Shaking hands as he left the wheelhouse, he smiled,
“Pity you don’t have space for one more. Next time, perhaps, captain, eh?” he grinned as he vanished over the side and onto the waiting launch below.
Marion and Rick returned to the bungalow after their fruitless search around the nearest cafés for the missing Sophie to find Oscar’s hastily scribbled message.
I think we have located Sophie. We’re going to collect her. It is very important that you find Dick and Annie. You must collect his wife and child urgently. Then get everyone back to the boat; ask Dick to meet us at the mouth of the old fish quay and keep out of sight — it isn’t safe anywhere for the moment.
Take care.
Oscar X
“What does it mean?” a desperate Remi asked his mother.
“It means that something may have happened to Sophie but we must leave it to Oscar and Greg, they will know how to handle it,” she said, trying to comfort him. “Right now the best thing for us is to do as Oscar instructed. OK?”
Remi shrugged his shoulders.
“We better grab a taxi then.”
They arrived at Dick’s boatyard just as he was locking the door.
“Hello there,” he welcomed them cheerfully.
Marion walked straight up to him, politely shook the outstretched hand and immediately started to explain about the missing Sophie; she only released his hand to show him the note.
Dicks face was grim.
“It’ll be that bastard brother-in-law of mine I’m certain.” He re-read the note. “Come on, Annie’s on the boat. She’ll know what to do!”
Annie was clearly alarmed by the situation but remained calm.
“Dick, you and I have to do this. It’s not these people’s responsibility. Do you agree?”
The reluctant Dick sighed but recognised that he finally had to square up to the responsibility of facing his brother-in-law and extracting his wife from his deadly control.
“You’re right. I’m sure it’ll be safe here on the boat, for the time being any way, so you two stay here. We’ll go and collect Lucy and the baby.” Dick smiled encouragement. “I’m sure those men of yours will find Sophie.” He placed a reassuring hand on Remi’s shoulder. “Right now you must look after your mum; make her a cup of tea or something — it’s all there.” He waved at the galley, turned and left with Annie.
They took the battered pickup and roared into town, dodging the other equally excitably driven commuter vehicles.
They pulled into the alley at the rear the building, near what appeared to be the kitchens. Dick turned the pickup and parked facing the way out.
“Ready for a quick getaway,” he said to no one in particular as he locked the door. “Over this way,” Dick instructed Annie and headed towards the open fire exit doors. As he was about to enter, two men and a woman tumbled into the alley from the fire exit. Startled, Dick stepped back to let them pass.
“Oh Greg,” Annie recognised them at once. “What’s happened to you?” she screamed.
Greg, still without his shirt and smeared with blood and temporarily blinded by the bright exterior light, threw his hands in front of his face shielding his eyes, while trying to figure out who could possibly know him.
Oscar, though also stunned by the brightness, recognised Dick at once. “You’re just the man — can you get us out of here?” he pleaded, pulling Sophie from the shadows.
“We’re here to collect Lucy and the baby as you said. What are you doing here?” Annie interjected in surprise.
“I’m sorry Annie but your brother kidnapped Sophie and tried to beat the location of the submarine out of Greg.” He raised his hands. “Look we just can’t stand here all day. You say that Lucy and her baby are here as well?”
Annie nodded.
“Then we better find them before your brother does. I’m afraid that we’ve upset his plans quite a bit today already,” Greg laughed cynically.
“Annie you stay here with Greg and Sophie. Dick and I will collect the others,” Oscar commanded, turning back into the building. “You lead the way Dickie my friend. I’ll ride shotgun,” he called, pulling the handgun from his belt.
They took the stairs two at a time until they were back on the third floor. Dick seemed unaffected by the climb but Oscar was wheezing with the effort.
One by one, Dick opened the doors along the corridor calling, “Lucy are you there?”
Several rooms produced voluble curses from male or female voices. “Ah fuck off,” Dick responded angrily to one particularly imaginative expression.
As he opened the door of the last room on the top corridor, a shot was fired, narrowly missing the burly fisherman.
“I wondered when you’d get here you oaf,” the voice of his brother in law sneered. “So you think you can betray us eh? Well let’s see if this will help to change your mind.”
Dick edged cautiously into the dimly lit room. Oscar remained out of sight.
Dick saw at once that the nearly naked woman lay on the bed was Alice; she appeared to be feebly choking on something. The man stood holding the child by its feet, just as if it were a chicken. It was silent.
“You bastard!” Dick roared, taking a step forward but stopped dead in his tracks when the man held the child a little higher, a clear gesture that he would drop it if Dick got any closer.
“That’s close enough traitor,” the man slurred; he was obviously high on something.
Dick raised his hand.
“Hold on Len — I’m here to talk,” he said firmly. “Now put the kid down and you’ll see that everything is going to be OK!” he reasoned.
The man hesitated, then a sick smile spread across his previously pained face. “So just what do you want to talk about Dickie boy?”
He lowered the child to the bed; strangely it still made no sound.
Dick moved over to the bed and carefully moved the child into a more comfortable position next to Lucy. The child looked up trustingly at Dick and gurgled; amazingly it appeared to be completely unperturbed by the experience.
Dick turned his attention to Lucy, who had stopped choking and lay staring at the ceiling. He reached out to touch her cheek. The sound of the gun firing invaded his mind and reverberated throughout his body, temporarily freezing him to the spot. It was a second or two later before he was able to turn to see Oscar, gun in hand, an empty expression on his face as he stared at the floor just beyond the bed.
Dick followed his gaze; the man Len was slumped on the floor, blood already spreading from the severed artery in his neck. He could not speak larynx had been torn away by the soft nosed slug. The stiletto knife he had been about to thrust into Dick’s unprotected back was still held loosely in his hand.
“He was about to stab you,” Oscar said softly.
Dick turned back to Lucy. “I think Lucy is dead.” His hand trembled as he tried to cover her naked breast by straightening her blouse. He shook his head in disbelief. “They’ve killed her,” he whispered, his head bowed.
Oscar moved towards the bed and felt Lucy’s neck but there was no sign of any pulse.
“What’s going on down there?” a strange voice shouted.
“Come on Dick, there’s nothing we can do for her — we have to get out of here. Is the baby OK?”
Dick carefully picked up the silent child and caressed it lovingly.
“He seems to be unharmed,” he confirmed, quietly sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Look I’m sorry about Lucy but we’ll be in big trouble if we don’t move now!” Oscar urged.
Dick looked up.
“OK I’m coming.” He looked down once more at the dead body of his wife, stood up and, holding tightly onto the baby, followed Oscar from the building.