Tidal Rage by David Evans (best big ereader .TXT) 📗

Sebastian just shrugged and remained silent, playing with a pencil in his left hand. Lachiman could sense the atmosphere had become highly charged and moved forward a few paces. Sebastian was aware of the movement.

“They discovered Geraldine’s body many years ago, before DNA testing. But they found some physical evidence in the slurry pit and we are getting it tested now.” Stahmer lied on the last point before continuing, “And while you are the cleanest man I have ever seen, you left slippers in your cabin which I’m certain we can get DNA from. What do you have to say to that, Mr McKenzie?”

“All conjecture.”

“We spoke to the Inspector in the Falklands; we know all about your escapades there. He swears blind you killed two people there.”

“I was never charged.”

“And that was why they could not take your DNA, but that changes now, and we will have your profile sent to him directly. Seems some evidence has cropped up and they are going to see if your DNA matches what they have.” Stahmer lied about the DNA.

“Like I said, it’s a lot of conjecture and ifs and buts.”

“At the moment. I know you have killed many people including your crew mates. Lachiman here will place you under close arrest. You are not leaving this ship until we have pieced together the evidence.”

“You can’t do that,” Sebastian spat out.

“We are tracing every ship you have served on; we are looking at all missing persons, on board and in the area.” Stahmer’s phone rang.

“Hi Fabienne.”

“Speedy has dug up a double murder in Penang. At first the authorities thought it was accidental, but under family pressure they undertook post-mortems, both were murdered. The date they died Sebastian left his ship in Singapore but did not fly home for two days. To cut a long story short, I did some digging and have discovered some CCTV which shows Sebastian getting off a train in George Town. Same day they were killed.”

“Thanks, Fabienne,” Stahmer leaned closer to Sebastian.

“You have been very careful and precise Sebastian. But today it is impossible to have zero footprint. We have CCTV of you in George Town, the day of a double murder. We are just starting the investigation, and I am a hundred percent sure it is you. When we close this case, it will be a country like Malaysia we send you to. European prisons are too good for you.”

“You are good, Mr Stahmer. I have no doubt you and your colleagues will pick away at this until you can prove it’s me,” Sebastian said quietly.

“So, are you admitting it?”

“You’ve just made the biggest mistake of your life. I will not spend one day in any prison, Mr Stahmer.”

“You will. See, you killed my boss’s sister, and one of my colleague’s wife. Our company was set up to track you down, and now we have you. Do you think we are going to let you go anywhere?”

Lachiman moved forward a few more steps but was taken completely by surprise by the swiftness of the pianist’s reactions. No sooner had Stahmer finished the last words of the sentence than Sebastian had flicked the pencil into the air. The pencil did a one-hundred-eighty-degree spin. Sebastian caught the pencil in his right hand at the apex of the half-circle, and before Stahmer could react, he plunged the sharpened tip with force into Stahmer’s left eye.

Stahmer screamed out in pain, and at the same time he fell back from his chair to the floor, where he remained, writhing in agony.

Immediately after Sebastian attacked Stahmer, Lachiman rushed forward and swiftly and adeptly unsheathed the khukuri. He raised his right hand, ready to sweep down across the assailant’s chest, and knew in an instant as Sebastian checked the attack that he was facing someone with a high degree of martial arts training.

Lachiman felt no pain but could feel the arterial blood pumping out of the artery. Sebastian had scooped up a second pencil in the microseconds before the Gurkha descended upon him and had blocked the thrust from the khukuri. With his right forearm, while lunging underneath the blocked arm, he expertly plunged the pencil into Lachiman’s brachial artery, ensuring he lost the grip on his khukuri.

Lachiman realised if he removed the pencil, he was dead, for presently it stemmed the flow of blood. In typical Gurkha tradition, he maintained the attack, this time surprising Sebastian.

Grabbing Sebastian’s attack hand, he headbutted him at the top of the nose. Sebastian tried to move away from the second onslaught, but Lachiman had a tight grip on his arm, and headbutted him again, stunning Sebastian and sending his wig skywards.

Sebastian knew he was in trouble; aware he had met a formidable opponent. He was groggy, if he didn’t act fast this former soldier, even though severely wounded, might get the better of him.

Lachiman came back with a third attack, pulling Sebastian to him. This time he could force the nasal bone at the top of the nose backward into Sebastian’s brain. A micro-second before his forehead connected for the final attack, Sebastian dropped his head deftly and moved slightly forward. The forward movement and angle of attack reversed the force in relation to the forehead to forehead. Lachiman let go and staggered backward for a second before his shaken brain again became focused.

It only took a second for his vision to clear, but this was all Sebastian needed to exit the door onto the deck. Running after him, the Gurkha bent slightly forward and with his left hand he scooped up the khukuri and followed Sebastian out of the deck exit.

In the second or so that had elapsed from the staggering blow to picking up the khukuri and exiting the door, Sebastian had jumped up on the white cylinders of the inflatable lifeboats. Sebastian leapt