In Treacherous Waters

by Richard V Frankland

“It is in connection with this assignment ordered by Commodore Campbell, Sir Andrew, we believe that the snatch in Gibraltar was conducted by a Spanish gang, so I have sent a team out to try and track them down.”

  “Why use Agent Graham? The man is a good analyst I grant but definitely not a field operative.”

  “I sent him to analyse and co-ordinate the activities of the other three, Sir Andrew. I know it is unusual but I thought this type of operation could be a pattern that, with such closer and intensive focus, may prove more efficient than our current long range co-ordination that frequently has personnel availability limitations.”

  “I’m not fully convinced about this, Leonard, I want to be kept informed on a daily basis.”

  “Certainly, Sir Andrew, I will.”

  As the door closed behind Sir Andrew, Staunton breathed a sigh of relief. He well knew of Graham’s limitations and far from giving the man the role of analyst and co-ordinator he had split the men into two pairs, each in separate areas of Spain with orders to search for two women who he knew perfectly well were in Portugal.

  Looking down at his desk he saw the Cairo mosque file and reluctantly pulled it towards him. He started to read the latest assessment regarding the link to a mosque in Birmingham. Picking up his phone he punched in a number.

  “El Keraki.”

  “Staunton here, have you found out whether Mustafa Khouri flew out to Cairo last month or not?”

  “Yes, Sir, it has just come in from Egypt Air, he flew out on the seventh and no return flight booked as yet.”

  “Let the French and Germans know, we must not be accused of keeping Mr Khouri’s holiday plans to ourselves must we.”

  “No, Sir,” replied El Keraki, stunned at Staunton’s attempt at humour.

  Putting the phone down Staunton checked his watch, he had just enough time to speak to Yakov Gorokhin again before the section heads’ co-ordination meeting. He dialled the number, “Anything?” he said as soon as the phone was answered.

  “I may have made a breakthrough, Leonard. This man is very clever in formatting the code somewhat like a crossword. It has a series of letters that produce a second puzzle, when I have converted a few more pages it may well produce a pattern that is breakable.”

  “How long?”

  “It is hard to say, maybe two days, maybe a week, I do not know.”

  “You’ve got two days, that is all,” said Staunton, before slamming down the phone.

  He got up and limped across to the window looking down at the murky waters of the River Thames. Staunton hated having to wait and now yet again his future appeared to be on hold. He needed one more nail to put in Campbell’s career coffin before he could be sure of keeping this position from which he could wield power.

  Staunton glanced again at his watch noting that it was time to join the meeting and taking the briefing notes from his desk, he left the office, limping past his secretary without a glance.

  The meeting had been in progress for about half an hour when Staunton felt his mobile vibrate in his pocket. Easing back from the table he pulled the phone surreptitiously into view to see that the caller was Housmann, by far the brightest of the four he had sent on the fool’s errand.

  “Excuse me, I must take this,” he said standing and making for the door.

  Outside in the corridor he held the phone to his ear, “Yes, what is it?”

  “Housmann, Sir, I’m in Lagos, Portugal, following up on information from Gibraltar and have discovered that Agent Vaughan was here yesterday and according to some low life here who was connected with Christiano Graciano – that’s the man Agent Vaughan killed in Gibraltar, Vaughan left here on board a yacht late last night.”

  “Listen carefully, Housmann, Vaughan has been dismissed and is no longer working for us. If he’s doing what I think he is doing we need to have him stopped. You and Graham work your way north along the coast and when you find him report to me immediately.” Staunton had almost used the word “eliminated” instead of just “stopped”; elimination would be a job he would give to others.

  Returning to the meeting, Staunton sat it out contributing little in order to have it finished as soon as possible. On leaving, he hurried back to his office to contact Sir Andrew Averrille’s secretary before she left. “Is Sir Andrew available, Mrs March? A rather disturbing situation has developed in the Spanish operation he and I were discussing earlier.”

  “If you wait a moment, Mr Staunton, I will check with him.” Staunton waited, aware again of Mrs March’s use of his surname. Why was it that when Campbell had phoned through she had always called him Alex?

  “I’ll put you through now, Mr Staunton.”

  “Well I was hoping…” Staunton had hoped for a meeting.

  “This had better be quick, Leonard, I have a meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff to get to.”

  “My team inform me, Sir Andrew, that Vaughan is sticking his nose into this hunt for the missing women. I have asked Housmann to find Vaughan so that we can warn him off. This just confirms the man to be a complete nuisance.”

  “Don’t be too hasty, Leonard, Vaughan may be onto some important lead, tell Housmann to find Vaughan and keep watch.”

  Staunton took a gamble. “Another thought has come to mind, Sir Andrew, that Vaughan could be acting on instructions from Commodore Campbell.”

  “No, Leonard, I have just seen the watch report on the Commodore. There has been no sign of any contact at all not even with his DELCO team. Campbell plays a straight bat in these situations, it is a damn shame that he appears to have dropped the ball in sending Vaughan to Madeira,” replied Sir Andrew. “I can’t stay any longer on this, Leonard, otherwise I will be late, I’ll expect an update from you in the morning.”

  Though not the most positive outcome, Staunton knew that he had planted seeds of doubt in Sir Andrew’s mind regarding the Commodore. It was time, he thought, for a bit of relaxation, so leaving the office earlier than usual, made his way to Alice Morgan’s flat in Croydon for dinner and compliant sex.

  ***

  By the time Penny Heathcote came on watch “La mouette sur le vent” had cleared the point of Fortaleza de Sagres and was now close to Farol do Cabo de São Vicente. “God you look all in,” she said, as she climbed the companionway steps into the cockpit.

  “It was a long couple of days, Penny, how do you feel? Are you up to this?”

  “Oh yes, I slept like a baby and really feel quite rested. You go below; Anna-Maria said she would fix you something to eat.”

  “Just keep her pointing to windward on this tack, Penny. That will take us well clear of Cape St Vincent and out away from any prying eyes,” said Vaughan, “Give a shout if anything changes in wind, weather or shipping.”

  “Ian, I have done this before, many times in fact, now go below and get some rest, I will look after her,” Heathcote replied, patting the side of the cockpit combing affectionately.

  Returning from a visit to the heads Vaughan found two bacon baguettes waiting for him and a mug of tea on the galley top.

  “Those are yours, Ian, I’m just doing some more for Penny and myself.”

  “Thank you, how are you feeling this morning?”

  “Feeling safe again in your company, you are again my hero. In the house with that evil man Jacobs was an experience I never want to have ever again.”

  “I imagine he was the guy who gave you the split lip.”

  “Yes he was, and I think he enjoyed doing it too. To be honest I thought every time he came near me he wanted to rape me, then when he got me in the bathroom and I could feel his breath on my legs…” Her eyes started to water as she recalled the fear and the moment when she had stabbed him. “I’m sorry, but I am not so strong as Penny.”

  “What you did was very brave and probably saved both of your lives, Anna-Maria, and don’t you forget that. According to Carlinhos Sousa, Jacobs was moving you both in the morning and I doubt that it would be to safety in England.”

  “M
aybe, but Jacobs also beat Penny and look at her today, strong and able to help, whereas I am crying like a child and fit only to fry bacon.” She turned away from him fumbling in her pocket for a handkerchief. “Penny has been so marvellously brave, she head-butted the one they called Christiano you know, he was so angry and would have killed her I’m sure had the others not stopped him. Then when that ape Gregorio groped her she lashed out leaving deep scratches on his ugly face. He hurt her badly, that was when her nose was broken.”

  “They are both dead now,” said Vaughan, in a matter of fact way that surprised him. “Jesus, Vaughan, are you that used to killing.”

  “They are dead?” she said, surprised.

  “Yes, Christiano Graciano was shot while leading a diversion that made me miss your powerboat removal from Gibraltar, and I understand that Jacobs killed the other two, probably to silence them.”

  “Good,” she replied, then looked a little sorrowful for having said it. “So many people have died because of me.”

  “Come on, snap out of that, you will be in England soon and away from all this illegal arms trade horror. Look out, the bacon is burning.”

  “Oooh!” she said and turned to the galley stove leaving Vaughan to sit at the chart table to eat, before climbing exhaustedly into his berth.

  At 1150 hours Anna-Maria gave Vaughan a gentle shake to wake him, “Penny says that it is time for your next watch, Ian.”

  “Okay, tell her I’ll be right there.”

  Sliding out of the quarter berth, Vaughan visited the heads again and had a quick wash, coming out to find Anna-Maria standing at the companionway steps holding out a mug of coffee.

  “Thanks, you are an angel,” he said, taking the mug from her and climbing up into the cockpit.

  “I take it there were no dramas?” Vaughan said as Penny relinquished the tiller.

  “No, it was all very peaceful, she sails beautifully Ian, you must be delighted with her. We have been averaging seven knots over the ground according to the GPS, my father would be very envious, ‘Buxom Wench’ puts in five knots at best in these conditions.”

  “I’ll run the engine for a bit to top up the batteries again, hope it won’t disturb your rest.”

  “I doubt it, Ian, I will be glad to lie down again to be honest. I had no idea how exhausted the last week has made me feel.”

  “In the top drawer opposite the heads you’ll find a bottle of aloe vera gel to put on your face and hands,” said Vaughan looking closely at Heathcote’s face.

  “Oh God this red hair, it’s just not fair, look at Anna-Maria standing there like a piece of beautifully carved teak, whilst I look like a boiled lobster.”

  Vaughan smiled and, putting his arms around her shoulders, gave her a hug, “Go below and coat yourself in that gel and when you come on watch again put on one of my sun hats, that baseball cap doesn’t shade you enough.”

  As Heathcote went below Vaughan started the yacht’s engine and, disconnecting the auto helm, settled himself to steer her on the course that was taking them gradually further out into the Atlantic under a steady favourable nor-nor east to north-easterly wind. He made a mental note to put in a tack at the 1600 hour watch change, then his thoughts turned to the night’s communication with Campbell. “I wonder whether he’s managed to persuade Sir Andrew into thinking that Staunton has questions to answer, also is anyone at HQ checking out this cretin Barry Jacobs? I must mention that the artist impression of the mysterious Leonardo is the spitting image of Staunton, surely that should raise concerns, and given the information available in Gibraltar about the powerboats name why was he not in front of me searching for the women in Lagos?”

  Anna-Maria’s lunch was a surprisingly good spaghetti carbonara and Vaughan, not for the first time since they had started the voyage, wondered at the change in her that appeared to be taking place. Slow change yes, but Anna-Maria was at last getting the hang of life at sea, he hadn’t tripped over her once since leaving Lagos.

  At the next change of watch Vaughan instructed Heathcote to continue the eastward course wanting them to be in mobile range of the coast between 2200 hours and midnight ready to receive Campbell’s call. Anna-Maria woke Vaughan fifteen minutes before his watch started with a sandwich and a mug of black coffee.

  “You are a very quiet sleeper, Ian,” she said as he sat, mug in one hand and sandwich in the other trying to get his brain in order.

  “Really, my wife made a similar comment, apparently it spooked her a bit and if she woke in the night she would put her hand near to my nose to check that I was still breathing.”

  “You are married? I somehow thought you were single, you have never mentioned a wife before.”

  “Divorced, don’t ask, it is a long tiresome story.”

  “Do you have children?”

  “Yes, I have two daughters who live with my ex-wife.”

  “Oh, how sad for you, fathers are normally very close to daughters. I was very close to my father and was devastated when he was killed.”

  “Was he military?”

  “Oh no, he was the Commercial Director for a food packaging and distribution company.”

  “What happened?”

  “He was driving to one of their warehouses near Porto when he was involved in a head on collision with a drunk driver who was on the wrong side of the road.”

  “How terrible for you. Were you very young?”

  “I was sixteen at the time. We stayed on in Portugal until I finished school then we moved to South Africa and my mother met Jan Vermeulen.” She stood for a moment or two, her lips tight, holding back her desire to shout or scream. “I returned to Portugal to go to university but when I got my degree my mother pleaded with me to join them in Angola where I met David.”

  At that point, Penny put her head down and said, “I can easily see the sweep of the Sines lighthouse and there are one or two ships about.”

  “Right, we had better show some lights then. I’ll be up in a moment, then you can get your head down.”

  “Do you want me to be up when the Commodore calls?”

  “No, Penny, but can you leave me with your mobile just in case he calls that one.”

  They were closing the coast near the small port of Sines and were dangerously close in and still Vaughan’s phone had no signal.

  “Anything on Penny’s phone?”

  “No, nothing,” replied Anna-Maria nervously, picking up the tension in Vaughan’s voice. “Twenty metres depth of water here at the moment, Ian.”

  “Yes at the moment, but as I don’t have a detailed chart for this area I’m going to tack and steer parallel to the coast and just pray we pick up a signal further along. Now I see the value of SSB phones on yachts.”

  Immediately, Anna-Maria moved to the head of the companionway steps out of Vaughan’s way.

  As the yacht’s bow came through the wind Vaughan hauled on the lee side sheets and swiftly applied three turns around both winches before adding a fourth turn on the staysail sheet running it into the self tailer. Checking that the yacht was sailing full and by he put the fourth turn on the genoa sheet and like the staysail ran it into the self tailer. Then starting with the genoa he winched the sail in harder until he was satisfied with its set then did the same with the staysail. When he had completed the task by trimming the mainsail Anna-Maria laughed and clapped her hands.

  “How you do that, steering the boat with your buttocks and getting those sails to behave is quite amazing, Ian.”

  “Years of practice and many moments of embarrassment went into that, believe me. You can guarantee that when you get it wrong there is a huge crowd of spectators watching, all of whom happily point out where you went wrong at the first opportunity they have.”

  Just then Vaughan’s phone chirped, snatching it up from the cockpit seat he glanced at the screen, “Hello.”

  “Vaughan, I have just been speaking with Lorna who has updated me with your news regarding this man Jacobs and what one hopes is a Sta
unton look-alike. I hate to think what the outcome will be if it is actually Staunton involved in this. Where are you now?”

  “We are currently just south of Lisbon, Sir. It is slow progress north I’m afraid with the high pressure holding as it is.”

  “Right, well do the best you can and in the meantime I will try and get your information in front of Sir Andrew.”

  “We showed the sketch of this Leonardo to Ms Ronaldo, Sir, and she thought that the man was the colleague of her husband’s when he went on his last visit to Cabinda.”

  “Well, that is not so surprising, Vaughan, as that would probably have been Staunton who she met but whether they are one and the same man seems to me pretty unlikely really.”

  “If you could find out about this Barry Jacobs, Sir, you may also find a link to Staunton, they could have served together in the Army.”

  “I can’t make a direct approach, Vaughan, but I know a man who can so leave that with me.” Vaughan sensed that the Commodore was going to say something more and waited. “Lorna has told you that Staunton has sent four agents out to Spain in search of Heathcote and Ms Ronaldo.”

  “Yes, Sir, she has.”

  “Normally I would tell you how to make contact with them but not on this occasion. Your plan to bring both ladies back in secret by sea is the safest so do your best to avoid contact with the land.”

  “I’ll do my best, Sir. When you are talking to Sir Andrew can you mention that Staunton was given the same information that I was about the powerboat that Anna-Maria and Lieutenant Heathcote were taken to Lagos aboard, but failed to show up in Lagos.”

  “Yes, I will, though whether Sir Andrew will give that much weight remains to be seen. I am not supposed to be involved in this so I can’t reveal that I know the name of the boat but I will think of some way to get the man thinking.”

  The call ended and Vaughan immediately altered course a little to take the yacht further away from the coast on the starboard tack charging over the waves in her element.

  ***

  Nearing the end of the fifth day at sea during which the watch keeping pattern had been in use, Vaughan recognised that Heathcote was now struggling due to lack of proper sleep.