Contract

by Ty Hutchinson

  As we neared the city center, the shadows faded under the streetlights and signage-adorned shops. We found ourselves moving around shoppers and commuters heading home from work without any problems. “This seems too easy,” Kostas whispered. “We’re basically walking to the port like any other person would.”

  “I agree. I think we both could have gotten this far individually.”

  “True, but no sense in breaking up the band now.”

  The Askeri Inzibat still had a presence both in their vehicles and on foot, but the locals didn’t seem to be bothered by them. Maybe it was a common occurrence. The Cesme police force was everywhere. They stood on street corners chatting with each other, basically being ineffective at their jobs. Moving past them wasn’t difficult.

  I felt a drop hit my cheek. “It’s starting to rain.”

  “The port’s just up ahead. We’d better hurry,” Kostas said, looking up.

  We were about a hundred yards out, and I didn’t see any barricades or any sort of congregation of Askeri Inzibat. It was as if it were an ordinary day in Cesme. As we got closer, I could see fishing boats of all sizes bobbing in their slips. There were maybe seventy-five boats, by my guess. There was decent light coverage along the embankment and entrance to the port, but little to none along the dock where the boats were secured.

  “Any idea where the captain and his boat are supposed to be?”

  “The last dock on the far left.”

  “Great. It’s the farthest from the entrance into the bay.”

  “There’s one contingency I managed to put in place,” Kostas said. “If there are any problems, we’re to make our way to the break wall, and swim out about fifty yards, and wait to be picked up.”

  “Why didn’t you share this information beforehand?”

  “Before I could say anything, gunfire interrupted our farewell.”

  “So what needs to happen in order to trigger Plan B?”

  “All hell breaks loose. The other option is our call. If we walk by the boat and straight out to the break wall, he’ll know to pick us up in the water.”

  “What if he’s not keeping watch?”

  Kostas shrugged. “He’s supposed to be fixing nets on the top deck of his boat.”

  “What are you thinking?”

  “In this particular instance, we should speak with the captain and see what he knows.”

  We continued with our lovebird act as we made our way toward the far dock. We made occasional peeks over our shoulders to see if we were being followed, but as far as I could tell, we were alone.

  I heard a squawk from a seagull, and the air smelled like salty fish with a tinge of motor oil mixed in. Water lapped against the hulls of the boats, and the dock creaked as it moved up and down. Some of the boats were lit by small gas lanterns as their owners tended to their boats or sat inside enjoying a meal with others. By then, the sporadic raindrops had grown large enough to splat loudly against the dock.

  “It’ll start coming down hard soon,” I said.

  “The boat should be near the end of the dock,” Kostas said, craning his neck.

  We scanned the backs of the boats looking for the one named Spiro.

  “There,” Kostas said pointing.

  The boat was dark, and I certainly didn’t see anyone fixing nets. “First impressions aren’t hopeful.”

  Kostas looked over his shoulder once again before we stopped in front of the boat. He pulled me into a bear hug and pretended to kiss my neck. “Altan,” he called out. He waited a moment before calling out again.

  “No fish today,” a ragged voice said from the darkness on board.

  In an instant, Kostas pushed me forward. “Run. He’s been compromised.”

  Before we could take more than two steps in any direction, a barrage of lights hit us and the surrounding boats came to life as men appeared with assault rifles. The worst-case scenario had revealed itself. My eyes shifted back and forth looking for an escape route, but everywhere I looked had me facing the barrel of a rifle. And then a familiar voice punctuated the shuffling of boots.

  “Sei, what’s your hurry?”

  57

  Demir appeared from the shadows. The bags under his eyes were dark and heavy—usually signs of a man wrought with stress and desperation, but seeing a smile stretched across his face made me think that was no longer the case.

  “I’m glad we’re able to meet up. I worried you would leave my country without a proper goodbye.” He strolled toward us.

  He might as well have had both hands tucked into his pant pockets while whistling a smart tune the way the smugness wafted off of him.

  At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to leap forward and punch that silly grin right off his face. His sarcastic comments only fueled my dislike for him. He was a weak man who derived power from his position—not from respect, loyalty, or admiration.

  I played his silly game and extended a friendly wave. “Here I am, saying goodbye. Now if you would excuse us, we must be moving on. As you can see, it’s starting to rain.”

  “Yes, I realize that,” he said, wiping his face. “But I can’t allow that just yet. We still have unfinished business to attend to.”

  “Are you speaking of the Wolf? Surely you have located him by now, right? I mean a man of your means… Well, let me say no more.”

  Demir’s left eye twitched at my remark. I had just insulted him in front of his men and received my answer. Even though the Wolf had set me up, I couldn’t help but laugh silently about the predicament he’d put Demir in. “I trust your reunion was joyous?”

  Demir’s eyes narrowed and bore into me. The smile that graced his face had flat-lined, and his posture stiffened. The polite act was over. But still, I had to wonder, why the intense interest in my capture? How would I solve his problem? Did he want to somehow pin the Wolf’s escape on me? Would that mask his incompetence in managing the transfer? Whatever his reason, I could not see Kostas or myself coming out of it alive. This was the endgame. All viable options were on the table.

  By then the warm rain was pouring down in full force. My blouse stuck to my back, and the headscarf I wore acted like a sponge, soaking up water and weighing on my head. The downpour could help us by decreasing visibility, but we had to make a move. Kostas and I were backed up against the edge of the dock. Behind us were two boats separated by a four-foot gap. Demir and his men were slowly closing in on us. I whispered to Kostas the word “dive.”

  “Stop right there, General Demir. You’re absolutely right. I do owe you a proper explanation. But first, is that your tank over there?” I asked, pointing behind him.

  Demir bit and stopped his advancement. The men near him seemed confused by my pointing and turned their heads for a look.

  “Now!” I said.

  We both dove backward into the dark waters of the port at the same moment. I knew Demir’s men wouldn’t be able to see me in the pitch-black water even if it hadn’t been raining. While they would be shooting blind, it also meant I had no visibility either.

  I couldn’t be sure what Kostas had decided to do when we hit the water, but I discarded my headscarf as soon as I went under and swam down about six feet before swimming to the left and then forward. I knew swimming straight ahead for about thirty-five feet would put me at the dock just opposite us. I figured if I could get there undetected, I could move under the boats relatively unseen.

  As I stroked and kicked, I could hear the muffled pops of gunfire, but I couldn’t hear the zipping of bullets in the water near me. They had no idea where I was. Based on the number of strokes, I figured I was halfway to the other dock. Demir’s men would have to run about seventy feet along the dock, cross over the embankment, and then run another seventy feet on the other dock to reach the location opposite of where we were.

  I did my best to remain calm and conserve my energy. There was a slight burn in my lungs, but I felt confident I could remain underwater until I reached the other dock. The only problem I fa
ced was surfacing. Too early would give away my position. I swam what felt like another four feet and then slowly rose to the top.

  I had my eyes open but couldn’t see anything. My hands were outstretched to prevent me from smashing into the bottom of a boat. I moved them back and forth, hoping to feel a hull so I could use it to guide me to the dock.

  A second later, there was a sharp pain in my pinky finger. I jerked my hand back and felt a cut; it had to be a barnacle. I reached gently again and felt the bottom of a boat and used it to guide me back and around the propellers. I remained under water for another foot or so before breaking the surface under the floating wooden dock.

  58

  Even with the popping of the rain on the water’s surface and the wind whistling around the boats, I could still hear Demir’s men shouting. It was dark under the dock, and that also helped to raise my confidence. Demir had no idea where I was. And I had no idea where Kostas had disappeared to. Clearly he opted for a different direction then I, and based on the shouting, it sounded as if he had gotten away. At least I hoped he had.

  I swam to the end of the dock where there was an open slip, and observed. Every few seconds I could see Demir through the narrow spaces between the boats. He was shouting and pointing at various areas in the water. Occasionally, one of his men would fire his rifle.

  From my position, I was good fifteen yards from the break wall made of large boulders. I thought about swimming to it and climbing over to the other side. I would be outside of the port, but what was I to do then? Swim to Chios? All around me were boats, but backing one of these slow-moving vessels out of its slip undetected would be challenging.

  The other option I thought of was to head back inland and out of Cesme to another coastal town, and try to get to Chios from there. Neither scenario was ideal, but heading back into town seemed the safest bet.

  I felt my front pocket. I still had the wad of euros Kashani had given me. I was sure I had enough to buy a ride to Chios from an opportunistic fisherman.

  From under the dock, I searched for movement along the boats or near the other docks hoping to find Kostas. My one thought was that he had ducked back under the dock we were standing on. Dangerous but plausible. Part of me wished I knew where he’d gone. I wasn’t too proud to turn down whatever help he might be able to provide. He had proven useful in the past. My instinct, though, was to go it alone. It hadn’t failed me yet.

  My training told me to never stay put. It made one a target. I slowly swam back toward the embankment. Demir’s men were still focusing their efforts around the other dock when the hum of an outboard motor caught my attention, and from the end of the other dock appeared a Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB) with two Askeri Inzibat inside. One piloted the boat while the other sat near the bow.

  I recognized it because I had utilized one just like it to insert myself on an island where a mark for a contract was located. These boats coped well with rough waters, yet were agile enough to maneuver in tight spaces. It was about thirteen feet in length and was equipped with two high-speed outboard motors. What I wouldn’t do to snatch it from under them.

  The two men were methodically combing the areas between the boats with a large floodlight. I swam to the next dock over to put greater distance between the RHIB and myself. It was easier to gauge the distance the second time, and I popped up under the dock without any problems. But there was a surprise waiting for me.

  “Geez, you scared the hell out of me,” Kostas said in a low voice as he treaded water, his sport coat gone.

  “That makes two of us. How did you end up over here?”

  “I thought they would target the next dock, so I kept swimming. Did you stop at that one?”

  “I did.”

  “Boy, you’re lucky.”

  “I thought you swam under the dock we were standing on.”

  “A little more credit than that would be nice,” Kostas said with his chin tucked back.

  I filled him in on what I had observed and what I thought our options were.

  “Well, that boat will be over here soon enough,” Kostas said. “We won’t make it out of port in one of these fishing boats with that speedster in the water. They’ll catch up with us in an instant. Still, I think we’re better off staying in Cesme rather than heading to another town. Chios is the closest to Turkey, with a ferry to Athens. If we get there, we’ll be okay.”

  Before I could respond, the RHIB started motoring directly toward our location. The beam from the floodlight penetrated the downpour with ease. There would be no escaping should it find us.

  59

  “Hurry,” Kostas said as he turned and swam toward the embankment.

  I yanked him back by his collar. “Wait. We have an opportunity,” I said, eyeing the RHIB.

  “You’re crazy, you know that? And crossing that channel isn’t exactly a walk in the park.”

  “Chios is only an hour away, and that boat is built to cope with rough seas. It’s nearly impossible to sink, even if it sustains damage from gunfire.”

  “Even so,” Kostas said, “we still have to overpower those two and take control of that boat without so much as making a peep. And we don’t know that Demir doesn’t have a bigger, faster boat in the waiting. We have to assume he planned for that.”

  “For a spy, you’re pretty conservative with your decisions.”

  “It’s called being covert. It’s how we operate.”

  “Your way got us here, under this dock. My turn. Follow my lead.”

  I swam in the opposite direction, toward a slip where a large fishing boat was anchored. “I see you lost your jacket,” I said without looking back.

  “Same goes for my gun. It slipped out of my waistband when I dove into the water.”

  “I still have my blade. That means you’re bait.”

  “Wait, what?”

  “I need you to draw their attention, but don’t get shot.”

  “Thanks for the helpful tip. I never would have thought of that.”

  “I’ll take care of the two men while you distract them.”

  “No. We can’t allow them to fire off a shot. We’ll both have to attack them at the same time. They’re moving slowly enough that we can get behind the boat and swim up on them.”

  “You don’t have a weapon; it’s too dangerous. I’ll dispatch the one near the rear, by the motor. I need you to distract the one in front operating the floodlight until I can get to him.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Kostas didn’t have a whole lot of faith in my plan, but I knew I could take them both fairly quickly. “You’ll have to trust me.”

  We waited near the large fishing boat until the Askeri Inzibat were about fifteen yards out. Kostas and I took a deep breath and disappeared under the water. I swam down three feet and then forward. I could hear the hum of the engine, making it easier to gauge my distance. We both broke the surface of the water at the same time. We were about three feet behind the boat and moved toward it quietly. Kostas motioned that he was going under again and would surface in front of the boat. As soon as he disappeared from view, I began a count; one for every stroke I assumed he would take underwater. When I thought I had given him enough time, I made my move.

  I grabbed the rope lining the side of the boat and, in one fell swoop, pulled myself up and in. Just as the guard standing near the steering wheel turned his head toward me, I struck him in his neck twice with my blade. He reached up with both hands, gagging. I had done enough damage to immobilize him, so I focused on the other guard.

  Exactly as I’d hoped, he abandoned his floodlight and looked back. His eyes widened in disbelief as he froze in fear and confusion. By then Kostas had surfaced and grabbed onto the front of the boat and pulled down hard, causing the guard to lose his footing. I fell as well. The guard recovered before I did and swung his rifle around toward Kostas. My foot slipped on my first step toward him. He raised his rifle. I needed two more steps to make contact. He aimed at Kostas’ face.
I dove forward.

  Bam!

  60

  Demir paced the dock while waving his weapon and shouting. “They’re still here. I know it. Find them!” He had already ordered his men to seal off the port. He also had men converging on the break wall in the event the two tried to swim toward it. “I want every single boat searched!”

  He had clamped his jaw shut, forcing heavy wet breaths out of his wide nostrils. He could barely contain himself. I had her. She was right in front of me. But he had decided to toy with her. He wanted to bask in the moment, parade like a proud peacock in front of his men. His ego had failed him. Again.

  He spun on his heels twice, unsure of a direction until he heard a guard cry out. “They’re in the boat. Over there.”

  “Move! Move! Move!” Demir yelled as he bounded off the dock and ran along the concrete embankment. “Is the girl in the boat? Did you see her?” He wanted to be absolutely sure she was in the RHIB and it wasn’t a decoy.

  “I saw the outline of two people,” the same guard reported.

  The heavy boots of the Askeri Inzibat drummed the wooden planks as they rushed toward the end of the dock, where the RHIB had just rounded the corner. From there, it was a straight shot along the break wall and then out to sea.

  Some of the guards stopped and fired while others tried to get closer.

  “Where’s the other boat?” Demir shouted. “We can’t let them leave the bay.”

  No sooner had Demir uttered those words than the whine of a motor closed in from behind. It was another RHIB with three Askeri Inzibat inside.

  “No, no.” Demir waved them on as he saw the boat slow to pick him up. They had ground to make up. “No prisoners. Kill them. I want them dead!”

  Upon hearing his order, every guard opened fire on the boat. Bullets whizzed over the RHIB, and tiny explosions danced in the water surrounding it. A few bullets managed to puncture the inflatable collar that circled the boat, but the reinforced hull resisted any significant damage.