by Mark Arundel
Geoffrey hesitated and I heard a second pistol shot. The bullet slugged through the roof behind us, smashing the rear side window. I grabbed the gear lever and rammed it into reverse to the sound of crunching cogs.
I shouted again, ‘Go!’
Geoffrey roused from his hesitation and floored the accelerator pedal. The little Seat jumped, flying backwards with the engine whirring wildly. I noticed Franz, still groggy, as we shot past him and I heard the Russian on the wall shouting desperately at him to stop us. It was a case of optimism over experience.
Geoffrey was looking over his shoulder, trying to steer straight but only managing to achieve a lurching zigzag course. We burst out of the side road onto the main drag narrowly missing a car and a green bus, which pulled up hard. Geoffrey slammed the brakes and the Seat swung round and stopped pointing the wrong way. The bus driver sounded his horn. I looked back and saw two of the Russians running towards us. I slammed the gear lever into first and shouted, ‘Drive.’. Geoffrey floored the accelerator and we shot off. He steered wildly, just avoiding a collision with the bus and we lurched away in the direction of the port and the giant cliffs. Geoffrey’s driving was erratic. He eventually found third gear and I said to him, ‘Slow down, they won’t catch us on foot.’
Geoffrey relaxed a little and glanced across at me. ‘You’re bleeding.’ His voice showed genuine concern. My t-shirt was soaked in blood. I pulled it up and examined the wound. A clean, horizontal, four-inch cut across my ribcage. I moved to assess how deep. More blood ran out. I swore under my breath. It was going to need a few stitches.
I looked up through the windscreen and realised we were now driving very slowly and Geoffrey seemed nervous. I said to him, ‘What’s the matter?’
‘I don’t have a driving licence. I’ve had lessons but I never took my test.’
I chuckled and said, ‘You’re doing fine. Just go a little faster.’ He smiled through his concentration but he didn’t accelerate.
I pulled off my t-shirt and used it as a makeshift bandage, pushing it hard against the wound to staunch the bleeding. The Glock was sticking out from my waistband and I wondered why I hadn’t used it. I still hadn’t killed anyone even though, I knew, I could have killed all three Russians by now if I’d wanted to. I knew, though, that leaving dead Russians scattered about, and blocking the pavements was a sure way of waking up the local policia, which I was determined to avoid. Even so, there was more to it than that. I still didn’t know what was going on. I didn’t know whom to trust and I hadn’t yet worked out where the exit door was, which I was rapidly thinking I was going to need. I put the Glock and the knife away in Geoffrey’s bag knowing I would need them again.
I noticed the Russian’s parked car as we drove past it. I still had the key, of course, so they were unable to use it. I figured they were waiting for the rental company to bring them a replacement. I considered moving it but decided it wasn’t necessary as I planned to call Charlotte and end this little continental adventure. Enough was enough.
Without taking his eyes from the road Geoffrey said, ‘How’s your side?’
‘It’s just a flesh wound across my ribs. It’s fine.’ I pushed my t-shirt harder against my throbbing ribcage.
Geoffrey turned left cautiously onto the road that led to the coastline. He followed the road all the way. I wasn’t really concentrating on where he was driving. My mind was working on what I was going to do. I needed to call Charlotte, stitch my wound and find a safe place to lie low. I looked through the windscreen and focused on where we were. Geoffrey had driven all the way down to the marina. Without guidance, he’d kept going until he couldn’t go anymore. He stopped at the end of the road. We both stared at the water and the swaying boats that strung together in neat rows.
The area was busy. There were plenty of tourists and locals moving between the shops, cafes and bars. I pointed at the parking places along the wall beside the quay and told Geoffrey, ‘There’s a space at the end. Park in there; reverse in.’ I wanted to be looking outwards. Geoffrey drove up and reversed carefully, taking two attempts before finally stopping. He pulled up the handbrake very deliberately and switched off the engine.
I’d maintained firm pressure on my cut and thought the bleeding would soon stop, but I didn’t want to move just yet. We sat quietly in the car and my thoughts were black. I wondered what Geoffrey was thinking. He looked at me and said, ‘What are we going to do now?’ It was a good question. Then, as if by way of an answer, I saw someone I knew walking towards us.
Chapter 13
The objective of the opposing team is to stop the successful fulfilment of the contract.
I glanced at my wristwatch. It was ten minutes to four. I watched her as she came closer. I had to make a snap decision. She was on her own, carrying a shoulder bag and moving purposefully. She looked like the model in a sun cream advertisement. She was wearing a short skirt, deck shoes and a low-cut t-shirt that only partially covered a bikini top. None of which had any influence on my decision, of course.
I tapped the windscreen with my knuckles and made Alicia de Cortes Silver look over. The light was reflecting off the glass making it difficult for her to see in. I wrapped again, harder and she focused more closely. Recognising me, she smiled and walked over to the car. I lowered my window and she came to the passenger door. She said, ‘Hello.’
I greeted her in Spanish. ‘Hola, Señorita de Cortes.’
Alicia smiled at me confidently and said, ‘Have you come to see the boats?’
Before I could answer, her light demeanour changed to one of concern. Her eyes clouded with worry as she observed, ‘You are hurt.’ She pointed to the blood-stained t-shirt that I still pressed tightly to my side.
I smiled reassuringly and replied, ‘I’ve had a little accident. I was just about to try to find a first aid kit. Perhaps you can help me?’ My idea was for her to fetch the medical kit that I needed, while I waited in the car with Geoffrey. I didn’t want to be away from him, even for five minutes. ‘Is there somewhere nearby we can buy a first aid kit—a good one?’
‘Was it a car accident?’ she asked, glancing at the smashed side window. Before I could answer, she said caringly, ‘Come with me, there’s a first aid box on the boat.’
She opened the car door and helped me out. I let her guide me towards the quayside. I glanced at Geoffrey who got out and followed us.
Still holding my arm, Alicia led me down the wooden slatted gangway, over the water and to her swaying boat. It was beautiful. It was an offshore sailboat with a gleaming white hull and an unfathomably tall central mast. I estimated her length overall to be thirty feet. The hull proudly displayed the craft’s name in shiny black letters: Dancing Brave.
We stepped aboard and Alicia led me below deck into the galley. I made sure Geoffrey was following. I introduced him to Alicia. ‘This is Geoffrey,’ I told her, ‘He’s an English friend of mine.’ They said hello to each other while Alicia guided me onto a stool. I looked around and asked, ‘Is this your boat?’
She found the first aid kit in a cupboard and came back over to me. ‘No, it belongs to my father. I’m getting it ready for tomorrow.’
I opened the first aid box and searched inside. It was comprehensive, which I hoped it would be. The sailing boat was expensive. The kit contained everything I needed.
I pulled the t-shirt away and examined my wound. The bleeding had stopped with the onset of congealing. I asked Alicia for a bowl of boiling water. While she fetched it for me, I removed everything I would need from the first aid box and placed it on the table beside me. Alicia returned and placed the bowl on the table and smiled sympathetically.
I cleaned my hands with a mixture of boiling water and surgical spirit and then carefully cleaned my cut. Both Geoffrey and Alicia were standing in silence watching me. Next, I threaded the needle with a length of the black gut and pinched both sides of my sliced skin together. Geoffrey and Alicia were now openly staring. I was just about to insert the
needle when Geoffrey’s phone started to ring. He pulled it from his satchel and read the screen. He held it up and told me, ‘Charlotte is calling.’ I indicated my hands were full, so Geoffrey pushed the button and held the phone to my ear.
‘Hello.’
‘Is Geoffrey still alive?’
‘Yes.’
‘What’s been happening?’
‘I’ll call you back.’
‘No wait, I...’
I pulled my head away from the phone and nodded at Geoffrey to end the call, which he did. Alicia was staring at my face. She had an unusual look in her dark eyes, which I couldn’t identify.
I returned to my wound and pushed the needle through my skin. The pain, in case you were wondering, felt like a bee sting combined with a low-voltage electric shock. It wasn’t the first time I’d felt it. Geoffrey and Alicia watched me, transfixed as I neatly sewed eight tight stitches. I wanted to make sure they would hold, no matter what. Happy with my repair work I cut the gut and then taped a dressing in place for protection. I smiled at my captivated audience.
‘Just like darning a sock,’ I told them. ‘I reckon I could be good at crochet if I had the time to learn.’
Alicia said, ‘Didn’t it hurt?’
‘No,’ I said. I lied.
She smiled at me and said, ‘Do you want some water?’ I nodded and she fetched it.
I drank the ice-cold water and swallowed three painkillers. Alicia found me a clean t-shirt to wear that belonged to her father. It was a reasonable fit.
It was now time to make some decisions. Alicia was smart enough to know something strange was going on but she was too polite to ask. Geoffrey looked at me expectantly.
I had decided not to return to the car. Wherever we were going, it couldn’t be far. I decided the best idea was to spend the night in a hotel. I also had to call Charlotte.
I stood up and smiled at Alicia. I thanked her and said, ‘We’ll let you get back to preparing your boat.’
She said, ‘Are you sure you are okay? I can take you to see a doctor. There is one close by.’
‘I’m fine,’ I said assuring us both. ‘There’s nothing more a doctor can do. Thanks again.’ I pushed Geoffrey gently and we went up on deck. Alicia followed.
At the gangplank, she said, ‘If you are free tomorrow you are welcome to come sailing with me and my father. Geoffrey too,’ she added. ‘My father would like it. He enjoys speaking English to Englishmen.’
I said, ‘Thank you. Unfortunately, we already have plans that we cannot change.’ I pushed Geoffrey again and we walked across the gangplank onto the quayside.
Alicia called after us, ‘If you change your mind we sail early at eight o’clock.’
I turned and waved an acknowledgement of her words and kept walking. She stood and watched us go. Geoffrey waved goodbye and she waved back.
I was scanning the vicinity for any danger. I checked the people, the cars, the other boats, the tables outside the café and the road that led away from the quay. I didn’t see any of the three Russians or Treadwell and Baines. Were they really from the British consulate? I whispered to Geoffrey to ignore our car in case it was under surveillance and told him to keep walking. We left the quayside and the marina and walked uphill. Around the corner, after only a minute or two, we saw a hotel. I stopped beside a high wall and checked the area was clear. Geoffrey stood behind me. Then his phone rang.
I told him, ‘Put it on vibrate. The ringing may cause people to look at you.’
He nodded his agreement and pulled the phone from his bag. ‘It’s Charlotte again,’ he said.
I took it and answered, ‘Hello.’
Charlotte said,’ Listen, don’t hang up this is important.’ Without pausing she continued, ‘We have credible intelligence the Chinese have dispatched a professional from Hong Kong to kill Geoffrey. All we know is the assassin is female and she left Hong Kong two days ago. She is probably already on the island. We don’t know much about her. She works mostly in the Far East, but our source in China says she is one of their best.’
I cut in and said, ‘Oh good, another one; so now, as well as the three Russians and Treadwell and Baines, there’s a Chinese woman too, great, the more the merrier.’
Charlotte ignored my sarcastic rant and asked, ‘Treadwell and Baines?’
I breathed deeply, encouraging my heart rate to slow before I said, ‘They said they were from the British consulate and had been sent by the consulate-general, a man named Jeremy Davenport. They came for Geoffrey at the apartment where he had been staying while I was there fetching him after he ran out on me.’
There was silence and I heard Charlotte working her keyboard. She said, ‘There is a Jeremy Davenport at the consulate but no one by the name of Baines or Treadwell. What happened?’
‘They were British and they were there to kill him. Both of them were carrying K106s.’
Charlotte said, ‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes, I’m sure.’
‘What did you do?’
‘I overpowered them and we got away. Charlotte, do you know who they are?’
She answered without hesitation. ‘No,’ she said.
‘Well, I think they’re a couple of guys from your friend Sir George Winchester’s roster. So, the question is, Charlotte, what the hell’s going on?’
‘Why do you think that?’
‘They both had K106s.’ I waited for an answer. I wasn’t surprised that Charlotte didn’t give me one.
She said, ‘Listen, nothing has changed; you must still keep Geoffrey alive. I will find out more about Treadwell and Baines. When I know more, I’ll call you. And if anything else happens I’ll call.’
I said, ‘Like what? Finding out another country has sent a paid killer to join in with all the others.’
Charlotte said, ‘Tell me you’re not enjoying yourself and I’ll believe you.’
She was smart. I breathed deeply again and said, ‘I’ve bought a pay as you go phone. Take down the number.’ I read out the number for her. ‘You can use it to call me.’
She said, ‘I will.’ There was a pause.
I said, ‘Charlotte, whatever’s going on, find out fast and arrange a safe exit for us. I don’t know how much longer I can…'
I didn’t finish the sentence. I didn’t want to say, keep Geoffrey alive, out loud.
Charlotte hadn’t needed me to finish the sentence. She said, ‘I understand. Keep going. Remember you were the best out of a possible one hundred and sixteen.’
I found myself laughing and before I had stopped, she ended the call.
Chapter 14
When the declarer fails to make the contract, the defending pair receives points for undertricks.
I returned Geoffrey’s phone, I watched him turn off the ringer and select vibrate and then put it away in his hip pocket. I could see from the expression on his face that he also knew the ending to the sentence I hadn’t finished. His eyes fixed on me and I saw fear behind them like those of a man walking to the gallows. My face hardened and I burned my own stare into his.
I said, ‘Geoffrey, don’t get frightened. Remember what I told you. I promise you, I’m not going let anyone get to you. I’m going to get you out of this.’
His face lightened and he smiled and nodded. I still didn’t know what this was, but I was determined to keep him and me alive, at least until I found out.
Right, then we needed to get ourselves safely into the hotel and then I could consider our options. At that moment, I thought we were in a relatively strong position. I knew who was after us and I felt reasonably sure none of them knew where to find us. One thing they teach you in combat training is, always be ready for the unexpected. I guess I must have forgotten.
I scanned ahead and it was clear. There were only two elderly couples and one young family in view. We crossed over and walked up to the hotel entrance. I kept Geoffrey beside me and he hugged his bag tightly to his chest. I stopped at the double doors and looked in. The hote
l lobby was crowded with newly arrived holidaymakers. A coach must have recently arrived. One man and one woman were checking them in from behind the reception desk. It could take an hour before they were all processed. I didn’t want to wait that long. I gripped Geoffrey’s arm and we threaded our way through to the desk. I attracted the attention of the male receptionist and said, ‘I need a room, quickly.’
He attempted an unconvincing smile and replied, ‘I’m sorry, sir, but you’ll have to…'
I stopped him in mid-sentence by forcing a folded fifty-euro note into his hot palm. He looked down at it and then back at me. This time, his smile was much more convincing. He asked, ‘Can I have your passport, please, sir.’
I realised he was going to need to register my details and the only identification I had was my real one which was too dangerous to use. If any of the killers that were looking for us, or their back-up, had access to hotel computer databases then they would be able to find us. I pushed another fifty into his palm and said, ‘No passport. Just one room, one night and I’ll pay in cash.’
This time, the man didn’t smile. He started to explain, ‘I’m sorry, sir, but the hotel policy…,’ but before he could finish, rapid movement on my right-hand side caught my eye and I turned away from him. I moved immediately to defend my position. My muscles tensed and my eyes focused on the person coming directly at us. It was a woman. I thought she was targeting Geoffrey. Her eyes were cold and her mouth was set hard in an ugly gash. I saw one thing above all else. The woman’s appearance was Far Eastern. She was possibly Chinese. I reacted instinctively. My movement was aggressive, certain and single-minded. I shouldered Geoffrey forcefully making him fly. He dropped his bag as he sprawled away across the marble floor scattering holidaymakers as he went. Intercepting the woman, I grasped her upper arm and spun her away from Geoffrey. She lost her balance and grabbed at me involuntarily. I allowed myself to topple with her as she fell and deliberately landed on her against the reception desk. I pinned her on the floor, covering her mouth and searching her quickly for weapons. She struggled and attempted to bite my hand. My search didn’t find any weapons. I removed my hand and she swore coarsely and then asked, ‘What the hell are you doing?’ She was British. Her accent was South London. Her anger continued to spill out and she spat the words, ‘Get off me, you bastard.’