Richard Johnson - Deadly Cargo - A Chilling Naval Terrorism Thriller

Cadee looked at Maria Elena as if she were seeing a different person. “Who taught you these things?”

“My mother. Her life has been hard, but not as hard as her mother before her. All the women have passed down the wisdom of their time. I am lucky. I will be the first from my family to be able to go and see the world. I have decided to be happy.”

But Jacob Plover wasn’t happy. He swallowed hard, his mind racing to come up with a way to say what was in his heart, but his mouth was reluctant to form the words. The plastic bow seat felt hard beneath him, and he gripped the stainless steel rail with a white-knuckle death grip. He stared off at the palm trees that lined the beach seventy-five feet across the shallow water from where their boat was anchored. His heart pounded, and he wished it would quit, because he was sure Kirsten could hear it thumping.

Jacob turned his eyes on Kirsten and saw her head down, her face hidden behind by the cascade of silky blonde hair. More than anything, he wanted to go over and kneel before her and take her hair in his hands and lift her chin and look into her crystal blue eyes and tell her exactly how he felt. But the thought terrified him. What if she laughed at him and told him he was just being silly? He could never live with that. It was easier, he decided, to live with a silent burning for her than to risk the rejection. He turned his face back toward the beach and let the breeze dry his eyes.

Kirsten sat fourteen feet away, on the opposite bow seat, looking at her hands as she kneaded them in her lap. She looked to be filled with a kind of sadness Jacob had never seen before. He wanted her to know that he was not just another transient sailor’s son who is here today and gone tomorrow. Jacob realized she had taken root deep in his heart, and now the prospect of never seeing her again caused him to breathe deeply to try to calm the ache.

Kirsten stopped knitting her fingers, drew a deep breath and exhaled quietly, then wiped the palms of her hands on her knees. She tossed back her hair and lifted her gaze toward Jacob.

The teenagers’ parents were chatting about other things. Smoke rose into the night sky, and the glow from the fire lit a small circle around the two families. “Sven, I’ve got to hand it to you,” Dan smiled as he reached out to take his friend by the hand, “you’ve got yourself a little slice of heaven here.”

Sven drew Grendel closer to him with his left arm around her shoulder. “Palm trees, pristine beaches and perfect weather all year round don’t make heaven.” He hugged his wife with clear intent.

“No,” Dan agreed, “but those things don’t hurt, either.”

Nicole gave him a light punch in the ribs. “Hey, buddy, you know what he’s saying.”

“I know. And I agree. There is nothing on earth that can replace a loving wife and kids.” Then a boyish smile sneaked across his face. “Of course, a well-trained dog…”

He winced as Nicole punched him again, this time not so softly. “You are in so much trouble.”

He chuckled as his arms shot out to embrace Nicole. “Trouble is my middle name.”

Sven stirred the coals with a stick, sending a fireworks display of sparks skyward. “Well, Mr Dan Trouble Plover, I guess tomorrow is the big day.”

“Guess it is,” Dan said, a hint of sadness in his voice. “I’m going to miss this place, but we’ve gotta move on.”

“Why, dad?” Cadee piped up. “If we like a place so much, why leave?”

Jacob glanced over at Kirsten, then found his voice. “Yeah, dad. I think we’re all happy right here. I know I am.” He blushed, but in the evening darkness nobody noticed. But Kirsten nodded slowly, her own face glowing a little redder than the firelight.

Nicole came to Dan’s rescue. “Now children…”

Jacob said it first, but Cadee’s mouth was already open with the same words. “Mom, we’re not children anymore.”

Nicole’s hands went into the air. “I’m sorry. I truly am. No, you are not children anymore. The last couple of years, you two have grown up to maturity beyond your age. We love you and respect you for who you are. But, we all agreed in the beginning that we wanted to cruise the entire Caribbean. We just barely got through the Panama Canal and stopped here. We haven’t even seen the Caribbean yet, except for this one tiny spot.”

Cadee raised her hand, in a most mature and controlled manner. “Yes, Cadee,” Nicole said.

“Well, I, for one, have decided that I’m going to be happy, no matter what.”

Dan’s eyes focused on his daughter with a hint of suspicion. “Have you been listening to my Earl Nightingale behavior modification tapes again?”

Cadee’s lips spread into a smile, and she said in her most adult voice, “Actually, my behavior doesn’t need modification. But thanks for asking.”

“You’re right,” Dan said. “Maybe I should listen to those tapes.”

Nicole cupped a hand over her mouth to stifle a yawn. “Maybe we ought to turn in, so we can all be rested when we cast off at first light.”

“I’ll stay and put the fire out,” Sven said.

Grendel snuggled close to him. “I’ll stay with you.”

“Me too,” Kirsten said as she leaned against her dad.

Dan helped Nicole to her feet, and Cadee got up and wiped the sand off her bottom. Jacob sat on the log, saying nothing.

“Jake,” – Dan nudged him – “you coming?”

“In a minute.”

“Well, okay then. Good night you guys,” Dan waved as he and Nicole and Cadee headed for the dinghy.

Jacob slowly stood, brushed the back of his shorts with both hands, then reached into a pocket and drew out a folded piece of paper. “This is for you,” he choked out the words as he handed the note to Kirsten. Then he turned and ran after his family.

Kirsten stared at the paper, then lifted her eyes to follow Jacob as he disappeared into the darkness. A hint of dampness filled her eyes as she looked up at her parents, then she rolled the tightly folded note over twice in her hands and stuffed it into a pocket.

October 31st – Panama

Josh felt the buzz in his pocket before he heard the soft ring of his cell phone. He flipped the phone open and heard the voice of Captain Pfister. As he listened, he brushed a napkin across his mouth, laid his fork aside, pushed back the chair and waved for the waiter to bring the bill. Just before snapping the phone shut, he said, “I’m on my way. I’ll be there in thirty minutes, ready to fly.”

The sun was high and bright, and the glare made him squint as he left the restaurant and slipped a pair of sunglasses over his eyes. Across the street was the hotel, and he trotted carefully through traffic to the far curb, then pushed through the glass door and headed for the elevator. There were things he needed from his room – a camera, a voice recorder, a notepad.

While he gathered his stuff with one hand, he flipped the cell open with the other and dialed the agency to alert Curt Delamo that the Coast Guard had found the Desdemonda. “I don’t know what we’ll find out there. I’m on my way to the Coast Guard station to catch the helo. Soon as I know something more, I’ll get back to you.”

“Do you need back-up?” Delamo asked.

“Not unless you are craving some hot tropic nights. This place is sweltering. Besides, there’s a crack Coast Guard team on my six. As soon as I have boots on the deck and see what we’re dealing with, I’ll be back in touch. We might need to prepare a hazmat team, but right now I have no clue. Job one is to locate the container, then I’ll work on job two.”

“What do the Coasties know? What have you told them?”

“Absolutely nothing. Captain Klaus Pfister is my contact here. He knows only that this is a matter of highest national security, but I’ve given him none of the details.”