Ark Angel - Anthony Horowitz [83]
There were two canoes and a boat moored there – a Princess V55 motor cruiser. A canoe would be too slow. But the boat? It was a beautiful craft, very low in the water, its bow shaped like a knife, built for speed. Alex looked for the key in the ignition. Why not? One guard had been asleep. Another hadn’t even looked at him as he drove past. A third might have made the clumsiest mistake of all.
But this time he was disappointed. There was no key. He searched all the cupboards and lockers in the main cabin, but there was nothing. Frustrated, Alex rested his hands on the wheel and forced himself to think calmly. Drevin’s house was in sight. He was tempted to steal in and try to get hold of a telephone. But Tamara had warned him that all the phones on the island would be disabled, and Alex believed her. Might he find a key to the Princess in the house? It was possible but the risk was too great. Alex looked up. The sky was brightening rapidly, the darkness trickling away like spilt ink. Dawn had broken. Drevin might wake up at any moment.
No phones. No boats. Barbados was ten miles away – too far to swim or to paddle in a canoe. Alex knew what he had to do. He had worked it out when he was sawing through the bars of the cage, but he’d hoped he would be able to find another way. Well, there was no other way. He might as well get on with it.
He jumped down from the boat and ran along the beach, making for the house. But he wasn’t going in. Instead, he went round the back to the equipment store where Kolo had taken him before the dive. It occurred to Alex that he might find a key to the motor launch somewhere inside, but he wasn’t going to waste any more time looking. The store was where Paul Drevin kept his power kite and board. That was what Alex had come for.
But even as he found the kite and began to bundle it out, he wondered if it would be possible. Ten miles was a long way, and after the storm the sea might be rough. At least there was a strong breeze. Alex had felt it when he was on the jetty – and it was also blowing offshore. Most kite boarders avoid an offshore wind; it’s lumpy and difficult, and there’s always a danger it will blow you out to sea. But that was exactly what Alex wanted. He needed to get away. Fast.
He reached for the board and at that moment the door swung open behind him. Alex was already spinning round, his fists raised, preparing for a karate strike, when Paul stepped inside.
“Alex?” The other boy had obviously only just got up. He was wearing shorts and nothing else. He stared at Alex, shocked. “What are you…” He couldn’t find the words. “I thought you’d gone,” he said.
“I’m afraid not.” Alex wasn’t sure how much Paul knew, and he didn’t know what to say. He was aware that the whole situation had changed. Where did he go from here?
“What’s happened to you?” Paul asked. “What are you doing here? And why are you dressed like that?”
“I’m sorry,” Alex said. “I can’t tell you.” He desperately wished Paul hadn’t found him. “How did you know I was here?”
“I couldn’t sleep. I went to the window to get some air – and there you were, on the beach.”
“Do you have a key to the boat? Do you know where it is?”
“No.” All of a sudden Paul was angry. “Dad told me that you’d been sent here to spy on him. I said that couldn’t be true, but he was sure of it. He said he had enemies in New York and they’d paid you to come here, to make trouble.”
“Did he tell you what he did to me?” Alex cut in. He was getting angry himself. Here was Paul, accusing him. But he knew nothing.
“He said he put you on the plane out of here.” Paul looked at Alex uncertainly. “Is it true, Alex?” he demanded. “Are you spying on us?”
“I haven’t got time to talk about this now.” He took a step and Paul’s arm shot out, his hand reaching for a button built into a panel on the wall. Alex hadn’t noticed it before.
“This is an alarm,” Paul told