Chapter 15: Rescue!

Wednesday Twenty-fifth December, 2019

CHEISTMAS DAY

O5.45GMT Anya left me after I had seen the flash of light from the hills. I stayed on, comfortable in my survival suit; I adjusted the hood so I could see while my cheeks were mostly covered. As I lay there, waiting for another glimpse of my prey, I understood for the first time the urge of primitive man to name the constellations. The heavens are too vast to contemplate in their entirety but by grouping stars and linking them with their religion or mythology, our ancestors imposed a sort of control.

I found myself in sympathy with the people who believe that a constellation rising above the horizon on the day of their birth must exert a profound influence on their lives. It may only pass an idle moment reading the horoscope in your daily newspaper, but it certainly does not look such a silly idea when you are lying under a canopy of countless stars. Anya, as always, brought me back to reality with a high-energy bar and a bottle of water that was much warmer than I would have expected.

“I kept the water inside my suit,” she grinned, sensing my question, although we could still see no more than an outline of each other. “You don’t want to know where.”

I had seen the light flash a couple of times while I was stargazing, and I was anxious to be on my way. Anya remained but it was some time before she moved. When she eventually slid back from the little bank, she pulled me with her. On the stream bed, I could still make out her silhouette; I thought at first that my eyes were becoming accustomed to the ambient light, but I quickly realised that the sky was growing lighter.

It had become a dark clerical grey and the stars looked dimmer; over my right shoulder there was a hint of paler grey on the horizon. The mountains were now clearly etched black against the very dark grey sky, and I began to feel my excitement building. I was ready when Anya moved off up the bed of the burn. At that precise moment all my doubts had disappeared; in the hour and a half it took us to reach the scree, my confidence rose and fell but it never dropped to the level of despair I had experienced the day before.

With the increasing light came a strengthening of the breeze. It was blowing towards us from the mountains and for a moment we smelled wood smoke, just before we climbed out of the stream beds; hidden at last from the mouth of the cave we were seeking. The girls had been dressed in winter clothing when they were snatched but I was relieved at this sign that they had some additional heating.

From the moment we stepped onto the hills, we made rapid progress. The increasing light made it easier to avoid snags and there were substantial areas of bare rock that made walking easy. It was still an hour before sunrise when we reached the swathe of scree; Anya stopped and pulled me into a narrow chamber in the rock.

“Don’t hurt Rob,” she whispered, managing to sound fierce while making very little noise.

She did not wait for my answer but led the way along a barely discernible track across the loose rocks. On the other side there was a ledge, wide enough for two people to walk side by side, that curved gently around the face of the steep slope. It rose gently and we had travelled perhaps a hundred metres when we came to a large boulder sitting astride the path; the ledge narrowed as it skirted the rock.

Anya stopped suddenly and I almost cannoned into her. After a moment, her shoulders straightened, and she marched confidently forward with me at her heels. We were on a much wider ledge that extended to our left into the mountain, and I could see a brighter light flickering inside. We had reached the cave.

07.20GMT I turned towards the flickering light, going along a narrow passage where I had to bend to avoid hitting the roof. I came in sight of a substantial blaze after five metres or so and beyond that two bodies huddled together on the floor under a blanket. My heart sank at the thought that I might be too late.

Then there was a tiny snore, and I realised that they were actually sleeping peacefully. As I rounded the fire, Ali opened her eyes and blinked at me a couple of times.

“Oh, hi dad.”

“Hi kid, sorry it took so long to get here.”

“Oh, that’s Ok ... DAD!” she yelled, suddenly waking up to the reality of my presence.

I was standing grinning like an idiot, and she was scrambling to free herself from the blanket, trampling on Kate in her haste to get to her feet. She leapt into my arms with her arms round my neck and her legs scissoring my waist. She kept repeating: ‘It is you; it really is you’ over and over. I looked over her shoulder where Kate had struggled to her feet and was watching us with a dazed look on her face.

Ali saw where I was looking, released my waist and turned in my arms to face the other girl. She still had one arm around my neck and now she put the other around Kate’s neck and drew her into our embrace. Each girl had her head pressed into the angle between my chin and shoulder so I could not see their faces, but I could feel the vibrancy they were transmitting in warm waves.

Against all the odds, these two girls from sheltered backgrounds had survived their ordeal seemingly unscathed. I do not know how long we stood in that inner cave, locked together, but eventually I eased them away so I could look at their beaming faces. They were dirty and their attempts to keep tidy by putting their hair into ponytails was only partly successful.

“We knew you’d come for us,” from Kate.

“Did you bring any food?” from Ali.

Then we were laughing but the next instant the tears came so we hugged each other tightly and stood until the catharsis of weeping abated to hiccupping sobs.

“I’ve never seen you cry, dad,” Ali exclaimed in wonder, using both thumbs to brush the tears from my cheeks.

That simple gesture brought more tears. For the first time since she was abducted, I allowed myself to consider what I would have done if any harm had come to my daughter. That in turn broke the logjam in my mind and I was able to look at the future.

“Where’s Rob?”

“Wasn’t he out at the front keeping watch?” Ali asked.

By tacit agreement, we made our way through the narrow defile to the ledge at the mouth of the cave where Anya was crouched over a bundle of rags. She looked round, her face ravaged by grief, when she heard us. She even managed a watery smile at the sight of the girls but she turned back to the shape huddled on the floor.

“Rob’s in a really bad way, Fergus. It’s more than hypothermia, I think. We need to get him to a hospital.”

I turned on my mobile phone and dialled 999.

It only took a matter of seconds to connect me to Detective Constable Conner Forsyth but that was long enough to break my calm exterior. The first person I spoke to seemed not to have heard of the abduction. When he did finally recall the circumstances, he asked if I was the kidnapper. I asked if he was the Chief Constable, and he warned me that making offensive remarks to a police officer could get me into serious trouble.

“There’s no need to be rude, you know. I’m just doing my job,” he whined.

“Did you have to be an arsehole to get the job or is it the result of careful training. I’m not in the mood...” That was as far as I got before Anya took the phone from my hand and told my antagonist that we urgently needed a doctor and an ambulance.

“Get a grip, Fergus,” she told me, as she handed back the instrument.

That was the harbinger, the first zephyr that quickly becomes a storm. The girls were looking at me and I realised that my outburst might well have been the worst thing that had happened to them since they left the jetty on Lochan Glas. I was cursing myself for my insensitivity when I heard the familiar voice of Conner Forsyth asking who I was.

“Anya and I found the girls, Con. Rob’s in a bad way and we need a helicopter quick as you can to get him to hospital.”

There were a series of clicks before Jim Maitland spoke.

“Bugger Rob, Fergus! Are the girls Ok?”

“Ask them yourself,” I replied, handing the phone to Kate, who talked for a moment or two before passing the instrument to Ali.

Inspector Maitland had anticipated our need, arranging for an emergency helicopter to wait overnight at Bridge of Orchy. He was able to assure me that it would be ready for take-off in five minutes and would be with us five minutes after that. The girls surrendered the blankets that they had wrapped around their shoulders, and we draped them over the rocks at the mouth of the cave so the chopper could spot us.

08.45GMT The sun was just rising when we heard the distinctive noise of the approaching helicopter. It came at us straight out of the sun, and we could not actually see it until it pirouetted in front of the cave and three men abseiled onto the ledge. One of them dropped to his knees beside Anya, still crouched over the ominously still figure of Rob; the two others supervised the lowering of a cage that would serve as a stretcher for the injured man.

Very soon afterwards, Rob had been hoisted aboard the rescue chopper which set off for hospital accompanied by Anya and the paramedic. The others introduced themselves as Police Sergeant McCloud and Hamish Livingstone, leader of the Glencoe Mountain Rescue team. Hamish was smilingly affable, openly expressing his envy for the survival suit I was wearing. Sergeant McCloud was all business. I was not aware of it at the time, but McCloud had lost an argument with the paramedic who insisted that getting Rob to hospital was a matter of life and death. Perhaps the sergeant was conscious of what would be said at a subsequent enquiry if he persisted in carrying out his instructions to remove healthy victims rather than save a life.

They set up a transceiver for the following helicopters to home in on and then the sergeant demanded statements. I asked if he had thought to bring a hot drink for us and when he told me there was time enough for that, I was ready to totally lose my temper. I was saved by the inherent wisdom of the two kids; before I could say anything, Ali suggested that Kate describe the location of the missing seaplane. While the sergeant made copious notes, I was further distracted by a telephone ringing.

There were three mobile phones in a row close to where Rob had been lying slumped and it was Ali’s phone that was now trilling at us. The caller was not in her directory but turned out to be her mum. Jim or Con had thoughtfully alerted Rachel and had lent her a phone. Ali hugged me close and held the instrument so we could both listen.

After several minutes of tearful reassurances, Rachel asked Ali if she had heard from me.

“He buggered off yesterday and I’ve been going frantic ever since,” my ex-wife stormed. “I bloody knew I was right to dump him when you and Donny were babies.”

“Dad’s here, mum. He and Anya rescued us this morning. He came into the cave, and I thought I was still dreaming but then I realised that it was really happening and Kate and me went wild. We always knew he would come.”

There was a prolonged silence before Rachel added: ‘Bloody man’, so softly we could hardly hear her.

At that point, another mobile phone rang, and I answered it since Kate was still trying to convince the sergeant that the seaplane was in a forest less than five miles from where we were standing. He was finding it difficult to believe that the thorough search the previous day could have missed an object the size of the crashed plane. I do not know whether it was Rob’s phone or Kate’s that I picked up, but the caller was identified as Jenny.

“Sorry to bother you, Fergus, but Doctor Iain’s bringing Jon round, and I wondered how Kate is, so I can tell him.”

“I’ll get her to talk to you, Jenny. She could do with a break from her interrogation by Sergeant McCloud. Thanks for all you’ve done – and are still doing, of course. It was a big load off my back.”

After she had spoken to Kate the phone was handed back to me.

“I’ve too much to say and the phone is not the place to say it. Con’s arranged for us to meet you at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital where you’re being taken for a check-up. We’ll see you there,” Jenny added, and I thought that was the end of the conversation when she said: “Will you come with us to Arles?” and rang off.

Ali was still talking to her mum, and she pulled me close again so I could listen to the conversation. The difference in Rachel’s voice startled me. When I left to take the other call, she had sounded tense and shrill but now her voice was light and happy. She was chattering away about shopping trips when they got back to London and Ali had to wait some time before she could tell her mum that I was back in the loop.

“I have to go, my loves,” Rachel told us. “Eddie’s started the truck, and I can hardly hold the phone to my ear because of the vibration. See you soon darlings.”

Ali was tucked under my left arm and Kate had moved to snuggle under my right. We stood on the ledge in front of the cave watching Hamish and Sergeant McCloud fixing a plastic ‘H’ to the heather about fifty metres from us.

“You must be exhausted ladies. Should we find somewhere to sit down?”

“We’re not even tired,” Ali insisted, and I could feel Kate nodding in agreement. “It’s too exciting to feel tired. But we can find a seat if you want to, daddy.”

“I’d best stay on my feet; if I sit down, I think I’ll fall asleep.”

“We’ve been dreaming of being in a big bed just like this: you in the middle with a daughter on each side.”

That was when I discovered that they had decided Kate should adopt me. Ali had told of my exploits over the course of her life and Kate had described what I had done for her and Jon.

“You see,” Alison explained, “Kate is an orphan and you’re more daddy than one girl needs so it makes sense for her to be your daughter as well.”

I thought at the time that it was a charming idea, and I was immensely flattered but I soon discovered that the abduction had shifted the axis about which our world turned. I had the first intimation the next day when Ali insisted that I extend the trust fund to include Kate. Since her birthday is at the end of January I decided to give her the cash as a twenty-first birthday present.

Later that day, Doh hunted me down and gave me a lengthy lecture which could be summarised in a few words: Jon is also an orphan and if Kate gets a million pounds so should he. I cheerfully surrendered but begged my biological offspring to restrict the number of adopted children before they bankrupted me.

Standing hugging each other at the cave mouth proved to be the highlight of the rescue. The first indication that all was not well came from Jim Maitland who arrived in a small helicopter. He had a conference with Sergeant McCloud before he came up to us, still clinging to each other. He was introduced to the girls and asked them how they had coped with their ordeal; he shook my hand but there was some restraint between us. I thought he was upset because I had pre-empted the police search.

10.50GMT Two large helicopters arrived, flying in formation. The first was a coastguard machine which landed three people who scuttled out and climbed up to join us on the ledge. The second chopper was obviously the deluxe version with smart livery and windows along the sides; it was flying very slowly across the front of the cave, and we could see cameras being pointed at us. I drew the girls back into the shadows; I had no conscious thought, but I reacted to a feeling of uneasiness.

Two of the new arrivals, a tall man and a petite woman, wore tabards identifying them as paramedics. The third man was dressed in police uniform; he is about my age with the rounded face and figure that suggests smug self-satisfaction.

“I’m Chief Superintendent Graham and I’m in charge,” he announced in a loud, fruity voice. He addressed us but made no offer to shake hands, turning immediately to Jim Maitland standing alongside. He lowered his voice to talk to the junior officer so I could not hear what was said, although the tone made it clear that it was not complimentary.

I had focused on the woman paramedic: “Do you have make-up with you?”

She looked startled but agreed that she had her handbag in the helicopter with a running-repair kit. It had struck me that the girls did not deserve to be photographed looking dirty and bedraggled. The male paramedic was despatched to bring back the war-paint while the young woman used wipes to remove the grime from Kate and Ali.

They had gone into the back cave where the fire was still burning, and I remained at the narrow entrance keeping the Chief Super at bay. Jim Maitland had gone off with Sergeant McCloud in the coastguard chopper, leaving Hamish and me watching the passing show. Graham could hardly insist on barging in on the medical examination of two innocent girls. In the background I could see that, when the medical helicopter had lifted off, the photographers’ vehicle was coming in to land on the plastic ‘H’.

Sometimes I surprise myself. I did not want the girls to be shamed by having photographs taken when they were looking less than their best. What I had not anticipated was that the helicopter would disgorge television crews and two eager reporters clamouring for an interview. When I realised what was happening, I went towards the back cave to talk to the girls. The uniformed policeman tried to follow me, but I pushed him back, none too gently, since my temper was very close to the surface.

“If you can see what’s going on back there, so can I,” he bleated.

“I’m their father, arsehole!”

No longer restrained by Anya or the girls, I could feel my temper rising again but an androgynous person approached, and I turned back into the main cavern when he, she or it asked where I wanted the cameras. Before I could reply, Graham announced who he was and began giving instructions. A very small man with a red beard was dashing about like a demented bluebottle flashing a camera at everything from the cave ceiling to my nostrils.

A man and a woman set up a tripod with a camera and opened a telescopic microphone boom. Meanwhile, two young women arranged the hair and make-up of a young woman and a middle-aged man whose face looked vaguely familiar. Chief Superintendent Graham took centre stage and there were some moments spent checking levels, whatever they were. The person who had asked where I wanted the camera now yelled ‘Quiet’, glaring at Hamish and me standing in absolute silence, too amazed to speak.

“This is the scene of a remarkable rescue concluded less than two hours ago,” the female reporter began. “Chief Superintendent Graham of Police Scotland kindly invited representatives of the press to visit this bleak cave on the edge of Rannoch Moor.”

She named herself and introduced her male colleague who outlined the events of the past forty-eight hours. There had been a news blackout while the girls were missing, and he was careful not to mention that a seaplane had been used in the abduction. It was really interesting to stand there and hear a brief summary of a story that had been the centre of my life. During his exposition, the girls had quietly exited the back cavern followed by the two young paramedics.