Enticing Temptation

Chapter 11

 On board The Graceful Lady the next morning

            “I wanted Myles, Mr. Pruitt and Quintin Radbyrne present when we discussed what I learned from Lin Qiao last night as to where Uncle Trey is being held. I asked them here because I know we will need their help after studying the diagram of the compound they’re holding my uncle in just outside of town. I know without a doubt that the four of us will be unable to free him from there without the help of the others here along with several of my husband’s crew members as well.

            “I’m hoping to find a way to assess the compound, without their knowing we are, in order to learn how close the diagram is to the actual structure,” Cat said to the group the next morning after Quintin, and Mr. Pruitt had been informed of her work for the Foreign Office. She’d realized how large an operation this would need to become to rescue her uncle and return them all to the ship safely and hopefully unhurt after studying the diagram from Lin Qiao. “Qiao said he is held by a Chinese man named Zheng Ping. He’s an opium lord and he is holding Uncle Trey for some Englishman. She has no idea who the Englishman is or what he looks like, since the person Qiao has gotten her information from has not been allowed a close look at the man.”

            Cat spread the diagram out on the table for all to have a look at the huge task that would now face them all.

            “How did she learn of this?” Bruce asked her as he and the others studied the diagram.

            “Lin Qiao has many relatives which she asked to help her locate Uncle Trey,” Cat said not revealing anything about Lin Mee. Cat discovered on another assignment not to always trust those assigned to help her. The assignment almost cost her life when she learned the English agent was passing information on to the other government. “Through them she learned where he was and one of them drew a diagram of the compound for us that have had the privilege of seeing the inside first hand.”

            “Then you don’t know for sure if the diagram is correct or not,” Bellman said.

            “No, but Lin Qiao is sure that it is and I will trust her information until proven otherwise about who has him and this diagram. She’s only seen the outside of this compound,” Cat said silencing any other questions. “We will know more once we see it for ourselves, which I hope will be tonight, when a small group of us will take a look at it undercover of darkness. We will see if it is a correct rendition if there is a way to see inside the compound walls or not, look over the surrounding area, and see how well it is guarded. You will notice on the diagram that it shows where the guards are posted on the inside of the compound. I’m not sure how many may be posted outside.”

            “What do you want Jackson and me to do?” Myles asked her.

            “You and some of your men may be needed to create a diversion for us so that we may enter unseen. The diagram shows a wall surrounding the entire compound that is supposed to be seven or eight feet in height. We may have to scale a section of it and for that we will need a diversion to keep those inside from noticing us.” Cat told her husband. “But I want to be sure Lin Qiao and the baby are kept here and guarded at all times against any one trying to take them or Lin Qiao leaving the ship for any reason, for that I will rely upon you, Mr. Pruitt.”

            “I’ve assigned some of our most trusted men to that duty, Countess,” Jackson Pruitt proudly informed her. He’d nearly been sat on his arse when the captain informed him of his wife’s work and assignment earlier in the day. But it all fell into place for him as to why she never thought twice about rescuing Thomas the night of the storm not looking to others to help the boy. The Countess was used to dangerous situations and using her own ingenuity to get out of them. He didn’t think Captain Cameron had known about his wife’s involvement with the English government when they married.