Richard Johnson - Deadly Cargo - A Chilling Naval Terrorism Thriller

“No, no, no.” Dan waved off Sven’s comment. “Local knowledge is worth a ton, and anybody who ignores it deserves all the grief that comes to him.”

“Well, I don’t know about that,” Swen said, “but there have been some huge late-season storms in this area before. They’re not the norm, but they do happen every once in a while. Myself, I like to lay low from the 1st of June to the end of November. Just kind of hide out and plan my long-range sailing for the winter.”

“Hey,” Dan said, “your daughter Kirsten didn’t put you up to this just to keep Jacob around, did she?”

“Heh-heh,” Sven chuckled. “That girl of ours has taken a liking to your boy. Normally, I’d be more than a little worried about something like that, being a protective dad and all. But you folks have been here for nearly three months now and I’ve come to know your Jacob pretty well. He’s a fine lad. Good upbringing, I’d say. And Kirsten is a good girl with solid values, so I don’t worry too much about them. They’re more friends than anything.”

“When we left Seattle, Jacob was barely 14,” Dan said. “He used to help us at the clinic. He seemed to have a good rapport with the young students who were struggling to learn sign language. When we first got the clinic going, Nicole and I practiced sign all the time around the house, and Jake picked it up. Then later on, he got involved with us after school, teaching our younger students, and he never had time to go on a date. In fact, he hated girls back then. Well, maybe he didn’t really hate them. Guys just talk like that, but he had no real interest in girls until now.”

Sven nodded. “Yeah, I’ve noticed that he does have an interest now.”

Both men nodded, and Dan turned to look out the door at the crystal blue cove. “A healthy interest, I’d say. But I don’t know how interested Kirsten is.”

Sven stepped around from behind the counter. “You can imagine what it’s been like for Kirsten, growing up here on the islands. Her only friends are the Cuna and a few kids who have passed through the area on their way to someplace else. Kids come and go so fast that she has learned to be very careful not to let her heart get away from her. Friendships come easily to her, but then they tend to disappear over the horizon just as easily.”

“Same with Jacob,” Dan said. “Then along comes Kirsten. It’s still just a great friendship, but I can see the possibilities.”

“Good thing these kids of ours have a strong foundation,” Sven said.

“Yeah, Kirsten has been out to our boat a couple of times. Jake’s been teaching her sign language, and she seems to be picking it up real well. The kids go snorkeling together, and they always invite Cadee to go with them. It’s great to see them all get along so well together. Talk about good upbringing, I’d say you and Grendel have done a great job.”

“She’s a good wife, my Grendel,” Sven beamed. “Never thought I’d meet somebody like her way out here in the middle of nowhere.”

“That was pretty lucky, I’d say. And to think a gorgeous blonde Swede like that gave up her own dreams of a solo circumnavigation just to settle down with the likes of you.” Dan jabbed the big Dane on the shoulder with his fist.

“Guess I was irresistible.”

“Oh, hah! That’s a good one,” Dan laughed. “Well, I guess that’s the game, isn’t it? We ugly men have to do our best to keep our pretty women thinking we’re irresistible.”

“Yah,” Sven reverted to his Danish accent, “and imagine how hard that is for a Swede and a Dane, with our inbred competing Viking interests and all.”

“What a match!” Dan laughed again. “But you two seem to have united Scandinavia here in the tropics. I don’t suppose you tell too many crazy Swede jokes?”

“I’ve forgotten all about Swede jokes. Survival and self-preservation,” Sven said. “And she’s pretty good about not picking on the Danes too much. I call her my Swedeheart, and she calls me her Great Dane.”

“That’s a good one,” Dan said as he looked nervously at his watch. “Nicole’s supposed to meet me here pretty soon. Jacob and Kirsten are down by the pier saying their goodbyes. But dang! Now you’ve got me thinking that maybe we better lay over here for a while longer and let the storm season close out before we head north.”

Sven shrugged his shoulders. “What do you want to do about this list?”

Dan picked up the paper, folded it and stuffed it in his pocket. “Guess we’ve got enough toothpaste and floss to see us through. And we know where to come and buy more when we need it.”

“Hmmm, seems like I’ve talked you out of leaving any of your money with me today.” Sven smiled. “But I’ll get it eventually.”

“I have no doubt that you will, my friend.” Dan reached out his hand and Sven clasped it in their familiar strong handshake, gripping each other’s thumbs in arm wrestler fashion and jacking their hands back and forth as if they were on opposite ends of a two-man crosscut saw. “Guess it’s time for an executive decision,” Dan said. “The admiral’s not here, so it’s left to the captain. But I’m sure she’ll agree one hundred percent. Nicole is not one who enjoys heavy weather sailing.”

“Well, you’re only talking about another two months until the end of the hurricane season. When you’re cruising, you’re not supposed to be on the clock anyway. Right?”

“Are you sure you’re not trying to get us to stick around so we will buy more stuff from you?”

Sven grinned. “Clever plan, don’t you think? In the meantime, you can cruise up and down the island chain and see the rest of our 360 some odd bits of paradise.”

“Okay, you’ve convinced me. Hey, why don’t you bring Grendel and Kirsten out to the boat this evening. We can throw some fresh fish on the grill, the kids can play three-handed cribbage in the main salon, and we adults can lay out the cockpit pads on the foredeck and watch the sun go down.

“Can’t think of anything we’d rather do,” Sven said. “How about if we bring a fruit salad?”

“Perfect. I have a hunch the kids are going to be delighted. Cadee has been moping around for the last two days. Her little friend Maria Elena has been the closest thing Cadee’s ever had to a bosom buddy. It’s been hard on her to think of moving on.”

“If you’ll watch the store for me for a few minutes, I’ll run over and let Grendel know about tonight. By the way, do you have your fish yet?”

“Nope.”

“After I close up, let’s grab our Hawaiian slings and I’ll show you a little place where the fish are fat and willing. If we’re lucky, maybe we can snag a couple of nice lobsters.”

October 3rd – The Land Without Laws

Early October was cold in the village, but at an elevation of more than 8,000 feet, that was expected. Already snow had fallen on the higher peaks. Summer was over, and a long winter lay ahead. Sunrise came late and the sun disappeared over the western mountains by mid-afternoon. The growing season was short in these mountains, and some years it was non-existent, as early frosts killed garden vegetables even in mid-summer. In a good year, the people who chose to live here could grow only a portion of their own food in the few lower pastoral valleys. The rest came from outside. But food was the least of their concerns.

Those who lived in this forsaken no-man’s land did so primarily because of the autonomous status of this mountainous buffer zone that lay between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Officially, the region comprised seven tribal zones known collectively as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, but in the local language it was simply called ‘ilaqa ghair’, the Land Without Laws.