“A couple of minutes and you’ll be up and out of here won’t you?” I said to him as I grabbed the club from his side and stood up. “I'm sorry but I can’t have that, buddy. Good night.” I brought the club crashing down onto the side of his head. It wasn't a life threatening blow but it was certainly enough to put him to sleep for the night. His eyes rolled up and he was out. I tossed the club as far as I could out to sea then put the panga and sheath over my shoulder.
“Jesus Christ!” exclaimed Richard, “that was incredible! What the hell happened there?”
“Come on Richard,” I said, “it’s time to go. I don't think they’ll be hassling me on my way back but I don't really want to meet them again.” We both started walking briskly up the beach again. The adrenalin had woken us both up and Richard turned a few times to look at the two men as we made our way. I was feeling upset about what had just happened and I just wanted to get him back to his hotel safely. As the adrenalin wore off, the events of the day started to catch up with me and the pain in my back grew worse. I swung my left arm around to feel if anything had been broken and was relieved to feel no clicking or crunching of bones. I figured if anything it was a bad bruise.
“Where did you learn to do that sort of thing? To fight like that? It was like a fucking blur!” Richard asked, struggling to keep up with my pace.
“I was in the army years ago.” I replied. “They teach you that sort of thing in the army”.
“Hey I'm sorry Jason,” he said, “that guy hit you pretty hard, are you hurt?”
“I’ll be fine Richard, it’s just a bruise.” I wasn't in the mood for small talk any more so I kept up the pace until we arrived at Eden Beach Lodge and made our way up to the lower pool area. I stopped there remembering I wasn't supposed to know where his room was.
“You'll be ok now. Sorry about that shit back there,” I said.
“Hey Jason, I’ve got to thank you, you probably saved my life! I can't believe it!” he said wide-eyed.
“No, I don't think so” I said, “they were just after some cash. I reckon they would’ve run off as soon as we had handed it over. The other guy wanted your watch as well.”
“Well fucking hell,” he said shaking his head, “I owe you one buddy, thank you very very much! I'll see you again for sure. Is that ok?”
“Yup that's fine,” I said. He held his hand out and I shook it.
“Unbelievable, unbelievable!” he said, not wanting to let go of my hand. “I'm out of here Richard, take it easy,” I said and made my way back down the slope to the sand. I decided to jog the way back. I had hoped it would help me focus my thoughts a bit. I picked up the speed as I hit the hard sand. Jesus Christ Green. You successfully follow this bloke all around London. You break into his email account and his flat. You follow him halfway around the world to Cape Town and then to fucking Zanzibar. Then you run into him like a fucking asshole and make friends with him! Then you go for a moonlit walk up the beach with him, take two blokes out and become his fucking hero! What the fuck are you doing? I ran faster still as if to try to get away from my thoughts. Halfway back, I passed the two men lying on the beach. They hadn't moved an inch and were still peacefully asleep. They would certainly feel their hangovers the next morning. The run was helping me and my brain became numb as I focused on the pace and getting back to my hotel.
Eventually I made it to the area of beach in front of the restaurant of the Paje Village Hotel. I was hot, and the sweat dripped from every inch of my body. I paused and leant over with my hands on my knees to catch my breath, the panga still hanging from my shoulder in its sheath. My back ached painfully as I stood there panting in the moonlight. Eventually I stood and started making my way back up the beach, through the trees and towards my room. I hid the panga from the view of the Masai guards by slipping it under my shirt. Finally I came to the room, opened the door and stepped inside. I turned the lights and the fans on. I decided I would take a cold shower and head straight to bed. As I stripped in the bathroom I turned and had a look at my back. There was a thick red blue mark running down the left side. I imagined it would not be a pretty sight by the morning. Gratefully I stepped into the shower and turned the cold tap on to full pressure. I leant forward and put both hands on the tiles beneath the shower rose. With my eyes closed I stood there, motionless and let the cool water run over me. Five minutes later and feeling a lot better I stepped out of the shower and dried myself off. I wrapped a thick white towel around my waist and stepped back into the bedroom. The fans were blowing hard onto my damp skin and I felt cooler than I had done since arriving in Zanzibar. I decided to check my email before turning in. At that moment there was a soft knock on the door. What now? I thought, turning towards the door.
“Hello Jason, it’s Helen. I’m not disturbing you am I?” she spoke in a soft voice from behind the closed door.
I had almost forgotten about the two Dutch girls what with the incident on the beach with Richard. Jesus, here we go, I thought and walked over to open the door.
“No, no I'm awake Helen, come in,” I replied, opening the door. She stood in the doorway wearing a blue sarong wrapped around her midriff. Her hair was wet as if she too had just stepped out of the shower. Her eyes travelled slowly down my chest to the towel and back up.
“I came earlier but you were not here, where did you go?” she whispered.
“I took Richard back up the beach to his hotel,” I said. “Please come in.” I turned slightly to let her in and she saw the rapidly darkening bruise on my back.
“My god, what happened to you?!” she said with alarm, as she moved behind me and ran her fingers lightly down my back.
“We ran into a bit of trouble with some thieves on the beach,” I said. “It’s fine, there’s nothing broken, it’s just a bruise.”
“Oh my god, it looks so painful!” she whispered. “Is Richard ok? Did they rob you?”
“Richard is fine and no, they didn't get anything.” I felt her right hand slowly and lightly make its way around my stomach from behind. I felt her kiss my back repeatedly as her grip tightened. Her left hand came round and travelled up my chest and I felt her breath quicken as she began to pant slightly.
“I want you Jason, I want you now,” she whispered. I turned around to see that the blue sarong had been dropped and was on the floor around her feet. She stood there in the light, wide-eyed and totally naked. Her full breasts rose and fell rapidly as her breathing quickened. Her body was slim, tanned and smooth to touch. I turned the lights off using the switch to my right and led her to the bed.
Chapter Eleven - The Big House and the Marlin
I awoke at 6am sharp, with Helen's head still on my shoulder. She was fast asleep and hummed quietly as she turned over when I moved silently. I got up and walked barefoot and naked to the window. The morning light was pale and the tide was out revealing a number of pegs in the sand which the seaweed farmers used to harvest their crops. They looked like bunches of brown spaghetti lying on the sand in the distance. When the tide was in they were underwater and invisible. I walked over to the table and poured myself a glass of water from the jug. As I drank, I stared down at the plate that Richard had used to chop the cocaine on the previous evening. I glanced down at the floor to the left of the table to see if there was any of the white powder visible on the floor. There wasn't. It had been dispersed so as to be invisible. I stood there for a while, deep in thought as I drank the water. A wealthy young chap with a drug habit, gallivanting around the world, living the life of the rich and famous - beautiful women, fine foods, top resorts, first class tickets. Still no answers Green. So many questions and still no answers. Fuck it, I’m going for a jog on the beach. As I dressed I took a look at my back in the mirror. The thick red blue mark had turned an ugly black brown colour as if a welt was forming. As I twisted my body I felt a dull ache and no more. I was grateful for that. After dressing I wrote a quick note on a piece of scrap paper and left it on the bedside table nearest where Helen was sl
eeping.
‘Helen, I have gone for a run, if you wake up before I get back and you need to leave, please drop the keys at the reception, Jason,’ it read. I picked up my shoes and sneaked out of the door making as little noise as possible. I nodded a greeting to the Masai guard and made my way down the pathways towards the beach. To my right there was a bit of movement from the family rooms. Otherwise the place was fairly quiet. The beach was almost deserted save for a few seaweed farmers who were way out beyond the high tide mark. Left or right Green? Curiosity forced me to turn right in the direction of Richard's hotel and the unfortunate incident of the previous evening. The morning air was comfortably cool and as I started running, I smelled the salt in the air and it felt good. As I ran, I glanced to my right at the scene of the party in the shabby resort next door. There were beer bottles in the sand but the music was gone and the place was deserted. I got myself to a fast but comfortable pace and persevered.
Within a few minutes the sweat had started and I felt the poisons from the previous night start to leave my body. After a while I reached the water-sports centre to find that the front had been opened and the staff were busy placing the sign boards and flags out. Some of them were carrying aqualungs and other dive kit to the front for display while others were busy placing colourful windsurfers. Soon I passed the sand road that the two thieves had used for cover the previous evening. I had been right about it leading to the main tar road. A small, very old and rusty tractor was making its way slowly down toward the beach towing an ocean-going ski boat. I imagined it would be used for deep sea fishing or diving expeditions. I passed the area where the two thieves had attacked us. There was no sign of them. I tried to look on the beach for the shattered glass of the beer bottle but saw nothing. I felt a pang of guilt for the small boy who would probably cut his foot and scream as he walked over it. The sun was gradually getting higher to my left and I pressed on, keeping up the pace. The events of the previous day were neatly stored in the back of my mind and all I could think of was the run. Eventually after passing the other buildings I reached the Eden Beach Lodge where Richard was staying.
There was very little activity at the hotel save for a few staff who were busy preparing for the day. I focused on Richard's room as I got closer. The curtains were closed and all was quiet. Eventually I passed the boundary of the hotel and was into fresh unseen territory. I decided to myself that I would do another five hundred metres or so then turn around. That would give me a two kilometre run and I would be fine after that. To my right the jungle became thick and there were no buildings at all. To my left the tide was gradually coming in along with the occasional seaweed farmer carrying his crop for the day. By then my legs were starting to feel heavier and my breathing was hard and steady. For the rest of the five hundred metres there was absolutely nothing except thick green jungle and palm trees. The beach was totally deserted. I was about to turn around and run back to my hotel when I noticed a large white building begin to appear in front of me. It was set high up to the right and looked grand to say the least. My curiosity got the better of me and I decided to run another hundred metres or so to have a look. Probably another expensive hotel.
As I got closer, more and more of the building came into my vision. It was vast, with varying levels and patios with furniture and umbrellas. All around was a huge stone wall built into the beach. It must have been four or five metres high. To the right within the wall was a stairwell with a heavy black metal gate. It was then I saw a sight which I had not seen for many years. It sent a shiver down my spine and the adrenalin started pumping. Sitting on a rock to the base of the wall was a man with an AK.47 assault rifle resting against his chest.
He wore cheap sunglasses and his head was tilted back leaning on the wall behind him. He made no movement and didn't appear to see me at all. Knowing the beaches were public I decided to keep running. He made no movement as I passed him. He was clearly fast asleep. The stone wall was at least two hundred metres long and from what I could see, the building or house above was unlike most in Zanzibar. It looked like it was of Spanish or Mediterranean architecture with perfectly whitewashed walls. Unusual, must be someone important. I stopped to turn around. The sleeping guard made no movement as I passed him on my way back and eventually I was back into the area of thick green jungle and palms. Ahead of me the beach was still quiet as were most of the hotels. Thankfully there was no running into Richard and eventually I reached the water-sports centre. The rickety old tractor had managed to position the ski boat for when the tide came in and the shop front was resplendent in colour. When I finally made it back to the beach front of my hotel I was dripping with sweat and panting heavily. I threw off my shirt and took the hundred metre walk to where the tide was coming in. I wallowed in the warm clear water which was only a couple of feet deep and got my breath back. Once done I made my way back up the beach towards the hotel. Hoping that Helen would have woken and seen my note I walked down the pathways towards the reception.
“How are you this morning, Mr Green?” the receptionist asked cheerfully. “I'm fine thank you, was my room key dropped here by any chance?”
“Yes sir I have them,” he replied handing them over.
“Thanks,” I said.
“Will you be needing me to arrange anything for you today sir?” he asked.
“I'm not sure yet but I will let you know, see you later.”
“Have a good day, Mr Green.” I took the walk back to my room. I was glad that Helen had left. I needed to gather my thoughts and do some work. The heat was starting to kick in and I needed a cold shower to wash away the salt and cool off. After my shower I dressed and checked my emails. There were a few from various insurance companies wanting me to investigate some dubious injury claims. I replied, telling them I was busy. I decided I would send an email to Gareth Lewer-Allen informing him of my progress so far. There was no way I would mention that I had accidentally run into his son. Neither would I mention the fact that he was using cocaine.
I would leave that for later when and if I managed to find out what he had hired me to do. For all I knew that might be weeks.
Having finished my business I glanced at my watch. It was 7.30am and I was feeling ravenously hungry. I locked my room and made my way out to the restaurant. As I arrived, the restaurant was busy and I saw Ineke and Helen sitting where they had been the previous evening for dinner. I smiled and waved at them as I made my way to my table. Ineke waved shyly, obviously feeling slightly embarrassed about getting ill the previous evening. Helen gave me a huge smile and looked particularly rosy cheeked and flushed. I helped myself to fruit juices, cereal, and a full English breakfast followed by coffee and a cigarette. As I sat at my table, I had the strange feeling that something was missing. It was only after a few minutes that I realised what it was. You’re missing your fucking newspaper, Green. Take a look at the view to your right and ask yourself if you really need a newspaper! I did just that. Across the grass and through the dappled shade of the palms the sun was getting higher. The tide had come in and the calm blue expanse of the Indian ocean spread out before me. In the distance, a dhow sailed silently.
“No, you don't need a newspaper,” I said to myself under my breath. After a while I decided to go back to the room to make my plans for the day and check my phone for any missed calls. I avoided the glances of Ineke and Helen as I made my out of the dining area and back to the room. I turned the fans on when I got there. There was only one text message. It was from Tracy Summerfield.
‘Dear Jason, hope this message finds you well. I was thinking about you and I just wanted to say hi. Tracy.” I lay on the bed in the breeze of the fans and read the message again. I thought about her, the tall, poised, and beautiful Tracy Summerfield, no doubt feeling lonely and sad, sitting in her flat in the freezing cold darkness of north London. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep. I hadn't been asleep for more than fifteen minutes when there was a loud knock on the door. I woke suddenly, it was unlike me to fa
ll asleep in the day like that. Perhaps it had been the run, or perhaps I had eaten too much breakfast. What now? That was too loud to be Helen, maybe house keeping? I got up and opened the door only to be greeted by the beaming face of Richard Lewer-Allen. He was wearing sunglasses, a crisp white cotton shirt, and long khaki shorts. On his head he wore a cream coloured panama hat.
“Good morning sir! How are you today?” he said, still smiling.
“I'm well Richard, and you?” I said. Jesus not again! After last night you are this man's hero Green! What the fuck?
“I just wanted to say thank you again for last night,” he said, “I've never seen anything like it. Also I've arranged a fishing charter this morning and I was wondering if you would like to come along? There's barracuda and sailfish out there, and it would be a nice way for me to show my gratitude. Those guys were pretty scary!”
He stood there with an expectant look on his face, I could see he had set his mind on this and it would be difficult to refuse.
“Umm, sure Rich, why not?” I said lifting my hands up resignedly.
“Excellent!” he said loudly, “excellent, well the boat is ready and waiting so, whenever you’re ready. Oh, and I've also arranged some alternative transport.”
“Ok, well let me sort some things out in here and I’ll see you at the restaurant in a minute,” I said.
“Brilliant, see you in a minute,” he said and made his way back up the pathway. I shook my head as I gathered some supplies. Sunglasses, sun cream, camera. Then I locked the room and left. When I arrived he was sitting at the table I had been using. I was glad that Ineke and Helen had left the restaurant.
The Jason Green series Box Set Page 18
