Kaden knew they had a point.
“Okay, in that case we should split up, in pairs would be best. We need to do something about our clothes. They look like prison uniforms.”
“Why don’t we just wear them inside out and make sure we don’t get wet. The lining is a dark grey, nobody would take much notice. If we get somewhere indoors for the night we won’t freeze,” Smokes said.
“Good thinking. How about you and me team up?” Wolf said, holding out his hand.
Smokes grinned and shook it. Ash and Harley paired up, leaving Kaden with Tuck.
“Somehow, I am going to get the rest of those guys out of that place,” said Kaden, “No matter how long it takes. It has to be illegal to hold them there against their will. I know my father will help,”
They took what protein bars they had left and stuffed them inside their jackets. When the backpacks, sheets and the two rifles were buried in a safe place, the boys embraced each other and said their goodbyes. The plan was to meet up if possible in Ushuaia. It was getting late so they paired up and headed off at roughly fifteen minute intervals towards the town. If they ended up on the same trawler it wouldn’t matter as they would at least be getting away from Antarctica.
Because winter hadn’t quite arrived, there were still a few tourists around. In general only two seasons were recognized in Antarctica, summer and winter. The krill trawlers would be leaving soon before the winter weather set in and there was a chance the boys would get passage on them as part of the crew.
Ash and Harley were the first pair to go through the town, nervously approaching one of the cargo boats that looked ready to sail. Nearby stood a small, wooden cabin with the name Ice Wave over its door. Those words were also painted on the side of the boat. Ash explained their situation to a man standing in the doorway.
“We can work for our passage across to Ushuaia, we’re not looking for a free ride,” he said, standing tall and puffing out his chest to show how strong he was.
Harley didn’t have to, he was bigger than both of them. The man looked at a clip-board he was holding.
“Everyone is closing up here before the winter sets in. We are about to make our last trip to one of the trawlers with supplies.”
He went inside to radio the ship, telling the boys to help themselves to a hot coffee from the pot on the stove. After a brief conversation, the man smiled.
“Well, you two are in luck. The captain is delighted to have a couple of extra hands on deck. I just have a few more things to sort out here and we’ll be on our way.”
******
Only a certain number of trawlers were allocated licenses each year to harvest the krill for their oil. Antarctica was the last area on the planet with a decent supply. Each continent was allowed a limited catch for the year, but the harvesting had to be done during the summer months, when the weather allowed the ships in and out.
Around the port, a small community had gradually established itself to fill the needs of the crews on board the trawlers. There was a convenience store, some bars, diners, a clothing and hardware store, a clinic and a pharmacy. Transport was available to visit the larger towns, where people lived all year round. Banks, cinemas, restaurants and schools, provided the needed services and employment in those areas.
A large, well equipped hospital had opened three years before, and a hotel had been built to cater for the many tourists in the summer. Global warming over the decades had resulted in a more hospitable climate. People living in places that had scorching summers often chose to spend them in Antarctica, escaping the heat. There were plenty of activities to keep them entertained - hot spas, skiing, snowboarding and a great variety of wildlife to observe.
Walking along the quayside, Smokes thought the area was not such a bad place to live, as long as you were not homeless.
“I wouldn’t fancy sleeping on the streets here, even in summer. Would you Wolf?” he said.
His companion didn’t answer. Something in the distance had caught his eye. Smokes felt uneasy.
“What are you looking at? Please tell me it’s not the guards from the base?”
“Don’t worry, it’s not them. Can you see a group of men over there struggling to lift something into that boat?” Wolf said.
Smokes squinted in the dim light, straining to see what his friend was pointing to.
“Do you think we should go over and give them a hand? Maybe they would let us on board if they thought we could be of use.”
Wolf was already walking in their direction before Smokes could answer.
Just as he reached the boat a rope broke that had been tied around a large, heavy crate. Wolf dived in, putting his shoulder underneath, helping to take the weight. Smokes joined in and between them all, they got the job done. A tall, middle-aged man with a weathered face patted both young men on the back and thanked them for their timely help.
“How about a nice hot mug of coffee, boys?” he said, leaving his men to sort out the cargo already loaded on board.
Turning away from the boat, he led the boys to a cabin with the word Annabelle written over the door.
“My granddaughter,” he said, pointing at the sign, “It’s the name of my boat. I’m quite new to this game. I sold my construction firm, cleared any debts I had and bought that boat over there. I work four months of the year and live off my earnings for the other eight. That suits me fine, I get to spend lots of time with the family. In fact, two of those men loading that boat are my sons. What brings you boys here, are you tourists?”
Smokes nodded, “We got caught in a blizzard then chased by a polar bear. We made it here late this afternoon, but without our belongings. I reckon the bear has them now.”
The man laughed heartily.
“Those critters are electronically tagged. They always stay in their designated area. You must have wandered into it in that blizzard. If you don’t mind bunking down here overnight we will be heading off on one of the trawlers in the morning. I have booked passage for three but my two sons have been hinting at staying in the hotel in the next town for a few days. You are more than welcome to take their places, if it’s okay with them.”
The boys couldn’t believe their luck. The cabin was warm, the coffee good and a boat was waiting to take them away to freedom. To top it all, their kind-hearted host lifted the lid off a large pot on the stove and the wonderful smell of beef stew enveloped them.
******
It was late and the chance of getting out to any of the trawlers was growing slimmer by the minute for Tuck and Kaden. A boat had just pulled away from shore on their left. To the right, Tuck saw a sign written in English over the door of a cabin, which had an American flag in one of its windows.
“Hey, Teach. It says Ice Wave on that sign and there’s no boat around. I bet that’s it out there. They should be coming back, maybe we could hitch a ride to one of the trawlers on their next trip out.”
Kaden was starting to shiver. Because they had turned their clothes inside out, the waterproof fabric being on the inside had been making him sweat, in spite of having thermals on.
“We had better turn our clothes right way out again, or we’ll freeze,” he said, unzipping his suit.
He ran towards the back of the cabin, Tuck following him.
They were jumping around, waving their arms to keep the circulation going, when Kaden noticed smoke spiralling from a flue set in the back wall of the building. He ran over to it, standing close and shouted to Tuck.
“Get over here, quick. This pipe is really warm, there must be a stove still lit inside.”
The two of them huddled close to the heat and ate one of their protein bars.
When the Ice Wave arrived back at the pier, it was hoisted up the slipway and dragged by the skipper and his crew of two back to the cabin. As they were covering it for winter storage Kaden and Tuck offered to help out. The job was done in no time and the boys were invited in for coffee. Once inside they asked if there was any chance of them getting on
board a trawler heading for America.
“Well, well. Two more young men stranded. Four in one evening, that’s a bit odd, don’t you think?” the skipper remarked.
The crew looked at the boys, then laughed and dished out bowls of hot, thick soup from a pot on the stove.
Kaden looked uneasily at Tuck before trying to explain their situation.
The man held up his hand and said, “Don’t speak a word, no need to. What we don’t know, we can’t tell. The three of us are leaving next week on the last ferry trip of the season. You are welcome to join us if you don’t get a place on one of the trawlers before then. Meanwhile you can stay here. You will be warm and fed and if you can give me a hand to close up this place that will pay for your bed and board. What do you say?”
“We would be very grateful, thank you sir, but do you really need our help? There’s three of you.” Tuck said.
The skipper gestured towards his crew, noisily eating their soup.
“Those two over there are heading off tonight to the hotel in the next town. Most of the young men from the cargo boats spend the last few days of their stay partying over there, before getting the ferry home. So you see, I will be glad of a bit of help,” he spat on his hand and held it out. “Do we have a deal?”
Tuck didn’t hesitate. He spat on his own palm and gave the man a firm handshake.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Jake stared down at the polar bear. The poor animal looked depressed as he paced around the deep pool of water between them. The detective put both of his hands on the barrier, glad it was there. He had placed a bag of bird feed on the ground in front of his feet. A man came up behind him and spoke in a low, gruff voice.
“What’s the problem, boss?”
Detective Matthews jumped.
“Don’t sneak up on me like that, you scared the life out of me. I need to call in that favour, Duke. My friends are in big trouble, bigger than they realize.”
The man standing beside him took some photos with a very professional looking camera.
“Fair enough, I knew this day would come. Tell me what you want me to do.”
Jake discreetly pointed to the bag on the ground. In it was a small recording device, similar to the one Martha’s son had sent to her.
“Listen to this and then destroy it. There are so many lives at stake here, you know I wouldn’t involve you unless I had no other choice.”
Without a backwards glance, Jake walked away leaving the man shooting photos of the bears. The couple who had been following the detective didn’t notice any communication between the two men. When Jake left they followed him, ignoring the man with the camera.
Duke saw this and waited until they were well away before picking up the bird feed. As he was bending down to do so, a young boy grabbed hold of it. Their eyes met but it wasn’t the hostile glare that made the child let go of the bag. It was the deep, angry scar running down the side of the man’s face that frightened him. Duke smiled and eased the packet of feed out of the boy’s hand. He turned quickly and melted into the crowd, heading towards the exit.
Jake had moved on to the aviary. Exotic birds of every colour imaginable flew amongst the green foliage. Outside the mesh, some ducks and geese were splashing in a pool of water and begging for scraps from the onlookers. Jake had been carrying three bags of food until he left the polar bears, now he had two. The couple tailing him kept their distance, but the detective had been too long in his line of work not to have noticed them. He took the two bags from his pockets and began to throw food on the ground. In no time he was surrounded by water fowl. This in turn attracted a bunch of kids who were delighted to be given the rest of the feed.
Two men in their thirties were standing nearby, sharing some binoculars through which they observed the birds in the aviary. Jake wrote something on a small notepad he always carried around with him. He placed a piece of folded paper in the pocket of the guy holding the binoculars, making sure the couple on his tail saw what he did. Then he hurried off into the crowd. Immediately, they split up, the man following Jake and the woman signalling for someone else to join her. As the two bird-watchers moved away, the woman stepped closer and grabbed one by the arm, showing him her ID, while her new companion held onto the other. A car pulled up and the foursome got inside.
They parked in a loading bay at the back of a restaurant. The woman turned around and asked the man who had the binoculars to hand over the note in his left pocket. Protesting that he didn’t have any such thing his voice trailed off as he pulled out a folded piece of paper.
“I have no idea what that is, I didn’t put it there, did you?” he asked his bewildered friend, who shook his head vigorously.
The woman gasped as she read what was written on the note.
“Let them go, they have nothing to do with Jake Matthews,” she said, crumpling the paper and throwing it at the driver.
He picked it up off the floor and read what it said. It was difficult not to laugh. Only one word was written on the note - GOTCHA!
The Seager family were sitting in the garden when Jake arrived. They were convinced their house had been bugged and didn’t want to take any chances. Estelle had brought out a tray of sandwiches and coffee. Each one spoke in a low voice.
“I want you to liquidate your assets, Lloyd. You are going to need all the cash you can get your hands on. Is the mortgage paid up on the house?” Jake asked.
Estelle almost choked.
“I have a confession to make,” she said. “I’ve been taking money from our account regularly ever since we realized Kaden was missing. I knew if a ransom was asked for the police would tell us not to pay. I wanted to have the money ready just in case. I informed the bank that we were using the cash to pay a private detective. They knew Kaden was missing so it seemed reasonable enough to them. They were very sympathetic actually.”
Lloyd couldn’t believe his ears, “And you never thought to tell me about it?”
“I would have, if you had asked me. I can hardly believe it’s gone on this long without you noticing, sorry.” Estelle was trying hard not to smile.
“I’ve been a bit distracted lately, checking my bank account was the last thing on my mind, Estelle. It kills me to say this, but I’m glad you did it.”
Lloyd reached out and squeezed his wife’s hand.
Turning to Jake, he said, “The house was re-mortgaged recently because I was going to run for governor next election.”
Estelle gasped and Amelia just stared open mouthed.
Lloyd continued, “That was why I had to fly out to that meeting. I was going to tell you over dinner the day you picked me up at the airport, Estelle. I realize now how selfish it was of me to just go ahead and make such an important decision without consulting my family. Please forgive me for that. I let it go to my head, and I wanted it to be a surprise.”
Estelle stood up, walked behind her husband’s chair and put her hands on his shoulders.
“Let’s just put the past behind us, the good thing about all of this deception on both our parts, is that we now have quite a large amount of cash,” she whispered in his ear.
They suddenly recalled the question about the mortgage that Jake had asked, and looked over at him. The detective cleared his throat.
“So glad you remembered that I’m still here. Now, can we get on with making a plan? I am being followed, therefore you will be, and anyone else who might have an interest in finding your son. That recording made by the boy who died, is it in a safe place, and does anyone besides us four know about it?”
He looked at all three of the Seagers. They shook their heads.
Amelia said, “Only Martha and Jasper, but they won’t tell anyone. They don’t want anything more to do with it. That’s why Martha gave it to us. Oh, and of course Ethan knows too.”
Lloyd had used the excuse of needing money to pay for college fees for the twins and Estelle had agreed that it was a good enough reason to re-mortgage the house. She had signe
d the paperwork without even reading it. The fees had been paid, and the rest of the money was in an account set up to fund the election campaign. It would be easy to get it back, now that Lloyd had pulled out of politics. Jake looked around then took a large, black vinyl wallet from his inside pocket.
“This contains fake ID, passports, driving licenses, all you need to start over wherever you choose, far enough away from here and the Brubakers.
“What about Ethan? He’s in danger too” said Amelia.
“Henry Brubaker won’t be interested in him, besides I can only do so much. It was difficult enough getting the paperwork just for the three of you.”
Jake was getting nervous, they had spent too long talking.
“I’m not leaving without him, no way.” Amelia sat back, a determined look on her face.
Jake moved his chair nearer to the young woman, who was close to tears.
“I have an informant, his name is Duke. He has a bad scar on the left side of his face. You can trust him implicitly. He owes you his life, Lloyd. Remember Antarctica?” Jake turned to look at his friend.
Lloyd nodded, a strange expression on his face. The detective again spoke to Amelia.
“Duke is going to keep an eye on your friend, in fact he is the one who organized your papers. If there is the slightest chance of any danger to Ethan, this man will get him to safety, Amelia. I am trusting him with your lives and that’s not something I would take a chance on.”
Jake stood up and kissed both women on the cheeks, offering his hand to Lloyd, who pushed it aside to embrace him.
“You have always been a true friend to me. When this is over we’ll go fishing again, like the old days, deal?”
Jake nodded and shook Lloyd’s hand, then left the family sitting in silence around the table, each lost in their own thoughts.
His next stop, was Ethan’s place and Jake was pretty sure it was bugged too. He had called him and arranged to meet in the coffee shop across from his apartment. Ethan was already seated and having a latte when the detective got there.
Finding 01 Finding Kaden Page 15