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There was no sign of the kayak

Lee turned back to the island, saw blue plastic gleah of relief The kayak had been pulled up into the tall grass on one side of the beach She wondered why anyone would do such a thing and stepped into the grass to retrieve the kayak It was a re there was someone else on the island

She was pulling the kayak back toward the water when she felt a prickling sensation that had nothing to do with the heat on the back of her neck She turned and saw a lasses

He had soundlessly materialized from the scrub and now blocked Lee’s way to the water He was physically frightening His hardened Asian features seemed to have been hammered on an anvil His thin-lipped mouth looked as if it could not be pried into a smile with a crowbar He wore shorts, and thehis knuckles or clublike feet through a brick wall

Making him even more formidable was the automatic weapon cradled in his arms The muzzle was pointed at her heart

Despite her fears, Song Lee ed to croak out a question

“Who are you?” she said

“I ae of expression

What nonsense, Lee thought The ed She tried to assert control over the situation

“Did you move my kayak?” she asked

She thought she saw a slight nod of the chin

“Then I’d appreciate your help in pulling it back to the water”

He s that rab the kayak

“Dr Lee?”

Hearing her name called, she knew this was no random encounter She saw a quick un above his head and brought it down stock first She felt an explosion at the back of her skull, and saw a flash of white light before the darkness closed in, and she was unconscious before she crashed facedown into the mud