Richard Johnson - Deadly Cargo - A Chilling Naval Terrorism Thriller

Jacob came into the cockpit and sat next to his dad. “Look at this.” Dan outlined the island with his finger. “San Luis Miguel is claimed by both Colombia and Nicaragua. I’ve heard of places like this where two countries dispute ownership for decades, maybe even centuries, but neither makes a move to occupy the territory.”

“So what happens?” Jacob looked more closely at the chart.

“Nothing. Without the political will to establish an undisputed claim to ownership through occupation, the land sits empty. These countries probably have no budget for a military or law enforcement effort. Think about it, this little spot of land is hundreds of miles from the countries that claim it, and it’s probably considered not worth the trouble or the money that’s necessary to defend their claims.”

“Well, how do people like Senor de la Vega end up there?”

“He, and whoever else is there, probably just moved in and set up house, made their own rules and basically run their own little kingdom.”

They sat in the cockpit studying the chart, and the tropical night came quickly. In the distance, lights began to appear at the base of the dark, jungle-covered island. With the final glow of dusk fading, Dan noticed a cluster of small, boxy forms that he presumed to be houses or buildings of some sort. He had the binocular to his eyes when Nicole stepped out into the cool night air of the cockpit.

“Ah, there you are,” – she gave Jacob a hug – “I made some cookies for you and Cadee. “They’re on the counter, cooling.”

“Great,” Jacob beamed and went inside. Through the cockpit window, he flashed a series

of hand signals to his dad: thanks for the history lesson.

Dan signaled back: you’re welcome. We can talk more about it later.

“You two seem like you were having a good time.”

“So, where’s my cookie?” Dan teased.

“I brought you the cook and left the cookies for the kids.”

He patted the seat, inviting her to sit next to him. “I’ll take the cook anytime. Still, I hope the kids leave a cookie for dear old dad.”

She laughed. “I can always make more. See anything interesting?” Nicole peered off into the night.

He handed the binocular to her, “Nothing that I can make out. We’re still about three miles off. Doesn’t look like much of a village to me.”

She studied the scene for a few moments. “Do you think this is a good idea?”

“A little late to be asking.”

“Not really. We could just let the old guy have the container and go on our merry way to Rio Dulce.”

“You serious?”

“I don’t know what it is, but there’s something that feels weird about all this.”

A somber expression crossed Dan’s face. “When we got married, Reverend Lofgreen gave me some counsel. Do you remember? He said, ‘Mr Plover, you wear the pants in the family, but Mrs Plover has the hotline.’ I think he was telling me that I need to listen to your intuition. So, are you having one of those intuition moments?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe it’s just that we’ve never done anything like this before and it makes me kind of nervous. I don’t want a sudden windfall to affect how the kids view life. That’s one of the reasons we came on this cruise, so we could get back to the basics and help them understand what is and what isn’t important in life. Sudden wealth that is not earned can destroy people. You’ve see that happen. And this is kind of like winning the lottery.”

He stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back into his chest. “Or maybe it’s like winning a load of somebody else’s dirty laundry. We have no idea what’s in there. Doesn’t it intrigue you?”

“Sure it does. But…”

“If it makes you feel any better,” he interrupted, “I understand how you feel about this. I’ve been having some of the same feelings myself. Maybe it comes from being married to you for so long.”

“I think we need to sit down and talk with Jacob and Cadee.”

She had barely finished her words when the kids came out of the cabin. “Mom,” – Cadee’s voice was soft and apologetic – “I’m sorry. We weren’t trying to eavesdrop, because I know that it’s rude, but we heard what you and dad were saying.”

“Yeah,” Jacob said, “we’re mature enough to see what’s going on here. Finding a treasure at sea might be great, but it isn’t real life. Cadee and I have been talking. None of this matters.”

“So, should we just let it go and head north for Guatemala?” Dan asked.

There was a brief moment of silence, as Nicole, Cadee and Jacob looked at each other and stumbled over their words. Then in unison, the decision was made. “Nah,” they all said at once. Laughter erupted, and Jacob spoke for them all, “Hey, we all know it would kill us to leave now and never know what was inside that container.”

“Then we follow the barge?” Dan asked, and they all nodded like a bunch of energetic bobble-head dolls. “We’ll pay the guy his thousand bucks, so his family will have some money, and we’ll give him his forty percent?” They all agreed. “And maybe we’ll let him have the whole mess?”

Silence cloaked the cockpit, as the thought sank in. Nicole was first to speak, “Well, maybe I’ll take just one mink coat.”

Before she finished, Jacob was already voicing his opinion, “How about just one motorcycle?”

Cadee folder her arms and shook her head. “You guys are pathetic.” She held her pose for half a minute, but then broke down. “It wouldn’t hurt to have just a little bit of whatever is in there, would it?”

“You all have a point. I’m just trying to figure out where to park a new Ferrari on deck,” Dan said.

A loud blast from an air horn made them all jump and look forward. The island was much closer now, and they could faintly see through the darkness what appeared to be a cluster of small wooden buildings scattered along the beach in front of the backdrop of jungle trees. A dark gap opened before them like a deep, black concert hall. The opening was bordered along both sides by jungle growth.

“Hey Jake,” Dan said, “this must be the river we saw on the chart.”

The barge glided slowly into the mouth of the river beneath a dense canopy of limbs that had grown across it, creating a seventy-foot high tunnel that seemed to reach into the heart of the jungle. A short distance upriver, lights moved about on shore, illuminating a wooden dock that ran parallel to the shoreline. At the far end of the dock, a flash of reflected torchlight gleamed from the windshield of a small runabout. Dan couldn’t help thinking how out of place the sleek boat looked in this primitive jungle setting.

Dan looked at his wristwatch. Five minutes to ten. It had been a long day, and darkness had shrouded them for nearly the past three hours. He was tired, but his heart was pumping fast with excitement for what lay ahead.

Juan Baptista de la Vega maneuvered the barge up to the pier and half a dozen torch-carrying men appeared out of the darkness to tie the boat to the pilings. A sudden chill raised the hair on the back of Dan’s neck as he studied the scene through his binocular. So, where are all the wives and children and grandchildren the old man spoke of? The thought passed almost as quickly as it arose, as he considered the time of night. Ah, they must be in bed already.

A space at the end of the pier was the right size for the catamaran. Dan turned a wide circle and spun the boat around so it faced out toward the open ocean. Docking with the bows facing the onshore breeze and swells coming into the river from the open water was more comfortable and safer for the boat.

On an impulse, Dan turned to his daughter. “Cadee, I’d like you to go below for now.”