The Winged Fortune (eBook)

A Fabel Retief Thriller, Book 3

Meiring Fouche, Pieter Haasbroek (Autoren)

Pieter Haasbroek (Herausgeber)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025 | 1. Auflage
120 Seiten
Pieter Haasbroek (Verlag)
978-0-00-092305-9 (ISBN)

Infos

His cover is blown.

His target knows his name.

Now, on a hijacked jetliner miles from civilization, the hunter is about to become the hunted.

On a flight from Johannesburg to London, legendary former detective Fabel Retief is playing a deadly game. His mission. To shadow the cunning international smuggler, Mr. Paxanos, and recover a fortune in stolen diamonds. Retief is a ghost, a nameless face in the crowd, and the trap is set for their arrival in London.

But Paxanos is one step ahead. The plane is hijacked and forced to the chaotic Congo, a brilliant deception to throw the authorities off the scent. Stranded, framed, and imprisoned, Retief realizes the hijacking was a masterful diversion. The real courier, and the diamonds, are still in play, hidden behind the most innocent of faces. Failure isn't just an option; it's a death sentence.

From the lawless streets of Leopoldstad to a derelict airfield on the foggy coast of England, Retief must go deep undercover to unmask a conspiracy far more complex than he ever imagined. This globetrotting adventure is a high-octane classic action thriller packed with twists, old-school espionage, and a shocking betrayal. Perfect for fans of classic spy thrillers and mysteries where nothing is as it seems.

First came the dragon, then the girl. Now comes the fortune that could unleash hell. The epic Fabel Retief series continues with its most electrifying adventure yet. Are you ready for The Winged Fortune?

Textauszug

3. THE WINGED FORTUNE

Chapter 1

MR. P. BRINK

Through the main hall of the Jan Smuts Airport, the announcement resounded, loud and clear. “Will passengers for the flight to Britain please get ready.”

Those waiting to depart on the long flight to Britain aboard the large Boeing of the South African Airways began to move closer to the gate. The engines of the great aircraft had already been started once, and those who had to leave were now in a state of sharp anticipation. Groups of family members stood about in the large hall. A few last words were spoken quickly. There were quite a number of people in the large hall, for the Boeing was carrying an almost full load of passengers.

Then came the next announcement, and it was just as clear. Those who paid attention realized it was now the third time this announcement had been made. “Will Mr. P. Brink please report immediately. We are calling for Mr. P. Brink. The aircraft to Britain is on the point of departure. Mr. P. Brink, please.”

There was something urgent and something exasperating in the voice of the woman making the announcement. Those waiting to depart also felt annoyed with Mr. Brink. Why must some people always be late? Especially when one has to depart on a long flight like this. Then it is surely understandable that you should get yourself ready on time. A few moments later, the same announcement came again.

“Mr. P. Brink must please report immediately now.”

In his office, the airport superintendent sat impatiently. What could have happened to the man now? It always annoyed him when passengers who urgently wanted to fly had to be turned away for the sake of people who then, in the end, did not show up. Like this Mr. Brink. Here was a whole list of people who had sought a place for tonight. But they had to be refused, and here again, one fails to appear.

When the telephone rang, the superintendent immediately reached for it.

“This is the South African detective service,” he heard over the wire. “Please delay the Boeing that is due to depart for Britain in two minutes. It may not depart without Mr. P. Brink.”

“Well, where is Mr. P. Brink?” the superintendent asked irritably. “Can he not see to it that he is on time?”

The man on the other end gave a short laugh. “We are sorry to cause you trouble, but he should be there any moment now. Will you do us the favour of delaying the aircraft?”

“I do not like it,” said the superintendent, “but I will wait a little longer.”

He could hear that the man speaking was a man of authority. Then the voice came again from the other end. “One more thing, Mr. Superintendent. The fact that we asked you to delay the aircraft, please keep it a secret. Is that agreed?”

“Very well,” said the superintendent. “I will not speak of it.”

“Thank you very much,” said the voice from the other side. “We will explain to you later why it is so essential that Mr. P. Brink makes this flight.”

The superintendent immediately walked out and went to the booking hall. “I have good news for you,” he said to the booking officer. “Mr. P. Brink is on his way. Just use a little more patience.”

The booking officer looked at his watch. “It seems to me,” he said, “that some people are chronically slow. They are always late for everything. We have other work to do, but now we must wait for Mr. Brink.”

The superintendent smiled. Then he turned and walked with his hands behind his back towards the entrance of the large building. It was just as he arrived there that the taxi screeched to a halt. A man jumped out. He was a striking fellow, tall, lithe, powerfully built, and dark. He had a jet-black goatee and was neatly dressed. He had a camera over his shoulder and a jaunty little hat on his head.

“Are you Mr. Brink?” asked the superintendent.

“Yes,” answered the tall man, and he was clearly in a great hurry.

“We are waiting for you, Mr. Brink. The aircraft should have departed two minutes ago.”

“I am sorry,” said the tall man. “I was delayed.” Then he hurried to the booking hall, and the taxi driver brought his luggage.

The superintendent looked at him and knew at once that he was no ordinary man. There was something extraordinary about him, about his voice, about his eyes, and about his entire demeanour.

An irate booking officer quickly handled Mr. P. Brink’s affairs, handed him his ticket, and then Mr. P. Brink walked with clicking heels towards the group of passengers huddled at the gate.

Another announcement came, and the passengers moved towards the gate. Here and there, hasty goodbyes were still exchanged. Then they filed towards the large waiting aircraft.

Mr. Brink was right at the back. He boarded the aircraft last of all. He took a seat in the very back row.

The boarding ladder was removed, the door was closed, and then the great engines roared to life. In a flash, there was movement. Mr. Brink took off his hat, as well as his camera. Then he sat back against the soft seat and looked at the other passengers. From here he saw only their heads and nothing more. These were the usual people who fly. A number of women, a number of men. Some young and some old, some attractive and some not so attractive. There were also a few teenagers.

Mr. Brink watched the air hostess with attention. She was dark, attractive, and intense. She moved with a beautiful, feminine grace, and her instructions to the passengers were soft yet very clear.

“No smoking now, fasten your seatbelts.” Thus she informed them as she moved down the aisle. She was tall and strongly built, but there was nothing coarse about her. Her uniform fitted perfectly and the small cap made her look very attractive. Her black hair shone under the lines of the cap.

When she finally reached Mr. P. Brink, she looked at him attentively for a moment. Most women looked at Mr. P. Brink attentively, for he was a striking and attractive man. There was power and nobility in his face. And the goatee, which was so neatly groomed, made him look like a nobleman or a diplomat or something of that nature. He looked completely different from the ordinary man one encounters on the street. The litheness of his body concealed a slumbering power and his eyes could sparkle so sharply.

“You were late, if I am not mistaken, Mr. Brink?” said the air hostess. He smiled and his teeth gleamed. His eyes laughed at her.

“I am always late for everything,” he said. “A bad habit, is it not?”

“Definitely a bad habit when one delays a large aircraft because of it.”

“Yes, I agree,” said Mr. Brink. “I agree completely. I am sorry. But we are at least on our way now, are we not?”

“We should have been in the air by now,” she said, slightly reproachful, and she was surprised that Mr. Brink was looking at her with such concentration. It made her blush slightly, and she immediately turned away from him.

The large aircraft had reached its runway from where it had to take off. Then the engines roared louder, and everyone became aware of the faster movement. The earth sang beneath them, and then they felt how they left the ground.

Mr. Brink looked at the beautiful hips of the air hostess, he looked at her graceful movement.

In every respect a striking girl, thought Mr. Brink. She moved up the aisle again in the direction of the cockpit, and he paid no further attention to her. He sat upright and began to scrutinize the passengers. He could only see their heads, and because he was sitting right at the back, he could not, of course, see most of their faces. Here and there he could catch a glimpse of a profile, but that was all.

Mr. Brink put his hand in his inner pocket. He took out his wallet. Then he looked at the photograph inside it. It was a head-and-shoulders photo of a rather short, heavyset man. He was old and someone with very striking features. He had bushy black eyebrows, his eyes were on the small side, his forehead was narrow, and his hair was thick and black. There were no distinguishing marks on his face, such as a scar or anything of the sort.

Mr. Brink looked thoughtfully and very attentively at the photo for a long time. Then he closed his wallet and put it back in his pocket. He now knew very well what the man looked like.

He also knew what his name was. His name was Mr. Paxanos, a Greek by birth. Mr. Brink also knew that Mr. Paxanos had become a South African citizen about four years ago.

Then Mr. Brink began to look at the passengers again. In front, near the cockpit, sat a man on the aisle side, his hair was jet-black, his neck was thick, and his mouth was on the large side. Mr. Brink had observed this just now when the man turned his head to speak to the air hostess.

The man now sat very still. He leaned back slightly against the soft cushion, his legs crossed.

Mr. Brink was certain that this man was Mr. Paxanos. A strange sensation passed through him. If that was Mr. Paxanos, this might become a very interesting journey. Far more interesting than Mr. Brink had expected. He had against Paxanos.

What kind of man could this Paxanos be? He would have to get to know him better. Mr. Brink felt in his inner pocket again. He took out a piece of paper. It was a clipping with large, heavy headlines. It told the story of a major diamond theft in Johannesburg. It told how the most precious diamonds of a diamond cutter were removed from his safe in some way or another. Their value was estimated at one hundred and forty thousand rand. Mr. Brink read the report attentively, and when he finally folded it up, he let his thoughts...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 18.9.2025
• Übersetzer: Pieter Haasbroek, Ai
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Fantasy / Science Fiction ► Fantasy
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Krimi / Thriller / Horror
• ISBN-10: 0-00-092305-2 / 0000923052
• ISBN-13: 978-0-00-092305-9 / 9780000923059