Matron waited until Ben and Badger were ready with the oars. Then she said “Cast off!” and the boat moved silently away from the side of the ship, the only sound being that of the oars dipping gently into the water.
“That’s good, boys,” Matron whispered. “Row firm and hard. In and out. That’s the way.”
It was no more than a few minutes before they saw the dark bulk of the Albatross towering over them. From down below it looked enormous, and they realised that it would not be easy to get on board. But then Ben spotted something beneath the bowsprit, the sturdy pole that projects out from the bow of a sailing ship.
“There’s a net hanging under the prow,” he whispered to Matron. “Over there. Look!”
“Well spotted,” whispered Matron. “Row that way.”
It was one of those nets that are sometimes suspended beneath the bow of ships to catch anybody who falls off. That can happen when people are attending to rigging and lose their hold, or perhaps trip up over an untied lace, or are not ready for the sudden lurch of the ship as it crests a wave. The net on this ship had sagged, and so by standing up in the rowing boat, they were able to get hold of it and pull themselves up. Soon they were all on the deck of the Albatross, their rowing boat safely tied to a handy railing.
“Follow me,” said Matron, her lowered voice barely audible above the breeze that had blown up.
In single file they moved slowly along the deck to the companionway. This was where Ben and Thomas had gone down below earlier that day, shortly before being stopped by Hardtack and Shark. Ben felt his breath coming quickly, almost in gasps. Fear had that effect on him, and he was now afraid, in spite of trying to be as brave as possible.
He was not alone. Keeping close to Poppy, Fee wondered what would happen if they were caught. If these people really were criminals, as Ben had suggested, then they could do anything – perhaps even be violent. And for her part, Poppy, who always seemed confident and cheerful, found herself keeping as close as she could to Matron.
They crept down below, where they were in complete, inky darkness. Matron was using a torch, the beam of which she largely shielded with a cupped hand, allowing it to emit only a faint sliver of light. But this was enough to make out where they were going and what lay about them.
On the first deck below they found the chart room, where the ship’s navigator would plot the boat’s course. Then they found the radio room, with its transmitters and microphones, its dials and lights, some of which were still glowing in the dark.
Suddenly the radio cackled into life. “Albatross, Albatross, Albatross,” a voice said. “This is Shore Station Alpha. Are you receiving me? Over.”
They froze.
“This is Albatross,” whispered Ben to Matron. “They want to speak to us.”
“I know how to work a radio,” said Thomas, stepping forward. “Should I answer it?”
Matron said yes, adding that Ben should help by making a crackling noise in the background. This would sound like radio interference and it would help to disguise Thomas’s voice.
“Shore Station Alpha,” said Thomas. “This is Albatross. Receiving you loud and clear. Over.”
And while he said this, Ben cleared his throat in the background, making a noise that sounded like airwave static. “Ggghhh,” went Ben. And then, “Hgghsh ghrrgh.”
There was a brief silence at the other end before the next transmission came. “Albatross, this is Shore Station Alpha. You are not very clear – please speak slowly. Have you got what you came for? Over.”
Thomas looked enquiringly at Matron.
“Say yes,” whispered Matron.
Thomas relayed the message, speaking more slowly now and with less noise from Ben.
“Albatross,” came the voice once more, “this is Shore Station Alpha. Pick up further consignment from us the day after tomorrow. Two more captured yesterday to add to what you have. Can you confirm please? Over.”
Again Thomas looked to Matron for guidance. Again Matron told him to say yes.
There came a final transmission. “Albatross, this is Shore Station Alpha. Filming deception worked. All local papers carried reports. Coast Guard not suspicious. No interest from police. Well done. Out.”
Thomas put down the microphone.
They looked at one another and then at Matron, waiting to see if she could throw light on what they had just heard.
“This means only one thing,” she said. “There is something on board this ship that they don’t want anybody – particularly the Coast Guard – to know about.”
“But what was that about two more being captured?” asked Poppy. “Two more what? People?”
Matron frowned. “I don’t think so,” she said. “Why would they be capturing people?”
Poppy shrugged. “Perhaps they’re not after people; perhaps they’re talking about something else altogether.”
Matron pointed to the companionway that led to the lower decks. “Whatever it is will be down there,” she said.
“Follow me.”
She was about to leave the radio room when Fee, who was standing nearest to the door, heard a voice somewhere not far off. She tapped Matron’s shoulder. “Somebody’s coming,” she whispered.
The Secret of the Dark Waterfall Page 13