Hurricane Strike

By Linda Montanana

nick is reluctantly persuaded to join friends duke and spanner on a camping expedition trip to coney sands along the rocky coast, with his sister and his would -be girlfriend abbey, but the girls disappear when the dreaded teacher mr knightly is determined to make it as difficult as possible for everyone. nick and duke are ordered to search for them while the main school party has to follow him way out into the estuary at low tide to explore the old abandoned light house. even he could not have planned a more desperate survival situation as the hurricane strikes and the sea upturns.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Linda Montanana
• Release date: Feb 24, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311857224

Linda Montanana

Hello, I'm new to Smashwords and I am excited about this venture. I live in a rugged and beautiful part of England with my son and two dogs. We like nothing better than to explore the region in all weathers and spot the wildlife along the way.We often see the deer, wild boar and even a wild cat that most people don't believe exist here! However, this setting often triggers off ideas for my stories, which I hope you will enjoy.

Book preview

Hurricane Strike

By Linda Montanana

Copyright 2014 Linda Montanana

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords License Agreement 2014

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase another copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it to smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

A copyright acknowledgement: Cover by Peter Ware 2014 www.wareart.co.uk.

Table of contents

Chapter 1.Persuading Nick

Chapter 2 Mayhem aboard

Chapter 3 Survival camp

.Chapter 4 Day break

Chapter 5 Expedition

Chapter 6 Reefer's point

Chapter 7 Harbour strike

Chapter 8 Marooned

Chapter 9 Swirling Vortex

Chapter 10 Swept away

Chapter 11 Mudflats

Chapter 12 The surge

Chapter 13 Quayside

Chapter 14 Distress call

Chapter 15 Re- united

Info about the author

I would like to thank my family and good friends for their patience and encouragement to me while I was writing this story

Chapter 1 Persuading Nick

It took until June, next year for the skate park to finally be declared open. To Nick this wait had seemed to take forever. The whole school at Bridge End High had known since before Christmas that Duke Finley and Nick Maddock had won the Art Competition with their superb design for the skate park that would fit neatly inside one of the tennis courts in school grounds.

Their names and photos had been plastered all over the school notice boards at the beginning of the Spring term and a party had been organised in their honour at Chipboards indoor skate park , some twenty miles away. Work had then begun building the park. It had taken months, delayed by heavy rain and violent thunderstorms and Nick especially had been very frustrated about it all.

So now, there was finally a few dry days in which the equipment could be used and Nick was in high spirits this evening practicing his skills in the warm sunshine. His friends, Duke and Spanner were lounging impatiently on a nearby bench, waiting for him to tire of it and come over to them. They had something important to ask him. More than important: it was vital he agreed. No way did they want to go on this school trip without him. Not now that Mr. Knightly had been assigned the task of taking the group.

'We shall have to drag him away from that ramp,' sighed Duke and got up to saunter over to where Nick was being watched by a gaggle of younger boys, clutching their boards.

'Is that all you can do?' jeered Duke with a grin.

'Yeh, how about a triple nose- dive,' joked Spanner, who couldn't do anything because he had never been on a skate board. The other kids standing around laughed.

'Hey, Span, you teach us that one.'

'I would guys, but I haven't got my board today.' he quipped evasively.' Nick could coach you though, maybe on Saturday when we get back from our trip.' At hearing that, Nick grabbed his board, 'What trip?' he asked suspiciously.

'The one we are all going on,' grinned Duke. 'To Coney sands we're leaving in the morning for three days - no school,' Duke prompted invitingly. Nick shook his head as if it must be a joke. 'You won't con me, I know old Knightly is going - and anyway there's nowhere to skate board.'

Duke glanced at Spanner hoping he would come up with something. Spanner grinned, 'It just won't be the same if you're not there bro. We always hang out together don't we?' He fixed his gaze hopefully on his friend, but Nick was adamant. No way was he going to volunteer for that.

'But Coney Sands - nothing ever happens there. It's just fishing boats and sand -hopeless if you ask me. Why does Knightly want to take you there anyway?'

'It's about how the coastal waters are protected by life boat Louise since Reefer's point light house was abandoned,' gulped Spanner breathlessly

'Boring -I'm not doing Geography so that leaves me out,' stated Nick happily.

'Abbey Cartwright's coming,' whispered Spanner triumphantly. Nick shifted his beanie hat around and thought for a moment. Now that might make the trip interesting and he just might get the opportunity to get to know her better. Duke guessed what he was mulling over and added enthusiastically, 'There's two empty places. Hash and Foxy have gone down with a virus, see. It's up for grabs - don't miss out.'

'So if I take one seat, who will have the other?' queried Nick. Not that he wanted to go, but he didn't want Jake Morley sitting next to Abbey either.

Spanner and Duke exchanged a glance that Nick couldn't fathom out. 'Come on tell me,' he quipped, laughing nervously in case it was Jake. 'Suppose its Jake,' he gushed awkwardly.

'No, actually it's Tanya,' blurted out Duke, knowing full well how Nick would react to that.

'MY SISTER! Well that's it. I'm out!' Nick blustered, but a moment later when relief had taken over that it wasn't Jake, he almost changed his mind. 'I can't leave Taffy at home; the only way my parents let me keep the pup was if I walked him and fed him and everything.'

'Bring him along - I think Simon is bringing Copper,' said Duke, only stretching the truth a little. 'If he does, they will get along fine.' So at last Nick was persuaded and went home to tell his parents - and Tanya who reacted as if he had just thrown a dead monkey at her.

The next morning Nick's mobile jangled its annoying alarm and Nick woke up in a shock as he always did as the fog horn blast joined in. He grabbed it under its spotlight which illumined 6am and fell back onto his pillow with a groan. The next instant he leapt out of bed. The coach was leaving at 7am - and there was a million things to do!

Tanya was singing in the shower and took no notice of his hammering on the door. She hoped he wouldn't be ready to catch the coach. It was her only hope of getting away without him.

But he hopped about on the landing aiming his legs into his jeans. Next, he had to find his rucksack and cram some clothes in it, but it wasn't in the wardrobe or in his cupboard. Okay, forget the rucksack - a bin bag would do. He stampeded down the stairs like the last buffalo alive, to find money, towel, water proof jacket - done. It all sagged heavily in the plastic bag.

Taffy was whirling around the kitchen excited at Nick loping about. Something good was happening, he knew it. He leapt up to greet his master; his paws now reaching chest high on Nick, who ruffled the dog's tri-coloured fur affectionately.

'Yes, you're coming too. I must pack you some food. Tanya is going to hate us being on this trip, isn't she?' he grinned mischievously.. Taffy then began his emergency