Y for Yoke – Azure Spark. Part 25
[Don’t miss the Music treat at the end. This story will be posted in full after the Challenge for those of us that like to read everything in one complete telling,]
YOKE – Wednesday Mid-Evening
Yachting yarns yearn to be clues
but they’re not. Njörðr Hämnaren is
the decoy along with the containers. Vivian has been wasting our time. Under
orders.
We are parked in the shadows at
Holyhead Docks. My hunch must be correct.
“Trust me, Ffion. Three mnemonics told me to come
here.”
“That mental Scrabble board is very accurate. If it
wasn’t, we’d still be at Porthmadog – assessing our minimal leads.”
What happens if I’m wrong?
“And the mnemonics were?” asks Wiley. “I
always trust you.”
Another voice of confidence. Fired up on his release from Ysbyty
Gwynedd in Bangor.
“If it helps DESPATCH, LARCENY, and GEMS. Our contact
here in the port confirmed that the shipment of gemstones is due from Eire on
the next boat. The handling agents are also taking action.”
Will that satisfy their insurers if we fail?
“G for Gnomes and Gaff. E for Elaborate and Evasive. M
for Manifest and Mirrors. S for Smoke and Sailing,” says Kama, deciphering
my thinking process.
“And the yacht with the containers,” asks Wiley,
catching up after missing the briefing. “Are they coming here? Did Vivian
know?”
I shake my head. “She was totally confused. Thought the
containers were contraband. The Pilkvists promised her a cut if she helped.
Part of their extensive ploy to keep our other divisions distracted –”
“– Even counter-terrorism,” says Ffion. “Vivian
folded and called the Swedes manipulative zealots. Their yacht left Liverpool
heading West, but Marine are following. Armed response is alerted, but they
need justification to attend.”
Will our Swedish victims show? Is my hunch valid? Are the
wrong resources being diverted?
The penny counters will make me pay – with my career.
Can we afford not to respond?
“Exposing me and Sparkle was personal revenge for
Vivian – a fringe benefit.”
Kama squeezes my shoulder – reassurance.
Ffion glances at her watch, then checks that uniform are
hidden across the arrival area.
Stefan Mikaelsson and Ivan Tjäder stroll by us, oblivious to
our squad car in the darkness.
As I surmised. Deceivers not victims.
Dressed as customs officers, they wait for the courier with
two colleagues. They check some cars but stay clear of the main customs area.
“Courier’s yellow Toyota Yaris approaching now,”
says a uniform officer over the radio.
The four thieves spot the vehicle and obstruct its path. Stefan
accosts the driver as Ivan approaches the passenger side. They draw pistols
from their jackets and throw the doors open.
They pull the courier out and force him into the back seat
between the two sidekicks.
“Don’t tackle them yet,” says Ffion. “We
don’t want innocent bystanders shot. Or the courier killed. Tail at a
distance.”
As Ffion orders uniform to follow, I keep two car lengths
behind the Yaris. Stefan turns out of the port into the town centre.
My tattoos thrum. M for Marina and Y for Yacht.
“I’m contacting Uthyr,” says Kama. “If the
yacht left Liverpool heading west, where is it now?”
“Good call, Kama,” says Ffion. “Wiley, see if the local
force has other support they can spare. I’m advising armed response again. This
is escalating. With £10
million in gems plus guns, we’re at PIP three level.”
Ffion is an experienced Senior Investigating Officer – and
respected. But NWP are spread thin and these crooks know that. No thanks to Vivian.
Ffyc.
The Yaris drives along the opposite side of the harbour, past
the railway station, then left towards the Marina.
W for Water. S for Swim.
The marine unit updates us.
“ Njörðr Hämnaren has just dropped anchor west of The Skerries, due
north of Holyhead. We will await orders to board her and we have a customs
officer with us.”
“That may be necessary, Uthyr,” says Ffion.
“You are our only marine unit if these thieves escape us.”
Moonlight glistens of waves and boats. The Yaris slows and I
drop back.
Imminent confrontation. Adrenaline. Jeopardy.
“Local cannot spare more uniformed officers. We’ll have
to depend on the two behind us.”
Ffion expels her breath hard. “And armed response is
still too far away.”
Only the guns outnumber us – except in the water. Who swims
best?
As the thieves park the Yaris near a sailing club slipway, I
ease onto the embankment, cutting the lights.
“They’ve brought their Aberdaron boat for their
escape,” says Kama. “We need to borrow a boat or –”
“– Swim, if we need to. If we drop in off the quay
there, they won’t see us. Head to the breakwater.”
Ffion nods and turns to Wiley.
“Two of them seem to be staying with our courier. Arrest them. The armed
guys must be taking the gems to Njörðr
Hämnaren.”
I sidle out of the car with Kama.
As Stefan and Ivan launch the clinker boat, we slip into the
water. Fully-clothed is a routine swim – some mornings.
Night hides our smooth passage out into the Marina harbour.
Headlights stab at the Yaris. Flashing blue lights add to
the distraction.
Stefan and Ivan hesitate.
They fire warning shots into the blinding beams. Offices
will dive for cover as we head for a channel marker buoy.
Our fleeing thieves raise their sails – at the third attempt
– then tack towards the channel.
“They’d make better progress with oars,” says
Kama. “Or an outboard. We’d better intervene before they hit another
boat.”
We approach underwater, pulling ourselves aboard over either
side. The boat rocks and the crooks come alert. Both go for their guns.
We time our tackles to avoid capsizing.
The Swedes are strong.
My choke hold slips in the wet. Stefan’s knee jabs my
stomach. Gasp for air.
But to one arm slips around his neck. He squirms, but the
hold tightens. Without hesitation, I slam his head up against the boom.
“I used my fist,” says Kama. “More satisfying
but painful. Next time, I’ll whip them into shape.”
Stefan and Ivan are cuffed while unconscious, and Kama
retrieves the gem pouches.
We row the boat beyond the other craft and yachts, then sail
out to the Breakwater Lighthouse.
Ffion and Wiley are waiting as planned.
“Guessed you’d stop them. Uniform took the other guys
to the local station,” says Ffion. “Seems the courier conned these
guys – risked his life.”
Kama opens the pouches – cut glass fakes. Costume jewels.
“The handler’s security agent sent a second courier.
Ours is the decoy.”
“These rocks will do for the Pilkvists. We’d be remiss
not delivering them.”
Ffion hands me our radios. “And arrest the zealots. We’ll
ensure Uthyr knows to expect your boat off The Skerries. And take these as they’re
no doubt armed – but you’ve been trained in their use.”
Tasers. Z for Zealots. A for Assault. P for Police.
ZAP. Our response must be realistic. Time to break their yoke.
[image error]http://www.nwpolfed.org/north-wales-police-officers-want-better-access-to-taser-survey-shows/
For
further details on this theme visit my Blogging from A to Z Theme Reveal, and on
the evolution of Sparkle Anwyl visit Snowdon Shadows.
Other A
to Z Bloggers can be found via the Blogging from A to Z website’s Master List –
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/2019/03/link-to-view-master-list-and.html
^*^
And now
for something completely different.
“Music hath
charms to soothe a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.”
William Congreve –
The Mourning Bride
