Jago arrived at RV 3 at 4.10 p.m., parking the motorcycle undercover. He swiftly covered the mile or more to the water’s edge where he slipped into the water and swam out, heading for the harbour wall. Upon reaching the wall, Jago submerged and located a pushbutton entry pad providing access to a hatch leading to the harbour wall apartment. He punched in the numbers and entered the chamber. After flushing out the seawater, he entered the apartment when Abi’s voice came across the tannoy. “Jago, it seems that Mr Van Dooren is leaving the compound. He’s heading for the boats, and at the last drone pass he has two bodyguards with him.”
“Thanks, Abi, I’ll tool up and take the Seabreacher. I should be ready in five minutes. Can you make a couple more discreet passes?”
Jago entered the kit room and selected an all-in-one black suit, combat vest and body armour, a utility belt and a thigh holster. He also grabbed a couple of combat knives, placing one in a sheath on his vest and another in a sheath to sit above his right boot. As he was putting on his boots, Abi answered, “Sorry, Boss. I was tied up on a call. In answer to your question, yes, I’ll make another couple of passes, and I’ll send you updates and coordinates as you launch.”
“Thanks, Abi,” said Jago, selecting an H&K MP5SD with five loaded fifteen- round magazines. He transferred his favourite Sig Sauer P239 pistol to his thigh holster before making his way down to the Seabreacher in the boat bay.
Abi announced, “Boss, they’re starting off, and it looks as though they’re going across the bay in a west, south-west direction. I’ll send you the coordinates now.”
“I wonder what’s there? Are there any ships in the path of their current bearing?”
“No, nothing appearing at the moment. I’ll keep you posted.”
Jago unhitched the blue and green Seabreacher from its mooring, climbed into the craft’s cockpit, and set the coordinates before powering up. Remotely opening the bay door, he steered the now semi-submersed craft out into the open sea. He could see the distant wash from Van Dooren’s boat in the distance from his bubble-top panoramic canopy. Advancing, Jago remained semi-submerged to close the gap. Knowing that he could dive five feet in thirty seconds gave him the confidence to push at speed, at around sixty miles per hour, whereas submerged speed would significantly reduce to twenty-five miles per hour.
As Jago closed in, he slowly submerged, allowing the snorkel cam to be his eye.
“Abi, do you have anything else to report?”
“There’s a ship at anchor about a mile and a half out to sea. A motor launch has just set off for there on the same course as Van Dooren’s boat. They should converge in about five minutes. I’ll position the drone at a discreet distance and record.”
“Okay, I’ll hold off. Let’s see what transpires,” said Jago, coming to a halt about half a mile behind. Remaining submerged, he observed the two boats meet. Then suddenly there were flashes of gunfire, first aboard Van Dooren’s boat, and then from boat to boat as the launch retreated towards the mother vessel. Van Dooren’s vessel turned about, heading directly for Jago.
“Abi, keep the drone around, I’m going to surface.”
“I’ve just watched the footage of the launch. They have two men down. Take care.”
“Will do, here goes.”
Jago surfaced, opening the cockpit and placing the MP5SD in position starboard side. Van Dooren’s boat changed course slightly to avoid the Seabreacher and, as it drew close, one of Van Dooren’s men opened fire in Jago’s direction. Jago immediately returned fire, taking out the shooter and propelling him into the water. Jago peppered the boat for good measure as he veered the highly manoeuvrable craft to the right at the stern of the other boat. He manoeuvred the Seabreacher to an astern position from which he could make out two silhouettes against the distant harbour lights. The boat appeared to slow. A series of flashes emerged from within the boat, and the distinct sound of incoming fire erupted around Jago. Unperturbed, he sped up, all the while returning fire. He carefully aimed, taking account of the swell and felled the second shooter. At slow speed, Jago approached the now still boat from which emitted a strong smell of fuel.
Jago called out, “Come to the side! Do you hear? Come to the side!”
Van Dooren came to the port side of the boat.
“Place your hands where I can see them!”
Van Dooren stared at Jago and the weapon trained on him.
Jago calmly spoke, “Do as I say now, and I won’t shoot.”
Van Dooren raised his hands, one of which was holding a pistol. He quickly turned the pistol towards Jago and Jago fired a burst before Van Dooren had a chance to level the pistol at him. He fell into the boat. Jago waited for signs of life. He heard movement.
“Stand up and come to the side. Do it now!” commanded Jago.
A hand grabbed the boat’s gunwale followed by another. Van Dooren was struggling to get to his feet.
Jago called out, “Don’t move, I’m boarding. I repeat. Don’t move. You’ve got some leaking fuel, and I could be tempted to ignite it. So don’t push your luck.”
Jago pulled alongside and tied his craft with a loose tie on a stern cleat. He stepped into the boat, all the while maintaining visual contact of Van Dooren. Jago trained his weapon on him while tossing the PlastiCuffs. “Put this on and secure it with your teeth.”
He watched him obey his instructions and then checked the bodyguard’s body on the deck of the boat. He was dead.
“Do you have anything to say?” asked Jago.
“Like what? I mean, who are you? What are you even doing here?”
“I’m concerned about some recent murders, fraud, and the dumping of plastic and toxic waste in the ocean. What do you know about any of that?”
“I am aware of certain events, and that from some perspective, I may, from the outside, look to be accountable in some way. I can assure you that whatever I have done, I have done as someone who was merely following orders. I am, as you say, a little fish in a large ocean.”
“Are you telling me that you are accountable to someone above you? I mean, you own your holding company, and are responsible for the actions of those companies?”
Van Dooren started laughing. “How naive you are! My name is on the company paperwork as the owner because we need to adhere to the law of the land. It doesn’t mean that I own the company.”
“Then tell me, what it does mean?”
“It means that a person pays me to own the company. It’s as simple as that.”
“And why would they do that?”
“Because if their existing empire were to get too large, the competition commission would get involved and recommend breaking them up as they would have too much market share and that would be anti-competitive in today’s world.”
“So, who pays you?”
Van Dooren laughed again. “Someone you already know. I’ll give you three guesses.”
Jago immediately thought of Greenslade. “You mean to say that Henry L. Greenslade owns your holding company — you, the competition?”
“BINGO, you got it in one.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Look, my bodyguards are dead, you probably took out Tony and Mick too, and my boat’s leaking like a sieve. He pays me well, but not enough to die for him. I’m not that loyal. He’s your man; he plans everything. He’s way ahead of all of the competition, and he’s probably way ahead of you. Everything he does, he does for a purpose that will benefit him and only him. He lets nobody stand in his way. Nobody.”
This last statement resonated sharply with Jago. He kept thinking that Kim may be in danger from her own father. With no time to lose, Jago got to his feet and physically tipped Van Dooren over the side of the boat and threw him a life jacket.
“Hold onto this.”
Jago then untied his craft, keeping the rope in hand, and set fire to Van Dooren’s boat, creating a vision like a Viking's funeral pyre.
Climbing into the cockpit, Jago tossed Van Dooren the rope. “Hold this, and I’ll tow you back to shore.”
Jago remained semi-submersed and maintained a slow speed back to the shoreline. He dragged Van Dooren out of the water and walked him to where he’d parked his motorcycle. With PlastiCuffs, Jago attached Van Dooren to the metal uprights supporting the wooden structure.
“I’ll send someone shortly to pick you up. Don’t think of going anyway.”
“As if I could,” said Van Dooren, raising his arms to show off his restraints.”
***
Jago called Dom before mounting his motorcycle. “Dom, can you speak? Are you alone?”
“I will be in a moment, wait …” Dom moved to an empty room in the cottage. As he moved, Jago started his motorcycle and set off; he didn’t want to waste any time.
Dom replied, “Okay, I’m good to talk. What’s going on?”
“To cut a long story short, Kim’s father or men of Kim’s father are coming over. But they are not, repeat not, what they purport to be. You have to get Mark and Kim out of there fast. I’m ten to fifteen minutes away, and I’m on my way to your location.”
“Roger that, we’re moving now. Give me updates when you can?”
Dom quickly called out to Kim and Mark, “Get a coat, we’ve got to go, and we’ve got to go now. Mark, you said that there’s a track out the back of the cottage into the woods. Where does it take us?”
“Shocked, Mark responded, “It takes us to Orchard Farm. Why?”
“We’re going to have unwelcome company and need to get away. Jago is close but may not get here in time for our visitors. Let’s go.”
Mark grabbed his shotgun and filled his pockets with cartridges.
They left the lights and music on, and the curtains were drawn shut. Anyone visiting would think that they were at home but couldn’t hear them.
Mark led the way as the three ran at speed along the overgrown pathway towards Orchard Farm. Dom took up the Tail End Charlie position, pistol at the ready. Once they were about one hundred metres into the woods, Dom spotted two sets of headlights approaching the cottage. One held back, extinguishing their lights in the dusk, while the other advanced to the cottage gate.
“Come on, let’s get going, but slowly and quietly.” Dom then called Jago. “There are two cars, one at the gate and the other up the track about fifty metres behind. I can’t see how many occupants though. Shall I get this pair to safety and return and support, or should I stay with them?”
“Stay with them, Dom. I’ll call you if I need support. I’m pretty sure that they’ll go all out to get Kim. They think that she’s the key to the Ocean Beautiful Organisation. I’m just a few minutes away. How far away from safety are you?”
Dom turned and saw that Mark was waiting with Kim at the edge of the woods. He could see the illuminated farmhouse and some barns east of the house.
“It looks like we’re nearly there. I don’t want to drag more folks into this, so we’ll head for one of the barns on the east side.”
“Roger that, wait for my call. Over and out.”