(aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2436 by Angharad Copyright© 2014 Angharad
All Rights Reserved. |
“Prepare to die, bitch,” said the remaining thug but just as he levelled his gun at me the glass in the window burst and the flames roared in. That was enough time for me to kick him in the chest and he fell backwards towards the flames. I heard him scream but didn’t wait to find out what happened next.
Rushing out of the house I could see the fire was beginning to take over both the building and the surrounding scrub behind. I pulled down the fence and kicked the gas bottles away from the hottest part and hoped they wouldn’t explode and injure some fire fighter.
I saw Cortez’s car driving up towards the road, it wasn’t the Toyota, so where was that? I glanced round, it was a few yards behind me, incredibly it wasn’t locked and the keys were in it—how lucky was that? It started quickly and I screamed away after Cortez. If I stayed a little way off, I might be able to tail him without him realising it was me not his other man.
We passed fire engines as they rushed up towards the fire. I hoped no one had noticed me driving away from it, though looking back in the rear-view mirror, there was plenty of smoke. However, the task in hand was following Cortez to try and rescue my girls.
To my amazement we were heading back up the coast road and a short time later, I saw Cortez turn towards the villa—my villa—what’s going on? Sure enough, as I drove past the minibus was back in the drive, so they were holding my kids in my own house—cunning or what? I hoped that Trish and Phoebe didn’t wander into their trap. They shouldn’t as a thug I hadn’t seen before seemed to be standing guard at the drive.
I drove on and parked the car a few hundred yards up the road, then made my way back towards the villa, hiding in the bushes while I waited to work out what was going on. If only I had my phone I could have called Trish but Cortez had it. I hoped she didn’t try to call me, certainly not while that vermin had my Black berry.
As I waited a taxi drew up and Trish and Phoebe got out. I just managed to stop them proceeding into the villa. “I told you to wait until I told you it was safe.”
“You did, you sent me a text to say to come home.”
“Not I, that pig has my phone.”
“Oh, what’s he told Daddy then?”
“I don’t know, perhaps we’d best call him and find out.” Trish handed me her phone and I dialled Simon.
“Yes, Trish?” he answered.
“It’s me, darling.”
“What about the ransom?”
“What ransom?”
“You sent me a text asking me to arrange half a million euros to be delivered to the villa to free the rest of the children. No police as always.”
“Have you sent it?”
“It went an hour ago.”
“And you didn’t query it?”
“No, I do what you ask me to do most of the time.”
“You sent it straight to Cortez.”
“Because you asked me to.”
“He has my phone.”
“Since when?”
“Two hours or more. I’m here in the bushes across the road from the house with
Phoebe and Trish, he has the others prisoner and they have guns.”
“Call the police.”
“If there’s a gunfight, the kids could get hurt.”
“What’s to stop him killing them anyway?”
“Me.”
“Cathy, you can’t keep doing this gung ho stuff.”
I don’t have to, if he kills me he’ll let the others go.”
“You don’t know that, besides I just paid him a fortune.”
“I don’t think he complies with contracts unless they’re in his favour.”
“Cathy wait, please don’t do anything. I’ll get the police to deal with it.”
“Bye, Simon, I love you.”
“Wa...” I switched off the phone and handed it to Trish.
“If I’m not out in half an hour, send for the police and explain they have guns.”
“You’re not going in there, are you?” gasped Phoebe.
“I don’t think they’re going to surrender unless I do.”
An armoured truck the sort they use for delivering money arrived. I had a plan. One of the men opened the door of the truck and carrying a case walked towards the door. The door of the truck was left open and I saw a spare helmet. I grabbed it and ran after him.
“As the door opened, I charged behind and threw myself on the courier with the money who crashed through the door dropping the metal case as he fell. I rolled after it and snatched up the case using it to hit one of the thugs in the guts and then on the head. He fell and stayed down. Cortez came rushing out into the hall and I threw the helmet at him, he ducked but Danni running behind threw herself at him and he sprawled on the floor.
Thug number three saw what was happening and grabbed Danni holding his pistol to her head, he told me to pass him the money case.
“Trademark kick,” I said as I slid the case across the tiled floor.
As soon as the thug took the gun away from Danni she threw herself backwards and kicked over her head as hard as she could. It knocked the gun from his hand and I ran at him and kicked him twice, he fell heavily.
“Very clever, Mrs Cameron, but I’ll take this.” Cortez picked up the case while pointing the gun at us. He backed towards the door and turned just in time to see the other security guard swing his truncheon. He went down like a sack of spuds.
For the next two hours we explained to the police what had happened and they got as angry as the British police do when I deal with lowlifes by myself. I tried to explain I was here on holiday and Cortez had started it.
They received stuff back from the Hampshire constabulary about his nefarious activities and they asked the Menorcan police to hold him pending an extradition warrant. I did get my phone back eventually and was able to text Simon to say we were all safe and well.
The thug who was left to kill me survived but was badly burned. The fire was put out but not before the house was destroyed. I was told I could be liable for that having started the fire. Once I agreed to that I was allowed home.
Thankfully, the police kept it all quiet so we didn’t awake to hordes of press outside, but we did have to arrange new tyres for the car before the mess was completely sorted.
The gate to the villa, quite a high one, was kept locked from then on and I arranged for someone to fit CCTV to the gate and the approach to the house. The alarms were also to be updated. The rest of the week the house became like a building site as technicians did this and electricians did that, while I sat and fumed.
I did see a couple more bird species from the house and garden but it’s hardly the same as being out in the country doing it. Despite that inconvenience, we were all safe and sound, so I had to be grateful for small mercies. Oh and did I tell you that one of the species I saw flying over the villa was an osprey? Well it was.
Comments
Osprey
Greetings
Thank you for another chapter.
The last osprey nest I saw was at Boat of Garten, long ago on a holiday journey.
Brian
The Osprey do not read our rule books.
In looking at the known range for the Osprey, one being on the island is not outside of possibility.
So, they finally got Cortez. I hope that he does not escape.
G
I have seen
osprey on Menorca.
Angharad
Menorca
Never been there, just Mallorca, and the ospreys fish along the beach each morning, mid the Audoin's gulls.
No need for police or fantasy
No need for police or fantasy superheros when Cathy's on the job!
Kris
{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}
I am not a lawyer...
...but it strikes me that her liability might at least be shared or mitigated, since her setting of the fire was occasioned by the villains’ commission of a public nuisance:
Even if she were found liable, it strikes me that she might recover her costs through a counterclaim alleging the villains' criminal assault and kidnapping as tortious imposition of the necessity to escape attempted extortion, murder, and kidnapping.
-
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
Won't the crooks ever learn,
Won't the crooks ever learn, do not mess with Cathy or her children. She will hunt you down. Bet all the police on the island will rest better when she and the children are gone. Cathy's new theme song could "light my Fire." Hee Hee. Janice
Well, at least Cortez is in custody
Let's hope he stays that way.
... and Cathy has plenty of cash on hand to pay for the fire, the updates, etc.
Great Episode
Wow, what a week. Cathy has gone from the pastoral idealised beauty of the island to dealing with the gangsters and felons from her recent past.
I only hope she can return to a somewhat quieter holiday and recharge her batteries. Perhaps the dog will give her a pleasant surprise and unearth a hidden treasure of the past, instead of a bone.
Great writing as always Ang.
Love to all
Anne G.
With a little luck
Cathy achieved her goal... Or was it luck? Could it be that the hand of a certain goddess played an unseen part in proceedings? Whatever the reason though Cathy was able to rescue her girls and for that i'm sure she will be truly thankful... Wherever her luck came from.
Kirri
Hate bloody texting
If she texts she she should at least add a unique identifier at the end to authenticate.
Besides, it takes longer to compose a text (at least for me) then to just talk to someone. I rarely find it is more useful than just talking unless it is multi-texting to multiple people at once to coordinate something.
But..
Unless I missed something, Cortez is still alive... And, as long as alive, still able to cause trouble.
Oy... If this is a vacation... (Does make one be glad one is a much less public figure though!)
Annette