Free Flight Path: A Wright & Tran Novel by Ian Andrew Page A

to get messages to him. He said it was all part of the deal for them to get him out.”
    Jacob stepped forward and put his hands on the man’s shoulders to steady the chair and stop it from bouncing. Instead of quieting him, Amberley let out a long wail, “Please, please don’t let him hurt me, please.”
    Kara leant in close, her mouth next to Amberley’s ear, “Calm down Francis. He’s not going to do anything to you, unless I say so, but you need to calm down and stop squirming.”
    Amberley again gave a series of protracted nods, but his squirming ceased, the chair steadied and Jacob stepped back. Kara was convinced that she had been told the truth. What she wasn’t sure about, was why there would be so contrived a security protocol. She glanced over her shoulder to Tien and raised her eyebrows. Tien spoke from the archway, “What was the name of the other boat?”
    Amberley looked across to Tien and Kara caught the strangest of expressions cloud his face. She couldn’t quantify or classify it, but it made her feel distinctly uneasy. Then it was gone. 
    “Answer my friend Francis. What was the name of the other boat?”
    “I don’t know, I’m sor-”
    Kara stood and turning to leave, nodded to Jacob, “Kill him, we’re done here.”
    “No, please, no, God no. Ple-” Amberley’s pleading was cut-off as Jacob’s hand clamped over his mouth. The muffled screams were frantic and accompanied by a dark stain spreading over the front of Amberley’s trousers.
    Kara stopped just short of the archway and turned back, “I warned you Francis, lie to me and I have no use for you. You would have spent some time next to the other boat while Derek made his escape. You know the name of it. You tell me and I may let you live,” she said and gave a small flick of her head. Jacob released his grasp.
    “It wasn’t English. Honestly, I couldn’t read it, it was foreign. Please, please don’t kill me, please. It had an E. It started with an E. Two words, erelike winding. Please, that’s the truth.”
    “Other numbers on the side? A homeport? What type of boat was it?”
    “It had a registration mark, VD something. There were numbers, four or five of them. But I don’t remember the rest. Please, I don’t remember what they were.”
    “What else?”
    “It was a fishing boat, a troller.”
    “You mean a trawler?” Kara asked.
    “No. A troller. It’s smaller.”
    Kara checked over her shoulder and Tien gave a small shrug as she pulled her smartphone out. After a few moments she handed the phone to Kara, who in turn walked back to stand in front of Amberley, careful to avoid the puddle of liquid around the chair. She showed him the image on screen. “Like this?”
    “Yes,” he nodded, “like that, only it had a red hull.”
    Kara sat down again, “Good Francis. Well done. One last question. Answer this and we’ll let you go, okay?” she said and waited for the man to look up. She held his stare, “Okay?” she repeated.
    He nodded.
    “Why did Derek leave?”
    “I don’t know.”
    Kara paused. The answer had been given too quickly and delivered with no conviction, but there was a new look to Amberley’s face. The timidity and fear was masked by a strange expression. Kara examined the almost instant change that had come over the man. She finally figured that it was defiance. She tried again, “Now that’s just not true Francis. Why did Derek leave?”
    “I don’t know.”
    Once more the lie was delivered too quickly but his voice was stronger, more assured. Kara wondered what the hell was going on. He should have been getting more compliant, not less. She allowed her hand to rest on the old corkscrew. She nodded up to Jacob, “Hold his eye open.”
    In a single fluid movement Amberley’s head was secured and Jacob forced the man’s left eye wide. Kara stood and brought the tip of the rusty metal down.

Chapter 8
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    “Now what?” Jaco b asked from one of the chairs in