Hostage to Fortune

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DeYaKen
DeYaKen
1,606 Followers

'If you were my wife I'd never leave you on your own.'

'Oh Ryan, that's so sweet.' She reached over to stroke his cheek but as she did so, she almost tipped the chair over.

'Oh dear I'm feeling a bit squiffy I'd better not drive home.' She got out her phone and started to look for a hotel.

'There's no need for that. You can sleep on-board She's quite comfortable you know.'

'I hadn't thought of that, of course, I could.'

'If we order dinner from the Pavilion restaurant I could go and pick it up. Mr Wainwright often does that if he spends the night aboard.'

'Oh Ryan, you really are such a dear.' She reached over and squeezed his hand.

They had dinner out on the deck and continued drinking. Ryan started to talk about Will in negative terms. He wasn't a real sailor; the boat was all computerised to cover Will's lack of ability. She should really have a crew of four, but Will wouldn't pay for that. Samantha realised now that she should have slapped him down but she hadn't.

Ryan produced an amplified iPod and they started to dance on the deck. The alcohol she'd consumed took away her inhibitions and she sank into Ryan's arms.

'Oh, Ryan I shouldn't be doing this. I'm a married woman.'

'If he cared about you he'd be here instead of me.'

As the evening and the drinking went on Samantha became less stable on her feet. After one too many stumbles she hugged Ryan and kissed his cheek.

'I think it's time for bed.'

He put his arm around her waist and held her close as he walked her down the gangway to the cabin. He turned her and sat her on the bed. She put both hands behind his head.

'My hero.' she said as she pulled his head down and kissed him.

Ryan didn't need any more encouragement. He kissed her back a full open-mouthed passionate kiss. He pushed her back down onto the bed as his kisses moved down from her mouth to her neck then her shoulders. He untied her bikini top and revealed her perfect breasts. His kissed moved further down until he was sucking on her nipple. Samantha knew she should stop him but it felt so good and she really needed someone. With both hands on the back of his head, she pulled him hard onto her breast as she moaned with pleasure. By the time she got around to resisting, it was probably too late to stop him and she didn't know that she wanted to.

'Ryan this is wrong. We shouldn't be doing this.'

'No Sam, this is right. You want it and I want it. It's you and him that's wrong. He doesn't appreciate you, he doesn't deserve you.' Standing between her legs, he reached down, eased the bikini bottom over her perfect bum, and revealed the fact that she was a natural blonde. As he got back to work on her breasts and nipples, Samantha writhed about beneath him. As he entered her, she wrapped her legs around him and hugged him to her. They rolled about on the bed and enjoyed each other until both exhausted they fell asleep.

Sam woke with a throat like sandpaper. Someone was swinging a hammer against the inside of her head and there was a wet patch on the bed beneath her. She struggled to get out of bed and made her way to the bathroom to get a glass of water. She found some paracetamol in the cabinet and swallowed two down with some more water. It wasn't until she walked back into the bedroom that the full impact of the previous night hit her. She gasped as she saw Ryan still sleeping in the bed she'd just left. She stepped back into the bathroom, sat down and put her head in her hands.

'Oh my god what have I done.' She thought to herself.

She sat and thought. 'This must never happen again.' She decided. 'I'll tell Ryan it was all a terrible mistake and that it meant nothing and that he must try to forget it ever happened.' She walked back into the bedroom and found Ryan sitting up in bed. He looked at her and his eyes lit up.

'God you're beautiful.' he said, 'Last night was absolutely fantastic. Where do we go from here?'

'Ryan, darling, last night was a mistake and must never happen again.'

'No, no, it wasn't a mistake. I wanted it and you wanted it, I know you did we've done nothing wrong.'

'Of course, we've done something wrong. I'm a married woman I shouldn't be here with you and you shouldn't be here with me. What would my husband, your boss, think if he knew?'

'He doesn't deserve you, he doesn't love you like I do. He can't, or he wouldn't leave you alone for so long.'

Looking back on it, she knew that she should have responded differently. She should have told him that it was her own fault that she was left alone. That her husband did want her with him and that he did love her. However, it was that declaration of love that she focussed on.

'Oh Ryan, you can't really love me, you hardly know me. Last night we both had too much to drink and we made a mistake. You are a darling Ryan and I like you but I'm married and that's important.'

'I do love you. I've loved you since I first met you. I wasn't drunk I wanted last night to happen and I want to be with you.'

'I think you'd better get your clothes and leave while I get dressed. I'm going back to London.'

He gathered up his clothes and headed for the door when she called out to him.

'Ryan, last night never happened. Are we clear on that?'

He nodded and left the cabin with his head down.

Now as she dwelt on the fact that she was alone on the boat with a murderer she wished she'd left it at that. That she'd never returned to Brighton without Will. She tried, she really did. For three weeks, she held out against her friends' demands for another girl's day out on Bee Jay

'I know what it is.' Said Samantha's best friend Jane. 'She just wants to keep that hunk Ryan all to herself.'

'That's not fair.' Beverly chipped in. 'She's a married woman, and her Will is pretty dishy not to mention loaded. Having Ryan as well is just being greedy.'

She blushed, and tears came to her eyes.

Jane put her arm around her friend. 'Oh don't get upset. We were just having a little fun. You have to admit Ryan is a bit of a hunk. We're just a little bit jealous that's all.'

Sam dried her eyes. 'I'm sorry it just brought home to me how much I miss Will.'

'All the more reason for a girlie day out on that boat.'

'Maybe, I'll call Ryan and set it up'

She'd known it was a mistake but she just couldn't help herself. The other girls had tried their luck with Ryan but got nowhere. Jane even suggested that he might be gay. It was all Sam could do to avoid jumping in to deny it. As usual, the champagne had flowed and Samantha had her fair share. The other girls got a taxi to the station leaving her alone with Ryan.

She'd booked a suite in The Grand for the night and had intended to get a taxi, but Ryan insisted on driving her. It seemed ungrateful not to invite him to dinner. From that point, there was only going to be one outcome.

It was a warm spring and the pressure from the girls, for days out on the boat was irresistible when Will was away. It didn't take long before she was popping down to Brighton whenever she felt lonely or in need of a distraction. It had seemed like a harmless bit of fun she'd never imagined it would end up with her sharing a boat with a murderer.

She heard a knock on the door.

'Sam, Sam speak to me. You can't stay in there forever. We need to get things straight.'

She lay on the bed with the pillows over her head willing him to go away.

I'd never felt so grateful for spending my gap year in France. It had given me the chance to practice the French I'd learned in school. By the end of the year, I'd become very good and I certainly needed it now. Few of the hospital staff spoke good enough English to explain everything that had to be done, but in their native language, it was no problem.

It was twenty minutes before the doctor came to see me.

'Madame Wainwright?'

'Non.' I told him. I explained that Samantha had been on the boat with Will and as far as I knew, still was.

'I am Mr Wainwright's Personal Assistant.' I explained. 'Is there a problem?'

'Monsieur Wainwright is very ill. He has some damage to his skull and there has been some bleeding on the brain. We need to do a craniotomy. It is a dangerous operation I really need the authority of his next of kin to go ahead.'

'What will happen if you don't do this operation?'

The doctor shrugged holding his hands out palms upwards 'It is difficult to say. He is a strong man. I don't know why he isn't dead already. He may survive but he will not be the man he was.'

'And if you do it?'

'He will probably survive and the brain damage would be small. In time he may make a full recovery.'

'Well Doctor, I can't get any family here in less than twelve hours. Do we have that much time?'

'Non, every minute we delay increases the risk.'

'Go ahead Doctor, I will support you all the way. Will Wainwright wouldn't want to live if his brain wasn't on top form. I will try to get his father here but go ahead and do what you have to do.'

The doctor walked away and I sat down and got out my phone. Will's father Tom lived in Sheffield I'd spoken to him a few times when he'd tried to make contact with Will. He seemed like a nice man and I always felt sorry for him. Will never spoke about him but I knew something had happened between them. Tom seemed to want to build bridges but Will wanted nothing to do with him. He hadn't even invited him to his wedding.

Unknown to Will I'd had a few conversations with his father and had his number in my contacts list. I punched in the number and waited for an answer. When he answered, I knew where Will got his directness from.

'Tom Wainwright, what do you want?'

'Tom, its Stephanie Fletcher. Will's had an accident. He needs you.'

'Stephanie, I'm sorry love, I didn't recognise the number. What do you mean he needs me? That boy hasn't needed me since he was a teenager. Is that what he said, that he needs me?'

'No Tom, he's not in a fit state to say anything. It's really serious we could lose him. He needs you here, I need you here.'

Tom owned an engineering business in Sheffield, supplying components to the motor industry. It wouldn't be easy for him to just drop everything and leave.

'Okay lass, so where is here?'

'The hospital in St Nazaire, it's in...'

Tom cut me off in mid-flow. 'Oh, I know where it is lass. My father took part in the raid there. I went with him to a memorial service when I were a lad. I'll have to make a few calls first then I'll be on my way. I'll see you sometime tomorrow.'

We said our goodbyes and I looked up the next number I needed. Sir George McMahon was a prickly character. He built his construction business from nothing and was proud of the fact. Now in his late sixties, he was under pressure to make way for a younger man. That was certainly not Sir George's way. While he could still cut it, he would stay at the top. He had no time for people like Will who made money out of other people's misery. He answered the phone on the third ring.

'Yes, what is it?'

'Sir George, I'm Stephanie Fletcher, Will Wainwright's P.A.'

'I don't want to be rude Miss Fletcher, but I doubt that Mr Wainwright and I have anything to talk about.'

'Oh no sir, I didn't think you would. I'm calling to tell you that your boat will be a day late arriving in Mahon. Your man Bruce Goddard did us a huge favour today and it's going to make him late. I just wanted you to know and tell you that Mr Wainwright owes you a favour.'

'Well, I'll deal with young Goddard when he gets here. As for Wainwright what could he possibly do for me?'

'Well sir, if he were here I'm sure he would start be suggesting you call your finance director, Mr Andrew Pemberley and tell him the emergency board meeting next Tuesday has been called off. Mr Wainwright can't make it and all offers are off the table.'

'Now wait a minute young lady. Are you telling me that Andy Pemberley, one of my oldest friends, was going to sell my company from under me?'

'I think that is something you should take up with him sir. Mr Wainwright feels that he owes you a favour. He is willing to loan you some of our team to show you where you are vulnerable, and advise on what to do about it.'

There was a pause in the conversation before Sir George came back. 'So just what was this favour that young Goddard did for your boss?'

'I'm not at liberty to say that, sir, nor is Mr Goddard so please don't ask him. It really was a huge favour and it has cost you nothing but the use of your yacht for a day. You'll have my number now, so give me a call if you want to take up Mr Wainwright's offer. There is just one other thing, we really would appreciate it if you could keep all this under your hat sir.'

'Keep what under my hat? You haven't told me anything other than my friend is trying to sell me down the river. I will look into that and if it's true you can rest assured I will be doing something about it. I don't suppose I'll get much more from you now, so I'll bid you good night.'

Then he was gone. 'And thank you too, Sir George.' I said to the disconnected phone.

I felt tired and laid out across some plastic chairs in the reception area. I closed my eyes but sleep wouldn't come. I kept going over things in my mind. Twelve hours after he'd gone into the water there was still no man overboard report from Bee Jay II and she hadn't changed course. The more I thought about it, the less it looked like an accident. I started to wish I'd voiced my suspicions about Samantha. Would Will have believed me? Was I even correct? Perhaps I wanted to think she was cheating. In Guernsey, they still looked so in love I started to think I'd got it wrong. Perhaps I'd been looking at the wrong person. Maybe it was Ryan I should have been studying. I'd always found him a bit creepy, a bit like Uriah Heap, always seeming to do as you ask but just waiting for the day to stab you in the back.

Exhaustion must have got the better of me, as I woke to find a nurse gently shaking my shoulder.

'Ma'mselle Fletcher, ma'mselle. The operation is over. Your friend has been moved to intensive care.'

'Can I see him?'

'You can, but he will not know you are there. We have sedated him. He will be unconscious for some time. We find the brain heals better that way. In England, I think you call it a chemical coma.'

'I would still like to see him please, can you show me where he is?'

She led me through the maze of corridors to intensive care then to a side room where I found him in a bed, his head bandaged, a breathing tube in his mouth monitors attached to his chest and fingers and a drip-feeding into his left hand.

'It is not as bad as it looks, he is strong this one. He is breathing on his own and he has a good strong heart. He should survive.'

'What about brain damage?'

'You will have to talk to the doctor about that. They removed two clots and I think they were hopeful.'

'Can I stay with him, nurse?'

'Certainly ma'mselle, there is a comfortable chair. They say it helps to talk to them. Maybe you could talk to your friend.'

I sat in the chair beside the bed and held his hand. I wanted to feel him move, to know he was still in there somewhere, I felt nothing but the calluses on his hand. I put the other hand on top of his.

'Oh Will come on I've not brought you this far to lose you now. You've got to fight this. I need you back in action.'

For the first time since the whole adventure started, I cried. I cried for him, I cried for me, and all those times we may never have together. As I managed to stem the flow of tears, I slumped back in the chair and soon fell asleep. I woke at 6:00 AM when the nurses came in to do their regular observations and to change the drip. I asked if there was anywhere, I could have a shower. A nurse showed me to the staff changing rooms. A shower followed by breakfast in the staff restaurant and I felt more like my usual self as I went back to reception to wait for Bruce.

Bruce turned up bright and cheerful as ever. I was quite surprised by his first words.

'How is he today?'

'We won't really know for a few days but it looks like he is going to live.Thanks to you.'

'Me? Like most men, I only did as I was told.'

I punched his arm. 'You got us to him in time and you got us back here. You saved his life and we both know it.' Poor Bruce, a very reluctant hero, blushed. 'Now I have another favour to ask. I need you to keep it quiet. Sir George knows you are going to be late, and nobody should ask you why. If they do, I want you to make something up or just say nothing. I don't want word to get out yet.'

'You are one hell of a woman, you know that? I hope your man in there knows what he's got.'

'I don't know if he is going to know anything when they bring him round. In the meantime, I've got to hold things together. Now, we need to get you on your way. I've got a company credit card so let's get you fuelled up and on your way.'

We left the hospital and made our way to the harbour. By 10:30 AM, he was on his way and I took a taxi back to the hospital.

Tom Wainwright arrived that afternoon. As soon as I saw him, I knew who he was. He had the same blue eyes and square jaw as his son. His hair was grey to white. No colouring for Tom, He had no worries about getting older, in fact, he was proud of it. He was about six feet tall and well built for his age. I got up from the chair to meet him as he came in. He looked at Will and all the instruments, then at me.

'You must be Stephanie.' He said as he held out his arms towards me.

I walked towards him and surrendered to his embrace. Just being held by a man was such a comfort. As I stood there with my head on his chest, I could feel the tears starting to form again. As I felt them running down my cheeks I suddenly felt glad that I hadn't bothered with makeup. We stood like that for a couple of minutes before he pulled back lifted my chin and looked into my eyes.

'I'm here now, you don't have to do it all on your own anymore. I've booked you into the Royal, I want you to spend the night there tonight. It looks like you need a good night's sleep.'

He moved over to the bed and looked at Will. I explained what each of the monitors was for. He took Will's hand in both of his and looked down.

'I'm sorry, son. I've not been the best of fathers to you but I do love you and I'll do whatever it takes to make you see that.' He turned away and put an arm around my shoulder. 'I've not eaten yet today. Is there somewhere we can eat while you tell me how this happened?'

I took him to the staff restaurant and over a meal, I told him everything I knew about what had happened. We were drinking our coffee as he summed up exactly what had been worrying me.

'So Will got a hell of a smack on the head and went overboard. His yacht just continued as if nothing had happened. Even if no one saw it happen. They must have missed him by now, but he hasn't been reported lost, and they're still on the original course. It doesn't smell right does it?'

'It gets worse Tom I think Samantha and Ryan have been having an affair. She's been spending a lot of time down in Brighton when Will is away. She always books a room in the Grand in the name of Mr and Mrs Wainwright.'

'Oh my god. That's a hell of a motive for murder. Is that why you're trying to keep it quiet? Hoping he'll be able to tell us what happened before they sail into Gibraltar?'

'Well partly, but also to keep all his friends from knowing that he is out of action.'

Tom looked puzzled.

'Oh come on Tom, you know the shark pool he swims in. If they get wind of what has happened they'll all be circling looking to snap up any of his deals. I've already lost one to keep it quiet. I want us to know what the outcome will be before we let people know what has happened.'

'I hope he appreciates what he's got in you.'

DeYaKen
DeYaKen
1,606 Followers