Virus

By Alan Greenwood

Adam Redfield is an adventurer of sorts and is planning the trip of a lifetime. little does he know that it could be his last trip. High in space an observer has noticed an object under the polar ice cap.

This object could ultimately destro

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sweetspire Literature Management LLC
• Release date: May 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9781960861023

Alan Greenwood

This is the Author's third novel and although this one is nothing like the previous two he feels that the story is a good one. His first two novels are available on Amazon Kindle however they are more in keeping with his past profession. He spent many years as a Private Investigator and has used personal experience to fuel his first earlier novels. But now he would like to find his own particular niche and hopefully make some money.

Book preview

Alan_Greenwood_-_Virus_Front_Cover.jpg

Copyright © 2023 by Alan Greenwood

Paperback: 978-1-960861-02-3

eBook: 978-1-960861-03-0

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023904369

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This is a work of nonfiction.

I would like to dedicate this novel to all those who like me are a struggling author.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1The Liberator

Chapter 2Departure

Chapter 3Landfall

Chapter 4Homeward bound

Chapter 5Death

Chapter 6Life

Chapter 7Contact

Chapter 8Hostilities

Chapter 9New addition

Chapter 10Our loss

Chapter 11The Martinez family

Chapter 12Carlos Dies.

Chapter 13First contact.

Chapter 14Escape

Chapter 15USS Orion.

Chapter 16Friendly contact.

Chapter 17Separated.

Chapter 18The Rock of Gibraltar.

Chapter 19Hostilities.

Chapter 20The White House.

Chapter 21Washington bound.

Chapter 22Sea Chase.

Chapter 23Another Storm

CHAPTER 1

The Liberator

APRIL 2012

‘Hi Adam, have you sold your boat yet?’

I looked up to see Mike, he’s a friend of mine who I sometimes took out sailing with me, I had been teaching him the ropes and just about everything else you need to do on a yacht, but now that I was selling her he would have to find someone else to go out with.

‘Hi Mike I replied, not yet but I have someone coming to see her tomorrow’

‘Do you think he’ll buy her?’

‘I don’t see why not, he’s certainly taken with her’.

‘And so he should be she’s a lovely boat, hell if only I could afford her I would have her myself, but you know what the wages are like working for the Marina’.

‘Sure do mate that’s one of the reasons why I quit, I only took the job as a standby so that I could get a cheap berth to Moor her on, well that and the fact I was bored and wanted a few bob coming in on a regular basis’.

‘If you sell her, will you be buying the Boston Lady?’

‘Well with the money I have in the bank and what I get for Mudlark I should have enough, seeing as Joe said he would consider dropping the price somewhat’.

The Boston Lady was a Catamaran she was a Lagoon 410 s2 and she was 12.6 meters from stem to stern with a 7.5 m beam and just a 1.57m draft, she was a beauty she had everything that I had ever wanted Radar, sonar and a satellite navigation system with all the charts that I would ever need.

The owner was Joe Morgan and when I went to look at her, he had hinted that if I was the buyer he would bring down the purchase price to £160.000. As far as I was concerned, she would be a bargain for that money.

‘Well Adam if it all falls through I’d still like to go out with you’

‘Hell I hope it doesn’t, I’m looking forward to heading off around the world’.

‘Oh well I had better get on or I’ll have the Manager on my ass’

‘OK Mike, see you tomorrow’.

‘No you won’t, it’s my day off and the wife intends taking me shopping, ouch there goes the plastic again’.

‘Never mind if you are spending it on her you’re not wasting it on golf’.

We said our goodbyes and I finished tying up Mudlark, she was all ready for Mr. Black who was coming back tomorrow.

Once he had paid me for her, I would contact Joe Morgan and hopefully do the deal for Boston Lady.

I picked up my bag and life jacket and headed of for my flat.

The next morning, I was down on the Marina bright and early waiting for Mr. Black to turn up with some money.

By lunchtime the deal was done although Black did try to knock me down on price at the last minute, but I stuck to my guns and told him sorry but that’s the price take it or leave it.

Fortunately, he took it and we shook hands as I put the cash in my bag, he had wanted to pay by cheque but I had told him it was cash only, I needed to pay someone else.

Cheques take time to clear and I was in a hurry, I wanted to buy the Catamaran before Joe changed his mind.

I nipped up to the bank and deposited the cash then I got on the phone to Joe telling him that I would be down on the Marina around four this afternoon.

He agreed to meet me on his mooring which was on B pontoon.

I could barely wait, I wanted this Catamaran more than I had wanted anything in my life.

By half past four the deal was done, Joe had just finished signing the receipt and he passed it over to me saying, ‘Well Adam, I hope you get as much enjoyment out of her as my late wife and I did’.

‘I’m sure I will Sir and thank you, you dropping the price like that was a godsend for me, because there was no way I could have afforded her at your original asking price’

‘Well I’m on my own now, so I’ve decided to go to Canada and spend some time with my sister and her family and to be honest, now that the house and business have been sold, I didn’t want to hang around and haggle. You’re done me a few favours in the past Adam and I know you’ll look after her as well as I have’

‘I sure will and thanks again Mr. Morgan’.

‘Joe’

‘Yes of course, thanks Joe’

‘Just don’t go sinking her’.

‘Not a chance’ I said with a smile.

‘Well she’s all yours now Adam, I’m off to Canada and I don’t expect to come back this way anytime soon’.

I stuck out my hand and said, ‘Well I hope you have all the luck in the world and find the life you’re hoping for’.

He took my hand and his grip was strong as he said ‘I’m sure I will. Well I‘d better be going otherwise they’ll be clamping my car, you know what their like on this marina, just a few minutes over and they’ve got you’

His smile told me he was kidding.

I watched him walk along the pontoon towards the exit and then I jumped back inboard thinking your all mine now baby.

I went down into the main cabin and just stood there taking in the smell of her.

She was plush, she had everything I had ever wanted, there was even a shower unit, plus not one but two heads.

OK they were small, but hell, who cares, there was only one on my other boat and that had been half the size of these. This baby was twice the size of my previous boat and to say I was in love with her would be an understatement.

I intended to change her name as soon as I could. I wanted to call her ‘Liberator’ because I felt that going out in her would be the most liberating thing in the world.

She was named ‘Boston Lady’ simply because Joe’s late wife had come from Boston.

I wanted a new start in life and this beauty was going to give it to me, I intended sailing all around the world, but first I would just head for Spain.

I was lucky, because Joe had left all the lifebelts and wet weather gear in the lockers inside the main cabin, so together with my own, I wouldn’t need to get anymore for quite a while.

What I would need though is a set of new flares plus an extra handheld radio.

I had expected to spend at least £30.000 more than I had done on this beauty but then I had not dreamt that Joe would drop the price by so much, she was worth £220.000 if she was worth a penny.

OK, as he said I’d done him a good few favours over the years, but none that would warrant such a good price.

I wasn’t short of cash but like most people I enjoyed a bargain, so getting her for the sum I’d paid, was like I’d told Joe, a real godsend.

However, there was something I had to do before I went anywhere.

There was a letter burning a hole in my pocket from my late father’s solicitors. They had been trying to trace me for about eight months, to inform me of my father’s death.

My parents had divorced fourteen years ago, when I was just eighteen and I had taken it badly. My father had been having an affair for quite a while and not understanding how he could have hurt my mother like he had, I refused to have anything more to do with him. Sadly, my mother had passed away just two years after the divorce, she had suffered a massive stroke.

When I first received the letter, I was still very bitter towards my father. I had phoned the solicitors office to tell them to shove his money where the sun doesn’t shine, but they insisted that I had to make an appearance to collect the money or it would go to some obscure charity. In addition, I would learn something to my advantage. No, they couldn’t be more specific. Everything would be revealed when they saw me in person.

I didn’t think there would be very much money, but after what he’d done to my mother, I certainly didn’t want it to go to some obscure charity and anyway what they’d told me on the phone had me intrigued.

My father’s solicitors were based in the midlands and as I had already sold my car, in preparation to my round the world trip, I would have to go by train.

Still wondering what I was going to be told when I arrived at the solicitor’s office, I made my way over to the chandlers to see if Gary had what I wanted in stock. Gary and his wife are a nice couple and went out of their way to find anything you wanted even if they had to have it delivered from a different location. When I told him what I wanted he checked around in the back room and came back with a frown. ‘Flares I can get you tomorrow Adam, but we have some good waterproof radios in stock, you can have a look at now’. I told him to go ahead and order the flares and I’d be back in a couple of days to sort it all out. I had somewhere to go.

Early the next morning, the taxi driver pulled up outside the front door and honked his horn.

I grabbed a small holdall containing a change of clothes and some sandwiches and hurried out the door.

The trip to the midlands wasn’t too bad. It was quite soothing really doing nothing, just reading my book as we jogged along the countryside. Maybe could have done without the few unscheduled stops we made along the way, but just over four hours later, I arrived at my destination. London road station in Leicester, God I hate this city. The sooner this visit is over, the better I was going to like it. I felt a feeling of gloom coming over me as I headed for the taxi rank and stood in line. I was soon getting in the next available cab, I told the driver I needed to go to 16 Demonfort Road and without saying a word, he sped off.

‘That will be £4-50 mate’, he spat, as we pulled up outside a large house, without even turning around.

I gave him a fiver and told him to keep the change, ignorant little man didn’t deserve anymore.

He gave me a look that said it all, last of the big spenders.

I just smiled and headed towards number sixteen.

Ringing the bell, I expected to hear footsteps and someone coming to the door. Instead, a voice speaking from a small grill in the wall said, ‘Yes, can I help you?’

There was a button underneath a plaque which read press and speak.

So I pushed the button, told the voice who I was and why I was there.

There was a loud click and pushing the door open, I stepped over the threshold. As I did a pretty brunette aged about thirty, rose from behind her desk smiling and asked me to follow her along the corridor

She stopped outside a green painted door, rapped once and then opened it immediately and ushered me inside.

‘A Mr. Redfield here to see you sir’

‘Ah, Mr. Redfield, do come in’ he said with a smile holding out his hand.

‘We finally meet, I’m Elias Crab, of Crab, Crab and Crab associates’.

I shook the outstretched hand and said ‘Pleased to meet you Sir’.

There were two chairs placed opposite his desk and he pointed to the one nearest me saying, ‘Take a seat while we wait for a third party to arrive and then we can press on’.

I sat down in the chair he indicated and then he asked if I would like a drink

while I waited.

‘Tea, coffee, or would you like something stronger’.

‘No thanks, I’m fine’.

There was a knock on the door and the brunette came in announcing ‘Miss Jane Jordan- Smyth Sir’.

‘Thank you Clare’.

Clare turned and left the room, leaving behind a stunning young girl, who looked as excited as a puppy.

Both Crab and I got to our feet and smiling a huge smile of welcome, Crab introduced us.

‘Ah Jane, this is your step brother Adam Redfield and this is your rather young step sister Jane Jordan-Smyth the daughter of your late father’s second wife, Veronica’.

Jesus I had never met this Veronica, or even seen a photo of her, hadn’t want to, but if she was half as pretty as this girl standing in front of me, then it was no wonder my father had strayed, she was a stunner and she was my stepsister.

I must have looked like a fish out of water as my jaw dropped, because she smiled and said ‘You can close your mouth now Adam’.

I closed my mouth with a snap and pulling myself together said, ‘I’m pleased to meet you Jane, shocked but pleased’.

She smiled again and then took the seat next to mine.

She was about five foot six with short-cropped red hair and the most vivid green eyes I had ever seen and the cutest little figure, most girls would have died for.

‘Right then’ said Crab shuffling some papers on his desk ‘Now that Introductions are over, we can get on with the contents of your fathers will’.

‘As we already know, you two have never met before, but you are both mentioned in the late George Redfield’s last will and testament. Adam, as your father’s only living blood relative, you of course will receive the lion’s share of the estate, however, this comes with certain conditions’.

I started to speak but he held up his hand to forestall me.

‘Jane’ he continued, ‘You will receive a total of sixty thousand pounds, but you may only have access to five thousand pounds before your twenty first birthday, the remainder will be put in a trust and your step father stipulates that Adam should be the executive of said trust’.

Jane smiled and looked over at me, but said nothing.

‘Right Adam the conditions, as you have just heard you will need to manage Jane’s trust, but you also have to look after Jane as well. She has no living relatives as her mother was an only child and her grandparents died before she was born. When your father and Jane’s mother were married, he treated Jane like his own daughter and in the event of his death he wanted her to be looked after by someone he could trust. That’s where you come in. Since your father died eight months ago, Jane has been staying with good friends of his, who

Incidentally are the parents of Jane’s best friend. So Adam’ he continued ‘You’re the nearest she’s got to family and your father wanted you to take her under your wing’.

‘What, you must be joking’ I said shocked. ‘Hell ten minutes ago I didn’t even

know I had a step sister and I’m the original Mr. Fancy free’.

‘That’s as maybe, but those are the terms of the will’.

‘I’m sorry Mr. Crab, but I can’t be responsible for a young girl like Jane. Surely she needs to be in school and I’m about to go on the trip of a lifetime around the world’ I said sulkily

‘Then maybe you should put your holiday off’.

‘NO WAY’.

‘Mr. Redfield let me assure you the legacy is more than substantial, however you must comply with the conditions, all of the conditions’.

‘I don’t care how substantial it is I’m not canceling my trip. I’ve been planning it for the last two years and I’ve just bought the cat, I’ll be sailing in’.

‘Cat, what’s a cat?’ asked Crab.

‘A catamaran, it’s a 44-foot catamaran’ I explained.

‘Adam the amount in question is one and a half million pounds, but you have to look after Jane and her trust to get it’.

To say I was shocked would be the understatement of the year and all I could do was sit with my mouth open. Good god, I had never realized that my father had accrued such wealth.

Suddenly, I was brought back to earth with a jolt. Jane was wriggling around in *her chair squealing. ‘That’s fantastic Adam, just imagine you and me on the open sea with nothing to do but sunbathe’.

‘What, are you out of your mind, what do you know about sailing, nothing I expect you’d be nothing but a liability, anyway, don’t you have to go to school?’

‘For your information, I could have left school at sixteen, but we were having such a good time we decided to stay on and study French, that’s my best friend Charlotte and I. Actually her father owns a yacht, and he’s been teaching us how to sail. We were all going on holiday to France at the end of term’.

‘So what changed your mind?’

‘You did’.

‘What me? but I know nothing about you’.

‘Then we’ll just have to get to know each other won’t we, because it seems to me that our destinies are intertwined. You have to look after me to get your inheritance, so what better way than to take me with you on your trip?’

I looked at Crab, expecting him to refuse her request, but to my astonishment, he said, ‘I can’t say that I approve, but it would mean that you are complying with your father’s wishes, albeit not in the way he would have expected. He seemed to think that having some responsibility in your life would curb your enthusiasm for dangerous pursuits. His words not mine’.

‘Well if he thought that saddling me with an eighteen-year-old girl would change me he was well off the mark’.

I looked at Jane and she put her hands together as if in prayer and said ‘Please Adam, I promise you won’t regret it’.

I thought again of the one and a half million pounds.

‘You’re on lady, but let me warn you, once on board I’m skipper and you do everything you’re told, that means everything, okay?’

She jumped up from her chair and saluted saying, ‘Yes sir skipper’.

Which was not exactly the nautical way but close enough.

Thirty-five minutes after I had arrived at his office, Crab had me signing my life away on some legal documents.

Pressing a button under his desk, Clare entered with a tray containing an ice bucket with Champagne plus four glasses.

After we had finished toasting our good fortune, Jane and I walked out into the late morning sunshine arm in arm. I could not believe what had just happened. I had just inherited one and a half million pounds and this ravishing creature by my side. My heart skipped a beat and something stirred in my lower regions, oops, I think I’m going to have to be careful here and remember she is to all intents and purpose, my sister.

Dragging my mind back to the task ahead, I decided the first thing we needed to do was inform Charlotte’s family of our immediate plans and to collect Jane’s belongings. There was a taxi rank on the corner and luckily one waiting just for us. Jane gave the driver the address and in no time at all we were pulling up outside the door.

Looking at my watch for the third time, I wondered how much longer Jane was going to be. She had finished packing her bags and said goodbye to the family, but had now gone to say goodbye to some bloody horse. If she didn’t hurry up, we wouldn’t get back to Torquay until really late. But finally she finished with her goodbyes and we were off. Charlotte’s father was taking us to the station and I was very grateful, it’s surprising how much stuff a young girl can accumulate.

We finally arrived home wearier but a lot richer as I walked into my flat. I showed Jane the spare bedroom, but said she would have to make up the bed herself and would find all the linen she needed in the airing cupboard.

It was quite late by now and we were both starving, so I cobbled together a fry up, which I’m very good at, even if I do say so myself, while Jane wandered around the flat, finding out where everything is and making herself at home. By now it was gone one and we were both exhausted, but Jane insisted she needed a shower before going to bed. I left her to it and hit the sack.

The next morning, I awoke to the smell of toast and coffee, wafting in from the kitchen.

I rolled out of bed and headed for the shower to find a very racy set of knickers and bra draped over the radiator. God, I know I’m almost twice her age, but the thought of what had been inside those garments had me aroused in seconds.

Turning the dial too cold, to cool myself off, I jumped in the shower and started thinking what life might be like on board the Liberator, with us being in such close proximity.

I kept repeating to myself, she’s your stepsister, you can’t be thinking like this, but that didn’t help, especially when I entered the kitchen to find her bending over the grill and found myself getting aroused all over again.

I said good morning as I entered the kitchen and she jumped with fright, her un-tethered breasts doing a little dance inside her t-shirt.

I sucked in my breath at the sight and thought whoa I’m turning into a right letch, but I couldn’t help it; this girl was driving me wild.

We ate breakfast in silence listening to the news on the radio and then Jane announced she was going to get dressed. She had been watching me watching her all through breakfast and I got the impression that she knew exactly what I had been thinking, but all she did was smile.

Looking out of the window at the April morning, I could see it was a glorious day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and it made me feel good to be alive.

Jane appeared in front of me dressed in a blue and white striped t-shirt and white shorts looking very nautical and so damned sexy too.

I said ‘Jane you look lovely’ good enough to eat, I thought.

‘Thank you Adam’.

‘OK, let’s go’

‘After you skipper,’ she said with a giggle.

When we arrived at the Marina and Jane saw the Liberator for the first time. She gasped with delight and said, ‘My god it’s beautiful’.

‘She’ I said.

‘What?

‘She’s beautiful, we always refer to boats as she’.

‘Oh yes of course, she is beautiful, in fact more beautiful than I could have imagined’.

‘I’m glad you like her she’s going to be our home for a long time’.

She flung her arms around me and gave me a kiss saying, ‘I can’t wait to set sail’.

‘Well young lady you are going to have to wait, we have things to do before we can set off’.

She smiled, and then hopped aboard as if she had been doing so all her life.

I followed and passed her the keys so that she could unlock the hatch.

I let her lead the way in and then pointed out all the features of interest, for example, the navigation unit and sonar, plus the Radar and both Radios, the one in the main cabin plus one next to the, chart table.

To say she was impressed would be an understatement. She was ecstatic, especially when I showed her the sleeping quarters.

‘Which one’s mine?

‘You can take your pick of the forward cabins I’m having the main one, because it’s bigger and nearer to the chart-table and con’.

‘OK skipper, when will we be leaving?

‘Well I was hoping to leave today but that’s out of the question now because we need to get you kitted out with some new equipment, but first young lady you can look in that locker over there and see if any of the flotation suits will fit you’.

‘You want me to do that now?’

‘No’ I said, sarcastically ‘we’ll wait until we’re in the middle of a storm in the Atlantic’.

‘Ok skipper’ she said, ‘I’ll do it now’.

‘Good idea’

Ten minutes later, she came into my cabin saying, ‘They are all far too big, the full on life jackets fit ok and so do the self-inflating ones, but the flotation suits, forget it, I could fit you and me inside, they’re so big’

Nice thought but impractical, ‘Ok we’ll nip over and see Gary in a bit; he should be able to sort you out with the right size’.

‘Who’s Gary?’

‘He‘s the local chandler, he’s very good and won’t rip us off. He should have some flares and a handheld radio waiting for me’.

‘Is he nice looking?’

‘He’s far too old for you, anyway he’s married’

‘Shame’

‘Do you think you can check things out in the galley, because you’ll be in charge of food and water, among other things?’ I asked with a laugh.

‘Ok, chief cook and bottle washer, that’s me right?’

‘Right’

She wandered off towards the galley, while I checked the chain locker.

There were plenty of spare lines and half a dozen spare fenders, so that will save me some cash. Joe certainly kept her well-equipped.

There were also three or four fishing rods in the locker, which would come in useful; fishing was one of my passions. They were all in good nick and there were even two tackle boxes with everything an angler would need, a chopping board and a couple of collapsible buckets.

After checking over the wet weather gear and finding nothing amiss, I looked in a little cubbyhole next to the wheel and found a flare gun, along with a set of six distress flares all in date and brand new. Joe had only just bought them and had even left the receipt in the back of the flare container.

Starting to feel the heat, we stopped for a rest and some coffee and then twenty minutes later, we made our way to the chandlers to see if my order was ready. Jane was like a kid in a