shivered in the cold, wondering where on earth he was. Gulls and cormorants were swooping and circling overhead; he could see dark islands on the horizon. His mind was working so fast that he was tripping over his thoughts, but he knew he?d already made two mistakes.
First mistake: when he?d taken the kidnapper?s phone he?d seen the black butt of a pistol sticking out of his belt. He should have taken it, even if he didn?t know how to work a gun.
Second mistake: in his haste to get away, he hadn?t shut the hatch behind him. They?d soon be searching the ship for him. He ran on, his footsteps ringing on the walkway.
A riveted door swung open a few yards ahead, and Rory ducked behind a girder. The two men who came out of the doorway were wearing oil-stained overalls and talking in some language he didn?t understand. They were rough-looking, dirt on their hands and faces unshaven. It sounded like they were sharing a joke. One of them was lighting up a cigarette, and Rory caught a whiff of the smoke as they came past. For a moment he thought he was going to cough, but he clamped it in tight and held his breath. His heart was thudding so hard that he was convinced they would hear it over the rumble of the ship. He shrank behind the girder, trying to make himself as small as possible.
They walked on by. Rory let his breath out very slowly, waited until they were around a corner and out of sight. Then he darted out from behind the girder and made for the lifeboats up ahead. He dropped down on his hands and knees and crawled under their rusty mountings, where a tattered piece of tarpaulin dangled down to offer some cover. Crammed as deep into the space as he could get, he reached into his jeans and took out the phone he?d stolen from the man. It was switched on, and there was a tiny flicker of reception.
Rory hesitated. Police or home? Home first. He suddenly wanted to hear his father?s voice so badly. He quickly punched out the number.
Sabrina was sitting outside on the patio finishing a breakfast of coffee and croissants and gazing out across the lake with Cassini on her lap when she heard the phone ring from inside the house. She twisted her head towards the open sliding glass door. Two rings, three. Adam didn?t come to pick up.
Of course not , she thought. Her dear brother was too busy bustling about in a panic getting ready for his stupid last-minute conference to think of such things as attending to his visitor or answering his phone. What the hell was wrong with him? He was definitely acting jumpy. He hadn?t wanted breakfast, either, and looked like he hadn?t slept a wink all night.
She shooed the cat away irritably, jumped up from the deck chair and trotted over to the house. Maybe her big bro wasn?t cut out to be a businessman after all.
She picked up the phone on the seventh ring. ?Hello, Slaves ?R? Us. How may I help you??
?Sabrina??
?Rory?? She brightened momentarily. But then the tone of her nephew?s voice made her frown. He sounded scared. No, he didn?t. He sounded utterly terrorised. ?What?s wrong, honey??
?Is Dad there??
?He?s not around. You sound upset. What is it??
?I?m in trouble. I mean really bad trouble. I?ve been kidnapped.?
Sabrina froze. ?What?? ?I said??
?Where are you??
?I don?t know. I?m on a boat. No, a ship, in the sea. There are islands.?
?Rory??
?I?m scared. I?m scared.? He started sobbing. ?Where?s my dad??
Sabrina gripped the phone in horror. ?Tell me where you are.?
?Oh, shit. They?re coming. I??
There were scraping and scuffling sounds, and then the phone went dead.
?Rory? Rory??
He was gone. Sabrina wanted to scream for Adam, but her throat was so dry and constricted no sound came out. Still clutching the phone, she went running through the house to find her brother. He was in the hallway, carrying a travel bag and a briefcase out to the car.
?There you are. Oh my God, Adam.?
He stopped and stared at her. His face was pale, dark rings around his eyes.
?Something?s
First mistake: when he?d taken the kidnapper?s phone he?d seen the black butt of a pistol sticking out of his belt. He should have taken it, even if he didn?t know how to work a gun.
Second mistake: in his haste to get away, he hadn?t shut the hatch behind him. They?d soon be searching the ship for him. He ran on, his footsteps ringing on the walkway.
A riveted door swung open a few yards ahead, and Rory ducked behind a girder. The two men who came out of the doorway were wearing oil-stained overalls and talking in some language he didn?t understand. They were rough-looking, dirt on their hands and faces unshaven. It sounded like they were sharing a joke. One of them was lighting up a cigarette, and Rory caught a whiff of the smoke as they came past. For a moment he thought he was going to cough, but he clamped it in tight and held his breath. His heart was thudding so hard that he was convinced they would hear it over the rumble of the ship. He shrank behind the girder, trying to make himself as small as possible.
They walked on by. Rory let his breath out very slowly, waited until they were around a corner and out of sight. Then he darted out from behind the girder and made for the lifeboats up ahead. He dropped down on his hands and knees and crawled under their rusty mountings, where a tattered piece of tarpaulin dangled down to offer some cover. Crammed as deep into the space as he could get, he reached into his jeans and took out the phone he?d stolen from the man. It was switched on, and there was a tiny flicker of reception.
Rory hesitated. Police or home? Home first. He suddenly wanted to hear his father?s voice so badly. He quickly punched out the number.
Sabrina was sitting outside on the patio finishing a breakfast of coffee and croissants and gazing out across the lake with Cassini on her lap when she heard the phone ring from inside the house. She twisted her head towards the open sliding glass door. Two rings, three. Adam didn?t come to pick up.
Of course not , she thought. Her dear brother was too busy bustling about in a panic getting ready for his stupid last-minute conference to think of such things as attending to his visitor or answering his phone. What the hell was wrong with him? He was definitely acting jumpy. He hadn?t wanted breakfast, either, and looked like he hadn?t slept a wink all night.
She shooed the cat away irritably, jumped up from the deck chair and trotted over to the house. Maybe her big bro wasn?t cut out to be a businessman after all.
She picked up the phone on the seventh ring. ?Hello, Slaves ?R? Us. How may I help you??
?Sabrina??
?Rory?? She brightened momentarily. But then the tone of her nephew?s voice made her frown. He sounded scared. No, he didn?t. He sounded utterly terrorised. ?What?s wrong, honey??
?Is Dad there??
?He?s not around. You sound upset. What is it??
?I?m in trouble. I mean really bad trouble. I?ve been kidnapped.?
Sabrina froze. ?What?? ?I said??
?Where are you??
?I don?t know. I?m on a boat. No, a ship, in the sea. There are islands.?
?Rory??
?I?m scared. I?m scared.? He started sobbing. ?Where?s my dad??
Sabrina gripped the phone in horror. ?Tell me where you are.?
?Oh, shit. They?re coming. I??
There were scraping and scuffling sounds, and then the phone went dead.
?Rory? Rory??
He was gone. Sabrina wanted to scream for Adam, but her throat was so dry and constricted no sound came out. Still clutching the phone, she went running through the house to find her brother. He was in the hallway, carrying a travel bag and a briefcase out to the car.
?There you are. Oh my God, Adam.?
He stopped and stared at her. His face was pale, dark rings around his eyes.
?Something?s
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