The Aeroplane of Adventure

©2009 David Marlor

This novel is based on the characters created by Enid Bylton in the Adventure Series. In this regard, it is the ninth adventure and follows The River of Adventure.

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Chapter 22: Submarine

"We've been caught," repeated Lucy-Ann as the children watched a man carrying a revolver climb out onto the hull of the submarine. Two more men followed and stood watching the children. Then a fourth man climbed out. He wore an officer's uniform and carried a revolver, but he had not drawn it. He looked sternly down at the children on the raft. A fifth officer now appeared, much smaller than his burly companion. The fifth man looked at the children and then said, in broken English, "You are under arrest. Prepare to come aboard the submarine. Do not try to escape, it will only be worse for you."

Lucy-Ann began to cry. Jack put his arm around her. "Don't cry Lucy-Ann. They won't harm us. They wouldn't dare."

The burly officer said something to his companion. The smaller officer turned to the children and ordered them to hold tightly onto the birds. Three men with revolvers helped the children onto the submarine. They were pushed gently down the hatch and into the submarine. This submarine was much bigger than the one they had seen in the cave. The children were taken to a cabin at the rear of the submarine. Nobody spoke to them. As the door shut and bolts were shot across, the children heard a klaxon and horn and then felt the submarine starting to sink.

The children looked glum. Jack sat down with a thump. After five minutes, the door opened and the smaller officer they had seen on the deck gave the children some food and drink. He smiled at the children and then left, closing the door and bolting it behind them. The children tucked into the food, surprised at the quantity – there were even sunflower seeds for Kiki.

"Why, this is my favourite," said Lucy-Ann as she tucked into a thick sandwich. "And look, ginger beer! We haven't had ginger beer in ages."

The children felt much better after they had eaten. One by one, despite the danger they were in, the children fell asleep. Kiki perched on the edge of the sink and put her head under her wing.

An hour later, the children awoke to the sound of the door bolts shooting open and the big burly officer walked into the room. He had a fairly dark skin and a rather white beard. The door closed behind him and he sat down.

He grinned suddenly at the children and said, "Well, well, well. So we plan to go for a flight to Scotland and I end up finding you in the middle of the ocean on a raft."

There was a stunned silence, then Kiki, who had woken up at the sound of the door opening, flew over to the man's shoulder and landed. "Bill, Bill," she said. "Pay the Bill." Bill laughed and scratched Kiki's bill.

Lucy-Arm let out a squeal. "Oh Bill! Bill, it is you, Bill, isn't it?

"Shush," said Bill. "Yes, it is me, but don't give me away. I'm Captain Hardwick, or D.C. Hardwick. This must be one of your pets, Philip," he said as Morris the mynah bird cocked his head and looked at Bill.

"Yes it is," said Philip, hardly believing it really was Bill. "This is Morris. Morris, say hello to Bill."

The bird looked at Bill and started to peck at a loose thread. "Hello Bill," said Morris in Philip's voice. "Hello Bill."

Bill laughed. "Now listen," he said. "You have to tell me what happened to you after my aeroplane was stolen from the aerodrome, with you in it, I presume. My word, I was glad to see you on that raft, but how you got there – goodness knows."

Dinah, Jack, and Philip couldn't believe it. It really was Bill!

"Oh, Bill. Sorry, Captain Hardwick," said Dinah. "Are we ever glad to see you." She leaned over and gave him a big hug. Jack and Philip thumped him on the back. Bill was here now, and everything was going to be all right.

"So tell me everything that has happened," said Bill, a twinkle in his eyes.

Between them, the children poured out the story of their adventures on the island. Bill listened in silence, his eyes narrowing at the description of the men. He asked a few quick questions when the children told him about Big Bertha and the missiles and the secret passageways. He laughed when they told him how they had escaped on the train, and became grim when they told of only just managing to get out of the hill before the lamp closed. He said "Ha ha" when he heard that the children had met Peter Wilson.

"And please describe him," said Bill, and he took notes as the children, between them, squinted their eyes and tried to accurately describe Peter Wilson.

"That's him," said Bill grimly. "We suspected he hadn't been killed and we have been working with MI6 for the past two years to track him down."

"Why did they kidnap him?" asked Dinah.

"I can't tell you too much as it has to do with national security and the safety of people the world over, but I will tell you that these men have been building dangerous bombs and missiles that they sell to our enemies. Big Bertha is a missile that they've spent the past two years building – at least that's what MI6 tells us – and we think they intend to use the missile against us."

"Bill," said Philip suddenly. "They did say they were going to launch something tonight. Maybe they meant Big Bertha."

Bill sat in thought for a moment and then got up. "You children," he said in admiration. "I really should stick close to you. I never quite know what you'll drag me into."

"Bill, how did you find us?" asked Philip.

"Well, after you disappeared in my plane, we tried to trace it – it has a special beacon, you know, that sends out a signal. But the enemy must have turned it off, so we couldn't find the plane. But we knew which direction it had set off in before it left our radar, and we have our ways of watching aeroplanes that don't want to be seen. We got MI6 involved and they have been doing some reconnaissance – aerial photography with aeroplanes – over some suspected islands. A plane was on a return from one of these reconnaisance missions and flew over your island to take some routine pictures." Bill took a breath before continuing. "Well, MI6 compared the pictures and noticed something different on one side of the island. It looked like a small airstrip – although the photographs didn't show any aeroplanes. Also on the other side there was something wrong with the pool – it looked like it was drained or something. MI6 enhanced the pictures and we could clearly see what looked a submarine and a few men around it. We also have technology that lets us see people hidden in trees, and we could see something that made me suspicious. Knowing that the island was in the direction that my stolen plane had headed, we decided to have a look."

Again he paused, and then frowned. "I quickly convinced Scotland Yard that the missile gang was working on this remote island. We've known for some while that this gang was up to something. It was only recently that we suspected anything more than just missile smuggling. Yesterday, MI6 and two Scotland Yard agents, one of them yours truly, jumped out of a plane and parachuted down to the quiet side of the island, not far from a submarine we had been watching. They also were given your descriptions, just in case. MI6 reported that the submarine was due for a new crew change, so we stepped in and and replaced most of the real crew. And here we are. We have not commandeered the submarine yet, because we need the captain to lead us to the ring leaders. But now you children are on board, all that will change."

"So is this submarine going to take us home?" asked Lucy-Ann happily.

"Yes, it will," said Bill. "Just as soon as we commandeer it from the captain. You see, five MI6 agents, and Mike and myself from Scotland Yard, have managed to infiltrate the enemy. I want you children to stay in this room and not leave no matter what you hear. You'll be safe."

Bill turned to leave. As he tapped on the door to be let out, Lucy-Ann said, "Oh, Bill, do be careful."

Bill winked at her. "I'm always careful." Then he stepped out of the little room and the door closed behind him.

The children sat quietly and, after some time, shouting and loud bangs could be heard coming from the other part of the submarine. Another loud bang – and surely that was a revolver going off? The children clutched at each other, all thinking the same thing: "I hope Bill is safe and doesn't get caught!"

After twenty minutes it went quiet and the children jumped when the bolt on their little room was shot back. On the other side was Bill, looking a little beat up, but he still had a twinkle in his eye and a big grin.

"Come on out children," he said. As soon as the children were out, Bill gave the word to his men and they pushed the defeated gang, all tied up, into the cell. Two men were left to guard the cell and Bill took the children up to the operations deck of the submarine. The boys were fascinated by the way the submarine operated and watched in awe as the MI6 agents, as well as Bill and Mike, set about operating the submarine.

Continues tomorrow...

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