Murray McDonald - Kidnap

“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)

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.

Tom was dazed. They were all in shock. He looked across at Lela who seemed to be in a similar daze. Chen seemed OK but Mia did not look good. He looked around and saw the soldiers for the first time. They had obviously come over to check they were OK but why were they pointing their guns at them?

Lela looked up. This was not good. These guys did not look in the least concerned about them. In fact, they looked animalistic, as if they were hungry and the four of them were on the menu.

Lela and Tom were not sure who fired first but as they heard gunfire, Chen screamed.

“DOWN, GET DOWN NOW!!”

Three of the soldiers were firing at two shadows behind them in the compound and before anybody knew what was happening, bullets were flying everywhere. They ricocheted off of the cart and Tom pulled Mia to safety behind the cart. She was still unconscious and Lela checked whether she was still breathing, she was.

“What the hell’s this?” asked Tom, more to himself than to anyone else.

“Just keep your heads down!” said Chen.

The twins had watched in horror as the cart careered towards the gates. They followed the cart through the gates and in a fraction of a second, understood what was happening. Their mission orders were clear. This new situation called for change. The surveillance phase was over and the shoot-to-kill policy was now in force. The twins moved against their targets.

Schmidt was dumbfounded at what had happened. Everything had been going perfectly when all of sudden, gunfire started. He had not realised that his men were firing at shadows. In any event, they had missed and he now stood alone facing the two men who had just massacred nine of his colleagues.

The twins’ targets were in danger and new rules applied. This was no longer a surveillance exercise but a protection mission with extreme prejudice.

Schmidt raised his gun to shoot the two intruders but before he had the chance to pull the trigger, he fell to the ground, dead before he hit the rubble.

Chen was the most alert of the three.

“Who the hell are you guys?”

“The cavalry,” responded one of the twins as they both laughed. “OK, let’s go,” they commanded.