“Yeah, first things first, though: let’s get them checked over and in a warm place. Despite my anger, I appreciate what you’ve done, Tony. Oh, by the way, I was going to ring you after I’d had dinner.”
“With some news, I hope?”
“Angela North is still maintaining that she had nothing to do with her husband’s new business, and to be honest, I’m inclined to believe her. I did some digging on Roger North, and apparently he got the sack from his job in the city about six weeks ago. When I asked his wife about it, it was obvious she had no idea. He’d been sticking to his routine of staying in London during the week and going home at the weekend to be with her and his kid. He’s clearly got another woman on the side, or he’s been dipping his wick at one of his many brothels.”
“Sick bastard! I’m going to enjoy beating the crap out of him when I catch up with him, especially if he’s laid a finger on either Lorne or Katy.”
“Hang on, there’s more. This might be significant to you. Angela suddenly remembered that North owns a boat—a cruiser. It’s moored at Ramsgate Marina. If you have nothing else, it’s worth a try.”
“If that’s the best we can come up with, then I’ll give it a shot. Ramsgate, I reckon that’s about a fifty minutes to an hour from here. My mates are still with me; I’m sure I can persuade them to tag along. Thanks, Sean, I’ll let you know how we get on. I’ll leave Croft here with the girls—or would you rather we moved them elsewhere, just in case?” Tony asked, searching the area for any sign of bystanders the shootout might have attracted.
“I’ll get a response team there immediately. Leave Croft there. Then go and find my sergeant and your wife,” Sean ordered.
Tony hung up and told Croft to stay put with the girls until the coppers arrived. The journalist wasn’t keen on the idea, but agreed to do it all the same.
Weir and Taylor walked over to join them and congratulated Tony on his part in the gun battle. “It was nothing. Glad I remembered which way to point the gun.” They all laughed. “Right, now for the next stage in this scenario. I’ve just been informed that North has a boat moored about an hour from here. I was thinking that maybe you guys would come with me for moral support?”
“Moral support or another shootout?” Weir smiled.
“Whichever. Can we get going, maybe take your car?”
“That’s a given, considering your heap up the road. We spotted it when we pulled up, hardly a covert operation vehicle, mate, is it?” Taylor ribbed him.
“Yeah, I know, get all the jibes over and done with now. Lorne got run off the road the other day by this mob and our car is in the workshop. It was either that thing or nothing.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Leaving a dejected Croft behind, Tony and the two agents drove to Ramsgate. En route, Tony rang Lorne’s father to apprise him of the situation.
“Tony, did everything go all right?” Sam asked, sounding pleased to hear from him.
“So-so, Sam. I’ll fill you in on the details later. I heard back from Sean. We are—that’s Weir, Taylor, and me— on our way to Ramsgate. It could be a false alarm we’re chasing up, but Sean found out from North’s wife that he has a boat moored there. I can’t see him taking Lorne to any of his brothels, can you?”
“No, I can’t. That’s great news… Hold on a second.”
After several moments passed without Sam’s return Tony began to worry “Sam? Are you there?”
“Sorry, Tony. Listen, Carol has just had one of her visions. You could be on to something.”
“What did she see?” Tony asked as his adrenaline surged.
“She saw a large cruiser and a sheep. She couldn’t figure out why a sheep would be on a boat, but it fits now, if you think about it.”
“That’s amazing. Yes, a ram will fit in there nicely. Tell Carol thanks, and keep your fingers crossed that we’re on the right track. I’ll be in touch when I can. Any news on Charlie?”
“I rang the hospital about half an hour ago—there’s no change. She’s keeping her spirits up, though, so that’s a blessing. I apologised for us not being there, and she’s fine with that. Jade has taken the two boys in to see her this evening.”
Tony smiled at the thought of Jade’s children giving the nurses the runaround. “Let’s hope bringing her mum home safe and sound will have a positive effect on her. I’ll ring you later.”
After hanging up, Tony rested his head back against the headrest and contemplated what lay ahead of them if they managed to locate North and his boat at the marina. He felt an unexpected pain in his chest when Lorne’s beautiful face drifted into his mind. Never doubt how much I love you, Lorne. Stay positive. I’m coming to…get you.
*
When they arrived at the marina, all was relatively quiet, except for one boat where a party appeared to be going on.
“That could work to our advantage,” Weir said, pointing at the partygoers on board.
Tony nodded in agreement as he got out of the car. The party could mask their movements if the need arose to get aboard North’s boat. They left the car in the marina car park and walked along the jetty, trying to act casual and on their way to the party.
Taylor asked Tony, “Any idea of this boat’s name?”
Tony shook his head in frustration. “Roberts didn’t say, and I forgot to ask.”
“Well, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of choice around here, anyway,” Weir commented, eyeing the few boats moored to the jetty.
“Granted. Why don’t we mingle with the punters at the party and ask around—maybe the owner of the boat is an acquaintance of North’s,” Tony replied, feeling less optimistic that they had come to the right place.
“That’s a good idea, except that none of us are dressed up enough to go to a party,” Taylor grumbled, looking down at the faded jeans he was wearing.
“Nonsense, it’s the done thing to dress down for these things nowadays, isn’t it?” Tony said, remembering a remark Lorne had made the week before about how no one appeared to bother getting dressed up to attend film premieres anymore.
Once all three men were aboard the lively cruiser, a young man holding a silver tray approached them. “Would you like a cocktail? If not, grab a bottle of beer from the bar.”
“Thanks, we’ll do that,” Weir said, leading the way through the crowd full of people swaying to the music of the jazz band playing on the bow.
“Keep your eyes peeled for a likely host or hostess,” Tony said, squeezing past a scantily clad teenager who turned and looked him up and down with hunger.
“Over there.” Taylor pointed at a young man in his early twenties who had a bevy of beauties hanging around him. “I’ll go,” Taylor volunteered.
Tony and Weir stood at the bar, acting as though they were enjoying themselves. Taylor joined them a few minutes later. He downed a mouthful of lager before informing them, “He said he’s not sure what the guy’s name is who owns the boat, but a cruiser left the harbour about half an hour ago.”
“Great! Did he say how many people were on board?” Tony asked, anxiously wringing his hands together.
“Nope, he was too busy welcoming his guests. If it was North, he timed his getaway perfectly.”
“Damn, I don’t suppose he knew the name of the boat, did he?” Tony asked, looking out to sea, fear beginning to mount in his belly.
“I didn’t ask,” Taylor admitted quietly.
Weir raised a hand. “All is not lost. There’s a pub back there on the quay. I’ll go back and ask the staff if they know North and the name of his boat. Someone around here is bound to know. In the meantime, you two ask around the harbour, see if you can borrow a speed boat or something, just in case.”
The three of them weaved their way back through the crowd and split up in different directions once they were on the jetty.
Tony worked his way along the jetty, checking the ignitions of the small craft as he passed on off chance that maybe one of the owners had left the keys there. No su
ch luck. Then an idea struck him. He made his way back to the cruiser where the party was being held and searched around the side of it. Bingo! A small dinghy was tied to the cruiser. Something caught his eye inside the boat. Glistening in the lights blazing on the boat was a key hanging in the ignition.
His eyes rose heavenward, and under his breath he thanked Pete.
He whistled to Taylor at the end of the jetty who had just been joined by Weir, the two agents ran to meet him. “I’ve got a dinghy. What did you find out, Weir?”
“The owner told me the cruiser is called Wayward Girl. He also said that he moved a barrel outside about forty minutes ago and saw five people get on the boat before it set off.”
“That must have been them. We’ve got to get after them. We should get in touch with the U.K. Border Agency.” Tony’s mind was in turmoil. All he wanted to do was get to Lorne as quickly as possible, but he knew he had to put a backup plan into action first.
“I’ll do it now,” Weir said, patting Tony on the back as he placed the call to the authorities. After a quick conversation, he turned back to Tony. “Let’s get in the boat.”
They jumped in and started the engine, then looked up to see the host of the party shaking his fist at them. “Get the fuck out of there! I’m calling the police.”
Tony waved and gave him the thumbs-up. “That’d be great. Don’t worry; we’ll return her safely in a couple of hours.” He pointed the small craft out to sea. As they rounded the harbour wall, the full weight of the task ahead of them hit Tony. Which way should they go? Once the lights of the harbour faded, only the pitch black of the night lay ahead. “All right, any suggestions?”
“No idea. Can you see any binoculars lying around?” Taylor asked, looking under his seat.
Tony dug the small pair of binoculars out of his pocket he had acquired from Croft and handed them to Taylor, who searched the surrounding darkness. Tony shuddered. The night air out at sea was much colder than inland—or was that him just being fearful for Lorne’s safety? Out here in the dark, anything might—and was likely to—happen, if North had his way.
“Nothing yet,” Taylor said, “Let’s go farther out.”
Tony steered the boat in the direction he thought North might have taken and prayed that he was right. After ten minutes of fruitless searching, Taylor suddenly pointed.
“There. I can just make out a faint light.”
Tony snatched the glasses from him and looked for himself. Sure enough, far off in the distance was a dim light that could be the boat they were after. It was time to take a gamble on his instinct and get to the boat as fast as was humanly possible. He upped the speed, and Weir and Taylor tipped back and lost their balance in the small craft. I’m on a mission to rescue the woman I love. All I need now is a box of Milk Tray. Tony grinned.
*
Lorne felt helpless, a feeling that she hadn’t experienced often in her life, and she didn’t like it one bit. She glanced over at Katy, who looked as though she were going to be sick at any moment. The two men who’d abducted them were at the bow of the boat, and the three girls remained tied up in the stern. They were secured tightly now, with added rope tied around their ankles. The rope had an anchor attached to the other end. Lorne gulped; she could sense a watery ending for all of them. It was imperative that she and Katy work together to get them out of this predicament.
“Katy? Can you hear me?” she whispered.
A groan came from Katy’s direction, followed by the sound of someone heaving and vomiting.
Shit! “Katy, what is it? Tell me.” Fear and concern rippled in her voice. She stared at her friend.
“Seasickness,” Katy managed to say before she vomited a second time. Afterward, she sat back against the side of the boat and hung her head wearily.
Fuck! Bang goes any master plan I might have of getting us out of here alive with Katy unable to count on for support.
She pleaded with Katy, “Hon, listen to me. Take a few deep breaths. I need your help or we’re going to die.”
Lorne was greeted with silence and wondered if she’d overstepped the mark with her last statement.
Finally Katy coughed, wiped her mouth on the shoulder of her blouse, and pulled her head and shoulders upright. “Since you put it that way, I have little choice in the matter. I’m not sure if I’ll be much help, Lorne, but I’m willing to give it a shot.”
“That’s my girl. Now all we have to do is figure out how to get out of these ropes. Can you move your wrists at all?”
“No. If anything, trying to move them makes the rope rub them sore. What about you?”
“Same here.”
A small voice from the corner spoke out, “My hands are not tied tight.”
“Really, Jai San? Could you possibly slip one hand out, maybe?”
“I try.”
Lorne heard the girl struggle and bang her elbow against the boat several times before she held an arm up in the air.
My God, she did it! “Fantastic, sweetheart. If you hear the men coming, quickly put your arm behind your back and pretend that you’re still tied up, okay?”
“Yes, okay. What I do now?” Jai San asked, her eyes wide as saucers.
“Can you try and untie me? Be quiet when you move, though, okay?”
“Okay.”
Jai San moved her slight body with agility and scooted behind Lorne’s back, careful not to drag the anchor with her. She tugged on the rope for what seemed like hours before managing to loosen it enough for Lorne to slip her hands out. Lorne hugged the girl and then gently pushed her away.
“Go back to where you were. I’ll see to Katy.” Lorne twisted and moved the three feet or so towards Katy, cautious about not shifting the anchor tied to her feet. Katy winced and drew in a sharp breath when Lorne started to pull on the rope. “I’ll be as gentle as I can, hon.” The rope appeared to be tightening rather than loosening, until one large tug seemed to do the trick and Katy’s hands sprang free. They hugged each other. Lorne quickly returned to her position. Then they waited for their opportunity to arise.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The cruiser was about three hundred feet ahead of them now. Tony pulled back on the throttle to slow the dinghy down. “Are you guys ready for this?” he asked Weir and Taylor.
“Yep, armed and ready. Let’s take these fuckers out,” Taylor said with all the enthusiasm of a kid in a sweet shop.
It took them another ten minutes to catch up with the cruiser. Tony cut the engine and eased the dinghy alongside the craft. Weir stood up at the front and grasped one of the fenders hanging down the side of North’s boat. He pulled the dinghy along towards the boarding ladder on the side. The ladder could be their access to the cruiser.
“What the fuck?” a man’s voice called out.
Shit! We’ve been spotted.
Weir fired off a shot. Then Tony heard a familiar voice shout, “Tony, we’re in here, at the back of the boat.”
“Lorne—she’s alive.” Tony flew out of his seat and tried to climb up the ladder, but Taylor pulled him back.
“Hold on, mate. Let’s take this nice and easy.”
“Yeah,” agreed Weir, “I’m not sure if I shot the guy or not.”
They heard a commotion, a lot of scuffling, and the girls screaming. “No way. I’m getting on there now.” He shouldered his way past the two agents, climbed the ladder, and jumped aboard the cruiser without considering his own welfare. His one thought was for the safety of his wife. The deck was empty, Tony urged the two agents to hurry up. He turned to face the cabin at the rear and stopped dead. A thickset man was holding a knife at the throat of an Asian girl.
“One step closer, moron, and she goes overboard.”
Tony heard Taylor and Weir land on the deck behind him, and one of them muttered, “Shit!”
Tony held up his hands. “There’s no need to harm anyone. You can see that you’re outnumbered, let the girl go.”
“Yeah, I’m full of tricks like that
, arsehole. Now, get back in your little boat and fuck off out of here,” the man said, pulling his arm tighter around the girl’s throat, causing her to choke.
Tony turned back to Weir and Taylor behind him. “Come on, guys, there’s not a lot we can do here.” His eyes darted off to the side and he mouthed to Weir, “shoot him when I drop”. He saw Weir reach a hand around to his back, and then he gave Tony a brief nod of understanding.
Turning back to the bad guy, Tony shrugged. “You’ve got it, man, I don’t want any unnecessary agro.” After the final word, he dropped down to the floor as if a lead weight had landed on him from a great height.
Weir took the shot. Blood oozed from the wound between the man’s eyes, and he instantly dropped the knife. The girl saw her opportunity to escape and ran toward the agents, screaming. The shot man fell to the deck seemingly in slow motion.
Taylor tore off his jacket and slung it around the girl’s shuddering shoulders. “You’re safe,” he told her as he pushed her gently down on the seat behind them.
She might be, but Lorne and Katy aren’t—not with North still on the loose! Tony thought as he and Weir quietly moved toward the cabin. They’d be foolish to think that North hadn’t heard the shot, and it was imperative they get to the girls as soon as they possibly could.
But things suddenly changed when they heard a woman’s scream and then a large splash. Without further thought, Tony ran forward, but Taylor’s voice halted his progress. “Tony, take this.” He threw Tony his handgun. Tony caught it and rushed into the wheelhouse. He heard another big splash and realised that Weir had also gone into the sea after whoever had been thrown overboard. That was one less thing to worry about. Tony heard noises behind the cabin door. He pushed it open slowly, and halted when he saw Katy standing naked in front of a grinning North. Tony averted his gaze, blocking out Katy’s shapely figure, and focused fully on North. He was playing with the tip of a large blade. Tony moved an inch more and the blade slashed across Katy’s upper arm.
“Shit! Don’t hurt her!”
“He’s pushed Lorne overboard, Tony! Forget about me—go and save her,” Katy cried out as blood ran down the length of her arm.
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