People Trafficker (45 page)

He leaned forward and clicked the safety on before sliding the strap from her shoulder, then looked round at Sirec and Saeed. “Do not move; don’t attempt to go near the Lieutenant. My men will be stood outside while she makes the grenade safe.”

With this advice he left the room.

“So, Karen, was that an excuse to get them to leave, because you really are going to kill us all?” Sirec asked.

“She’s not going to kill herself, believe me it’s not in her destiny to die just yet,” Saeed’s mother cut in.

Karen shook her head. “You’re wrong old woman. I make my own destiny, but again your actions have forced me to kill as you read in my hand. However, there has been enough killing, so this time I’m going to allow you all to live. Death is too final for people like you. You need time to contemplate your actions against your fellow human beings, before you meet your maker. But believe me one day you will, as we all have to. I hope then He damns you for eternity.” Karen carefully moved the grenade across to her other hand. Everyone left in the room had their eyes fixed on her hands. They could now see the pin was out as she’d claimed. Sirec especially recognised the red band around it, very aware that the grenade had no timer. In this condition it was extremely dangerous, a wrong move and the grenade would activate immediately. They watched as she very carefully slipped the pin into its hole, before placing the grenade back into the pouch on her ammunition strap.

“The grenade is now safe, Captain,” Karen called.

He returned to the room.

“That’s good, Lieutenant, now please go outside,” the Captain replied, with obvious relief in his voice. She turned and gave him a weak smile, even she’d felt the tension, the seconds that seemed to her hours as she made the grenade safe once again. Karen took back her gun, as soldiers pushed past her into the house.

“I’ll get the girls shall I?” she asked when he came out of the house to join her.

“We already have them, Lieutenant.”

“So you saw me arrive and come to the door then?”

“Not exactly; we arrived just to see the other gunmen running from the house. We stopped them and one said you’d a live grenade with the pin out, and intended to kill Sirec and Saeed. We had to make sure the area was clear even though I realised just how dangerous a position everyone was in, besides not being certain which grenade you were actually holding. As for the girls, with them not being with you, it was a simple matter to backtrack and find them hiding. Mind you, you gave us a few tense moments when we heard you were holding the zero timer grenade.”

She grinned. “I was shaking, even more so when I had to put the pin back. I’d never been so scared looking down at it.”

“I can understand that, a grenade is very unpredictable once the pin is out.”

“But how did you find me, I’ve not called Sir Peter to give my position yet?”

“You have a tracker on your person, besides the GPS unit giving your position. Once we were on the ground our detection equipment told us to a metre as to where you were.”

“Well that’s bloody charming, I’m even bugged,” she replied indignantly. Then she changed her tone. “Have you seen Martha, this is her house and Sirec told me she had died. But he can’t be believed about her death, and that he wasn’t implicated in some way?” Karen asked, changing the subject.

“There’s a lady in the barn. I’m afraid she is dead. She had been moved there, perhaps from the house. But our medic believes she died from a heart attack. There are no marks on her body and she’s been dead for some time.”

Karen lowered her head; tears were beginning to trickle down her face. Would there be no end to death around her?

“Can we bury her, Captain?”

“Of course, it was our intention anyway, Lieutenant.”

Twenty minutes later, after the Captain had said a few words over Martha’s grave, they left Karen alone. She knelt down holding a cross from a wall inside the house. A cross that she first saw last time she was here, only weeks before. After a small prayer of her own, she laid it on the still soft earth.

“Thank you for my life, Martha,” she whispered. “I can finally go home now and try to pick up the pieces.”

“If you go direct to the ship’s dining room, Lieutenant, I’ll have someone collect you in about half an hour to take you to your room. I’ll also hang onto your weapons, particularly the grenades,” the Captain said.

“Thank you, Captain, but shouldn’t I sign them back in? Oh and I’ve used a grenade,” she replied, at the same time removing the hand gun from its holster and passing it to him.

“Usually yes, though in this case, because of the special grenade and the risks associated with carrying such an unpredictable weapon onboard a ship, and with you being so tired, I’ll do it for you. But we will need a complete operational report later, and most importantly where and why you used one of the grenades.”

She said she would do that, then left them and headed for the canteen. Sir Peter was right, when she entered the dining room and smelt the food it reminded her how hungry she really was. But she didn’t like the fact that they’d bugged her and it was considered a minor point, so she’d decided to look for the bug herself later.

“Karen… Karen,” a voice shouted across the large dining room.”

Karen was standing by the counter waiting for her breakfast when her name was called, and she turned to see Angela at the entrance. Angela ran over and flung her arms round Karen hugging her tightly.

“I couldn’t believe it when they told me you’d finally arrived, I’m so relived you’re safe” she said still hugging her.

“Yes I came in a few minutes ago. You look well, why don’t you join me for breakfast and we can talk?” Karen asked.

Angela collected a Coke with a slice of toast and they found an empty table in a corner.

“So how are you feeling?” Karen asked as she poured a little sauce on the side of her plate.

“I feel great since the injection and decent food,” Angela began. “I’ve just got off the phone telling mum and dad I’m safe. She was stunned, couldn’t believe you’d found me and told me to send you her thanks, besides to tell you that you were wrong. God was with us both and he brought us home. Anyway I met Sam on the way to the showers, but she couldn’t tell me what had happened to you. She was shattered, after being up all night.”

“Yes I’m a bit knackered as well.”

“I’ve been told all the girls are leaving at six forty-five tonight. We’re being taken to Cyprus and then home. Are you coming with us?”

Karen shrugged. “I don’t think so. I’m still in the army and they have to debrief me yet. But I’m looking forward to going home. It’s been pretty hard, these last weeks.”

“You’ll keep in touch won’t you? And you promised to come and stay for the weekend?”

“Of course I will.”

At that moment Stephanie came into the dining room, she looked round and headed for them. Karen stood and gave the girl a hug while Angela went over to the counter and collected a Coke for her.

“So how are you?” Karen asked as they both sat down at the table.

“Not so good Karen. I’m on medication and can’t sleep. I keep waking up all the time with nightmares, still thinking I’m in that man’s house. But I’m really grateful you came for me, and they let me finally talk to mum and dad this morning which made me feel tons better.”

Karen leaned forward and took her hand. “It goes Stephanie, believe me it goes. You just have to pick up your life and throw yourself into it.”

She looked at Karen. “I’ll try, but it’ll be hard.”

Angela came back with the Coke. “Sam and Annette are here as well, Stephanie,” Angela told her. “Karen got us all out. I was talking to them earlier and we’re all going to get together and have a big party after Christmas. You’re the main guest, Karen.”

“Sounds fun, are we clubbing it after?”

“Of course. It’ll be in London. Sam lives there and knows all the places to go.”

“What happened to Natasha?” Stephanie asked Karen.

“She’s out as well; she was sold to a man who also took Sam. The girl was treated very badly and still doesn’t know her father was killed by these people. I think out of all of you, she’ll take the most time to come to terms with what happened to her,” Karen answered.

A sailor came into the dining room looked around, saw the girls and walked over. Karen looked up at him.

“Your room is ready, Lieutenant, when you’ve finished your breakfast.”

Karen had finished her food. She stood and looked down at them both. “I’m off for a shower, then sleep, I can hardly keep awake. I’ll see you before you all leave.”

They nodded and she left with the sailor.

Angela sighed. “I didn’t really know what to say to Karen. I owe her so much and yet she seems so laid back, as if she’s been on some holiday. But Sam said Annette had told her how Karen had taken on the man she was staying with, and never batted an eyelid with four guns pointed at her. She said it was as if she wasn’t afraid to die.”

“I know what you mean. I didn’t know what to say either. All I could talk about was how badly I was coping. She went through ten times worse than I ever did, and yet I didn’t even ask her how she was. I feel really embarrassed not doing that.”

Later that day, Karen hugged each girl before they climbed onto the helicopter. Natasha was last and Karen held the little girl even tighter.

“Thank you for bringing me home, Karen. You will come and stay with me? Mum and dad would love to meet you,” Natasha said.

“Of course I will, besides you should also come and stay with me sometime. We’ll have a great time going round the shops.”

The girl’s eyes lit up. “Can I, can I really?”

“Why not, we’re mates now aren’t we?”

“Of course we are.”

“Then we should keep in touch.”

“I will, I promise.”

Natasha gave her one final hug before she went over to the waiting helicopter. Then, with a little help, she climbed inside and in seconds it rose from the deck. Karen gave them all a last wave and it soon disappeared, heading towards Cyprus and their final leg home.

Walking back inside she made her way to the officer’s dining room. Already a number of the ship’s officers were there and one handed her a drink. Sir Peter, along with the ship’s Captain joined them. It was a good dinner, with plenty of conversation. However, by ten Karen and Sir Peter were sat alone. He poured them coffee and lit a cigar then pulled out two envelopes, placing them on the table.