Chapter 6 The chase
Making the most of the delay, Sarah slid from the window and ran through the
bushes to where she knew the car was hidden. Opening the door she started
engine. One of her ex boyfriends had shown her the basics of driving on a
disused airfield and she had several times driven illegally on the road but she
certainly didn't have a driver's license or any formal training. That didn't
stop her. With a jumpy start she pulled on to the road and set off in the
direction, she thought they would go. How can I stop them? This car won't block
the road enough for them not to get by. It is a police car and if I can find the
blue light switch and the siren I might scare them. There should be a radio too
but where is it? Half a mile down the road, in a farm entrance stood a tractor
with a fork lift being used to shift bales of straw. Sarah pulled up, put on
Elaine's had which was still on the passenger seat and approached the tractor.
She recognised Jeff Parker.
"Jeff, pull the tractor half across the road."
"You daft, Sarah. What's your game this time."
"Don't argue cunt, this is police business. Just do it. If you don't a
policewoman will be murdered. Now move it!" Despite his misgivings the fervour
of Sarah's demands prevailed and he pulled the tractor on to the road. Sarah
rather clumsily parked the police car to completely block the road.
"Jeff get in this car. You can drive better than I can. Sarah put on the
interior light and found the switches for the blue lights and the siren She also
found the radio and was about to give it a trial buzz when she saw the lights of
the van approaching. Switching on the blue lights and putting the headlights on
full, she watched as the van slowed, stopped reversed into a gateway and sped
off in the opposite direction. "Follow them Jeff," she ordered.
Jeff demurred. "Drive damn you. A woman's life depends on it." Jeff drove. Sarah
switched on the sirens more for effect than use. Picking up the radio handset,
she pressed the send button. "Can anyone hear me?"
"Control to Zero One Four! Is that you Elaine?"
"No, its Sarah Jacobson. Elaine's being held prisoner in a van we're chasing
along Onehouse Road heading west. The burglars got her and they are going to
throw her off a bridge on to the M25. We need help."
"Who's we and what are you doing in the car?"
"The driver is Jeff Parker and what we are doing in the car is too long a story
for now. Just get some back-up here fast. Elaine will be murdered soon."
"I'm June. Keep talking to us and let us know where you are as you go along.
When Elaine called me Jennifer I sent a couple of cars on standby to the area."
"Van's taken the left fork. We're now heading towards London I think."
"Coming up to the main road," interjected Jeff, "Doesn't look as if they are
going to give way to the traffic."
With tyres squealing, the van turned into traffic amid blaring horns from other
motorists. They were more considerate when the police car too pulled into the
road stream. "We're about two miles from the M25 now," Jeff informed them.
"We've cars converging on the area," June replied.
"The van's stopping on the bridge. They are going to carry out their threat. Two
men are opening the back door. Elaine is being pulled out." Sarah ran from the
car followed by Jeff.
"Stand where you are pigs," came the order from the man holding Elaine. A knife
flashed in the street lights. "You come closer and the bitch here gets cut up."
The remark was addressed more to Jeff as he was perceived to be the threat.
Small Sarah with Elaine's hat still perched cockily on her head was more part of
a comedy act.
Traffic on the main road had slowed and halted behind the police car. "Jeff stay
here and argue with them. Keep them occupied for a while. Try and stall them."
Sarah gave him orders with a quiet authority she herself didn't realise she had.
Turning back to the stopped traffic she told the first car to edge slowly by as
if they were passing an accident. To the driver of the second vehicle, a lorry,
she said, "Police Special Branch," and then gave him the same instructions but
added she was going to hang on to the offside until they were level with the van
and afterwards he was to block the road to all traffic from the other direction.
She let herself drop as the lorry drew level and crouched low to the ground.
There was no cover but all attention was focused on the van and the struggling
half naked woman. A third burglar was about to join the pair now struggling with
Elaine. Another car, had decided it too could get by. Sarah used it as cover and
then ran full pelt into the knife man holding the captive girl. The speed of the
attack caught them all by surprise. With eyes down she head butted his back,
knocking him over but in doing so sustained a gash from the knife to her
forehead. Momentarily free, Elaine ran but only managed a few yards before the
other two caught her. Knife man tried to hold Sarah, but she was too quick. The
police hat had taken some of the force but was partially flattened to her scalp.
With blood streaming down her face she ran back towards Jeff and out of the
criminal's reach.
"Just throw the bitch over and let's get the hell out of here," knifeman yelled.
The two got Elaine to the railed parapet but she managed to intertwine her legs
through the ironwork. Two other police cars arrived, one from each direction.
The burglars, desperate now, decided to use Elaine as a bargaining tool. One
held each of her ankles so she was head down over the fast flowing traffic of
the motorway. Had the situation been different they might have admired the
tender cunt hanging beneath them. As it was to them, she was a very slender hope
of escape. They knew well enough that if they were caught now, they would get a
long sentence. If they killed her, it would be longer, but perhaps not that much
longer. They were desperate. They were cornered. They might do anything.
Wiping the blood from her eyes, Sarah slipped and slid down the embankment
leading to the motorway. If she could stop the traffic there was still a slim
chance for Elaine. She might be badly hurt by the fall but she might live. She
wouldn't if she was run over as well. Fortunately traffic had already begun to
slow down because of all the flashing blue lights on the bridge and the scene at
the parapet. Cautiously she stepped and flagged the car in the inside lane to
stop. In turn the second lane slowed and eventually that too stopped. Drivers in
the fast lane were less inclined but the sight of a bloody faced figure, wearing
a police hat eventually brought the whole of the motorway in that direction to a
halt.
Things were nearing a climax on the bridge. It seemed as if the police might
storm the van. There were cries of "Armed Police." Sarah knew Elaine could be
dropped at anytime. Looking along the line of still traffic she noticed a canvas
covered container truck three cars back in the slow lane.
"Police Special Branch," she used the same statement to each of the drivers in
the cars and told them to move on but not to pass under the woman. The truck
driver, she asked to stop with his rear directly underneath Elaine. He quickly
understood. However as he pulled away, it became obvious to him they were to
drop her anyway. Pressing the accelerator the huge lorry pulled forward at speed
and then braked sharply. Smoke came from the tyres. He heard a thump. Had she
hit the tarpaulin or the road. Slowly he pulled forward until the rear of the
container was clear of the other side of the bridge. It was with some relief
those on the bridge and seconds later, those on the road saw Elaine sit up. She
had suffered a broken collar bone but that was her only physical injury.
*****
Bruce was pissed off when he came home to find the house empty and the empty
biscuit tin. At first held the hope that she had just gone out for the afternoon
but as time went on, and she hadn't returned, he assumed the worst. She had
taken the money and gone. Eventually he went to bed but sleep was slow in
coming.
1 a.m. the phone rang. Mr. Masterton, this is Epping Police Station, we have a
message from Sarah Jacobson......"
"I don't want to know." Bruce's voice showed its anger as he slammed down the
phone. "I've done what I could for the bitch, now she must sort herself out."
7 a.m. the phone rang again. "Bruce this is Sarah, I ......"
"Sarah, I don't want to know what trouble your in. Sort yourself out. My methods
obviously didn't work."
7.15 a.m. phone rings again. "Masterton, this is Elaine Willis. Don't you dare
put the phone down on me"
"Okay, what trouble is she in now?"
"Nothing much. We could charge her with breaking and entering, stealing a police
car, driving without a license, driving without insurance, imitating a police
officer, holding up traffic on a motorway. Shall I go on?"
"And that's nothing much?"
"Mr. Masterton, I guess you haven't put the news on yet otherwise you might know
what a heroine young Sarah is. I owe her my life. Now just you get over to
Romford General Hospital, Nightingale Ward and see us."
En route Bruce heard the details on the radio but was still surprised when he
had to get through a wall of press men and a police check at the hospital. He
was also unprepared for the large gash visible under the plastic stitches on her
forehead. "My God, what did they do to you? I'm really sorry I thought you had
just taken the money and done a runner. Now I find half the world knows where
you were and I didn't!"
"Perhaps when I get you home, I should give your bum a good spanking for not
trusting me," laughed Sarah.
Finis
