Smile of the Tiger.
5.
First thing on Monday morning, Jonas was on his secure line to a long standing friend, Sir Malcolm Parry, with whom he graduated from Cambridge University in the thirties.
"CH old boy!" said Sir Malcolm on hearing Jonas's voice. "Not spoken for a while. How goes it?"
"Much the same as always, Parry old man." replied Jonas.
"And hows the gorgeous Annabel?" asked Sir Malcolm. "Always said you were punching above yer weight there!"
"Very well." lied Jonas, remembering how she spent the night sobbing for Arabella. "Been punching above me weight for thirty-five years in that case!"
"Good show, old boy!" replied Sir Malcolm. "Do give her a huge smacker from me, will you? So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your call?"
"A bit of info actually." replied Jonas. "You still own the land around Witham in Essex don't you?"
"Yes, I do." confirmed Sir Malcolm. "One day I hope they might use some of it to build houses on. Why the interest?"
Jonas couldn't tell him the true reason, so had to make one up and hoped when, or if, the truth came out, their long standing friendship would weather any upset between them.
"Because I may know a property developer who could be interested in doing just that." he lied. "But I seem to remember there was some sort of problem with the tunnel that goes under the embankment."
"Well it wasn't the tunnel, old man." replied Sir Malcolm. "The embankment itself was the problem."
"Why so?" asked Jonas.
"After the embankment had been finished, they started to construct the tunnel, but part of it collapsed, burying two engineers. Sadly they lost their lives. Tragic, tragic!"
"Now I remember that story, but I didn't equate it to Witham." said Jonas. "Long time ago now."
"Yes, twenty-five years." confirmed Sir Malcolm. "Anyway, it turned out the nature of the soil changed above where the tunnel was being dug out and to such an extent that it caved in."
"So what happened then?" asked Jonas.
"The tunnel had to be shored up and abandoned." replied Sir Malcolm. "No-one was going to risk it collapsing on traffic travelling through no matter how secure the repair work had been. So a new one was constructed. Meant the road had to be re-routed and all sorts. Quite a hoo hah at the time, I can tell you."
"Presumably the soil was proved safe?" asked Jonas.
"Absolutely!" said Sir Malcolm, chuckling. "It's probably the safest tunnel in the world now!"
"Would you still have the original plans?" asked Jonas. "My contact will want some reassurance."
"Of course, old man!" replied Sir Malcolm. "I'll send you both sets. Before and after, how's that?"
"Perfect, thanks. But could you courier them to me today, Parry? No time to waste and all that." replied Jonas.
"Will do." agreed Sir Malcolm. "Should be with you by lunchtime."
"Excellent." replied Jonas. "We must get together for that drink. I'll be in touch."
"Jolly good." he replied. "TTFN."
The previous night, Hani had received a call from his two henchmen guarding Arabella.
"Sir." said one. "The air is getting stale now the air conditioning generator has failed. Your instructions are required."
"Will you survive the night?" asked Hani.
"Yes but first thing would be a good time to move her."
"Expect a car then."
The next morning, at the time Jonas was talking with Sir Malcolm, a maroon Jaguar XJ6 saloon was exiting the tunnel with Arabella slumped, half conscious, in the back seat.
"We've got her out of there just in time." said the driver. "Is she okay?"
The front seat passenger glanced round at her.
"Yeah, she seems okay now. Breathing normally."
"Best get back there and tie her wrists together, just to be on the safe side. Don't want her waking up and screaming blue murder now, do we." said the driver. "When we get to the house, throw a hood over her head, okay?"
The passenger clambered over his seat and into the rear. Sitting next to Arabella, who put up little resistance, he pulled some cable ties out of his pocket and secured her wrists.
As they entered the city and made for the house in Mayfair, he covered her head with a black hood, then made sure she was lying flat and out of sight.
Approaching the house, the driver took hold of a remote device, pressed a button and pointed it at the garage doors, which opened automatically. He brought the car to a halt inside, the doors then going into reverse and closing behind them.
The garage lights, triggered by the car passing through a beam, switched on. Arabella was hauled out of her seat, carried into the house, laid on a bed in a spacious bedroom and her cable ties cut off.
The two men locked the door, then joined Hani in a cavernous and luxurious lounge.
"How is the girl?" he asked.
"Ok now." answered one.
"Did you wipe everywhere clean?" asked Hani.
"Yes sir. Thoroughly." came the answer. "Nothing would be found if the place was ever discovered."
"Good, you may go." said Hani. "I'll see to the girl now."
Dempsey and Harry were in Spikings' office when Jonas called. He listened intently to what he was being told and, after thanking him and signing off, looked at them with raised eyebrows.
"It appears there could be another part finished tunnel running adjacent to the existing one." he said and repeated what Jonas had told him. "He's having the plans couriered to him by lunchtime. His butler will then re-direct them to us."
Dempsey was all for going straight back to the tunnel there and then.
"Don't be daft, Dempsey." said Harry, grinning at his impatience. "I think we'll find it a lot easier if we actually had some plans with us, don't you?"
"Yeah okay okay." he acknowledged, grudgingly. "Guess you're right."
When the despatch rider delivered them, they were spread out on Spikings desk and studied closely. They soon pinpointed exactly where the original tunnel entrance was located.
"Ok." said Dempsey. "If we assume the Bentley never exited the tunnel but somehow found its way into that abandoned one, we'll have discovered where Arabella's been taken."
"It certainly looks that way, Lieutenant." agreed Spikings. "But just how you get in there is anyone's guess."
"We ain't gonna find out sittin' round here." said Dempsey. "Harry 'an I'll get over there now, see what we can come up with."
"Hang on Dempsey!" ordered Spikings. "Just think this through. If that old tunnel has indeed been accessed, the question is - how? It must mean part of the wall in there is false. And if that's the case, how is it opened?"
"A false wall!? In that tunnel!?" asked Harry, disbelievingly. "That sounds a bit sci-fi doesn't it?"
"Who's to know whether it was put in place during the original re-construction?" asked Spikings. "For all we know it could have existed for the last twenty-five years and been used to hide all manner of things. Drugs, stolen money, cars, contraband, people?"
"I guess it's possible." agreed Dempsey, glancing across at a still sceptical Harry. "Okay, so assumin' that's the case, just how does it get opened?"
"Must be by some sort of remote control?" suggested Spikings. "Same as you'd use to open garage doors for instance. Go down to 'Technical' and get hold of one of their multiple code breaking devices. They're the equivalent to a bunch of skeleton keys. Then take a forensics team with you and see if you can get into that abandoned tunnel."
Two hours later saw Dempsey, Harry and a team of four parked up inside the tunnel, their vehicles cordoned off and a temporary traffic light system in operation.
One of the vans was stationed at a point along the wall where, indicated by the plans, the original entrance had been located, an awning stretching across the area and hiding the activity within.
Confirmation, if any were needed, that they were in the right place was the simple task of tapping the walls. It soon became apparent that the entrance was made out of wood and fibre glass and expertly camourflaged to resemble the stone used for the rest of the tunnel.
Then it was a straight forward case of putting the code breaker to work.
They watched as the device began displaying a rapid selection of numbers in red and when it detected a correct one, the number turned green.
Eventually it stopped, a series of six green numerals glowing in the darkness.
Simultaneously, a section of the wall, roughly eight foot square, suddenly began sliding upwards, rolling in on itself as it reached its arc and leaving a huge black space.
"My God." said Harry, open mouthed in astonishment. "I've seen everything now!"
Seconds later, ceiling lamps flickered on, lighting the interior. They all walked in, Dempsey and Harry drawing their weapons, and moving deeper into the tunnel.
"You got that remote device with you?" asked Dempsey, turning to one of the accompanying team.
"Yes." came the reply as the wall behind them began to close.
"Then open the goddam door before we suffocate will ya!" ordered Dempsey and waited while his instructions were carried out.
Continuing on, they eventually reached what looked like a dead end but turned out to be another false wall, with a single door cut into it. Finding it locked, Dempsey kicked it hard, the lock splintering and the door swinging open.
Inside was the bedroom Arabella had spent the last few days locked up in.
"Hallelujah!" exclaimed Dempsey. "We've found where Arabella's been kept, but they've moved her out, dammit!"
"Okay boys, get to work." ordered Harry to the forensic team. "We need fingerprints, DNA, anything to identify just who's been in here other than Arabella."
Despite a thorough and expert search, the entire place had been wiped clean. Not a scrap of evidence was found and it was a somewhat dejected team who packed up and returned to SI-10.
"We ain't dealin' here with a bunch of amateurs, Chief." Dempsey was saying as he and Harry briefed Spikings. "That room was cleaner than a goddam operatin' theatre!"
"If they've moved Arabella sir, perhaps they used the Bentley again." suggested Harry. "Maybe we could pick it up on the cameras?"
"We can certainly try, Sergeant." replied Spikings. "But it'd be like looking for a needle in a loft stacked with hay, I'm afraid."
"We have nothing else to go on." she answered, flatly.
Rupert had heard nothing from Jonas since their initial meeting a few days previously and he was at the point whereby he'd throw caution to the wind and either call him, thus risk being overheard, or drive out to Hartley Hall where he'd run the risk of being seen.
Suddenly though, his telephone rang.
"Rupert. It's Jonas." he said. "Forgive me for not being in touch sooner."
"I must say I was getting to the point of no return, sir!" replied Rupert. "Have you any news?"
"Yes and no." replied Jonas. "SI-10 found the car that took Arabella away and tracked it as far as they could. Then, through an old friend of mine, we discovered where she'd been locked up but when the detectives got there, she'd been moved."
"So we're no further forward." said Rupert.
"No we're not." replied Jonas. "But I'm paying up on Thursday, so she will be back safe and sound by then."
"Oh, thank God." said Rupert, close to shedding tears of relief. "Can I be of help in any way?"
"No, not right now." replied Jonas. "But I'll call if I need you. Just try not to worry. I don't intend to let anything get in the way of having Arabella returned to us."
At the house in Mayfair, Arabella was fully conscious and wondering exactly where she was, when the door was unlocked, Hani walking in.
"Ah, so you're awake my dear." he said, smiling broadly. "I expect you're hungry and thirsty?"
"Where am I?" she replied, anxiously. "What is this place?"
"It is somewhere you will stay until my business with your father is concluded." he said. "Then you will be home with him and the rest of your family. So don't give me any trouble and all will be well."
"Why am I involved in business you're doing with my father?" she asked. "I don't understand."
"You can ask him when you see him." replied Hani, his smile warm, his eyes cold, his tone turning hard. "Just don't ask me any more questions."
"Why not!?" she demanded, oblivious to the potential danger in this man. "Why can't I ask you! You are the reason I've been put through hell these last few days!"
"You have not been put through hell, young lady." replied Hani. "You've spent most of the time asleep, deliberately so, to calm you."
"To calm me!" shouted Arabella, anything but calm now. "You've drugged me for days! I've been locked up against my will, fed disgusting food and have been in the same clothes for ever!"
Hani had had enough.
He gripped her wrists and levelled a murderous gaze at her.
"Say one more word and I guarantee you will not, I repeat not, see your family ever again!"
Arabella stared at him.
Suddenly she realized she was dealing with a highly dangerous man.
"Now." said Hani, smiling once more. "You do exactly as you are told, no more hysterics, no more questions, stay quiet and you'll soon be out of here. Do I make myself clear?"
"Y..Yes." stuttered Arabella, tears welling up in her eyes.
"There's a good girl." he said. "Now, are you hungry my dear?"
She shook her head, then lay down on the bed and curled herself into a ball, her sobs taking hold.
Unconcerned, Hani got up and left the room, locking the door behind him.
Walking back into the lounge, he went to a purpose built bar and mixed himself a 'Bloody Mary', strong on the vodka, light on the tomato juice and with just a dash of Worcestershire sauce.
Turning to one of his bodyguards he said.
"Drug the girl. I want no more trouble from that little bitch!"