Chapter 7

Cate was brought home an hour later, after I had put Jenny to bed. I had changed out of my dress and into a nightie and gown. When she walked in, I made sure to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She went off to change and we sat with our wine, talking about anything but what had happened that evening.

The next morning, I was up very early to get the boat ready for a fishing trip. I had the ice cooler with beer and wine, seeing that I didn’t know who we would be hosting. There was a bucket of bait, the same that the brothers had brought with them, and the rods were stored for the trip. I would be doing the trip on my own.

When the clients arrived, it turned out to be a soapy TV star and his wife. I knew that he was a keen fisherman, so I was happy to take him out to the place where I knew the fish would be. He was happy to be out there, away from the spotlight, as he hauled in fish. I filleted the big ones and put the smaller ones back in. His wife sat in the shade, a smile on her face and a glass of wine in her hand. For a while, I sat with her, and we talked about whatever crossed her mind.

He asked me if I knew where the marlin could be found, so I had to tell him that we didn’t have a ‘fighting chair’. He rubbed his hands and declared that it would be a more even battle. We stored the rods, and I took us south to Woods Wall.

You know when you get there if you have a depth gauge, with the seafloor just dropping away. There were other, and bigger, boats already there, so I turned on the fish finder and cruised along the Wall until I saw evidence of more fish. To fish for marlin, you trail a lure which looks like a fish. I had one of those, so we hooked it to the largest rod we had, and we all sat in the shade with him hanging on to the rod.

I was starting to worry when the line ran out like lightning, and he sat on the deck and put the rod between his legs. We fought that fish for the best part of an hour, with his wife and I taking it in turn to help hold the rod. In the end, we pulled in a Blue Marlin, all on a standard rod. He was, by far, the best fisherman I had ever met. When we had brought the fish alongside, I put a tape on it to prove that it was over a hundred inches. I asked him if he wanted to keep it or let it go. He wanted to keep it and mount the head on his wall, so, I put a noose around the tail, and we towed it back towards Key West. I rang Cate to bring the Cadillac to the Marina there, as we would be going to the public dock, with our clients needing a lift back to their car.

I then rang the Marina office to tell him that I would be coming in with a marlin, and who the angler was. The guy on the other end told me that he would set things up for a weighing and photo session. We took it easy to go back into port. I was almost worn out with the tension, and my client sat in the shade, sweating profusely and drinking a cold beer.

When we arrived in the Marina, I saw an official waving to me and pointing to a mooring where Cate and Jenny waited for us. There was also a small crowd waiting to see what was happening, including the brothers. At the mooring, I positioned the boat so that the crane was able to pick up the marlin, which it did after I had connected the chain and removed my noose. My clients went up to the dock while I was doing this, with the Marina Manager shaking his hand.

I had to hand up the rod that he had used, and he was posed next to the fish hanging from the crane, with the rod in one hand and his other on the fish. Cate took over with the wife and Al came down to help me clean up the boat, which was quite a mess.

“When you go fishing, you certainly do the trick. How did you find the marlin?”

“I just went to Woods Wall, and we towed a lure.”

“Just the one? That’s an amazing catch using one lure. Usually, you have to tow several to look like a school. I had a look on the weight gauge on the crane, and that fish goes four hundred pounds. If you went out with another charter, they would be charging up to five hundred dollars and have a bank of rods, along with a fighting seat. You nearly wore that poor old guy out. He looks familiar.”

“He’s on TV, in one of those daytime soaps. He’s a lovely person and I think that today will be staying in his memory.”

“Will Cate be taking them back?”

“I expect so. I think that he’ll need a shower before he leaves us.”

“I’ll tell Herb to follow Cate and I’ll come with you, to keep you company.”

Before I cast off, the marina Manager took my details for the paper, and was called up to the dock to have a photo taken with my clients. I told him that Cate could stop on the way back to their car, and that his wife could get him a fresh outfit to put on after he had a shower at home. He gave me a hug and told me that other charters wouldn’t care so much.

The arrangements made for the marlin to be mounted, we all left the marina. I took the boat out, with Al sitting beside me. I showed him the recordings of the depth gauge and the fish finder, along with the GPS position of where the marlin had been hooked. I set the wheel, and we had a kissing session as we went north. It wasn’t long enough before I needed to take control and enter the channel.

Al helped me secure the boat and carried the ice cooler to the house. The fish belonged to the client, if he wanted to take them. We stowed the rods in the shed and sat under the shade to wait for the others to arrive. When Cate pulled in, she waved for me to stay seated, and took the clients inside, with the wife carrying a bag from a menswear store. Herb pulled up and joined me and his brother, opening a beer.

When the clients came back out, he looked a lot better. I asked him about his fish, and his wife opened the back of their car to reveal an ice box. I transferred the caught fish to it, and she closed the car up. He was talking to the brothers about the marlin. They were telling him how unusual it was to get a big one on a single lure and that type of rod and line. He was smiling and drinking a beer when I carried the ice box back to the shed.

Cate came out with Jenny on her hip. She whispered to me that he had paid the charter fees and would tell all his friends about our excellent care. When they left, he gave me a big hug and told me that I would be welcome, should I visit the set. Before the brothers left, they asked us if we were available for a trip out to a rendezvous on Saturday night. We would need to fuel up the tanks and make sure we had enough food and drinks for a long trip.

Before we cooked our dinner, we emailed Ward to tell him of today’s events, and the run Saturday night. His answer was to keep up the good work. When I was in bed, I thought about how nice it was being with Al and kissing. I had only ever felt protective with my partner in England, but in that, I had been the protector, the strong man in the family. Now, I felt safe in the arms of a man I could kill with one blow. Life had certainly taken a strange curve.

I spent most of the next morning cleaning the boat. In the cold light of day, it looked a mess. I then took it back to the Marina to fill it up. I was waylaid by a lot of guys wanting to know about the marlin, with the photo now up on the noticeboard. All I could tell them was there was no inner knowledge and that it was beginners luck. I don’t think any believed me.

That afternoon, we had more bookings for a fishing trip. I looked at the websites of the other charter companies and saw that most charged twice, or even three times our fee for a marlin experience. I pointed this out to Cate, and we checked out our funds. When we had worked out what we could afford, we went into Key West and looked at the notice boards at all the agencies. The cheapest boat with the right gear was a little more than we could afford. As we discussed it, the agent came out to talk to us.

He knew about the big catch and did us a good deal, should we want to buy. The boat was at his moorings, but we told him that we would be back with some friends another day. Two boats would be a handful, and probably not viable until Jenny was in school. Cate would be able to do fishing trips while I took Jenny to school, with her picking Jenny up when she got back, with me taking out the bigger boat looking for marlin.

Of course, in a perfect world, we could each have a brother as crew, with their mother looking after Jenny. Now, why did that cross my mind?

We did a couple of fishing trips before Saturday, making sure we had that weekend clear, telling anyone who wanted to book that we already had a weekend charter. During the day, I took the boat into the Marina, going to the yard and checking the oil level as it was being filled. I stored some food, and bought a small gas burner, bottle, and a kettle. Back at home, we loaded the ice box with beer, although I doubted that much of it would be drunk before we were on the way back.

We ate dinner and put Jenny to bed before the boys arrived. They had some big bags that looked like they didn’t weigh a lot. Al told me that it was about twenty pounds of leaf. That was put in the boat. I was in jeans and a sweater, and Al told me to put a coat in, as it did get cool way out in the ocean. Before we left, Cate had a pash session with Herb, then waved us off.

It was getting towards sunset as we left the coast. Al had given me a GPS position to aim at, and we quietly cruised. If anyone was snoopy, we looked like a charter going out for an evening fishing. I increased our speed as the daylight faded, and stayed at the wheel, monitoring our radar.

Around one in the morning, I saw blips on the screen. One was a lot closer to us than the others. I pointed this out to Al, and he told me that the others were fishing, which was the cover for the one we would meet. I steered us away from our rendezvous, looping around to come alongside as we met. It was a strange experience as I met Pablo and Antonio, with everyone speaking Spanish. The bags went to them, and the boxes of cigars came to us.

When everyone had shaken hands, we started on the trip home. I asked about the situation in Cuba. A lot had changed since the Castro days. Those who wanted to leave could now do so, but entry was mainly tourists. The brothers had several contacts with the Cubans in Key West and Miami. They asked me what I thought of the runs, and I said that I was happy to take my clients wherever they wanted.

We turned on the fish finder as the sun rose, catching more than I thought possible before we got back to the channel. It was a good job that we had drunk the beer to make room. I arrived home, feeling happy about the night. The boys had been professional during the night, not being idiots.

As I tidied the boat, they went to their truck, coming back with shopping bags to carry the cigars in. They offered us a box, but we refused. We put out a sign, saying ‘Fish for Sale’, and Cate and Jenny sold the catch while I went for a shower and a sleep. That afternoon, I emailed a report to Ward, with the position and the details of the Cubans I had met.

Over the next months, we were reasonably busy with dive lessons and fishing trips. I did a run with the boys every two weeks, getting pretty friendly with the two Cubans. Every run was the same weight of weed and the same number of cigars. I had installed a Go-Pro on the foredeck, out of sight, and filmed our encounters to send to Ward for his people to look at. He sent us an email to say that he, and his masters, were very happy with the situation.

One day, Al came around to tell me that the next run was going to have a lot more weed, at least fifty pounds. He thought that it was odd, and his contact also thought the same. The weed arrived with the boys, with their truck parked closer to the boat as we loaded it on. It took up a lot of space in the small cabin area.

Feeling worried, I made sure that the weapons were clean, loading up a pair of magazines for the rifle and taping them together for easy reloading. I hadn’t served in a warzone but had known enough who had. They had all told me to trust you instinct. That evening, when we left, I put a loaded pistol on the top of the instruments, and the rifle beside me. When the brothers asked why, all I said was that I had a gut feeling and to humour me.

The trip out was the same as usual, but when I picked up the blip of the other boat, there were no others around it. I got Al to steer us in a loop and took the rifle as I went up on the side deck, out of sight of the others as we approached. I crouched down and tried to see who was on the other boat as we got close. It seemed as if there were more there than usual.

As Al took us alongside, Herb stood up and called out. That’s when a spotlight came on and there was a shot. I acted on instinct, with one shot taking out the light. I did the Gregor trick, clicking the lever to full auto, and raking the other boat from stern to stem. I changed magazines and went back into the rear deck area, where Herb was on his back with blood soaking his shirt. Al was still at the wheel. I reached over and took the pistol.

“There’s a first aid kit. Try and stem the bleeding before your brother dies. Quick now. I’ll check the other boat.”

He woke up and took the kit, while I tossed a grappling hook over the other boat and pulled it alongside. I took my time checking the bodies. There were five of them, all guys we hadn’t met. I found our two friends in the cabin, tied and gagged. I got them loose and helped them start moving. When they came out on deck, they took it in turns to spit on one of the dead men. I told them to clear the pockets of the bodies and toss them overboard. This far out, they would be unrecognisable if they ever drifted ashore. I went to help Al with his brother.

We had managed to plug both holes, one front and one back. The rifle had been a hunting one, and the bullet had gone clean through his upper lung. Al was much better as he realised that he wasn’t in danger any longer. I got a plastic bag and went to the other boat, where I filled it with the contents of the pockets, with only blood smears to show where the bodies had been.

Our friends were able to tell me their story. They had been boarded on their way out of port, subdued and left bound and gagged for disposal on the way back. I gave them the option to come with us or return home as usual. They opted to go home, so we transferred twenty pounds of weed for the usual load of cigars. I pointed out the bullet holes in the cabin wall, but they said that they would work on them on the way back. The guys I had killed had been the leader of a criminal gang and his henchmen. Obviously, he had been able to send a bogus request for extra weed.

Pablo and Antonio hugged me and thanked me for saving their lives, and then we disconnected the grapple and parted. Herb didn’t look well, so I made an executive decision. Al would have to be brought into the circle.

I turned on the satellite phone and called the number I had been given for contacting Ward. When it was answered, it was someone on watch. I gave my code number and asked him to call Ward. Al was by Herb, talking to him, although Herb was still in shock.

“Nikki, what can I do for you at this ungodly hour?”

“I’m halfway to Cuba, on the way back. Our contacts were waylaid by brigands on the way out. They shot Herb before I could fire on them. I’m putting on my location signal now. We need a medivac for Herb. Single high-power round through the upper lung and there’s an exit wound. We’ve stemmed the bleeding, but he doesn’t sound good. Our friends were tied up in the cabin and are on their way home. I collected the personal items of the gang.”

“All right, I’ll arrange a navy chopper to home in on you. How is the other brother?”

“Doing better now. He was frozen at the controls during the fire fight. I got the Cubans to sink the bodies, but their boat will need some holes patched.”

“I’ll get him lifted with his brother and will debrief him on the situation. They’ll have to be brought in on the case. Just head for home. When you hear the chopper, slow right down and they’ll match you. Well done. I’ll expect a full report in the daytime. I’ll get our contacts to ask around and get back to you. Talk to you later.”

I put the phone down and turned to see Al looking at me.

“So, who are you, really?”

“I’m the Nikki you know, but I still have my connections. You look after Herb while I get us closer to home. When you hear a chopper, give me a shout. It will take the two of you back to a hospital, where Herb will be looked after, and you might get the answers that you’re after.”

We were about an hour further on when he shouted that he could hear the chopper. I turned on our lights and throttled back, just leaving enough power to maintain a course. The chopper homed in on us, and they turned on the searchlight to inspect us before the paramedic came down with a stretcher. He checked Herb over before he and Al got Herb onto the stretcher. After it was lifted and stowed, the line came down with just a harness. I kissed Al and told him that all would be good, then gave him a wave as he was lifted up to the open hatch as the pilot swung around to take them home.

I set the course and locked the wheel, giving me time to put things right. I stowed the remaining weed and the cigars in the forward locker. I cleaned the rifle and reloaded the two magazines, going up onto the side deck and dropping any spent cartridges into the sea. I unclipped the Go-Pro and had a look at the vision, now able to see the man with the hunting rifle. The camera was able to adapt the vision a lot quicker than my eyes, and I saw my burst taking them all down in brilliant colour.

As I sat at the helm, I looked at the paperwork that I now had. None of the names meant anything to me, except one. That one was a guy called Manuelo Galleta. Now, that was biscuit, or cookie, in Spanish. I wondered if he had been the brothers contact in Cuba. Nothing had been said about the father. I wasn’t going to bother Ward with this until tomorrow.

I set my watch to wake me up and had a nap, sitting in the driving seat. When it did wake me, the sun was coming over the horizon and the radar showed a larger boat coming my way. I went down into the cabin and splashed my face and combed my hair so that I didn’t look like a scarecrow.

The larger boat turned out to be the Coast Guard, and I heaved to as ordered. I came alongside the ladder that they put down and Ward came down to join me.

“That was a hell of a night for you. Herb is in the theatre as we speak. I’ll let you know in the morning. What do you have for me?”

“About thirty pounds of weed and boxes of cigars. Also, the papers from the guys I shot. I have the chip from the Go-Pro that shows that they fired first. One of them was called Galleta. I wondered if he was actually the brother’s father and their contact. The chip does show the man with the rifle. If it was him, he had enough time to see that he was shooting his son before I shot the light out.”

He had a backpack. Taking the paperwork, the chip, and a box of cigars to give to his masters, giving me a hug before he went back up the ladder. I pulled away from the cutter and continued on my way home. The cutter looped around on a course north. He had been right in one thing. It had been a hell of a night, with more deaths on my conscious.

When I was in range, I rang Cate to tell her the news. She was ready to go to Herb’s bedside, but I told her that he was somewhere north, and that Ward would let us know when we could visit. She was waiting for me when I got to the mooring and helped moor the boat. I sleepwalked to the house and lay on my bed, dropping off almost immediately.

Marianne Gregory © 2024