Kate joins the discussion. “Me, too. Will what we’re doing – what we’re about to do – really help?”
“Big time. Lake Erie is their favorite crossing point. We’re about to cripple their entire operation. It will plug the pipeline. Our hope is that if they can’t get out of the end of the pipeline in the U.S., they won’t come to Canada to enter the pipeline.”
Barron’s turn. “How do they get into Canada?”
“That’s another pipeline we’re trying to plug. The usual route is from the radical middle eastern states to Turkey. Then, thanks to the EU and their no borders policy, a train ride across Europe to France. It’s an easy boat trip across the English Channel to the U.K. Canada is part of the British Commonwealth, and travel between the U.K. and Canada is quite easy. Too easy, some would say.”
* * *
We pull in to Paula’s parking lot. Abby hops out. “I’m going to continue to play taxi driver this evening. We did give Paula’s father the night off.”
“Nice touch.”
“A new career, maybe. Who knows? When you’re ready to leave, check the bar. If I’m not there, I’m on a run, and I’ll be back soon. Tell Paula to call me. Enjoy your dinner.”
“Thanks.”
Abby turns to Katya and Barron. “Nice meeting you guys. We will do everything in our power to protect you. As will our American compatriots. Safe travels.”
We turn and walk inside.
* * *
Paula herself is at the hostess stand / cash counter. “Welcome. I know you’ve been here before. How many years now?”
I smile. I know she saw Abby drop us off. I know that she’s dying to ask why we are of such interest to the CBSA. “At least ten. Maybe more.”
“You’re from the States, I assume.”
“Vermilion, Ohio. Leamington has been one of our favorite destinations for a long time. And your place in always a must do.”
“Thanks for the compliment. I’ve got you a nice quiet table by the patio.”
“Thanks, Paula.”
* * *
We all have perch, of course. Paula does serve a few other things, but her battered and deep-fried perch is the thing to have. With fries, of course. This is not the place for dieters.
An hour later we’re all pleasantly stuffed, and ready to head back to our boats. Paula brings our checks. “I’ll tell ‘my cousin’ you’ll be ready in a few. She’ll bring the car around.”
“Thanks, Paula. Everything was great as usual.”
Paula just can’t resist. “Tell ‘my cousin’ I said thanks for giving my dad a break.”
I smile. And say nothing.
* * *
The ride back is completely uneventful.
We thank Abby for the ride, and head for the D Dock.
The marina is quiet. Thursday nights usually are. Barron and Katya are walking hand in hand behind us. As we approach Morning Star, Kate stops and turns. Want to come aboard for a night cap?
Katya smiles. “That would be nice.”
CHAPTER 61
Soon we are all comfortably seated in to our salon. With drinks. Kim Crawford, Kate’s favorite white wine for the girls. Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey for Barron. (He went to his boat to fetch the bottle.) San Pellegrino for me.
The wind is starting to howl in the rigging of the sailboats docked nearby. That means at least twenty-five knot winds. That’s not good.
We may look relaxed to the casual passerby. But we are not. We’re all nervous. And a little scared. Maybe, not just a little. We talk around the subject we’re all thinking about.
Finally, Barron can’t stand it. “You’ve done this before. What will happen when they come aboard?”
“Well. They pretty much treat us like you would treat a taxi driver. There will be one leader. He will do all the talking. The others will pretty much remain silent. It’s like they don’t want us to get to know them.”
“That’s good. I don’t want to get to know them. I don’t want to be their friends.!”
“Good attitude. And remember – you are the Captain. They will respect your authority.”
Katya has been listening intently. “And me?”
“They will pretty much ignore you and deal with Barron. They are middle eastern. Women are subservient.”
“Oh, really?”
“Really. We had two female passengers on the last trip. They hid in our aft cabin and said almost nothing the whole trip.”
“How were they dressed?”
“They looked like Put-in-Bay tourists -- with hijabs.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No, I’m not.”
Barron jumps in. “So, what do we do when they come aboard?”
“You assign them to cabins. I don’t know if you’ll have women. I don’t know how many passengers you’ll have. But reserve the owner’s cabin for you and Katya, and stash them wherever you want.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“If I can, I’ll come to your boat and help you get settled in. No guarantees, though. I’m going to have my own passengers to deal with.”
There is break in the conversation while this all settles in. It’s getting late, and we’re getting tired.
Barron finishes his drink. “I don’t want to be drunk. Not even a little bit.”
“Good idea.”
Katya finishes her drink. “If they’re going to ignore me, I might as well be drunk.”
She reaches for the bottle, then stops. “I guess not. Not really.”
Barron smiles. “Thanks, honey. I think I need you sober. One more thing, Pete. How do we coordinate leaving?”
“Let’s talk by cell phone ‘till we know what we’re doing. Then switch to VHF. I’m worried about the wind.”
“Yeah, me too. Let’s head back, Katya. I want to secure a few things before our passengers arrive.”
“Okay. I guess”
The women hug – hard.
Barron and I hug – a little bit.
And they’re gone.
“Let’s go watch some TV, Kate.”
“Okay.”
We go below.
* * *
I sit at the foot of our bed. I open the laptop on the nightstand. “I assume that you guys can see me and hear me. Call me on my secure phone.”
It rings immediately. “Hello?”
“Hello Captain, this is Frank Simmons. What’s up?”
“Nothing. I just wanted to reassure myself that you are there.”
“We are.”
“Kate and I are going to lay down for a while. I’m closing the laptop. When I open it, you’ll know that we have company.”
“Know that we’re here. Our first job is to keep you safe.”
“Do me a favor. Call Barron and tell him that. They need reassurances.”
“Will do, Captain.”
CHAPTER 62
I put on a Tenth Kingdom, and we stretch out. My arm is under Kate’s head. In a few minutes, I hear her breathing change to a soft snore. She’s out. I envy her. I watch TV. And worry.
* * *
Midnight. Nothing.
* * *
Twelve-thirty. Nothing. Should I call Saif? Not yet.
* * *
At one a.m., I hear a soft knock on the hull. I go up the first two companionway steps. Qasim is standing on the dock near my stern. There is a large group behind him. I can’t tell how many. But it’s too many.
I go up the last two steps and into the salon. Qasim sees me and comes aboard. We meet near the aft settee. “How many people are you bringing aboard?”
“Eight.”
“Including you?”
“No, I will not cross. There are eight others.”
“That’s too many. The boat will be overloaded. It’s dangerous. Especially in rough weather. And it looks to be rough tomorrow.”
“You will deliver all eight to Vermilion tomorrow.”
“No. I’m going to call Saif.”
“And he w
ill tell you that your family’s safety depends on the success of this mission.”
“Shit. Get them below. Quickly. Put half in the forward cabin, and half in the aft cabin.”
“That is too many in the back. They will…”
“You should have thought of that before you brought eight. I must keep the load balanced. Do it!”
“As you wish.”
“Tell the leader to wait for me at the helm.”
“Where?”
“The driver’s position. By the steering wheel.”
I go forward to the companionway. As I go down the stairs, I see Kate standing in the galley. “They’re here. Eight of them…”
“That’s too many!”
“I know. We have no choice. Close the door to our cabin. When they come down, point to the forward cabin. I’m going up to talk to their leader. Then I’m going to go help Barron get his passengers settled. I’ll be right back.”
“But I…”
I hug her. Hard. I keep my arms wrapped around her. “We can do this, Kate. We have to. You’re tough; tougher than you think.”
* * *
As I start to go up the companionway stairs, a terrorist comes down. I step aside and point to the forward cabin. “Go there. And stay there until you are told that it’s okay to come out.”
He nods as he passes me. He says nothing. He is followed by two more terrorists. I follow the third terrorist to the cabin door. “I will be bringing your leader down to join you shortly. Do any of you know how to use the head – the marine toilet?”
One hesitantly raises his hand. A little. “I do.”
“Good. Show the others. You will be here for the rest of the night and much of tomorrow,”
I turn to go up the stairs. As I pass Kate, I give her another hug. “We can do this. We can.”
When I get up the stairs to the helm, there is a terrorist sitting on the portside settee. And Qasim is leaning into the aft cabin hatch and talking in Arabic. I assume to the four other terrorists. I sit in the Mate’s Stidd seat. “I assume that you are the leader. What’s your name?”
Qasim hears me and comes forward. “This is Yasin. He is the leader. He…”
“Qasim, I want to talk to Yasin, not you. You are leaving. He is staying. He is the leader, and it’s important that we understand each other.”
Yasin looks a little surprised. I don’t think he’s used to people talking to Qasim that way. “Yasin, I assume that your English is passable.”
“It is. I went to Grad School in Canada. I have lived here for about five years.”
“Good. Here’s the deal. Kate and I are doing this because you guys have threatened our family. We don’t like it, but we’re doing it. I have been a licensed Captain for twenty years. I know what I’m doing. My first responsibility is the safety of my vessel, my crew, and my passengers. My mission is to get you to the U.S. And I will do that. But I need your cooperation.”
“I understand, Captain. We will cooperate. We will do what we must to make this crossing.”
Qasim scowls, but says nothing. “Good. I’m glad we understand each other. On to practical matters. One of your compatriots in the forward cabin told me that he knows how to use the head. Make sure that the people in the aft cabin know as well.”
“I will do that, Captain.”
Qasim scowls -- again, but says nothing -- again. I think that he doesn’t like Yasin calling me “Captain.” Tough. “I am concerned about the weather. The howling wind you hear means twenty-five knot winds. That’s too windy to cross the lake. Even if…”
Qasim can’t stand it. He interrupts. “We must cross tomorrow. Plans have been made.”
“We’ll worry about that tomorrow.”
I turn back to Yasin. “Even if the wind does lay down, it’s going to be rough tomorrow. You need to question every one of your compatriots. If they are prone to seasickness, or if they don’t know, give them Dramamine. If you don’t have any, I do.”
“We have Dramamine, Captain. Those who need it will get it.”
“Good. That’s all for now. I’m going up to Bella Fortuna to help then get settled in.”
Qasim looks almost panicky. “No. You may not go. You must not go.”
“I’m the Captain. I’m responsible for this voyage. Come with me if you wish. Or stay here. I’m going.”
I get up. I go to the companionway. “Kate, I’m going up to Bella Fortuna. I’ll be back in a few.”
I turn and head aft. I step up onto the dock. Qasim follows.
CHAPTER 63
As I approach Bella Fortuna, I see some people in Barron’s cockpit. And a couple of others standing on the dock. I hop aboard. “Barron, are you here?”
“Yeah. I don’t know what’s going on.”
Qasim is standing on the dock. “Barron, close the blinds in your salon. Qasim, get these people off of the dock and into the salon. Are you trying to attract attention?”
He says nothing, but does as I told him to.
* * *
Barron’s salon is way overcrowded. Eight terrorists, Qasim, Barron, and me. Quite sensibly, Katya is hiding below.
Since nobody else is taking charge, I do. I don’t want to be in charge – I’m a victim here – but somebody has to. “Quiet. I need your attention. Quiet!”
They start to settle down. When it is reasonably quiet, I continue. “I assume that you all speak English. I am the Captain of the other vessel. Barron is Captain of this vessel. I have done this before. Captain Collins has not. I will be in command for the crossing. For the safety of all, you must obey your Captain’s directives. His first priority is the safety of his vessel, crew, and passengers. God willing, by tomorrow night, we will all be in America.”
I pause to let that sink in. “Who is in charge of this group?”
A bearded twenty something steps forward. “I am.”
“And you are?”
“Raham. I am in charge of this group. I report to Yasin who is on your boat.”
“Okay. I assume that both you and Yasin have cell phones. Will they work in the U.S.?”
“Yes, they will.”
“Good. Both boats carry VHF radios, but VHF conversations can be overheard by anyone. Barron and I will use our radios for normal communications between vessels traveling together, but we will use your cell phones for – shall we say – more private stuff.”
Qasim looks happy with that. “An excellent plan.”
“Captain Collins will show you to your quarters. There are too many of you for a boat this size, but make yourselves as comfortable as you can. It’s going to be a long night. And a long day tomorrow.”
I turn to Barron. “Keep the owner’s cabin for you and Katya. Put them wherever you see fit.”
Barron starts for his companionway. “Follow me.”
“Barron, wait a minute. Raham, I need you to deal with a couple of things. It’s going to be very rough tomorrow. If any of your compatriots are prone to seasickness, or if they don’t know, give them Dramamine in the morning.”
“I shall do that.”
“And make sure they all know how to use the head.”
“The what?”
“The marine toilet. They require a little extra instruction. Captain Collins can help you if necessary.”
“We have several mariners in our group. We can deal with it.”
“I hope so. I can think of few things worse than seasick passengers and a plugged-up head,”
* * *
Qasim and I wait in the salon while Barron stashes his passengers. As soon as the last passenger goes down, Katya comes up. “It’s getting too crowed down there. Oh. I thought you were alone.”
“Not quite. This is Qasim. He’s in charge of the pipeline on this end. He is not going with us.”
Qasim has been looking out the aft sliding door toward shore and ignoring me – and Katya. When I use the word “pipeline.” His head snaps around. “Pipeline?”
“Slang. Our boats are th
e pipeline. You put them in on this end. Saif takes them out on the other end.”
“Pipeline.”
Barron comes back up into the salon. “Are they all tucked in?”
“Like sardines.”
“I’m going to go back to Morning Star. Katya, you want to come hang out with Kate?”
Qasim reacts like his usual self. “No! She cannot!”
“Qasim, when are you going to get it through your head that we have to act normal and do normal things? If we do not, people are going to notice, and question our behavior. You do not want that.”
“But she must remain here.”
Raham has come into the salon. He is listening to our exchange. I crank my voice up a few dB. “No, she must not. Listen to me. You did your job – you filled the pipeline. I’ll do my job -- I’ll transport them to the U.S. When we get there, Saif will do his job – he’ll empty the pipeline. Right now, you need me. Do not try to order me around. And do not threaten me or my family. Let Barron and me do our jobs.”
I turn and head for the stern. “Katya, do you want to come along?”
“Yes, sir.”
Barron has been sitting at his helm. “Me, too, Commodore.”
Qasim stays put. He says nothing.
* * *
When we get clear of Bella Fortuna, I stop for a minute. “I kind of lost my cool for a minute there.”
I shake my head. We resume walking toward Morning Star. “Chances are, Kate’s up. I think we all need a drink.”
CHAPTER 64
As we approach Morning Star, I see Kate sitting on the aft settee. The night is cool, and she has a light jacket on. When she sees us coming, she smiles. We come aboard. I get a huge hug. “I didn’t want to be down there alone.”
“I understand. I brought company.”
Katya and Barron get hugs next. Then me again. “We need drinks.”
Kate smiles. “That we can do. Come on Katya, let’s go see what we can find.”
“Do you want me to come along?”
“No. We can handle it.”
* * *
In a couple of minutes, they come back up to the salon. Two glasses of white wine for them, something brown on ice for Barron, and something clear for me. We sit and drink. And don’t talk much.
Covert Crossings Page 15