Dennis took off the boiler suit he was wearing and wiped the sweat from his brow before throwing it to the floor. He quickly searched the men’s pockets for mobile phones. There weren’t any. He picked up the heavy two foot long adjustable spanner and dashed over to the watertight door. He checked that the coast was clear and stepped out into the corridor. He pulled the heavy watertight door behind him and closed it and began winding the hand wheel until it clicked. Then he placed the heavy spanner between the hand wheel and the door and pulled with all his strength until the hand wheel began to move. Dennis paused to get his breath. He then filled his lungs with air and held his breath and gave another supreme effort. Then just as spots appeared in front of his eyes and he thought he would pass out he felt the wheel move away from the door as the thread was stripped. He put a foot up against the door and snatched at the spanner and suddenly the hand wheel came spinning off. It clattered on the steel corridor floor and Dennis kicked it to one side. He dropped the spanner with a clang and flexed his hands from the pain of having used all his strength. The muscles in his forearms were aching. He looked at his ribs and saw fresh blood on the T-shirt. He’d opened the cut from the razor wire.
Dennis moved along the corridor to the next hold. There was another door with a hand wheel and he put his ear against it and listened. There was no sound from within. The ship lurched again violently and as he was thrown against the door and held on to the hand wheel he realised that they must be at sea and the ship was in a storm. He looked along the corridor and saw that it was leaning at quite an angle, then righted and tilted the other way.
Dennis grabbed the door wheel with both hands and began turning it. It turned easier than he thought it would. He pushed the door in slowly and peered around it. This compartment was exactly the same as the one he’d been held in except there was no work bench or tool chests. In the middle of the floor space was a figure lying on the floor, wearing a hood, still tied to a chair. The figure appeared to be lifeless. Dennis rushed over and knelt next to the person.
“Jim,” he called quietly.
The figure stirred.
“Pete is that you?”
“Yes. Stay still.”
Dennis untied the rope around Hutchinson’s neck that kept the hood on. Hutchinson had a large purple bruise on his forehead.
“Did those bastards do this to you?”
“I hit my head when I fell off the chair. I don’t think there was anyone here with me. I’m not sure. It felt like the ship swerved or something. I don‘t know. I think I blacked out for a moment or two.”
“Yeah I think we’re at sea Jim. They got me too. Someone hit me with something. Knocked me out. I got four of them, next door. They were going to rough me up. I’ve managed to lock them in and break the door lock but how long for I don’t know.”
Dennis had already undone Hutchinson’s wrists and together they were untying the American’s feet.
“Can you stand?”
“I think so.”
Dennis helped his friend to stand and held him against the pitching of the ship.
“Sorry,” Hutchinson said, “I’m a bit groggy.”
Dennis examined the older man’s forehead.
“That’s quite a bump you’ve got there.”
“Did you say you thought we were at sea?”
“Yeah. That would explain the pitching and rolling. It feels like there may be a storm. I don’t know how far down in the ship we are but it feels like a big one.”
“They happen sometimes in the Meditteranean. Big storms. They can suddenly blow up from nowhere and disappear just as quickly.”
“Yeah I know. Listen, if you’re up to it Jim I think we’d better try and get off this ship. Storm or no storm.”
“Good idea.”
Then Hutchinson said.
“Thanks for coming to get me Pete.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“How did you know where they’d taken me?”
“I followed them.”
“To where?”
“Naples.”
“I see. And Nat?”
“Back in Rome with De Luca. Say, I don’t suppose you have your mobile with you.”
“Sorry left it in the hotel room. Kinda left in a hurry.”
“Yeah of course. Listen did they say what they wanted you for.”
“When I answered the door of the hotel room and they burst in they turned the place over. They were looking for the journal that belonged to Von Brest. They called me Dennis twice. I realised straight away that they’d got the wrong room number, that the journal was next door, and they’d got the rooms mixed up. I didn’t tell them because I didn’t want you or Nat in danger. I told them the police had it. I thought they’d just rough me up a bit and leave. I was shocked that they took me hostage. Do we still have the journal?”
“Forget about the book Jim. We just need to concentrate on getting off this ship. Are you ready?”
Dennis helped the American until he could stand unaided.
“Where is this ship heading anyhow?”
“Don’t know. We need to go Jim. Now. Come on this way.”
Dennis grabbed Hutchinson’s hand and together they ran for the door, through it and into the corridor. As they passed the hold Dennis had been held in they could hear hammering on the door.
“We haven’t got much time,” Dennis said rushing along the corridor.
“What’s that noise about?”
“I already told you. They were holding me the same as you. I overpowered four of them and broke the door lock when I left. That compartment was full of tools and it probably won’t take them long to break out. We must hurry.”
Dennis led the American on and on, always climbing flights of stairs. They paused at a corner for Hutchinson to catch his breath.