Nameless

by Joe Conlan

  “That’s cool. Good luck with that,” said Daniel. Daniel intentionally left out that he was an FBI agent. It wasn’t something he liked to share with strangers. “Maybe, I’ll see you at the gym,” he continued.

  Just then, the crew member in charge of the driving range called for the next person in line. “It looks like I’m up,” said Isaac. “It was great chatting with you guys. By the way, I’m on Deck, 9, Cabin 476. The last name’s Jefferson. Feel free to give me a call when you’re going to the gym. I wouldn’t mind joining you.”

  “Sure thing. It was great meeting you,” Daniel repeated though he was anything but sure he would be calling. “I’m holding you up. Have fun.”

  After his driving session with Jack and his workout, Daniel spent the remainder of the morning and afternoon at Deborah’s side. They decided to sunbathe and observe the King sponsored games hosted by the Assistant Cruise Director at poolside. Daniel even participated in a trivia game that won him a cheap bottle of champagne. Once the games were over, they enjoyed the tunes of a steel drum band and drank Pina coladas. Then Deborah cheered him on at the driving competition. Despite his promise to not think about work, Daniel couldn’t help wondering throughout the day about how things were going with the investigation. It was a good thing he didn’t know the combination to the safe. He probably would have gotten himself in trouble attempting to sneak a peek at his messages.

  Since his meeting with the agent, Shem, now assuming the name Isaac Jefferson spent most of the remainder of the day and evening in his cabin. The only time he left until recently was to avoid being seen by his housekeeping steward who visited the room twice a day. He had been sitting at a table for one at the Seafarer’s Lounge for the past twenty minutes. The bar was packed to the gills for karaoke night. Shem never understood why anyone would think there was any entertainment value in such nonsense. At the moment, a middle-aged, overweight Asian woman was screeching “My Heart Will Go On,” by Celine Dion. If he wasn’t watching it with his own eyes, he would have thought it was a fucking goat bleating. The sound was grinding at his nerves so badly he would have gone up to the stage and torn her vocal chords out with his bare hands, if he could get away with it.

  He elected to endure the insufferable show because he overheard the agent’s wife saying they would be attending. He wasn’t happy with his first encounter with the agent. Falcone didn’t seem to take to him as well as he would have liked. He planned to try to meet the entire family here in hope of having more success getting on the women’s good side. They were much more likely to have sympathy for Isaac Jefferson’s story. As if the irritation of the show wasn’t frustrating enough, the risk of bungling his mission was getting greater by the second. Still no one from the family had shown up.

  Deciding he couldn’t stand the revolting, off-key singing for another second when a fourteen-year-old, snot-nosed girl got up on stage to howl a Madonna song, he left the bar. Hindsight was always twenty-twenty but the more he thought about this effort, the clearer it became that parading through the ship’s common areas was probably a risk he shouldn’t have taken. He needed to keep his public appearances to a minimum. His best bet was to find a way to cross paths with the agent while visiting a port city. Tomorrow, they would be docked in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. A check of the King website revealed the agent and his family didn’t schedule any of the official tours offered by the cruise line. He would make sure they ran into Isaac on the pier before they set off on a private land excursion.

  The Joy of the Seas arrived in Ocho Rios at 6:00 sharp the following morning. By the time they cleared Customs and Immigration, it was just after seven. The temperature on the northeastern coast of Jamaica had already reached a sweltering eighty degrees, the humidity climbing over ninety percent. Large, billowy, snow white cumulus clouds seemed to soar into the stratosphere. The weatherman predicted a high in the mid-nineties by late afternoon. At 7:15 am, Isaac was sitting on a bench at the end of the pier eating an apple he had packed in his suitcase along with other energy and protein-packed perishables necessary for his nourishment for the week. He would sit on the bench as long as it took for the Falcones to pass.

  Approximately an hour later, Isaac saw the agent and his family strolling down the pier dressed in shorts and matching King Cruise Line tank tops. Sitting in the hot sun, perspiration had already soaked through Isaac’s t-shirt. He changed into a fresh tank top from his back pack then began to flip through several brochures he collected earlier in the morning. His goal was to appear as though he was planning his day in Ocho Rios. Daniel noticed him fumbling with his reading materials and considered ignoring him when Jack called out, “Hey there, Isaac. How you doin’ this morning? I don’t think you’ve met my wife Kate and my daughter, Deborah.”

  Isaac reluctantly extended his hand and said, “Pleased to meet you ladies. I’m hangin’ in there. I’m tryin' to decide what I’m gonna do today. I originally had a bunch of excursions reserved for me and Brynn. That was my fiancée’s name. I went ahead and cancelled them. Then I figured why sit on the ship and mope. So, now, I’m just winging it.”

  As Isaac had hoped, Deborah was touched by his alleged misfortune having heard the story from her father. She was happy to extend Isaac an invitation. “You know, we’re gonna take a taxi up to the Dunn’s River Falls and climb the rocks,” she said. “We’d love it if you’d join us.”

  Daniel tried not to show his disapproval. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the guy. There was just something about him that made him feel uneasy. Isaac replied, “That’s nice of you to offer. I couldn’t impose.”

  Daniel was about to let the man have his way, but was foiled once again when his father-in-law beat him to the punch. “Nonsense,” Jack said. “You’re more than welcome to come with us.”

  Deborah and Kate shook their heads in agreement. Deborah added, “We’re not gonna take no for an answer.”

  “Well, if that’s the case, I guess I have no choice. Actually, I’ve always wanted to go there. I was just worried I wasn’t gonna be able to get my fat ass up those rocks.”

  “You’re exaggerating young man,” argued Kate. “If this old lady can do it, so can you.”

  “Part of the problem is I injured my knee at the gym yesterday. Sorry, Daniel, I don’t think I’m gonna be able to work out for the rest of the cruise. Anyway, thanks for the invitation to the falls. I wasn’t really looking forward to spending the day alone.”

  “And there’s no reason why you should,” said Daniel finally deciding to concede he was outnumbered and join in on the invitation. “No worries about the gym. Take care of that knee. You’ll need it. You sure you’ll be alright climbing the rocks?”

  “It shouldn’t be a problem so long as I take it slowly.”

  “Great, then let’s get our asses moving and see about hiring one of those passenger vans.”

  Jack chimed in, “Now you gotta negotiate with those guys. Don’t accept the first price they offer you. Let me do the talking.”

  “You’re the business man, Jack. Be my guest,” Daniel replied.

  The group of five walked over to the Port Authority welcoming facility. A boisterous and chaotic mob of taxi drivers were gathered vying for the business of the multitudes of passengers disembarking from the various cruise ships. Daniel was assaulted by a group of five drivers when a woman in a uniform came up to advise them she was the official negotiator. Jack was able to settle on a price of eight dollars apiece for a round trip ticket to their destination.

  The mouth of the river leading up to the falls turned out to be just a ten minute drive from the port. The van driver dropped them off in a large parking lot crowded with buses, vans, taxis, and swarms of tourists from around the world. It was just a short walk to the park entrance where Isaac pretended to be flustered by a large sign forbidding guests to climb the rocks without a pair of sneakers or special slip-free shoes which could be rented or purchased at the souvenir store. He was well aware of the regulations having visited th
is island many times on the Diamond. The Falcones and Tylers were well-prepared. They had worn tennis shoes in anticipation of the climb. Isaac, on the other hand, was forced to buy a pair of treaded, rubberized slippers, having worn flip flops. After he made his purchase, together, the group descended the more than one hundred steps to the base of the falls. Jack and Kate, acknowledging that Deborah and Daniel were much more agile and athletic than the rest of the group, suggested they go ahead. After the couple’s polite rejection, Isaac, trying to score brownie points, convinced them to comply with their parent’s recommendation. He promised he would do his best to take care of Kate and Jack.

  Once again fate flexed its bulging Hulk-size bicep and chose the side of evil. For, if Deborah and Daniel had stayed with the group, Shem Chassar would be the one waiting in a death row cell for a lethal injection to end his life and Deborah and her parents would still be alive today. Daniel and Deborah started up the rocks holding the hands of the people in front of and behind them as was the tradition for climbing Dunn’s River Falls. Within minutes, they were twenty to thirty yards ahead of Isaac and their parents. As Isaac was about to take his first step up the Falls, he heard a voice vigorously calling from behind.

  “Damien. Damien Drysdale, is that you?”

  He froze in his tracks. He did his best to ignore the person calling out his former alias, but she persisted. She continued to shout out the name at what felt to him at the volume of a loud speaker. King Cruise Line security officer Terry Smithson then ran up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder, forcing him to turn around.

  “Damien, why are you ignoring me? It’s me Terry, from the Diamond. What are you doing here? Do you work for one of the other cruise lines now?”

  “Excuse me, but I’m not the person you’re looking for. I’m not Damien. My name is Isaac.”

  “Oh come on. Don’t bullshit me. You jokin’ or what?”

  “No, I’m very serious. You made a mistake.”

  Confused, Terry hesitated a moment and studied Isaac’s face. There wasn’t much of a doubt this guy could pass for Damien Drysdale’s twin. There were some obvious differences including his weight, however, there was no mistaking his face and especially those eyes. Embarrassed, though still unsure, she continued, “I’m sorry, but you’re the spitting image of a guy I used to work with on a cruise ship in Europe. He was from South Africa, though.” Terry was beginning to doubt herself more, especially because of the degree the guy was out of shape. She remembered Drysdale was obsessive when it came to taking care of his body.

  “I’m American. And my name’s not Damien. I’ve never even been to South Africa.”

  “Yeah, come to think of it, Damien had hair, too. I’m sorry to bother you.”

  “Don’t worry about it. It was an honest mistake.” Terry finally admitted defeat and walked off onto the beach to join the other Joy of the Seas crew members who were climbing the falls with her. Isaac was furious. He couldn’t believe she saw through his disguise. In a state of bewilderment as to how he could have possibly missed her name on the employee roster, he considered fleeing. Then suddenly, he realized the agent might have overheard her calling his former alias. He looked up to see that the couple was now more than fifty yards ahead and hadn’t slowed in their ascent. It was obvious they were too far away to hear Terry Smithson especially considering the bluster of the falls. He wasn’t even sure whether the agent was familiar with his alias, but it had to be a part of the FBI’s Anderson file. The fact that the agent didn’t turn back gave Isaac confidence that the name Drysdale was neither heard nor recognized.

  Shem’s thoughts and analysis of the situation continued in overdrive. He considered the possibility that the in-laws could repeat the story to the agent. He was hoping if they were so inclined, perhaps they would forget the name. He couldn’t rely on that, but wasn’t willing to give up on his mission so easily, either. The instinct to run was more present than he would have preferred. Normally, he trusted his feelings. A conversation with the parents was in order.

  “That was bizarre,” commented Isaac. “I guess it can happen though. I’ve been told that I have a familiar face.”

  “Yeah, it’s happened to me before, too,” said Jack. “They say we all have someone who could be our twin somewhere in the world. I guess that guy was yours.”

  Isaac settled a bit thinking Jack’s failure to mention the name was a good sign. He would stick with the mission for the moment. He replied, “I guess. What do you say we try to conquer these rocks?”

  “After you, sir,” said Kate.

  Isaac did his best to squelch his fury and anxiety. He continued to evaluate his options rationalizing there would be no reason for the old folks to repeat the story. It wasn’t that interesting. Though he wasn’t a gambling man, especially when the stakes were so high, he reaffirmed his decision to play the odds and began his ascent up the falls.

  Regardless of his efforts, his mind continued to work unrelentingly. If Terry was on the Joy of the Seas, he would have to make sure he didn’t run into her again. His plan to stay away from public places on the ship was now, more than ever, absolutely critical. Yet, the more he thought about it, his good sense prevailed warning him it might not be enough. He would have to give the matter more thought. When he got back to his cabin, he would figure a way out of this mess.

  Isaac was almost convinced his beliefs concerning fate were wrong. He was feeling truly favored by the Gods as he surfed the Internet on his laptop computer. The parents never said a word about the incident that occurred at the bottom of the falls. It had to be more than pure-luck that his ex-colleague didn’t call his former alias out just five minutes earlier. If that had been the case, there was the distinct chance he would have been forced to run for his life. In the shape he was in, he didn’t think he would have made it very far. Instead of his plan going up in smoke, things were progressing as smoothly as ever.

  After the excursion at the falls, the agent and his family invited him to lunch with them in Ocho Rios. During the meal, they insisted he come to their cabin after dinner to play a game of dominoes. He ended up spending the entire evening at their suite. It was more than probable he was working his way in. It wasn’t easy for him to be in the company of people for extended periods of time, nor was he used to it. His feelings would have to take a backseat, especially in light of the fact he couldn’t have hoped for a better result. The women seemed to be treating him like a part of the family.

  Finally returning to his cabin after midnight, he took the opportunity to do some serious thinking about his ex-colleague, anything that would help formulate an airtight plan to rid of the nuisance. He remembered she had an obsession with cave diving. She used to go on obnoxiously incessant about it. He had made the mistake of telling her he was a certified cave diver. Subsequently, every time the Diamond sailed the Western Caribbean, she would ask him to accompany her to the underwater caves of Atkun Chen. He wasn’t aware of a time when she missed an opportunity to visit the sub-aquatic world of the Mexican caverns.

  The first order of business after he returned to his cabin was to determine how he failed to notice her name on the employee roster. The explanation became clear once he hacked his way onto the King website. He discovered this was her first week on the Joy of the Seas, having been transferred from the Diamond the previous Sunday. His digging further revealed that the Diamond was currently sailing the Eastern Caribbean. It had just repositioned from Europe. After searching through her contract history, he calculated she had not been assigned to a ship that stopped in Cozumel or Cancun for at least a year and a half. It was a sure bet she would be visiting Atkun Chen the very next day. The Joy of the Seas would be in port for more than twelve hours and her computer schedule reflected she had the day off.

  Isaac was so confident in his prediction that as soon as the ship was cleared for disembarkation at Cozumel the following morning, he headed down to the port and hailed a water taxi to the mainland. He was dropped off at Playa
del Carmen where he was swamped by a flock of taxi drivers. He negotiated a fare for the forty five kilometer trip to Atkun Chen with a young driver willing to charge a forty dollar fee to lease his services for the day. Before leaving Playa del Carmen, he had the driver wait for him while he purchased some provisions at the local shopping center.

  Atkun Chen was actually the name of an underground river located just sixteen kilometers north of the ruins of Tulum, on the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. The caves and river were part of Atkun Chen National Park which covered almost one thousand acres of unexplored rainforest. The fee for entering the park was twenty two dollars with an additional ninety nine dollar charge for the rental of diving equipment. He arrived at the park at 9:00am, paid for his entrance tickets and scuba gear rental, sat at a café twenty yards inside the park entrance and waited.

  Three hours later, when she still hadn’t shown up, doubt began to creep in. The ship was scheduled to set sail at 7:00pm which meant the passengers and crew were required to be onboard no later than 6:30. The taxi ride back to Playa del Carmen and ferry ride to Cozumel would take a minimum of an hour and a half. Doing the math, he would have to leave the park no later than five o’clock in order to be back at the ship in time. Even that would be cutting it close. To truly take advantage of the stunning scenery of the three caverns and underground rivers, a diver would need a minimum of three hours. If she didn’t arrive within the next couple of hours, he would have to consider not returning to the ship.

  Almost willing it to happen, refusing to believe he would have to abandon his mission, all of his fears and tension were resolved when, at 12:30, Terry Smithson came rushing from the parking lot to the ticket booth to pay her admission fee. Isaac quickly gathered his scuba equipment and provisions bag and followed the signs to the diving area. The path led down a steep, rocky descent into a dense wooded area. At the foot of the precipice, a spectacular crystalline, blue-green, fresh water sinkhole known as a cenote flowed into a six-hundred meter grotto. As sure-footed and balanced as a mountain goat, he approached the cavern where a tour group of divers gathered at its entrance. They were receiving instructions from the tour guide.