by Denis Byrne
Lily picked herself up, heading off once more. Her eyes were becoming more accustomed to the darkness. The shadowy shapes of trees and bushes loomed everywhere. Then, she heard a sound that stopped her in her tracks. A frenzied howling that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand to attention. It seemed to be coming from everywhere all around her, closing in on her from all directions, increasing in volume with every second.
*
Anna scrambled to her feet, furious at herself for having been tricked by a mere child, yet confident that Lily wouldn’t get very far before she was recaptured. For one thing, she wouldn’t have a notion were to go, and would more than likely end up running around in circles out there in the dark. And the gate behind the hedge was always kept locked, so even if by chance Lily did reach it, she’d still wouldn’t be able to escape.
The thought of that happening sent shivers down Anna’s spine. She’d been given the responsibility of guarding Lily once she’d abducted her. The Boss had specifically entrusted her with the task, stressing how important Lily would be in the ransom negotiations. For Anna, letting him down was out of the question. Lily had to be recaptured at all costs.
Anna raced back into the house and made her way to the lounge, removed the painting behind which the intercom was hidden, then gave orders to Central Control to send whoever wasn’t on duty around to the main entrance immediately. She’d meet them there and give them further instructions. Anna didn’t give any reason for her request. Being second-in-command, she knew nobody would question her. She also told Control to start relaying the howling of wolves over the sound system. The speakers hidden all about the grounds would do the rest. If that didn’t send Lily scurrying back towards the house, nothing would.
‘What kept you?’ Anna snapped at Dapper Desmond as soon as he arrived. ‘And where are the others?’
Dapper could see she was on edge. He was the first one to get here, and it had only taken him about two minutes from the time Control had passed on Anna’s orders. ‘Needles and Teddy Tattoo are on the way. They were in the swimming pool when they got the call. And what’s with the sound effects? This isn’t Halloween, is it?’
‘The girl’s out there somewhere,’ Anna replied authoritatively, ignoring his flippancy, refusing to give him any further information. ‘All that you need concern yourself about is that I want her found.’
‘Cute kid,’ Dapper observed casually, secretly delighted that Anna had somehow caused this problem for herself by letting Lily escape from the house. ‘How’d she give you the slip?’
‘Never mind all that now,’ Anna snapped, relieved to see Needles and Teddy Tattoo make their way towards her. ‘The important thing is that we go out there and find her!’
Needles was fighting for breath, having been in the middle of his fourth length of the swimming pool when the call to arms reached him. He’d only ever managed to complete three lengths in any previous session, always running out of steam and being forced to haul himself up to sit on the edge, gasping. He just wasn’t cut out to be an Olympic contender.
To make things worse, Dapper Desmond ribbed him unmercifully about his lack of stamina. Dapper could do twenty lengths without the slightest bother. Tattoo could do a hundred. Needles had given up counting the number of times Tattoo had overtaken him as he swam effortless length after length with that Australian crawl of his. Needles stroke resembled that of someone who was convinced that they were about to drown at any second if they didn’t continue to rotate their arms as though imitating a windmill. Still, he’d started into the fourth length for the first time in his life tonight, but now this.
Trudging through the undergrowth, hardly able to drag one foot after the other, with the skinny beam of his torch lighting a narrow pathway ahead of him, wasn’t his idea of leisure time. He’d rather have been in bed, recovering from his swimming efforts. He’d apologised to Anna for not arriving as fast as Desmond. So had Tattoo, who’d been decent enough to wait for him to get ready.
Teddy Tattoo was like that. Every inch of his body apart from his face was covered with images of snakes, dragons, and daggers dripping blood. He’d such a massive body, he even made Dapper look small. He shaved his head every day, was built like a couple of JCB’s stacked on top of each other, and had muscles a sledgehammer wouldn’t have made a dent in. And the funny part was that as intimidating as he looked, he had more thoughtfulness in his little finger than Dapper had in his entire, arrogant body.
The four of them moved out from the house about a hundred yards apart from each another. Anna was sorry the Boss wouldn’t allow searchlights to be installed around the house. Secrecy was the watchword. Decent lighting was his only concession where the helipad was concerned, which was an absolute necessity, anyway.
She knew he was right, but searchlights would certainly have come in handy now. The torches were something, she supposed, but it was a pity the Boss forbade anything more powerful than the ones they were issued with. The beams were no more than an inch wide. But Anna was confident that they were adequate enough for the job on hand. They’d soon find the child, wherever she was.
She was surprised that Lily hadn’t come rushing back to the safety of the house the minute she’d ordered the recorded howling to start. Anna felt a bit guilty about that part of it. She didn’t want to get Lily into a state of panic, but at the same time, Anna told herself, she hadn’t much choice in the matter. Lily had been too clever for her own good. It would make her think twice about trying to trick Anna again.
Lily watched the four torch beams advancing towards her. They were no more than pinpricks of light, switching this way and that as they probed the area in front of them. The howling in her ears was no more than an annoyance, now that she’d discovered its source, whereas when she’d heard it first, she’d begun to believe Mrs. Steven’s stories of wild animals and the like.
That’s why she’d climbed a tree a couple of minutes after it started. She thought it the safest thing to do, seeing as the frightening howls seemed to be coming from everywhere all at once. But the higher up the tree she went, the louder they became, until all of a sudden they seemed to be right next to her ear. Which, of course, they were.
Lily saw exactly where they were coming from. There was a speaker fixed to the trunk of the tree beside her, with a neatly stapled wire running downwards keeping it in place. She wished she could turn it off, for it was beginning to give her a headache. But at least now she knew for definite that there was something not at all right going on. What sort of people, she wondered, would go to all that trouble if they weren’t up to something awful altogether? And where had the others come from? There were four of them down there searching for her.
All those stories Mrs. Stevens, or whoever she was, had been telling her were nothing but a pack of lies. Then it dawned on her that she must have been kidnapped. The thought of it brought tears to her eyes. She never wanted anything more in her life right now than to feel her Mommy’s arms around her, or her Daddy’s hand stroking her forehead like he did on those nights when she found it difficult to go to sleep.
Lily felt like crying, but she told herself she’d have to be brave. She heard Mrs. Stevens calling her name over and over again, telling her everything was going to be all right. Lily wanted to believe her, but knew that it was just another lie. She clung to a branch while standing on another, and forced herself not to sob, telling herself she had to stay as quiet as possible.
They’d never dream that a little girl like her could be able to climb high up into a tree the way she had. As soon as the horrible howling had started, she hadn’t thought about it one way or the other. And could hardly remember doing it. She just knew that she’d have to get to safety somehow.
Then a sliver of light shot upwards and scurried around the foliage, skittering about the leaves, making them look like golden butterflies before returning them to darkness. Lily glanced down and saw the outline of someone standing directly below her at the base of the tree, wav
ing the torch around in a circle, before shouting the words she’d been dreading to hear.
Dapper Desmond was fervently hoping their search would be in vain. Anything that served to undermine Anna’s standing with the Boss was fine as far as he was concerned. Even if he spotted the kid, he was going to keep mum about it. It was about time he moved another few rungs up the ladder anyway. Needles and himself had pulled off their part of the caper without a hitch.
He’d only learned about the kid being part of the snatch after he’d seen Anna’s car parked at the house that day they’d brought the old guy back to base. And he’d had to ask around to discover what was going on. Dapper was disappointed Anna had pulled off her end of the job so efficiently. Up to now, that was. He grinned to himself in the dark. With luck, the kid had got clean away. Dapper couldn’t wait to hear what the Boss would have to say about that. He’d probably exile that snooty know-it-all to Siberia or some place. And promote Dapper into her slot.
As if in answer to his hopes, the drone of a helicopter sounded in the distance, and it wasn’t long before they saw its lights appearing over the treetops to hover above the camouflaged helipad. Dapper felt like cheering. But then his wishful thinking evaporated as quickly as it had come. Needles torch beam was waving excitedly beneath the dark outline of a huge oak tree, and he was calling to Anna that he thought he’d found the fugitive.
It would have to be him, Dapper thought bitterly. It looked like the little ferret-faced twit had gone and ruined everything. Dapper sighed. Nothing for it but to hurry over and pretend to be enthusiastic about the discovery.
Lily watched as the four shadowy figures gathered around the trunk of the tree. All four were training the beams of their torches upwards now. Then, she heard Anna on her mobile phone ordering someone to switch off the sound system. The howling stopped about two seconds afterwards.
‘Lily!’ Anna called softly to her. ‘Come down, there’s a good girl. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I won’t let anything happen to you.’ Lily heard her lower her voice as she asked one of the people if he was certain she was in the tree.
‘Of course I am, Anna. I saw the toe of her shoe peeping out. She’s up there all right.’
‘Lily, we know you’re there,’ Anna called softly. ‘Now don’t be foolish. Come down before you hurt yourself. I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to you.’
A fat lot you’d care, Lily thought to herself. I wouldn’t be up here only for you. She decided to keep very still and say nothing in reply. Anna, the man had called her. So much for Mrs. Stevens, being a friend of her Mommy, and all rest of it.
Then, despite her anxiety at being trapped with nowhere to go, Lily couldn’t help but notice the sudden glare of light that seemed to come out of nowhere over near the back of the house. She had a birds-eye view, and could hardly believe her eyes. Bushes and undergrowth and entwined vegetation were plainly visible in the encircling glare, all moving along the ground as though they had feet. It was amazing. And in the spot where they’d been, a glowing circle now appeared, like a great big moon on the earth below. Then a helicopter started its descent.
Lily didn’t see what happened next, for her body was suddenly encircled by a monstrous arm, enfolding her helplessly in its embrace. It held her firmly. Lily was so shocked, she couldn’t even scream. She expected to be crushed at any second. Yet she felt no uncomfortable pressure other than a firm, reassuring strength, like the strength of a considerate giant intent on ensuring that her safety was first and foremost in his thoughts. Lily looked down at the huge arm which held her so securely. The skin was covered in snakes and dragons and daggers dripping blood. She promptly fainted at the sight.
For such an enormous man, Teddy Tattoo was as light as a feather on his feet. No one could understand how his massive frame could combine such nimbleness as gracefully as an eight stone ballerina. He unnerved people with the panther-like stealth he was capable of displaying when called upon to do so.
One second he was nowhere to be seen, the next he was breathing down the necks of those who’d incurred the wrath of the Boss. The Scarlet Pimpernel could have taken lessons from Tattoo in the art of seemingly being in two places at the same time. Then, mysteriously disappearing from both locations, as though he’d never been there in the first place.
Lily hadn’t heard so much as a single leaf rustle. Anna had hastily whispered orders into his ear the second the helicopter hove into sight. Teddy had gone straight into action. Before the rest of them knew it, he was standing beside them, cradling Lily in the crook of his arm like a sleeping infant. None of them saw him descend. He seemed to appear as though he’d materialised out of the darkness like just another shadow. On Anna’s orders, he carried Lily towards the house, brought her inside and laid her gently on her bed.
Anna let out a sigh of relief as she dismissed him back to the section of the house he was occupying, and to which Needles and Dapper had already returned. Before they went, she warned them that tonight’s search had never really happened at all as far as the Boss was concerned. Anna knew that such a warning wasn’t necessary where Teddy Tattoo was concerned. She was aware that frightening Lily the way he had was something he wouldn’t want to remember anyway.
Outside, the engine of the helicopter had been switched off, and the whirl of the rotor blades lulled into silence. Its occupant, Anna told herself in relief, would never have been able to hear the recorded howling over the noise of the machine as it came down to land. Her order to have the wolves silenced had only just been in time to save her having to answer any awkward questions the Boss might ask her had he heard them.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Harrington called the Superintendent on his mobile just as soon as Harry and himself had parted company. It was almost midnight, and the Superintendent was getting ready for bed. The Superintendent sighed. He thought it was the Chief of Police badgering him again. He picked up the phone, not even bothering to say hello, merely waiting for another demand from Carter about the latest progress on the kidnappings. He was relieved to hear Harrington’s voice instead of the Chief’s.
‘I’m not sure whether it’s of any help,’ Harrington said, ‘but Harry the Hustler seems to think the gang behind the abductions are an outfit called Moran’s Enterprises. That’s all he could tell me, I’m afraid. Have you ever heard of them, sir?’
‘Unfortunately I haven’t, Harrington. ‘Did he say where he got this information from?’
Harrington filled him in on exactly what Harry had told him regarding Dapper Desmond, and the way he’d been boasting about something big coming down the pipeline months ago. ‘I was wondering where Dapper had disappeared to,’ the Superintendent said. ‘I thought he’d emigrated or something. What you’ve been told seems to make sense. But we’re still as much in the dark when we don’t know where to lay our hands on Desmond. And we’ve haven’t much time left before the kidnappers deadline is on top of us.’
‘I’m sorry, sir, it’s all I could find out.’
‘It’s not your fault, Harrington. At least you got something. I’ll get Headquarters to run a computer check and see if they can come up with anything further on them. Danny’s been on to me earlier. I never heard him so excited about anything in his life. Half the time I didn’t know what he was going on about. He says he’s stumbled across someone he’s certain could be a big addition to our team. It took me all my time to calm him down before I understood what he was talking about.’
‘That’s not like Danny, sir’ Harrington observed. ‘He’s usually pretty cool about things. Did he say who it was?’
‘Are you sitting down, Harrington?’
‘I’m on my way home. At the moment I’m walking up along the quays. What’s sitting down got to do with anything, sir?’
‘Just cross to the other side of the road, if you don’t mind. I wouldn’t like to see you falling into the river.’
Harrington frowned quizzically at this. He’d never, he told himself, beco
me accustomed to the Superintendent’s eccentricities. But he didn’t hesitate to do as he was told. ‘I’m safely across, sir,’ he muttered into his mobile, waiting to hear what it was could possibly make him slip into the river.
‘What would you say to Mr. Pearson joining our non-existent team, Harrington? Eh?’
Harrington didn’t reply. He mentally checked the date to see what day it was. Nothing important that he knew about. Maybe the days had reversed without his knowledge and it was April the first again. Or it was possible another special joke day had been created by the authorities that no one had bothered to tell him about. Then, of course, it could be that he’d heard incorrectly.
‘Harrington!’
‘Sir!’
‘You’re still there?’
‘Yes, sir, but I don’t think the line is very good. Would you mind repeating - -’
‘Those were my exact words when Danny told me who he had in mind. I though I was hearing things as well, Harrington’
‘Surely he can’t be serious?’ Harrington managed through his amazement, then asked, ‘You did say Mr. Pearson, sir?’
‘I did indeed. Mr. Dermot, hen-pecked Pearson, who our friend Danny insists is nothing short of a genius. So what do you think of that, Harrington? Eh?’
‘I really don’t know what to say, sir,’ Harrington replied. ‘But I’m sure if Danny is so enthusiastic about him, there must be something to it.’
‘My sentiments exactly. It seems Mr. Pearson saved Danny’s life when he fell off the back of a pterodactyl as they were flying quite some distance from the ground earlier tonight.’
‘Sir,’ Harrington said, having first taken a deep breath before steeling himself to ask. ‘Have you been drinking?’
