4_3

Spreading the map out, de Hogue looked around the table at his companions. All three met his eyes with eager anticipation.
“This is the Medway Estuary, and here is St Albans Island” he pointed to the small diamond shape inked in pale yellows with a few details added in simple black symbols. “I have lain out here on the water for many nights watching the island, and I have seen a single point of light, flashing three times, at around one in the morning, on three separate occasions. It is my belief that this is the all clear signal for the smugglers. I think they are using the old tower on Beacon Hill.”
Bailey produced a second map and laid it over the first.
“This is the island in detail” he added. And as you can see, it is only a half mile from the village to the tower. I suggest that we lie in wait between the tower and the village, so that we might be able to intercept who ever gives the signal.”
“I assume that it is this man Thatcher?” Melchior looked from Bailey to de Hogue.
“Perhaps.” Bailey answered. “Thatcher is as slippery as an eel though, so I won’t be surprised if he has some one else doing this job.”
Nodding, de Hogue resumed speaking, “The light signal was only given once every seventh night and if the pattern holds true, then there should have been a shipment last night, and the next gold run should be in six nights time. I want us to be ready to intercept that shipment!”
They all nodded, and Arkwright thumped the table with his fist. Bailey sat back in his chair and locked his fingers together.
“Joe, you and me will be here on the island. We’ll slip in a couple of the Chatham lads a few hours after dark and sneak them into place. I reckon we’ll probably only need a few men, but lets make ‘em bruisers eh?”
Arkwright nodded with a broad grin.
“I know just the lads”
Melchior turned to de Hogue who said, “In the mean time, Mister Melchior and I will be on the Pegasus here, and HMS Alert with her twenty guns will lying here, in case they make a run for it.”
“How many guns does the Pegasus carry?” Melchior inquired.
“She’s a sixth rate, of twenty eight guns. A frigate Sir, and more than enough to deal with any smugglers” de Hogue answered with more than a touch of pride.
Bailey reached for his mug where it was holding down one corner of the larger map.
“Once the light from the tower has been seen, the Pegasus will move to intercept the smugglers. Once they have the smugglers in sight they will fire a blue rocket to signal the rest of us, and that will be the signal for us to move. If who ever is in the tower though has left it to return to the village, then we will apprehend them on the path. But if they are still in the tower when the blue rocket goes up, then we will move to encircle the tower and arrest any one within…”
“The plan is to drive the smugglers along the coast away from us” de Hogue continued. If we are in luck, then this will put them at odds with the wind, which at this time of year is nearly always moving against that course.
Their vessel is almost without a doubt a very fast one, but moving against the wind, she will suddenly find herself under the guns of the Alert and her boats. Once the smuggler has been taken, we will launch a red rocket.”
No one spoke, but they glanced amongst themselves with satisfaction. Finally Arkwright leaned forward again and tapped the table with a hard finger.
“What should we do about Thatcher, if he ain’t in the tower?”
“Nought” Bailey answered. “We’ll leave him for the time being then. If he ain’t directly implicated at first, I guarantee you he soon will be when we get his boys into Chatham!”
Melchior raised his eye brows, but said nothing. De Hogue straightened up, and flexed his heavy shoulders, and yawned.
“What you do with Thatcher and the others is up to you.” He said. “Once the gold has been taken, Mister Melchior can evaluate it, and examine it for any markings or clues as to where it came from, but after that the mission is over for us, and we’ll most likely be called back to London.”
Bailey nodded, but catching de Hogue’s eye he saw that de Hogue was thinking about Mary Coleman. Neither of them said anything but they both knew that they now had only a few days to find out who killed her.The four men spoke a little while longer, but as the night gathered around them, de Hogue retired to the kitchen to whip up some stew, cursing Bailey for his not having provided a house keeper for himself, and as he stirred the meat broth, he let his mind wander to John Sheppard, sitting in the rain, holding his head in his hands and crying.