The Mystery of the Kidnapped Whale - Marc Brandel [39]
“All right,” the man said. “Give me that case.”
Although he had only heard it once before, over the phone at Headquarters, Bob recognized the voice at once. The man didn’t say “case.” He said “cay–us.”
The last time Bob had seen him he had been sprawling on the floor as Pete tackled him around the knees and the Three Investigators rambled and scrambled into the night.
“Give it to me.”
The man was advancing more quickly. He was only a couple of yards away now.
Bob didn’t say anything. There didn’t seem to be anything to say. Hugging the metal case against his chest, he backed into the ocean.
“Give me that cay–us.”
The man lurched toward him. Bob kept backing away until he was up to his knees in the water. He stepped back again as the man reached out to grab him.
Unfortunately Bob didn’t move fast enough. The man’s fingers had closed on the case. He was trying to tear it out of Bob’s hands.
Still clutching the metal box, Bob couldn’t fight back. Not that it would have been any use trying to fight anyway. Bob had never seen anyone with such a powerful chest and shoulders as this giant.
All Bob could do was keep his grip on the box and try to struggle farther out into the ocean. The water was already up to his waist. The man was grappling with him. Another moment and, Bob knew, the giant would topple him back into the sea, force him underwater. He would have to let go of the metal case.
Just as Bob felt himself losing his balance, the man suddenly reared up. Bob saw him rise straight up as though he had been lifted by a crane.
Up, up, up the man went. Then he was flying backward through the air. He fell with a great splash full length in the water. He struggled and spluttered there for a second.
Then Fluke’s head was beneath him again. With a flip of his powerful body the little whale tossed him up once more. Fluke was playing with him as easily as he would have played with a beach ball. He was tossing him farther and farther out to sea.
The man was shouting now, shouting for help. He was struggling on his back, sinking below the water.
Fluke was diving beneath him, ready to give him another toss. As the man cried out Fluke paused. He raised his head and looked at the struggling giant, then began to nudge him gently back toward the shore.
But the man was still sinking. Lying on his back, thrashing with his arms and legs, he was going down as though forced underwater by some great weight across his chest.
A moment ago Bob had thought this man was his worst enemy. But Bob couldn’t help himself now. He felt sorry for the man. He couldn’t stand there and watch him drown.
He hurried to the beach and hid the metal case behind a rock, then he ran back and waded out to the giant.
By the time Bob reached him, the man was almost submerged. Only his masked face was still clear of the water. Fluke was floating beside him. His friendly eyes looked puzzled.
“Under him, Fluke,” Bob said. “Don’t toss him around anymore. Just see if you can lift him and keep him from drowning.”
Whether Fluke understood the words or not, he knew what he had to do. He glided to the man, got his back under him, and gently began to raise him. In a moment the man’s head and huge chest were clear of the water.
He was still struggling, his hands tearing at his Windbreaker. He was trying to unzip it and get it off.
Bob found the metal tag of the zipper. He pulled it all the way down. The Windbreaker opened. Bob pushed it up over the man’s shoulders and pulled it free of his arms.
Bob stared at the man’s chest. He stared at the Windbreaker he was holding in his hands.
He could understand now why the man had looked as though he were being forced down by some great weight on his chest. The whole inside of the Windbreaker was stuffed with foam rubber! It had absorbed water like a sponge, swelling and gaining weight until the man was helpless.
Without his padded Windbreaker the man didn’t look like a giant. He looked thin and weak and a little pathetic. Between them Bob and Fluke helped him ashore. When they reached water that was too shallow