Where the Action Is

Chapter 14 -Fort Madeleine Again

The time came for Adrian, Alan and Dirk to return to the radio station. The tender ride was short, for the sea was smooth as glass, and it was a fine day. At the fort they were welcomed by the others, who were full of questions about their experiences. Dirk was rather out of this, for he had had nothing to do with the adventures of the other two, he had been in London for most of the time. As for Alan, he still had a slight cold, but he was well enough to broadcast now.

Norman Clive, Yale Ross and Sean Perry left on the tender that afternoon, and Adrian and the others prepared for the usual routine of a radio fort. However, it was to be rather unusual, although they did not know it.

There followed two days of peace for the people on the fort. Life went on as usual, nothing happened except for the police patrols at night, which was not something they were used to. At least the boarders did not try again. There was the risk they might, out of spite and because the ‘pirates’ kept upsetting their plans.

On the shore, Superintendent Richardson and his companions continued investigations. Richardson had two other Yard men with him, an Inspector Jones and a Sergeant who was always around. They had a list of people to question, including the Irvings and Juliett; Terry Regan and the Madeleine disc jockeys now on shore; although they knew little about it. They also decided to question the two men they had caught, who were now in jail.

So first of all the Superintendent and his men drove to the inn at Dana, where the Irvings and Juliett were. Firstly he wished to see the Blundells, but they could tell him nothing except what the children had told them, and what they had actually seen. – the children returning from the Folly, and Mr Blundell had seen a strange light out at sea. Richardson’s tame Sergeant wrote everything down busily.

‘Next,’ said Richardson in his pompous way, ‘I will see Miss Jacynth Irving!’

Mrs Blundell sent Jack into the lounge where the police were. Richardson fired questions at her, and the tame sergeant carefully noted down her answers. Jack found she disliked Richardson almost at once. He had the air of knowing everything, before she said it. Finally, the questioning was over and Jack went to fetch Max and Impie, feeling as if she was the villain. That was how Richardson made her feel. Impie went in next. She was questioned with the same vigour as Jack had been, and she felt an instant dislike to Richardson. Max and Juliett were also questioned but Richardson gained nothing more than the local police had told him.

Then Richardson decided that he would question the people from Radio Madeleine who were onshore.

‘After all,’ he said to his note-taking sergeant, ‘we may find out that these ‘pirates’ are the ones.’

So after he left the inn he and his sergeant drove to the Thelstone office of Radio Madeleine, where they found Terry Regan and Norman Clive.

Richardson was not really polite to them. He fired away with many questions which Terry answered. (He was questioned first). The sergeant took notes. Richardson spoke to Terry and his staff as if he thought they were the criminals. When it came to Norman, he asked harsh questions about the boarding party, but Norman said that he had seen little, but told Richardson all he knew.

Richardson was silent for a while. Then he said;

‘Mr Regan, has it ever occurred to you that this is not a gang of smugglers you are alleged to be fighting, but your rivals, the so-called Radio Electra?’

‘That is not possible, Superintendent. Do you think they would jeopardise commercial radio by this action? I do not.’

‘That remains to be seen, Mr Regan,’ half-snarled Richardson.

Then Richardson asked where the other two DJs were, who were on shore.

‘Oh, they’re in London, to do a big show tonight,’ answered Terry. He told Richardson where they would be, and then Richardson, with many a caution about ‘evidence’, left, his docile sergeant trailing behind him.

‘I dislike that man intensely,’ said Terry to Norman. ‘I feel he wants to convict us of all the crimes that have been committed.;

'I agree,’ said Norman to Terry.

Richardson remained in Stoweshire and carried out investigations. He and John Adams compared notes on the trouble at the fort and the murder, and they found that the stories were not desperately contradictory. But Richardson still suspected the radio stations and said so. He even sent a man to question Philip Allsop, director of Radio Electra, but of course gained nothing.

Ed Muldoon and John Adams decided on searches in the district, and questioned the two men in jail as to what they had been smuggling and where they had hidden it. Attempts to find out where the hideout was from there were unsuccessful. They did say what they had smuggled; heroin; brandy and a few watches, and where they had hidden some. They insisted that there was only a little heroin, brandy and very few watches, and Ed and John had to believe them.

The next day a police raid was carried out on an old farmhouse in the hills. It was now empty, but in its cellars was found a quantity of smuggled goods, evidence enough of a smuggling ring. Richardson was still sure Terry Regan was ‘in it’, however. There was no evidence of whose the hoard was, and no arrests could be made.

As for the smugglers themselves, they were discussing this find and the problems now before them.

‘One thing is obvious,’ said Ben, ‘Bert and Jim talked.’

‘I know,’ said the leader, ‘but we’re still safe, they did not mention this place, and also, that was only a small part of our hoard. Don’t worry, now we’ve moved we’re perfectly safe. Now, listen, about those ‘pirates’, the Boss has a plan, if the weather stays good ...’ He elaborated on this plan, which seemed to the others a good one, and they all agreed to it.

The day after was a cool day, and before noon a sea-fret rolled up. The fog thickened and by two o’clock Radio Madeleine’s towers were completely obscured, even from each other. The Central Tower could not be seen from Shore Tower, and standing on the deck was like being on a castle in the clouds.

Adrian Leslie had come across to Shore Tower, leaving everybody who was not busy preparing programmes or broadcasting, sitting in the mess playing Monopoly. (They got dreadfully excited over the game, sometimes it nearly led to blows!) He was going to help Jon with some work on the winch for the lift and on a cupboard for supplies which was in need of repair. He worked with Jon for about an hour and forgot the got and the horrible weather conditions outside.

On shore, the police were getting worried. They had received several anonymous threats to injure the people at the inn during the course of the morning, and Richardson had decided that a large guard should be set on the inn at once, t least until the fog lifted, and had brushed aside Ed’s questions about what would happen out at the forts.

‘They will not attack the forts now,’ said Richardson, ‘if they are smugglers at all. No, these children are the best witnesses we have. We have not caught the murderers, not yet, you know.’ And he sucked his pipe pensively.

Ed had his way in one thing. A small launch was sent out with a powerful searchlight which could penetrate the fog to a certain distance. They reached the fort and called with a loud-hailer. Adrian heard them and came out, also with a loud-hailer.

‘Are you all right?’ called the police.

‘Yes, so far we are perfectly all right,’ was Adrian’s reply.

‘No unwelcome guests?’

‘Not yet!’

‘Can we leave you completely alone, the Superintendent thinks you will be safe.’

‘If he says so, I suppose we will be alright. He should know. No-one could come out in this fog without knowing the waters, anyhow. Thank you for checking on us, we’ll report anything odd we see out here.’

‘Fine,’ said the police. ‘We’ll leave you than.’ And they returned to Thelstone again. That was at about three pm. They were then sent to guard the inn at Dana on Richardson’s orders. Richardson thought that the smugglers might attack the inn as they threatened. The constables wondered why the smugglers should give warning of their attack as they had not done so before they attacked Fort Madeleine. They tried to show Richardson this but he would not listen, and sent a many men as possible to the inn.

‘What about the fort?’ asked John Adams.

‘Don’t worry about them, Inspector,’ he was assured. ‘They’ll be alright.’

Time passed slowly on Fort Madeleine, invisible in the fog. Adrian stayed on Shore Tower with Jon, for there was plenty of work to do. By four o’clock it was quite dark.

‘It was those very hot days, yesterday and the day before, that caused this,’ said Adrian to Jon.

‘Yeah, because it’s cold today, compared,’ said Jon.

Anything else we can do now?’ asked Adrian.

‘Not now, that’s all,’ replied Jon, ‘coming back to the mess?’

‘In a minute. I’ll just go and look at the fog, see if it’s lifting.’

‘I’ll wait then,’ said Jon.

Adrian went out onto the deck. The fog showed no sign of clearing, it was as thick as ever. He wandered to the corner of the tower. All at once there was a noise. Adrian swung round and the beam of a torch caught him full in the face. For a moment he was blinded. A voice said, ‘Don’t move! I’ve a gun here!’

But Adrian could hardly move anyway, because he couldn’t see for the torchlight and the surrounding fog. Gradually his sight came back and he saw a man standing a few feet from him, a gun in one hand and a torch in the other.

‘What, what do you want?’ asked Adrian, trying not to sound afraid, although he was.

‘What do you think?’ snarled the man. ‘Now shut up!’

He came forwards and levelled his gun at Adrian’s heart.

‘You’re our hostage, they’ll let us have this fort with no trouble if we have you.’

‘There’s more of you then?’ asked Adrian.

‘Shut up and get moving. Towards that door. Now move! I’ve got you covered!’

Adrian ha no choice but to do as he was told. He recognised this man now. This was the man he had fought before. Now the other had the advantage. Did he know that this was the one who threw him in the sea? He now had good opportunity for revenge.

They entered the door of Shore Tower. Jon turned round.

‘Adrian?? Who’s that with you?!’

‘Who do you think I am?’ asked the man. ‘Don’t do anyting stupid or your friend dies!’

He held Adrian by the neck with a sort of armlock and pointed his gun at Adrian’s head.

‘Now,’ said the man, ‘shall we meet the others?’

‘Jon,’ cried Adrian, ‘don’t worry about me, you can get his gun if you try.’

‘Just try it,’ said the man, ‘and I’ll shoot your friend first.’

Jon looked at Adrian.

‘I can’t do it, Adrian, he means what he said.’

‘You’re sensible,’ said the man. ‘Now to fetch my friends. You come with me though, you’re my hostage.’

He went towards the door, pushing Adrian in front of him with his gun at his back. At the door he called out.

‘All right, you can come now!’

There was a lot of scuffling and in a few seconds more men appeared on the fort. There were seven of them, and they all had guns. Jon and Adrian were powerless. They could not do anything to warn the others, and so had to submit to their captors.

‘Where are the others?’ asked one man of Adrian.

‘They’re in the mess,’ replied Adrian. ‘What’re you gonna do to us?’

‘You’ll find out,’ said the man. He waved his gun. ‘Now take us to them,’ he barked.

The others had their guns in their hands, and Jon and Adrian were forced to take the men over to the mess. They crossed the catwalks and went to the door of the tower where the mess was.

‘You go in first,’ said one man who seem to be their leader to Adrian and Jon. ‘They know you and they won’t be alarmed. Then we follow. Remember we’re armed, so don’t try anything. We’re quite willing to shoot.’

When they reached the door of the mess, Adrian and Jon opened it and went in. Everyone turned round and greeted them.

‘Finished everything now, Adrian?’ said James Dennis.

‘Yes, Jim, we’ve done the lot,’ was Adrian’s answer.

‘Come and play Monopoly, it’s great fun!’ said Dirk Harvey.

‘We’ll join you!’ The gang came through the doorway behind Adrian and Jon.

‘Who are you?’ gasped James.

You’ll soon find out who we are. You –‘ this to Adrian ‘ –come here, you’re our hostage,’ said the leader. ‘Now, if anyone tries anything, this one dies.’

One of the men asked the leader if the ‘pirates’ were all in the room. The leader nodded and turned to Adrian, who now standing with the boarders (they all had their guns on him).

‘Are all your people here?’

‘No, the cook isn’t here; neither is one of the engineers or Noel Llewellyn.’

‘Where are they?’ snapped the leader.

‘I don’t know,’ replied Adrian truthfully.

‘Are you sure?’

James Dennis interposed. ‘He doesn’t know. He’s been on Shore Tower nearly all afternoon. I’ll tell you where they are.’

He then proceeded to do so. The cook was over on the South Towers to collect some tins of food which he kept there. The engineer was over in the transmitter room and Noel Llewellyn was on the air.

‘Right,’ said the leader, ‘Joe, you go get the cook. This man here will tell you where he is. Won’t you?’ to James. ‘And then Maurice, you go fetch the engineer, and you, Alec,’ indicating the largest of the men, ‘go make sure the one who’s broadcasting doesn’t tell the world we’re here.’

The two men sent to the Central Tower took Adrian with them to show them where the transmitter and studios were. The other man went alone to where James told him to go. (James had no choice but to do as they told him.) He soon came back with the cook. Adrian was made to show the two boarders where the transmitter room and studio were. One boarder went into the transmitter room where Marty was, taking Adrian with him at gunpoint. He gave Marty a terrible shock and warned him that if he did not come with him at once, he or Adrian, or both of them, would be shot. Marty submitted and the man took him and Adrian back to the mess.

The second man went up to the studio, where Adrian had told him it was. The door was soundproof so he could not hear what Noel was saying, but through a glass panel he saw when Noel put on a record and turned off the mike. He opened the door and went in, his gun at the ready. Noel swung round and gasped. The studio was small, and the man was very near him.

‘Don’t tell the world I’m here or I’ll kill you and everyone else here,’ warned the man. ‘Carry on as if nothing’s happened. When this record ends, put on the next as soon as you can, and I’ll tell you what to do. – Don’t try anything!’ as Noel moved.

‘The record’s ending,’ said Noel.

The man made Noel put on the next at once. Then he told him to carry on as usual and say nothing, and to be careful not to stutter, or drop hints, as the boarders would be listening to the monitor. If he made any mistakes Adrian would be shot. And then him and everyone else. Did he understand? He was to stay under surveillance all the time.

Noel stammered that he did understand. When he was sure about this the man left. Noel carried on under strain. He did not talk much on that show.

In the mess, the men spoke to the staff of the fort. They were rough, and guarded everyone, threatening anyone who dared to move with their guns. They said that they wanted to take over the fort with no fuss and no questions asked. The fort was outside the three mile limit and was therefore not under the jurisdiction of the British police. Therefore, if they closed down the radio station and went off away from the fort, the authorities would not suspect anything because of their natural distrust of all things ‘piratical’. They would just think that they had ‘ditched’ their public, taken their money and left.

The men told them that they must get Terry Regan out to the fort at once, so that they would have complete control over the station.

‘We can’t just get him out here like that, you know,’ said James. ‘We need a good excuse.’

‘Well then, find one,’ snapped the leader of the boarding party. ‘And we want the shore people as well.’

‘You can’t capture everyone!’ cried James. ‘There’s more than fifty people affiliated in some way to this radio station!’

‘There are the disc jockeys on shore, and the director. Those are the important ones. The others can be dismissed from your service by various excuses. Now, find an excuse to get Regan out here! The others can wait!’