by M A Comley
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 such 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.
“She’s a wise woman, Tony, you should listen to her.”
“My colleague is dealing with that matter, North. Let her go.” Tony raised the gun and calmly aimed it at North’s head. The man’s eyes creased and he appeared to be momentarily confused. Had he expected me to go after Lorne, leaving him to have a clean getaway with Katy?
He wondered if he made a gesture to Katy she would get his meaning and duck, giving him a free shot at North. Tony widened his eyes and looked to the right, Katy doubled over and Tony fired off the shot. North’s reaction was too slow and he fell to the floor. Tony searched the immediate area for a blanket or something to wrap Katy in.
Katy shouted at him, “Go, Tony! Get Lorne—she has an anchor tied to her leg.”
“Fuck!” He turned and ran back out onto the deck. “Have you seen her?” he anxiously asked Taylor.
Taylor, who was peering over the side of the boat, looked up at him with an exasperated expression and shook his head.
“I’m going in. North’s dead. Katy is safe. Can you look around for a powerful flashlight—something that will throw some light down there?”
“You’ve got it. Be careful, Tony.”
Tony unstrapped his leg—to the horror of Jai San—and dived into the water. It was a good job that some of his physiotherapy had taken place in the pool. He dipped under the water, but the darkness above and below the water made it impossible to make out anything. Within seconds, the area was flooded with light and he spotted Weir and Lorne struggling just below the water’s surface, about twenty feet away from him. He swam to help them. His eyes locked onto Lorne’s, and the fear he saw there scared him. He pulled Weir away, urging him to get to the surface to refill the air in his lungs. Then he covered Lorne’s mouth with his own and released some air between her lips, then pulled away from her and dived down to tackle the anchor around her ankle.
Weir rejoined them and began cutting at the anchor rope with a small blade. With one final tug, the anchor fell away from Lorne’s leg. The three of them resurfaced and gasped for air. Taylor threw a life jacket in their direction, and Weir swam to it. He returned and slipped it over Lorne’s head and shoulders.
“Oh, Tony, I thought I was a goner,” she spluttered in between gasps of breath.
“Hey, it would take a lot more than an anchor to end your life, love.” He smiled and kissed her lightly on the lips, then hugged her. The three of them swam around the other side of the boat. They climbed into the dinghy, then up the boarding ladder and onto the deck of the cruiser.
Taylor greeted them with an armful of blankets. “Where’s Katy?” Lorne asked breathlessly.
From the entrance to the cabin, a shaky voice replied, “I’m here, Lorne.”
Lorne ran to her friend and wrapped her arms around her. “Thank God you’re safe.”
“Thank God we’re both safe. I’ve never been so scared in all my life.” Katy sobbed as the tears flowed freely.
“Yeah, and to think about an hour ago all you were worried about was feeling a bit seasick,” Lorne teased as relieved tears ran down her ice-cold cheeks.
Weir started up the cruiser and headed back to port. Tony watched the three girls cling to each other as they sat on the bench at the bow. His own thoughts were filled with how much he loved his wife and how he was going to prove it to her when he returned home.
Sean Roberts was waiting for them when they docked. He greeted them with relieved hugs for Lorne and Katy and firm handshakes for Tony and the two agents.
“What happened to the girls?” Tony asked as the group made their way back to their respective vehicles.
“They’ll be taken care of. The Border Patrol came and took them away. They’re being checked out at the hospital and then will be transferred to a secure home. Then they’ll be on their way back home to their families, thanks to you guys,” Sean told them with a grateful smile.
“Sean, when we were at the warehouse, North received a call from someone. By his reaction and tone of voice, I would say it was from someone higher up in the chain of command,” Lorne said.
Sean Roberts looked puzzled. “You mean North wasn’t the top man in all of this?”
Lorne shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“You guys get off to the hospital. Leave me to do some more digging, and I’ll get back to you in a day or two.”
EPILOGUE
Over the course of the following week, Lorne received news that Charlie had regained the use of her legs—not fully, but it was a start.
The doctor told her that Charlie’s recovery would be slow and that she would need a few months of intensive physiotherapy before she could lead a normal teenager’s life again. But the prognosis was good—that was the main thing, despite Lorne’s initial misgivings.
Katy had been recalled to the Met after Sean had interviewed the suspect who had made the ridiculous accusation against her. Sean had persuaded the suspect with the vague threat that it would be in his best interests if he dropped the charges. The suspect had seen the error of his ways and Katy had been reinstated to DS within twenty-four hours. Lorne was relieved; after careful consideration, she’d realised that the P.I. business didn’t have enough work to warrant Katy joining the team just yet. She also knew it was imperative that Katy get back to work as soon as possible for her own peace of mind after the trauma North had subjected her to.
Lorne’s father had caused her some concern throughout the week. She had a feeling that he’d been putting on a brave face and wasn’t a hundred percent fit. Against his wishes, she had asked the doctor to pay her father a visit. The doctor had ordered bed rest, but, Sam being Sam, had brushed off the doctor’s advice. Nevertheless, Lorne had insisted her father take it easy that week and just potter around the house instead of helping to clear up in the kennels after the boarders. Her father had reluctantly agreed.
Tony hadn’t left her side all week, which, while she found it nice to be the centre of attention, she soon felt rather suffocated. An awkward incident occurred where she backed into him in one of the kennels and the poop she’d been shovelling ended up in her wellies, she ended up blowing her top at him.
• • •
On Friday morning of the following week, the phone rang. Lorne answered.
“Hello?”
“Lorne, it’s Sean.”
“Well, you took your time getting back to me. What have you found out—anything?”
“I’ll pick you up in an hour.” He hung up abruptly.
Lorne stared at the phone after he’d hung up.
