The Shudder Lingers Read online

  Stacey anxiously waited, as the minutes crawled by, before she received the next message, “Document is ready.” This was her signal to walk around the office and see whether Cheung or Daniella were on their computers. She got up and walked past their offices, but neither was there. She was somewhat perplexed when she saw Jackie in the far corner at her desk, giving what appeared to be a small clap of her hands, followed by a thin smile. Stacey instinctively knew that she was involved in the smuggling.

  Stacey returned to the desk where she had been working, when the next message came through from Lizzie, “Corrections have been made.” She smiled as she thought through their sting again. They had set up Lizzie to hack into the secondary server, thereby facilitating the revised document process. Once the smugglers were ready for the customs inspections, they would request the shipping documents from someone within WKJD. Invoices would be prepared and returned to the shipping company. Directly after that, the shipping documents would be emailed to the corrupt customs official, who would approve them without actually doing any inspections. Shortly after that, there would be an email to his private inbox, confirming a payment to him for services rendered. The corrupt official would then leave the documents on his desk for collection by the shipping company.

  Their sting was very simple in nature. Once the email with the shipping documents was sent, they sent an identical email to the corrupt official’s bosses; however, with revised documentation that had the word ‘perlemoen’ inserted into the body of the email. The second email was also copied to the corrupt official’s bosses, with a copy of the proof of payment, and a small line added into the email, saying, “Thanks for covering for us.”

  She did not have to wait long before a message came from Simon. “Switch made.” Their plan involved Simon getting to the official’s desk before the shipping company got there and switching the approved shipping documents. Their spying had revealed that the official always disappeared straight after he stamped the documents and headed straight to a local pub for a drink. Stacey smiled; all on track so far.

  She got up and went to get a coffee, taking a deliberate walk past Jackie’s desk to greet her. She said, “Hi Jackie. How are you doing?”

  Somewhat surprised by the greeting, she replied, “Good thank you.”

  Stacey noticed a defiance in her eyes, which was not expressed in her greeting. She replied, “So glad to hear it,” before walking back to where she had been working.

  Next she received a message from Slade, “Your deputy was active.” Slade had also hacked in and had been monitoring the secondary server to see who else was active on the servers at the time. This confirmed that even though Cheung was not in his office, he had been into the servers to track progress. She smiled at Slade’s choice of the word ‘deputy’. The rest was now over to the authorities who had been briefed by Gerald.

  Stacey had returned to her office when she received a call, “Hi Gerald. What is your latest news?”

  She moved to the window as he responded, “All good news. Firstly, the corrupt official was arrested in the pub, and taken into custody before he could call anyone. The police were waiting for the trucks doing the delivery and waited until the containers were on board before making their move. The ship’s crew has been arrested and they found a container full of perlemoen on board. At least now we have the shipping company.”

  She replied, “Great news. What about the truckers?”

  He replied, “Wow, nothing gets past you! I have an undercover agent following the truck with the police. We should have some more arrests later. It is critical to find out where they are based.”

  She ended, “Great work Gerald. I am glad we pulled it off.”

  He said, “Don’t be so modest Stacey, it was all your idea. Well done.”

  The reply was brief. “Thanks.”

  She stared out of the window, pleased with how it had all ended. She typed a message on the WhatsApp group, “Job done. Drinks on me.” She turned from the window, ready to celebrate, but felt a lingering shudder, a clear message that this was far from over. Nervously she grabbed her bag, saying to herself, “One small victory at a time. Eventually we will win the war.”

  Stacey was the last to arrive at her apartment, and found Slade, Lizzie, Gerald and Simon all happily laughing at the success of the day. Lizzie had arranged some snacks and they all toasted with glasses of red wine. Gerald raised his voice, “Another one for the good guys.” They all cheered. Idle chatter continued for several hours.

  Stacey paused to reflect on the tangible sense of relief evident on all their faces. However, she observed that Simon’s laughter was somewhat strained, but assumed it was stress or tiredness.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Panic gripped Stacey as she felt someone shaking her. She had relived her last confrontation with Daniella during her sleep, and as her eyes opened, she thought that it was Daniella fighting her. Realising that it was Slade, she calmed down. He stepped back with a gentle smile, “It’s only a cup of coffee, and you don’t need to beat me up for it.”

  She sat up slowly and smiled back, “Apologies. I just had a bad dream. Thanks for the coffee.”

  Slade said, “Gerald called while you were still asleep. His stakeout team has traced the perlemoen trucks back to the same warehouse on the West Coast that they used when you were shot at.”

  She contemplated the implications and replied, “The audacity of the smugglers to return to the same place surprises me. What else did he say?”

  He replied, “He’s invited us to join him in the stakeout house and observe what happens there today. I told him it was not a good idea.”

  Clearly irked that he had decided for her, she retorted, “Thanks for giving me a choice.”

  Sounding annoyed and incredulous at the same time, he replied, “Last time you were nearly killed! I can’t let that happen to you again.”

  By now she was out of bed, “Then you’d better come with me.” He raised his hands in surrender.

  Gerald picked them up and they headed north up the West Coast. He was in a jovial mood, chirping, “This time Stacey, we will remain in the stakeout house and allow the professionals to do the investigative work.”

  She did her best to look disappointed, but was internally relieved, “Oh all right.” She glanced at Slade, realising that perhaps this was not a good idea, bringing them both close to the threat. She winced as she realised the danger she had been exposed to last time she had come to this warehouse. She almost asked Gerald to turn around, but somehow a tingling curiosity crept through her veins. She was drawn to the intrigue like a moth to a flame. Slade had seen the intensity in her face and gently rested a hand on her shoulder.

  Arriving at the house occupied by the stakeout team, they leapt out of the car and headed inside. It was a scorcher of a day, with the temperature at thirty-five degrees Celsius with not even a breath of wind. The upstairs room with tinted windows was hot and stuffy. They settled in for the wait. Slade was the first to react after thirty minutes, “When does the action take place?” Gerald just shrugged his shoulders and turned to focus on completing a Sudoku puzzle. Stacey stared at Slade, fast forwarding through all the recent events and how her life had become embroiled in the complexity of smugglers and crime syndicates. She stood up and signalled Slade downstairs.

  She put her arms around his neck and gave him a long kiss. She pulled away slightly, and looked intently into his eyes, “I don’t know what brought us together or what has kept us together. You did not deserve to be dragged into all of this mess. Thank you for always being there for me. I love you.” Unable to find any response, he pulled her close, and kissed her again. They remained entwined in each other’s arms for several minutes.

  They rushed back upstairs at the sound of a soft whistle. Gerald was looking intently through a pair of binoculars. Stacey grabbed a pair and scanned the warehouse and nearby surrounds but saw nothing. She turned to Gerald, “What is it?”

  He turned wit
hout lowering the binoculars, “There was some movement at the window, definitely someone inside.” He continued to look and without looking up, chirped, “Don’t get any ideas. We are not going to look,” before laughing out loud.

  Realising that he was teasing, she replied, “Aw, Gerald, please can we go? Besides it would be more adventurous than sitting here.”

  Slade reacted immediately, “Absolutely not!” Everyone laughed at his firm tone. No further movement took place from the window, and they settled in again for the long wait. Lunchtime came, and everyone quietly ate the sandwiches that Gerald had packed.

  Time seemed to drag and the intense heat made it increasingly uncomfortable in the small room. Despite the hard chair, Stacey found herself drifting off into a light sleep. Images of Daniella kept flashing before her. She felt a stirring in her soul that showed Daniella as a witchlike figure, confirming her strongly held belief that this was a fight for good over evil. She was aware of herself praying for continued protection. For the second time in the day, she was being shaken by Slade.

  He whispered, “Small boat coming in.”

  Gerald took out his mobile phone and sent a text message. He turned to them, “Notified the local police, they should be here in fifteen minutes.”

  Stacey’s eyes were glued to the pair of binoculars as she observed each movement of the fishermen. They unloaded plastic crates filled with freshly-harvested perlemoen. The crates were carried up to the warehouse and stacked. Some of them returned to the boat to clean up after the day’s fishing activities. One fisherman remained near the crates. Within minutes three men appeared from behind the warehouse. The entrance was not visible from where they were. Two started lugging the crates inside, while the third was engaging animatedly with the fisherman. After gesticulations from both, they shook hands, and a brown envelope was handed to the fisherman. Within minutes all the crates were carried in and the scene returned to quiet normality. Something was gnawing at Stacey; there was something familiar about the man who had emerged from the warehouse and who had handed over the envelope. However, she could not place him, eventually concluding that with everything that was happening, she may just be imagining things.

  At least an hour passed, and still the police had not appeared. Gerald tried calling the local officer, but his call was terminated immediately. He looked up, a puzzled look on his face, “I don’t have a good feeling about this. Something does not stack up. Why did they not arrive?”

  Stacey concurred, “I agree. I somehow felt that I had seen one of those men before but cannot recall where.”

  Gerald replied, “I had the same feeling.”

  Slade had been carefully following the brief discussion, and interrupted, “Seems obvious to me. The local police are in on it. That means we are in danger. Let’s get out of here.” None of them needed a second invitation, and they hurriedly collected the few items that were strewn around the room.

  Gerald’s colleague took the wheel, and they bounced down the gravel road. Gerald was in the passenger seat, again trying to call the local officer.

  The driver suddenly screamed out, “Get down all of you! Get down!”

  Stacey and Slade bumped heads as they tried to drop down on the back seat. Rubbing her head, she nervously waited, expecting to hear the sound of bullets shattering glass. The driver was rapidly accelerating, the vehicle rocking over the uneven road, until eventually they reached the tar road. Apologetically he said, “Sorry about that.”

  Gerald was clearly annoyed, “What on earth was that all about?”

  He replied, “I recognised the vehicle approaching us as the same vehicle that the truck drivers left in yesterday. I also saw a rifle protruding from the window. I guess I was just expecting them to shoot at us.”

  Gerald had calmed down to some degree, and replied, “Thanks.”

  Stacey softly spoke up, “The house we were in is the only one down this road. If they were driving down the road with rifles, they clearly know about the stakeout.”

  Gerald nodded, “Combine that with the fact that the local police did not react, it implies that the smuggling syndicate is alive and well. Time to bring in some force. I am going to fight fire with fire.”

  Slade had been quiet for a while, and with slightly quivering lips he said, “Stacey. Please promise me that was your last stakeout. My nerves won’t endure any more of these escapades.”

  She nodded, “I promise.” They drove home in silence.

  It took forever for Stacey to fall asleep, but eventually sheer exhaustion from the hot day took over. She awoke somewhere during the night and sat upright in bed. Her subconscious had been working and she had finally placed the man from the warehouse. He was one of the police officers who had been with Inspector Jonas when she was interrogated at the police station.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Stacey went for a long hard run as the sun came up. She felt that running hard would put distance between her and the smuggling syndicates but soon realised that it was just an illusion. Usually on her runs, she took no notice of people, but today she seemed to be drawn to them. She noticed a young man, dressed in a suit, angst reflecting on his face, rushing off to work. Next, she noticed a mother through a kitchen window, frantically preparing to take her kids to school. Still running hard, she passed an elderly couple, sitting on their patio, coffee in their hands, a visible happiness about them. She slowed and stared at them, as the old lady waved politely. She meekly waved back, becoming aware how she was being caught up in the chaos of life, chasing the wind, instead of just living in the here and now. She grasped that it was a choice but struggled with how she could make that choice and extricate herself from WKJD. She looked over her shoulder at the elderly couple again. She said aloud, “Sooner, rather than later.”

  When she got home, she grabbed her mobile phone and dialled Gerald. He sounded tired when he replied, “Morning Stacey.” She skipped formalities and told him, “I placed the guy from the warehouse yesterday. He was one of the officers at the police station when I was being interrogated.”

  He replied, “You are right. How did I miss that?” A lengthy pause ensued, before he continued, “That probably means that Inspector Jonas is involved. It probably also explains why the local officers did not arrive at the warehouse.”

  She replied, “I have to agree. It might also explain some of his past behaviour.”

  He replied, “At least we are forewarned, I will move to neutralise him immediately.”

  She headed into work, somewhat troubled by the involvement of the police in the smuggling. The radio was blaring, and she switched it off, needing the silence to think. She recalled the last conversation with Inspector Jonas, where she had pointed him in the direction of Daniella. If they were all involved somehow, she had been drawn into providing him with information, albeit limited. She felt annoyed that ostensibly she was weakened somehow but was unable to identify in what way.

  Emily greeted her, and soon arrived with the welcome sight of a cappuccino. Her morning was jam packed with back-to-back meetings. Stacey tried to focus on them, but often found herself drifting off, thinking about the haunting image of Inspector Jonas towering over her. She tried to shake the image off but could not. The morning dragged by. During a break, she saw three missed calls from Gerald. She dialled him back immediately.

  As he answered, she heard the nervous tension in his voice, “Unbelievable news Stacey. I called on some favours with heavy hitters in the police this morning. When I gave them some of the background they happily agreed to mobilise a small squad. They headed out to the warehouse this morning and surrounded the place. The local police officer and several cars were there. They then stormed the warehouse, only to be met with heavy gunfire. The shoot-out apparently continued for nearly thirty minutes. It then appeared as if someone inside the warehouse had set it alight. An explosion was heard from inside, and the fire spread rapidly. A few men came out shooting.”

  As he paused to catch his breath, St
acey jumped in, “Are you joking? Is this for real?”

  He continued, “Yes, this is real. The latest feedback I have is that everyone inside was either shot or burned. There were no survivors.”

  Stacey made a murmur of incredulity. She was struggling to take it all in.

  He continued, “All the trucks are also destroyed. I think we have finally stopped the perlemoen operation. Just hold on Stacey, I have another message coming through.” She waited patiently, before he came on again, “I also received a few photos from the warehouse scene. One of them was the police officer who questioned you with Inspector Jonas. Thankfully he will no longer bother us.”

  She was still reeling. “Thanks Gerald. I’m shocked, and I’m not sure what to say.”

  She sat staring at her computer screen, trying to absorb this staggering news. She attempted to start responding to some emails, and although her fingers were moving, her mind was not responsive. Suddenly her door was flung open, and Daniella charged in. Pure instinct took over, and Stacey said in soft, polite voice, “Hi Daniella, that’s quite an entrance. How can I help you?”

  A perplexed look made its way across Daniella’s face. Stacey knew that she had somehow heard about the warehouse. Daniella stared viciously at her, “If you were involved, I swear I will kill you.”

  Knowing that she was deeply angry, and possibly not thinking rationally, Stacey said, “I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. What on earth happened?”

  For the first time ever, Daniella seemed to be at a loss for words and started walking backwards, “S-s-sorry, just a bad moment.”

  Stacey deliberately returned to her keyboard, not daring to look her in the eye. All she heard was some muttering as Daniella left the office.