“Sorry to be so furtive,” Jake said when he had ordered a coffee and sat down. “We can’t be too careful.”
Ethan paid close attention while Jake repeated what he had said to the Seagers. Promising that Duke would be looking out for him, the detective handed the young man a phone.
“This is unused so register your thumbprint on it. Ethan did so and activated the phone. Jake took it back and keyed in a number, then passed it over again.
“There’s one contact stored on this phone. It will put you in touch with a man called Duke. Don’t use it for any other calls, and only use this number if it is strictly an emergency. If he needs to contact you, he will. He knows where you live. I hope you never hear from him because if you do - well, it means you’re in big trouble. So do whatever he says, you can trust him with your life.”
Jake looked around the cafe before continuing.
“I’m being followed but they probably think I’m just tying up loose ends on Kaden’s disappearance, they know that I’m putting a report together.”
Jake finished his coffee and shook Ethan by the hand, wishing him luck as he left.
******
The Seagers’ house was a hive of activity when Ethan got there later in the day. Estelle handed him a box to fill and called out to her daughter.
“Could you put these containers in here please, Ethan. Amelia will explain everything. I have got to go out for a while, Lloyd is in the office if you need him,” she grabbed her bag and ran out the house.
A few minutes later Amelia came down the stairs.
“Was that Mom’s car I heard driving off?” she asked giving Ethan a kiss on the cheek.
“Yes it was, she seemed in a hurry, too. What’s going on, has something happened?”
Amelia took hold of his hand. She looked as if she was about to burst into tears. Asking him to go for a walk, she led him outside. Making sure they were not followed, the couple strolled along the sidewalk, arm in arm.
Speaking in a low voice Amelia said, “It’s so good to get past the gate, I’ve been grounded. Everyone seems to feel that I’m in danger of being abducted and held hostage. But I think that’s a bit far-fetched, don’t you?”
She had hardly finished the sentence when Ethan spun her around and ran back towards the house, dragging her alongside him.
“Don’t take this so lightly, Amelia. You are in danger, we all could be. You should never have left the house. Jake told me everything earlier today, and the sooner you get away from here the better.”
As they walked up the drive Lloyd came out to meet them.
“Amelia what on earth do you think you’re doing? Didn’t we agree that you would stay indoors?” he said in a strained voice.
“I’m sorry Dad but I wanted to talk to Ethan, we just went for a short walk down the street. I’m okay so stop worrying, please”
Lloyd turned to Ethan and spoke.
“We have arranged for a letting agent to look after the house while we go away for a few months. We need to spend time together as a family, you understand don’t you Ethan?”
Just then a small white van from a charity shop pulled into the drive.
“The boxes in the hall are all to go, thank you,” Lloyd told the driver.
The man entered the house and came back out with his arms full. It didn’t take long for the rest of their stuff to get loaded and by that time Estelle had returned, in a taxi. She thanked the man as he was driving off in the van, then turned to the others.
“It’s such a lovely day, let’s go sit in the garden.”
The three of them followed her, wondering why she had such a big smile on her face.
“I got a good price for the car and Kaden’s pick up,” she said, pleased with herself.
“Well done. Every little bit helps. Did Amelia talk to you about her bike, yet, Ethan?” Lloyd asked, raising an eyebrow at his daughter.
“Oh, I forgot about that. I was wondering if you would like to borrow it while I’m away?” she said
“Are you trusting me with your baby?” asked Ethan.
Amelia laughed at that.
“Yes I am, and you take good care of her,” she said.
Then she spoke in a more serious tone.
“But if anything should happen. If I don’t get back, she’s yours.”
Ethan put his arm around Amelia and kissed her forehead.
“She’ll be waiting for you when you come home, and so will I.”
When Lloyd asked the young man if he could speak with him alone Estelle suggested that she and Amelia go into the house and prepare some food. The two men watched the mother and daughter walk away, then Lloyd turned to Ethan.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t very kind to you when Kaden disappeared. I was so caught up in my own sadness I forgot how close you both are. Did Detective Matthews explain everything to you?”
The young man nodded.
“We have made arrangements in case Kaden should turn up while we are gone, so don’t worry. Jake will know how to contact us. However, I am worried that if we are in danger then you may be too, and if Kaden does make it home, he will most likely call to you first. He’s bound to think our house is being watched, as it may well be, but you might be under surveillance too. If he contacts you don’t let him come to your place, meet somewhere safe and be on your guard. I’m concerned for both of you.”
“I understand, sir. Detective Matthews has been very helpful and told me what I need to do if I’m in any sort of danger.”
“That’s good to know. I want to give you this, in case you need it,” said Lloyd.
An envelope was placed on the table. When Ethan looked inside he shook his head.
“I can’t accept this, I have some money in the bank. I can take it out.”
“No, don’t start withdrawing money, it might attract attention. I want you to keep this in case Kaden comes back or if you need it yourself. We were very lucky to have cash put aside. To anyone watching us, it simply appears that we are going on vacation. We even booked return flights and a hotel. So if you’re asked, we are in Florida for a few weeks. Now, let’s go join the girls, I’m getting hungry.”
After supper Amelia said goodbye to Ethan with a heavy heart. He felt the same way, but tried to lighten the mood.
“I’m getting the best deal here, aren’t I? A fast bike to blast my way around the city on. Can I forward my speeding tickets to you?”
Amelia sighed, “I wish I had an address I could give you, but nobody will tell me where we are going. They don’t trust me.”
“That’s because you would tell me. Am I right?” he said.
They both laughed at that. Having said their goodbyes, Ethan shook hands with Lloyd and hugged Estelle. He drove away watching Amelia in the rear view mirror, standing on the porch, waving.
Later that evening the Brubaker family called over to visit. The Seagers were on their guard not to let anything slip. They talked about Florida and where they were staying. Amelia and Megan were in the kitchen listening to music and making coffee for everyone.
“You looked like you were moving out,” said Megan “I was about to call over today and a white van drove past me on your drive. I thought you might be busy so I didn’t want to intrude.”
Amelia thought for a moment before answering.
“You should have come on over, you could have given us a hand. We were clearing out some of Ethan’s stuff and a few bits and pieces we didn’t need. Mom arranged for a charity to have them.”
“Err, that sounds like work, glad I left you to it so,” laughed Megan as she took a tray from Amelia to bring in to their parents.
“Are you having car trouble, Estelle?” asked Grant. “Only I saw you getting out of a taxi today.”
Estelle quickly looked at her husband.
“Lloyd’s not very happy with me at the moment. I sold Kaden’s pick up earlier today, and while I was at the car dealers I decided to sell mine too. I got a good price for both of them s
o I ordered myself a newer model. My car was starting to give me trouble anyway.”
“When you get back, let me know if you need a lift anywhere, it’s no bother,” Lydia offered.
Estelle smiled at the other woman.
“Thanks. That would be great. Hopefully my new car will have arrived by then. We’ll be gone for two weeks.”
“Have you thought about what you would like to do now that you have given up politics, Lloyd?” asked Grant.
“Don’t laugh, but I thought I might teach, it was what Kaden wanted to be, a teacher. I’ve been thinking a lot about that lately. When I was in the army I taught a literacy class for soldiers who found reading and writing difficult. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it.”
Grant took a cup of coffee from the tray the girls had brought in.
“Well good luck doing that, you’ll need it, have you seen how teachers are treated by students these days?” he said.
“Hey, that’s not fair, we’re students aren’t we, Amelia?” Megan frowned at her father, pretending to be insulted.
Grant pointed at his daughter and said, “EXACTLY. ‘
They all laughed, and having made some light conversation, purposely avoiding any further mention of Kaden, the Brubakers excused themselves and went home.
Back in his own house, Grant headed for the study.
“I’m just going to finish some paperwork, Lydia, I won’t be too long.”
He closed the door behind him and called his father.
“I’ve just spent the last hour and a half at the Seagers’ place. Everything seems normal there. They are getting ready to go to Florida for two weeks. I checked the hotel, the bookings have been made and they have return flights. There’s nothing to worry about, Dad.”
Henry Brubaker wanted to know what Jake Matthews was up to.
“I met with him and he’s just finishing up his report on Kaden.”
His father was not convinced.
“I’ve been having him watched, and I think he’s up to something, be careful what you say to him, son.”
Grant assured his father that he would keep an eye on the detective and was planning on meeting up with him regularly, just to keep him on his toes. It seemed that things were finally beginning to settle down. Grant felt sorry for Kaden, but there was nothing he could do to help him, at least not for the present.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Lukas bolted the door and put more wood pellets on the stove, enough to keep them warm for the night. Tuck and Kaden were already asleep on the bunks. His crew had arranged a lift to the hotel in the next town, where they would be staying for a few days. As he stoked up the fire, the noise disturbed Kaden and he turned towards the wall, the blanket falling from his shoulders. Lukas went over to the bed to fix the cover, and that was when he noticed the numbers tattooed onto Kaden’s neck. He gently poked Tuck in the arm, which made him turn around, exposing similar markings on him, too.
“What have these boys been through? I’ve never seen the like of this before. There’s something strange going on here,” Lukas said to himself, puzzled as to why these seemingly nice young men would be branded like cattle.
It was the smell of fried bacon that woke Tuck next morning. He shook Kaden awake and whispered to him.
“I’m missing our luxury bathroom already.”
Lukas stopped turning the meat and pointed with a fork to some warm clothing hanging on the wall.
“You can have that gear to wear. It’s much warmer and more waterproof than the flimsy clothes you had on yesterday. Should I expect some callers who might be missing a couple of young men?” as he said this, Lukas ran a finger up and down the side of his neck.
Instinctively Tuck and Kaden touched their own necks, then quickly dropped their hands. They sat at the table not sure of what to say.
“Look, like I said before, I don’t want you to give me any details, but just tell me one thing. Are you a threat to my safety or my belongings?” Lukas asked, placing a breakfast in front of them.
“No sir, all we want is to go home. We haven’t done anything wrong, in fact we were…” Kaden’s voice trailed off as the man put his hands over his ears.
“That’s okay, you don’t have to give me any explanation, but if someone comes looking for you make sure you’re wearing those clothes,” Lukas said pointing to the wall, “And I suggest you get rid of the ones you had on when you came here, you’ll be spotted a mile off in them. Now eat up, there’s work to do.”
While the two boys were tidying up some nets and rope at the pier, a snowcat drove up to the cabin. Lukas was preparing wooden shutters for boarding up the windows. There were two men in the vehicle, and one of them got out and circled the cabin, a rifle strapped across his chest. Lukas waited until he came close.
“Looking for anything in particular?” he asked. The man showed his ID, confirming he was with Port Patrol.
“We’ve been asked to check out the area for some juveniles. Six have been reported missing. Chances are they froze to death, they may well be buried in that blizzard we had but there’s an alert out for them in all the towns and ports.”
“Well if I come across any of them I’ll let you know, I’ll mention it to my crew over there as well. If they were caught outdoors in that storm I wouldn’t fancy their chances. Would you like a coffee to warm you up before you head off?”
The guard signalled to his companion in the snowcat to wait for him, as he followed Lukas into the warm cabin. While the hot drinks were poured the man looked around the room and saw a framed photo on the wall of Lukas and two other men, standing by a boat.
“Is that you with those two guys outside?”
Lukas nodded. “Yes, hard workers too, I’d never be able to manage without them.”
The guard took the two coffee mugs being held out to him, thanking Lukas.
“If it’s okay with you we’ll drink these in the snowcat, we’re not supposed to leave it unattended.”
Lukas carried two more mugs down to Tuck and Kaden, who were busy undoing the work they had just done, to keep themselves occupied.
“Should we make a run for it?” asked Tuck.
“No need to worry, they think you’re my crew. Just sip that coffee and relax. They’ll be going soon.”
Lukas walked over to the snowcat.
“Nice vehicle, the new models are so much better than the old ones aren’t they?” he said as he took back the empty mugs.
“They sure are. Much smoother and the heaters actually work. Thanks for the coffee, have a safe trip home, we’ll see you next summer,” shouted the driver as he revved up and turned the vehicle around.
Tuck and Kaden raised their mugs in salute to them and began to breathe more easily as the snowcat moved away. Lukas gave the boys a list of jobs that needed doing, the cabin had to be weatherproofed for the winter. He said he would see about organizing passage to Argentina for them with a trawler he knew would be leaving that day.
It was a two day journey from the port, crossing the Weddell Sea to Ushuaia, known as the southernmost city in the world. In the past it was a dangerous crossing because of all the ice bergs, but with global warming, it had become safer with less of them about. Weddell Sea, being a giant bay, had plenty of room for the hundreds of trawlers from around the world that came to fish for krill. Those from the Continent of America were usually the last to leave at the end of the season.
Lukas was out of breath as he approached the cabin belonging to his friend.
“I wanted to catch you before you left, Joel. Have you been paid a visit by Port Patrol?”
“As a matter of fact I have, last night. They’re looking for some missing boys.”
“They called to me as well. I have two of those young men with me. My crew left to go stay at the hotel for a few days and I let the guards think the boys were working for me. There’s something not quite right, but I don’t want to know the details. I’ve a business to run and have to come back here next sea
son, so I don’t want any trouble, but they need help to get to Ushuaia. I know I can trust you, is there any way they can get across on the trawler with you?”
“Come inside out of the cold, Lukas” Joel said as he left his men tying down the boat he had called the Annabelle.
“Did you get a couple of extra workers this season?” asked Lukas as he warmed himself at the stove.
“Sort of,” replied Joel, smiling.
There was a moments silence and then he burst out laughing.
“I have two of those missing boys as well. Me and my sons hid them when the patrol came round. They panicked and told us the truth when the snowcat pulled up outside. We gave them some of our clothes and got rid of theirs. Did you see the numbers on their necks?”
“I did, but only when they were asleep, they kept their scarves on till they went to bed. Me and my men will be taking the ferry next week to Ushuaia, but the boys would never be able to sneak on board. The trawler I was supplying left yesterday, with two other young men, who just happened to come along. Between us now, we’ve got four more people that need our help.” Lukas sat down, with a worried look on his face.
“I have three berths booked on the trawler and it’s leaving this morning” Joel said. “My sons have given their places to the two boys we have here. They’re happy to have an excuse to stay at the hotel until the ferry arrives. If we agree to pay for two more passengers to share those bunks the captain won’t refuse the extra cash, no questions asked. He knows he can pocket it as a nice little bonus for himself, and I’m sure the boys won’t mind making room for their friends. That’s the best we can do, Lukas, we’re taking enough of a risk as it is. We could lose our licence for this. I just hope it works,” Joel said with a sigh. “If my sons were in their shoes I would want someone to help them, too.”
Lukas stood up to go.
“I didn’t radio you before I came over in case the message was picked up. Better not leave the boys at my place too long on their own, that patrol might come back. When are you heading out for the trawler?” he asked.
“The captain is sending a boat to pick us up in about an hour, and he won’t wait so you’ll need to send those boys over right away,” Joel said
Finding 01 Finding Kaden Page 16