Captive Surrender by Rebecca King

better run and make it quick because I will
be right behind you.”
    He hadn’t finished
speaking before the boy had taken to his heels and disappeared in
the direction of home. Stephen listened to the rapid thuds of the
boy’s feet on the ground for several moments before he raked one
large hand through his hair and swore. The last thing he had
expected was for the curious boy to turn up in Dinnington’s kitchen
gardens. He was only glad that he had been the one to find him and
not Humphrey, or Will. As it was, he had been left with no choice
but to instil some fear into the young boy and, hopefully, make
Dinnington a scary place for the lad to be.
    Stephen had no idea what
was going on right now, but was fairly certain that something was
afoot. There was a heightened tension within the house and lots of
whispered conversations between Levant and his man of business.
Sometime in the early hours of the morning, Stephen had managed to
get an opportunity to search the man’s papers in his study and had
learned that Levant had recently received a ridiculously large sum
of money from someone listed only as A. There had been two large
payments to Levant since, along with details of several low
payments Levant had made for various properties, all within the
county of Cornwall. He knew that Levant had practically stolen the
land and properties from their owners, but how? With
menaces?
    It was evident that
Levant was either working for someone who was giving him money to
purchase the land and houses, or was doing some work for someone
and earning himself a significant regular income. He had not been
able to find anything out about the unknown A and, as far as he was
aware, none of the French spies the Star Elite were after had an A
in either their surnames or first names. Still, Stephen had a gut
feeling that everything was linked in some way. Until he could
prove that Levant wasn’t a killer, he couldn’t allow Prudence, or
her siblings, anywhere near Dinnington.
    He disappeared through
the trees, and was so lost in thought that he didn’t bother to stop
and look back. If he had, he would have seen two shadowy figures
leave the sheltered protection of the trees on the edge of the
woods and hurry after Robbie.
     
    Several minutes later, he
stopped at the sound of loud protests coming from someone through
the trees. He melted back into the shadows, and
listened.
    “ Please, I
have said that I will sell you the house, but I don’t have the
deeds. They belong to my brother, see? I cannot sell you his half.
I need him to sign the paperwork over to me.”
    “ Your brother
was here only yesterday, he could have signed it then.”
    Stephen crept quietly
forward until he could see a stout man on his knees, practically
begging Levant to listen.
    “ He wouldn’t
sign them. The stupid man said the property had to remain in the
family but I argued with him. I begged and pleaded, but he wouldn’t
sign. I am going to go and visit him at his house tomorrow and
force him to sign the papers. I can, if you just give me two more
days.”
    “ I gave you
two more weeks a month ago,” Levant declared coldly and roughly
pushed the man’s grasping hands off his breeches. He glanced at
Humphrey, his face impassive. “What do you think, Humphrey? Does he
deserve any more time?”
    Humphrey slowly shook his
head. “It seems to me that he has had plenty of time. If his
brother wouldn’t sign the papers yesterday, why would he sign them
tomorrow?” He frowned at the logic behind that and wondered if he
had it right. Still, the boss didn’t seem to object.
    “ If you just
give me one last chance, I promise you that I can get him to
sign.”
    Levant studied the man
for several moments and slowly withdrew a paper from his jacket
pocket. “You gave me your half. I paid you a handsome penny for it,
too. All I needed was your brother’s half too, and you could have
disappeared to live in peace. Never mind, I am sure that your
brother will sell