Kai Lam couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw Colonel Blake descending from the plane. “How did he get out of jail?”
Yes! It certainly was him. He had plenty of money because both his parents were killed in a car accident. They were both insured and he was their only child and heir in their will.
Kai Lam raced across the tarmac, his heart pounding. He was gasping for air.
He called out to Major Nate, “Did you know Colonel Blake is out of jail. I chased him, but lost him in the crowd.”
“Well, we will find him. I will organize an Elite Team made up of S.A.S. Soldiers and Navy Seals to go after him.
Little did they know that Colonel Blake was friendly with Thea, a make-up artist, and with a little bit of work could alter his appearance.
The first thing Thea did was dye the Colonel’s hair an auburn colour. She then padded out the Colonel’s cheeks. She told him to wear overalls, as he usually only wore expensive Italian three piece suits. They wouldn’t be looking for him disguised like a tramp, but to be doubly sure, she placed him on a farm that belonged to one of her friends, tending to their pigs. No-one however clever would look for him there.
Major Nate’s Elite Team checked all the farms and farm hands in the area, but didn’t check the pig farmer. They didn’t think Colonel Blake would stoop that low.
Thea had been right. By the time the Elite Team returned, Colonel Blake had bathed and showered and got dressed into different clothes, which didn’t quite fit but were clean.
In case the Elite Team returned, which they did, he was hidden amongst bales of hay in the barn.
“Where’s the man that was tending the pigs?” Asked Matt, one of the S.A.S. lads of the Elite Team.
“He left.” Said Thea. “They all do, it’s a filthy stinking job. Most of them don’t even come back for their pay.”
“Well, we won’t be back! But if you see any strange men wandering around, let me know. Here’s my card and phone number.”
A short time later, it was unbelievable! The Elite team came back.
“We need to search your home,” One of them said. “We have come with a search warrant.”
Matt and his team searched high and low but, couldn’t find anyone, so left empty handed.
After the third investigation they left her alone.
Thea walked to her library. She pressed a small knob on the side of the door of the bookcase. The bookcase turned on a turn-table, leaving a doorway opening to another small room. Out came Colonel Blake. He was glad to be out of hiding. He ate a large breakfast of bacon and eggs and washed them down with two cups of coffee.
The search on land continued being carried out, while the Navy Seals were diving, checking the water ways, looking for clues of any kind. This went on for four hours but nothing was found.
Major Nate was furious! “How could one man just disappear?”
The next great idea Colonel Blake was going to perform was very bold, but also cunning. He was going to be out in full sight, training weekend army cadets in a small town that doesn’t have regular inspections.
Blake went to the barbers to get a proper marine style haircut, a flat-top and short sides. He was dressed in a sergeant’s uniform, with care he could pass himself off as a soldier at any time. He being an army sergeant was a perfect disguise.
The cadets were working hard, then Colonel Blake got a tip-off to leave, as the Major’s Elite Team was coming. They left through the back door of the headquarters building.
Major Nate was wild, how could he have missed the fugitive so many times.
Kai Lam thought, Many clever people are helping the Colonel. What would they do next, or what trick would they try? He wondered where they were getting their information from.
This time Thea placed the Colonel with some gypsies and dressed in some colourful clothes so he would look like them. The gypsies taught him how to camouflage himself when he needed to. He loved the simple life here, he felt at peace at last.
Then Thea came with some bad news. Matt and his team had found out where he was and was coming to catch him. Where would he go now? Thea was running out of options?
Major Nate’s face was purple with anger. Matt had never seen him this wild before.
Then out of the blue he was told that the team had recaptured Colonel Blake.
Major Nate’s called together the S.A.S. and Navy Seal Team.
“We have an informant in our midst.” He roared. “There is someone within our ranks who is a mole! Money talks and this person is taking bribes.”
Thea became rich by hiding Colonel Blake. The most frustrating thing for Major Nate was the time it took to track down the renegade. It took twelve months now going onto eighteen months. Now we have Colonel Blake in custody, we must identify and quickly arrest the informants.
Where-ever Colonel Blake went there was a murder and a spate of robberies taking place. The person always knew exactly where to go and what to take, including the most expensive items and most valuable paintings.
Kate, one of Major Nate’s daughters, had a premonition as to who the informants were, but had no evidence. Watching from a distance, Kate saw two men and two women. Then the penny dropped! She took photos for evidence, as her father would never believe who one of the informants was.
Kate now knew why she had been stalked. Her father didn’t believe her until she showed him the photos, as cameras don’t lie.
A trap was set with money for the greedy. To gain evidence they needed proof.
Colonel Blake was in all the photos.
A line-up was called, using seven S.A.S. men and Seven Navy Seals.
The photos were enlarged which confirmed who the informants were. There was one which Major Nate still found hard to believe, but the proof lay in the photo snaps.
Major Nate knew Thea, as she had worked for him before, but someone had offered her twice the money that Major Nate was paying her.
Max was an ex-army sergeant, who had a dishonourable discharge. He had been in court before on a murder charge, but the case was dismissed because of lack of evidence. He was released. It’s funny how he had been in the same area at the same time as Colonel Blake.
Max was taken to court again, this time he was found guilty of four murders.
As for the second woman, Major Nate lashed out at her. He had never been out of control before. He felt he could choke her if he could get his hands on her.
Colonel Blake owned his own restaurant. He was once more wearing his three piece Italian suit and highly polished shoes. He was in a dark corner arranging his business papers for a deal with his partner. Suddenly he was surrounded by Major Nate’s Team. This time he’d been caught out.
“What gave me away?” asked the Colonel, “Was it my high class clothes?”
“Nothing like that!” said Matt, the head man of the Elite Team, “You gave yourself away. No-one uses paper clips these days like you do.”
Colonel Blake was taken into custody.
“Damnation Laura! What a cad you are. Did you do it for the money or the adrenalin rush? Why can’t you be like your sister, who was being stalked, not knowing she had a twin.”
Her father said, “Laura! How dare you put my job in jeopardy! You are just greedy and selfish!”
Laura raged back at her father. “That is exactly the reason I became an informer. Kate was always your favourite. I was neglected and rejected. Kate has all your attention. I wanted to hurt you as you badly hurt me. Also, your job took you away from us. We had no friends, you shifted so often. When you came home we were treated like soldiers, there was no love.”
“These people showed me love like you should have done. If I am given a jail sentence, it would be like the treatment you gave me. Anything can happen. I have enough money for a good lawyer now. The sentence for espionage is life in prison.”
Before anyone realized what was going on, Laura pulled a pistol out of her pocket and with a pull on the trigger, she shot herself through the head.
She died instantly.
What a tragedy!
Hilda Oakley
Copyright © 26.07.2018
