The Mystery of Smugglers Cove

by Paul Moxham

  Chapter 18: Mounting Evidence

  As Will stirred sometime later that afternoon, he realised he needed to go to the bathroom. So, being careful not to wake the others, he walked to the small room at the rear of the cottage. In doing so, he had to pass the living room where Christo lay asleep on the couch.

  Supposing that Mango had offered to take the man’s place, Will went to the bathroom and then proceeded to the back garden to speak to the magician. However, when he reached the garden and peered around, the man wasn’t in sight.

  Then, in the distance, he caught sight of the magician hurrying down a side road. Will stared in shock. What was he doing?

  Will contemplated telling Max, but he realised that, by the time he had done so, Mango might have disappeared from sight. So he hurried after the man. Will didn’t know when Mango’s ankle had got better, but there certainly didn’t seem to be anything wrong with it now as it took quite a bit of effort to get close to him.

  However, Will didn’t want to get too close. Ever since Mango had led the way around the castle, he had a feeling that something wasn’t quite right. Will wasn’t sure if he was just over thinking things, but there was clearly something they were missing.

  After all, Captain Williamson had been captured almost immediately. Someone had known they were coming to rescue Max and the children and had warned the Golden Dragons. The obvious answer was someone in the circus was working with them. Also, who had stolen the crown jewels? Even though they were now back in safe hands, the theft had still happened. But the thief was still unaccounted for. Again, the obvious answer was someone in the circus.

  So it was more than likely that the two people were in fact the same person. Someone who had something against King Otto. Was it Mango? Was he the one they had been searching for?

  Considering that Mango was the person the king had flown back from England, it seemed hard to believe that he could be the one responsible for all this chaos.

  But that being said, what was he doing now? Instead of watching the situation from the back garden, he was striding along the side of the road. Every now and then he would stop and take note of a signpost.

  Finally, after walking for fifteen minutes, the man approached a house and knocked on the door. However, it was a curious knocking. One loud rap, two quiet ones, then one loud one again.

  A few minutes later, the door opened and Mango disappeared from sight. Will decided he needed to investigate further and so he ran from one bush to the next, gradually getting closer to the house that Mango had entered.

  As there was a hedge that divided the house from the neighbouring house, Will climbed over the low stone wall of the neighbouring property and then walked over to the hedge. Once he drew level with the side of the other house, he knelt down and, with his hands protecting his face as best as he could, proceeded to push his way through the hedge.

  Fortunately, the hedge wasn’t very bushy and, apart from a few scratches to his arms, he was unscathed. Once he reached the neighbouring house, he put his ear close to the window and listened.

  Two people were talking. Unfortunately, they weren’t speaking in English. Will had no idea what language they were speaking, but since he didn’t know anything besides English, it didn’t matter.

  Will leaned against the house, hoping that the conversation would switch to English. But this didn’t happen. In fact, five minutes later, the talking ceased and the front door slammed.

  Will peered around the small, round bush and saw Mango hurrying down the road. Will knelt back down and pushed himself through the hedge again. He wasn’t sure where Mango was going but, just in case he wasn’t going back to the house where they had been staying, Will wanted to follow him. Otherwise, he would have stayed at the house to see if he could find out anything interesting.

  Fifteen minutes later, as Mango headed to the back garden, Will realised that nothing more was going to happen. However, he then realised he would be spotted by Mango if he entered the house through the back door.

  So he made his way around to the front of the house and was surprised when Max suddenly appeared in front of him.

  “I thought I told you to get some rest,” Max said, displeasure in his voice.

  “I did, but then I saw Mango going for a walk,” Will replied.

  “What?” Max exclaimed.

  Briefly, Will told Max what he had been doing for the past half an hour. He also told him about his other suspicions regarding Mango.

  Max was silent for over a minute after Will finished speaking. “That is interesting. Very interesting.”

  “Do you think he’s working with the Golden Dragons?” Will asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Max admitted. “If so, why didn’t he try contacting someone during the night instead of during the day?”

  “Maybe he was hoping the soldiers would find us,” Will replied.

  “Or maybe he did try,” Max muttered. “I just remembered what Christo told me this morning.”

  “What?” Will questioned.

  “That Mango had offered to take the morning shift,” Max replied. “But Christo refused. I didn’t think anything of it at first, but these things are all starting to add up. The possible misdirection at the castle, his sore ankle, offering to take the morning shift and now this, meeting with an unknown person, is a clear indicator that something is going on.”

  “Are you going to confront him?” Will asked.

  “No, not right yet,” Max replied. “However, I want you to promise me you won’t tell anyone anything. Not even Joe, Amy, or Sarah. It has to be a secret between the two of us right now.”

  “I promise,” Will said.

  “Good, now get back in the house,” Max said. “I’ll come inside in five minutes after I think of what I’m going to do.”

  Will did as he was told and, when the others asked where he had been, he simply said he had been talking with Max. A promise was a promise, and he always kept promises.

  Five minutes later, Max entered the room. After Joe had called Mango and everyone had assembled in the living room, Max made an announcement. They were leaving right away.

  Mango was shocked. “But I thought we weren’t leaving until nightfall.”

  “That was the plan,” Max admitted. “But plans change. We’ve spent more than enough time in one place as it is. We’ll hide out in the woods until sunset.”

  And so, after cleaning up, and making sure not to leave anything behind that would reveal that they’d been there, the group left via the back door.

  The woods were fairly close and, as they walked, the setting sun slowly sank below the horizon. As they reached the trees, two lorries filled to the brim with soldiers roared down the road, headed in the direction from where they had come.

  Wanting to avoid any contact with the soldiers, the group headed deeper into the woods. As darkness arrived, Max turned on his torch and the group continued walking on in silence.

  The hours passed very slowly. There were times when everyone had to pause while they waited for a patrol to pass by. And then there was another time when they needed to cross a bridge, which was impossible since a vehicle belonging to the Golden Dragons blocked the entrance. This meant that they had to walk even further out of the way until they found a small footbridge.

  All in all, it took a very, very long time before Max came to a stop. “The field is just down this road and to the left. I know that it’s taken a long time, but it’s going to be worth it. If it wasn’t for this plane, we’d have to walk to the border ourselves, and that would take even longer.”

  Christo peered up into the sky. “Looks as though dawn will be breaking soon.”

  Max nodded. “Yes, which will be good. I’m not sure the pilot would have wanted to take off in the dark, so it’s perfect timing.”

  “But what happens when the soldiers see the plane?” Amy questioned. “I mean, the plane is hidden now, but once the engine starts up, they’ll probably hear it.”

  “If
they do, they might send another plane after us,” Will said.

  Max nodded. “That’s a possibility, but once we’re in the air, it’s only going to take ten or so minutes to reach the border, so they’re going to run out of time. As much as they want to capture us, they’re not going to cross into Sukova.”

  Max resumed walking and the others followed. As they came within sight of the field, he slowed down. “I think it’s best if I go alone in case something has happened. I don’t suppose the Golden Dragons have found the plane, but just in case they are lying in wait for us I wouldn’t want all of us to get captured.”

  “No, you’re right. Good idea,” Christo replied.

  Max disappeared into the darkness.

  Chapter 19: Unmasked

  As time passed, the children became concerned. However, they needn’t have for, a few minutes later, the British agent returned.

  “It’s all set,” Max said. “I just spoke to Captain Williamson. He and his seven men have been waiting for us for the past few hours.

  Christo smiled. “That’s good. I was worried about the captain.”

  The group left the road and walked down the embankment and across the field. As the children caught sight of the aircraft, they saw it was quite a large plane. The machine was parked at one side of the field and men were taking off the camouflage netting.

  As the group walked over, the pilot spoke to Max. “I have a man posted by the road to keep watch for the Golden Dragons. Shall I call him in now?”

  Max glanced at his watch and then looked up at the sky. “It should be dawn in less than fifteen minutes, so I don’t suppose there’s any need for him to be kept on any longer.”

  The pilot nodded and called out to one of his men. “Bill, go and get Stan and tell him we’re getting ready to fly out.”

  As Bill nodded and hurried away, the pilot turned to the children. “Is there anything I can get you? There’s food and drinks in the plane, and also blankets if you’re cold.”

  “All I want is to be back in Monrovia,” Sarah stated.

  “I wouldn’t mind some food,” Joe said. “But that can wait until we’re in the air.”

  Captain Williamson walked over to talk to Max and the pilot while Christo led the children towards the plane. Mango followed them.

  As the children climbed up the steps and sat down on the comfortable seats, they relaxed for the first time in quite a while.

  Amy’s thoughts turned to her parents. “I can’t wait to see mum and dad and tell them about all the things that have happened to us.”

  Will grinned. “You know, things were never like this when it was just my father and me at Smugglers Cove. It was only when you three came along that everything changed.”

  “At least we’re safe now.” Sarah smiled. “You know, when we were locked up in the dungeons, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see mum and dad again.”

  Amy put her arm around her sister and smiled. “Well, that’s in the past now.”

  Christo nodded. “You’re safe now.” He looked up as Mango, who had been peering through one of the plane windows, suddenly stood up. His usual calm demeanour was now gone and replaced by a look of anxiety. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, I’m just going for a stretch before we get going,” Mango replied.

  Christo shrugged his shoulders. “You’d think he’d be happy to get away from all this. But for some reason he looks as though…” He paused as a yell rang out. “What was that?”

  Christo and the children rushed to the open door and peered down. They were surprised to see Mango struggling with two soldiers as Max, followed by Captain Williamson, came into view.

  Max glanced up at Will. “You were right.”

  Will’s eyes opened wide in surprise. “I was?”

  Joe frowned. “Right about what?”

  “About Mango working with the Golden Dragons,” Will replied.

  The others, including Christo were shocked as they gazed down at the proceedings unfolding right before their eyes.

  Captain Williamson interrogated the struggling magician. “How long have you been working against us?”

  “I have always been on your side,” Mango replied. “Didn’t Max tell you that I showed him the way to the cable car room?”

  Captain Williamson nodded. “Yes, and how you almost got them caught. He also told me that you said you had seen my map of the castle, which was impossible, since I tore it up once I had shown it to my men and memorized it to the best of my ability. I don’t know for certain whose side you are on, but for the time being you will be kept under guard. Lead him away men.”

  As the men led Mango up the steps, the children parted to let them pass, but continued to stare as all three men sat down at the rear of the plane.

  “I can’t believe he’s working with the Golden Dragons,” Sarah exclaimed.

  “Why did you suspect him?” Joe asked, glancing at his red haired friend.

  Briefly, Will told the others of his suspicions about Mango and how Max had ordered him not to tell anyone until he had spoken with Captain Williamson.

  “He must have been the one who stole the crown jewels,” Joe said. “After all, he was the only person from the circus to have seen them.”

  Will walked up to Mango. “How did you steal the crown jewels?”

  Mango glared at Will, his black eyes seeming to pierce right through him. “I’m not saying anything.”

  “Why…” Joe paused as a rifle shot suddenly rang out. He peered out of the plane window. “Blow! The Golden Dragons must have spotted us.”

  Even though it wasn’t sunrise, it was still much later than before and, by looking through the windows, the children saw several men standing beside the plane with their weapons trained towards the distant road.

  As the shooting continued on in furious fashion, the pilot leapt aboard the plane and made his way to the cockpit. He tried his best to start the engine and, after a few false starts, it cranked to life.

  Amy yelled out as she saw a lorry filled with soldiers all wearing the uniform of the Golden Dragons coming towards them. “Oh no!”

  Suddenly, Max climbed up the steps of the plane and hurried into the cockpit. “We have to get this plane into the air right now! If we don’t, we’ll never get away.”

  “I’m trying my best!” the pilot yelled. “But the engines need warming up.”

  “Do the best you can! I’ll see if we can hold them for a bit longer,” Max replied.

  “I’ll come with you!” Christo yelled.

  The two of them raced down the steps and joined Captain Williamson as they sheltered behind the trees while firing at the vehicle, which had now come to a stop halfway across the field.

  One of the two soldiers who was keeping guard on Mango suddenly turned to his companion. “I’ll help as well.”

  No sooner had the man left, than a number of shots hit the side of the plane.

  Amy began to get worried. “Are we safe here? What if a bullet hits the engine?”

  “It’s not going to blow up, at least not yet,” Joe replied. “One of the engines would have to catch fire first, and then the fire would have to spread to the fuselage before the plane blew up.”

  Suddenly, Mango punched the soldier who had been guarding him and leapt down the steps.

  The children could do nothing but watch on as the magician disappeared into the nearby bushes. A few seconds later, Captain Williamson led his men, along with Max and Christo back to the plane.

  “Mango just escaped!” Joe exclaimed.

  Max nodded. “Yes, I saw him disappear into the bushes. I would have pursued him, but we’ve got bigger problems to deal with.”

  Everyone climbed in and the door was slammed shut as the plane taxied across the field. As it did so, Golden Dragon soldiers continued to fire upon the plane. The shots were erratic, but then Joe caught sight of a machine gun being set up. “Oh no!”

  As Captain Williamson also caught sight of this latest developm
ent, he yelled out. “Hit the floor!”

  As the children fell to the floor, bullets slammed into the plane. As the bullets passed through empty air, Max yelled at the pilot. “We need to get into the air now!”

  “I’m doing the best I can!” the pilot shouted.

  Suddenly, there was a massive explosion as bullets hit the left engine.

  Chapter 20: Chaos

  As flames appeared, the pilot yelled out. “There’s no way we can take off with that fire!”

  Captain Williamson quickly racked his brains as he tried to think of a way out. It didn’t take long for him to make up his mind. “Get us as close to the trees as you can. We’ll climb out and make a run for the border on foot.”

  “But we’ll never make it!” Max yelled. “The soldiers will be onto us within minutes.”

  “Just do as I say!” Captain Williamson yelled. “If we wait too long, the entire plane will be on fire and we’ll all die.”

  By now, the entire left wing was alight and the shooting had subsided as the Golden Dragons waited to see what the pilot was going to.

  As soon as the plane reached the shelter of the trees, Max flung open the door and leapt down.

  As he lay down and began to shoot at the Golden Dragons with his pistol, Christo, clutching the rucksack in his hand, raced down the steps as well. The children and the other men followed. The pilot was the last to leave the plane.

  Suddenly, the shooting intensified as the Golden Dragons realized they were trying to escape. They quickly advanced, shooting as they did so.

  However, at this very moment, the plane suddenly exploded in a ball of flame. Everyone who was close to the aircraft was flung to the ground. Luckily, the children escaped the worst of the blast for they had taken shelter behind a tree.

  Max and Christo were also fine, but Captain Williamson had shrapnel in his arm and blood was pouring out. He looked at Max. “Get to the border with the children and I’ll stay and provide covering fire.”

  “There’s no way I’m leaving you behind!” Max shouted.

  “Just go and do as I say!” Captain Williamson reloaded his pistol and began aiming once more at the Golden Dragons.