It’s the man from Dragonisi! Nancy thought, recoiling. There was no telling what he would do if he recognized them!
Chapter Eleven
“It’s them!” Nancy exclaimed.
In the next instant she ducked behind the trunk of an olive tree, pulling Mick along with her. She winced as bark scraped against her bare arm, but she had to stay hidden.
“What’s going on?” Mick asked, looking at Nancy as if she had lost her mind.
“The man from the cave is driving that moped,” Nancy said breathlessly. “But I think we ducked out of sight before he saw us.”
Hearing the sound of the motor fade, Nancy dared a look. The moped was just disappearing down the hillside in the direction of town. “I’d love to know where he’s off to in such a hurry,” she said, rubbing the chafed skin on her arm.
“Are you okay?” Bess asked, rushing over with Zoe. “What’s going on?”
Nancy told them about the driver of the silver moped. She felt so helpless. How could she let those guys just ride on by?
“What about the man on the back?” Zoe asked.
“I don’t know who he is,” Nancy said, “but I can’t stand to stay here when they might lead us to some answers. What if they’re on their way to pick up the passports from Dimitri?”
Mick was already striding to their moped. “It’s a long shot,” he said, “but it’s worth checking out.”
“Don’t be crazy!” Zoe protested, grabbing Nancy by the hand. “It’s too dangerous.”
“I don’t think he recognized us,” Nancy said. “But just to be safe, we’d better take off our hats—they’re the same ones we had on at Dragonisi.” She tossed her orange hat to Bess, while Mick gave his to Zoe. Then Nancy hopped onto the moped and slid her arms around Mick’s waist.
“Don’t worry,” Mick said. “We’ll stay out of sight. We’re just going to observe.” Before Zoe and Bess could say another word, he revved the moped’s engine and steered onto the road.
“We’ll meet you at the taverna!” Bess called after them. “And be careful!”
Nancy held on tight as Mick maneuvered the moped around a series of snaking curves. With these treacherous roads, she was afraid that they would never catch up with the two men. Then the moped’s engine whirred as they reached a straight stretch of road, and Mick shifted into high gear.
Nancy’s heart raced as she spotted the silver moped ahead on the road. “There they are!” she shouted.
“Let’s drop back,” Mick said, shifting into low gear to slow their bike.
To Nancy’s relief, the men never glanced back. “I don’t think they’re even aware of us,” she told Mick.
It was an easy drive over the open road, but Nancy’s nerves were tense with anticipation. What if the two men met with Dimitri—or Theo? If she and Mick interfered, the results could be deadly.
Once they reached the outskirts of town, the chase became complicated by the narrow, zigzagging streets scattered with people, carts, and animals.
“We’re losing them,” Nancy said, wincing as a young girl with a basket darted in front of their bike, forcing Mick to veer away.
Mick drove with caution, but it cost them. “I can’t keep up with them in these congested streets.” He rolled to a stop as a pair of burros hauled a wagon into the center of the street, blocking the way.
Disappointed, Nancy pushed her hair out of her eyes and frowned. “Oh, well. Better safe than sorry.”
At last the donkeys moved on, and Mick steered the moped onto a wider street. They were back at Naxos’s main square now, Nancy realized, near the ferry terminal. The square was filled with tourists and merchants rushing to do business before the afternoon siesta. It was like a crazed obstacle course.
“Let’s get away from this traffic,” Mick said, taking a sharp turn down a narrow alley.
Neither he nor Nancy saw the silver moped careening toward them until the last second. “Look out!” Nancy screamed, bracing herself for the impact.
Mick managed to steer away from the silver moped, but the motion sent their bike skidding to the side. It nearly slid out from under them as the silver moped zoomed off.