“Shut the fuck up,” said Annubis. “A lion has been stalking us for the last ten minutes. Stand still and don’t move.”
Trist became aware of the movement in the bushes to their left. His whole body screamed at him to run and he began to shake. He could smell the lion as the beast was up wind of them and he could hear a feint but distinct growling. Annubis had turned towards the lion which had its tail stiff and twitched it. It was in hunting mode and he and Annubis were its intended prey.
Any second the lion would pounce. They could attempt to shoot it with their side arms but that, as far as Annubis was concerned, was just a different way to sign their own death warrants as the sound of gunshot would bring the guards to them. Trist decided he would use his gun on the lion and hope that in the inevitable confrontation that would follow with Rojas’s men he wouldn’t end up dead.
Without warning Annubis let out an almighty ear shattering scream and turned on his powerful flashlight shinning it directly into the Lion’s eyes. The suddenness of it and the brightness of the beam caused the lion to stop in its tracks, turn tail and run off into the darkness
Annubis just carried on walking to the fence and removed the chain cutters from his pack. Trist on the other hand found that his legs had turned to jelly as he stumbled to catch up. One thing he was sure of was that taking this man alive had handing him to Rojas may prove a lot more difficult that he had imagined it would be.
Annubis was also having doubts about the ability of Trist to deliver a clean hit. He had seen the weakness in the man. He now felt contempt for Trist. He had no choice but to continue however. He had never failed to complete a contract and this would not be the one he would fail on.
First light saw them in position on the roof of the partially completed building. They were nearly a mile from the compound were Rojas would later that day be hosting his little get together. Trist had gone through the motions with Annubis of sighting his rifle and placing it on the tripod for the hits to come. His target was Rojas. In truth he had no chance at all of shooting the man from this distance even with the latest rifle and technology at his finger tips. Fortunately he had no intention of trying to do so. He was fairly confident however, that Rodriguez was facing his last day on the planet with Annubis taking the shot.
“Are you sure you can rely on this helicopter pilot?” asked Annubis.
“One hundred per cent, the CIA have used him many times,” lied Trist.
Chapter 34
Tim and Stiles were feeling the tension as they drove along the coast road. It was two in the morning and the Moon sat low on the horizon over the Libyan Sea. The Moon was far larger than Tim was used to in Northern Europe and it was unsettling as it seemed to dominate the seascape. The sky was cloudless and it made the presence of the Moon all that more imposing. It felt like it was actually watching them and they felt exposed and on view to all.
They found the track that led into the hills and started the bumpy ride upwards. They eventually arrived at the sleeping Greek village with its narrow streets and passed through it onwards and up the mountain. The road turned into a track and the olive trees gave way to scrub and rocky outcrops of limestone covered in sparse clumps of grass that had turned brown in the daily Sunshine.
The track eventually ran out. There was no agriculture beyond this point, even the hardy Cretan goats would struggle to find sufficient sustenance to survive on the plateau. They bumped along the rocky ground continuing their journey to the grid reference they had been given by Jackie’s captures.
Stiles stopped the vehicle as they saw a parked jeep with its headlights on in front of them. Their eyes accustomed themselves to the new source of light and they could see two men standing either side of the waiting jeep. It was clear that they were armed with some type of semi automatic weapon, the details of which could not be discerned from where they had stopped.
They looked at each other to gain courage and support and taking deep breathes they opened the doors and stepped out into the beam of their own headlights. They advanced a few steps and were very conscious of the guns pointing at them. They stopped.
“Are you alone?” one of the shadowy figures called out in a thick Russian accent.
Stiles always given to facetiousness even surprised himself at the belligerence of his reply. “No we have Custer and the 7th Calvary in our pockets. Don’t be fucking stupid.”
The man raised a mobile phone or radio, it was hard to see with the light source from the car headlights often turning the figures into silhouettes as they passed in font of the beams, to his mouth. “Wait,” he shouted back at them.
They waited. They waited for what seemed hours facing each other but it was a matter of eight or nine minutes. With the heightened sense of reality that comes with the increase in adrenaline in their veins, everything from the moment they stood in front of these men seemed to be moving in slow motion.
The sound of rotor blades could be heard first, followed by the intense beam of the searchlight. They felt the downdraft whipping up the dust, debris and small, loose stones. The helicopter had left the deck of the Lady Heloise with Yerik and Jackie on board about seven minutes earlier, having had the all clear from the man facing Tim and Stiles. It did not land immediately but scoured the plateau with its searchlight looking for any intruders to the meeting. Apparently satisfied that they were alone, the helicopter descended behind the two men and the jeep. The blades slowly came to rest and the whirl of the engine died. There was a strange calm that settled on the scene as the players were in place but not yet moving.
Tim felt his heart begin to pound as he saw his wife and Yerik step from the helicopter with a third man, Yerik’s bodyguard. The pilot remained seated in the craft and the three moved into the area lit by the vehicles’ headlights.
Jackie began to shout as she saw Tim. Yerik told her to be quiet and spoke himself.
“There is no need for dramatics. You have something of mine and I have something of yours, Mr Burr. We swap and we all go home to our beds.”
“Release my wife first,” Tim found his voice seemed to be coming from a distance, not from his mouth and his fear was betrayed in it shakiness.
“Of course but my men will shoot her if you do not produce the documents before she reaches you. Is that understood?”
Tim reached into the car and held up the envelope that Maurice had posted to Jackie. “They are all here,” he shouted his voice now calmer.
Yerik gave Jackie a gentle push in Tim’s direction and Yerik’s bodyguard fell in behind her, pointing a pistol at her head as they walked forward. Tim set out holding the documents held clearly visible before him. Stiles moved alongside him.
The stopped facing one another. There was a tense brief moment when Tim feared that Jackie’s guard would shoot her then turn his gun on Tim, but that fear was unjustified. Tim held out his hand proffering the envelope. The body guard took it. “Do not move.”
Tim looked into Jackie’s face. He saw the small tear in her eyes, a tear of relief and joy. He felt a wave of love and the need to protect her and went to move forward to sweep her into his arms, to hold her close and feel the warmth of her body. Stiles reached out and touched his forearm restraining from acting pre-emptively.
The bodyguard opened the envelope and using his flashlight he inspected the papers. “They are the originals,” he shouted back to Yerik.
Tim stepped forword and throwing his arms around Jackie, pulled her to him and kissed her. He turned quickly and half pushed her and half pulled her to their waiting car. He wanted her exposed for as little time as possible. Stiles was bringing up the rear.
“Kill them,” shouted Yerik. He had wisely decided that it would be best to clear up all the loose ends while he had the chance. He turned towards his waiting chopper.
Tim reacted quickly and threw Jackie to the ground as a shot rang out. Stiles, being between the couple and the shooter did not fare as well. The bullet hit him in the back. He fell forward onto his
face.
The bushes and rocks scattered across the plateau suddenly came to life, following the shot from the bodyguard. Almost instantly a second shot rang out and the bodyguard dropped to his knees. Red dots appeared in the middle of the foreheads of Yerik, his two gunmen and the pilot. The body guard also had the laser sight dot clearly visible reflected on his face as he groaned on the ground.
The Marines had appeared as if by magic, emerging from the landscape where they had been camouflaged and concealed in plain sight. They had been deployed hours before the meeting was due to take place. Their concealment was so professional that one of their number had only been six or seven feet from where Yerik stood and he seemed to morph from part of the landscape in to a man as if by magic.
The Marine reached forward and removed the documents from Yerik’s hand. Yerik was plainly shocked by the sudden turn of events. His confusion was only heightened as the deafening roar of the Agusta Westland AW159 Wildcat helicopter hovering above them.
“Now that’s what you call a helicopter,” said the Marine. “Now fuck off back to your boat. Take your wounded mate with you. Do not even think of trying to do anything in your silly little chopper or our Wildcat will blast it out of existence.”
Yerik, with the help from the other two now disarmed gunmen dragged the bodyguard back to the chopper. Tim watched as they all boarded the chopper which took off and flew back to the Lady Heloise.
They were trailed back by the Wildcat. When they landed on the deck of the Lady Heloise, they were surrounded by a joint boarding party from HMS Defender and the Greek Navy.
“Now old boy, you have really made a bit of a nuisance of yourself abducting EU citizens,” said Captain Stanley Jones. “People smuggling is very serious and we are working with our Greek allies in a bid to protect the EU boarders.” Jones knew full well that this was not a case of people trafficking but it was all the excuse needed for naval intervention.
“Now we have decided to be very generous with you and let you go. You will sail out of these waters straight back to Monaco. Please be clear that when I say straight back, I do mean straight back. No passing “go”, no stopping, no flying your little helicopter and no launching your tender. All of you get out the area. I hope you fully understand me. We will be tracking you and please be aware we can spot a fly landing on your nose from twenty miles, so don’t try and mess with us. You should also be aware that we have orders that allow us to blow the suspected people traffickers out of the water if they do not comply with our instructions. You, my friend, have been classified officially in the people smuggler category. Get the picture, in other words piss off.”
“Yes I have the picture,” said Yerik.
“Fucking hell that hurt,” said Stiles as Tim helped him to his feet.
“These vest may be heavy but they obviously work,” said Tim.
Holding Jackie’s hand with one hand and holding the envelope in the other he sat in the back of the jeep as Stiles drove them back down the mountain to their hotel.
Chapter 35
It was nearly four in the morning when the three of them arrived back at the Golf Resort Hotel. The sky was turning a yellowy orange as the Sun made its way above the horizon. Tim and Stiles were on the terrace looking at the Sunrise. Jackie was on the phone in the bedroom talking to an elated Daniel.
“That was more exciting than you would have thought. You could have told me about the special forces?” said Tim.
“There seemed little point. I figured that they would not shoot us until they were sure we had the evidence with us. Then I was sort of hoping that they would stick to the bargain and just swap Jackie and go. If they didn’t it was always going to be a free for all, so I just made sure we had the odds stacked in our favour.”
Jackie could be heard in the other room saying her goodbyes. “I shall be getting off to bed now,” said Stiles and picked up the envelope.
“I think you should leave that and let Jackie deal with it. After all is said and done, her friend died for it and she has been through hell for it. She should have the satisfaction of exposing the bastards,” said Tim.
Stiles replaced the envelope on the dining table and calling out his good nights to Jackie left.
Jackie walked from the bedroom naked. “I thought I should take a shower.”
Tim just stood and stared. He felt his emotions begin to well up inside of him. She was alive and so beautiful. She saw how affectionately he was looking at her and twilled around slowly allowing him to appreciate he body. He stepped forward and held her close. She felt the tension ebb from his body as he took her in his arms and kissed long and gently on her lips. She felt the tension return to him in the form of his arousal pressing into her stomach.
“I am guessing you prefer your women dirty then. I’ll skip the shower then, shall I?” she stepped back in the bedroom and lay on her back on the bed. “Fuck me Mr Burr,” she said.
The love making was intense. They both felt deep inside that this opportunity to be intimate could so easily have been taken away from them forever had things gone badly on the mountain earlier. They felt the urgency, almost like two virgins experimenting for the first time, a mixture of feral lust and wonderment that they were making love.
They fucked hard and long until they felt they could fuck no more. Tired and lying in a crumpled bed, they fell into a contented sleep clinging tightly to each other. Happy and relieved that they lived and still loved.
They were awakened by the sound of an embarrassed maid, whom they had not heard knock and had entered their bedroom wheeling a cart with new bed linen on it. They giggled as she retreated from their apartment
It was late,” We have missed breakfast,” said Tim as he made his way to the bathroom to perform his morning ablutions. He emerged shaved and showered. He dressed as Jackie climbed out of the somewhat dishevelled bed. “You get dressed and I shall make us brunch.”
“There’s no food.”
“Small point, I’ll wake Stiles. Get the car keys off him and go to the shops. Then the three of us can eat on the terrace here.”
She was in the shower when he left. He made his way, followed by a stray cat which seemed to wait at the door of the apartment for his emergence, to Stiles’ room. He knocked several times before, a bleary eyed, Stiles opened the door.
“What time is it?”
“Late, we have missed breakfast. Jackie is getting dressed and I thought I would drive down the hill and forage for food. Get yourself dressed and then go to Jackie’s and my apartment where I shall return with brunch and serve it on the terrace. Give me the car keys.”
Driving down the road from the resort to the coast, Tim could not have felt happier. The sea and sky were a deep azure blue. There was a gentle breeze that wafted the scent of gardenia and pine into the morning air. He had a beautiful wife. He had never felt so content and happy. He even turned on the radio and was in such a happy place that he actually tapped along to the rhythm of the bouzouki ensemble coming from the speakers.
Chapter 36
The meeting was becoming extremely heated. Rojas sat at the head of the long dining table in the opulent dining room, in his over decorated villa. It was mid afternoon and the group of eight drug cartel members had finished lunch. The drink and drugs were beginning to take their effect on the participants and rationality was giving way to anger.
“Why, the fuck have you not been hit? All the rest of us have lost millions in the drug seizures over the past few months and you, you my friend seemed to be immune from the DEA?”
“What is that supposed to mean? Are you accusing me of being a rat?” Rodriguez was incandescent with rage and small globs of spittle leapt from his mouth as he ranted.
Rojas was silently pleased with the groundswell of resentment among his colleagues which was building against Rodriguez. This anger would make it all the easier for him to have him killed and for the other members not to baulk against his actions. Greed was a wonderful thing and they would al
l benefit from having a key player removed and he would benefit the most.
“Gentlemen, gentlemen let’s not let this descend into a free for all. We have no proof against anyone at the table and we need to keep this under control. We do not need this disagreement to descend into another war between us, if that happens we all lose and the authorities will have international pressure put on them to act. We need to resolve this in a business like fashion,”said Rojas.
“That is easy for you to say. You are the richest and most powerful,” interrupted a disgruntled voice.
“May I remind you I have also had the largest seizure, the first and most costly?”
There was a murmur of agreement around the table and Rojas was satisfied to know that he had established himself as a victim and not the perpetrator. “We are listening” said one of their number.”
“Insurance,” said Rojas
“What the fuck you say?”
“Insurance,” repeated Rojas. “We do what legitimate business does, we insure ourselves against the loss of our goods.”
“Who insures drug shipments, American Life?” there was laughter around the table.
“We do. We spread the risk among ourselves. When one of us loses the rest of us chip in a share of the loss.”
There was a rare moment of silence as the assembled chewed over the idea. Rojas, of course, would be the net beneficiary of any such arrangement by making sure the information he fed to the DEA would ensure that he had sufficient losses to avoid suspicion, whilst recouping most of the lost revenue from his fellow drug barons. “It has the added benefit that anyone who rats also ends up paying for the loss incurred. A big disincentive I would argue,” he continued to push the point.
“Enough for today, let’s get to the party.” He led the way to the swimming pool area. He would let the idea rest with them for the present.
Annubis and Trist were feeling the effects of the heat as they waited on the roof of the half finished building. They had a long wait. They had seen the limousines pull up with the drug lords and their bodyguards and watched as they headed into Rojas’ villa. Then they just sat and waited. They had a perfect view of the pool complex.
Bank (A Tim Burr Thriller Book 2) Page 14
