” said Joanna. She stood aside to allow the men to carry the two new captives in the door and stand them in the center of the living room. “Very good, Rowlands. Take the men to the kitchen and get them something to eat. Do not come out unless we call you. And make sure the guards are alert.”
Rowlands nodded.
“Come on,” he told Lynch and Duncan.
The three disappeared into the kitchen, closing the door after them.
Joanna Dorrin inspected the two bound women. The blindfolds and their long car ride on the floor of the back seat had made the two prisoners somewhat unsteady on their feet, so Donna had to support Amy Cole while Myra did the same for Julie. Donna reached across Amy’s front and spread her open shirt more.
“M-mmm,” hummed Donna, stroking her hand across the Deputy’s chest as Amy mewed indignantly into her gag. “Great boobs for a cop.”
“Two fine specimens of American womanhood,” said Joanna. “You may remove the blindfolds, girls. Then I want them both stripped. They must be made ready for a long, hot evening.”

“Does anybody want more coffee?” asked Sergeant Connie Wade.
She stood in the kitchen doorway holding a coffeepot and looked into the living room at the weary, anxious faces of the men.
Deputy Harry Tyler was pacing in front of the radio set beside Sky’s desk. He kept looking at the telephone at the side of the desk and turning his hat in his hands.
“I know it’s tough, Harry,” said Sheriff Winchell, seated on the couch across the room. “But why don’t you just sit down and try to relax.”
Tyler looked guiltily at him.
“Sorry, Sheriff,” he said. “The waiting just kind of gets to a guy.”
He sat down in the desk chair, still playing with the brim of his hat.
Sky smiled at Connie.
“No thanks, Sergeant,” he said. “The last thing we need out here is more caffeine.”
She returned to the kitchen.
Winchell and Sky turned their eyes back to the magazines they were holding but not really reading. Tyler stood up again and resumed his pacing. Winchell was about to say something, but Sky smiled and shook his head. Sergeant Wade entered the room with another bottle of Coke.
“It’s a good thing caffeine doesn’t put me on edge,” she said taking a sip from the bottle. She looked at one of her fingernails and began biting it.
The phone rang. Sky rose and picked up the receiver.
“Hello… Yes, this is Sky Ryder… Yes, we know… I’ve got them here… I won’t agree to anything until you let me talk to Copper. Then we’ll discuss a trade.”

Joanna Dorrin put her hand over the mouthpiece of the phone. She turned to Myra.
“You were right. He wants to speak to his niece.”
She stepped over to the couch where Julie and Copper, both nude and bound, sat with Donna and Myra respectively draped around them, both girls with one hand covering the prisoners’ mouths. As Joanna lowered the receiver to Copper, Myra reached around her and gave Copper’s breast a squeeze. Amy and Summer, nude, bound and gagged and seated in chairs opposite the couch on the other side of the glass-topped coffee table, watched them apprehensively.
“Be careful what you say, Miss Ryder,” Myra warned with a grin.
She took her hand away. Joanna took her hand from the mouthpiece and put the instrument to Copper’s mouth and ear.
“Hello, Sky,” the girl said. “This is Copper… Yes, we’re all right, aside from being kept tied up and gagged most of the time.” She hesitated and flushed. “And with no clothes on… Okay… Yes, I believe you.”
“Enough,” spat Joanna.
Myra hand-gagged Copper again as Joanna took back the receiver.
“You are convinced, Mr. Ryder? No harm will come to any of them if we get the balloon instruments. Now here is what I want you to do---“

End of Chapter 11

[esercito sconfitto]

Chapter 12




Sky vs. Spies
Fiction by Frank Knebel
Chapter 12
Joanna Dorrin hung up the phone and surveyed her four prisoners with a faint and definitely unfriendly smile. On the couch, Donna and Myra were still hand-gagging Julie and Copper respectively. Across the coffee table, Deputy Amy Cole glared over her tape gag as the dark-haired spymaster picked up a nail file from the table and calmly smoothed the edge of one fingernail. Summer Smithers nervously watched Donna’s and Myra’s undisguised lust as they embraced the other two captives.
“Shall we gag them again, Auntie Jo?” Donna asked eagerly, running a hand over Julie’s side. “They make such cute noises when we play with them like that.”
Joanna filed at her nail for a moment then looked up at the two couples.
“It is growing late,” she said, “and we want to be up early tomorrow to be ready for Mr. Ryder. I think that it is time for their night gags. Once that is done, put Captain Atkins in my room. I believe that a bed has been prepared for her there. The others you may divide between yourselves as you wish.”
“Okay, Auntie Jo,” Donna answered. She reached onto the glass-topped table and picked up a white cloth strip with a large knot in the center. “Be a good girl and take this now, Captain. It isn’t nearly as bad as the gag you had all day.”
She took her hand away from Julie’s mouth and forced the knot between her teeth. Myra did the same to Copper as Donna tied the ends of the cloth at the back of Julie’s neck.
“These gags with permit freer breathing for the night, ladies,” Joanna announced. “We must have you all alive and well, at least to begin the morning’s work tomorrow. Of course, I would not expect to sleep very well tonight, any of you. I’m sure that my nieces have very exciting plans for you.”
Julie spoke around her gag. Though she could not speak clearly she obviously said: “You’ll never get away with this.”
Joanna finished with her nail and brushed away some filings. She smiled at Julie.
“We shall most assuredly get away with this, Captain. Your friend Mr. Ryder agreed that they had little choice. He has demanded the return of all four of you in trade for the recordings made by your spy balloon. So he shall have you, at least apparently. And as for worrying about your friends, you well might think about the plans I have for you.”
Amy glared at her again and mumbled something into her stifling ball and tape gag. Joanna bent over her and took Amy’s chin in her hand, forcing the helpless Deputy to look directly into her face.
“Such loveliness wasted on the police force, my dear.” She turned to her nieces. “Make certain that our pretty deputy is well entertained tonight.”
Donna ogled the naked, voluptuous Amy.
“You can count on it, Auntie Jo. I’ll see to it myself.”
Myra took Copper by the hair and turned her face to Joanna.
“How about Miss Ryder here?” Myra asked. “Shouldn’t we do something special for her too?”
Joanna laid the nail file on the table and took Copper’s chin in her other hand.
“Yes,” she said. “You and your uncle have been major obstacles to our work here. And the best way to get back at him is through you, I think.” She turned to Donna. “Do as you wish, as long as they’re all presentable in the morning.”
Donna and Myra stood, pulling their captives to their feet.
“Let’s go, ladies,” said Donna. “The only way for you to get to our rooms is to hop. So let’s get to it.”
She and Myra applied synchronized slaps to the behinds of both women. Copper and Julie began hopping awkwardly toward the hall. Joanna watched them with amusement.
“Carry on, girls. I must see Rowlands about the guards.”
They had almost reached the hallway. Donna stopped and had Myra hold Julie for a moment while she stopped Joanna for a short conference.
“Auntie Jo,” Donna whispered, “we had some trouble today from Bradford about how we were treating the women. I don’t know if we can count on him.”
Joanna nodded thoughtfully.
“And Duncan told me that Rowlands seems to have a soft spot for the deputy. We’ll rely on Duncan if need be. And I doubt if that man Klee has any scruples. He may be useful too.”
The whispered conversation did not last long, but it was time enough for Amy to turn herself so that she could reach the nail file Joanna had left on the table. The deputy deftly passed it from her right hand, which was crossed over her left, to her more hidden hand and closed her fingers over it. She turned to Summer and found the beautiful rancher looking directly at her. Summer nodded. Amy looked back just as the conference ended. Joanna walked into the hallway leading to the kitchen while Donna and Myra herded their prisoners toward the bedrooms.
Amy took what comfort she could in the fact that, though they were naked, bound and gagged prisoners, at least they now had a chance.

Sky Ryder looked around the little circle at the others. Sheriff Winchell, Deputy Harry Tyler, his foreman Fred Merrill, and Sergeant Connie Wade were all looking at him intently.
“You think it’ll work like that, Sky?” asked Tyler
Sky shrugged.
“It’s our only chance. We have to assume they’ll be too alert to let anyone follow me.”
Sheriff Winchell gestured toward the covered bundle near the radio.
“We’ll have to be fast after they get hold of what they want, Sky. Real fast.”
Sky nodded.
“I know.” He looked at his wristwatch. “But we have only a few hours and, unless you can think of a better plan pretty fast, we’d all better use them get some rest before we start.”
Winchell shook his head.
“No. I wouldn’t like to try.” He looked at Tyler. “Come on, Harry. We’ve got to get things ready if we’re going to get even a little rest.”
Sky ushered the two lawmen to the door. He shook hands with them both.
“I know how much Amy means to you both,” the rancher said. “With luck we’ll have her back tomorrow.”
“You’ve got a lot riding on this too, Sky,” said Winchell. “Good luck.”
“And good hunting,” added Sky as the two stepped out onto the porch.

Bradford sipped his coffee and set the cup on the table in front of him. Across the table, Rowlands was reading a baseball magazine. Bradford stared into his cup for a moment.
“You think this’ll really be Robinson’s last year?” he said.
Rowlands looked up.
“Huh?”
Bradford took another sip of coffee.
“Listen, Hal,” he said earnestly. “Let’s get out of here while we can.”
Rowlands laid the magazine on the table. He ran the tip of his index finger around the rim of his own coffee cup.
“You think things are that bad?” he asked slowly.
Bradford’s face was still calm and impassive, but there was urgency in his voice.
“Ten men, Hal. We’ve lost ten men on this job. Now we’re going to try to swap those women hostages for that Air Force stuff with five of us against Ryder and the Sheriff and all his deputies. And you know what the other men are worth.”
Rowlands nodded wearily.
“Duncan’s worthless. He’s got a yellow streak a mile wide. I’d bet he’s the one who lost his head and pulled out on Wilke today. Klee’s not much better. I don’t know much about Lynch, but that’s sure not much to have going against Ryder and the Sheriff.”
“Exactly,” said Bradford. “And what is this secret stuff we’re trying to get hold of?”
“Search me,” Rowlands said with a shrug. “The Dragon Lady said it was a new gadget they use for tracking weather systems. She said that some foreign government would pay a lot for it, but that was probably a lie.”
“She’s crazy too. And her nieces are even crazier.”
Rowlands nodded.
“I know. Crazy and perverse too. But they’re paying a lot.”
Bradford checked his watch.
“Klee and I go on guard in about three hours. When it’s time, wake me up and we’ll clear out. Klee’ll sleep through it. We’ll be miles away before sunup.”
Before Rowlands could reply the door to the outside opened and Duncan, bundled up in a thick jacket, entered.
“What’re you doing here?” asked Rowlands irritably. “Your shift isn’t over.”
“Lynch and I need some coffee,” he replied. He took two mugs from the counter and crossed to the pot on the stove. “It’s cold out there.”
Duncan poured coffee, glancing wistfully at the closed door leading to the living room. “Sure wish I could see what was goin’ on in there.” He lowered his voice. “The boss and her nieces had all four of those women bare-ass naked and all tied up.” He smiled and shook his head. “That’d be somethin’ t’ see. And now they’re takin’ ‘em t’ bed.”
Rowlands looked disgustedly at Duncan. Bradford stood up.
“I gotta get some sleep before my shift,” he said. He looked at Rowlands. “Think about what I said.”
Rowlands nodded. Bradford left by the door Duncan had entered.
“Wouldn’t ya like t’ see what they doin’ to ‘em?” Duncan said with a leer.
“You’re quite the ladies’ man, aren’t ya, Duncan?” Rowlands asked sarcastically.
He did not hear Duncan’s reply, lapsing into deep thought as he sipped his coffee.

“There,” said Myra, as she finished her work. “Nice and tight for the night. Snug as a bug and twice as horny, I hope.”
She looked down at Copper on the bed. The blonde was hogtied again, her nude form faced to the middle of the bed. The much less mouth filling cleave gag was still in place.
“Whu’re ‘oo ‘onna ‘oo?” grunted Copper.
“Oh, I’m not going to do everything, Copper,” Myra said sweetly as she untied the halter top fastening at the back of her neck. “We’re going to do this together. We’re going to have a night of pleasure with each other.”
She let the halter fall, baring her own sizable and shapely breasts. She ran her hands over them, massaging them then playing for a few seconds with her hardening nipples.
“Won’t that be fun?” she whispered.
Copper made a face.
“ ‘A’un ‘oo ‘ad eduh?” she mumbled.
Myra removed the halter and slipped her shorts and panties off together. She slid into bed, taking the helpless Copper in her arms.
“I never get enough,” she sang in a husky whisper.

“Well, ladies, I hope you’re enjoying the accommodations so far,” said Donna.
She began knotting a rope that led from Summer’s ankle bonds to the post at the foot of her bed. The lovely rancher was on her side at one edge of Donna’s bed, facing the middle of the mattress and fully stretched out by the line Donna was finishing and another line that led from the back of her chest loops to the post at the head of the bed. Summer had to turn her head as far as she could to look over her shoulder at her captor. Her gag, like Amy’s, had been changed to a thickly knotted cleave gag to allow for easier breathing for the night.
Across the bed from her lay Deputy Amy Cole bound stretched out exactly as Summer was, only resting on her opposite side so that both prisoners faced the middle of the bed.
“I can’t tell you what a pleasure it’ll be for me to sleep between you two tonight,” Donna continued. “Just to think of all those lovely breasts and other goodies that’ll be within easy reach.” She leaned over the bed and stroked both women on the breasts. She giggled. “I get all hot and bothered just thinking about it.”
Amy glared briefly at the blonde, but was careful not to hold the glare for too long, lest Donna take it as a challenge. Behind her back, Amy was sawing at her wrist bonds with the nail file she had taken from the coffee table. She was making good progress, and the last thing she wanted was to draw Donna’s attention enough for a careful inspection of her prisoner.
“My cousin’s only woman enough to handle one girl, and the girl has to be all tied up,” said Donna in a mock confidential tone. She stooped over the chair to the dressing table and picked up a number of ropes piled there. “So I’m going to see how she does with things evened up a little.”
She put a finger to her lips.
“Shhh,” she mock-shushed her two captives. She giggled again. “I know I can count on you two not to give it away. This’ll just be our little secret.”
She quickly stripped off her bandeau top, cut-offs and panties. With the ropes in hand, she left the room. Summer looked eagerly at Amy. The Deputy nodded and sawed harder at her bonds.

Joanna Dorrin pulled the hogtie rope very tight so that Julie’s hands and feet almost touched. But she was not through yet. She fashioned a blindfold from a scarf and bound it over the officer’s eyes. Then she threaded a rope around the blindfold tie near the knot and connected that to the rest of the hogtie. Julie mewed in discomfort as her body was forced to arch toward the center from both directions. Joanna regarded her helpless prisoner with cool amusement.
“I shall soon add a rope through what you American women delicately call your ‘private area’ as well, Captain,” she announced. “It will not be connected to the hogtie ropes, but it should add sufficiently to your discomfort. Now, shall we begin the questions?”
Julie tried to say something around the cleave gag, but Joanna pressed her hand over Julie’s mouth to prevent it.
“Now, Captain Atkins, from the condition of the balloon lines, it is obvious that you have recovered the instruments attached to it.”
She did not remove her hand from Julie’s mouth. Despite the cruel hogtie, the helpless woman managed a slight nod.
“Good. Would you be so good as to tell me where they are now?”
She took her hand from her prisoner’s lips.
“I ‘own oh, uh ih I ‘ig, I ‘oon ‘ell ‘oo,” Julie struggled to reply.
“Commendable spirit, Captain,” Joanna said, slapping Julie’s bare behind. She tipped the bound woman onto her side and slipped a doubled rope around her waist. “Just between us, I know that Mr. Ryder has them, but I do enjoy going through the motions of this.”
She fed the free ends of her doubled rope through the ‘lark’s head’ to complete a rope belt around Julie’s waist. She then pulled the ends tight and, with difficulty, passed them between Julie’s closely bound legs. She pulled this line tight, noting with satisfaction Julie’s reaction to having her the ropes drawn through her crotch. After anchoring the free ends at the back of the belt, Joanna examined the helpless woman again, running a fingertip along the new rope at her waist and down into the dark thatch between her legs.
“I like the look of the white rope exactly dividing your pubic hair. You are a beautiful woman, Captain. I shall enjoy your discomfort, and discomfort, as I told you earlier, is the key.”

“Oh, come now, Miss Ryder. Don’t struggle so much.”
Myra raised her head from Copper’s breasts and looked her captive in the eyes.
“You can’t possibly escape or fight me off. Why not just relax and enjoy yourself?”
Copper was about to attempt a reply when she saw the door to the room swing quietly open. Donna, carrying an armload of rope, appeared. Thinking that Donna had come to bind her more securely, Copper glared at the brunette beside her. Myra looked back, puzzled. Copper raised her eyes to Donna. Myra realized too late that someone was behind her.
“Surprise!” Donna called softly as she sprang on her dark-haired cousin, pinning her on the bed. As Copper watched, fascinated, the two wrestled beside her, Myra alternately protesting and giggling as her cousin gradually gained the upper hand.

When the ropes around Amy Cole’s wrists finally parted, the comely deputy could not suppress a gagged exclamation of delight. She could see the excitement in Summer’s eyes across the bed. The rancher tried to turn and look over her shoulder to see if any of their captors had returned. Amy was keeping watch on the closed door as well. She reached up to begin cutting her upper arm bonds. Her legs would be next. When she had freed herself and Summer they would have to find some clothes and a way out of the house. They had not escaped yet, but it was a beginning.

“There.”
Donna tied the ends of the knotted cleave gag behind Myra’s head, gave her a light swat on the behind and stepped back to admire her work. She had managed to bind her cousin’s wrists behind her and tie her ankles together side by side. Myra rolled over on her back and looked up Donna. Even in the darkness, Copper could tell that Myra’s glare was a good-natured one. The brunette seemed to be smiling around the cleave gag. She mumbled something at Donna.
“Oh, of course that’s not all,” said Donna. “I’m going to tie you a lot more before I’m done.” She looked at Copper. “Confused, Miss Ryder? You can probably tell that Myra and I like to play games with girls who’re all tied up. But we also like this game too. Myra likes it more than I do, but we play this from time to time.”
She picked up another rope and started tying Myra’s legs just above the knees.
“You see, my cousin has some of the good girl in her. And everyone who’s ever read one of those girl detective mysteries knows that every now and then the good girl gets captured, sometimes with a friend. So this’ll give Myra a chance to play that game. You two are the girl detectives who’ve fallen into the hands of the evil gang.”
She finished with Myra’s legs.
“Sit up now, Honey, so I can do the rest.”
Myra slid her feet off the bed onto the floor so she could sit up as Donna searched for a long piece of rope. When she found it, Donna began making loops around Myra’s arms and body. Myra closed her eyes and hummed softly into the gag.
Donna eyed Copper appreciatively.
“Myra told me how much she enjoyed your little game in the pool today. You’ve got great breasts, and she told me how much she’d like to play tied up with you. We’ll start you off face to face, but later on we’ll reverse. She also told me how hot she got this afternoon thinking about you and your friend tied like that in the car trunk.”
She knotted the rope ends behind Myra’s body.
“All ready to be a nice captured heroine?” Donna asked her.
Myra turned to Copper and made an exaggerated helpless expression with eyebrows raised in the center and pleading eyes.
“Isn’t she cute?” asked Donna with a giggle.
Donna helped Myra back into bed. The brunette rolled over to face Copper, grinding her breasts into the little blonde’s. Donna moved the remaining ropes from the chair onto the dressing table and sat backwards on the chair, facing the bound beauties on the bed resting her chin on top of her hands on the chair back.
“All right ladies. Action!”

Amy sawed at Summer’s ankle ropes as the rancher struggled to disentangle her arms from the ropes around them.
“This’d be a lot easier with some light!” Summer whispered.
“I know, but we can’t risk it,” Amy replied. “I’ll help you out when I’ve finished with your leg ropes.”
“What are we going to do then?”
Amy pulled the cut ropes from Summer’s ankles and moved up to her knees.
“Find the others then get out of here.”
“But we can’t run out in the desert at night naked!”
“We’ll find some clothes somewhere. There.”
She severed the knee bonds and pulled the rope ends free. Summer had managed to slip the loosened body loops over her head. She was free. She swung her legs off the bed and stood up. She wobbled for a moment and steadied herself with a hand on the bed. Amy was gathering up ropes.
“What’re you doing?” asked Summer.
“We may need these.” On tiptoes, Amy crossed the dark room and slowly, noiselessly opened the door. The hall was dark too. From the next room came sounds of gagged women struggling. Amy signaled summer to follow her.

Copper was amazed at Myra’s agility while bound. The brunette managed to roll the hogtied Copper slightly onto her back, and seemed to be pressing her body at every point at once: knees, pubic mounds, bellies, breasts, and faces. Their gagged mouths met in some form of kiss as Myra groaned into the knotted cloth with the exertion of bound lovemaking. Copper tried to avoid the kisses but, being hogtied and much less mobile, she was only partly successful. There was no use telling her to stop, so Copper kept trying to slide away, wondering how much longer Myra could keep it up.
After a few minutes Donna stood up.
“Ready to switch?” she asked her cousin.
Myra nodded eagerly. Again, she swung her legs off the bed. Donna helped her scoot herself down the mattress a bit. Myra tipped herself over. Her face was now opposite Copper’s crotch. Donna leaned over to help put Myra’s feet on the other end of the bed. Copper was staring into the dark thicket of Myra’s pubic hair. The girl groaned, wondering what she would have to do to satisfy her captors. Then over Donna’s shoulder she saw the door quietly opening.
“This ought to be a lot more inter---“
Donna could not finish the sentence before Amy and Summer were on her.

Copper tied a scarf over Donna’s eyes.
“There,” the girl whispered. “Now you two can play a great game of ‘Captured Girl Detectives.’ And it’ll be fair, ‘cause you’ll both really be trying to get free.”
Amy looked curiously at Copper.
“ ‘Captured Girl Detectives’?” she asked.
Copper nodded. “That’s what they were making me play when you two interrupted us. Thanks for the interruption.”
Amy, Copper and Summer looked down at the two bound girls on the bed. They had tied Donna as Myra had been bound: hands behind her back, arm and torso ropes, ankles and knees. The gags that the cousins wore now were no comfortable night gags. Their mouths were packed with cloth and wrapped with a couple scarves each. Both women were hogtied and bound together face to face. As a final security measure they were blindfolded as well.
“I was never so glad to see anyone,” Copper whispered. “How’d you two manage to get loose?”
Summer pointed to Amy. The Deputy held up the metal nail file.
“I managed to get hold of this,” she said. She looked down at the writhing cousins. “It may have been a perverse little game, but if they hadn’t played it, we wouldn’t have been left alone for so long and I might not have been able to use it.”
“Thanks, girls,” said Summer, giving the bound girls a swat on the backside in turn.
Amy put a hand on the doorknob and turned back to Copper and Summer.
“You two look for some clothes while I check the rest of the house.”
The two began opening drawers.
“And keep it quiet!” Amy whispered.
The two nodded and continued their work. Amy opened the door quietly and looked out into the dark hallway. She took a tentative step, then began backing into the room.
Copper looked up from the dresser drawer she had been searching.
“What’s going on, Amy?” she whispered.
Amy did not reply. She raised her hands as the door swung open.
“Well, well, what have we here?” said a woman’s voice.
Summer and Copper turned. Joanna Dorrin, holding a .38 police-style revolver, stepped into the room. Behind her were Rowlands and Duncan, both with pistols pointed at the girls.
“Very enterprising, Deputy,” said Joanna. “I assume that you are the one responsible for this little episode.”
Hearing her voice, Donna and Myra began mewing onto their gags.

“Take care with our friend the Deputy,” Joanna warned Duncan as she began knotting the ropes holding Copper Ryder’s hands behind her.
Duncan seemed to be having difficulty keeping his tongue from hanging out as he tied Amy Cole’s wrists behind her back.
“Oh, I’ll take good care of her all right,” said Duncan. He pulled hard on a knot, causing Amy to straighten up. He took advantage of her slight backward movement to press against her from behind. As Joanna took another rope and moved on to tie Summer’s hands, Duncan took a longer length of rope and reached around her, brushing his hand against one of Amy’s breasts. She looked back at him in disgust, but said nothing as he looped her arms and body.
Rowlands lowered the gun he had been pointing at Summer and took a step toward the bed.
“What are you doing, Rowlands?” asked Joanna.
“I thought you’d want me to untie your nieces.”
She looked at the two helpless, naked beauties bound face to face on the bed.
“No. That will not be necessary.” She answered his surprised look by continuing: “They have committed the grievous error of underestimating an enemy. A night spent like this will be a valuable lesson to them.”
Both girls mewed in alarm.
“I shall come back soon and change their gags to knotted scarves though,” she added.
Rowlands picked up a scarf and made a gag for Summer. Joanna turned and watched Duncan continuing to work on Amy. The man never missed an opportunity to fondle his beautiful captive. Amy looked at Joanna squarely, saying nothing.
“What about these three?” Duncan asked eagerly. “Gags for them too?”
“Of course. Then we shall take them to my room. Hogtie them all, and blindfolds too, I think. We must keep them from any more displays of cleverness. Sunup is not very far away and our pretty guests must be well rested for their friend Mr. Ryder.”
Duncan pushed a knotted scarf into Amy’s mouth and pulled the ends behind her head. He quickly tied a knot then rested one hand on Amy’s shoulder. The other hand was hidden.
“Let’s go, Deputy,” he said.
Amy gave a little yelp from some kind of lascivious touch he gave her from behind.
“Enough of that,” Joanna said sternly as she knotted Copper’s gag. “Our prisoners must be well cared for, if we are to get what we want for them.”
She gave Copper a little push. The petite blonde led the way out of the room escorted by Joanna. Amy and Duncan were next, followed by Summer and Rowlands. Rowlands stopped to turn off the light, but could not help smiling at the Donna and Myra, naked and bound on the bed, before he did. He swung the door shut.

Sky Ryder headed north in the Hummingbird, noting that he was just passing the general area where he had helped foil Julie’s abduction in a laundry truck a few short days before. He was on the same type of mission again. In the seat beside him, tucked into a knapsack, were the instruments he had recovered from the fallen Air force balloon, which he hoped to trade for the freedom of Julie, Copper, Summer and Deputy Cole. But could the woman with whom he had spoken on the phone be trusted? How could someone who betrayed the country be trustworthy? In the end, he had no choice. He had to win the hostages’ freedom before… His right hand dropped to his revolver in the holster by his side.
He continued north for several minutes. It was an hour past sunrise and the morning light was already strong enough to spot the two cars parked a few yards off the highway below. One car was black, the other dark gray. There were three men standing by one of the cars.
Following the instructions the woman had given him over the phone, Sky prepared to land.

Sky stopped the plane some thirty yards from the cars. He climbed out of the cabin, pulling the knapsack after him. The three men waited patiently beside the black car. Sky got a look at them as he disembarked. They looked vaguely familiar, though he had seen them only briefly and at a distance during the attempted ambush at his ranch. One of them, a stocky, mustachioed man, stood slightly in front of the others, indicating that he was the leader. The other two men were taller. One was very lean with a narrow, sneering face that reminded Sky of a ferret. The other was strongly built with the grave, impassive features of an Indian.
Sky took the knapsack in his left hand and swung it up on his shoulder, keeping his right hand free to use his pistol if needed. The man with the mustache took a step forward.
“You got the goods, Ryder?” he asked.
Sky used his right thumb to point to the package on his left shoulder.
“Right here.”
“Bradford.”
The big, impassive man took out a pair of binoculars and scanned the sky to the south, then the land.
“No planes and no sign of dust on the road,” he reported, lowering the glasses.
“Klee,” said the leader. “Check the plane.”
The ferret-faced man was careful to keep his distance from Sky as he walked to the Hummingbird. The big rancher half turned, not wanting to expose his back to the man.
“We fell for that trick once,” said the mustachioed man, with the hint of a smile. “So we have to check it out.”
“There’s nobody in the plane,” said Sky.
Klee looked inside. He turned and shook his head, then started back to join the others.
“All right, Mr. Ryder. You know what to do next.”
“Hey, Rowlands,” said Klee. He pointed to the pistol on Sky’s hip. “Are we gonna let him keep that?”
Rowlands looked steadily at Sky for a moment. He shrugged.
“He can keep it if he wants it. As long as he knows what’ll happen to his niece and the others if he tries to use it.”
“I brought what you want,” said Sky, patting the knapsack. “And I’m not fool enough to try to shoot it out with all of you.”
Rowlands nodded. He started to turn to the car, but stopped to look back at Klee.
“Maybe you’d like to try to take it away from him.”
Klee looked at Sky. The lean man nervously licked his lips, then shook his head.
“Nah. Let him keep it. Let’s get going.”
Rowlands turned with a little smile at Bradford.
The three men got into the black car, Klee driving. Sky put the knapsack on the front seat of the gray car and, after checking the back seat, got in behind the wheel. The black car led the way back to the road and headed north. Sky followed.

Duncan entered the living room from the direction of the bedrooms. The drapes over the glass doors leading to the patio and pool were drawn, and Joanna Dorrin stood in the center of the room sipping coffee from a fine china cup.
“They’re in Donna’s room,” said Duncan, jerking his thumb over his shoulder to indicate the direction. “Both of ‘em tied nice and tight. You want me t’ stay in there and keep an eye on ‘em?”
Joanna put the coffee cup into the saucer she held in her left hand. One corner of her mouth rose in amusement. “No. That should not be necessary if they are properly secured.”
Duncan smirked.
“Oh, they’re plenty secure all right. I hogtied both of ‘em and used the balls to gag ‘em, then I taped their mouths too. They won’t make any trouble, and they sure look nice.”
The corners of Joanna’s mouth rose a bit more at his transparent lust.
“Very well. I must check my nieces’ preparations. Go on out and join Lynch on guard.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He strode into the front hallway. Joanna put her cup and saucer on the glass-topped table and went out the patio door, closing and covering it behind her. She was no sooner outside than Duncan’s head reappeared at the hall doorway. Seeing his boss gone, he hurried back across the room to the hallway leading to the bedrooms.
Amy and Summer lay on Donna’s bed. Both brunettes were nude and thoroughly hogtied: hands bound behind their backs, ropes about their arms and torsos, and their legs, bound at the ankles and knees, bent back and connected to their wrist ropes. Neither hogtie was extreme, but the ropework was quite secure and immobilizing. The knotted cloth strip night gags had been replaced by the balls on rope covered with white adhesive tape, but the women were not blindfolded. Two pairs of eyes, Amy’s clear blue and Summer’s soft brown, looked up as the man entered. Summer lay quiet and unresisting, but Amy continued to writhe and wiggle even after Duncan was in the room. His pale, dissipated face broke into a sickly smile.
“Is everybody comfortable, ladies?” he asked mockingly.
Amy said something short and defiant into her gag. Summer turned away.
“I’m so glad. I want to do all I can to be a good host to you both.”
Though the words were probably chosen to have the same chilling effect as Joanna’s or her nieces’, coming from Duncan they sounded almost comical, like a child’s imitation of dialogue in a gangster movie.
Amy said something else into her gag, then growled briefly at the man. He chuckled.
“I owe you something, don’t I, Deputy?” He unbuttoned his suitcoat and took off, tossing it onto a nearby chair. “Well, I think that it’s time to pay you back.”
Both women looked up. Though his words had failed to intimidate them, the removal of his jacket made his intention very clear.
“And when I’m done with you two…”
He looked about, as though searching for something. Seeing the closet, he stepped over and opened it. Inside were several of Donna’s dresses, some newly returned from the cleaners.
“Ah. Just what I need.”
He tore two thin plastic cleaning bags from clothes on the hangers. He strolled over to Amy and pressed the plastic over her face. Amy mewed and protested into the covering. He took it away, leaving the Deputy gasping for breath.
“Some fun first, then eliminate the witnesses,” he said.
Both women looked at him. Summer shook her head and pleaded into the gag. Amy looked directly at him but was unable to completely hide her fear.
“Which of you first?” mused Duncan, reaching up to loosen his tie. “Maybe I should make you watch me with your friend, Deputy. Then we’ll put everything in the bag.”
He laughed.
“First a few more ropes on the Deputy here, then we’ll get down to business.”

Klee parked the black car in front of the house. The gray car, driven by Sky, was not far behind. Rowlands, Bradford and Klee got out of the lead car. As Sky climbed out and pulled the knapsack across the front seat with him, he heard Rowlands telling something to the other two. All three of them waited. As Sky worked he looked around. The house was well hidden in a large stand of good-sized pines. At the opposite end of the house, a man, apparently a sentry, stood on the roof of what appeared to be the garage.
“This way, Mr. Ryder,” said Rowlands, indicating the front door.
Sky hefted his pack and followed Rowlands, the other two men remaining outside. His guide led him through a small entry hall and into a spacious living room. The furniture looked comfortable and fairly expensive and there were glass doors along one side of the room that obviously opened onto a patio. Seated the couch was a rather tall, dark-haired woman drinking coffee. At his arrival, she put the cup and saucer down on the glass-topped coffee table in front of her. The leaning over gave Sky a good view of the woman’s cleavage, which was well displayed by her low-cut, form-fitting black dress. She crossed her shapely legs and gracefully stretched out an arm to indicate one of the easy chairs across the table.
“Good morning, Mr. Ryder,” she said cordially. “Please have a seat and be comfortable. Shall I have Rowlands bring you some coffee?”
“No thank you,” Sky replied stiffly. “This isn’t a social call. We have business to do here. The not very nice business of selling out your country.”
“I do not think of this country as particularly mine.”
“That’s pretty obvious.”
“Oh, do not mistake me for an ideologue, Mr. Ryder. The enemies of the United States hold no charms for me. They are merely paying us well for our work here.”
“What’s he talking about?” interrupted Rowlands.
Sky looked up at the man.
“Didn’t you know, Rowlands?” he asked. “This is about embarrassing the U. S. and making the other side look good in the eyes of the world.”
Before he could reply, Joanna broke in.
“You may go, Rowlands.”
He hesitated. As she watched him, she realized that Rowlands’ hat was not in his hands.
“I said you may go, Rowlands,” she said, slightly louder.
Without answering, the man turned and walked to the front door. When he had gone, Joanna looked appraisingly at Sky.
“I have perhaps underestimated you, Mr. Ryder. Thanks to you I have very few good men left, and now you cause one of them to doubt our mission.”
“I do what I can,” said Sky. “Since you sent him away, I presume that you have some other way of keeping me from drawing my gun and forcing you to return Captain Atkins, my niece and the others.”
“How perceptive of you.”
She rose. Sky quickly stood also. His hand dropped to the grip of his revolver.
“Draw your pistol, if it gives you comfort, Mr. Ryder. I have no weapon. My movements are merely for your enlightenment.”
Sky kept his hand on the butt of the revolver. Joanna slowly opened the drapes.
To his horror Sky saw his niece Copper and Julie Atkins sitting at the edge of a swimming pool. They were at the diving board end of the pool, indicating that the water was deep. Both women were nude, bound and gagged. Beside both sat concrete blocks with ropes tied through the openings and leading to their ankle bonds. Standing behind Copper’s block was a beautiful, bikini-clad brunette. Behind the block next to Julie was an equally beautiful blonde also in a bikini. As one, the two young women pushed the blocks to the edge of the pool. The ends of the blocks were over the edge. Only one small push would be needed to make them drop into the water, dragging their helpless victims with them.
“You have a weapon, all right,” Sky said grimly.

Rowlands found Bradford standing by the car.
“What’s up?” the big man asked as Rowlands hurried out.
“Plenty,” said Rowlands. “The Dragon Lady’s got us involved in sellin’ secrets to the Reds. I never signed on to do any treason.”
“Me neither,” said Bradford. “What’re we gonna do?”
“Get out of here. You drive. Where’s Klee?”
“He’s around the house standing guard near the patio.”
Rowlands hesitated.
“It’s every man for himself now.”
“Let’s go,” said Bradford, running to the driver’s side of the black car.
Rowlands jumped in the passenger door, closing it only after the car was in motion. Bradford swung the vehicle around the circular drive and headed back down the lane from which they had just come a few minutes before. They were barely onto the narrow path when two men in khaki uniforms appeared to the right of the drive.
“Deputies!” shouted Bradford, pointing at them.
Men in similar uniforms were approaching in the trees to the other side of the lane.
“Looks like the State police,” said Rowlands drawing his pistol.
Ignoring commands to halt, the car leaped ahead. Rowlands fired at the deputies on his side. He saw wood fly from a tree near them, and one of the men appeared to stumble. The deputies and troopers both opened fire on the car.
“Keep goin’!” Rowlands yelled.
A State police car loomed on the opposite side of the lane ahead. In an effort to stop the fugitives, the police driver turned his car sharply to the left, blocking nearly the whole lane. But Bradford also turned his vehicle to the left, putting the driver side wheels onto the narrow, grassy shoulder. Long before the police driver could shift into reverse, the black car was past them. Another police car appeared ahead, but Bradford maneuvered back to the right and got by them as well. The policemen fired a hail of bullets at the fleeing men, but the black sedan continued on its way.

From his post on the garage roof Lynch heard the roar of a car engine and shots being fired. He climbed from the garage onto the higher roof of the house. Below him to his front he could see uniformed men cautiously approaching the rear of the house through the pine grove. He aimed his pistol and fired at the closest pair.
“Hey, Bradford!” he yelled. “The cops are comin’.”
He turned and saw more men coming toward him from the side and front of the house. He took aim and fired.

Deputy Andy Rivera ducked back behind a thick tree when the bullet glanced off a smaller pine to his right. Deputy Harry Tyler took cover a few feet away.
“You all right, Andy?” called Tyler.
“Yeah, I’m okay. Can you see him?”
Tyler looked at the house. He heard the man yell then turn and look in all directions. He began firing at someone well to the deputies’ left. Tyler raised his rifle and sighted. He squeezed the trigger. The man stopped shooting and stood very still for a moment before plunging headfirst from the roof.

Joanna Dorrin looked onto the patio, as though somehow that would explain the gunfire around them. Near the pool, Donna and Myra were also looking around, confused and indecisive.
Joanna turned back to Sky Ryder.
“So you have brought the police, have you?” She paused and looked at him. She raised an eyebrow and smiled very slightly. “I suppose I should have expected no less from you.”
She grabbed the handle of the glass door and stepped out onto the patio. Donna and Myra looked at her entreatingly.
“What do we do, Auntie Jo?” asked Myra.
Sky Ryder ran to the door, his pistol in his hand.
“If anything happens to them---“ he began.
The gate in the wooden fence on the other side of the pool flew open. Klee appeared, also with his gun drawn.
“The place is swarming with deputies!” he shouted, his eyes wide with fear. “They got Lynch!”
He stopped when he saw Sky Ryder.
“Drop it!” the tall rancher commanded.
Klee fired twice wildly. Sky heard glass break behind him and fired once in reply. Klee fell face forward onto the stone patio. Deputies Tyler and Rivera appeared at the gate.
Sky turned back to Joanna. She held her hands out to him, palms outward.
“I would be a fool to continue the violence now,” she said slowly. She turned to her nieces. “Release them from the blocks.”
The two scantily clad girls reached down and unsnapped the clasps connecting their prisoners’ ankle bonds to the blocks.
Sheriff Winchell followed Tyler and Rivera through the gate. Deputy Barnes, Deputy MacKeever, Fred Merrill, Dispatcher Sue Kendall and Sergeant Connie Wade were close behind.
“Where’s Summer?” cried Fred.
“Check the house, Harry,” ordered Winchell.
“Right, Sheriff.”
Followed by Rivera, MacKeever and Merrill he went through the glass doors.
“Sue, you and Connie can take care of our prisoners here,” continued Winchell.
“It’ll be a pleasure, Sheriff,” said Sue, drawing some handcuffs from her belt and heading straight for Donna.
“A double pleasure,” added Connie taking handcuffs from Barnes and looking at Myra.

Duncan had removed his shirt and unbuckled his belt. He was just unbuttoning his pants when he heard the commotion and shooting. Cursing under his breath, he refastened his pants over his sleeveless white undershirt. Taking the gun from his coat, he went to the door and stumbled outside.
“What’s going on?” he demanded of a man he supposed was Bradford. “You’re getting’ in the way of my fun!”
Only when the big man turned to face him did Duncan see that it was not Bradford. Without thinking, he raised his pistol. The big man had a rifle at waist level. He squeezed off a shot that dropped Duncan where he stood.
Fred Merrill took a few steps forward and kicked the revolver from Duncan’s lifeless hand. After checking for a pulse he looked up.
“Summer! Summer, are you here?”
He was relieved to hear a chorus of gagged mews coming from one of the bedrooms. Following the sounds he looked through a doorway and found the two women.
Summer lay hogtied on her side on the bed. Amy was tied to a chair that had been pulled out from Donna’s dressing table. Both women were naked, but appeared unhurt.
“Summer!” Fred exclaimed as he crossed to the bed and knelt beside her. Gently, he peeled the tape from her face, and untied the ballgag and helped her get it out of her mouth.
“We’re all right, Fred,” Summer gasped. “But we almost weren’t. That man was going to rape us both then smother us with plastic bags. I just don’t know… If you hadn’t come…”
She began to cry, unable to continue. The big foreman put his arms around her.
“It’s all right, darlin’,” he said softly. “I’m here. He can’t hurt anybody now.”
Deputy Tyler appeared at the door. He watched Summer weep softly on Fred’s shoulder for a few seconds. Amy Cole yelled into the ball and tape gag. Tyler smiled at Merrill.
“Take care of her, Fred. I’ll get Amy loose.”
Tyler was smiling, though he tried hard not to show any teeth, as he crossed the room to Amy. He reached into his pocket and studiously unfolded his pocketknife as Amy watched him balefully over her gag.
“Nice to see you, Amy.” He looked at Summer and back to her. “Had ‘em just where you wanted ‘em, eh? What was your plan?”
Amy narrowed her eyes more and made a growling sound into the gag.
Tyler bent over and began peeling the tape from her face.

Joanna Dorrin and her nieces, all with their wrists cuffed behind their backs sat in patio chairs under the watchful eyes of Sue Kendall and Connie Wade. Winchell and Sky waited as the deputies and troopers checked the house and grounds. Through the open gate they could see the sheet covered bodies of Lynch, Klee, and Duncan lying in the yard. Deputy Bob Falk and a State trooper sergeant walked from the lane toward the patio, waiting for an ambulance to pass in front of them before they could cross the drive and report to Winchell.
“There’s good news about one thing, Sheriff,” said Falk. “Tom Willard’s the only one of our men to be hurt at all. One of them shot at him, but the bullet hit a tree. A chunk of wood broke off and hit him in the arm. The Doc’s looking at him now.”
“None of our men were hurt either, Sheriff,” reported the trooper sergeant. “But two of them got away. Too bad that they sprung the trap a little early.”
Winchell shook his head.
“I really wanted all of them,” he said ruefully. “But these things can’t be helped. Just as long as none of our people got hurt, it’s worth it.”
Sky Ryder nodded.
“You said it, Winch. Getting all the women back is the most important thing.”
Fred Merrill emerged from the house.
“They’re almost ready, Sky. Amy’s uniform and Julie’s clothes were in the house, but Copper and Summer had to take some of their clothes.”
With a slight nod he indicated the three prisoners. Sky strolled over to them.
“It’s a good thing that you didn’t try to harm Julie or Copper,” he said to Joanna. “I suppose I should thank you for that.”
Joanna looked at him coolly.
“It was to our advantage to minimize our criminal liability at that point,” she said with a shrug.
“Did you really intend to do away with them?” Sky asked grimly. “Apparently your man inside meant to kill Amy and Summer.”
“Duncan was a fool,” said Joanna. “Anything he intended was without my orders or my knowledge. But perhaps I should exercise my women’s prerogative and remain mysterious about what might have happened.” She eyed him appreciatively. “I would like to ask a question of my own. How did you discover our location and set this very expert trap for us?”
Sky gestured to Fred Merrill.
“My foreman trailed you here yesterday. The Sheriff and the State police managed to surround the place at a safe distance.”
She gave him a reproachful look.
“So you never really intended to trade the instruments for our hostages, did you?”
Sky smiled and shrugged.
“We’d have gladly traded them for the girls. Would you care to see?”
She nodded. He helped her to her feet and escorted her inside to where the knapsack lay on the floor near the coffee table. He lifted the pack, placed it on the table and opened the flaps.
“You were welcome to it as far we were concerned.”
The pack was a jumble of bent and twisted metal, broken glass and protruding wires.
Joanna sighed and shook her head.
“To think that I stand here arrested and handcuffed over a package of junk.”
“The spy business is like that some days,” Sky noted dryly.
The four women hostages emerged from the bedrooms. Julie and Amy had their own clothes again while Summer and Copper wore slacks and blouses belonging to Joanna and Donna respectively.
“Good as new, Sky,” Copper announced as they crossed to Sky. Seeing Joanna, Copper’s face darkened. “Well, if it isn’t the Countess DeSade again. How’s it feel to be the one who’s tied up for a change?”
Summer added:
“And I’m sure you won’t mind if we put our heads together and try to think of some humiliating sexual ordeal for you.”
Sue Kendall stepped inside the living room.
“The cars to take the prisoners are here, Mr. Ryder.”
Joanna Dorrin bowed to the women.
“You will excuse me, ladies.” She turned to Sky. “And to you, Mr. Ryder, until we meet again.”
Sue took Joanna by the elbow and guided her back onto the patio. Sergeant Wade and two troopers were already escorting her nieces through the gate. She and Sue followed them.
Sky and the women strolled onto the patio. Fred Merrill looked hopefully at Summer Smithers. She smiled and ran to his side.
“Oh, Fred!” she exclaimed burying her face in his shoulder. “You’ve been just wonderful through all this.” She pulled back a few inches and lowered her eyes. “You’ve always been wonderful about most everything. I’ve just been a fool not to notice it.”
“Well, I’m glad you finally did.” He put a finger under her chin to raise her eyes. “I also hope you noticed that I think you’re wonderful too.”
He put his arm around her, and together they walked through the gate. Amy Cole followed, glaring comically at Deputy Tyler who was leading a swarm of smiling male deputies.
“Seriously, Amy,” Tyler was saying. “All tied up with no clothes on, you had them overconfident for sure. But what was your plan?”
“Oh, Harry!” Amy exploded as the other men laughed.
Winchell, Julie, Copper and Sky were left alone. Julie looked up at Sky.
“Well, Sky, it looks as though I’ve got to thank you again,” she said. “And for more than just bringing my mission to a successful conclusion.” She paused. “I once thought you’d ruined my life, but instead I owe it to you. Twice, in fact.”
“Most folks around here have thanked Sky for something, Captain,” said Winchell. “A lot of them more than once. And that includes me.” He put out his hand. “Thanks, Sky.”
“Saving a few lives before breakfast is all in a days’ work for Sky,” said Copper breezily as the two men shook hands. “Why I’ve seen him---“
Sky put his hands on his hips and bent over his niece in a mock glare.
“And what have I told you about sticking your nose in things where you don’t belong, young lady? You may enjoy being rescued before breakfast, but it’s hard on the rest of us.”
“Breakfast!” cried Copper. “I’m glad you reminded me. Being bound and gagged all night does wonders for a girl’s appetite.” She slipped her arm through Winchell’s and began pulling him toward the gate. “If we hurry we can still get to Jeb’s in time for the special.”
She led the Sheriff out into the yard. Sky turned to Julie.
“Some breakfast for you too, Julie?”
She nodded.
“I’ll need some fortification to write my report for General Wheeler. A truthful report.”
Sky took her in his arms.
“If you have any trouble with him, I’ll help. During the war, he and I had to stretch the truth a bit for our reports now and then.”
She laughed, then looked into his eyes. They kissed.
“Maybe you should just tell him you’re needed someplace besides the Air Force,” said Sky.
“Am I?” she asked softly.
He nodded.
“Permanent duty too,” he added.
They kissed again. Copper’s voice came from beyond the fence.
“Come on, you two! I’m hungry!”
They smiled at one another and went out through the gate.

The End