Red Hawk Rising

by Peter William Hall

  “Tell you later, Mrs Saxby,” replied Yvonne, “this is urgent.” She knew Mrs Saxby would most likely listen in even though she wasn’t supposed to. Bob answered the ‘phone and Yvonne told him what had happened to Jamie.

  “That’s strange,” said Bob. “He’s a mountaineer. It’s not like him to fall off a jetty. I’ll check with the sick quarters later and find out what they can tell me.”

  “Let me know, won’t you, Bob,” said Yvonne.

  “Don’t worry, girl. I’ll call you as soon as I’ve got some information.”

  “Thanks, Bob,” she said and then hung up. A minute or so later the police constable walked into the shop.

  Bob thought for a minute and then went to his desk and looked for a telephone number that he had been given to use for such an eventuality as this. He dialled the number and a Squadron Leader Burns answered the call. Bob told him what had happened to Jamie Rogerson. He was thanked and told that they would take it from there. The telephone clicked dead and Bob hung up, letting out a big sigh at the same time. He went through to the kitchen and told his wife the news.

  She was shocked. “He was such a nice lad, and a good worker. How could that happen?” she asked.

  “That’s the big question,” Bob replied. “No doubt the police will be trying to find out. The poor lad was still unconscious when the ambulance drove off. I’d better organise some help to replace Jamie. It sounds as though he won’t be working for a while. We also need to get the van back from Parfleet St Peter.” He opened his book of contacts and started telephoning.

  Within fifteen minutes, Air Vice-Marshall Denby had received the news. He ordered that RAF West Sanby sick quarters be advised that the patient was a member of the RAF and was to be kept there or transferred to a RAF hospital. A telex was to be sent giving the patient’s number, rank and name and his home unit. The home unit was to be notified by RAF West Sanby. Denby was thoughtful. Rogerson had concussion, a fractured shoulder and was unconscious. It sounded more likely that he had been attacked and that his injuries were not accidental. He decided to let Hamilton of MI5 know and also get Corporal Hill to see what he could find out. Clearly Rogerson had got too close to someone or something.

  About an hour had elapsed since Berin had slipped out of the village and walked north. He was walking along the beach at a steady pace. If he saw someone coming he would pretend to be looking for flotsam to put into his bag. Berin decided to keep walking north until he came to Humberston and then he would head for Grimsby to catch a train to Lincoln and then one to Louth. That would be his cover. He wondered whether Jamie had survived and whether he had recognised who attacked him. Berin decided that when he got back to the village he had better arm himself and be prepared to leave quickly.

  In the sick quarters at RAF West Sanby, the doctor was concerned that Jamie was still unconscious. They didn’t have the facilities to deal with something like this and he needed to be moved to a hospital. He ordered the patient to be prepared for a transfer. As he was ordering this, the doctor was handed a telex with instructions about the patient. The doctor raised his eyebrows but took the information in his stride. He told the orderly to get RAF Hospital Nocton Hall on the telephone.

  Squadron Leader Dawson was settling into his new office when the telephone rang. The station operator said that it was a call from Air Ministry and must be put on scrambler. Surprised, Dawson put the telephone onto scrambler mode and received the call. It was Group Captain Clarkson explaining the situation. “Get Corporal Hill out there immediately to find out what has happened. The police have already questioned the locals but Hill is pretty observant. He also knows some of the locals and he may pick up details that the police didn’t. Don’t waste time as the attacker could still be in the area. I’ve let Hamilton know but it will take time for him to get men there.”

  Dawson acknowledged and then hung up. He called the adjutant in and told him the situation. “Get Corporal Hill and have him go over to Parfleet St Peter and see what he can find out.” said the CO, “let him take the Landrover. He can then take the short-cut through the farms.”

  “Very good, sir.” He left the CO’s office and headed for the telephone. Ten minutes later Corporal Hill was driving out of the main gate of the base, having been briefed by the Adjutant. Corporal Hill realised that it must be Corporal Jamie Rogerson, alias a barman, that had been injured. He realised that he needed to see Yvonne as soon as he got to Parfleet St Peter and then look around the harbour area. It seemed that there must have been an assailant and that it wasn’t an accident. The most likely suspects were the master and crew of the Penny Jane but Andy knew that he must not jump to conclusions. It could be a local who was keen on Yvonne and didn’t like her interest in Jamie. He needed to find out.

  The police constable parked the car in the Louth Police station yard and he and the sergeant got out. They headed into the station and the policeman on the desk said, “Sarge, the inspector wants to see you straight away.”

  “Do you know what for?’ he asked. The desk officer shook his head. The sergeant headed for the inspector’s office, knocked on the door and entered. “You want to see me, sir?” he asked.

  “Yes, Sergeant. How did you go on that Parfleet St Peter case?”

  “Well, we interviewed the three witnesses and had a look around but couldn’t find anything except a recently smashed crab pot. There was a partial footprint in sand on a retaining wall and what may have been footprints on the dune. Looking over to the beach I couldn’t see anyone. I would say the man was attacked but there are no witnesses and I couldn’t find any evidence for that,” said the sergeant. “I need to contact the sick quarters at RAF West Sanby and find out if the victim has regained consciousness and whether I can interview him.”

  “It seems that MI5 is interested in the case,” said the inspector. “Get your report written up as soon as possible. They are sending a man from London to speak to you. Also, contact RAF West Sanby and find out the latest situation.”

  “Doesn’t sound good if MI5 is getting involved, sir. I’ll get the report done as soon as possible,” said the sergeant, and he left the inspector’s office. Going to his desk the sergeant called the young constable over and told him to telephone RAF West Sanby and ask about the victim. On telephoning, the young constable was told that the victim was a Corporal James Rogerson on leave from the RAF and was being transferred to RAF Hospital Nocton Hall. He was on his way there by ambulance. The constable told the sergeant and he responded with, “The plot thickens! Okay, son. Get us both a mug of tea and then let us get this report prepared. We still need the RAF doctor’s statement but we can get that later.”

  Walmar was walking down the street from the school when the RAF Landrover went past him and turned down towards the harbour. He had heard the ambulance bell earlier but at the school they didn’t know the details of the emergency. He decided to go past his house and on down to the harbour to find out what was happening.

  The Landrover pulled up outside the fish shop and Andy went in to see Yvonne. She wasn’t there but a local woman was behind the counter. Andy asked for Yvonne and was told that Yvonne was home. The co-operative partners had sent her home after her experience. Andy asked what had happened and the woman told him the story of how Yvonne had seen Jamie floating in the harbour and swam out to rescue him. Andy asked where Yvonne lived and the woman told him. He thanked her and went out. He reflected that if Yvonne had come out of the shop and walked towards the quayside and saw Jamie floating in the harbour and also the two men on that fishing boat then it must have happened down near the end of the sheds. Walking along the edge of the quay, Andy saw nothing. He turned and looked past the end of the sheds and saw a back lane to them. He decided to investigate. Near the third shed up, Andy noticed some fresh wood splinters on the ground and the broken crab pot. He looked around and saw the trolleys at the back of the co-operative but nothing looked out of place. Walking up to them, Andy noticed one had a tarpaulin lying on it.
He lifted the tarpaulin and saw smudges of blood on the underside, as if it had covered something that was bleeding. Andy wondered about the crab pot. If Jamie was unconscious and had a smashed shoulder, could it mean that Jamie had picked up the crab pot and swung it to protect himself? That could explain his particular injuries. He explored the lane for further clues and then looked over the other side of the lane where a low wall kept the sand from drifting in. Nearly opposite the third shed Andy noticed the footprint that the police sergeant had seen. The footprint faced the wall with the emphasis being on the sole as though someone was climbing onto the wall. Andy looked over the wall and noticed the depressions in the sand dune and partially flattened blades of dune grass that hadn’t yet returned to the perpendicular. It suggested that someone had gone over the wall in the last two or three hours, judging by the grass. Andy then climbed up to see where the impressions led. He moved parallel to them. They became less noticeable as the wind blew more sand into them but the broken grass showed the direction. The trail led through the dunes for a way before going towards the shoreline. They disappeared where the sea had washed over them. Andy thought, assuming those are the footprints of the assailant, he then has had well over an hour head start and it wouldn’t be possible to catch him. He walked round to the front of the sheds and headed for the Landrover.

  Andy saw Walmar walking down to his shed and noted that it was the third shed up. It was the back of this shed where the broken crab pot was. As he drew near, Walmar asked, “What are you doing around our sheds?”

  Andy replied, “Jamie was a mate of mine and I suspect foul play so I came to find out what I could.”

  “So what did you find?” asked Walmar.

  “Well,” replied Andy, “at the back of your shed is a crab pot which has been hit pretty hard. It fits with Jamie’s injuries. Then someone went over the lane wall and walked up the beach to the north in the last couple of hours, judging by the footprints. Where were you?”

  Walmar looked surprised. “Me? Don’t be stupid. I’ve been helping out at the school this morning. You can check. We heard an ambulance bell earlier but assumed that someone must be ill and was taken to hospital. I just found out what really happened before talking to you.”

  “Sorry,” said Andy, “but you can’t blame us for being suspicious.”

  “That’s okay,” said Walmar.

  “By the way, where is your crewman?” Andy asked Walmar.

  “He’s away until tonight. He left on Sunday,” Walmar told him.

  “I’d better be getting back,” said Andy. “Thanks.” He climbed into the Landrover and drove off.

  Walmar felt a little stunned. He walked around the sheds and up the lane to the back of his own shed. He saw the old crab pot that he had used to hide a key to the back door. All the local fishermen knew it was there but it was hardly ever used. Walmar wondered who could have done it. Berin wasn’t due back until this evening but could he have come back earlier? No-one local would have done such an attack. A couple of the younger men resented Yvonne’s interest in Jamie but they wouldn’t attack another man for that. Now it meant that the police would be back. The airman would report it to the officers. What would that mean? If there was a serious investigation could he be in danger of losing everything that he held dear here? Walmar was worried. He needed to think this through but the key was whether Berin was involved. Walmar thought back to Berin being upset at Jamie taking a photo of them both on the boat and how he wanted to get the film and destroy it. He sighed and turned for home.

  Corporal Hill arrived back at the unit and reported to Squadron Leader Dawson. He told the CO what they had found. “All right. Thank you, Corporal. I think it would take too long to get an aerial check done. The nearest RAF helicopter is at Waddington. By then the suspect could be off the beach and have disappeared. I’ll take it from here. Write up a report as soon as possible and let me have it. That will be all.” The Unit CO nodded as he finished speaking. Corporal Hill came to attention, saluted and then left his office. Squadron. Leader. Dawson picked up the telephone and asked for a number at Air Ministry. He was put through to Group Captain Clarkson and then engaged the scrambler. Dawson told Clarkson what the Corporal Hill had found out. He also explained that too much time had elapsed to be able to check on the person who had walked up the beach and that by now they would have left it and be hard to find. “Thanks, Dawson. I’ll pass it on to Hamilton. Let MI5 follow it through now. Keep me posted on any developments.”

  “Yes, sir,” replied Squadron Leader Dawson and then hung up the telephone. Group Captain Clarkson then Rang Air Vice-Marshall Denby with the latest information. Denby then rang Hamilton at MI5 and brought him up to date.

  He said to Hamilton, “It is interesting that that man Enderby is reported to be out of the village at the same time that the driver from Jennings Industries is killed in Coventry. That doesn’t prove anything, of course, but it needs to be considered.”

  “I agree, sir,” said Hamilton. “We’ll check on it as best as we are able.” They hung up.

  Yvonne was dozing in front of the fire when the telephone rang. She roused herself and picked up the handset. It was Bob from The Hound and Pheasant. “What news have you got, Bob?” Yvonne asked.

  “Well, it’s not so good at the moment,” replied Bob. “I telephoned the sick quarters at the RAF station and was told that Jamie had been transferred to the RAF hospital at Nocton Hall. He had a fractured shoulder, was unconscious and suffering from concussion.”

  “Nocton Hall?” queried Yvonne. “Why has he been sent to an RAF hospital?”

  “Well, lass, it seems that he’s still in the RAF but I can’t tell you any more than that. At least he will be safe where they have taken him.”

  “Thanks, Bob,” said Yvonne and hung up. She went back to the armchair and sat down. If Jamie was still in the RAF what was he doing working at The Hound and Pheasant as a cellarman. Bob was right. Jamie wouldn’t just fall off the wharf or one of the boats. Something bad had happened. She wondered what the connection was between him and Andy Hill. Were they just mountaineering friends or was there more to it? Yvonne sighed and thought of her feelings for Jamie. She knew she wanted to be with him. It was the first time she had felt like this about a man since her husband died. Yvonne decided that she would stick by Jamie so the next thing to do was to find out whether she could visit him at RAF Nocton Hall. It was now about seeing that he got well again and she knew he would need her support.

  Berin had walked off the beach and into Humberston where he was able to get a bus into Grimsby. He was now waiting for a train that would take him to Lincoln. From there he would travel to Louth and then to Parfleet St Peter. No doubt he would be asked where he had been. He hadn’t told Walmar where he was going so no-one knew except himself. The bus driver from Louth might remember him being on an earlier bus but since it was the busy period he may not remember. Berin decided that he would have to just take one step at a time on this.

  Back at MI5, Hamilton sat at his desk reflecting on the situation. He wondered about the Pole, Walmar, and the turnover of his crewmen. He decided to try and find out more about that and telephoned another section of MI5. He asked them to go back through the reports and find out when a Russian vessel has been reported off the Lincolnshire coast near the mouth of the Humber. He also wanted to know when a Russian vessel had actually docked at a port in the Humber. An MI5 man was already en route to Louth and Parfleet St Peter. Hamilton decided to get instructions to him to ask the locals when Walmar had had changes of crewmen. The agent already had a copy of the photograph of Enderby and knew that the man could be dangerous. Hamilton decided that he would also put a higher priority on the background check to Enderby. He also decided to get a copy of the photograph of Enderby to the agent in Coventry and tell him to ask if anyone remembered seeing him on the day that Eddy Dennis died. Hamilton knew that he could hand this part over to the local police but felt that it would complicate matters at this stage. />
  At RAF Nocton Hall, Corporal Jamie Rogerson was having his shoulder set and encased in plaster. He was still unconscious and this concerned the doctors. He had received a blow to the head and then oxygen had been cut off to the brain when his lungs filled with water. It was planned to put him into intensive care until he had recovered consciousness. An order came through that he was to be allowed no visitors until he regained consciousness and was deemed fit enough to receive visitors. The police would want to interview him but they would have to wait until authorisation came through for that. Nocton Hall was used to unusual cases and the Senior Medical Officer prepared a list of RAF nursing staff that would be rostered to care for Corporal Rogerson. This would ensure his safety.

  It was nearly 16.30 hours and Commander Edgar Rice of MI5 drove into Louth. He was, of course, in civilian dress. Navigating his way to the police station, he parked his car outside and walked in and up to the front desk. Pulling his I.D. out of his pocket, he showed it to the constable on duty and asked to see the inspector. The young constable’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as he looked at the card and back up to Commander Rice. He had never met an agent of MI5 before but had read much about their exploits. He almost stammered, “Certainly, Sir,” and hurried to the inspector’s office. Rice smiled to himself at the reception. It wasn’t the first time it had happened since the novels of the “James Bond” character were published. Of course, Bond was MI6 and not MI5. The young constable came back, opened a door at the side of the counter and asked Commander Rice to follow him. He was shown in to the inspector’s office and the inspector came round his desk to welcome him. “Commander Rice, Inspector. I understand you were expecting me.”

  “Yes,” was the reply. “Lockley’s the name. Please have a seat. Would you like a cup of tea?”

  Rice responded, “Thanks, but could you make it coffee, please. It’s been a long, fast drive up from London.”