She sprinted across the tarmac, racing towards the docks.Behind her, Emilia could hear the angry shouts of the Border Force officials, but she ignored them, confident that she had enough of a head start to evade them.Having confused the immigration officials by jogging up to the freight terminal without a vehicle, she’d startled them still further by ducking under the barrier and making a run for it.She’d no doubt have to answer for her trespass at some point, but right now her sole focus was getting to the scene of the crash.
What on earth had happened?Was her nemesis even still alive?Or had Emilia been robbed of her sweet moment of revenge at the eleventh hour?She’d parked up at the entry to the freight terminal and was waiting impatiently for news from Charlie when she heard it.A cacophonous eruption of shrieking metal and shattering glass.Instantly she knew it was Visser.That there had been an almighty collision.The only question now was with what?Or perhaps with whom?Alarmed, Emilia had abandoned her vehicle and taken to her heels.Now all thoughts of waiting evaporated, she had to know if anyone had been hurt, or God forbid, killed.She had to know what had gonewrong.
Racing past the parked lorries, Emilia searched desperately for the site of the collision.Already, surprised hauliers wereemerging from their vehicles, concerned no doubt for the people involved in the crash, but also perhaps for the impact on their departure time.As a group they seemed to be descending on the main embarkation point, so bursting past them, Emilia sprinted in that direction.What on earth would she find when she got there?When she’d spoken to Charlie earlier, everything had seemed so simple, so straightforward.And when she’d watched Visser pull into the docks, chatting amiably with the immigration officials, everything had appeared settled in their favour.He had walked into the trap and would shortly be in police custody, destined to answer for his many crimes.
But as Emilia rounded the final lorry in the long snake of freight traffic, she saw instantly that this would not be the case.The mangled remains of the truck’s cab was pressed up against two badly damaged police cars, the lorry’s dangerous cargo jacknifed behind, the connecting axel having warped on impact.It was an impressive, yet deeply worrying sight, several tons of reinforced metal crumpled and destroyed, not to mention two police cars damaged beyond repair.As she tore towards the scene of devastation, Emilia’s feet crunched on endless shards of broken glass, her fears rising with each passing step.Surely Visser couldn’t have survived such a savage impact?Had the mad bastard chosen death before dishonour?
But even as this unpleasant thought landed, it was instantly dispelled.The breathless journalist had expected to see police officers and Border Force officials climbing all over the vehicle, trying to extract Visser, attempting to make the lorry safe.But to her surprise, she now saw that the assembled law enforcement officers were fanning out, some charging up the empty corridor between the parked lorries, others sprinting off in the direction of the docks, radios clamped to their lips, as they cast about them desperately.It couldn’t be, could it?The fleeing Dutchmancouldn’t have escaped after such a violent impact.It seemed impossible and yet, as Emilia’s eyes met Charlie’s, she knew that she was right.Somehow the trafficker had wriggled out of the trap that had been laid for him and now looked set to evade justice once more.Emilia burned with anger and frustration, her plan in tatters.How had he escaped?How had he slipped through their fingers?
And where the hell was he now?
Chapter 101
‘I need an answer.And I need itnow.’
Visser hissed the words at the startled seaman, who stared blankly at him, shocked by both his sudden appearance and his surprising proposal.
‘You do speak English, right?’Visser persisted, moving a step closer.
‘Yes, of course,’ the young man managed in response.
‘So, do we have a deal or not?This is a one-time offer, believe me, and you need to give me an answer right now.’
‘You want passage on our ship?’the Polish seaman asked, gesturing to the vast container ship that loomed behind them in the docks beyond.
‘I want to get to the Continent,’ Visser repeated, keeping his voice low.‘No questions asked.No passenger logs, no immigration checks, no issues of any kind.If you can do that for me, I will pay you well, trust me …’
A sudden noise behind them made them both look up sharply, a stevedore roaring past on a forklift truck.Alarmed, Visser took the seaman by the arm, ushering him out of sight behind a packing crate.
‘Well?’he demanded impatiently.‘What do you say?’
The young man looked at him, wary, uncertain.For the firsttime, Visser felt a shiver of alarm.Had he picked the wrong guy?Had he unwittingly managed to find the one honest seaman in the whole of Southampton?
‘How much?’the young man asked, scrutinizing the trafficker’s face.
‘Two thousand pounds now, two thousand when I’m free and clear on the other side.’
‘Five,’ came the instant response, putting paid to the notion that the young sailor might have qualms about breaking the law.‘Five now, five on arrival.’
Visser glared at him, well aware that the boyish seaman was rinsing him, taking full advantage of his precarious situation.
‘OK then,’ he muttered angrily.‘You tell me where and when and I’ll be there.’
‘Money first.You have it on you?’
Now for the first time, Visser hesitated.What if this young man simply intended to rob him, leaving him high and dry, without any resources to attempt an escape?And yet what choice did he have?Even now Visser could hear shouting from the docks, as dozens of law enforcement officers swept the warehouses and docksides looking for him.So far his plan had worked well, jumping from his speeding lorry as it raced down the corridor of trucks towards certain ambush, buying him precious seconds to make good his escape.But how long could his luck hold out?How long before they descended on him, hauling him away in cuffs?He needed to get away from herefast.
‘Have it your way,’ he grumbled, turning away.Deftly, he unbuttoned his shirt to reveal the money belt strapped to his torso.Then running a finger down the bulky stash of £50 notes, he extracted a large bundle, counting them out rapidly, before zipping up his hoard once more.Re-buttoning his shirt, he pivoted, thrusting the notes into his accomplice’s hand.Surprised, an amused smile playing over his face, the young Pole methodically checked his haul, before looking up at Visser, holding out a meaty hand.
‘Departure in thirty minutes.’
Pocketing the money, the sailor walked off whistling to himself, his happiness shared by his new accomplice.Against all the odds, Visser now had a chance to evade his pursuers.And he planned to make the most of it.
Chapter 102
‘Come on, Viyan,please…’
Helen crouched over the injured woman, desperately searching for signs of life.But her appeal fell on deaf ears, the young mother remaining lifeless and still.Leaning down, Helen parted Viyan’s lips, cupping her ash-smeared face as she blew blasts of oxygen into her damaged lungs.But her kiss of life had no effect at all.
