by Rae Knightly
The Captain kept his eyes on Ben the whole time, as he said: “Patch me through to Inspector James Hao from the CSIS. Tell him I have his suspect in custody. Over.”
There was a long silence as the radio crackled, then a man’s voice answered: “This is Inspector James Hao. Who is this? Over.”
Ben’s face paled as the Captain presented himself and explained the situation.
“Excellent work, Captain.” Hao said, “Give me your location, I will dispatch an amphibious helicopter to pick up the suspect. Over.”
The Captain stared at the receiver, somewhat taken aback, before replying: “Negative, Inspector. I will not have any disruptions to my trip, nor will I cause panic among my passengers with unusual maneuvers. We will head back to port immediately. We will arrive in less than an hour. Over.”
There was a silence on the other end. The Captain listened expectantly.
The radio crackled back to life. Hao said: “Understood. You are not to let the boy out of your sight. He already escaped from the Vancouver Police Department this morning. Over.”
The Captain glanced at Ben in surprise, then said: “I need to know what I’m up against. The arrest warrant is vague. Please elaborate. Over.”
There was another silence before Hao replied icily: “This is a confidential matter relating to national security, Captain. I am not authorized to elaborate. We expect you here in one hour. Over and over-and-out.”
The Captain bit his lip, unhappy with the answer, but said: “Over and over-and-out.”
He put down the speaker, inspecting Ben, who looked like he was about to throw up again. The Captain headed to the back of the cockpit, where he opened a cooler box and fished out a Coke. He handed it to Ben, who gulped down its content thirstily.
“Whoa!” Captain Andrew said, “Slow down, mate! The Coke will settle your stomach but don’t overdo it!”
Ben put down the can of Coke, then eyed the sandwich hungrily. The Captain noticed it: “Go on, eat it, if you think your stomach can handle it.” He said gently. “You’ll need a clear head when we arrive.”
Ben didn’t wait to be told twice: he chomped down on the sandwich as if he hadn’t eaten food in days. In the meantime, Captain Andrew gave orders to turn the boat around and head back to Granville Island. Ben was swallowing the last piece of bread when Egor returned. The sailor’s eyes immediately fell on the now empty aluminum foil. He glowered at Ben without saying anything.
Captain Andrew turned his attention to Ben again: “Shouldn’t you be calling someone? Your Mom? Your Dad? To let them know you’re safe?”
Ben bit his lip, then shook his head.
“There has to be someone.” The Captain insisted.
“There is.” Ben replied with great effort. “My Mom. But she’s very sick.” He gazed pleadingly at the Captain, before blurting: “I don’t want her to die! That’s why I went to get her inhaler! I thought that if I could treat her asthma, maybe she would get better…” He trailed off, resting his head in his hands in despair.
The Captain frowned as he lifted his hat to scratch his forehead. He sighed, then replied: “Listen, son, talk openly to that inspector. Explain things to him. I’m sure he will be reasonable.”
Ben sank back into the chair, mumbling: “I don’t think so.”
When he didn’t elaborate, the Captain said: “Egor, take him down to my quarters.” He turned to Ben again: “Go on, son, and don’t try anything funny. I want to bring everyone back safe and sound. All 54 of us. Is that clear?”
Ben nodded, resigned. He followed Egor who had opened another door that lead to stairs going down to the lower deck.
***
“What happened?” The man asked with a deep voice, as he drummed his fingers on the long, polished table, his thick golden ring shining as he did so. He stared out the window at the Toronto skyline without really seeing it.
Another man’s voice answered over the phone: “It’s just like we thought: it was his heart. The CT scan machine proved too much for him. We almost lost him.”
The man adjusted his black-rimmed glasses while he sat in the elegant meeting room in a high-backed chair. His bushy black and grey brows frowned: “Is he awake yet?” He asked.
The voice at the other end of the receiver replied: “Not yet. Might be a while.”
“I don’t have a while!” The gold-ringed man said impatiently. “I need answers! And I need them soon!”
The other man said calmly: “If we keep on pushing you may never get any answers at all.”
The man in the meeting room drummed his fingers even harder, mulling things through.
His contact continued: “We might have an idea as to why we ‘lose’ him so often. We think he uses a mechanism that puts him in survival mode, like bears when they go into hibernation. He’s capable of shutting down organs. He crawls into a shell to save energy. What happened in the CT scan, however, was different. He went into shock this time. He must not have been expecting it: he panicked and didn’t have time to go into that hibernating state.”
The man in the meeting room stood up and walked over to the window. In an agitated voice, he exclaimed: “I don’t care what shell he crawls into. You find a way to prod that alien out! I was supposed to have results by now. Now everything is delayed!” He paced before the window, staring down 24 floors to the street below, before proceeding: “My flight leaves tomorrow. I’ll be gone for three months to oversee the site. Let’s hope our business partners don’t lose patience. Our Martian fellow had better be ready to talk by the time I get back.”
The man at the other end of the line said: “I’ll make sure that he is.”
***
Ben tried the doorknob of the door several times, though he already knew it was locked. He turned to scan the Captain’s quarters. On the left was a closet, and near the windows was a short sofa attached to the wall. On the right he noticed a desk with a neat pile of documents, a sextant and a picture of the Captain with his arm around a smiling woman and two children: a boy, about Ben’s age, and a smaller girl. Ben stared at the picture for a while.
They seem really happy.
On his way to look out the window, Ben struggled to move. The waders and jacket were cumbersome in this cramped room, so he removed his life-jacket and both orange attires, then left them on the floor. Now he kneeled on the sofa, pulled the one side of the window that could slide open, then stuck out his head. A cold wind and ocean spray hit his face, making him squint. His hair blew in all directions.
He could already make out the entrance of the sea arm that led to Granville Island in the distance, yet, what caught his attention, was that they were travelling past the red and white lighthouse where, some nights back, Laura and he had seen Mesmo disappear before their eyes.
Ben automatically reached for his watch. He rubbed it, wondering if Mesmo might come, but nothing happened. Ben glanced out the window again.
Should I jump?
But the boat was moving very fast, the waves lapping at the sides, while the lighthouse was quite a distance away. Even with a life-jacket on, he wasn’t sure he could make it. The Captain’s words rang in his mind: “If you were to slip and fall into the water, no-one would know to look for you.”
Ben pulled back, closed the window, and looked around helplessly.
***
Inspector James Hao was joined by Agent Theodore Connelly and a police officer on the pier where the Haida Gwaii II had docked moments ago. The tourists were asked to descend one at a time. They threw curious glances at the officers as they headed back to the tourist stand of the company that had sent them on the whale watching trip.
Captain Oliver Andrew stood by, thanking the passengers as they left, while Mrs. Stenner approached him to say goodbye. “A memorable trip, as usual, Captain!” She gushed. “Though for the life of me, I could not find that boy again. He seems to have vanished into thin air!”
The Captain smiled gently at her, replying: “Don’t worry, Mrs. Sten
ner, we found him. He’s in good hands.”
“Oh, well then, I’m sure he is!” The old woman replied, “Now don’t be too hard on him, poor lad. Why, at his age, I would be skipping school to go swimming at the lake all day! Those are the memories that last. This boy is no different: he needs adventure and freedom. Don’t squash that spirit in him!”
The Captain took her hands in both of his: “You are a wise woman, Mrs. Stenner. And you are right, as always.” He winked at her.
“Goodbye, then, see you next year!” She smiled, waving at him.
She was one of the last passengers to disembark the ship. She cast a vexed expression as Hao and Connelly pushed by without waiting for her to step onto the pier.
Hao presented himself and Connelly to the Captain, as they all shook hands. The Captain invited them to follow him down to the lower deck. On their heels were another police officer and Egor, the young sailor. When they stood before the Captain’s quarters, Egor took out a key, turned it in the lock, then pushed the door.
Only, it wouldn’t budge.
Hao and Connelly exchanged a quick look, before pushing Egor aside. They tried to shove open the door, finally managing to do so with some effort. The Captain’s desk was blocking the way. They had to work to push it aside so they could gain access. As soon as Hao and Connelly were inside, they noticed the open window.
Connelly inspected the marina, with its many small boats and sail ships. “There!” He exclaimed. Hao followed his index finger as he pointed out to sea.
In the distance, they could make out a spot of orange from Ben’s waders and life-jacket drifting on the water, close to a pier on the opposite side of the small harbor.
Hao turned to face the Captain angrily: “I told you to keep an eye on him at all times! Weren’t you listening when I told you he escaped once already today?”
Captain Andrew looked embarrassed as he stuttered: “I… er… I didn’t expect…”
Hao ignored him, turning to Connelly: “Let’s go! Hurry, before the kid reaches the other side!”
They all headed upstairs. Hao shoved past Captain Andrew and Egor, though not before saying menacingly: “This won’t go without consequences, Captain!”
Captain Andrew shrugged helplessly, then watched as the inspector, the agent and the police officer rushed away.
***
All kinds of small sea-vessels dotted the piers of Granville Island, some old and rusted, others gleaming and slick. It was a maze of pleasure boats. Hao and Connelly had a hard time finding their way to the correct pier, from which they could fish Ben out of the water.
After a couple of wrong turns, they finally made it to the end of a pier from which they spotted the orange waterproof jacket that the tourists had been wearing on the Haida Gwaii II, floating above the lapping waves.
The police officer who was accompanying them clambered down a short ladder to the water level. He reached out to catch Ben as he drifted past, but all he found was an empty, rolled up jacket which bulged with a pocket of air.
The three men glanced in surprise at the piece of clothing. They searched all around for the missing boy who was supposed to be wearing it. But he was nowhere to be found.
Hao swore, growling: “He tricked us!”
Connelly exclaimed: “The ship! He never left the ship!”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Paddleboard
LAURA WAS SITTING CAREFULLY ON THE EDGE OF the bed, her feet dangling a few inches above the wooden floor, as she carefully drank a creamy soup that Susan had served her. The hot liquid slid down her throat, feeling wonderful. For the first time in many days, her strength was returning.
She patted Tike on the head, praising him: “Good dog!”
Tike’s tongue lolled out happily.
“Where’s Benji, Tike?” She asked softly. The Terrier jumped off the bed, then rushed out into the kitchen with his tail wagging.
Laura tried to get to her feet to follow him when Susan entered. “Whoa, girl! Back into bed with you. This is no time to go for a jog.”
She ushered Ben’s mother back under the bedsheets. Laura opened her mouth to object, but her face had already drained from energy. Although she was no longer hungry, she accepted some toast with cream cheese and forced herself to continue eating, determined to get well as soon as possible.
Tike peaked back into the room to check whether Laura was following him, but when he saw that she had gone back to bed, he trotted out of the house, over the grass, then down to the short pier. Once he had reached the end of it, he sat down, then stared out over the water, waiting for his master to return.
***
In the Captain’s quarters, down in the hull of the Haida Gwaii II, a soft breeze entered through the open window. Below it, a couple of seals were rolling around playfully in the water. A door squeaked open softly, and Ben stepped out of the Captain’s closet. He had to push the desk, as it was blocking his way, but soon he was standing in the Captain’s quarters again, listening for any sounds.
When he was satisfied that he was alone, he carefully stepped into the corridor, up the stairs and into the cockpit. Since there was no-one there, he gathered courage, opened the door leading out, then hurried down the outer stairs, at the end of which he could see the ramp connecting the ship to the shore.
As Ben hopped down the last step, Captain Andrew appeared from the back of the ship, which had been out of Ben’s range of vision. He only had to take one large stride to block Ben’s access off the ship.
The boy froze. He watched the Australian, holding his breath.
“Smart bloke, aren’t you?” The Captain said, observing him with his arms crossed. “That’s what I’d figured.”
Ben found his voice: “What are you going to do?”
Captain Andrew sighed, answering: “I don’t know. I guess that depends on you.”
Ben swallowed hard: “What do you mean?”
Egor came running up behind the Captain. He spotted Ben and wanted to grab him. But the Captain held up his arm, indicating he should stand back. Egor stared at his boss in surprise.
“I have a son, you see,” The Captain said, concentrating on Ben. “He’s about your age. And if he were in any kind of trouble, I’d want to be sure he came to me or his mother for help.”
“I told you,” Ben said desperately, “That’s exactly what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to reach my mother!”
Egor turned away from them, then said hurriedly: “Captain, those policemen are heading this way again.”
Ben was stricken as he stared at the Captain.
Slowly, the Captain stepped back. With a movement of his head, he said: “Go on then. I choose to believe you. Go help you Mom.”
Ben rushed forward, but the Captain stopped him again. “Wait,” he said, as he handed him a life-saving jacket. “Take this and wear it. I don’t want to be fishing you out from the bottom of the harbor.”
Ben took it. “Thank you.” He said earnestly. The Captain got out of the way, so Ben could escape down the ramp.
“Don’t make me regret this!” Was the last thing he heard the Captain shout behind him.
***
Tike was sitting at the end of the pier, observing the inlet and the mountains. Suddenly he stood up: his body weight rolled forward, his tail lifted and his ears pricked. He remained like that, listening attentively. On the surface, the lapping waves and soft breeze blowing through the fir trees could be heard.
But only the most trained ear or high-end underwater hydrophones would have been able to capture the sound that was travelling deep below the surface of the inlet. The ethereal vocalizations from the humpback whale went from low to high pitched clicks, echoing far and wide until they reached Tike’s ears.
The dog froze, fully alert, one paw lifted from the ground, until he could take it no longer: he darted up and down on the pier in excitement.
Realizing there was nothing he could do to respond, Tike sprinted excitedly back to the cottage l
ike a bouncing ball.
***
Ben ran away from the Haida Gwaii II. But the only way off the pier was blocked by the approaching police officers. Ben had no choice but to find another way to escape.
He was bending down, hiding between two ships, when a movement in the water caught his eye. He glanced down, noticing another, lower pier, which was almost at water level. Next to it, two seals swam playfully. But it wasn’t the seals that caught his attention, rather, on the edge of this pier, lay a lime green paddleboard and black paddle, ready for use.
Ben glanced around, wondering who it might belong to, but there was no-one else in sight. He bit his lip, trying to decide what to do, as he did not like the idea of stealing. What convinced him however, was the image of the lighthouse that he had seen from the Haida Gwaii II when they first motored into the Burrard Inlet. The idea of boarding to a safe place won out over his fears. Feeling relieved at having some kind of plan that would distance himself from the men searching for him, Ben hurriedly put on the life-jacket, placed the paddleboard in the water, then began paddling between the boats until he was close to the harbor exit. Full of determination, he left the harbor, Granville Island, the Inspector and Bordock behind.
***
Tike scurried into Laura’s bedroom excitedly.
Ben’s mother as sitting in a chair by the window, looking out to the bay and biting her lip. “What is it, Tike?" She asked.
The Terrier sprinted to the door, running back-and-forth to catch her attention.
Laura did not doubt the dog’s intelligence. She found her slacks, shirt and sweater, then followed Tike out of the house. She was half-way across the lawn when Susan called out to her: “Laura!” She ran after Ben’s mother: “What are you doing? You’re in no shape to be wandering around like that!”
Laura said with full determination: “Ben needs me. I can’t wait any longer. I’m going to find my son now, and I won’t let you stop me!”