Chapter 16
"I've been thinking Prime Minister... These kidnappers might be a little naive in assuming that a small craft would be safe in the ocean... Might it be possible to launch a strike after the exchange has taken place?"
"And risk an international incident?"
"We could have a covert high speed intercept boat, maybe an attack helicopter in the general area no one would know."
"You've been watching too many action movies Vladimir... I suppose it would be possible in theory but the money will already have been transferred by then... besides I would be more interested in locating the nest that these vipers occupy rather than just taking out their ferryman. Don't worry Vladimir they won't get away with this."
"I hope not Prime Minister. So have you managed to make contact with Valentina yet?"
"The SSB have traced her on her boat... The fact is she is no longer officially in the service, her last mission was supposed to mark the end of her SSB career but I think she might be convinced to put her desire to find a quiet life on hold for just a little while longer."
"You've not spoken to her yet?"
"I'm waiting for her call, she's got the message that it's important but not what it's about; maybe they should have been more explicit, I'd hate her to decide not to bother returning my call."
"Is that likely? Valentina always showed... What shall I call it?... An independence of spirit."
"She'll comply with my request I have no doubts about that."
"I hope you are right Prime Minister."
...
Life on the Midnight Falcon had once more fallen into a familiar routine. The heading was set for the south coast of France but the detail of what they would do was still little more than a vague list of aspirations. Valentina was starting to adapt to the feeling of freedom that this uncertainty had brought her and the signal from the SSB had been a sudden and jolting shock, dragging her back into a world of unwanted commitments and responsibilities. She guessed that it was concerned with Natasha's capture. Her heart still ached at the thought of the child but she could not see what she could reasonably be expected to do. But if there was a glimmer of hope that she might be able to save Natasha, she would walk barefoot over broken glass. So it was with no reluctance that she made the call, encouraged also by the insistent sharp nipping of curiosity that had always been her downfall.
"Prime Minister... I thought we were agreed that I was now free to pursue my salvation."
"No one appreciates what debt Sachovia owes to you more than I Valentina but when you hear what I have to say maybe you will reconsider and undertake just one more simple task."
"Then speak... Let's be done with this."
"I'm not sure if you have heard the troubling news about Natasha."
"No... what's happened?" She lied.
"The poor child has been kidnapped on route to our homeland."
"Is she still safe?" Valentina said with genuine undisguised concern.
"For the moment. Her captors will execute her unless we agree to an enormous payment."
"And the payment is too high?"
"No no the money is just an annoyance we have a contingency fund already budgeted for which will hardly notice the transfer...No Valentina, my problem... Sachovia's problem, is that the kidnappers have made some very specific requests for how the transfer of the princess into our care must be made."
"And how does this concern me?"
"What they have demanded as a condition of the transaction, is for you... specifically you Valentina, to collect Natasha at sea with your little ketch."
"Why so?"
"I struggle to understand that myself; they must know from your reputation that you can be trusted. They have somehow discovered that you have a personal interest in Natasha."
"And they also know about the ketch?"
"Apparently so."
"Prime Minister there are really only a handful of people who know that... I have been extraordinarily careful in keeping that information on a need to know basis."
"It begs the question about their identity, certainly one of the negotiators spoke with an accent that was without question Sachovian. We may have a traitor among us Valentina."
"I'm certain that is the case Prime Minister; there can be no other explanation."
"You have suspicions as to this person's identity?"
"I do Prime Minister... Indeed I do but for the moment I intend keeping my suspicions to myself."
"Maybe we can return to that issue at a later date. I am more concerned with recovering our future queen...Will you help us Valentina?"
"What you are asking seems easy enough. You just wish me to sail the Falcon to some predetermined destination, collect Natasha and then sail her to safety?"
"It's all I ask."
"I can hardly refuse to do that that Prime Minister... " She said.
The call ended and Valentina saw in this mission a way to undo, if not the culpability then at least the consequences of what she had done to Natasha. However at the back of Valentina's mind hovered the nagging suspicion that this was just a trap to lure her to her doom. A part of her could almost accept that she deserved to face the consequences of her betrayals... falling into a trap might be a justifiable end to her sorry existence. But there were several problems with that prospect: firstly she had Katrina on board with her and she owed it to the young woman not take her into danger. Katrina was innocent of any wrongdoing, her life had been plagued by ill-treatment by others and circumstances beyond her control but she had endured it all and deserved to find happiness. Secondly, despite everything, Valentina still felt that she had a life left to live and she would not give that up cheaply. There were things to put right... New dreams to follow... Old friends to rediscover... Maybe an opportunity to make peace with an old lover hovering somewhere waiting for a reason to start to trust her again.
Valentina called down to the galley where Katrina was preparing food. "Come and talk for a minute."
Katrina poked her head up from below deck. The few days at sea had already had a profound affect on her appearance; her skin was showing the beginnings of a healthy tan, when she smiled in that shy way she had, her cheeks shone with the blush of ripe peaches and the healthy food was already starting to clothe her bones in a round softness through which her true beauty was finally being revealed.
"I'm going to put you ashore on Sicily Katrina."
"Why... what have I done?"
"No nothing... you've done nothing other than be an ideal companion and I'll be sad to lose your company."
"Then why?"
"I've just made my reply to that call..."
"Yes."
"It seems that Natasha has been kidnapped."
"Oh my God no." Katrina bounded up onto the deck and held onto Valentina both seeking and offering comfort.
"She's safe for the moment Katrina, don't worry. But they want me to rendezvous with another boat and collect her once a ransom has been paid."
"Then I must come with you Valentina; you can't leave me behind at a moment like this."
"It may not be safe, there is a possibility that it is just a wild goose chase, a trap for me."
"Why would anyone want to trap you?"
"I'm not ready to tell you that yet Katrina... One day maybe. Let's just say that you can't have lived the life I have without making some enemies along the way."
"OK... I still don't care... You and Natasha are the only ones I care for in the world. She was like a little sister to me."
"You care enough for her to put your own life at risk?"
"Yes yes a thousand times yes."
...
So the Midnight Falcon was destined not to make a stopover at Sicily after all. They would however hug close to the craggy coastline on the way to their rendezvous. The two women, now stiffened by a resolution to make every effort to rescue Natasha turned their course eastwards away from France and then north up into the Straights of Messina. Reggio Calabra sat on the toe of
the Italian boot and looked across the narrow passage of sea to the coast of Sicily. The rendezvous was set a little south of the narrow strait to avoid the strong tidal currents and to find isolation from unwanted observers. The Midnight Falcon eagerly pushed on into the choppy waters with the wind tight against her sails as if the little craft understood and was a willing and eager party to the rescue.
It was one of those glorious autumn days when the air is crisp and the sun still strong enough on your back to warm away any chill. The rendezvous was set for eleven and the Falcon was anchored in the shallows a good hour before the exchange was due to take place. Through binoculars Valentina scanned the coastline. There were few boats on the water, a couple of traditional clinker fishing boats brightly painted crossed out in the distance seeking their subsistence catches of sardines in the rich waters along the coast. There was an enormous MSC cruise ship anchored in the bay maybe two miles away from where the Falcon turned slowly around its own anchor rope.
"It seems too peaceful for it to be a trap." Katrina said.
"Things are seldom what they seem. But lets be optimistic... If all goes to plan then there will be three of us sailing away to a new future later today."
"It will go to plan Valentina I can feel it in the air." Katrina said. "I can feel my world turning around this point in time when we rescue Natasha; everything will change for us."
"And will it be a change for the better, do you think Katrina?"
"Oh yes... Without a doubt." She smiled.
...
Natasha had been woken a little after midnight and bundled roughly through the dark streets into the uninviting back of a windowless van. There was a kapok mattress on the floor, it stank of mildew and years of settled dust but she sank against it as the rear doors were slammed shut like an exclamation mark on her fate. With the metallic ringing sound still in her ears, a feeling of dread came over her. Was this finally the time of her execution? Were they taking her to where her body would never be found? Then she thought with a sudden feeling of absolute despair, that there was no one, no family left in the world to look for her and grieve over her sad remains. She would have to face her final journey alone and unloved. She tried to remember Gregori's face but somehow it was lost to her now when she needed him most. She sobbed and thought of her parents. She had been angry with them for dying and leaving her but now she needed their love like never before and they were gone. Maman, où es tu?... Where are you?
It was hours before the van finally stopped and in a daze of semi comprehension she found herself in bright daylight being lifted into the cabin of a modest sized sailing catamaran. White and tall masted she rolled in the gentle swell of the harbour eager to feel the ocean winds fill her sails.
So they are going to drown me at sea. Natasha thought. Maybe Gregori will find me in the ocean currents, I might wash up on some distant white beach with galloping horses and I might fly with the gulls...Up to where my family is waiting for me.
The sun was bright, sparkling on the water stinging her watery eyes but the smell of the sea, fresh and filled with the tang of ozone and salt filled her with the desire to live. The catamaran eased away from the dock under the power of a small outboard motor and then once in open water the sails were raised and the boat lunged forward feeding on the immense power of the wind. Skimming across the waves gaining speed and as the sails were trimmed the port hull lifted from the water balancing its weight against the pull of the wind. In the distance, as the catamaran turned in a gentle arc across the blue water, Natasha could see another boat resting at anchor, sails furled it lay quietly, patiently, waiting... It was maybe a kilometre maybe two away half seen in haze of the ocean glare. Although still small in the distance it had the pull of the familiar, like an old friend and suddenly Natasha had a glimmer of hope. The Midnight Falcon she whispered under her breath; she dare not speak its name out loud in case her words might break the spell and cause the beloved Falcon to disappear like a desert mirage.
Valentina watched through her binoculars as the catamaran came closer. She felt that this had to be the kidnapper's boat. It looked fast and sleek as it cut through the water then it slowed and turned in a tightening circle orbiting the Falcon 50 metres away looking for confirmation that they had the right craft. Finally they seemed satisfied and the catamarans sails were dropped. There was little more than fifteen metres separating them when the catamaran dropped its anchor.
A noisy squadron of gulls settled on the water like impromptu spectators gathered to watch a fall of momentous events. There was a sudden stillness that seemed to hover over the two small craft. Valentina held onto the side rail and looked across at the catamaran. A small inflatable was dropped over the side and balancing against the swell, Natasha was carefully lowered into it.
"Valentina... Valentina." Natasha called as her fears were turned to glorious hope.
"Just hold on Natasha, a few moments more and you'll be safe back with us."
It was then that Valentina recognised Andrej; she was not surprised. She had nothing but contempt for him but her own sins were equal to his, she had no right to cast the first stone. The SSB captain stood on the for'ard trampoline, his stance arrogant as he displayed himself to the world for the mercenary that he was.
"So Colby was right about you Kowalski." Valentina shouted across the water. The captain didn't reply but threw a rope across to his former colleague. The rope was attached to the inflatable dingy and Valentina pulled Natasha towards her. Another rope was attached to the stern of the inflatable and Andrej tied it to the rail of the catamaran so that Natasha could come no closer than half way to the Falcon. She sat in the inflatable, balanced precariously between two worlds. Her future still no more certain than it had ever been.
"You see she is well." He called. "Let the goblins in Sachovia know that the money can be transferred and I will release my end of the rope."
Katrina appeared on deck. She saw Andrej and once the initial shock had dissipated, took profound confirmation of exactly who he was, how lucky she was to be free of him. She ignored his scowl and his look of surprise at seeing her and instead concentrated her attention on the really important person that had been delivered to them. "Natasha..." She called with her arms open. "My darling welcome back little sister." Natasha's eyes flooded with tears and she held her arms out as if she could span the ten metres that separated them. "Just hold on a little longer Natasha. We have a whole lifetime to share."
Valentina was already on the satphone giving confirmation of the success of the rendezvous. A short distance across the water in the catamaran's cabin Sophie Laurent, not her real name of course, was at the keyboard of her computer. She was logged through a maze of passwords into the Cayman Islands bank account. It took another five minutes before she saw the money appear as if by magic. It took her all of two minutes for her to empty that account and transfer the money again to an account with a Swiss bank that bore her real name.
She came up on deck. "It's all done Andrej... You can release the girl."
"You think so?..." He said.
"Yes Andrej... let her go we need to be away from here quickly now." Sophie's voice was harsh, demanding. Her words were no request but an order which she expected to be followed without question.
"I'm sick of you fucking women telling me what to do..."
From inside his jacket he produced an SSB issue Glock pistol. The cold metal felt heavy in his hands as he lifted it and trained it on Natasha. The captain was a good shot. It was the one thing he had excelled at during his military training. He was destined to have become a roof-top sniper in the SSB if the brief outbreak of peace had not put an end to that particular career path. Valentina screamed with urgency to the girl: "Natasha... Look out... jump into the water... swim to the Falcon." And then she watched in paralysed horror as the rescue turned irrevocably towards tragedy. She pulled desperately at the rope but the loads on it were too much she would have to drag the whole weight of the Falcon against its
anchor to close the gap.
The bright light flashed against the Glock's barrel as Captain Kowalski balanced his aim with the roll of the sea. He was lost in the moment, a slave to his euphoria, a barbarian at the gates of heaven.
Natasha turned her head towards him and looked into the darkness of barrel. I always knew it was to be you who would kill me she thought. They had tied her to the little inflatable boat, she couldn't jump free. Her eyes danced between the barrel of the gun and insane sneer on the captain's face until the tension became too much for her to bear and she turned her gaze to Valentina until even that was unbearable and she closed her eyes. Time seemed to have slowed in those last seconds but Natasha once again found her brother, she felt that Gregori was with her again, he had come for her. At last they would be together again...
The sound of the shot, when it finally came, seemed to stop the world for an instant. There was Sachovian blood and shattered bone and brains splattered into the bright sky and the curious gulls alarmed by the percussive sound of death lifted into the air, what they had witnessed was beyond their understanding as they soared up into the clear peaceful sky of an Italian morning.