55. Long Swim Back
Long Swim Back
The two men bobbed in the water like ducks in a bathtub.
Up and down they went as they fought the waves, doing their best to flee from the flaming wreckage.
It was sinking after all, and anything around it would be sunk with it, when it went.
There was no time to waste. But Amir, refused to go.
Nazim pulled at his shirt as he treaded water.
“We have to go! Now!” Nazim said, spitting some of the ocean water out.
The flames rose high into the night sky.
Amir couldn’t see past the smoke. The pier was shrouded in its shadow.
And somewhere in it was the man that took everything from him.
In the seconds before the fuel ignited, he managed to toss the drive over the yacht’s guardrail.
And then the shockwave flung him. From the yacht and crashing into the cold water below.
“Ahmed is dead. Omar is dead. Salim is too. The drive is gone and so are the weapons. More police are coming. Amir!”
“Yes. Go! Go!” Amir screeched, thrashing about the water.
But he understood there was nothing more he could do.
So, he swam back softly to the closest pier.
And when they reached it, they kept going.
The two did not climb up. Nor did they swim further ashore.
Amir and Nazim pulled on the ropes and the nets.
They squeezed passed the boats moored at the pier for cover and occasionally dipped below the water line.
In the distance, they could see a police boat in the water.
It was approaching the sinking yacht and its search light was trained on the waters around it.
They were looking for him. The two men spent hours in the water.
Carefully navigating past the Port Hercule area.
The nearby beach. And down into France proper leaving Monaco behind.
Only when the city lights seldom reflected across the ocean, and the darkness shrouded their movements, did they leave the water.
A nearby public beach is where they found a foothold, where they found some time to dry themselves and Nazim’s phone which survived the blast; to rest and plan their next move.
“We must get the drive back,” Amir said, squeezing the last bits of water from his shirt. He gave it a good shake and a snap. Then threw it back on. “And your phone?”
“Amir, you know I’d do anything for you. You are like a brother to me, but this. It’s too much! You should forget the drive and focus on what has worked on the past. We have made good money this way. And the risks,” Nazim said.
“I know the risks!” Amir shouted. “Do you not see what’s become of us. We have lost everything we ever worked for! It is too late to go back to the way things were. Our only choice now is to steal the device back and sell it to the buyer in Dubai. There is no other option. The phone!”
“Here,” Nazim said, handing Amir the phone.
Fortunately, it still worked though the speakers were fuzzy if you’d listen close.
The call didn’t last long. Nor did their wait.
Amir’s men arrived to pick him up in an old van with a sliding door.
It was the type of vehicle you wouldn’t suspect parked down the street.
Delivery cars were usually ignored, especially if the thing being delivered was flowers.
The two sat down in the back, in between a pair of large ferns in pots, and blended into the darkness of the cabin.
“So, what now?” Nazim said. The van sped up the hill and headed towards an industrial part of town far from the resorts. “The drive could be anywhere. The local police station. The airport. For all we know, it’s on the way back to the United States.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll follow it to the ends of the earth if I must,” Amir replied. His eyes grew weary as the ride went on. And his arms felt heavy. The swimming did a number on him; as did the explosion. “But first, we must rest.”
“I agree, my friend. Let’s go home,” Nazim said.
The van continued for some time until it reached a deserted street behind an abandoned warehouse.
Broken glass from shattered windows littered the walkway.
The front of the building was filled with trash and dumped items. Sofas, beds, tables and more filled the area.
Near the rear, a single door, rusted in parts, slowly opened beneath a soft and dimly lit lamp.
Amir and his men quickly entered and closed the door behind them.
“Call our contact at the airport in Paris and the one in Monaco. Tell them to keep an eye for anything unusual. Large groups of men moving quickly. Unscheduled flights or heavy police presence. Then call our friend within the Monaco police force,” Amir said, sitting down on a sofa.
“If the device is moved, I want to know where and when. The Bateleur clan’s reach goes far beyond this city; the dogs will learn it soon enough. ”