Get Charlie Noah

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The police launch which conveyed Ben, Charlie and Christine to Luganville was barely seaworthy but a bilge pump kept a steady stream of water pumping from inside the boat to the outside via a plastic hose going over one side. Thankfully the ocean was calm and once they were in the Segond Channel their progress to the main port of Espiritu Santo was uneventful. The body of the person killed by Ben was wrapped in canvas and had been tossed under a seat at the back of the boat.

'They're up to something,' said Ben softly as Charlie leaned her head against his shoulder. 'The police in Vanuatu would never go to these lengths to seriously investigate a killing. The police are under staffed, under paid and grossly under trained. The fat sergeant seems to have some police training in Australia or New Zealand but it wouldn't surprise me if they are after money.'

'We can pay,' said Charlie, looking up at him. 'I've got plenty of money.'

'No. We won't give them anything. I've got things under control.'

'Things don't look under control to me,' said Charlie. 'Christine is shitting herself.'

'It will be okay,' said Ben.

'Don't kill anyone else, especially a policeman.'

'Alright,' said Ben.

Sergeant Ross walked unsteadily from the rear of the launch and sat on an equipment box opposite Ben and Charlie. 'Having another little chat are we?'

'We chat a lot,' said Ben.

'Getting your stories together eh?'

'We were actually discussing if you may be a corrupt cop,' said Ben.

Ross sat back and laughed. 'Corrupt? What an outrageous thing to suggest.'

'I'll give you just one warning,' said Ben. 'Conduct yourself professionally and investigate the death of the person wrapped in tarps at the back of your boat with integrity, or you might just end up living in whatever village you originally came from.'

Ross glared at him. 'I'll never go back there. You are the one in trouble here, not me. You and your Australian slut are the ones in very deep trouble.'

Ben knuckle punched him hard in the side of the head. The fat sergeant toppled backwards over the equipment box and landed heavily on the timber decking. He reached for his automatic pistol but Ben was on top of him in a flash and chopped a fingered punch into his throat. The big man bellowed in pain. Ben took the pistol out of his holster. Constable Track had scrambled to his feet but everything happened so swiftly. He stood still and watched Ben. The launch driver wasn't dressed in a police uniform but that didn't mean much. He was probably still a policeman. He kept his hands on the wheel but his head was turned towards Ben.

'What in the Lord's name are you doing?' Christine screamed.

Ben ignored her. He kept his eyes on Constable Track. 'You get up there with the driver.'

Track obeyed immediately. He wasn't wearing a gun. Constables in Vanuatu were generally not allowed to carry guns unless something extremely nasty was happening.

'Slow the boat,' Ben said as he sat down on the equipment box and checked that the automatic pistol was loaded.

The driver pulled off power to the diesel engine. Ross rolled onto his side and vomited. Charlie sat back and folded her arms. 'Okay...now what?'

'Yeah...now what?' asked Christine as she moved from the other side of the launch and sat beside Charlie. 'Does he know what he's doing?'

'I'm not sure,' said Charlie.