Part 28 (1/2)

'Very well. But I have to do it. It's my sacred duty.'

The sun was setting, and there was only just enough light to make out the channel as the Golden Goose Golden Goose led the convoy of strangely a.s.sorted s.h.i.+ps out of Gandanga Bay. They sailed southeast during the night. While it was still dark the next morning Hector and Hazel bathed and dressed in fresh clothes. Then they each drank a mug of strong black coffee, standing together in the kitchenette of the master suite without speaking. At precisely five o'clock Tariq knocked on the door and Hector opened it. led the convoy of strangely a.s.sorted s.h.i.+ps out of Gandanga Bay. They sailed southeast during the night. While it was still dark the next morning Hector and Hazel bathed and dressed in fresh clothes. Then they each drank a mug of strong black coffee, standing together in the kitchenette of the master suite without speaking. At precisely five o'clock Tariq knocked on the door and Hector opened it.

'Everything is ready,' Tariq told him.

'Thank you, old friend.' Hector left him at the door and went back to see Hazel sitting on the bed. She looked up at him. Her eyes were a shade of blue he had never seen them before, cold and sunless as an Arctic sea.

'Yes?' she asked.

'Yes!' he said and taking her hand he lifted her to her feet. He led her to the lift and they descended to the lowest level. When the doors opened he took her elbow and steered her out onto the stern deck. A section of the deck had been screened off with a heavy tarpaulin. Tariq walked ahead of them and held open the fly in the canvas. After they pa.s.sed through he closed it behind them.

Paddy and Nastiya were waiting for them. Paddy was seated in a folding canvas chair. His chest was strapped with surgical tape and his left arm was in a sling. Nastiya stood beside him with one hand resting lightly on his shoulder. Hector and Hazel went to stand at Paddy's other side. Hector looked at Tariq.

'Fetch Adam,' he ordered. Tariq went out through the opening in the canvas screen and returned almost at once. Two of the Cross Bow men followed him. They had Adam between them. His legs were paralysed with terror. His guards were half-dragging, half-carrying him. They let him drop on his knees in front of Hazel. Hector nodded at them and they went to stand guard at the entrance to the enclosure.

Adam knelt facing Hector and Hazel and his eyes were dark and swimming with tears. The black attache case was still chained to his wrist and with both hands he hugged it against his chest.

'Why does he still have that case? Take it away from him,' Hector demanded.

'There's a combination lock on the chain,' Tariq replied. 'He won't give it up. We cannot get it away from him.'

'Cut off his hand at the joint of the wrist, Tariq. The chain will slip off the stump easily enough,' Hector ordered. 'Use your trench knife.' Tariq stooped over Adam, drew the knife and grabbed his arm. Adam squealed like a piglet having its throat cut.

'No! Don't use that knife. I will give you the case.' He placed it in his lap and with shaking fingers tumbled the combination of the lock. At his second effort the chain fell from his wrist and he crawled across the deck and proffered the attache case to Hector with both hands.

'You and I can strike a bargain,' he sobbed. 'I know you are a man of your word, Hector Cross. In this little bag there are the internet bank codes and pa.s.swords to almost two billion dollars deposited in twenty-six banks around the world. We can share it, you and I. Set me free and you can take half the money.'

'The money is not yours, Adam. You stole it from the people whose s.h.i.+ps and goods you plundered.'

'Then, you can take all of it,' Adam pleaded. 'Two billion dollars! Take it all, but let me go.'

'Yes! I am am going to take it all, Adam,' Hector said with a nod, 'and I'm going to let you go to Iblis, the evil jinnee. He is waiting for you. Take the case from him, Tariq.' Adam wailed and tried to resist, clinging to the chain. Tariq reversed his knife in its scabbard and whipped the hilt across his temple. Adam released the chain to clutch at his skull with both hands. Tariq handed the attache case to Hector. He set it aside and concentrated his attention on the wretch cringing at his feet. going to take it all, Adam,' Hector said with a nod, 'and I'm going to let you go to Iblis, the evil jinnee. He is waiting for you. Take the case from him, Tariq.' Adam wailed and tried to resist, clinging to the chain. Tariq reversed his knife in its scabbard and whipped the hilt across his temple. Adam released the chain to clutch at his skull with both hands. Tariq handed the attache case to Hector. He set it aside and concentrated his attention on the wretch cringing at his feet.

'Adam, you are the perpetrator of countless acts of piracy, rape and murder. Even under the Sharia law which you profess to honour, all these are capital crimes. You are in manifest guilt. However, one of your victims was a young woman named Cayla Bannock. You raped and tortured her without mercy. Finally you murdered Cayla and her grandmother Grace Nelson by ordering your minions to decapitate them. Then you sent the two heads to Hazel Cross with a mocking message. Hazel Cross, who is Grace Nelson's daughter and Cayla Bannock's mother, stands before you now demanding retribution.'

Adam raised his head and gazed at Hazel. Blood trickled down his cheek from the blow that Tariq had dealt him. He was weeping and the tears diluted the blood and dripped onto his white robe.

Hector went on quietly, 'Cayla Bannock's mother stands before you now. She claims from you the right of retaliation granted to her under Sharia law. A life for a life.'

'Please!' He cupped his hands and held them out to Hazel in supplication like a beggar. 'It was my duty. I only did what was my duty to Allah and my ancestors. Please understand. Please have mercy.' Hector looked across at Tariq and nodded. Tariq had a folded canvas sheet lying at his feet. Now he spread this on the deck. Then the two Cross Bow men carried in a heavy sandbag and placed it in the centre of the sheet.

'Adam, go to the sheet and lie upon it with your head on the sandbag,' Hector ordered.

'No!' Adam blubbered. 'I have given you the money. I have paid the blood debt under Sharia law, and you have accepted it. You must let me go free.'

Hector drew the pistol from the holster on his webbing, and he reversed his grip and handed it b.u.t.t first to Hazel. She took it, pumped a round into the chamber and pointed the muzzle at the deck. Then Hector went to where Adam knelt. Adam's voice rose to a shriek.

'Mercy! I beg of you, mercy.'

Hector took hold of one of Adam's wrists and, seemingly without effort, twisted the hand up behind Adam's back and lifted him to his feet. He marched him to the spread canvas sheet and forced him belly down upon it.

'Place your head on the sandbag,' Hector ordered him quietly. 'It will stop the bullet after it has pa.s.sed through your skull. Afterwards the sandbag will weigh your corpse down when it goes into the sea.'

Adam screamed, a formless incoherent sound. Hector forced him down until the scream was m.u.f.fled by the sandbag. Then he looked up at Hazel.

'Are you ready?' he asked, and she nodded. She was weeping silently. She went and stood beside Hector and pointed the pistol down at Adam's head, but her shoulders were heaving and the pistol wavered and shook in her grip. She lifted it and pointed the muzzle at the sky. She was shaking her head and gasping for breath like a drowning woman. Nastiya Voronova left Paddy's side and came to her. She laid her hand gently on Hazel's shoulder.

'I vill do it for you, Hazel. I am trained for zis, and you are not,' Nastiya said; but Hazel shook her head again.

'No,' she whispered, 'it's my duty to G.o.d, my mother and my daughter.'

She lowered the pistol and aimed at the back of Adam's head. Her hands were suddenly rock steady and she was no longer sobbing. She fired a single shot. Afterwards there was no sound except the throbbing beat of the engines.

Hector took the pistol out of Hazel's hand and removed the magazine. He ejected the live round from the breach. Then he placed his arm around his wife's shoulder and said, 'Now it's over. It's done, and done well. Grace and Cayla are free and so are we.'

She buried her face against his chest and did not watch while Tariq and the two guards came forward. They rolled Adam and the sandbag into the canvas sheet and with a length of nylon cord trussed the bundle up neatly and securely. Then between them they carried the package to the stern rail and slid it over into the seething white wake of the s.h.i.+p. It disappeared without trace.

The USS Manila Bay Manila Bay intercepted the flotilla thirty nautical miles outside territorial waters. Commander Andrew Rob-ins's tone was incredulous as he called up the intercepted the flotilla thirty nautical miles outside territorial waters. Commander Andrew Rob-ins's tone was incredulous as he called up the Golden Goose Golden Goose.

'Golden Goose, this is Manila Bay Manila Bay. Is Captain Stamford available?'

'Hi there, Andy, this is Cyril Stamford.'

'Good to speak to you again, sir. There have been reports of some trouble in the Gulf of Aden. At a place named Gandanga Bay in particular.'

'Do tell, Andy! I wonder what that was about?'

'Well, sir, as long as you were not involved in any unpleasantness. I was a little worried for you.' There was a pause. 'I see you are sailing in company.'

'Darn funny thing, Andy, how these fellows latched onto me. Seems they lost their way.'

'How many are there, sir?'

'Nineteen at the last count.'

'My orders are to go to the aid of any vessels emerging from the Gulf of Aden who request a.s.sistance.'

'Then I will hand them all over to you, Andy, and get on my way.'

'Last time we spoke I thought you said you were bound for Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Captain Stamford?'

'Change of plan, Andy. My owners just can't make up their minds where they want me to go. Now I am on my way around the Cape of Good Hope.'

'Seems that the rumour of trouble in Gandanga Bay was an exaggeration. The last satellite report is that the bay is totally deserted.'

'Just goes to show, Andy, that you can't believe everything you hear.'