Covert Crossings

by Frank Lazorishak

  “Again, I agree, Captain.”

  “One last thing. Your people probably need fed. I’m not going to do it, but Qasim should arrange it.”

  I smile. Barron smiles. Qasim glares. “We’re going to join our wives at the marina clubhouse for a while. Then we’ll come back to our boats to change clothes before dinner. I’ll have this phone with me. Call me if you must. Bye.”

  I hang up. “Qasim, you heard what I told Saif. We’ll be back in an hour or so to change.”

  “Change?” Before Qasim can say anything else, his phone rings. The only word I catch is ‘Saif.’ As the discussion gets more heated, I wave goodbye. “Let’s go see the girls, Barron.”

  CHAPTER 69

  The girls are in the TV room. We plop down next to them. “Where do you guys want to go for dinner?”

  Katya looks surprised. She looks around to see if we’re alone. We are. “Are we allowed to?”

  Barron chuckles. “The good Captain here really pissed off Qasim. He told Qasim’s boss, Saif, that we were going ashore for dinner. And he told him that Qasim had to let his guys out of their cabins for some fresh air – after dark. And he told him that Qasim had to feed them – that we weren’t going to do it.”

  Kate smiles. “Good for you, Cap’n.”

  “I’m not sure it was a good idea to piss off Qasim, but I couldn’t resist. So, what about dinner.”

  “Let’s keep it simple.”

  “I agree. How about Lakeview Deli up by the Plaza?”

  Katya is our resident food critic. She knows the restaurants in every port. The good, the bad, the ugly. “I think they close early. How about we take the tram up to the Big Tomato? There are lots of restaurants right around there.”

  The ‘Big Tomato’ is the Leamington Tourist Information Center. It’s a local landmark; it’s been there for as long as we’ve been coming to Leamington.

  Kate nods agreement. “How late does the tram run?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll go ask at the desk.”

  * * *

  Katya is back in about three minutes. “The tram runs every half hour until nine, so we might have to taxi back.”

  Kate perks up. “I’m starting to get hungry. Want to plan on catching the six o’clock tram?”

  “Works for me. Oh. One other thing. The girl at the desk asked if I could have the skipper of Morning Star stop to see her. And she said, ‘As soon as possible’”

  “Now what? I’ll go right now.”

  * * *

  When I get to the desk, I smile. “Hi again, Natalie. What’s up?”

  She looks genuinely uncomfortable. “I know this sounds bizarre, but can you please go to the Men’s Restroom? Now.”

  I can’t help but smile. “You’re right. It does sound bizarre.”

  But I do it. The restrooms here connect to the showers and lockers. They are usually pretty busy. But the bad weather has everybody holed up. I push the door open, not knowing what to expect. Nathan Tremblay is washing his hands. A very fit-looking young man is standing near the door. “I’ll be just outside, appearing to be using my cell phone, sir.”

  “Very good, Adrian. We shan’t be long.”

  I’m speechless. Nathan dries his hands, and holds one out. We shake hands. “Very good to see you again, Captain.”

  I’m still speechless. “We suspected that you have not been able to use your secure phone. We wanted to ‘touch base,’ as you Americans say.”

  “Well, yeah. You’re right. I can’t get to it without looking suspicious. But the men’s room?”

  “It worked, did it not?”

  “Yeah. But you owe poor Natalie. She looked so embarrassed. ‘You need to go to the Men’s Restroom.’”

  “Natalie is not one of us. She seems quite capable. We may recruit her.”

  “Why am I not surprised? So, let’s ‘touch base.’ You know about the change in plans, I assume?”

  “Our American compatriots already have people at Edgewater Yacht Club.”

  “I thought so.”

  “How?”

  “The girl I talked to at Edgewater sounded unusually nervous. I suspected that our people were with her.”

  “They were. They already have their plan to intercept the terrorists in place,”

  “That’s reassuring.”

  “It is. If Adrian comes in, it means he is being followed in by a civilian. Be prepared to be washing your hands.”

  “Okay. What else?”

  “We know that you told Qasim to feed and exercise his charges. We will be watching via infrared.”

  “Okay?”

  “If all goes well, you will have no further contact with us. We will not move in until you are safe in the States.”

  “What about the weather tomorrow?”

  “The weather people tell us that it will not be a nice day. The lake will be rough. However, both Coast Guards agree that vessels your size will be able to cross safely. Your window of opportunity will be mid-afternoon.”

  “Why then?”

  “Another front will be moving through, and the wind direction will be changing.”

  “That will make for very confused seas.”

  “It’s the best that we will have. We will not ask you to endanger yourselves, or your vessels. That said, we all want to put an end to this tomorrow night.”

  “Us, too. We’ll do it, if at all possible.”

  “That is all we can ask, Captain. Please pass all of this information on to Barron and to your wives.”

  “We’re going out to dinner tonight. Downtown somewhere. I’ll fill them in then.”

  “Do you know where? For dinner?”

  “No, not yet. We’re going to take the six o’clock tram to the Big Tomato, and find a place.”

  “May I suggest The Gallery? It’s Portuguese. And very good.”

  “I’ll suggest it to the group.”

  We shake hands. Nathan heads for the lockers. I go out the way I came in.

  * * *

  Natalie is still at the desk. I smile and give her a thumbs up. She smiles back.

  Barron and the girls are all watching me return. There are two new couples watching TV. Kate speaks first. “What was that about? You were gone a long time.”

  I sit. “Just some unfinished paperwork. And I took the opportunity to use the restroom.”

  I lean in toward the small round table in the middle of our foursome. They all lean in, too. “I have some news. Good news. We’ll discuss it on our way in to town.”

  Kate stands up. “Let’s go change for dinner. We can play tourist in town for a while.”

  Katya stands, too. “I like that idea.”

  Barron and I get up. The four of us head toward our boats.

  When we’re out on the dock, too far from shore or boats to be heard, I stop. They all stop and look at me expectantly. “Natalie told me to go to the restroom. Nathan Tremblay from Canadian Border Services Agency was waiting for me there. He reassured me that all of the good guys are ready for our change of plans.”

  Barron looks relieved. Very relieved. “So, they know everything?”

  “Yes, the Americans are already at Edgewater preparing for us.”

  “Wow.”

  “We’ll talk more over dinner. Let’s go get changed.”

  CHAPTER 70

  We board Morning Star as Katya and Barron continue to Bella Fortuna. Nobody is in our salon. Qasim got the message, apparently. I go to the helm station, and turn on the VHF. Qasim pops his head up in the companionway. He says nothing.

  “I want to check the weather.” I switch to the weather channel. While the announcer is talking, I log on to my laptop. I go to the NOAA marine forecast, select Lake Erie Offshore, and read. My next comment is for both Qasim and Kate. “Not much change. Tomorrow is going to be rough, but probably doable. It looks like our best bet will be tomorrow afternoon.”

  Neither Qasim nor Kate say anything. “Qasim, make sure that all of your people on both boats are on D
ramamine. It’s going to be a rough ride.”

  He looks unhappy. “Very well.”

  “Kate and I are coming down to change clothes for dinner.”

  “When.”

  “Now.”

  “But it is early.”

  “We’re going to play tourist for a while. It is what we would normally do.”

  He nods. Unhappily, but he nods.

  “The sun sets at about eight tonight. After dark, get your people out of their cabins for some fresh air. Call Raham and tell him to do the same. If you keep the salon lights off, you can’t be seen from the dock.”

  I head for the companionway stairs. Kate follows. Qasim moves aside.

  * * *

  In less than an hour, we’re showered and changed. It feels good to have fresh clothes on. Kate is finishing her makeup. I go out into the galley. The forward cabin door is open. The cabin is full of tired, unhappy people. I turn to them. “After dark, Qasim is going to get you out of there for a while.”

  No response. I turn to go up the companionway stairs. Qasim is blocking the way. “Excuse me. I’m going to go up and call Bella Fortuna.”

  He moves. I go up and sit in my helm seat. I use my regular phone to call Barron. He answers almost immediately. “Hi Pete. Katya is just finishing up her makeup. We need five minutes.”

  “Kate’s doing the same. Let’s catch the six-thirty tram. No point in rushing.”

  “Sounds good. Meet you up there?”

  “That’ll work.”

  * * *

  The tram ride is a pleasant change. We get off at the Big Tomato. As usual, there is a group of tourists taking pictures of each other. I wonder how many million pictures of the Big Tomato have been taken over the years.

  I go into the Big Tomato, and say hello to the young lady behind the counter. “What time does the last tram leave here for the Municipal Marina?”

  She checks a schedule. “As I thought, it’s at seven past nine.”

  “Thank you.”

  I go back outside, and catch up to the group. “The last tram leaves here at ‘seven past nine.’”

  Barron chuckles. “Not to be confused with nine past seven.”

  I spot The Gallery a block away. “Hey restaurant expert, what do you know about The Gallery?”

  Katya laughs. “We’ve been there. Mediterranean, as I recall. Not bad.”

  “Nathan, the guy I talked to in the restroom recommended it. We’ve never been there.”

  Kate grabs my arm. “Let’s walk for a while. I’m enjoying our freedom.”

  Katya grabs Barron’s arm. “Me, too. I don’t know how you guys have coped with this.”

  “It has been pretty terrible. I’m praying that this trip ends it. And I’m praying that they haven’t spoiled my beloved Lake Erie for us…”

  We walk. We window shop. We go into a few places.

  The sun is heading for the horizon, and we’re starting to tire. We wander by a small Mexican place. “Mexican?”

  Our expert nods. “Never been here, but let’s try it.”

  * * *

  Forty-five minutes later we’re fed and watered --and in some cases alcohol-ed – and back on the street. With time for a casual stroll back to the Big Tomato, and the tram.

  It’s full dark when we get back to our boats. As we approach Morning Star, I see shadows in the salon. “Looks like Qasim is airing out his people. This will be interesting.”

  Barron stops. “What do you mean?”

  “They usually try to keep us and our passengers separate. I think they don’t want us to be able to identify them later.”

  “Well, I’m not ready to lock myself in my cabin.”

  “Me neither. Just play it by ear. Our past experiences have been – civil, I guess is a good word. They are in charge, but they recognize that they need us and our boats, so we kind of coexist.”

  “Okay. I’ll coexist. Or at least, I’ll try.”

  “God willing, by tomorrow at this time, it’ll be over.”

  “I hope so,”

  “Call me if you need me. I’m still planning on an afternoon departure.”

  Barron and Katya turn and head for Bella Fortuna. We board Morning Star.

  It smells like a Chinese Restaurant. There are four terrorists in the salon. The aft cabin door is open, so I assume that they’re from there. One of them makes eye contact with me. “Captain.”

  And then with Kate. “Ma’am.”

  The others studiously ignore us. I think they are as uncomfortable as we are.

  Qasim pops up in the companionway. “Good evening.”

  “We’re going to sit on the aft settee for a while. Have you let the others out of the forward cabin?”

  “They have been out.”

  “And eaten, obviously. I don’t want my boat smelling like a Chinese Restaurant. There are garbage bags under the galley sink. Gather up all of the garbage. I’ll take it ashore.”

  He disappears without saying anything. “Let’s go aft and wait, Kate.”

  * * *

  Ten minutes later, Yasin comes aft with two bags of trash. “I wish I could take these ashore for you, Captain, but…”

  “It’s okay. I’ll do it. Kate?”

  “No, I’ll stay here.”

  Yasin turns to go forward. “Thank you, Captain.”

  * * *

  An hour later, we’re bored. And tired. “I’m going to go check on Barron. Want to come?”

  “No, but I will.”

  I go into the salon and tell Yasin that we’re going to go say goodnight to the owners of the other boat. I tell him we’ll be back in a few minutes.

  We climb up onto the dock, and head for Bella Fortuna. When we get close, I see Katya and Barron sitting on their aft settee. We stop on the dock. “We’re going to crash for the night. Is everything okay?”

  “As okay as it can be under the circumstances, I guess. We’re ‘coexisting.’ And we’re going to crash pretty soon, too.”

  Katya jumps up on to the dock and hugs Kate. “This will be over?”

  “Soon. And you’re doing great. Good night.”

  I hear sniffles as they part. Tears are appropriate. This is a bitch.

  CHAPTER 71

  Saturday morning is like Friday morning. Clear and windy. But the wind does seem to be subsiding some. God, I hope so. I want to get out of here.

  After I dress, I head topsides to call Barron. Noises in the forward cabin tell me that our passengers are awake.

  When I get to the top of the companionway, I find Yasin sitting on the port settee opposite the helm. I stop. I say nothing. At least he has closed the shade so he can’t be seen from the dock. “Qasim has left. I am in charge now.”

  I sit in Kate’s helm seat and swivel to face him. He continues. “I sensed the – hostility -- between you and Qasim. I do not believe that we must be hostile. You do not like this situation. I do not like this situation. But I believe that we can work together to end this – successfully – as soon as possible.”

  “I agree. I want you off my boat as much as you do. If I have to take you to the U.S., so be it.”

  “The wind has moderated some, I believe. Do you want to check the weather?”

  “Yes. And then I want to call Barron to make sure they’re okay.”

  “I talked to Raham earlier. All is well.”

  I turn on the VHF and log on to the laptop. It occurs to me that the good guys are monitoring the laptop’s camera. Can they hear this conversation? My guess is yes. “I still need to call him. He has not done this before. He will need my reassurances.”

  I busy myself with the weather. Yasin listens intently. After a few minutes, I turn the VHF off. “As I expected. It’s going to be a rough crossing, but we can do it. I’m figuring that our best window of opportunity is to leave here about three this afternoon.”

  “I agree.”

  “Are your people on Dramamine? I don’t want them throwing up all over each other – and my boat.”


  “They are, Captain. Even those who said they didn’t need it.”

  “Good.”

  I pull my regular iPhone out of my pocket. Yasin looks concerned. “Do you want me to call?”

  “No. As I tried to beat into Qasim’s head, it’s important that we act normally. The ‘normal’ thing for me to do would be to call Barron.”

  “I understand, Captain.”

  Barron answers almost immediately. “Well?”

  “We survived the night. But my boat smells like a Chinese restaurant. And my holding take is almost full.”

  “My bad. I made my passengers clean up all their crap, and I took it ashore last night. Tell Raham to do the same. If he gives you any shit, I’ll have Yasin call him.”

  “I’m sure he’ll do it. He seems -- reasonable.”

  “Speaking of reasonable, Qasim is gone.”

  “Pity…” I can hear his smile. So, can Yasin, I think.

  “My holding tank is probably getting full, too. When they get your trash gathered up, bring it back here. We’ll go up, drop it off, and talk to the Dockmaster. We can tell him that we plan to leave at three, but that we both need pumpouts first.”

  “Sounds good. Are you bringing Kate? We can go get some breakfast.”

  “Good idea. She’s still below, but I’m sure she’ll want to go. Bring Katya.”

  * * *

  It takes us a while to get Barron’s trash, and our wives, organized, but eventually we head up the dock toward the clubhouse. When we get to the clubhouse, Natalee is there. “Are you always here, Natalee?”

  “Sometimes, it seems that way. What can I do for you?”

  “We plan to leave at three. But we both need pumpouts first.”

  “Pumpouts are not a problem. You’re really going to leave today?”

  “Yeah we have to get back. Work. It’ll be rough, but we can do it.”

  “You are both good Captains. Just be careful.”

  “We will. And a prayer wouldn’t hurt.”