At first, Eva had questioned Decker’s insistence on keeping away from the Kentish coastline. It had been her intention to return to the continent via Dover once more.
He had argued the point.
‘Too risky. We got away with it once. I doubt very much we’ll get away with it again.’
Instead, they had headed for Felixstowe with the intention of catching a ferry to Rotterdam.
Now, the three of them huddled in the shadows, away from passing traffic and faced the large freight terminal that dominated the horizon.
Despite it being a little after two o’clock in the morning, the area was a hive of activity, the roar of truck engines and hydraulic braking systems carrying over the concrete apron towards their position behind a temporary construction office.
‘Remind me again why we dumped the vehicle? Don’t we need it to board the ferry?’ said Nathan, his eyes scanning the scene before them.
Decker shook his head. ‘It’s too risky to try and cross the North Sea on our fake passports. It might have worked crossing the Channel two days ago, but after what happened in Hyde Park, they’ll be looking for us. It’s better this way.’
‘And which way is that?’
Decker pointed at the parked trucks that were waiting to enter the ferry terminal.
‘We catch a lift in one of those.’
‘What, just walk up to one of the drivers and ask if we can grab a ride?’
‘Not exactly. You’ll see.’
Nathan coughed out a laugh. ‘You have heard of border security, haven’t you? The truck will be searched.’
‘It’s risky, that’s true,’ said Eva. ‘But, they’ve usually got their hands full with trucks arriving in the UK, not leaving it. I think Decker is right. This is the best chance we’ve got to get out of the country undetected.’
She heard Crowe exhale, and buried her chin into her scarf so he wouldn’t see her smile.
She was quickly learning that the IT expert would question her or Decker in any situation that was unfamiliar to him, but that it wasn’t because he was scared – it was simply the way his analytical mind worked.
It was similar to how she once worked. She would assess the location for a hit from every angle, often spending days observing the buildings around her chosen pinch point while keeping an eye on people around her. It enabled her to mitigate the risks – both for egress, and for her target’s security team that might be conducting the same assessment.
Except Nathan had never worked in the field.
She could sense Decker’s impatience with the questions being bombarded at him, and took pity as Nathan huffed and shoved his hands in his pockets before staring out at the articulated vehicles parked side by side.
She tapped him on the arm to get his attention once more.
‘It’ll be okay. Just do what we do.’
He nodded in reply, and looked away.
Eva held her wrist closer to her face and angled it so she could read her watch from the dull glow of a gantry light several metres away.
‘It’s nearly half past. What time’s the next ferry due to leave?’
‘Six o’clock. They’ll be boarding soon.’
‘Then we need to get a move on.’
Decker didn’t respond, but moved away from the fence and began to follow its path around the perimeter of the ferry terminal, Eva and Nathan at his heels.
Every few steps, Eva checked over her shoulder to make sure that they hadn’t been followed, but it seemed Decker’s hunch was correct – the majority of the security patrols were over by the arrivals terminus, away from the freight carriers that were due to leave the UK.
Once they reached the large roundabout that intersected the main road in and out of the port, they kept to the shadows once more and away from the pyramids of light caused by the streetlights above.
The illuminated logo of a fast food restaurant loomed ahead, and Decker slowed his pace before turning to Nathan.
‘This is where we leave you. Stay here, stay out of sight, until we come and get you.’
Nathan’s brow creased. ‘Hang on – where are you two going?’
Decker grinned. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll bring you back a cheeseburger.’
Eva ignored the sigh that the IT expert emitted and hurried after Decker.
‘What’s the plan?’
‘We need to find a driver who’s going to be travelling with a trailer to Rotterdam. We’re not going to be able to hitch a ride in a trailer – we won’t be able to get away with it because of the security seals on the doors, and we have no idea when those trailers might be leaving the dock at the other end. We’ll grab a coffee, so keep your ears open for anyone who’s leaving here from the roll-on roll-off terminal.’ He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. ‘All the trucks are parked back there, so it makes sense the drivers are here having a break before they get on the ferry.’
‘Okay.’
Eva had no idea that Decker could drive a truck, but it didn’t surprise her. He was the sort of person that liked learning, and when they had last worked together he had told her that it wasn’t just firearms skills he learned in between jobs.
It seemed his diligence and attention to detail would give them the best chance of escape.
There were only a handful of cars in the restaurant car park, and Eva suspected most of those belonged to the staff working in the twenty-four-hour fast food outlet.
Decker held the front door open for her, and as she made her way to the counter at the far end she cast her eyes over the half dozen men sitting at tables scattered through the room.
A sleepy-looking teenager stood next to the till, and forced a smile as Eva approached.
‘Can I take your order?’
Eva asked for two coffees and a couple of burgers, then joined Decker at a table towards the back of the room while she waited for their food to be prepared.
From their position, they could hear the conversations around them, but also keep a lookout for anyone else entering the restaurant.
‘What am I listening out for?’ she murmured.
‘We need something that isn’t dangerous goods. Something that won’t be checked too closely. A regular driver, someone who has a swipe card to get through the auto gate system. All we have to worry about then is getting his ID, the keys and the swipe card. After we get through the auto gate, we still have to get through the police gate but that’s usually just a check against the vehicle’s registration number with the police Automatic Number Plate Recognition system. That’s why we couldn’t bring our own vehicle. We need a truck that’s already got a booking on that ferry.’
Eva glanced up as her order number was called, collected their coffee and food and returned to the table, where they ate in silence.
Around her, the conversations ebbed and flowed as the drivers chatted amongst themselves, laughing and joking as they readied themselves for the early morning ferry crossing, or recovered from a recent arrival before heading out across the UK’s network of motorways.
She could hear different accents – German, Polish, and English, but it was evident that there was a camaraderie amongst them, even if they hadn’t met before.
It was these three drivers she honed in on, and noticing Decker shifting in his seat, she knew he’d picked up on the same people.
She sipped at her coffee slowly, knowing it could be a long wait to find the right driver.
After half an hour or so, one of the drivers near the front of the restaurant rose from his seat, picked up his mobile phone, and made his way through the restaurant towards Eva.
She held her breath as he passed, wondering if she had been caught staring, but he pushed through the doors to the toilets without looking at her, and she breathed a sigh of relief as the door swung shut behind him.
‘Back in a minute,’ said Decker. ‘I need to take a piss.’
Eva took another sip of her coffee to disguise her smile.
The truck driver reappeared firs
t, made his way to the counter, and ordered coffee to go.
Decker appeared moments later.
‘We’re going. Now.’
Eva wiped her lips with a napkin, screwed it up and dropped it to the table before following him out the door.
They edged around the side of the building before altering their course, making their way back out to the road.
‘What happened?’ said Eva.
‘He’s the one. He’s got the truck we need. I got chatting with him, said we were waiting for a passenger ferry in the morning but that we’d arrived too early. I asked him where he’s heading, and he’s taking a load of bed mattresses to Germany. It’s our best bet for getting on that ferry without being stopped.’
‘So, we ambush him before he gets to his truck?’
‘Exactly.’
He reached the point where they had left Nathan, and emitted a low whistle.
The IT expert emerged from the undergrowth, brushing off his jeans, his eyes hopeful in the gloom.
‘Shit,’ said Decker.
Nathan’s face fell. ‘You forgot my burger, didn’t you?’
Fourteen
A loud belch signalled the imminent arrival of the truck driver from the direction of the fast food restaurant, and Decker waved his hand behind his back.
Eva and Nathan dropped into a crouch, ready to spring when Decker gave the command.
They had positioned themselves at the entrance to the truck park. It resembled a large lay-by rather than a formal parking area, which suited them just fine. It was unguarded; the trucks were in darkness, and most had curtains pulled around the windscreens and windows as the occupants slept off the effects of driving through the night.
The man’s footsteps were unhurried, and from where Eva crouched she could hear him talking on his phone.
Decker moved further into the shadows, unwilling to startle the man while he was speaking to someone else. There was no sense in alerting others to their plans, not until they were far away.
As the man drew closer, he finished his phone call muttering under his breath. He picked up his pace as he passed them, seemingly eager to get back to his truck cab now that he had a full belly. He slurped from a take-out coffee cup.
Nathan emerged from the shadows in front of the man, causing the truck driver to rear back in fright.
‘What do you want?’
‘Your truck,’ said Decker, closing the distance between him and the driver, and wrapping his arm around the man’s neck in a chokehold.
Eva ran up to them and helped Nathan manhandle the driver into the undergrowth, his struggles becoming weaker as his oxygen supply was cut off.
Eventually, he slumped against Decker, who let him tumble to the ground before rolling him over and checking for a heartbeat.
‘Did you kill him?’ said Nathan, his eyes wide.
‘No. He’s just out cold. Quick, we need to move.’
Eva and Decker moved efficiently, the older assassin patting down the man’s clothes until he found keys, identity papers, and the all-important card that would operate the auto gate system to let them into the ferry terminal.
He took the man’s mobile phone and wallet, and then stood while Eva tied a makeshift gag around the man’s mouth and ensured he could still breathe through his nose.
Nathan reached into the backpack he carried, and handed Eva the loops of rope she’d stuffed into the bottom of it before leaving Prague.
‘Do you always pack your bags like this when you go away?’
‘Admit it. You’re impressed.’
‘Let’s go.’
Decker led them to where the trucks were parked, leading them to a green coloured cab and silver trailer parked at the end of the line.
Eva ran her eyes over the livery emblazoned along the side of the trailer.
She didn’t need to ask if they had the right one – the logo of a well-known bedding store took up most of the trailer’s side panel, accompanied by a cartoon-like drawing of a pile of mattresses.
‘Shame we can’t sleep on those on the way over,’ said Nathan.
Decker chuckled. ‘Nice thought, but we can’t risk breaking the seal on the trailer. It will be the only thing that gives us away.’
He inserted the key into the lock, opened the door, and stepped back.
Eva held her breath, but no alarm sounded.
‘All right,’ said Decker. ‘That’s the easy part done.’
He climbed up into the cab, and Eva watched as he began to run his hands over the sleeping compartment at the back of it. He lifted cushions away, and then turned back to her.
‘You both going to have to squash into here. I can let you out once we’re on the ferry, but you’re going to have to stay hidden while I get through security. There’s enough room if we strip out everything he’s got stored here and dump it.’
Eva nodded. ‘Okay, pass everything down. We’ll hide it in the bushes over there. Quick – before anyone sees us.’
When they were done, Decker held out his hand and helped Eva into the cab, shuffling over to one side while she balanced between the seats and lowered herself into the compartment.
Decker wasn’t kidding – the space was cramped, and by the time Nathan had climbed in next to her and Decker had placed the cushions back on top, sealing them into their temporary hiding space, sweat was already beginning to itch at her scalp.
‘No talking now.’ Decker’s voice sounded muffled through the upholstery. ‘I’ll tell you when it’s safe.’
Eva heard him turn in his seat, and then the engine rumbled to life.
Moments later, Decker eased the truck from its parking bay and she reached out and placed a hand either side of the box-like structure to steady herself.
She heard Nathan swear under his breath.
‘Shh. You can moan about it afterwards.’
The rumble of the engine vibrated through the walls of the cab, and Eva ignored the cramping sensation in her calves.
No doubt by the time they got on the ferry, she’d be in agony, but they had to get there first. The automated gate system at the ferry terminal wasn’t a problem, but once the truck was parked and waiting to be loaded onto the ship, they could do nothing to raise the suspicion of the border security patrols.
The hydraulic brakes groaned, and the vehicle eased to a standstill, the engine still running.
She realised Decker had reached the barrier, and heard a faint beep as the swipe card they’d stolen from the driver was accepted by the computer at the gate.
The truck began to move forward once more, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
‘We’re through the first gate,’ said Decker. ‘No noise now. This is where it gets risky.’
The truck braked to a halt after what seemed only a few seconds, and Eva heard the electronic whirr of his window being lowered.
‘Morning,’ he said.
Eva strained her ears, but couldn’t hear the other person’s voice. She held her breath.
‘That’s great,’ said Decker. ‘Many thanks.’
The window raised, and she heard him murmur under his breath.
‘That was the police gate. They haven’t found the driver yet – we just passed the ANPR cameras. Now we have to get on the ferry.’
Eva could feel the twists and turns of the truck as Decker followed the signs through the terminal apron and into the correct parking bay for the roll-on roll-off ferry.
She twisted her wrist in the darkness – the glow from her watch showing they had half an hour to spare before the ferry would start to be loaded.
By the time Decker started the engine once again, the temperature inside the hidden compartment was several degrees hotter, and Eva could hear Nathan’s heavy breathing as they both gasped for air.
Thankfully, the people running the ferry service were fast and efficient in loading the trucks, and from the way Decker changed down a gear moments before she sensed an incline, Eva realised they were entering the ferry�
�s loading dock.
The sound of engines and machinery around them slowly dissipated as the ferry was made ready for departure. From the research that they had done the night before, she knew that most of the freight would be taken to Rotterdam without drivers. The ferry company used small tractors to pull the trailers onto the ferry and load them in position so that the weight was evenly distributed around the ship. Trucks with drivers such as theirs were then loaded on the upper deck, the advantage being theirs would be the first off the ferry at the other end.
When they had been debating their means of escape the night before, Nathan questioned why they simply couldn’t hide in a trailer, and it was Decker who pointed out that they might end up in a trailer that was left at the ferry terminal in Rotterdam for several days before being collected. They wouldn’t be able to escape.
Eventually, Decker switched off the engine, and Eva heard him shift in his seat before movement above her head reached her ears.
The cushions were removed from the upper framework of the cot, and she and Nathan gasped at the fresh air that swept over them.
Decker helped them to their feet, although they could only crouch in the cramped space of the cab.
‘Keep your voices down,’ he said. ‘I’ve got the curtains pulled across the windscreen and side windows, so no-one will see you, but we’re packed in like sardines.’
Eva nodded, and concentrated on working the kinks from her legs. She turned to Nathan.
‘Okay?’
He nodded, and wiped his sleeve over his brow. ‘Thank God that’s over.’
‘All right, well I didn’t get questioned on my way here, and there are only three other drivers on board,’ said Decker. ‘None of them were at the fast food restaurant, so I’m going to get the lie of the land.’
‘What about CCTV?’ said Eva.
Decker shook his head. ‘Haven’t seen any cameras, but I’ll keep a look out. The cameras are usually on the outside of the ship, to assist with docking and the like. I’ll see you in a bit.’
With that, he left the cab and locked the door behind him, whistling.
‘What’s he looking so happy about?’ said Nathan.
Assassins Retribution Page 6
