‘Torrens, this is the war ship Mittagong, Hold for Dave. Over.’
Dave’s anxious voice came in. ‘Nick! Welcome aboard. We can see people on the ninth floor, but we’ve been unable to get a message through to them. It will make things a lot easier now you’re here and we can communicate. Over.’
‘Okay, Dave. I’m glad you’re down there. I’ll call you once we’ve found them, standby. Out.’
Nick glanced anxiously around from the rooftop. ‘We’ll check for people on each floor as we go down.’ Nick suggested. ‘Let’s go!’
They made their way down the emergency stairs, stopping at each floor to thoroughly search for injured survivors. The top three floors were empty, as was the shopping arcade. The damage was horrendous. Windowless walls bore huge cracks, some threatening to fall out into the sea below. They saw blood stains on the concrete stairs leading down from the thirteenth floor.
‘Someone’s badly injured.’ Alex commented.
Chapter Forty-eight
Nick and Karen continued their search, finding nothing until they reached the ninth floor. The emergency door to the stairs was swinging open, and gathered in the internal foyer away from the howling wind, were a group of twenty or so silent people, and some children huddled together in fear. Karen gasped when she saw a man among the heads of another small group to their right raise a gun. She grabbed Nick’s wrist to warn him. Too late! Nick jerked forward when the gun rammed into his back.
‘Well, well, well. What have we here!’ A thickset man sporting a rakish flaxen beard and clad in Navilon and denim appeared before them. Large deep blue eyes peered suspiciously from a handsome face, and thick blonde wavy hair fell into his eyes. He spoke in a cultured clear voice, not unlike Hud’s; the thin man they had come up against before the tsunami. ‘Which one of you gentlemen is in charge?’
Nick stepped forward. Without speaking the man jerked the two-way pod from Nick’s hand and examined it, grinning evilly.
‘What’s this, then? Just what we wanted! Now those bastards down there are about to find out who’s boss here. Jilly get over here! Watch them.’
Jilly appeared still chewing gum but looking much less threatening, and considerably tired. The sly smile she wore before no longer apparent.The two Wyatt Earp revolvers now consigned to her. ‘You bastards got any guns? She asked. ‘If you have you’d better hand them over.’
‘It was you I saw running across the walkway just before the tsunami.’ Nick said.
She tossed her head toward the man. ‘Yeah, Bobby saved me. Real hero.’
‘You finished?’ Bobby said to her. ‘Now we’ve decided that we’re to be rewarded for caring for these lovely folk here.’
He gestured toward the cowering group. ‘I would like you to contact your boss down there and tell him we require a speed boat, a million dollars and valid charge cards. Tell them to drop the money on the roof. We’d also like some ropes, and oh yes, some fresh food would be great. I’ll give them four hours. If they don’t respond to my demands, I’ll throw one of these nice folk out there.’ He said pointing to the open space that was once a wall of windows.
‘Ask for more money?’ Jilly whispered to Bobby.
‘Shut up bitch! ‘Do it!’ He demanded of Nick.
Nick called Dave and relayed the demands. ‘They mean business Dave. They’re one of the group who shot Bill. Can you get that much money? Over.’
‘Yes, but I don’t know about four hours. I can get the charge cards but don’t know about the money. We didn’t prepare for this type of contingency. Any chance of extra time? Over.’
‘No man. Four hours is it!’ Bobby sneered.
‘Sorry Dave they won’t negotiate. Please just do as they say, we’ve lost enough lives. I’m sure they’ll carry out their threat. Out.’
Nick was astounded by the demand for money, and didn’t they know charge cards would be worthless now?
This ninth floor was occupied by four apartments, and the group were being held in the gloomy centre foyer area where the lifts opened, where the only daylight emanated from the open door to the emergency stairs, which faced the southern side of the building, where a landing clung to the inner wall of the building, hanging precariously exposed to the elements, the outer wall having been ripped away. The doors from the foyer to the apartments had been kept closed, ensuring the group remained under their control.
Bobby stationed himself near the stairs door along with Nick while they waited for the boat.
‘What’s your name?’ Bobby asked.
Nick ignored him.
‘I said… what’s your name? At least you could be polite and answer me.’
‘Sorry.’ Nick said. ‘I’m not in the mood for conversation. Seeing we’re going to be stuck here for hours, I’m going to try to catch up on some sleep.’ With that, Nick removed his shirt and bundled it up for a pillow.
‘Suit yourself.’ Bobby said and wandered back to Jilly.
Nick had no intention of sleeping but wanted time to think. He beckoned Karen to join him so they could whisper to each other.
Not long after Jilly cried out, and they all looked to see a speed boat approaching from the west, bouncing like a jack rabbit over the choppy waves, heading toward the outer south-western corner of the building.
Nick and Karen rejoined the captives, who he guessed had been held hostage by the gang since the tsunami had done their worst. The looters were unable to find food or water, so they were exhausted, injured and irate; a dangerous combination. Alex tendered the injured, while Karen was permitted to search for water. Each time someone wanted to use the bathroom they were escorted by one of the looters to an apartment that still had a toilet, but not in working order, so it was an unpleasant and necessary exercise.
Chapter Forty-nine
The four-hour deadline approached and there had been no word from Dave. Bobby instructed Nick to make contact again. ‘Come in Dave, it’s Nick. What’s happening? Over.’
‘The boat’s secured below. There’s a delay with the cash and charge cards I’m afraid. We can’t just go to a bank and get some! HQ’s working on it. Over.’
‘Well, I’m afraid you gentlemen are not taking us seriously.’ Bobby fumed. ‘We’ll see about that! Time we showed them we mean business.’ He walked toward a young man huddled by the lift with a young woman and grabbed him by the shoulder, holding his gun to his head. The girl screamed as Bobby pushed him out through the emergency door onto the unstable landing.
The young girl lurched at Bobby, pounding his back with her fists. ‘No. No. No, please, don’t hurt him!’
Bobby swung around and hit her on the side of her head. She fell to the ground sobbing.
‘Dave! I think he’s going to throw a hostage into the sea. Where the hell’s the ransom? Over.’ Nick cried in desperation.
‘Sorry Nick we’re trying. Stop him! The money’s on the way it’ll be there shortly. Out.’
Nick looked despairingly at Bobby who shrugged his shoulders casually and rolled his eyes. Then he stepped toward the landing poked the young man in the ribs with his gun forcing him to the edge. A woman clasping a child to her legs begged unashamedly.
‘Somebody stop him!’
‘No-one can stop Bobby once he makes up his mind.’ Jilly drawled. ‘You should’ve done what he said.’
They heard the thin wild scream as the young man hurtled from the landing on his death flight to the ocean below. Screams, accusations and exclamations of shock from the hostages followed as they huddled together rigid with fear. Karen leaned into Nick’s back and hugged him, sobbing quietly and he longed to turn around and cradle her in his arms, but common sense told him not to reveal a weakness to these criminals. Moments later a murderous Bobby re-entered the foyer with hatred written across his face, and they had no doubt that he would carry out any threat he made.