Night on Terror Island by Philip Caveney Read Free Book Online Page B

was racing towards the police, firing his Tommy gun as he ran, swinging it from left to right to lay down a deadly hail of bullets. Kip recognised him as Baby Face Nelson, one of Dillinger’s gang, a small man with a reputation as a cold-blooded killer.
    And that was when Kip remembered a scene from the film, one of its most shocking moments. A young mother pushing a baby carriage, was caught in the crossfire and killed. He glanced further up the street and sure enough, there she was, cowering in the middle of the road, her face a picture of terror as Nelson ran towards her, ready to shoot her down.
    There was no time to think. Kip lifted his own weapon, pointed it towards Nelson and pulled the trigger. The wooden stock thudded against his shoulder as he unleashed a flurry of bullets in Nelson’s general direction. The gangster stopped firing and dived behind a car that had stopped in the middle of the street. Glass exploded from the car’s windows as Kip’s bullets peppered the vehicle and Nelson was obliged to duck down for cover. Kip glanced up the street and saw to his relief that the woman had taken the opportunity to push the pram to safety on the far side of the road, where she dived into a shop doorway.
    Kip’s gun gave a harsh click. He was out of bullets. He dropped the weapon and went after Dillinger again, running as fast as his legs would carry him. To his right, a shopkeeper shouted to him to get off the street but he ignored the advice, intent now on getting hold of what he had been sent in for; Dillinger’s hat. Maybe if he got that, Mr Lazarus would tell him how to get out of here. As he closed in on his quarry, he wondered what he was supposed to do when he caught up with the gangster. He could hardly just ask him for it, could he? Dillinger was not known for his friendliness to random kids. The gangster came to an intersection and went around it, running for all he was worth. Kip went after him.
    He turned the corner and saw to his horror that Dillinger had run into even bigger trouble. He was slowing down, looking left and right for some avenue of escape. More cops were advancing along the street, firing their guns at pretty much anything that moved. Kip renewed his efforts, closing the gap between him and Dillinger, horribly aware of bullets ricocheting up from the sidewalk around him. Then he saw the gangster drop to his knees behind a line of rubbish bins and start firing back at the cops. They scattered in all directions, but Dillinger kept shooting. His bullets ran out and he was obliged to pause so he could pull out the spent magazine and replace it with a new one. Sensing an opportunity, Kip ran forward, grabbed the brim of Dillinger’s hat and whipped it off his head. For an instant Dillinger stopped what he was doing and looked up in surprise. He stared at Kip for a moment, his expression hostile. Then he relaxed and grinned. He reached up, grabbed Kip by one arm and pulled him down into cover.
    ‘Keep your head down, kid!’ he snapped. ‘Where the hell did you come from?’
    ‘You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,’ said Kip. A couple of bullets smacked into the far side of the bins, making him flinch. He lifted the hat. ‘Is it OK if I take this?’ he asked.
    ‘A souvenir, huh?’ muttered Dillinger. ‘So you can boast to all your pals that you met public enemy number one?’
    Kip nodded. ‘Kind of,’ he said.
    ‘OK, kid, take it, I got plenty of others.’ Dillinger risked a peek over the top of the rubbish bins. ‘Doesn’t look like I’m gonna be needing it, anyway,’ he said. ‘I reckon they’ve got me cornered.’
    ‘Oh, don’t worry,’ said Kip. ‘You escape from this. Some of your men will be along in a minute in a stolen police car.’
    Dillinger gave him an odd look.
    ‘How would you know that?’ he growled.
    ‘Oh, I saw the … I mean, I … it’s … just a feeling.’
    Dillinger slapped another magazine into his gun and lifted his head cautiously