Behind the Wire (A Dan Taylor thriller) Read online

  Behind the Wire

  Rachel Amphlett

  Copyright 2016 Rachel Amphlett

  © The copyright of this book belongs to Rachel Amphlett

  No reproduction or filesharing without permission

  The names, characters and events in this book are used fictitiously.

  Any similarity to actual people living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental

  ISBN eBook: 978-0-9944337-3-2

  ISBN paperback: 978-0-9944337-4-9

  Behind the Wire

  Rachel Amphlett

  CHAPTER 1

  Essaouria, Morocco

  Dan Taylor picked up the motor sports magazine, tapped it to his forehead in salute to the café owner, and stepped out into the harsh North African summer, unaware he was being followed.

  A momentary shiver ran through his body as he adjusted to the heat after the chill of the air-conditioned café. The awning over the footpath offered little shelter as the sun cresting the rooftops opposite cast a fierce light over the narrow street.

  He stood to one side to let a pair of tourists walk past, both carrying surf boards, their American-accented voices fading as their sun-bleached heads bobbed out of view amongst the throng lining the pavement.

  A woman stepped off the path and pushed the door to the bakery next to the café open, the fragrant scent of freshly made pastries and bread filling the air.

  Dan dropped his sunglasses over his eyes and jogged across the busy street to a convenience store.

  He checked his watch.

  He was due back at the harbour within the hour. Any later, and the man he’d contacted to provide a new fuel pump for the boat would disappear, and he’d have to spend another month convincing him to return.

  He pushed open the door to the shop and made his way towards the lone refrigerator that stood against the back wall, its motor mimicking a death rattle as it fought a losing battle against the summer temperatures.

  He grabbed a two-litre plastic container of milk and a bottle of water and joined the short queue at the counter.

  The port town had become a favourite haunt of his; until recently, there had been fewer tourists than Casablanca or Fez, so anyone looking for him would stand out in a crowd.

  He wasn’t a gambling man, though, and so as he waited in line, his gaze swept the street beyond the dirty windows.

  He’d noticed a distinct increase in the number of tourists over the past six months, testament to the fact that at least two UK budget airlines had added the small Moroccan resort to their regular flight schedules, and decided it would soon be time to move on again.

  It would be too dangerous to venture further south along the African coast, especially for someone trying to keep a low profile. Instead, he quite liked the idea of crossing the Atlantic and exploring the Caribbean islands for the summer, and he made a mental note to speak to the other boat owners at the marina. If another boat planned to head west soon, he’d find out if he could tag along.

  A bus rumbled past and stopped a few metres from the shop. As it belched diesel fumes into the street, its passengers waited with bored faces while others climbed on, the screens of their phones held up to their faces as they tried to ignore the monotony of their journey.

  Brakes creaked, the engine revved, and the bus moved on, and Dan’s attention returned to the man behind the counter.

  He smiled and held up the milk and water.

  ‘How are you, Mr Dan?’ The shopkeeper grinned, revealing a mouth devoid of three front teeth, the remainder nicotine-stained.

  ‘Good, Farouk.’ Dan indicated the meagre purchases. ‘Just these today.’

  Dan paid, nodded his thanks, and stepped back out into the morning heat.

  The harbour was a fifteen-minute walk from the convenience store, and by the time he reached his destination, sweat pooled between his shoulder blades and over his chest.

  The wind changed direction, bringing with it the pungent stink of the fishing boats from the working harbour further along the stretch of sqalas – esplanades fortified with ramparts, evidence of the port town’s Moroccan rulers implementing Portuguese design several decades ago.

  The boats had been in for hours, their produce already sold in the markets, but gulls hovered over the masts, seeking out scraps of food as nets were repaired and the boats readied for the following morning.

  Dan reached the entrance gate to the marina as the mobile phone in his pocket began to ring.

  He cursed under his breath and ran through his mind all the threats he’d use on the parts supplier if the fuel pump were delayed again. He shifted the bag of shopping into one hand, pushed against the steel mesh gate that led to the concrete jetty, and pulled his phone from his pocket.

  ‘Hello?’

  The metallic clang of the gate falling back into place obliterated the caller’s voice, and Dan glanced at the screen.

  Caller unknown.

  He tried again. ‘Hello?’

  ‘Long time, no speak, Dan.’

  He almost dropped the phone and his shopping in shock.

  He pivoted on his toes, surveying the boats that bobbed against the jetty, before he narrowed his eyes at the harbour master’s office and buildings beyond.

  The place was deserted, save for a boy of about twelve fishing at the water’s edge.

  ‘David? How the bloody hell did you get this number?’

  His mind raced.

  He’d been careful, abandoning every aspect of his old life, even going as far as having his boat re-registered in Marseilles before sailing towards the Moroccan coastline, zig-zagging across the Mediterranean under cover of darkness.

  After that, he’d kept his head down, telling any locals he’d befriended since his arrival that he was a former executive, tired of the city rat-race, while he regrouped and tried to figure out what to do next with his life.

  His mouth dry, he gripped the phone tighter.

  ‘How the hell did you find me?’

  ‘I’ll explain later. We’ve got a problem.’

  ‘Sort it out yourselves. I’m retired.’

  ‘Bored, more like,’ said David Ludlow, a note of contempt underlying his calm tone.

  Dan placed the bag on the ground between his feet, and then straightened and scratched at the stubble on his cheek while he tried to formulate an appropriate response in his mind.

  His former boss interrupted his thoughts.

  ‘Got a job for you. No time to waste. Might even get you in the good books with the new Prime Minister.’

  ‘New Prime Minister?’

  ‘You do read something other than the sports section of the newspapers?’

  Dan bit back the retort on his lips and instead did a quick mental calculation.

  ‘I must’ve been at sea when it happened.’

  ‘Right.’ David sounded unconvinced. ‘So you’ve only been checking the football scores for the past two weeks, then?’

  ‘Wait.’ Dan held up his hand and then sighed. ‘How did you know where to find me?’

  ‘Hi, Dan.’

  He closed his eyes and cursed under his breath. ‘Mel?’

  The analyst giggled at the end of the line.

  ‘Bloody hell,’ said Dan. ‘You put a tracker on the boat, didn’t you?’ He frowned. ‘Hang on. If you’ve known all along where I am, how come I haven’t been dragged back there and arrested?’

  ‘Because we haven’t told anyone where you are,’ said David. ‘Which brings me to the matter at hand.’

  ‘David? I’m standing here in ninety degree heat, and the milk for my coffee is about to turn into butter. Like I said, I’m not interested.’

&n
bsp; Dan ended the call, picked up his bag, and stalked towards his boat, swearing profusely.

  The good mood he’d had since he’d woken up that morning had disappeared, replaced with frustration and a seething anger that, despite everything, David thought it was okay to phone up out of the blue and demand his help.

  ‘Screw that,’ he muttered.

  Dan forced a smile and raised his hand in greeting as he passed a 32-foot wooden-hulled ketch, her German owners enjoying a lazy brunch under a dark blue shade-cloth.

  He swallowed, his throat parched as he envisaged the brew he’d make as soon as he returned to the relative coolness of his own vessel.

  Despite the heat, the harbour allowed a little more of the Atlantic’s cooling winds to reach its residents, away from the closeness of the town’s sprawling buildings.

  He trudged on along the jetty and tried to ignore the bead of sweat that ran between his shoulder blades, despite the cotton short-sleeved shirt he wore. His sandals saved his feet from being scorched by the hot concrete surface under his soles, yet even those were beginning to wear thin as the summer progressed.

  He stopped at the end of the jetty, crouched down, and began to untie the rope that held his dinghy in place as it bobbed on the gentle waves that splashed against the rubber-hulled vessel.

  He straightened, tugged his baseball cap lower over his eyes, and as he lowered his hand, jerked to a standstill.

  His boat was fifty metres or so from where he stood, but even at this distance he could see the wheelhouse door swing open with the slight rocking of the boat in the water.

  His hand fell to his pocket, and in the split second his fingers found his keys, his other hand dropped his shopping bag to the floor and wrapped around the gun tucked into his waistband that had been concealed under his t-shirt.

  ‘Shit,’ he muttered.

  First, a phone call out of the blue from David.

  Now this.

  He inched forward, his eyes tracking the rowing boats that lined this part of the harbour. He’d deliberately moored his vessel at this end – it was quieter, and away from prying eyes.

  He glanced over his shoulder.

  The German couple’s yacht was too far behind him to call to them, to find out if they’d seen anyone suspicious-looking hanging around.

  He reasoned that they would have said something to him as he’d walked past. That was simply what boat people did. You spent your life drifting from one port to the next, marina to marina, often crossing dangerous waters, and so you looked out for each other.

  He’d only started to pull the dinghy closer to the jetty to climb into it when a single white flash tore through the wheelhouse of his boat.

  Dan threw himself to the ground as the air around him was sucked towards the explosion, before the ensuing flames devoured the available oxygen and spat out a ferocious fireball.

  He sensed the shockwave pass over his body and put his arms over his head.

  Splinters of timber and fibreglass peppered the jetty as the roar of the explosion died away, only to be replaced with the vicious crackling of flames.

  Dan raised his head and then ducked as a secondary explosion ripped through the fuel tanks.

  ‘Shit.’

  He rose into a crouch and, once satisfied no limbs were broken, stood on shaking legs and surveyed the damage.

  It didn’t take long.

  Within a minute, the first burning remnants of his late father’s boat began to sink below the water line.

  As the ringing in his ears subsided a little, he became aware of the sound of running feet.

  He spun round, ready to fight, before he realised it was only the other residents from the boats in the harbour running towards him, their faces full of concern.

  He slipped his gun back into his waistband and tugged his t-shirt down.

  ‘Dan? Mein gott.’ The German man ran his hands through his hair, his face stricken as he watched the pieces of the boat smoking on the waves. ‘Are you okay?’

  ‘I’m okay. Thanks, Markus.’

  ‘You’re insured, yes?’

  ‘I think so,’ said Dan, and then frowned as he tried to calculate whether the policy had expired in his absence from the UK. ‘Maybe.’

  Within moments, a small crowd had gathered, and, despite his best efforts to get them to move back to the relative safety of their own boats, they resisted, offering him advice, condolences and, in the case of one rich American widow, a roof over his head – with benefits.

  When his phone rang, he answered it with relief and excused himself from the throng.

  He walked a few paces back towards the direction of the harbour master’s office.

  ‘Hello?’

  ‘Are you okay?’ asked David, his voice laden with concern.

  Dan bit back the first comment that came to mind and took a calming breath before he spoke.

  ‘Apart from losing a favourite part of my inheritance? Yes. I’m fine. How did you know?’

  ‘Satellite feed,’ said Mel.

  Dan turned and looked at the smoking mess that had been his home. ‘There are nicer ways to get me to come back and work for you, David.’

  ‘It wasn’t us,’ said David. ‘Anyone else you’ve managed to piss off? Apart from the British government?’

  ‘Where do I start?’ said Dan, knowing the sarcasm in his voice would reach all the way to wherever David had based himself this time.

  ‘Right, well,’ said David, ‘given that you’re now homeless, perhaps you’d like to reconsider my offer?’

  ‘You don’t waste time, do you?’ Dan’s eyes found the rich American woman, who waggled her fingers at him, then pulled her sunglasses down her nose and cocked her eyebrow.

  He shook his head to clear the thought that threatened to thwart common sense and began to stalk along the jetty, away from the disaster that had been his boat. He removed his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes. Replacing his sunglasses, he switched the phone to his other hand and ran his fingers through his hair.

  ‘David? Why me? Why now?’

  The other man paused, the silence stretching out over the miles until he finally spoke.

  ‘General Collins’s daughter is missing in Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara.’

  ‘Anna?’

  Dan had last seen Anna several years ago as she was starting her last year of university in Arizona. He recalled a young, leggy blonde who was destined to break all her male classmates’ hearts.

  ‘How – how’s the general?’ he managed.

  ‘At his wits’ end,’ said David. ‘And given the sort of friends he has, and the sort of firepower available to him, you can probably work out for yourself why Her Majesty’s Government is keen to avoid him being directly involved in any search and rescue operation.’

  ‘Hell, yes.’

  The general ran a highly organised and extremely capable team of private military contractors. Dan couldn’t imagine what David and his colleagues could have said to the general to ensure he didn’t arrive in Africa with all guns blazing, but it surely couldn’t last.

  ‘Does he know you’re talking with me?’ Dan asked.

  ‘You were his idea,’ said David drily. ‘Actually, you were more his ultimatum,’ he added. ‘Something to the effect of “get Dan Taylor there or I’ll go myself” – you get the picture.’

  ‘Fine,’ Dan said. ‘Let’s talk.’

  ‘Meet us at the Argan Hotel in twenty minutes,’ said David.

  ‘I’ll be there.’

  ‘Great,’ said Mel. ‘I’ll put the kettle on, shall I?’

  ‘Very funny.’ Dan ended the call and pushed his way past the trickle of people that were walking towards the site of his boat.

  In the distance, the forlorn siren tone of the town’s singular fire truck grew closer.

  A man, local by the look of his clothing and sun-wrinkled skin, held up his hand and stopped Dan in his tracks.

  ‘Where is Englishman?’

  ‘That’s m
e,’ said Dan, his senses alert.

  The man grinned and held up a cardboard box.

  ‘New fuel pump.’ He beamed and thrust a clipboard and pen at Dan. ‘One hundred dollars, on delivery. Sign here.’

  Dan blinked at the courier and then glanced over his shoulder at the far end of the jetty as the last remnant of his boat sank beneath the waves.

  ‘I don’t suppose you offer refunds, do you?’

  CHAPTER 2

  Three hours west of Laâyoune, Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara

  Anna Collins wrenched open the sliding door of the mini-bus before the driver had brought the vehicle to a standstill and jumped to the ground, her sneakers kicking up a small cloud of dust as she landed.

  She pushed back a strand of blonde hair that had escaped her ponytail and shielded her eyes from the glare of the sun on the vehicle’s white paintwork before slipping her sunglasses on.

  Shrugging her backpack over one shoulder, she waited impatiently while her colleague, Benji, clambered from the vehicle, gathered his laptop to his chest, and slammed the door shut.

  The vehicle took off along the road as if the driver were taking part in the Dakar Rally, his pockets fat with the more than adequate compensation they’d negotiated with him for his last-minute diversion.

  Anna swallowed as she saw the panic in Benji’s eyes.

  Sweat poured from his brow, and she no longer wondered if he was as scared as she.

  He fumbled in his jeans pocket for a second and withdrew his phone.

  ‘Still nothing,’ he said.

  Anna shifted from foot to foot, trying to force her heartbeat to slow. She’d managed to speak briefly to her father before they’d left the mine office, telling him that she held grave concerns for hers and Benji’s security, but until she could tell him they had reached safety, she couldn’t rest. She had to get them both out of the country – and fast.

  ‘Okay,’ she managed, and ran her tongue over her lips. ‘Let’s go to our rooms, pack, and get to the airport. I’ll meet you by the car. Fifteen minutes?’