by Tobias Roote
Finally satisfied I was clear, I stood and whistled to Mercury, he would be on Patrol with Alice until I climbed back down to them. I had a job to do first. Alice looked up at my position. She could see me and I detected uncertainty in her, wondering why I was back up on the hill. Mercury was already on the beach and looking towards me, pacing up and down looking for danger.
I removed the contents from his pockets, then turned and hanging the rifle over my shoulder, I made a dash for the tree-line. Once under cover I recognised immediately that the assassin had been a loner, he had arrived by motorbike which he had parked near mine, he must have silently wheeled it the remaining distance.
Good! Likely he was following me and keeping his distance although I wondered how he had managed to follow me at all, I'm that careful. I thought about the strange glint in the sky, I was beginning to get a bad feeling about that.
I hadn't noticed a mobile in his gear. He had to be an advanced guard which meant the main force was either still coming, at the House, or on its way here. I reasoned they would be at the House and we were a secondary ‘easy’ target. They judged that wrong.
On a hunch I returned to the body and put my hand down under the collar. I soon found what I was looking for, a comms earpiece, probably with a limited range. He had wanted no distractions and removed it prior to stalking the kill. A professional would take verbal instruction right up to the pull of the trigger. I wondered where this one came from, he looked eastern European. I thought about the object in the sky, was it a link to his communicator. It fitted the scenario.
I ran back down to the beach, there was no time for finesse now, we had to move, and fast. I saw Mercury before Alice, she had sensibly swum out into deeper water where there was little chance of her being jumped. Mercury was patrolling the dunes.
Alice saw me and swam back to shore, fast strokes, the realised urgency of the situation pressing her to excel. As she came out of the water she looked at me and saw the rifle and gun still in my hand. I dropped the papers and keys and quickly dressed. Slipping the gun into the back of my trousers I took the rifle, an excellent Russian Vinty model with built-in silencer and put it into the carrier I had taken from the assassins bike.
“We have to go. Now! Change of plan. There’s no time to explain, get your clothes on, we have to get a long way from here as fast as possible.”
She nodded, now pale and just a little scared. It didn’t take a second for her to put two and two together. I hid the rifle deep under some gorse and threw the ammo pouch in with it. We couldn't take it with us, it would be too obvious and I didn't want it lying around for anyone to pick up. In the gorse it would be safe from accidental discovery.
Alice soon dressed and after looking around and seeing the diving gear still spread about, we quickly lugged it back into the box, locked it down and then hightailed it back up the ridge. I sent Mercury ahead on Patrol, he would bark if he heard, or saw, anything which would give us a few seconds warning.
We paused just before the ridge where I had killed the assassin and I heard Alice gasp as she caught sight of the body which was a good distance away. Mercury reappeared alternately sniffing the air towards the body and panting from his racing around, I patted him on his little rump as we moved quietly into the tree-line again towards the bike. For a small dog he was very effective.
Keeping the revs down we moved through the grove on an almost parallel path to the one we had arrived, but on a higher track. I didn’t want to meet anyone coming towards us and this route would take us farther along the coast before cutting through a property to another dirt track leading us to where we needed to go. I was on home ground and had the advantage. Now all I had to do was keep us hidden and alive.
I had checked the bike again for any devices that might have given us away. If there was anything at all I couldn't find it. If it was inside the seat, engine area or tyres there was nothing I could immediately do about it. I had decided that it was more important to put distance between us and our pursuers.
I felt Alice clinging tight to me, even Mercury was concentrating on keeping his position on the tank. I pushed the speed up when I could. When we finally reached a potholed back road we were nearly half an hour out and a good six miles away.
Keeping up the pace until we entered a small village just before our intended destination, I stopped the bike and wheeled it into a derelict barn. We needed to change our profile; they would be expecting two passengers and a bike.
CHAPTER 8
It was getting on towards siesta time as we walked on through the village. I lead us between the now quiet rows of small terraced cottages that ran higgledy up the side of the hill. There was a TV mast at the top and a fairly fast track down the other side which would take us as far as the bay where the Marina was situated. We could be there in about forty minutes and I would have to weigh up our next move once in sight of our destination.
The downward journey took an hour. The track had been churned up towards the end of the rainy season and it was ankle-breaking rough coming down especially with Alice wearing light sandals. I kicked myself for not getting her to change into sneakers this morning.
We could not approach the Marina without being seen. My preferred option would have been with the Scuba gear, but it was back at the beach. We could surface swim the short distance, but I wasn’t happy about that aerial anomaly I had detected; I suspected a small hand-controlled drone with limited comms and an on-board camera.
I had deliberately kept the bike in the trees and through the groves to hide direction and progress. I had not seen any sign of it since the beach, but I wasn’t taking any chances.
I settled instead on a nonchalant lovers walk along the beach with Alice, Mercury trotting beside us. We looked like a normal couple just out for a stroll. The boats papers, passports and food in the rucksack were slung over one shoulder, the gun was out of sight under my T shirt at my back within easy reach, also hidden by the rucksack.
As we neared the gate to the Marina I tried to visualise the layout and where the boat would be. It was in a rented mooring and if I remembered it right that would place it at the furthest point, closest to the sea on the second pontoon. More good planning by John, I thought.
Something nagged at the edge of my vision, out of place. Instinct made me stop, looking down at Alice I pulled her towards me and kissed her deeply. She responded immediately and as we both got caught up in it I had trouble concentrating. It would appear to anyone watching to be a perfectly natural action. It certainly felt like it to me.
Angling my position slightly I was able to eye up the car parked in shade a little up from the entrance on the other side. The two men inside were watching us, but not intently. When I let her go we continued walking together, more relaxed and intimate now. On reaching the beginning of the gate she looked up at me smiling, “Was that ALL for me, or did you just want to put on a show?”
I laughed, she was amazingly quick. Her ability to interpret what she saw and act within a character made her a ‘natural’ and as we both chuckled it took us past the gate and onto the pontoon. We looked like we knew where we were going and noting the numbers written in front of each gangplank, I guided us to the right pontoon.
The boat was a beauty. An old custom built classic, wooden hull with great lines and structure. The cabins were broken into two sections, the bridge and then lounge with kitchen area, and I reckoned at least one bedroom. I could see internal engine covers, hatch covers for provisions, sails and plenty of walkabout space fore and aft. She must be a good twenty metres, I thought.
The boat was worth a small fortune. I had no idea how John had managed to get hold of it. I imagined it being lovingly cared for as it appeared to be in immaculate condition. I suddenly felt in the mood for the open sea.
I had to appear to unlock and open the cabin as though I had done it a thousand times before. If anyone was watching from inside the Marina they had to have the confidence to ignore us completely as a poss
ible target. If we looked like we belonged they would keep their attention focused outside the Marina.
I used the ‘fumbling for the keys in the rucksack’ trick to give me time to case the joint and as I pulled them out exuberantly Alice smiled falling naturally into the role play and pretending I was an idiot for forgetting where I had put them. Mercury was all over the boat as if he had found home. He would be picking up John and Abbey's scent so, in fact to him, he probably had.
We got the cabin door open and I used the excuse of opening or checking the curtains around the boat to see if we were being watched. I couldn't see anything going on, but then I had missed the motor-biker following us this morning. I decided we would really have to watch our step from now on and assume we were being watched all of the time. A quick glance around the cockpit told me all I needed to know. The boat was rigged with everything it needed to manage day, night and long-term sea cruises. I noted the draw full of manuals, the service record of the engines as well as just about everything else.
I was used to boats. My training in the past had included everything up to a coastguard cutter and in any language, specifically Russian, Chinese and Iranian. As a result I knew how to get the best out of the pair of vintage Rolls Royce Merlins and having checked fuel, water, oil and supplies, I realised John had prepared for a long voyage. We were all ready to go, I just needed to get us quietly free of our mooring and out to sea.
I had left Alice to acquaint herself with the galley including finding the gas taps to turn on the hob so we could have a cuppa, I went through the drawers and cupboards getting to know where everything was and hunting for surprises that I knew John would have left for special occasions. The bedroom was a nice surprise, a full size bed had been squeezed in and on an impulse I lifted the mattress and was rewarded with a view through the slats of a small safe bolted to the floor. Ah! Abbey, your magic. Later, I thought.
I eventually found the gun cabinet hidden behind the wardrobe. It had been cleverly disguised so that anyone knocking the back frame would get a sound that matched being up against the bulkhead. I noted with satisfaction a good range of firearms, enough to stop a boarding party in its tracks and if needed cut the boat in half too. I took out a pair of night vision goggles. The rest I checked to see if they were clean and ready to fire and then replaced them, closing it back up behind the shirt rail where I had discovered it.
Choosing clothes from the wardrobe I changed into something more nautical and becoming of a large motorboat owner; picking up a pair of sunglasses and a peak cap on my way out of the cabin. I needed to go on deck. It was important that I looked the part and nothing like anyone’s description that had been passed down the line from this morning.
As I passed Alice, she turned and wolf whistled and we chuckled, she was handling all of this very well, I decided. All to the good, I thought as there was a lot that needed to occur yet. The biggest danger lay ahead. I wasn't sure how good the Island security was, or if they would contest a boat departing at night. I was hoping that John had prepared plenty of groundwork for a fast and sneaky exit under cover of darkness. We would find out shortly.
Out on deck I checked the lines. There were only two, one with the anchor pulling us away from the pontoon and the second tying us to the pontoon itself. Raising the ships anchor was not going to be quiet. On a hunch I took a peek into the aft section and noticed the outline of a spare anchor tucked away.
There was a U-bolt holding the two sections of the anchor chain together prepared to allow a quick exit, break or remove the U-bolt and you would be saved five to ten minutes retrieving the anchor and pulling yourself into the channel. You lose an anchor, but if you need a fast getaway it would work perfectly.
Bloody marvel you are, John. A Bloody Marvel! I sure hope you make it through this as I really want to shake your hand, I thought as I loosened the well greased pin. I wasn't ready to drop that yet. Even a splash at the moment would draw unwanted attention.
Returning to the cabin I used the opportunity to peruse the adjoining boats and the pontoons through the windows. There seemed no activity on any of the other yachts and motorboats in the immediate vicinity.
A large Gin Palace was moored just off the entrance of the bay, probably too deeply keeled to get through the channel and into the Marina proper. I needed to watch the activity on that before we moved out, I wouldn't put it past the enemy team to have arrived by sea. My survival instincts were kicking in again and I knew it would surface more and more as we got deeper into this. I only hoped my age and lack of recent training wouldn't get us both killed.
I sat down with Alice in the galley and we drank a cup of tea together while I tried to outline the situation and my plan, for what it was worth. I had intended to hole up here for a few days and discreetly exit along with other boats and yachts as circumstances permitted. However, the vigilance of the watchers and the beach assassin really put paid to that. We needed to put some distance between the Island and us, and very soon before they started closer checking of all movement.
I intended to slip the anchor at dusk when light and sound was at its worst. That would give us the best chance of avoiding obstacles without running aground or into obstructions in the dark. The navigation maps were obviously useful, but I didn't know if there was anything placed in the bay to stall us. I remember scenarios in my training where simple booms were placed across entrances to hamper clandestine exits and that Gin Palace was a little too opportunely placed for my liking. Paranoia creeping in, I decided.
As the evening crept on bringing darkness with it, I went forward to the cockpit and started the generator. I needed to create noise, but only background noise. After a further ten minutes I started the engines and watched for any external activity. There was none.
Ten minutes later I went down the gangplank and discreetly slipped the line holding us to the pontoon throwing it onto the boat. Then back on board, I coiled the rope and left it tidy ready for use.
All the time I was quietly watching portholes, windows, curtains of boats and yachts as well as movement from the gate. I noticed that this was now closed, I suspected it was locked at night and remembered a key card in the pack. Yes, that would be it. Good! A piece of luck that might make the difference. The car couldn't see us from here and with luck wouldn't hear us either.
moving to the stern instead of operating the winch motor which would have created a racket this time of evening, I took twine out of my pocket and tied it to the chain above the loosened pin and ran it twice around a deck cleat.
As I removed the pin and slipped off the U-bolt, the twine took up the strain. As I released it slowly the chain slipped silently into the water. I cut the twine and it disappeared off the edge of the stern, it would be deep enough here not to foul the engines as we moved out.
Returning to the cockpit, I put the engines into reverse, listening to the quiet chugging as the exhaust gases bubbled out the aft end, then ever so slowly inched out of the mooring.
I had turned on the radio to listen to any chatter, but none came. When I swung the wheel and changed to forward gear, creeping slowly past the remaining boats on the outside of the Marina, I continued to watched for any unusual activity that could signal action. It remained quiet as we crept forward towards the open sea, the breath I had been holding slowly hissed through my teeth.
Another five minutes at lowest speeds and we were clear of the gin palace and heading towards the open sea. I opened the engines up a little to give us momentum against the incoming currents that suddenly appeared as we cleared the shelter of the bay, the immense power of the Merlins barely registering. The Gin Palace off to starboard was quiet, evidently a small dinner party in progress in the dining room. From this close it was possible to see through the windows.
We had no running lights and were now moving in total darkness. Radar was on and the instrumentation I noticed, had been upgraded recently, more of John's work, and the GPS provided our position on the computerised charts.
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We would not get lost, but running black could bring us to the attention of the coastguard. I made the decision and turned on the running lights and internals. I pushed the engines up to half throttle which would give us fair fuel economy and a decent speed. I aimed to get past the Island in the next hour or two and then head across to Italy, then France. I would see how we progressed in the next few hours and make the final course change once we rounded the Island.
The boat should be untraceable and clean as John was very thorough. Someone might want to track down all boat movements during tonight and pick up our ID and route, but I was hoping that the records would put off any interest for the time being, allowing us to disappear on the next stage before we were traced.
If our enemy had access to State facilities we might well find it difficult to disappear, so we had to get onto the mainland and then run for the safe houses John had set up. I remembered the safe in the bedroom and called Alice up to the cockpit and got her to keep an eye out while I went forward to the cabin.
Once inside I turfed out the bedding and remembering Abbeys final comment to me put in Alice's birthday, which of course I knew as they had made me celebrate it with them the last two years. I input the numbers and it popped open. Inside was more cash, a memory stick and a letter addressed to me. How far ahead had they planned this with my involvement? I was beginning to feel that I was the only one that didn't know what was going to happen next.
I found an old memory stick with charts on it and a few pics, put it into the safe and relocked it. An old tip I had learned years ago which might come in handy. I replaced all the bedding and returned to the cockpit. I would read the letter in a while. Once we were in open waters.
Giving Alice a big hug, and sensing the sexual games were no longer in her head, I suggested she went and slept on the bed with Mercury as it was going to be a long night. I needed sleep myself and had an idea when I checked the charts. There was a small uninhabited island coming up on our route in a few hours which had a natural storm shelter that we could drop anchor in.