In Treacherous Waters

by Richard V Frankland

  “Penny, you wait there a moment, I am going to tack east again and head for Muxia, you and I can’t keep up this routine all the way to the UK, so I’m going to put in for forty-eight hours rest. It will also be a chance to get you both fitted out with the right gear, this good weather can’t last.”

  “I’m sorry, I feel I am letting you and Anna-Maria down being such a wimp,” Heathcote replied, “You won’t be able to use the company card, they would have blocked it immediately you were dismissed.”

  “Don’t worry about that, they can’t block either of my personal accounts and if I use the US Dollar one there is even less of a chance.”

  Heathcote looked at him with surprise. “Get you, Mr Dollar account.”

  “A reward for services rendered, funnily enough it hasn’t been touched since the divorce settlement so it has grown back enough to cover a couple of sets of heavy weather gear and some other clothes for you two.”

  “If we make it through I promise you will be repaid every cent.”

  “Hold tight I’m taking her round now, then you can play for a while.”

  He took the yacht through the tack with the ease born of long experience and now on port tack, heading east he trimmed the headsails and main while Penny looked on in admiration.

  “Keep her pointing as high as you can please, Penny. If the wind gets up any more give me a tug, okay?”

  Niggled by his mildly patronising instruction she said, “I’ll do my best, sir,” in a tone that had Vaughan giving her a questioning look. “I said earlier, Ian, that I have done this many times before.”

  “Sorry, Penny, of course you have.”

  Towards the end of three hours Penny Heathcote had found herself dozing twice, woken only by the sound of a flapping headsail when the wind angle changed, a problem when trying to point high into the wind using an auto helm. Halfway through the watch Anna-Maria had brought her up a coffee and a chocolate bar but the caffeine and sugar burst had quickly worn off. Again she felt her eyelids getting heavy and stood, working her legs and arms then flexing her shoulders, but five minutes later she had dozed off again and this time the yacht had come up into the wind and almost stopped before she woke and grabbed the tiller, hauling on it attempting to bring the boat back on course.

  Woken by the racket created by the flapping headsails, Vaughan was almost halfway up the companionway steps when the yacht came off the wind again and the sails filled with a bang pinned on the wrong tack.

  Reaching the cockpit he shouted, “Are you all right, Penny?” as he quickly surveyed the yacht checking for any damage.

  “I’m all right but look what I’ve done to the genoa. Oh Ian, I’m so sorry.”

  Vaughan looked forward and immediately saw the big horizontal tear in the sail right from the luff to the leach. Freeing the sheets he hurriedly set the staysail to get the yacht moving again on the starboard tack.

  “I’ll go forward and get that sail down then get the previous owner’s original yankee put on, it’ll slow us a bit but not by much. Can you hold her for a little while longer?”

  Heathcote nodded, “Yes.”

  The big genoa was a hell of a handful to bring down but finally Vaughan got it safely lashed to the port hand lower guardrail. “I’ll keep it there till we get into port, no point in bagging it now it’s too much effort, we’ll best do it in port before we take it to the sailmakers.”

  Hoisting the smaller yankee was a much easier task and on completion Vaughan came back to the cockpit and sheeted it in. “Much weather helm?”

  “Yes, it is quite heavy,” Heathcote replied, looking very sad and annoyed with herself.

  “I’ll stick a reef in the main, that should balance her up.”

  When the mainsail was reefed the smaller sail pattern dropped the boat speed to five knots through the water and about four over the ground. “There, all sorted, Penny, now you go below I’ll take her in from here. Please don’t worry about the sail, it looked as if the stitching had gone, repair won’t be too much of a problem. The sail came with the boat and is a good ten years old now, I had planned to have a new one cut at the end of the sailing season.”

  As she went to go below Vaughan could see tears in her eyes. “Hey, come here,” he said putting an arm around her and was a little surprised that she didn’t pull away, “These things happen, you are exhausted and I had pushed you too far, so if anyone is to blame it’s me, all right, so cheer up.”

  Heathcote nodded, sniffed, then as Vaughan released the hug she went below and flung herself onto the starboard berth in the forward cabin, leaving Vaughan berating himself inwardly. “What a pillock I am, thinking that a four on four off would work with both of us exhausted before we started. Why the hell didn’t I go straight into my twenty minute cycle and keep Penny rested for emergencies. Prat, prat prat.”

  Twelve hours later, “La Mouette sur le Vent” slipped alongside the head of a pontoon arm at Marina Muxia. It was dark and Vaughan was by now really exhausted so he decided to wait until the following morning before checking in. Going below he went forward to look at Penny. “Has she had anything to eat or drink since coming below, Anna-Maria?”

  “No, she has been asleep all the time.”

  “While I tidy the shorelines and sort things out on deck, can you wake her and cook something for us to eat, bacon and eggs may be a good idea,” said Vaughan, “Oh and toast, you’ll find some marmalade in the store under that berth.”

  ***

  It was Graham, the analyst, who had worked it out and with some reasonable accuracy had plotted the potential places that Vaughan would call in at on his way northwards up the Iberian peninsula.

  They had spent a day waiting for Vaughan in Lisbon before driving north making enquiries at virtually all the marinas up the coast as far as Baiona, where again they waited.

  Vaughan was returning from the sailmaker and Penny and Anna-Maria were shopping for clothes when Graham and Housmann arrived at Muxia’s marina.

  “I keep telling you, Peter, Vaughan is probably fifty miles offshore and heading straight out across the Bay of Biscay,” said Housmann, stretching after another long car drive.

  “You’re probably right but we have to check, if he’s not here then he has gone straight for it, though single handed I’m very surprised,” replied Graham. “Mind you, he was a tough sod and star when we did our bit at ‘The Manor’.”

  “So I heard from that bastard McClellan.”

  “You were in the batch that arrived the day after Vaughan left, Mac would still have had sore nuts even then.”

  They had walked across the car park and were looking out over the basin at the neat rows of yachts moored to their pontoons.

  “Let’s ask at the office,” said Housmann, wanting to get away from the boredom of listening to Graham and join up with Levens and Page.

  “No need,” said Graham, “There he is, making his way across to the pontoon ramp. Quick get behind that van before he sees us.”

  ***

  Had they not made the quick movement, Vaughan would not have caught it in his peripheral vision and thought more seriously about a Portuguese registered car being parked near the entrance. Climbing on board his yacht he unlocked the hatch and went below to fetch his binoculars. Carefully keeping out of sight he used the view from the cabin port window just forward of the galley to look across at the two men.

  Identifying Graham, Vaughan picked up his mobile and phoned Heathcote, “Penny, where are you both?”

  “In what passes for a sportswear shop, towards the fishing quay, why?”

  “We have company in the form of Agent Graham and one other, and I think they arrived in a Portuguese registered car, which means they have been sent to look for us.”

  “Which section was Graham in?”

  “I heard he was sat behind a desk as an analyst, probably a good one from what I could see during my time at ‘The Manor’.”

  “Staunton inspired do you think?”

  “
That is exactly what I think. I also think that he has sent them to look for me not to find you and Anna-Maria.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “If they were searching for you two they would have come and made themselves known straight away so that they can report that you are both safe and sound. Instead they are just reporting that they have seen me.”

  “Where are they at the moment?”

  “Standing by the marina offices, Graham is on the phone.”

  “What do you want us to do, come and introduce ourselves?”

  “No, I somehow don’t think that would be a safe move. Stay where you are for the moment, I’ll call you when I have anything like a plan.”

  ***

  By the marina office Graham was waiting excitedly for Staunton’s secretary to get him out of a meeting.

  “Yes, Graham, what is it?”

  “We’ve found Vaughan, Sir, at the Spanish port of Muxia.”

  “Whereabouts is that?”

  “It’s on the north-western most tip of Spain, Sir.”

  “Whatever you do don’t let yourselves be seen by him, just keep an eye on the entrance to the port and report to me when he leaves, understood?”

  “Understood, Sir,” replied Graham, “Housmann and I will do just that… Sir… Sir?”

  “The bastard put the phone down on you. Jesus, I wonder why we signed up sometimes,” said Housmann, feeling for the first time some sympathy for Graham who had chosen to share the credit for the find, when in fact he personally had thought to search here was a waste of time.

  “He wants us to avoid at all costs being seen by Vaughan, instead we are to keep watch at the harbour entrance and report when he leaves. Over there looks to be a good spot,” said Graham, pointing to a car park further along the road with a clear view of the harbour entrance.

  “Well, we better get that car out of the way then, you don’t see many Portuguese licence plates here. Looking at the map the best thing we can do is go round this inlet and park up on the point over there where we would have an uninterrupted view of the entrance, and not stand the chance of you being recognised by Vaughan,” said Housmann, pointing towards the opposite side of the inlet.

  “Ah yes, I see what you mean, good idea.”

  ***

  On board “La Mouette sur le Vent” Vaughan had watched the two men closely throughout the phone call and subsequent conversation, watching with interest Housmann’s animated directions. As the two men hurried away back across the car park Vaughan put down the binoculars and went on deck in time to see the roof of their car as it moved away, turning left out of town.

  “A stroll up onto the mole with the binoculars is the next thing on the list to see where their monitoring point is.” He spotted their car easily noting Graham’s sidekick standing beside the vehicle stretching and exercising. Returning to the yacht he tried to work out what plan Staunton had in mind, assuming that the man knew he had Heathcote and Anna-Maria with him. “If this was legitimate why didn’t they make an approach and confirm that they were ordered to take-over the safe return of Penny and Anna-Maria… No this has a nasty smell about it that makes me think that either another snatch is being planned, carried out by someone not connected with British Intelligence, or he thinks I am alone and plans to have me removed permanently by someone other than Graham and his sidekick.”

  Taking the mobile phone from his pocket Vaughan rang Heathcote again. “Penny, are you still in that sports gear shop?”

  “Yes.”

  “See if they have any of those waterproof bags in which you and Anna-Maria could pack some clothes and shoes in, and buy some swimwear as well,” said Vaughan.

  “You have a plan?”

  “No, not exactly; just planning for some contingency.”

  “Are you still being watched?”

  “No, not directly, they have moved off to the other side of the inlet, so if you want to come back for some lunch it seems to be okay. On the other hand you both may prefer to lunch ashore,” said Vaughan.

  “Anna-Maria has been like a cat on a hot tin roof since your last call so I think we will be returning on board.”

  Whilst Penny had been talking Vaughan’s brain was thinking through the permutations.

  “No, Penny, on second thoughts stay where you are, our watchers may have friends nearby. I need to have a look round to see if they have,” instructed Vaughan. “You get lunch somewhere and tell Anna-Maria that the watchers have moved on and that there is no need to worry.”

  “Okay, it’s your credit card, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  Smiling, Vaughan put the phone away and, pulling his waterproof grab bag from under the quarter berth, then loaded and sealed it, placing it on the port hand settee in the main cabin where it could be grabbed quickly.

  ***

  In the restaurant, “Saburil”, on the corner overlooking the wide-paved promenade and the harbour beyond, Penny and Anna-Maria studied the menu.

  “I’m going for the seafood paella,” announced Penny, “I haven’t tried that for years.”

  Anna-Maria put her menu down, “I will do the same, Penny.” She looked across at her confident companion anxiously, “Is Ian sure that it’s safe, us being here and not on the boat?”

  “Oh absolutely, he would not have said that had he not been certain that it was okay. Relax, enjoy yourself.”

  At that moment Penny’s phone rang and looking at the screen she saw that it was Lorna. “Can you order for me Anna-Maria, I’ll take this outside, it’s a bit personal.”

  “Hello, darling, what can I do for you?” Penny said, standing hurriedly and walking out onto the terrace.

  “Penny, the Commodore wants to know where you are, apparently some of Staunton’s people have been snooping around Lagos.”

  “We are in northern Spain at a small port called Muxia, Lorna, and yes Staunton’s men have found us but have not made any contact, they are just watching. There is Graham and one other sat in a car some distance away keeping an eye out for our next move I think. Ian is checking now to see if they have left a third person keeping a closer watch.”

  “When are you leaving?”

  “Yesterday I wrecked the genoa on the boat and we had to put in to have it repaired, it shouldn’t take long, maybe two days.”

  “The Commodore tried to go through Jackson at Anti Terrorist Command to find out about this guy Jacobs, only to learn that the man’s file was pulled just over two years ago.”

  “Surely that means he was working for either MI5 or us.”

  “Exactly, Penny.”

  “Well, then why was that bastard knocking me about or trying to rape Anna-Maria come to that.”

  “Tell Vaughan to get out of there as soon as you can, at sea you are relatively safe, sitting there I think you are in great danger.”

  “Can they find out who authorised the file to be pulled?”

  “Jackson is onto that at the moment apparently but is facing a few road blocks.”

  “I sometimes think we spend more time obstructing ourselves than we do blocking the real enemy.”

  “Maybe we have an enemy within,” said Lorna, thoughtfully.

  “Staunton!” they said together.

  Returning to the restaurant Penny did her best to remain calm during the meal but was relieved when Vaughan phoned to say that as far as he could see the coast was clear.

  “Let’s stroll back to the boat, I fancy a little bit of shut-eye after that meal.”

  Paying the bill with Vaughan’s credit card they sauntered back along the promenade to find Vaughan filling two five gallon fuel cans from the pumps near the head of the pontoon access gate.

  “When you get on the boat, Anna-Maria, could you put the kettle on for some tea?” said Vaughan. “Penny, I’d be really grateful if you would give me a hand with this trolley going down the ramp.”

  “Sure, Ian, you go on, Anna-Maria, we’ll be there in a minute or two,” said Penny, then when Anna-Ma
ria was out of earshot she asked anxiously, “No further signs of our shadows I hope?”

  “No but I want you to tuck all of that gorgeous red hair of yours under this sun hat and then go to the boat, from where they are parked they will see you crossing from here to the pontoon ramp but once you are down below the sea wall level you will be out of sight.”

  “What about Anna-Maria, won’t they recognise her?”

  “Dark hair like most local women, huge sunglasses and the fashionable wide brimmed sunhat, that I expect I will see on the tab listing your purchases, no they won’t. As far as they would know she could be the Duchess of Cambridge.”

  Glancing at Anna-Maria as she walked along the pontoon towards Vaughan’s yacht Penny sighed and said, “Yes, Ian, I see what you mean.”

  Piling her long red hair onto the top of her head she pulled Vaughan’s sun hat over it, “I had a call from Lorna just now.”

  “What did she have to say?”

  Penny relayed all of the message including her own and Lorna’s conclusions.

  “The very astute ‘Puncher’ Robson suggested that Staunton intended to kill me, that was after I had stamped hard down on his foot mind. Maybe that’s what this is all about, which means that the dirty work will be done by others and not Graham and his mate,” said Vaughan. “That in mind, I think we will cross the ria and anchor in a cove on the other side as soon as it’s dark. In fact I was already planning to do that anyway. I called in at the marina office just now and was told about a delightful little spot which, according to the guy there, is his favourite rest-day place away from his wife.”

  “To avoid some much needed household jobs more like, anyway let’s get this fuel on board,” said Heathcote, unimpressed by the marina staff’s attitude.

  “You go on in front, I’ll follow in a couple of minutes, just in case they’re looking.”

  On board, Vaughan explained to both women what he thought they should pack into the waterproof bags and once that was done, had them put their bags alongside his own.