Ultimate Justice Page A

very long lens. “They follow us all the time. That’s why we come here to this island. They can’t take pictures from out at sea so easily with the beach tucked away in the inlet.”
    â€œHow’d he get here and how long has he been here?” asked Shaun.
    â€œNo idea. But I don’t think this happened too long ago,” said Adnak. “There was no sign of him earlier in the day and there were no fresh footsteps up the stairs then. Look, the barricade has been removed. It was there when we arrived.”
    â€œI’m reluctant to move him, but we can’t leave him here,” said a crewman. He carefully felt the man’s neck and back. “Seems to be alright. But his legs are both broken and I don’t like the look of that head wound… OK. We have to get him onto his back. Shaun, that’s your name isn’t it?” Shaun nodded. “You hold his head and neck. Try and keep everything straight. Adnak you take that right leg. Careful where it’s broken.”
    Between them they eventually, and very carefully, got the man onto his back on the stretcher and his two legs bound together with a splint padded with their clothes. The crewmen set off carrying him gently to the boat. Shaun and Adnak stayed to check if there was anything else apart from the camera that might belong to the man.
    â€œProbably upstairs,” said Shaun.
    â€œWell if there is, it can stay there,” said Adnak. “I’m not going up there.”
    â€œNo point,” agreed Shaun. “If you hadn’t left your binoculars that man could have died here. He’s a lucky man.”
    â€œHe is. I expect he was due to be picked up by his mates, but he would certainly have laid there some time before they came to look for him.”
    As they followed the stretcher down the path, Adnak said to Shaun, “You know what? Today’s been great. He,” looking at the man on the stretcher, “he wanted to get pictures of us half naked on the beach and put them in the local rag with some suggestive headline saying we are spoilt rich brats.”
    â€œHope he didn’t get any pictures like that – I mean us teaching the kids to swim. I wonder what he got?”
    â€œGuess he went up the stairs to get a better view.”
    When they got back to the boat they checked the camera, which was remarkably undamaged. The last pictures were of the football match. They decided to leave it as it was. Thankfully the man hadn’t witnessed the swimming lessons.

11

    As the cruiser came into the harbour, Mr Pero, Jalli and Jack walked up to greet them. They were concerned to see an ambulance beside the quay and quickly ascertained that the captain must have radioed to say they were bringing in a casualty.
    Jalli was relieved to see Kakko helping to hold back the children as a stretcher was carried off the boat and was put into the ambulance.
    â€œI see Kakko,” she whispered to Jack, “and Shaun, and Bandi.” They breathed sighs of relief. It wasn’t their children, then. But who was it? Then Kloa came over the gangway and the children started to file across. The first ones bounded up to Mr Pero, vying to be the first to tell him the news.
    â€œA papzi,” said Fran, “a man with a big camera. He didn’t keep the first rule and went up the stairs.”
    â€œHe didn’t keep the second either. I saw him. He was got by a goof-adder,” contributed a second child.
    â€œAnd he didn’t come for the picnic when the boat went…” said a third taking a breath and giving not a bad impression of the ship’s horn.
    â€œBut none of
us
broke any of the rules!” said another.
    â€œThat’s good,” said Mr Pero. “I’m glad to hear it.”
    â€œAnd we learnt to play football. And Adnak saved the boys.”
    â€œHe jumped a long way and stopped the ball. Kakko had hit it very hard.”
    â€œAnd then we