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  He leapt up and grasped it with both hands. He swung his legs up and planted his feet on the wall above the doorway. Then he pulled himself up until his head was touching the ceiling. Anyone walking into the room wouldn't be able to see him unless he looked straight up.

  Joe knew what his brother had in mind. He flattened himself against the wall next to the entrance and held the steel rod ready to swing.

  They could hear footsteps in the dark corridor, scuffling toward them. A figure appeared in the doorway, and Frank pounced. His full weight came down on the man's shoulders, toppling them both to the floor.

  Joe didn't budge. He didn't want to reveal himself. He was waiting for the second man. Seconds ticked by. Nobody came through the passage. Joe glanced from the doorway to the two figures rolling and grappling on the dusty floor. First Frank was on top. Now he was on the bottom - and the man above him was raising a rock over his head, about to bring it down in a crushing blow.

  Joe moved out in the open and swung the steel bar. The blow connected with the man's forearm. He screamed in pain and clutched at his arm with his other hand.

  "Hold it right there!" a voice boomed from the darkness.

  Joe lifted the metal rod and spun around. The man in the dark gray suit stepped into the dim chamber.

  Joe could see the scar more clearly now. It cut through the man's eyebrow and continued on down his cheek. Whatever had made the mark had barely missed his left eye. Then Joe noticed that he was holding something in his hand.

  Joe could see it wasn't a gun. It was a badge.

  "FBI," the man said. "Assaulting a federal officer is a serious offense. I think you two have some explaining to do."

  Frank got up off the floor and helped the injured man to his feet. "Who are you guys?" he asked. "Why are you following us?"

  The man holding the badge turned to him. "I'll ask the questions. You'll give the answers. Clear?"

  "That depends on the questions," Frank said.

  "Okay, try this one. What happened to Fenton Hardy?"

  "Something happened to Dad?" Joe blurted out.

  "Fenton Hardy is your father?" The agent's eyes narrowed as he turned to his partner, who was still holding his bruised arm. "Next time get all the facts first. We've just blown half a day."

  He looked back at the Hardys. "Sorry about all this. Come on, let's get out of here, and I'll explain."

  As they walked down the trail the FBI agent talked. "I can't tell you very much. I don't know a whole lot myself. We're just watchdogs. Your father is working on a sensitive case for the Bureau, and my partner and I are supposed to make sure nothing happens to him."

  Frank nodded. "I see. You knew the car was rented to him. So you followed it, thinking he was in it. Then when we tried to give you the slip, you figured something must be wrong - like maybe we kidnapped him or something."

  "Say, you'd make a pretty good detective yourself," the man said. "You've got all the answers."

  "Not all the answers," Frank said coolly. "I still don't know who you are."

  The agent smiled thinly. "Well, I see we're at the end of the trail, and there's your car. Drive safely now. We wouldn't want you to get hurt, would we?"

  Joe didn't notice the icy exchange between his brother and the man in the suit. He was worried about Jade, and he wanted to get moving. "Give me the keys," he insisted. "I'm driving."

  Frank didn't respond. He was studying the two FBI agents. He watched them walk back to the black van, get in, and drive away. Then he turned to his brother. "I think we'd better go back to the hotel and talk to Dad before we do anything else."

  "Not before we check on Jade," Joe demanded.

  "Our little detour took almost an hour," Frank replied. "If nothing happened to her while we were running around in here, she's probably safe - for now."

  "At least let me call her," Joe persisted.

  "It will only take a couple of minutes to get back to the hotel," Frank pointed out. "You can call her from there."

  ***

  Fenton Hardy was waiting for his sons when they walked through the door of the luxury suite. He glanced at his watch. "I was starting to get worried," he began.

  Joe braced himself for a lecture - something about responsibility, letting your parents know where you are, and not taking the car without permission. "Before you say anything," he cut in, "I can explain ... "

  His words trailed off when he saw the people sitting on the couch behind his father.

  Fenton Hardy glanced back over his shoulder. "Yes." He nodded. "I'm sure you could, but I've already heard most of it. I'd like you to meet Kevin Roberts," he continued. "I think you already know the young lady sitting next to him."

  Jade smiled at Joe. He thought she looked more exotic than ever.

  "My daughter tells me some strange things have been happening since she met you," Kevin Roberts said.

  "I spotted a car following me home today," Jade explained. "I think I shook him off, but it really spooked me. I told my father everything, and we decided to talk it out with you. I'm really sorry to drag you into this."

  "You didn't drag us into anything," Frank assured her.

  "That's right," Joe said. "We jumped in with both feet."

  "I still don't understand why anyone would be after me," Jade said.

  Frank exchanged a quick glance with his father and Joe. "I think I may have come up with something. There may not be much prize money in surfing, but what about illegal gambling? What if somebody has bet a bundle on another surfer in the Banzai?"

  "It's a possibility," Fenton Hardy said. "There is organized crime in Hawaii, but not on the same scale as on the mainland."

  Kevin Roberts nodded. "The big crime families from the mainland haven't been too successful in breaking the local mob," he said. "At least, that's what I've read in the papers," he added.

  "Well, we all agree that there seems to be a definite threat to Jade's life," Fenton concluded. "What surprises me, Mr. Roberts, is why you came here instead of calling the police as soon as you found out."

  Jade's father looked uncomfortable.

  "We're talking about your daughter's life!" Joe snapped when Roberts didn't answer.

  "I know," Kevin Roberts replied slowly. "That's why I think we shouldn't say anything to the police."

  Joe was confused.

  "If organized crime is behind this, there may be crooked cops on their payroll. I came to the same conclusion as Frank about heavy gambling involvement."

  "So what do we do now?" Jade asked.

  "You stay here tonight," Fenton replied. "Frank and Joe will sleep in one room, and you and your father can use the other."

  Joe looked at his father. "What about you?"

  "I have a hunch that I won't be getting much sleep," Fenton said. "I've got a lot of arrangements to make for you for tomorrow."

  "While you're up," Frank said, "have one of your FBI friends run a check on a surfer named Nick Hawk."

  ***

  At dawn Fenton Hardy hustled his sons and Jade onto an interisland commuter plane.

  "Where are we going?" Joe asked.

  "Maui," his father replied. "It's an island about ninety miles southeast of here. It's a little bigger than Oahu, but it's a lot less crowded."

  "What do we do when we get there?" Jade wanted to know.

  "Stay away from crowds," Fenton said. "There'll be a rental car waiting for you at the airport. Keep moving around until we can find out who's after you - and why."

  He turned to his older son and handed him a slip of paper. "Frank, here's a number where I can be reached if I'm not at the hotel. Try to check in a couple times every day."

  ***

  Just as Fenton Hardy had said, a car was waiting at the airport. Frank called his dad to let him know what their plans were. Joe got behind the wheel, and a few minutes later they were driving along a twisting, two-lane road. Jade was sitting next to him, and Frank directly behind him, looking out the window. On the left was a ste
ep hillside, covered with tropical plants. On the right the ground fell away sharply, and the Pacific waited several hundred feet below.

  "Jade should be safe," Frank said, "as long as we keep on the move."

  "Well, we're moving right along," Joe observed, keeping his eyes on the curvy road ahead. "Although I'm not sure where we'll end up."

  "This road follows the coastline south to the town of Hana," Jade explained. "But how long do we keep driving around?"

  Frank shrugged. "A few days, maybe - maybe less."

  "Do you really think your father can help?" Jade asked.

  "With access to the FBI computers and the description of the blue sedan with the broken rear window," Joe said, "you'd be surprised what he might turn up."

  Frank pounded the seat with his fist. "I knew I forgot something!"

  "Your Bermuda shorts?" Joe ventured.

  "No. I forgot to tell Dad about those two FBI agents."

  "So what? We're all on the same side, aren't we?"

  "I hope so," Frank muttered almost to himself.

  Joe gestured out the window. "Relax. We're in paradise, remember? If that guy behind us would just stop tailgating, I could slow down and enjoy the view myself."

  Then there was a loud, metallic crump, and the car lurched forward suddenly.

  "Hey!" Joe yelled. "That guy just rear-ended us!"

  There was another crump, and they surged forward once more.

  "He did it again!" Joe shouted, struggling to keep the car on the road.

  Frank spun around and got a good look at the other vehicle. It was a pickup truck, and this time he made sure to get the license plate number. But he didn't think it would do much good. The truck was larger and heavier than their car, and he guessed the driver wouldn't stop ramming them until he pushed them over the edge of the cliff.

  Chapter 7

  Instinctively Joe slammed on the brakes, but when he did, the truck just rammed them harder. They skidded closer to the cliff edge. Then he switched tactics and hit the gas pedal.

  But there were too many twists and turns in the road. He would barely pull away before he'd have to slow down for another curve. And then the pickup was right on top of them. Crump! The bumpers of the two vehicles smacked together.

  "Is there any place up ahead where we can get off this road?" he shouted. Crump! His head snapped back and bounced off the headrest.

  Jade shook her head. "How did they find us so fast?"

  "I don't know! But I'm not going to stop and ask!"

  Crump! Joe knew that sooner or later one of those blows would be more than he could handle, and the car would tumble over the side and plummet into the ocean below. Up ahead, the road climbed sharply, but it was a pretty straight shot, and Joe figured it was the only one he'd get.

  "Hang on!" he screamed, and punched the gas pedal to the floor.

  The car pulled away from the pickup and sped up the road. At the top of the rise, there was a sharp bend to the right, but Joe didn't plan on making the turn. He yanked his foot off the accelerator and smashed it down on the brake. At the same time, he cranked the steering wheel all the way to the left.

  The front tires screeched and smoked. The rear end swung out to the right, and the car spun around in the middle of the road. It skidded backward a few feet and softly bumped into the guardrail on the outer edge of the curve.

  Then Joe was jamming the gas again, and the car squealed back down the road. The pickup truck was plowing up the hill, hugging the inside lane, away from the cliff. Joe stayed on the same side and aimed straight for the truck, his foot glued to the gas pedal.

  He was grinning wildly. "Up for a little game of chicken?"

  Now they were close enough to see the terrified expression on the truck driver's and passenger's faces. He tried to pull off the road, but the shoulder was too narrow. The tires on the left side hit the steep incline and rolled up it. The whole truck tilted crazily to one side. Joe swerved back into the outer lane and zipped past just as the pickup rolled and fell over.

  Frank twisted around to see the wreckage. "We've got to go back and get them out of there," he said.

  "Are you crazy?" Joe burst out. "They were trying to kill us!"

  "Frank's right," Jade said. "We can't just leave them there."

  Reluctantly, Joe stopped the car, put it in reverse, and started to back up. He could see someone trying to climb out of the pickup truck. Then there was a sharp crack, and the rear window of their car shattered.

  Frank dove for the floor. Joe ducked, pushing Jade's head down with his right hand at the same time. "I don't think they want our help," he said.

  Frank was staring at a brand-new hole in the window over his head. "I think you're right," he replied. "Let's get out of here."

  Joe slammed the gearshift lever and pressed down hard on the gas pedal. The car shot forward, and they left the overturned truck far behind.

  They didn't stop until they came to a gas station with a pay phone. Frank hopped out and ran over to the phone. He punched in the number his father had given him.

  After a few rings, a female voice came on the line. "Federal Bureau of Investigation, Honolulu office."

  A few minutes later Frank hung up the phone and walked back to the car.

  "Any news?" Joe asked.

  "Well, there's good news and bad news," Frank said. "Which do you want first?"

  "Let's start with the good," Joe suggested.

  "Okay. The good news is those goons in the pickup truck were probably the last we'll run into."

  "Did they find the owner of the blue sedan?" Jade asked.

  "No," Frank said, turning to her. "But they didn't have to. That's where the bad news comes in. It looks like your friend Nick Hawk owes money to almost every bookie in town - and he's been putting down some heavy bets on Connie Lo to win the Banzai Pipeline. They arrested him about an hour ago."

  "I can't believe it," Jade said. "Did he confess?"

  "No," Frank admitted. "But the evidence is pretty strong. He was in deep. If he couldn't pay off his gambling debts soon, he was going to be shark bait. With you out of the way, Connie would be the top contender."

  Joe looked at Jade. He could see that she was fighting back tears. He reached out and touched her. Her arm felt stiff, and her fist was clenched tightly at her side. "I'm sure Connie didn't know anything about it," he said. "It's over. Try to put it behind you. You can go home now."

  Jade looked at him. "I don't think I want to go back yet. I need some time to clear my head."

  Joe smiled. "Hey, no problem. It's a sunny day, and we've got a full tank of gas. What do people do for fun on Maui?"

  "I don't know," Jade said, perking up a little. "Play golf or hang out at the beach, I guess."

  "Hmm, tough choice," Joe said, scratching his chin.

  "Not really," Frank remarked. "We didn't bring any golf clubs."

  "So that leaves the beach," Joe said.

  "Okay," Jade nodded. "Just as long as we steer clear of surfboards. I don't even want to think about surfing today."

  "No problem," Joe said, starting the engine and putting the car in gear.

  "Yeah," Frank agreed. "Because we didn't bring any swimsuits either."

  ***

  It was past noon by the time they rolled into Lahaina, a small town perched on the western coast of the island. A hundred years earlier it had been a major seaport for the islands, and it still had the look of an old-fashioned sailing port. Weathered clapboard buildings hung out over the bay, suspended a few feet above the waterline by sturdy wooden beams.

  Frank noticed that instead of seedy dockside bars and musty tackle shops, the port was now home to expensive boutiques and custom T-shirt stores. Outside one of the stores, Frank spotted a public phone.

  "Pull over for a minute," he said. "I'd better let Dad know where we are."

  After he made the call, they drove along the coast. Beyond the small town on the bay, the beach took over again. Swimmers, surfers, and str
ollers dotted the shoreline.

  "Just stop wherever it looks good," Jade said. "All the beaches in Hawaii are public."

  Joe saw something floating in the air over the water. "Is that a guy in a parachute?"

  Jade looked where he was pointing. "He's para-sailing. See that motorboat out there? The parachute is attached to the boat by a long line. It's the closest thing to a roller coaster you'll see in Hawaii. I've heard it's a lot of fun, but I've never tried it."

  Joe steered the car onto the sandy shoulder. "Well, let's find out."

  Frank studied the billowing, rainbow-colored shape being towed across the sky. "I think I'll sit this one out. Parachutes are great if you're in a burning airplane. I don't feel like putting one on when I'm already on the ground. You two go ahead and try if you want."

  Joe and Jade walked across the sand to the water. They watched the motorboat make a wide turn, slowing down as it headed toward the beach. As its speed dropped, the parachute in the air behind it glided down. The boat turned again. Now it was barely coasting, just a few feet from the shoreline. The parachute swung over the beach as it dipped down, and the man strapped into it landed lightly on his feet.

  Joe could see two men in the boat. They both looked like native Hawaiians - dark skin and thick black hair. The skipper was standing, holding the wheel with his left hand. He worked the throttle with his right hand, easing it back slowly. Without throwing out an anchor, it was tricky to hold the boat steady in one place. It looked like he had had a lot of practice at it, though.

  The other man jumped overboard into the waist-deep water and waded ashore. He gathered up the flapping parachute and helped the rider out of the harness.

  Joe grabbed Jade's hand. "Come on, here's your chance."

  "My chance?" she said. "What about you? This was your idea!"

  "Ladies first," Joe insisted. "Besides, you were the one who said it was fun."

  The smiling Hawaiian from the boat held out the parachute harness. "You want to give it a try? Only ten bucks."

  Joe shook his head. "Two for fifteen," he haggled. "First her, then me."

  The man's grin widened. "Okay. You hold the chute while I get her strapped in."