Blood Ransom (11 page)

I felt mean inside for saying them . . . for thinking them . . . and yet . . .

Lewis stared at me, horrified. ‘I hope not,’ he said. ‘Man, I hope not.’

‘It doesn’t matter now anyway,’ I said awkwardly. ‘All that matters is getting her out.’

The time until we left passed slowly. Lewis went over the plan several times.

‘Apparently there’s only one place we can land on Calla, so whoever’s on the island will probably be guarding, or at least monitoring, what happens there. Once we’ve
arrived we’re going to have to move as quietly as possible.’

‘I know,’ I said. ‘I get it.’

‘Do you?’ Lewis fixed me with a stare. ‘If Rachel’s on this island there’ll be people there with guns. I don’t have one. D’you get that? All I have is a
knife. We have to be quiet and we have to be quick. Get in. Get Rachel. Get out.’

I swallowed. ‘I’m not afraid.’

Lewis muttered something I didn’t quite catch.

I didn’t ask him to repeat it.

At last it was time. We drove well out of Roslinnon to a battered old marina, where Lewis took charge of the boat he’d hired.

As Lewis went over the controls, I tugged my wool hat down round my ears. Lewis and I were both dressed in dark trousers and black jumpers, with dark jackets. We had to hope this would help keep
us unseen when we reached Calla.

I sat, as directed, in the bow of the boat as the motor revved. It was a small motorboat – just room for me at the front and Lewis at the back. I looked into the darkness. There were
lights on one of the large islands nearby, but I knew Calla was much further away.

I took deep breaths of the cold salty air as we set off.

This was it.

It felt like hours later when Lewis turned off the light in the boat and slowed the engine to a chug. The sea spray that had been spattering my face fell away and the moon came
out from behind a dark cloud.

I could just make out the coastline ahead – a dark beach under a jetty lit with a single lamp. Another boat – larger than ours – was already moored against the jetty.

‘Only one boat to disable,’ Lewis muttered.

I peered at the lamp. It was fastened to the shelter at the end of the jetty. Beneath it, a small security camera was swivelling away from us.

‘That camera is sweeping the jetty,’ I whispered. ‘We’ll have to moor up behind the big boat so it doesn’t see us.’

Lewis followed my gaze. ‘Good thinking,’ he said.

He cut the engine and paddled us up to the hull of the other boat. As the camera on the jetty shelter turned away from us, Lewis hauled himself up, clambering silently into the other boat. There
was the swift ripping sound of a knife tearing through plastic. I watched the camera. It was still focused on the other end of the jetty. Lewis’s head appeared over the hull. He beckoned me
towards him and I crawled into the other boat too.

My heart was hammering away, the adrenalin coursing through me.

‘Okay, I’ve killed the engine,’ Lewis whispered. ‘Their boat’s out of action.’

I nodded, pointing towards the camera, which was now moving slowly back in our direction. We lay face down, prostrate against the deck, as we waited for the camera to swing all the way towards
us and begin its journey back again.

Several long seconds passed. There was no sound from the shore, just the slap of the waves against the boats and the whistle of the wind above our heads.

At last I risked a glance. The camera was pointing away from us again. I raised myself, ready to move.

Damn.

A tall, thick-set man was walking along the path towards the jetty. I dropped back down, my breath ragged and shallow. Had he seen us?

31

I lay awake for hours on Tuesday night. Another long day had passed. Elijah had appeared at lunchtime – looking exhausted again – and taken blood from me. He
hadn’t explained any more about why I was here. I’d spent most of my time talking to Milo and walking on the beach when it wasn’t raining.

I was still no closer to finding a way into the radio room, but at least I had a better sense of how life here at the house worked.

Elijah’s word was law. Both bodyguards and Milo were clearly terrified of him – and he, in turn, expected absolute and immediate obedience from them.

Elijah kept odd hours, spending most of his time in the mysterious lab he’d set up in the barn. However, whenever he did appear, he expected Milo to be on hand providing him with food at a
moment’s notice.

One guard was on duty at all times. John and Paul took shifts outside the barn that contained Elijah’s lab while Elijah was inside – and through the night. I was pretty sure that,
most of the time, the house where we all ate and slept was unguarded, but there was still no way for me to get outside. Though I was allowed to roam about under Milo’s supervision during the
day, I was locked in my room after supper and left there till morning.

I pumped Milo for more information while we ate the shepherd’s pie he’d made.

‘Once or twice a week one of the guards goes to the mainland for fresh provisions. I’ve only been off the island that one time – to fetch you.’ He blushed.

I smiled, determined to make him think I was interested. ‘It was clever, the way you tricked me,’ I said. ‘I mean, I hate to admit it, but you really fooled me.’

Milo blushed even more deeply. ‘I know, I’m so sorry I had to lie to you Rachel, but I promise everything else I’ve told you is the truth.’

‘I understand,’ I said, forcing another smile. ‘It’s hard to say “no” to Elijah.’

Milo nodded.

‘There is one thing . . .’ I hesitated, trying to assume a look of slight embarrassment. ‘I hate being locked in that room overnight,’ I said softly. ‘It’s
humiliating not being able to go to the bathroom. I was wondering . . . please? I mean, maybe you could leave it unlocked? It’s not as if I can get anywhere – the front door and all the
windows are barred overnight.’ I gazed at Milo with what I hoped was a helpless, beseeching look on my face. ‘
Please
, Milo?’

He bit his lip. ‘I can’t,’ he said, ‘but if I’m up in the night, I’ll definitely come to see if your light’s on. If it is, then I’ll let you out
to go to the bathroom. Okay?’

‘Thank you.’ I smiled again.

It wasn’t much, but maybe I’d be able to use it to my advantage.

32

We lay rigid-still on the deck of the large boat. Lewis was right beside me, his eyes intent. A soft, hissing sound escaped from under his breath.

The man I’d seen jumped onto the jetty. His weight sent a vibration through the boards and across to where we were lying. His footsteps sounded as he paced up the jetty.

I held my breath.

The footsteps stopped, then receded. Another jump, this time off the jetty. There was a dull thud as he landed on the beach.

I risked a look. The man was disappearing into the trees on our right. The camera had almost reached the end of its journey away from us.

‘Give it a moment,’ Lewis whispered.

We waited until the camera had swung back towards us, and then turned away again.

‘Come on.’ Lewis prodded my arm. ‘To the trees on the left.’

We wriggled, commando-style, along the deck and up onto the jetty, then crawled across the wooden boards until we reached the shelter containing the light and the camera.

We scrambled to our feet, well out of sight of the camera now, then jumped down and raced into the woodland to the left of the beach.

I stood under cover of the trees. The sand was compacted – damp under my feet. I had no idea what the area further inland looked like. A few feet past the light at the jetty and the whole
island faded to gloom, lit only by faint moonlight.

A stony path led into the darkness.

‘Our best bet is to follow that path, keeping close to the trees,’ Lewis whispered. ‘We should see any buildings in the moonlight as we get closer.’

I glanced up as the wind dropped. The moon was misty behind clouds. The air was crisp and clear and cold.

We set off in the darkness, keeping the path just in view.

It was spooky; the only sounds the rustling of the trees above our heads and the swish of the waves beyond. The woodland thinned out as we rounded a curve, making it harder for us to find
cover.

I kept my eyes open for any sign of the guard from before – or other men like him – but there was no one about.

And then I saw it . . . a single electric light burning in the distance, outlining a small building. From here I couldn’t make out exactly how big the building was, or what it was made
from, but the light – which I quickly realised was positioned above a door – suggested it was inhabited.

‘Look.’ I pointed the light out to Lewis. ‘Let’s go.’

‘We’ll approach from the rear of the building,’ Lewis said, grabbing my arm to stop me rushing ahead. ‘There may be more cameras. And guards.’

I nodded and we set off across the grass.

33

The lights outside flashed on, brightness seeping under my door, waking me.

Was that Milo? I switched on the overhead light by the door – so that he could see I was up if he passed.

Two minutes went by. I heard nothing . . . then the sound of wheels trundling along the corridor.

‘Milo?’ I hissed, rattling at the door knob. ‘Milo, open the door.’

The wheelchair stopped outside. I could hear a metal clink as Milo fiddled with the key.

The door opened. Milo wheeled backwards to let me out.

‘Elijah and Paul are in the radio room,’ he whispered. ‘They think they saw something moving along the jetty. It’s probably just a seal or something, but they’ve
sent John to the lab to check everything’s okay. You can go to the bathroom if you want, but be quick.’

‘Thanks.’ I headed away from him, down to the bathroom. The stone floor was cold on my bare feet.

As I reached the door, Elijah called out for Milo. I turned. Milo was beckoning me to come back, but I shook my head.
Two minutes
, I mouthed, then disappeared into the bathroom.

A few seconds later I heard Elijah shout out for Milo again, then the wheelchair moving away down the corridor.

I waited a moment then followed after Milo, back past my room and round the corner, towards the radio room.

Elijah was barking out orders.

‘That’s definitely an intruder,’ he was saying. ‘Get going, Paul. Milo, get my gun. Now.’

I flattened myself against the wall beside the radio room as Paul dashed out. He didn’t notice me. Neither did Milo, who followed right after him, zooming down the corridor at high
speed.

I crept to the doorway and peered inside, my pulse drumming against my throat. Elijah was leaning over the desk, fists clenched, all his focus on the monitor in front of him. It showed the
entrance to the barn where the lab was situated. John was standing outside its door, looking round, a gun in his hand.

And then the light above the door went out.

Elijah let out a stream of swear words. He leaned into the radio mic on the desk. ‘What’s going on, John . . . report . . .’

I stared at the screen. John’s silhouette was still visible in the moonlight. He was backed against the barn door.

‘Someone threw a stone, sir.’ John’s voice crackled through the radio. ‘Knocked out the light. I can’t see—’

‘Stand firm.’ Elijah spoke into the radio mic on the desk. ‘Paul’s on his way.’

‘Yes, sir.’ John nodded, his face lit now by the moon.

Elijah covered the mic and swore again. He still hadn’t noticed me standing behind him. I looked around. If only I had some weapon, something I could use to attack him, I could get to the
radio right now – both the guards were gone and Milo was still away, fetching Elijah’s gun.

I was on the verge of going back to my room to find something when new movement on the screen caught my eye.

Elijah thumped the desk. I froze, trying to make out what was happening. A man . . . no, two men . . . were now silhouetted beside John. One punched, the other chopped his hand against
John’s neck.

John fell. One of the attackers turned towards the camera.

My hand flew to my mouth, my eyes piercing the screen. I stared – the moment lasting an eternity – as Theo’s unmistakable face flashed for a second in the moonlight, then
vanished, as he disappeared into the barn.

34

The guard fell against Lewis, who eased him to the ground.

I turned to the door. Rachel was inside. She
had
to be.

The door seemed to take an ordinary key. No sign of anything flashier. I pushed on the handle.

It was locked.

‘Find the key,’ I urged.

Lewis was already fumbling in the guard’s pockets. ‘There’s nothing on him,’ he said, glancing at the door. ‘That lock doesn’t look very sophisticated,
though. If I had a pin I could pick it.’

A pin . . . My eyes widened. ‘You mean, like a hairpin?’

I fished Rachel’s diamante arrow-shaped hairgrip out of my pocket and handed it to Lewis.

He stood up and fitted it to the lock. ‘Where the hell did you get this?’

I didn’t want to tell him where I’d taken it from . . . or why.

‘Thought it might suit me,’ I muttered.

Lewis grunted as he fiddled with the pin. ‘Keep a lookout, Theo.’

It was impossible to see more than a few metres in the darkness but I strained my ears. Was that faint sound just the wind in the trees? Or distant footsteps?

Behind me, Lewis eased open the door. Inside it was pitch black. Disorientated, I felt on the wall for a light switch.
There.
I turned it on. We were in a small stone hallway. No
furniture. No floorboards, even. The overhead light cast a dim glow across the empty room.

I frowned. ‘There’s nothing here,’ I said.

‘What about through there?’ Lewis pointed to a door I hadn’t noticed on the other side of the dingy hallway. It was made from metal – completely different from the rest
of the building. Beside the door a small screen was set into the wall. A faint red light glowed from inside it.