In Treacherous Waters

by Richard V Frankland

  “Mind if I have a look?”

  “You’d better glove up first, the boys inside said they wanted to do some tests on it.”

  Vaughan waved to one of the forensic team and indicated a request for gloves.

  “Okay, here is a pair but please do not handle it too much as it will damage evidence.”

  Vaughan held out his gloved hand flat, palm up and Lopez carefully placed the book on it. Vaughan then studied the leather cover. “Did you see these teeth marks on the top corner of the spine?”

  Lopez nodded. “I guess that if it was one of the two ladies we are looking for, she had to pick the book up with her teeth in order to drop it to fall under the bed.”

  “That was my immediate thought,” replied Vaughan. “I know that the Lieutenant is extremely bright and the other young lady is no fool either. I’m also sure that the little bunch that took them would have made absolutely certain that they were tied up to keep them out of mischief.” Vaughan sniffed the notebook, “Yes, this has almost certainly been in the hands of Anna-Maria Ronaldo, it has her perfume signature all over it.”

  Using just his thumb on the corner of the book he opened it, then carefully selected a page at random. “Wow I see what you mean about code; a job for GCHQ I think, I’m sure their boys and girls would love to have a look at this.”

  “We would like to bag that now, Sir,” said the forensic guy who had issued the gloves.

  “Sure, here we are,” replied Vaughan, closing the book and sliding it into the evidence bag held open for him. “I know you guys are good but that book needs to get to GCHQ in the UK in a hurry as they have all the tools to unlock what’s in there.”

  Behind him Vaughan heard the lift door open.

  The forensic guy turned to the Inspector. “Is that okay, Inspector Lopez?”

  The Inspector nodded, “Yeh, do as he says get that book on its way by the fastest means possible, Grayling.”

  “I’ll handle that for you,” said a voice behind them.

  Vaughan turned, “Senior Agent Staunton, to what do we owe the pleasure?”

  “Cleaning up your mess again, Vaughan.” Then turning to the surprised Grayling he flashed his SIS badge and said, “I’ll take that now,” and almost snatched the bag containing the book from the young man’s hand. “Have you found anything else of interest that I should know about?”

  “I’ll get our team leader to talk to you,” said the rather annoyed Grayling as he turned and went back into the apartment.

  Staunton had arrived straight from the airport having successfully persuaded Sir Andrew Averrille that he should be the one to dismiss Vaughan and take over the search for the two missing women.

  As the man disappeared Staunton turned back to Vaughan, “London has directed me to inform you that you are dismissed, fired. You are required to hand over to me your SIS identity badge, weapon and all issued equipment immediately.”

  Vaughan almost reached for the Glock pistol he was carrying in the thigh pocket of his trousers.

  “Oh, so you’ve finally got your way have you, well, you can have the equipment but not the weapon. The armorer at ‘The Manor’ gave me strict instructions that I am to return it only to him,” replied Vaughan angrily.

  “I am relieving you of that duty, Vaughan, without SIS identity, carrying of that gun is illegal, so hand it over, with the rest of the stuff.”

  “You’re unarmed aren’t you,” said Vaughan, realising why Staunton had listed the weapon separately from the other equipment that he had been issued with. “Because you were travelling by air and not allowed to disclose your security status to airport staff, you have had to leave your weapon behind. Are you planning on shooting someone while you’re here?” continued Vaughan, with a knowing smile that brought an immediate expression of anger to Staunton’s features.

  “As your superior, I demand that you comply with my orders. You are finished, Vaughan; career, yacht charter, the whole lot, it’s over for you, so just get the damned equipment and weapon, and hand them over now.”

  “The charter does not end until the yacht returns to its home port of Dartmouth. That’s the agreement, check with Lorna or Commodore Campbell, they will confirm it.”

  “They have been suspended from duty awaiting the outcome of an enquiry into the handling of the coup affair and this latest stunt Campbell has involved you in.”

  “What did you say, Commodore Campbell suspended? What the hell’s going on?”

  “That is no longer any of your business.”

  “These weren’t your real orders, Staunton, I’ll be bound, otherwise Campbell would have warned me. When you have pushed a little harder I will hand you over the Browning, but you’re not going to get the Glock without a real fight.”

  Vaughan gave Staunton an angry glare, “Well, the record of the charter will be at DELCO’s offices,” he replied, trying to sound both indignant and concerned at the same time. “So you’ve managed to organise a coup inside SIS have you, Staunton, I wonder how many other little maggots you have on your side?”

  “Oh, stop buggering about and get the damned equipment and hurry. I have a lot to do.”

  “You had better come with me to the boat then, it’s all there,” replied Vaughan.

  “What! Your weapon is sitting on board your boat in a situation like this?”

  “Yes, I didn’t think that working with the Gibraltar Police Department I would need to be armed.”

  “Of course, you are the idiot who, unarmed, took on an armed and dangerous man who was physically holding a woman hostage.”

  “Yep, and the guy ended up dead, but had I waved a gun at him, both she and I would have been shot.”

  The police car that had delivered Staunton to the crime scene took them back to the quay where Vaughan’s yacht lay. There they were joined by Commander Frazer and Seaman Robson.

  “I understand from Mr Staunton that you will be er, leaving us,” said Frazer, obviously aware of the situation and embarrassed by it.

  “Yes, I see that you have been brought up to speed, Commander. Thank you for all your assistance. If Seaman Robson could give me a hand casting off in a few minutes I would be further obliged,” replied Vaughan.

  “Of course.”

  Leaving Staunton talking to the Commander on the pontoon Vaughan went below and reached under the quarter berth mattress, lifted the plywood base section and took out the Browning, neatly packed in its box, the three full ammunition clips but leaving the unopened box of ammunition from the bag and put them with the weapon on the chart table, covering them both with a couple of charts. He then went forward and accessed the false bulkhead to remove the compressed air powered grapple and line together with a radio microphone set, recorders and finally the shoulder holster for the Browning. Selecting an old grey sailing holdall, he put the equipment into it and returned to the main cabin and added the pistol and loaded clips to the haul. Opening the cupboard beneath the chart table seat Vaughan opened the safe and took out his equipment issue sheet, then, carefully locking everything again, he pulled open the second chart table drawer and took out a small brown envelope. Hoisting the bag onto the quarter berth he quickly took the Browning from its box, stripped it down and removed the firing pin, before reassembling it and putting it back in the holdall. “I must be losing my touch, I almost gave that bastard a weapon that could be quickly loaded and fired. Slack, Vaughan, very slack.” Putting the firing pin into the envelope he slipped it into the Browning’s box then placed the pistol in the holdall to be hidden by the small tubular grapple compressed air reservoir.

  Heaving the holdall out onto the yacht’s side deck, he said, “There you are, Staunton, that is everything I signed for, except to report the loss of a spare ammunition clip during the Al Djebbar incident.”

  Then stepping up alongside the bag he held out the equipment list form and said, “Sign the bottom and print your name and number.”

  “Piss off, I’m not a stores clerk.”

 
“Well, you don’t get these then,” Vaughan replied, putting the holdall back down into the cockpit, out of Staunton’s reach.

  “Oh for Christ’s sake, give me that damn bit of paper.”

  Vaughan picked up the holdall and stepped down onto the pontoon handing the equipment sheet to Staunton.

  Muttering under his breath Staunton signed the form as requested and handed it back to Vaughan. “Satisfied?”

  “It will do, until I return and report in.”

  “Didn’t you hear, you’re fired, out of it, not wanted.”

  “The game is far from over, take my word for it. It still has a long way to go.”

  “Bullshit,” replied Staunton stepping towards Vaughan and grabbing his shirt front pulling him close. “Get that old barge and yourself back to England by the end of the week. I want you out from under our feet soon, understood.”

  The impact of Vaughan’s left foot onto the arch of Staunton’s right foot caused enough instant pain for Staunton’s head to jerk forward to receive what is known as a “Glasgow Kiss” aimed at the man’s nose but hitting his right cheekbone and eyebrow.

  Staunton staggered backwards then went to move forward again only to discover that the pain from his right foot would not allow it.

  “Grab me again like that, Staunton, and you will find that I have broken more than a couple of bones in your foot. Now go crying back to London before I change my mind and deal with your arms and legs here and now.”

  Grabbing the bag Staunton rummaged for the gun.

  “Stop that now! The pair of you!” shouted Frazer. “Mr Staunton, you come with me. Robson, see Mr Vaughan safely away please.”

  It was a reluctant Staunton that turned away to hobble beside the Commander along the pontoon towards the quay feeling a rapid swelling in both his right foot and around his right eye.

  “Nice one, Ian, if you don’t mind me saying, but watch your back, that little bastard wants to kill you,” said Robson quietly.

  “The feeling is mutual I assure you.”

  Robson went to walk away to start the process of casting off then stopped and turned back to Vaughan. “The Commander was told that a boy in those apartments knew the name of the boat that they think did the runner with the women you were searching for, it was called Corredor Rápido.”

  “He was sure?”

  “Apparently so, Ian. I didn’t hear him but Frazer was told it sounded kosher, though your mate Staunton reckoned the kid was just trying to appear big.”

  “When did they say all this?”

  “Frazer got a call while you were below, I overhead what they were saying.”

  “Thanks, Puncher, that is the most useful bit of information I have heard in days.”

  ***

  Two hours before Vaughan had got to the apartment in Gibraltar Jacobs had driven off the Santander ferry and been met at the port entrance by the Sousa brothers, both skilled craftsmen, instructed previously by Leonardo to prepare Jacobs lorry ready to take both hostages in secret across borders. Leaving Santander they directed him down past Salamanca to a farm near the small town of Arapiles. On seeing the place name as they approached the town Jacobs showed signs of excitement.

  “Arapiles, well I’m buggered, I was readin’ about this place on the way over on the ferry, cor I’ve wanted to get here for years.”

  “You know this place?” said Carlinhos Sousa, the brother with the better understanding of English.

  “Yeh, well no, but I know of it.”

  “Why you know such small town?”

  “Well in 1812 this place was the centre of the Duke of Wellington’s first great victory over the French Army under Marshal Aguste Marmont. Twenty-second of July it was, and us and you Portuguese fought together as allies. In fact I think we are your oldest ally going back way beyond that war.”

  At the farm, while Jacobs went with the farmer to view the fields over which the battle had been fought, the brothers unloaded the furniture and proceeded to measure up the inside of the load area.

  On his return Jacobs was confused to find the furniture spread over the yard and the farmer’s wife pointing to items she wanted taken into the house.

  “Ere what’s goin’ on?”

  “Leonardo he say we dump these things and measure for secret compartment inside.”

  “Oh he did, did he, well he can bloody well pay to have it taken out again when I gets back home, cheeky bastard, who the bloody hell does he think he is.” Looking across at the farmer’s wife Jacobs said, “Is she gonna pay for that lot?”

  “She give us free meal tonight and bed to sleep in and food for tomorrow, it will be good deal.”

  “Well, tell her that the big fridge has got to go back on the lorry as that is for someone else.”

  The following morning they left early crossing the border into Portugal at Vila Formoso then turned south arriving in Burgau on the Algarve coast at seven o’clock in the evening after having stopped for the legally required driver breaks and to collect the materials for the secret compartment.

  Soon after passing through the town the brothers directed Jacobs to turn right away from the sea, up a steep narrow road and over the brow of a hill, then left up a very narrow track, climbing further then descending into a hollow where a large house lay.

  “Yeh, good location this, no neighbours can see us,” observed Jacobs, having given the area a sweeping, but professional, glance. “Whose car is that?”

  “It is my car,” said Carlinhos, “We travelled to Santander by bus from my brother’s home.”

  “Oh, right. You gonna open up then or do we sit here all night?”

  ***

  In Gibraltar, Staunton sat waiting to have his foot X-rayed at St Bernard’s Hospital, and took the opportunity to put a call in to Vermeulen.

  “Hello.”

  “Jan, good news for you, I have your notebook and your stepdaughter.”

  “Where?”

  “I am in Gibraltar at the moment and due to fly back to London in the morning.”

  “What about Anna-Maria?”

  “She is on the way to Lagos in Portugal, after that she and her companion may be having a change of career.”

  “Employed by your Turkish friend I take it, like nosy Maria.”

  “Something like that, Jan. I’ll be busy for a few days as I have to rub out another name on the page, I suggest you use the sailing option crossing the English Channel and give me a call when you have arrived, don’t rush, as I said I will be busy for a while, tone up that suntan of yours for a week.”

  ***

  As Staunton was speaking, Commodore Alex Campbell in England was strolling down the garden of his Dulwich home. At the bottom of the garden was his tool shed and behind that a loose panel in the fence that gave access to Douglas Furlew’s house behind. Moving the panel to one side Campbell slipped through the gap and checking that all was clear hurried up the garden path and entered the property via the back door. Making his way immediately to the alarm panel he tapped in the code before settling himself in Furlew’s study and dialling Vaughan’s personal mobile number.

  “Hello,” said Vaughan, not recognising the number of the caller.

  “It’s Campbell, Vaughan, what’s the news?”

  “I’m just leaving Gibraltar, Sir, in the faint hope of tracking down a powerboat named ‘Corredor Rápido’ which left here last night with Lieutenant Heathcote and Ann-Maria Ronaldo aboard. I tried calling you earlier but your phone was switched off I think.”

  “Yes it was, Vaughan, I can only receive during restricted hours at the moment and have had to ditch that phone.”

  “I see, Sir. By the way I have just been fired by Senior Agent Staunton who turned up here all of a sudden and has walked off with a black notebook belonging to Vermeulen that the Gibraltar Police found in the flat where Anna-Maria and Lieutenant Heathcote were held,” replied Vaughan.

  “How the hell did Staunton get to know about this operation, he is supposed to be in
Portugal on other business that Sir Andrew wanted tidied up,” replied Campbell obviously shocked by Vaughan’s information. “This is very serious and makes it clear to me why events today have taken the turn that they have. Anyway back to the name of this power boat, ‘Corredor Rápido’ you say, is that intelligence reliable do you think?”

  “Commander Frazer here took it seriously.”

  “Vaughan, I will be frank with you now. When I assigned you to the Madeira Conference mission, I was seriously pressured into allocating Staunton as your mission controller. At the time I had grave doubts about the man as he was involved in the operation in which Anna-Maria’s husband was ambushed and killed. I think that this current situation is linked to that failed operation, but thus far I have only vague pieces of information to go on and if that is Vermeulen’s notebook I think it may well be the key to revealing why a very capable agent was lost.” There was a pause before Campbell said, “You know that DELCO has been closed down and the staff suspended awaiting an enquiry as to its future. Under current circumstances I can only be contacted through this number between 2200 and 2230 hours for the next three days. Then I will have to find another safe place to call from.”

  “Staunton said that you and the DELCO team had been suspended but he blamed that on my revealing the coup plot in Madeira.”

  “Yes, that was one of the excuses that Sir Andrew Averrille mentioned, but that is not the real issue, there is a lot of unpleasant politics going on here and it has been going on for some months. Things now are coming to a head and that places a great deal of importance on the safe recovery of Lieutenant Heathcote and Ms Ronaldo. I am trying to establish communication routes so you may get a contact from Lorna Parker-Davis, who I am hoping will be able to act as a message hub for us, provided that Sir Andrew Averrille’s bloodhounds don’t reach her and order her into silence,” replied Campbell. “Vaughan, what else did Staunton say?”

  “Nothing really, he was more interested in my handing over all the equipment issued to me, particularly my weapon, he was so mind-bent on getting hold of that he forgot to take my SIS I.D.”