Chapter 29
Back at the hotel, Bridger was trying to calm down. In front of him stood Ben, Ortiz, Tim and Katie.
"So you're trying to tell me, all four of you received a note, but didn't report it? Why not?"
"I thought it was a joke," Ortiz argued.
"It wasn't about anyone specific and no one else had said anything about having a note." Katie meekly put in.
"What, so you were all going to wait until something drastic like this happened before something happened?" Bridger was almost yelling, before mentally calming himself down. "OK, all of you are dismissed, but if I get to hear of one more note being given to one of my crew members, so help them if they don't tell me first!"
Bridger watched as the four crew members scurried out of the door, before collapsing into the nearest chair. This note business was becoming eerie. Why were so many of his crew getting notes? Five people in the same crew? He could buy one as being a practical joke, but it looked as though they were being targeted for some unknown reason. Bridger sighed, it just wasn't his week. He jumped as the phone rang, before picking it up on its second ring.
"Nathan, how are you?" It was Noyce.
"What do you want now, Bill?" Bridger felt depressed.
"Now, I heard about the Wolenczak boy's uncle being in an accident and how it might not have been an accident…" Admiral Noyce started.
"Not an accident?" This was the first time he had heard anything about Baz's accident not being entirely innocent. "What do you mean? How do you know this?"
"I'm an Admiral; I make it my job to know about this sort of thing. Apparently, at the scene of the crime the police were trying to find out what had made the crate tip off the edge, I mean it was a wooden crate and it was quite heavy too. Anyway, the police found evidence that the box had been levered off, using a crow bar, or something to that description."
"Does Lucas know?" Bridger's mind was in a whirl.
"Apparently he was told in the interview by the two detectives working on the case the night it happened. I'm sorry Nathan, I thought you knew." Bill apologised.
"Why are you looking into it? What's so important about this case?" Bridger was suspicious.
"Well, I can't say at the…" Bill started, but was interrupted by Bridger.
"No, you listen to me. Five of my crew members have received notes, if this is in any way connected to Baz's accident; I want to know about it." Bill was silent for a moment before nodding his head.
"OK, I'll tell you but I'll deny this if you ever tell anyone else." Bill was suddenly nervous. "Over the past couple of weeks, there have been reported cases of people quite high up in the UEO ranks, who have been lured into deserted places, before something was dropped on them. No one's been killed yet, but Mr Sunderland's was the serious so far."
"And you didn't think this information was important enough to tell anyone? Baz could have easily been killed if it had been positioned differently. He was in a coma and…Does Lucas and Baz know about this?" Bridger was looking angry at the ignorance of his friend.
"He knows about the crate not being an accident, but that's all. Mr Sunderland may know something about the other accidents, but how much I'm not sure." Bill said truthfully. "Listen, I've got the seaQuest docked for repairs at the moment for two weeks and the UEO is happy to pay the cost of your hotel. Whatever you want to do in those two weeks is up to you…" With that, the vid link cut out, signifying that the link had been terminated.
Bridger sat staring at the empty screen before realising he wasn't going to get any answers from the empty vid link. He told the crew that they were staying an extra two weeks to investigate the notes, before leaving to go to the hospital to visit Baz, but more importantly, Lucas. He was going to have a long, overdue talk with the teen.
TBC…
Poor Lucas is all I can say… Sorry I haven't got many parts up recently, only I'm a bit ill at the moment and find it hard to concentrate for long periods. Anyway, I hope this part lives up to your expectations.