Chapter 4. An unlikely partnership
Marshall Hinton, "Hin" to his associates, a young get-ahead reporter on the
Inverness Echo studied the information coming into his office. He was a keen
sailor and had done some fishing from the Outer Isles. "They've just to be on
St. Kilda boss," he told his editor. "From the reports I managed to get from my
inside informant, there is just no where else they can go unless they are going
to do an Atlantic crossing and that's hardly possible if they are carrying half
naked girls." His logic followed that of Lesley's. "What I can't understand is
why the bird watching warden hasn't spotted them."
"Well if you can get your friend to hire you the boat, you can have three days.
This is only a small paper as you well know and we just don't have the money to
hire a helicopter. In any case a chopper is very conspicuous. A fishing boat
will not cause concern, only trouble is the islands are a long way from
anywhere."
"Yeah and it might be a week before the weather is good enough to get there.
This time of year though. there should be a better than average hance."
Hin arrived at the quayside in Oban dressed ready for a fishing trip. Ross McVie
skipper and owner of the "Flora McDonald" was waiting for him. "What da ya want
to go all the way out to St. Kilda for in a hurry?"
"Keep your voice down. Let's just say the paper's paying."
"Don't s'pose it has anything much to do wi' them birdmen?" Ross went on
undeterred by the request for quiet.
"We'll talk when we are underway. Then only the birds can hear us."
"Aye. Have to get to the jetty and get fuel first. There's no real hurry.
Tide'll turn soon and we may have to hold off anyway as there is a gale
forecast."
A car screeched to a halt on the quay. Hin groaned when he saw the two police
girls emerge. "What are you doing here Hin? As if I need ask," Lesley greeted
the reporter.
"Just going for a few days fishing."
"Bird watching more like," Nicola suggested.
"No harm in that!"
"Was this fishing being done near St. Kilda skipper?" Lesley asked Ross.
Ross didn't know the two girls but sensed there was some animosity between them
and his friend so he replied, "Could be we might get that way. What's it to
you?" Lesley and Nicola flashed their warrant cards.
"Looks as if you will have company Hin," Nicola laughed and then more seriously
added, "But how did you know to look at St. Kilda?"
"I have my sources too and I know the area and Ross has been around the islands
many times. Anyway I have hired the boat. You find your own."
"You know we can appropriate the boat if we have to Hin. And we can leave you on
the quay so why not share what you know with us and cooperate?"
Ross and his crew fuelled the boat and set off. The fresh westerly wind didn't
cause them too many problems as they rounded Mull until they cleared Coll and
headed for the outer islands. "Aye don't much like the look of the weather,"
Ross told his passengers as the boat ploughed into the heavy sea. Glass is
falling and the forecast is for a storm. Shouldn't last long at this time of
year but we may have to put into Loch Maddy before we attempt to go out into the
Atlantic. I'm going to run along the lee of the islands once we get to Barra and
then head through the Sound of Harris." Ross showed them the proposed route on a
chart in the wheelhouse.
To Lesley and Nicola, the archipelago that comprise the St. Kilda group seemed
very small and a long way out to sea. Lesley in particular was not looking
forward to the trip because her stomach was already feeling the effect of the
boat's motion. She was no sailor and decided to lay down on a bunk. One of the
crew thoughtfully provided a bucket alongside her. It was soon in frequent use.
Ross, seeing her plight administered a strong sea sickness pill of a type
available only on prescription for seamen. Not only did it stop the sickness, it
put her into a sound sleep. "She'll not be disturbing anyone for four or five
hours," Ross told the others.
As predicted, the weathered worsened and they were forced to shelter in Loch
Maddy. Nicola and Hin chatted for a long while, each trying to winkle
information from the other. Hin painted an excellent word picture of the islands
and explained his worries about the seasonal warden on Hirta. "Nic, he's either
in their pay, or blind or they don't go near Hirta," He argued the point
forcibly with the young policewoman.
Nicola opened Lesley's laptop and accessed the station to give a report on the
situation. They had found information on the islands and sent photos of various
places. Kingston reported the RAF had done an unofficial recce and found
nothing. They had contacted the warden and he had not seen anything. "You might
be on a wild goose chase but keep at it. We don't have any other leads," he
said.
Lesley's mobile phone rang and Nicola answered. They were sitting in the
wheelhouse as the weather was too bad to be outside. "Mark, this is Nic.
Lesley's asleep, we had to give her a pill because she was so sick on the boat.
Any news?"
Yeah, some. MoD actually got back to us. Seems the publicity might be making
them get their finger out. Apparently they had an underground base on Soay where
personnel could shelter in safety when the rockets were fired. It was sealed up
when they left. Only trouble is no one at the MoD knows exactly where the
entrance is or was."
"Soay's on the end of Hirta right? That's just typical of the Ministry of
Defense," grumbled Nicola., "Keep working on it and them and see if you can come
up with anything more. Thanks"
"What was all that about?" enquired Hin although he half guessed.
"What do you know about Soay?" Nic replied with a question.
"Huge rock pile. Some special sheep. No people. Are you suggesting they might be
there?"
"Any underground caves or chambers?"
"Not that I've heard of. Now how about answering my questions." Hin was getting
miffed.
"There's possibly and underground chamber the MoD used years ago but even they
don't seem to know exactly where it is."
"Well I know a man who might, but it will cost you a bottle of whiskey at
least," interjected Ross. "Lets go ashore. Gus will keep an eye on things here."
Jimmy, the other crew member was already ashore.
In the local hotel, Ross enquired for Duncan and they found him in a corner of
the back room. Hin bought a bottle of his favourite malt and they all sat round
his table. Duncan was an old but fairly sprite man in his eighties. Ross
introduced his guests but not why they were there. "Duncan, when you were a lad
you were on Soay when they did the rocket tests. This ere bloke and his
girlfriend are archeologists and are looking for the site of the chamber where
you all stayed. Is it still there?"
"I guess so," Duncan replied helping himself to a full glass of the whiskey,
"But I doubt if there is much there and yer canna really get to it now. We left
the furniture and stuff but all the tracking and seismic stuff and records were
took."
"Why canna yer get to it now?"
"Cuz we sealed up the entrance and then the last thing we did was to blow up the
steps that we cut to get up there. All the rock fell into the sea and destroyed
the little landing place we had. Mind you we couldn't get a boat in all that
often as it was on the north side and there always seemed to be a high sea
running." Duncan gave them a description of the whereabouts and reminisced on
his life there. The chamber it seemed was quite large and was part natural cave
and part man made.
"That could be where they are," exclaimed Nicola, "Getting in will be the
problem."
Although most of the drinking had been done by Duncan, both Nicola and Hin had
enough to make them merry and they linked arms to walk back to the "Flora
McDonald". Lesley was still asleep but the cabin smelled of vomit. Ross offered
them the use of the small saloon and said he would spent the night in the crew's
quarters. In the shelter of the harbour, the boat lay quietly enough but the
pair couldn't sleep and sat chatting for a while. It wasn't long before Hin had
his arms around Nic. She later blamed the whiskey for not resisting when Hin
slowly undressed her and himself before laying down on the padded seat. Again
she didn't resist as he massaged her breasts. Indeed she began to moan with
pleasure. Hin's hands gradually went down her body until they were between her
legs. Now she moaned more. "Come on. Do it if you are going to," she murmured.
Hin didn't need to be asked again. His prick was already erect. She was well and
truly wet so it entered easily and he began a gentle fucking motion. Soon though
as passion engaged them, the momentum increased until first of all she climaxed
and then a minute or so later he ejaculated. Just in time he remembered to
withdraw so his sperm flooded the lower part of her belly. He wiped her clean
with a paper towel, Sleep came easily afterwards.
5 a.m. and they were awakened by the big diesels starting up and by movements on
deck. Lesley crawled into the saloon surprising the occupants before they had
time to dress. "So this is what you get up to when I am not watching!" She
didn't bother to even look the other way as the pair found their clothes and
started to dress. "What's happening?" she asked. Nic and Hin filled her in on
the happenings of the previous evening. "So you drug me, go out and have a night
on the town and then screw like rabbits till morning," Lesley remarked but the
others noticed a half smile on her face and they all burst out in a fit of
laughter. This was interrupted by Ross yelling down the hatchway for them to
start getting some breakfast cooked. Much of the work was left to Hin. Neither
of the girls had any experience of cooking on a moving cooker. The wind had died
down to moderate but there was still quite a swell on and the boat bounced
around unpredictably. Nevertheless breakfast was made and even Lesley ate. She
was starving, having had nothing since the previous breakfast.
Steadily they steamed to Soay and surveyed where the entrance should be. They
found it and it looked as if the entrance could open but one would need to be a
expert rock climber to get to it even if a foothold could be obtained at sea
level. They waited around for a hour but there was no sign of life and it was
getting late. Ross headed his boat for Village Bay on Hirta and anchored for the
night.
