by Lucy Dawson
I rolled my eyes. ‘Get him a bag. Inside my rucksack.’
Ben moved over to the crate and noticed immediately that Alex’s bag was missing. ‘Dad, we’ve lost his stuff!’
‘Oh no! We haven’t?’ I pretended to be shocked. ‘How on earth did that happen?’
‘I don’t know because our things are still here?’ Ben said slowly.
I shrugged. ‘Never mind. By the way, Ben, your phone is definitely off?’
He nodded. ‘But I was thinking. Won’t they be able to trace us anyway?’
I shook my head. ‘Nope. I’ve turned the AIS off. We are invisible!’ I started to go faster, and Ben’s eyes began to water in the wind as the coastline flew past on our left. ‘Get back inside with that bag!’ I shouted above the motor. ‘I don’t want him redecorating the cockpit.’
Ben re-emerged twenty minutes later. ‘He’s still feeling rough. Can we let him come out here for a moment?’
‘Only if you go inside first, so in case anyone did somehow get an image of us, it will look like there are only the two of us on board.’
Ben disappeared, and moments later a decidedly pale and wobbly Alex emerged.
I patted the seat next to me. ‘Come and have a go at the wheel!’
He managed to stay upright, and once he was alongside me, I pointed at the horizon line. ‘Fix your eyes on that,’ I called above the rush of wind. ‘You won’t be able to stay out too long though, you’ll freeze without the proper gear.’
He squinted ahead – blind as a bat. No wonder the poor sod was having a rough time at school. He was just the sort of boy one could imagine having ‘kick me’ stuck to his back.
‘Want to helm for a moment?’ I offered, but he shook his head nervously.
‘My tummy feels a bit squiggly. I’ll just stand still if that’s OK?’
His tummy was a ‘bit squiggly’? I could just hear Julia using a phrase like that. She really wasn’t giving him a chance.
‘Ready to transform into the local hero?’ I shouted, and his face broke into a nervous smile. ‘People are going to think you’re so brave!’ I continued. ‘Abducted, kept in a secret location – only to escape unscathed! Everyone is going to think you’re amazing. People at school are going to want to be your friend for sure.’
‘You’ll come back to let me out tomorrow night, though?’ His voice was just audible. ‘And then I have to walk some of the way back to Exeter – so it looks like I escaped on my own? I’ll be back by Sunday morning?’
‘Exactly! We won’t forget about you, and you’ll have enough food and drink to keep you going. It’ll look better if you’re missing for two nights though – more realistic, and impressive. People are going to want to interview you and everything! You might even be famous by the end of it!’
He bit his lip, shy and excited. ‘My mum will be so proud of me. She’s always really brave; I’d like her to feel that about me too. Thank you for helping me do this!’
‘Hey – I’m just a lift. It was your idea, really – you’re doing all of the hard work.’ I patted his back. ‘You should go and swap with Ben now you’ve got a bit of colour in your cheeks. I don’t want you getting too cold out here.’
He gave me a double thumbs up – so innocent and uncool, bless him – and once he’d disappeared, Ben came back out.
‘Alex looks better, Dad?’
I nodded. ‘He’ll be fine.’
‘But I still don’t get it.’ Ben came to stand alongside me. ‘What’s in it for him being rescued by me?’
I cleared my throat. ‘He’s just very easy to please. Let him do it if he wants to, because the BEST way to get Cassia’s attention is to rescue her brother. She’s going to love you forever!’
In spite of the chill, I saw him blush. ‘We just leave him in the hotel, then I come back to get him tomorrow night?’
‘Yup!’
‘But how am I going to do that on my own? Will I?—’
‘Don’t worry about that now.’ I cut him short. ‘It’s just logistics. I’ll fill you in on that later. We’ve got to get him into the hotel first, without anyone seeing, before we worry about getting him out of it.’ I looked at my watch.
Ben glanced up at the deepening sky. ‘Are we going to get back into Exmouth before tea?’
‘We might need to do a bit of the run in the dark, but not much.’ We’d already passed clusters of holiday chalets and caravan parks, tucked-away houses with incredible views. Stretches of empty shingle beaches broken by jutting red cliffs, waves crashing at their foot, became smaller, secret inaccessible bays cast in deep shadow as we roared past.
‘Just go and check on Alex again, will you? Tell him not long now. Not long at all.’ I smiled.
Alex did well not to vomit, holding on to it the whole way and only turning properly grey when it got a bit lively as we moored up on the outside of the harbour wall.
‘You’re almost on dry land now,’ I whispered as I helped him out of the cockpit once Ben was safely tucked out of view. I led him towards the back of the boat, and he paled slightly on spying the ladder attached to the green, slimy stonework while we bobbed up and down.
‘I’ve got to climb that?’ We both looked up it, leading to the top of the Cobb as the waves slapped against the side of the RIB.
‘You’ll be fine.’
He hesitated and tried to keep his balance as the boat lurched suddenly.
‘Once you’ve got your first foot on, you’ll have no problems. It’s just we need to get up into town without the harbour master seeing us on the CCTV in their office, or us popping up on the webcam they’ve got on that pile of rocks over there.’ I pointed to our right. ‘That’s why we’ve come in behind the harbour wall, rather than going inside it, which is why I’m afraid it also means no steps, just this ladder. When we get to the top, we’re going to nip behind the buildings at the back here, then hug the wall of the Cobb – that’s the one dodgy bit on view and only about fifty metres. Just keep your hood up and your face down – until we make it to the park where all the boats are stored. There are no cameras from there, so we can walk straight up the Cobb road. Any questions?’
‘Yes. What’s a Cobb?’
‘Ah, sorry!’ I grinned. ‘That’s just the name for the man-made wall we’re going to walk along – it juts out into the sea like a sort of brick pier. It’s a famous feature of the town we’re in, which is called Lyme Regis.’
‘Oh!’ Alex said immediately. ‘I’ve been here! I bought a fossil. Also, can I have my bag and glasses?’ He smiled anxiously.
‘Bit of bad news about that. We lost them at sea. But hold on to my hand if you need to.’
‘Oh. OK.’ Alex tried to smile again.
‘You really don’t need them!’ I assured him. ‘We’ve got this. Brave, remember? You’re going to be a hero! Just stay there for one minute…’
I ducked into the cockpit where Ben was huddled under a blanket and wriggled out of my oilskins, grabbing my coat instead.
‘Well done, pal.’ I winked at him. ‘Keep warm and out of sight. I’ll be back within twenty minutes.’
I got Alex safely up the ladder, despite his welly slipping on one of the rungs, at which he let out an audible squeal. I gritted my teeth though, and soon we were behind the buildings.
‘Remember, head down,’ I instructed. If anyone saw us, or someone asked to look at the CCTV footage at a later date, they would see two figures – a father and son. They wouldn’t be able to identify Alex without a clear look at his face.
I pulled his sleeve gently, and we disappeared through the gap in the wall into the deserted boatyard. The wind was picking up a touch and I glanced at the sky worriedly. I didn’t want a choppy ride back. Some loose tarp covers on the stored boats were flapping and gusting in the wind as we ducked between them, thwacking down on the decks before lifting again, accompanied by the clanking and swaying of ropes attached to masts. Alex was a little on edge at the unfamiliar noises, but I found them comforti
ng.
Before long we were on the pavement. Of a late afternoon in summer, this part of town would be packed with tourists licking ice creams, children riding bikes, dogs pulling on leads and seagulls ready to swoop and steal battered fish from open papers. Today, the chippy was closed, the amusements shop shut – completely devoid of its displays of buckets and spades, fishing nets, hats, and stands of cheap sunglasses. The fresh fish shack was boarded up, and the random clothes shop Storm always liked to poke around had a sign hanging in the window saying it was shut for January. The forlorn seafront was empty, apart from a few dedicated dog walkers further on. Perfect.
‘Come on.’ I drew Alex closer to me as I pulled my slipping bag back up onto my shoulder. ‘Head down. We’re going up this steep hill now.’
Alex started to puff as we climbed. We trudged past some holiday homes and the empty car park on our left, until we hit the T-junction with the back road, heading out of town towards Sidmouth. We turned right, however, and dropped down the street about a hundred yards.
‘Here we are!’ I said cheerfully, my heart lifting at the familiar sight of the hotel.
Alex glanced at the board. ‘Fowles… It says it’s closed for January.’
‘That’s right,’ I agreed. ‘There’s no one here, but I’ve got a key to the staff entrance.’ I reached into my pocket. ‘Come on, round the back we go!’
I let us in through the commercial kitchen, still smelling faintly of bleach. Hamish’s sister had obviously had a deep clean before packing up shop. We pushed through the swing door into the main function room in which we’d sat for our pre-Christmas dinner, when I’d first had my idea, just two weeks earlier. The lights were off, the tables and chairs all stacked at one end of the room, the trees taken down. It was also cold and Alex shivered.
‘Don’t worry, we’re not stopping here.’
Our footsteps echoed as we walked on through to the deserted reception. I reached behind the desk and picked a bedroom key at random. ‘Let’s go with lucky number 7.’
Alex was looking around curiously, sticking his head into the silent and still drawing room – the blinds all pulled, fire neatly laid. He creaked across the wooden floor of reception and peered into the bar area with its six tables, leading into the main restaurant. ‘Where is everybody?’
‘On holiday. The lady who owns it won’t be back for two weeks. She’s the sister of my friend, and he comes and checks on it for her while she’s away, but he won’t be visiting until Tuesday next week, so no one will disturb you.’
‘I’ll be here completely on my own?’ His eyes widened.
‘Yes, but you’ll just be staying in one room because otherwise people walking past will see lights on in the hotel. It might give us away and we don’t want that. To impress everyone, you’ve got to make it look like you’ve escaped, haven’t you?’ I looked at my watch. ‘Come on. Let’s get you set up. Kick your wellies off for a moment.’
He did as he was told and followed me up the main staircase, padding quietly in sensibly thick socks. The light was starting to fade and the large landing was gloomy as I quickly pushed through the door to my right, towards room 7. It became darker still as we entered the narrow corridor and I began to fumble with the key.
‘So no one is in any of these rooms at all?’ Alex suddenly rattled the door handle opposite.
‘Don’t do that!’ I said sharply, and he stepped back immediately.
‘I’m very sorry, Mr Sloan.’
‘No, no – I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.’ I noted how obedient and pliant he was. This was a child who simply wanted to please.
I finally got the door open and we stepped in to the immaculate room with a sea view, TV, and two twin beds. Perfect.
‘This is nice!’ Alex looked around him. ‘I just stay in here and watch TV until you come back for me, I guess? Can I go downstairs and get food as long as I keep the lights off?’
‘You’re not sleeping in here, Alex. We’re just going to get a couple of bits. Here, you take the duvet and the pillow.’ I pulled them off the nearest bed and bundled them into his arms.
We headed back downstairs with me dragging a mattress and Alex carrying the bedding. At reception, I reached behind the desk and felt for the next key I needed.
‘Where am I going to sleep then?’ Alex glanced through the window in the small office behind the desk and, paling, noticed the folly in the gardens, stood between several forlorn bare trees. ‘Not in that tower?’
‘No!’ I scoffed. ‘Of course not – you’d freeze for one.’
‘Phew,’ he shivered. ‘It’s a bit – creepy.’
‘Don’t worry, you’ll be very cosily tucked up.’ I found the key I was after and stuffed it in my pocket. ‘This way. Don’t forget to grab your boots again.’ I nodded at them. I wasn’t going to screw this up for the sake of a ten second lapse of concentration.
I pushed through a door to my left, holding it open with my foot and started to drag the mattress. Alex held it as I opened another, then finally we reached a locked third.
‘Oh wow!’ Alex exclaimed, having followed me through and seen the sign above the doorway. ‘Hidden cinema?’
I nodded and winked at him. ‘Welcome to your home for the next almost two nights! Check this out…’
I unlocked the door and fumbled around for a switch. It lit up the small foyer, containing a mini fridge full of ice creams, cans of drink and bottles of water. To the left of that, was a candy-striped stand stacked with tubs of old-fashioned sweets and a red popcorn machine complete with trolley, albeit switched off, empty and clean.
Alex pushed past the mattress in amazement and tapped on the fridge glass. ‘Can I eat these?’
‘Yes, you can… while you’re watching… a movie!’ I pushed open another door behind me and flicked the switches. The twenty-four-seat cinema lit up, the white spotlights in the ceiling revealing the soft leather chairs and royal blue velvet walls, carpet and pulled-back curtains either side of the blank screen. I hauled the mattress in and plopped it down in front of the seats. Alex stood in the doorway and gasped.
‘I know. You’re going to have the best time ever,’ I agreed. The last time I was in here, I had a cute blonde straddling me while I sat in the back row and a not-so-family-friendly movie played. But that was then. This was now. ‘There are loads of films back there.’ I pointed up at the small projection room. ‘And just here,’ I squeezed past him back into the foyer and opened another door, ‘there’s a loo and sink. You’ve got everything you need. It’s all completely soundproofed; there are no windows. No one is going to know you’re here at all.’
I beamed at him and took the bag from my shoulder. It was starting to dig in. Placing it down on the ground, I pulled out a bag of foodstuffs, the tape and my knife.
‘Best way to think of the next couple of days is just that you’re playing a game,’ I continued conversationally. ‘Which I know you’re really good at. That time you explained Fortnite to me at the rugby weekend was the first time I properly understood how it worked! You’re a really good teacher and this is such a clever idea of yours.’ I shook my head as if I couldn’t articulate how impressed I was.
‘You were the one that thought of coming here.’
‘It was a team effort.’ I smiled. ‘But honestly, I had no idea you were this smart. Everyone at school is going to be amazed by you once you’ve escaped. You’re going to be super popular.’ I held the tape aloft cheerfully and sat down on the mattress. ‘Shall I do your wrists or legs first?’
I hung the key to the cinema on the hook at reception and hurried back through the kitchen, mentally checking my list. I’d removed the hotel phone from the projection room. He had food, water, bedding, a loo. He’d also calmed down and stopped crying at being locked in and taped up. A child as old as thirteen will hardly be left with abandonment issues from an experience lasting just a few days. He was going to be fine. I’d been firmer than I’d thought I was going to have to
be when I brought the tape out and he almost changed his mind, but I really didn’t want him wandering around and fiddling with things in my absence. He would be far safer if his movement was restricted.
I marched back down the hill towards the harbour. It had rained while I was in the hotel – the ground was wet. The weather was turning slightly ahead of the forecast; we really needed to get going. I glanced critically at the sea. No white horses, but nonetheless, I wasn’t up for a dangerous night ride back with Ben. That said, a little bit of light rain would have clouded over the CCTV trained on the Cobb wall nicely. When I’d watched a live stream of the harbour in the peace of my office, to see what I was dealing with, it had been apparent immediately that the slightest bit of rain or spray rendered the images so blurry it would be almost impossible to pick out anyone’s identity with confidence. One could barely make out the fishing boats, never mind faces.
Back on the flat, I ducked through the boatyard, hugged the wall again and was climbing down the ladder onto the RIB within mere moments. I slung my bag down triumphantly. We’d done it. Glancing across to my left, I could just see the back of Fowles through the trees. Alex was in there right now. I looked away and opened the cockpit to see Ben huddled in the corner, wide-eyed with fear.
‘It IS you.’ He breathed out. ‘I wasn’t sure.’
‘Of course it’s me!’ I reached past him for my oilskin. ‘Saddle up, we’re going home.’
‘Alex is in the hotel then?’ Ben moved forward to the edge of the cushions. ‘Is he OK?’
‘He’s fine!’ I pulled a ‘why wouldn’t he be?’ face. ‘He’s excited!’
‘I don’t understand though, Dad, he kept saying on the way over that he was going to be a hero. How can he be if I’m rescuing him? I don’t get it.’
‘Forget what Alex says!’ I skirted around my having played them off against each other. ‘He’s got himself confused – he’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer, is he? All you need to worry about is Cassia thinking you’re amazing when you rescue her brother.’
