Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim to own, any of the Biggles series characters used in this work. This fan fiction was written for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered part of the official storyline.
Warning: Non canon type fan fiction works may contain severe time mix-ups and character deviations.
Algy burst through the front door of the
Mount Street flat and raced up the stairs, two at a time. Skidding to a halt in
the living room, his eye fell on Biggles, who was seated in one of the
armchairs, looking very battered and woebegone, his arm in a sling, a bandage
around his head, an angry purple bruise starting on one cheek.
“By gosh,” said Algy. “What happened to
you?”
“I got run into a lamppost by a car,”
explained Biggles.
Algy looked horrified. “You were run over?”
In a few brief sentences, Biggles narrated
the events of Jane’s kidnapping.
Algy stared at him. “And what in thunder
are you suggesting we do now?”
“Isn’t it obvious? We have to get her back.
Goodness knows what they’re doing to her. They could be hurting her—”
“Who do you think could have done this?”
Biggles spread his hands helplessly. “I don’t
know. She used to be a spy. Perhaps someone from her past has come to get his
revenge for something.”
“Bit late for that, isn’t it? She hasn’t
been a spy for years.”
A sudden thought struck Biggles, and he
groaned, dropping his face into his hands. “The papers!” he exclaimed. “That’s
what must have happened. Whoever it was must have seen us in the papers after
we caught that thief at the aero club.”
Algy sank into an armchair and
absent-mindedly helped himself to the tin of biscuits that always dwelt on the
side table. “Where should we start?” he asked. “Did you see what kind of car it
was?”
Biggles shook his head. “Everything
happened so quickly I didn’t have time to notice anything. I was too busy
trying to get Jane away from those men.”
“Have you asked Gaskin for help?”
Again, Biggles shook his head.
“I’ll call him now.” Algy reached out a
hand for the phone, but before he could touch the instrument, it began to ring
shrilly.
Biggles and Algy exchanged a glance.
Gingerly, Biggles picked up the receiver. “Hello?”
“Major Bigglesworth?” said an unfamiliar
voice, in flawless English but with a faint accent. “I trust you have had time
to recover from your accident. I have your wife beside me. Follow my
instructions and she will remain alive and unharmed.”
&&&
Ginger and Bertie returned to the office to
find it empty. Not only that, but the door had been left wide open and the
lights were all on.
“Where’s Algy?” asked Ginger, checking
behind the stack of files that had taken over Algy’s desk. “He’s not here.”
“Maybe he’s gone for a bite?” suggested
Bertie, hopefully.
“Maybe.” Ginger sounded doubtful. “But why
would he leave all the lights on and the door unlocked? Anyone could have
walked in!” His eye fell on the telephone, which Algy in his haste had failed
to hang up properly. “Looks like he called someone before he left.”
“Biggles?”
“If he did call Biggles, he can’t have said
anything good. Come on, let’s see if he left word with Smyth.”
They found the mechanic working on one of
the police Austers. In reply to their query, he shook his head. No, Mr. Lacey
hadn’t left any word about where he was going, but he had seemed in a bit of a
hurry when he was leaving.
“How did he look?” queried Ginger. “Did he
seem upset?”
Smyth reflected. “He looked grim,” he
replied, at length. “And quite angry.”
“That can’t be good,” declared Ginger, as he
and Bertie walked back to the office. “When Algy’s angry, he’s liable to do
anything, you know that as well as I do.”
“So what should we do, old boy?”
Ginger looked at the phone thoughtfully. “I
think we should call Biggles first to make sure nothing’s happened to him. I
wouldn’t put it past Algy to start hurling bombs at the flat—he used to do that
sort of thing quite often during the war, from what he told me.”
Picking up the receiver, he dialed the
number for the Mount Street flat. The ringing went on for quite a long time,
and when it was finally answered, Ginger was surprised to hear Mrs. Symes’
voice on the other end of the line.
“Mrs. Symes?”
“Oh, Mr. Hebblethwaite, thank goodness you’ve
rung up!” The normally imperturbable Mrs. Symes sounded downright distraught. “What
a to-do, to be sure! It’s terrible!”
“What’s happened?” asked Ginger, horrified.
“This kidnapping, sir, it’s just terrible—poor
Mr. Bigglesworth—”
“KIDNAPPING?” cried Ginger.
“Yes, sir, it’s just terrible! And Mr.
Lacey’s just gone—”
“Mr. Lacey?” echoed Ginger, a cold hand
clutching at his heart. “Was HE there?”
“Oh, yes, sir, he’s taken Mr. Bigglesworth
to—“
But Ginger’s nerveless fingers had already
dropped the phone. “My word,” he breathed, turning a pale face to Bertie.
“What is it?” demanded Bertie. “What’s the
matter, old boy?” You look as though you’ve seen a bally ghost.”
“I feel as though I have,” said Ginger
slowly. He picked up the receiver and held it to his ear, but either Mrs. Symes
had hung up, or the connection had broken when he’d dropped the phone, for the
only sound the phone made was an angry buzzing. Ginger dropped the instrument carelessly
back into its cradle. “Algy’s gone crazy,” he announced. “He’s kidnapped
Biggles!”
Hooray - what a relief to see Algy's taking control (and had some biscuits).
ReplyDeleteGinger really should stop panicking and engage his brain.
Chapter five please :-))))
Quick someone - slap Ginger before he turns hysterical!
ReplyDeleteI think this whole Jane business must have been over-taxing his nerves more than we realised.... he's lost the power of lucid thought! Then again, he does know Algy very well, and knows better than most just what Algy is capable of... : )
I hope Biggles is going to show a bit of humble gratitude to Algy at some point; Algy has come galloping to his aid and Biggles hasn't even mumbled sorry yet : (
Biggles always did take his friends for granted :(
ReplyDeleteAlgy kidnapping Biggles really isn't that far-fetched--it's roughly on the level of blowing up Biggles' Bentley.
Typical of Ginger that he thinks Algy's kidnapped Biggles and he doesn't even ask where Jane is!
At least Ginger's got his priorities right... : )
ReplyDeleteBut what does Ginger think Algy is going to do with Biggles after he's kidnapped him?
Ring up Jane and demand: "Divorce him now or Biggles gets it!"
Ginger's definitely been going to too many gangster movies. : )
Well, now we know Bertie & Ginger didn't do it!
ReplyDeleteMaybe Algy doesn't want a ransom. Maybe he's thinking, "If I can't have him, no one can..."
ReplyDeleteCrikey!!!
ReplyDeleteJust the sort of thing he would do, though :)
ReplyDelete