“We could try and blow the ship up in the dry dock,” the daughter suddenly said.
“Yes I thought of that too but I don't want to cross swords with anyone locally - politics you know!” Alex reasoned.
“In that case, you will have to assume that the crew are all Syndicate. It would be very difficult to run a ship with a divided crew, especially if they were always moving special cargos,” Ming-Ho observed. “We will find the old chain that you need and arrange for it to be delivered. How do we contact you?”
Alex gave him the special mobile number then asked, “Tell me my friend, how can I repay you and your family for your assistance?”
The old man looked at Alex.
“We have lived in this area for two generations. The new regime has effectively confiscated our land and our homes. We live in two rooms at the back of this café now. You ask how can you pay? Well if we are successful and we help to destroy your terrorist cargo, we would dearly love to be able to obtain permits to get away from this place and start a new life somewhere. Would that be possible?”
Alex looked at the proud family group. They'd had their property confiscated and their business closed but they had not allowed their spirit to be suppressed.
“I honestly don't know but I can ask my people if there is a way we can help.” He knew that there should always be a place for such determined and courageous people; persuading others to recognise that was not going to be so easy but he was going to try.
Alex left the family and walked back to the tug. Now he needed to secure Big J's allegiance.
w
Oscar Nippon had lost his wife and only child in a tragic accident almost thirty years ago. In that time he had participated in a couple of brief romantic interludes but had never found anyone “who made me want to rush to the jewellers”, as he used to joke with his friends and partners.
In spite of those tragic years when he delved into the horrors of opium, he looked fitter and younger than the sixty-fifth years he had recently celebrated. His business partners were forever introducing him to lone females at dinner parties and weekend outings but he had chosen immerse himself in the business to such an extent that it occupied almost every moment of his time. The last twelve months had been fully occupied with the delicate business of converting the gold they had spirited away from the Philippines into cash. First the crudely cast gold bars had to be cast into authentic standard ingots and Hallmarked before they could be sold. That had been the most difficult part.
You just can't turn up at a gold smelting plant and ask for a price to assay and recast five tonnes of gold and platinum; unsurprisingly people would ask lots of difficult questions if you did. The task of diligently resolving all the different problems had been the perfect challenge for Oscar. Taking almost twelve months of careful planning, his professional negotiating skills ensured that the complex process was successful.
Now, suddenly, with the enormous task complete, he was allowing himself to be dragged against his better judgment into another treasure hunt and was definitely not convinced that he should be involved. That was until Marion walked miraculously into his life! They had only met on three or four occasions, yet each time he saw her he felt a long forgotten tightening in his chest. He found himself staring at her like a lovesick schoolboy, so when they'd agreed to join forces to find the submarine treasure ship Oscar admitted later that he was drawn more by the opportunity to be close to Marion than the excitement of another “treasure hunt”
Oscar called at Marion's bungalow the following morning as arranged.
“Greg's going to take Remi with him to check out the so-called diving company, so I thought we could have a chat with our man “Moby Dick”, the fisherman with the expensive fishing boat, if you're ready,” he suggested politely.
“I'm in your hands and ready to go,” Marion's smile radiated.
It was an easy twenty-five minute walk to the fishing harbour. They chatted happily, strolling without urgency along the promenade of restaurants, cafés and souvenir shops. When they finally arrived at the fishing harbour they found Dick sitting in his tiny office, the desk liberally covered with bits of paper. He looked up unhappily when he recognised Oscar.
“Sorry - no more wreck fishing,” he blurted out, waving his hand dismissively at the pile of papers. “Can't get the special licence anymore,” he added guiltily.
“And a very good morning to you!” Oscar smiled, completely ignoring the negative greeting. “This is my friend Marion Le Lostec. Actually we were going to ask if you could just do a coastal cruise,” he said. “No fishing!” he added, raising his eyebrows questioningly.
“To be honest, I'm not sure at this precise moment what I can do and can't do,” Dick replied as he picked up a handful of the papers and threw them contemptuously to another part of the desk.
“Is there something I can help you with?” Oscar asked sympathetically.
“Thanks but I don't think so.” Dick looked at his guests unhappily. “Suddenly I have to pay a mass of bills that have accumulated and appeared out of nowhere.” He tossed a few more of the documents onto another pile. “The only way I can afford to pay them is to take an exclusive contract with these other people, so unfortunately, I can't charter with you. But thanks for asking anyway.” He stood up. “Now I have to go to the boat.”
They followed him across the quay to the boat. The woman was hosing down the cockpit. She looked up and recognised Oscar.
Switching off the hose, she waved.
“Hello I'm glad to see you; thank you so much for the plant, it has pride of place in the saloon.” She pointed into the cabin. “Are you going fishing again?” she asked innocently.
“No, no they can't. We have another charter today!” Dick snapped at her. She looked away and timidly ducked into the saloon. Shrugging his shoulders, Dick looked apologetically at Oscar and Marion.
Oscar moved close to Dick. “You know, it might just be worth your while sitting down and having a little chat with us before your client arrives. Tea, coffee, beer? What do you fancy?”
Dick seemed to make up his mind. He knew had to confide in someone and at least Oscar was not a local who could accidentally tell the wrong person about his “problems”.
“OK - I'll get Annie to make some fresh coffee if you like.”
He gestured them on board and into the saloon. They sat around the polished mahogany table as Annie prepared the coffee.
“Annie is my sister-in-law and partner in the boat” Dick started the conversation. She looked around, acknowledging the statement. “You see, her brother has something to do with a warlord who runs special cargoes to the people in the south. He bought us the boat; it is registered in our names and theoretically we are free to do anything we want with it. The deal however, is that we have to be available to deliver things for them as and when it is needed.”
Annie placed mugs and the coffee pot on the table. “Milk and sugar?” she asked politely.
“No thanks,” Marion replied quietly.
“Because we took you out to the wrecks the other day, they seem to think that we were interfering with something they were doing. So yesterday he told us âif you want to go independent, you can have the boat and the bills to go with it,' which includes a mortgage registered in our joint names.” Dick, seemingly resigned to his fate, raised his hands in surrender. “Unfortunately, we stupidly signed several bits of paper without fully understanding what they were. Now it looks as though we're up to our necks in debt. So we have no choice but to stick with the bastards.” Dick slapped the table; the mugs jumped into the air. Fortunately the coffee had not been served.
“Sorry,” he said, looking guiltily at Annie.
She smiled with understanding.
“He hasn't told you everything either,” she said quietly but clearly. “You see his wife works in my brother's rope and basket factory; they prepare the special cargoes there. Theresa, that's his wife, is a drug addict. She's tried so hard to get away from it but they see to it that she is regularly corrupted. The other problem is their ânaughty' night club, if you know what I mean.” She looked coyly at her audience. “So if she doesn't behave to their liking, they threaten to move her to the club and a different kind of profession.” She looked at Oscar and Marion. “And just to complicate things even further they also have a young baby.” Annie clenched her petite fist. “He may be my brother but he is the most evil man I know.” She turned away angrily.
Marion stood up and placed a comforting hand on the dejected fisherman's muscular shoulder, then picked up the coffee pot, looking at Annie.
“Is it OK if I pour the coffee now?” she smiled warmly.
“Of course. I'm sorry - getting angry just makes it worse doesn't it. Thank you.” She returned to the table, clasping her arms around her own waist and forcing a nervous smile.
“Tell me something Dick.” Oscar took the opportunity to start a different line of conversation. “The other day when we were attacked, was that a put up job?”
“Yes it was and for the life of me I don't know why! We apparently got a bit too close to something they're doing out there.” Dick shook his head.
“You must have some idea what was they were doing, I mean was it smuggling? Or perhaps they were diving?” Oscar persisted innocently.
“Well since you mention diving, did you notice the racks of tanks on the blue boat?” Dick sat up thinking back to the moment. “Yes and it was the crew of the other boat that fired on us. I don't remember seeing if the others were armed, did you?”
Oscar couldn't remember either. They chatted for a while, speculating on what the boats might have been doing out there and why their own presence should have been such a problem for them.
Eventually Oscar looked at Marion; he wanted to confer with her but the interruption, he was certain, would spoil the relaxed mood of the conversation. He decided to gamble.
“What would you say if there was a way to extricate yourselves from the bills and the marine mortgage and still own the boat?”
Dick looked sharply at Annie. She placed a reassuring hand on Dick's shoulder.
“We've thought endlessly about such a possibility but unfortunately there is still Theresa and the baby to consider!” She shook her head in desperation. “Those pigs would kill her I'm sure.”
“Listen, may I ask a huge favour?” Oscar looked at each of them. “Give me the rest of today to come up with a comprehensive plan to solve your problems. If that proves to be agreeable to you both, I'll also tell you what we need from you in return. I confess that it may be a little dangerous but it won't involve blackmail or drugs!” He looked questioningly at Marion she nodded approval.
“You mean get these bastards off our backs?” Dick's expression changed. He wrinkled his brow and looked at Annie.
“We'd like to hear what you have in mind,” Annie replied firmly.
“Good - in that case just give us some time.” Oscar looked at his watch as he stood up, “and let's see what we can come up with eh?” They moved up to the cockpit. “Thanks for the coffee. We'll get back to you this evening. Will you be here on the boat?”
“Yes we will,” Annie confirmed, still with a reassuring hand on Dick's shoulder.
Oscar and Marion headed back to their bungalows.
“I'm sorry not to have consulted you first partner, but I just felt that if we had left the boat to confer, it would have sent out the wrong sort of message. As it is now, I think we've developed a reasonable level of confidence with them.” He looked at Marion. “The other thing I have to say is that I now feel quite sure both Dick and Annie are genuine people, trapped, as so often happens, by their own naivety.”
Oscars mind flashed back to that fateful day when he and his old partners had also been so easily persuaded, in their case by their bank, to sign those unconditional personal guarantees on their massive development loan. “Just a routine procedure Gentlemen, if you don't mind?” Those signatures would haunt them and eventually bring their lifetimes' effort to nought.
“Do you agree?” Oscar asked Marion, shutting off his image of the past.
“Yes I do,” Marion replied sympathetically, “but his poor wife makes it a double tragedy doesn't it?”
“Yes of course and that's going to be a big problem, but let's put that aside for a moment while we try to dispassionately assess the overall situation.” They walked in silence for a while. “Now let's see,” Oscar started talking again. “In order to find the gold we have to have divers and a boat.” He looked straight ahead. “Hopefully Greg will sort out the divers.” He looked at Marion. She did not reply. “As for boats, we have two choices: either we take advantage of Dick and Annie or we look elsewhere, which will of course take time but should be cheaper and less complicated yes?” h proposed, looking at Marion.
“I'm not a tough businessman like you and my feelings are all in here,” she held her hand to her heart. “I just think there is something honest about those two, so I say let's go with them. I know it'll give us an extra problem, especially with his wife and child, but I still feel it's the best way,” she smiled.
Oscar was silent for a few moments and sensed the confidence radiating from her determined expression.
“Actually I agree with you. It's not logical but I still agree. I'm sure that I can organise the finances but somehow we also have to rescue the wife and child and keep the brother off our tail at the same time. Quite a tall order but I think I have the solution!” he exclaimed, grabbing Marion by the hand. “This is undoubtedly a Greg special!” he decreed and strode out across the beach towards the bungalows. She held on tightly and followed, the excitement of the reflexive physical contact pushing all other thoughts from her mind.