Everybody agreed and they spent the next thirty minutes debating what to do. By a majority decision, they decided to go for a run in the golf carts.
Mia, Chen, Tom and Lela were in one cart while Ahmad, Zach, Mingmei and Oleg followed behind in another.
A new game was devised after they had become bored of racing each other at the death defying speed of 15mph. It was a derivation of hide and seek where one cart would turn around and face the other way, while the other would have a two minute head-start. The object of the game was to stay out of sight for as long as possible. On being spotted, the clock would stop and the other cart would hide.
After playing two games, the best time was ten minutes.
In the third game, it was Mia and Chen’s turn to drive. Mia was confident that she could beat the record and insisted she drove. With nobody disagreeing, she climbed into the driver’s seat. Everybody was thoroughly enjoying the new game and excitement levels were high. Tom and Lela looked at each other as Mia and Chen started talking to each other rapidly in Chinese. Obviously, the thrill of the chase had brought out their mother tongue.
With over a minute of their hiding time elapsed, Tom nudged Chen as Mia was far too busy to disturb.
“Where are we going? They’ll be after us in less than forty seconds and I can still see them,” said Tom perplexed at Mia’s strategy. He was beginning to wonder if they had understood the rules. “Don’t worry, Mia is certain that the bend ahead will hide the cart. She calculated the distance in the previous game and reckons we’ll make it with five seconds to spare. The others won’t think for a second that we’ll make it as they’ll assume the bend is too far away.”
“But it is,” said Lela.
“No, we’ll just make it. It’s just less than half a mile.”
“OK but if you’re wrong, we’ll look really stupid,” said Tom.
“1 minute 58 seconds, 1 minute 59 seconds, 2 minutes, GO!!” Zach counted down on his watch and spun round as the two minutes elapsed.
“OK, so where do you think they went?” he asked.
“That was very, very close, well done!” said Tom congratulating Mia.
“So where now?”
“Just keep going straight and hit the beach next to the army base, it’ll be hours before they find us,” said Mia triumphantly.
“There was that noise again, did you here it this time?” asked Tom.
“No,” said Chen.
“Maybe. What exactly did it sound like?” asked Lela.
“Like a phone on vibrate.”
“No, don’t think so, I can just hear this cart creak,” she replied.
Reaper’s mobile buzzed as it received the text. Ling would deliver the packages within the next thirty minutes. He texted her back and gave the final OK to go. He then turned to Leo and simply said “GO!!”.
Thirty nine men boarded ten Range Rovers which sat ready to go. The men were dressed in black and armed with Heckler amp; Koch MP5SD3 sub-machine guns with integral silencer and Heckler amp; Koch UCP pistols, again with silencer. They also had knives and enough ammunition to start and win a small war. The outfits and weapons had been chosen carefully. If they were stopped, at least one man in each of the cars was British and they would claim to be an SAS unit on their way to a military base.
Reaper and Leo left the cottage, setting booby traps as they left. Not that they would really be needed as, within less than an hour, an incendiary device would ensure the cottage would be burnt to ashes. They boarded the eleventh Range Rover, driven by the comms expert and began their journey to the Estate.
The twins watched as the targets made their way across the island. Due to the high state of alert, they both wore full combat gear and were armed with a variety of weapons, including the Accuracy International AS50 Magnum Variants sniper rifle which they were now using to watch their targets ‘speed’ across the island.
Chen and Mia started talking in Chinese again. The cart was making its way down the steady slope towards the Special Forces’ base and was slowly picking up pace. Tom and Lela could see the beach off to the left. A number of students had obviously decided that a day on the beach away from school was a good idea.
The Base Commander, one of the most experienced counter terrorist men alive, had been recalled to London. The UK was not willing to spare their most decorated SAS officer in their critical hour of need. Captain Schmidt, previously of the German KSK, assumed command. Schmidt stood at the gates watching the cart approach down the hill with his targets on board.
His command of forty men had been reduced over the last hour to twenty eight. All non mission staff had been eliminated on receipt of the Ready command. It was unfortunate that twelve innocent soldiers had been left behind with the bug but he had an objective to achieve and was looking forward to pay day. The helicopter was ready and his soldiers were positioned ready to strike.
Suddenly the volume levels at the front of the cart jumped a few notches. Chen and Mia were no longer chatting to each other but screaming at each other. As the cart arrived at a junction, instead of turning left for the beach, it headed straight on. Chen and Mia seemed to be fighting over the steering wheel, Mia screaming at Chen in Chinese. Tom and Lela tried to calm them down but they were just ignored. The cart continued to pick up speed as they careered towards the gates of the Special Forces Base. Tom could not understand why Mia was not braking.
“For God sake slow down! You’re going to hit the gates!” screamed Tom who wasn’t certain whether the two could hear anything over their screaming.
The twins were up and covering ground quickly. The moment had arrived. They had to reach the base before it was too late.
Schmidt looked around. He had ten men ready to take delivery of their targets with the other eighteen preparing for evacuation. It seemed like overkill for two kids but who was he to argue. He had his orders and had already received half of his substantial pay-off. He was about to spend the rest of his life in the lap of luxury
McDonald, Murray
Kidnap (The Billionaire Series)
Chapter 45
Mia was fighting with Chen who was fighting the steering wheel but nothing seemed to be working and the cart was about to smash into the gates.
“MIA, FOR GOD SAKES HIT THE BRAKES!” screamed Tom.
Still nothing. Lela also tried screaming at Mia and then resorted to screaming at Chen.
“CHEN! GO FOR THE BRAKES!”
Nothing happened and the cart crashed into the gates at around 23mph. This was not a great speed but well over the cart’s recommended maximum. With no restraints or bumpers, every passenger felt the impact. None, however, as much as the driver. Mia was struck hard by the steering wheel and everyone heard the snap of her rib cage on impact. Shock filled her eyes and she passed out from the pain.
Schmidt felt sorry for the female operative, she was not going to enjoy her big pay day. There was no way he was wasting time looking after injured colleagues, he had his own objectives to achieve and agent Ling was not one of them. However, he was very grateful for the work she had done and done very well. In front of him sat three very stunned kids, two of whom were about to join him on a trip.
