A/N: Yay, new chapter :)
Again, proofread by awilliamsbbc.98 – so thank you very much! :)
Thanks also for reviewing! I love to know this is being read, and I hope you'll stick with me!
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Chapter 7: A New Plan
With Isabel in the lead they all jogged the long way back to the field where Isabel had parked her father's car the day before. Panting heavily already after the first mile, poor Lucy-Ann silently vowed to herself to train harder in PE lessons at school. Her lungs were burning and she had to double over when they finally reached the car. She looked at the others; their faces were flushed and a little sweaty but they were nowhere near as out of breath as she was!
Isabel didn't seem affected at all by the exertion. She pulled out the keys from her pocket and unlocked her car. After opening the trunk as well she brought out two bottles of water and a small tin of biscuits and supplied everyone with a little snack.
Munching on a biscuit, Philip was surprised to realise that despite the fact that he hadn't had anything to eat in hours and hours, in his excitement of running away from their captivity he hadn't noticed his hunger very much until now. However, it hit him full force after his first bite, and he was sure the others felt the same. After he had had three more biscuits Jack gave him one of the water bottles which was half empty already. He gulped down the other half and felt a little better.
The girls were sharing a bottle of water between them as well. Isabel watched them all quietly but impatience was written all over her face.
'Everyone fed and feeling alright?' she finally asked.
Philip grinned at her. 'What do you mean by fed?' he asked her. 'I could eat a full box of those biscuits all by myself right now.' But when he saw that Isabel wasn't about to show her humorous side, he nodded. 'Anyway, we're feeling a little better at least, I should think.'
'Good,' said Isabel. She handed him her car keys. 'I do hope you can drive." She gave him a long, quiet look, eyeing him up and down carefully and making him feel scrutinised. 'You're looking almost old enough, anyway,' she added patronisingly. 'And the four of you keep spoiling my plans. I want you out of the way – the sooner the better.'
Plans – which plans? What was going on here?
In any case Philip couldn't drive. Surely, he had seen how Bill or his mother handled a car, but he had never tried it himself. It was something he had planned to practice in his free time before university would start for him in autumn. But he didn't think that right now was the best moment for him to try it out.
Before he could say something, though, Jack snatched the keys from him, explaining, 'I know how to drive. I did it in New Zealand. Mr Painshaw sprained his ankle once so I had to drive our car for a couple of days. I didn't have a license but no one cared for we were right in the middle of nowhere – just as we are now.' He looked at Isabel with a deep frown. 'But I shan't leave without at least a little bit more of information. You keep switching sides, Isabel – tell us the truth.'
Rolling her eyes impatiently, Isabel snapped, 'very well, here's the short version. I'm with the police force. I've been given the assignment to catch a bunch of bank robbers who seemed to be hiding around here and operating from this place. And if you'll excuse me now, Jack, I'll have to go and see what I can make of the spoiled situation we've got here.'
She looked as if she meant to go, but Jack stepped into her way. The way he stood before her, drawn up to his full height and hands on his hips, Dinah thought to herself that he had grown into looking rather impressive these past years. He must be well over six feet now, and he was quickly losing his teenage lankiness for a broader, more athletic built. Next to him Isabel looked rather petite, but one look at her told Dinah that she wasn't very impressed at all.
Isabel sneered at Jack. 'Get out of my way, will you? If you're planning to make yourself useful, get into my car and call in at the next police station.'
Jack shook his head. 'What about your parents, Tilda and Rory?' he asked. 'Do they know what you're up to?'
Isabel scowled. 'Rory and Tilda Springston aren't my parents, silly, they're my cover-up. I made the gangsters think I was their daughter and that I stumbled upon their doings merely by accident in my time at home from university. I blackmailed them into letting me take part. Then I gained their trust and they told me almost everything I needed to know to arrest them and have them put to jail.'
'But if you know everything about them, why haven't you called the forces yet to take them down?' asked Jack.
Rolling her eyes Isabel went on explaining, 'because I meant to fly out of the country with them. My main target was to find out who their actual boss is. He's based somewhere in Austria, we think. Klaus is the main connection – he's Austrian too.'
'So that's why he speaks with that funny accent!' Lucy-Ann chimed in, excitedly.
Isabel nodded curtly. 'l'm afraid you spoiled that last bit of my plan for me. I thought I had you out of the way – but safely – by having you locked in the cabin. You see, my plan was to keep you all away from any police forces until I was well out of the country with the Klaus and the others. You weren't supposed to get out until we got away. I unlocked the door tonight because I was sure I wouldn't get a chance to do it in the morning without being seen – I certainly wasn't expecting you to sneak out in the middle of the night. And on top of that you were silly enough to stick near to the cottage after that! I had to blow my cover to make sure you weren't about to get shot after the men noticed that you fled!'
'Gracious,' said Dinah, feeling very stupid indeed. 'I am awfully sorry that we made a mess of your plans.'
Isabel gave her a look that seemed a little more forgiving. 'You had no way of knowing,' she said. 'But now I really must try to find out who their boss is. You shall drive away and be safe. And I will try to get on board of their plane and see if I can find any references to their boss in Austria.' Demonstratively, she held open the car door at the driver side. 'Go to the local police station and tell the men there all that you know. Make sure that they'll set out and arrest Klaus and the others before they can fly out.'
She turned to go but Philip put a hand on her shoulder. 'Hold on,' he said, 'won't you need any help?'
For the second time that morning Isabel eyed him very carefully from head to toe and he found himself wishing that she would stop doing that. She was so tough for a girl – or woman – that her scrutinising glances made him feel uncharacteristically timid! But he pulled himself together and added, 'say, wouldn't it be awfully convenient if there was someone to help you distract the men or lure them away from the helicopter so you can go in and search it thoroughly?'
Isabel cocked her head and sighed. 'I've already put all of you at risk. I won't do it again.'
'But –'
'You heard what she said, Philip,' said Dinah who was only too happy to side up with Isabel – not only because she didn't like the thought of one of them getting themselves into danger once more, but also because she was quite impressed by the tough young woman and ready to please her.
But instead of agreeing with Dinah's words Isabel considered for a moment and finally announced, 'well, on the other hand ... it could be beneficial to get a hand at this, after all. However, I do hope you're up for this. And I'm not taking you if you're a minor.'
'Well, I'm not – I'm eighteen,' said Philip smugly. 'So's Jack, but he can't come too, for he needs to get the girls away from here.'
'I'm not going anywhere if you're not coming,' said Lucy-Ann, shaking her head. 'I couldn't stand the thought of you being in danger and us just driving away.'
'You're to go and call the forces!' said Isabel angrily. 'I won't bargain with you on that.' She turned to Philip and added, 'I'm going to accept your offer to help me. Come on, we'll have to hurry. We shall think of a plan once we've reached the hiding place from where Klaus and the others are planning to fly out and gathered a little more information on how far they've got already with loading the plane.'
'And where is this place?' asked Jack who wasn't happy at all with the latest turn of events. He didn't like the thought of letting Philip go with Isabel anymore than the others did, especially not when he was supposed to stay behind. And on top of that Kiki was still missing – making Jack feeling very worried for her too.
Isabel pointed at the passenger seat of her car. 'I've got a map on which I marked the hiding place. The police shall find it easily enough once you called them. – It's by a lake about five and a half miles away from here,' she said to Philip. 'I hope you're in good shape – we'll be running all the way there.'
'I'll manage,' said poor Philip, doing his best to sound confident although secretly he wished it wasn't that far. He was tired after the short uncomfortable night he and the others had had, and he had a distinct feeling that Isabel had really meant it when she had said they would be running. He wondered if he would be able to keep up!
Isabel turned to Jack once more. 'You'll be able to find the way to the next village by using the map as well. Do hurry, get the girls and yourself out of here, Jack.'
Staring at the car keys in his hand, Jack nodded. He would certainly make sure to get the girls out of danger!
Isabel gave Philip a little nudge with her elbow. 'Off we go, Cowboy,' she said with a grin. And off she did go, jogging back into the direction of the forest. Feeling himself blush a little Philip made to go after her with a little sigh. This was going to be a very trying morning!
After the two of them had disappeared into the woods Dinah began searching for the map. It was hidden below the passenger seat. She took it out and unfolded it. Tapping her finger on the marked spot she said to Jack, 'look, here is the lake Isabel spoke of.'
Curiously, Jack eyed the map as well. He pointed out another area. 'And look, here's the other lake – the one where we spent the first night out here. Rory's and Tilda's cottage must be here.' He indicated the spot. 'And here's the village where the police station is. I suppose we might need around twenty minutes to drive there.' Checking his watch he announced, 'that means we still have some time left to try and find Kiki!'
'You're not meaning to go back into the woods, Jack, are you?' asked Lucy-Ann. 'You heard what Isabel said – the men are dangerous. And we're supposed to leave this place.'
'Well, we do have a bit of time,' insisted Jack. 'It's barely eight o'clock in the morning. Remember, we've been up at dawn! Besides, I'm still hungry after those flimsy biscuits. Lucy-Ann, look through Isabel's car please and see if there's anything else that's edible. I shall go and see if I can whistle for Kiki's attention.'
He walked back to where the woods began and put two fingers to his mouth to let out a few short but loud whistles. He didn't dare shouting for Kiki although he knew that it would be much more likely it would lure her to him. It might catch also the villains' attention though.
After walking a bit, cautiously looking around to make sure that he wouldn't get caught again, he gave up on finding Kiki – at least for the moment. He was sure that she couldn't be too far away. She did have a knack of finding out where the excitement was and she might even now be on Philip's and Isabel's trail – to unknowingly assist them with their task! If not, Jack would search every yard in the woods to find her as soon as the police had taken away the robbers!
He was on his way back to the car when the gnawing feeling of hunger began occupying his mind more and more and he wondered if he could risk getting a look at the house where he and the others had been held captive. There might still be some food supplies there. Of course, Jack knew full well that he wasn't supposed to do what he was doing, but he ended up being a slave to his rumbling stomach. He glanced at his watch once more. Twenty past eight – surely he still had lots of time! But which way was it? He tried to remember. It couldn't be that far!
