by Chris Ryan
The others had put their trowels down, fascinated and appalled.
Amber was sitting on the veranda, her chin propped on her hands. 'Ian made a mayday call when he escaped. Because of that, we knew where to find you. So he carried on doing his job, right to the last minute. He saved you, really.'
They worked quietly for a while in companionable silence, turning over sand, lifting out blackened remains.
Bowman emptied his basket and came back to dig again. 'I'm going to talk to my lawyer about that contract. I want to make sure there's nothing that can be done with it.'
Li straightened up and tried to scratch an itch on her cheek with the back of her hand. 'There's no need. I got it.'
Bowman looked at her, incredulous. 'Did you?'
'From his safe. I was going to bring it back but I had to use it to distract Hearst. I left him picking up little pieces of it from all over the water.'
Bowman chuckled. 'I'd like to have seen that. He's a slimy double-crossing toad. I'd worked with him for ten years. We'd had our differences, but that doesn't excuse what he did. He didn't care how many lives he ruined; he just wanted to make a profit. Nature has given us a priceless resource and we should use it wisely . . .' He lifted out another bird. 'Sorry. I just got my campaigning hat on then for a moment.'
Paulo was working his way closer to Bowman's patch. 'Why do you think he did it?'
'He was frustrated because I stood in his way,' said Bowman simply. 'And then he found a loophole and a corrupt official. You see, in order to drill, ArBonCo had to pay the government for the rights because it's Curaçao land – that's what the contract was, a document giving them the right to drill. But Hearst inflated the price ArBonCo would pay – by fifty million dollars. ArBonCo would pay the government, then the official would use some very clever accounting to cream off the fifty million so the government only got what they expected, then the official would transfer twenty-five million dollars back to Hearst.'
Alex picked up his basket. 'Whereas now, they're taking early retirement in jail.'
'Only Hearst, I'm afraid,' said Bowman. 'There's not enough proof to implicate his accomplice. He was clever about covering his tracks.'
Amber's hand dropped from her chin. 'We know who he is,' she insisted. 'Simon Ter Haar.'
Bowman looked at her. 'I know who it is too, but we have no proof. Yet. It looks like Hearst did most of the running, even if Ter Haar did most of the thinking. Still, the fact that Hearst is in jail will be enough for me. His betrayal was by far the worst. And I have some very clever people looking at all the records to see if we can nail Ter Haar too. But at the moment, yes, he's still free.'
The others read the disappointment in Amber's face. The memory of the time she'd spent in Ter Haar's house wasn't going to go away in a hurry.
She swallowed hard. Bad flashbacks were one of the hazards of a job like this. You had to deal with them. She closed her eyes. After a while, the gentle rasp of trowel on wet sand and the voices of her friends made her feel more calm.
'What's going to happen to the tanker?' said Paulo.
'I'm having it removed by a specialist team,' said Bowman. 'No more accidents.'
'What about the concert?' said Li.
'It's rescheduled for next week. But I'm afraid if you come you'll have to hear me make my long boring speech about a prosperous future looking after the environment.'
Amber opened her eyes and looked out into the bay. She felt optimistic. And now that she looked, something was different. At first she couldn't see what had changed. Then she realized – the sorbent booms had gone. The horizon was clear, the sea was blue. It would be some time before the ecosystem recovered, but the view looked almost normal again.
Behind her, Lynn, Danny and Carl watched from the bar window. Lynn had taken a few pictures and was showing them to the two men, clicking them up on the display on the back of the camera.
'That'll make a nice story,' said Danny quietly.
'Yeah,' agreed Carl. He imagined the headline: BILL BOWMAN, BACK IN CHARGE AND SHOWING THE WAY AHEAD.
Lynn walked through to her office and sat down at the phone. But before she phoned Ray on the Amigoe, she had another call to make. She dialled her sister.
'Sarah? There's something I want you to do.'
EPILOGUE
Simon Ter Haar manoeuvred his Mercedes into the garage, put the handbrake on and cut the engine. The silence was welcome – peace and quiet at last. As he pulled the key out he let his forehead rest on the leather steering wheel for a moment.
It had been a draining day – the police coming into the department, questioning him, looking through the files. But they hadn't found anything. Thank goodness he'd been careful. There were only two links to Hearst. First there were the calls on his mobile, but he'd got that covered; he had bought a pay-as-you-go unit from a dodgy dealer on a back street in Willemstad for cash so no one could trace it, and when everything went wrong he'd taken the sim card out and dropped it down a drain. Now no one could tell they'd ever talked to one another. The second link was in the e-mails. Ter Haar was a bit more worried about these. He'd been very discreet – there was nothing specific – but how long would it be before the police started asking questions about them? He would have to play it very, very cool.
The hit man might have been a problem, but he'd got away. The police had followed him to a cavern by the coast and then he had, quite simply, disappeared. They had found his boat, abandoned, but nothing else, and had concluded that he must have had a cache of dive gear in the cave and escaped underwater. Ter Haar could well believe it. 'John', if that was his name, had always been self-sufficient and secretive from the word go. It was a relief not to have him in the house any more.
Ter Haar reached for his Gucci briefcase and got out of the car. He slammed the door hard. How frustrating for all that work to come to nothing. Months of planning and hopes had gone down the drain with that sim card. Ter Haar blamed Hearst. He'd been outsmarted by a bunch of environmentalists who didn't even look old enough to be out of school. It was right that Hearst should end up in jail – for being stupid.
Ter Haar put his key in the front door. It's time to calm down, he told himself. And indeed, just seeing the fine grain of the antique oak made him feel better. Inside was his oasis, his beautiful things that made the world feel special.
He twisted the key and stepped into the tiled hall.
It was when he closed the door that he noticed the smell. Heavy, like sulphur. Perhaps the drains were leaking.
'Mary?' he called. He listened for his housekeeper's response. No one replied. She must be out in the laundry room. Or maybe it was her evening off. He'd speak to her about it tomorrow. He put his keys on the marble hall table and went through to the lounge.
The smell was so strong it nearly made him retch. And what was all this?
A black mess, frosted with sand, lay in the middle of his pale grey carpet. At first he couldn't work out what it was; just a spiky jumble of rubbish dug up from the beach. Then his brain began to make sense of it – a tumble of wings, beaks, claws and eyes.
Dead seabirds.
They lay in a heap like leaves collected for a bonfire. More had been dumped on the ivory sofa and chairs. Around each heap was a black halo, which the pale furnishings were soaking up like blotting paper.
There must have been hundreds of birds there, slowly bleeding seawater and oil.
His damask suite – grimy like a mechanic's overalls. His silk cushions – smeared like rags. His pure wool carpet. Stained like a garage floor.
He stepped back, gagging.
CHRIS RYAN'S TOP SAS TIPS FOR SAFETY AND SURVIVAL IN AND AROUND WATER
Water sports are a lot of fun but never forget that water is dangerous. If something goes wrong it takes only seconds to drown – and even if people are pulled out alive, they often die later in hospital. Here are my top ten tips for safety and survival in and around the water.
1. Learn to swim
> Whether you're sailing, windsurfing, water skiing, kayaking, fishing, snorkelling or riding a jet ski the golden rule is – learn to swim. Even if you're on a boat and not intending to get wet, you might end up taking an unexpected dip! And the 'learn to swim' rule counts even if you're scuba diving. Just because you've got air tanks doesn't mean you're safe. If something goes wrong with your equipment, you need to know how to swim back to safety.
Ask your school about swimming lessons if you don't know how to swim, or find out where your local pool is.
2. Get proper training
Except in a dire emergency, Alpha Force would never try a new activity without getting tuition – and neither should you. If you want to go scuba diving, go on a proper course. You'll be shown all the kit and how to use it, as well as being able to practise vital skills like the hand signals Alpha Force use when diving. You'll also learn how to take off your regulator and mask underwater and put them back on. This is unbelievably scary the first few times because you're suddenly blind and unable to breathe – but you want to be prepared in case it happens to you for real when you're out.
Even simpler-looking sports like surfing have important safety rules. For instance, if you're surfing and you get a dunking, come up with your hands above your head. Your board will be whizzing around loose; if it hits you on the head it could knock you out or break your nose, whereas a whack on the arms probably won't hurt so much.
To be really safe, you could also learn lifesaving techniques – and of course brush up on first aid. Again, lifesaving lessons should be available through swimming clubs at your local pool.
3. Use the right kit
Boats should have lifejackets for everyone. Don't rely on recreational swimming aids such as lilos – they may look funkier but they are not tough enough to save you in a real emergency. Never water ski or get on a jet ski without a lifejacket; you can reach high speeds and if you fall off, you could be knocked unconscious and drown.
It's always colder on the water so when you're sailing take extra jumpers and waterproofs. The sun's stronger too; so don't forget SPF (sun protection factor) cream or you'll soon look like a lobster.
If you're surfing or diving in cold water always use a wetsuit. It's easy to get very cold underwater because water cools you down. If the temperature's really low you may need a drysuit instead, because you can wear thermals underneath. Don't underestimate the effect of cold; it can exhaust you quickly and put you in real danger.
Make sure equipment is well maintained. Surfboards may have sharp edges, broken fins, etc., which can injure you. Boats need to be serviced regularly, and make sure someone checks that you have enough fuel and battery power before you set out: you'll feel really silly if you run out! Boats should also have some kind of emergency signalling device – such as an Emergency Position Radio Beacon (EPiRB). This sends out global marine distress signals to ships, planes and satellites. It should also be checked and everyone on the craft should know how to operate it. Everyone should also know where the life rafts are and how to operate them.
When you get back, do any essential maintenance on your equipment straight away: wash wetsuits and dive gear with fresh water and arrange for any necessary repairs. Don't just leave it all in a heap while you put your feet up for a nice refreshing drink, or you could forget to do it altogether!
4. Check the area first
Don't swim, sail or surf anywhere unless you know it's safe. On beaches there will be designated areas – stick to them. Even if the water outside these areas looks calm, there could be dangerous rocks or strong currents that can suck you under. Even the best swimmer can't fight a strong undercurrent so it's best to avoid them. There may also be certain times when the tides change and make watersports more hazardous.
Don't swim where others are sailing. In some conditions boats may not be able to see you.
Don't go out too deep. If the sea floor drops abruptly, not only will you be unable to put your feet down; it's also the most likely place to find strong currents.
Inland waters such as rivers and lakes can be just as dangerous as the open sea. Lakes can be very cold beneath the surface – so cold that you could go into shock if you fall in. The bottoms of lakes and rivers can be soft, uneven and changeable and there may be submerged objects that might damage your boat or injure you. River currents are often stronger than they appear (you can check by throwing in a twig).
If there are no signs or notices, don't assume the water is safe. Check with someone who knows the area – a shopkeeper, a caravan park owner or someone who lives nearby. They are likely to know the dangers.
When I was fifteen and just learning to dive, I learned the value of local knowledge. I was looking for lobsters in the North Sea with a mate, feeling my way through a bed of kelp more than two metres high. It was spooky and slimy and when I felt something pull me I thought it was kelp. But when I put my hand down to feel behind me, my fingers touched a head and a snout. Thoughts of terrifying creatures flashed through my mind and I surfaced in two seconds flat – only to find my mate had surfaced too and was bobbing in the water laughing at me. My hideous monster had been nothing more dangerous than a friendly seal. My mate had known they were there, but I hadn't – and I felt a right idiot.
5. Watch out for marine life
Shark-infested waters
Anywhere there is warm salt water, there are sharks. If you are out in the water and you spot a shark, obviously you have to get away. No, it's not cool to try to stroke it or ride it. Instead, stay calm and swim strongly and rhythmically back to land or your boat. If you thrash wildly on the surface, shrieking that there's a shark in the water, that's a sure way to get eaten.
The tiniest amount of blood in the water is like a dinner gong to a shark. So if you're in an area where sharks are known to visit and you cut yourself, get out straight away!
Don't swim or surf near people who are fishing – not only might you get caught up in their lines; their bait and the thrashing motion of the caught fish might attract sharks.
If you're spear fishing, don't tie your catch to yourself by a short line. A passing shark will think the fish is the garnish and you're the main course. Put your catch in a floating basket, or tie it to a line at least eight metres long. And make sure you have permission to fish – you could be killing endangered species, and a number of fish in warmer waters are poisonous to eat!
Other nasties in the sea
Although they may not try to eat you, many other creatures in warm coastal waters sting or bite. Some are poisonous, but even if they're not you might get a nasty wound. Mostly they are not aggressive – they attack when people do dumb things.
Never try to pat a sea creature, see what their skin feels like or feed them a titbit – you will definitely regret it.
In the shallows, watch what's under your feet. In some parts of the world, stingrays hide in the sand. It's easy to step on one – and their barbed tails are very painful and poisonous. Find out if there are stingrays in the area before you go in. Shuffle your feet rather than wade. Then, if a stingray is buried in the sand, your foot will nudge him and he'll take off to a quieter area before you stomp on him.
It's a good idea to wear some kind of foot protection anyway when in the water. Even if there aren't stingrays, there may be broken glass or sharp shells.
Another major hazard is jellyfish. They often drift ashore and die on the beach, where they look intriguing – particularly the blue Portuguese Man-of-War. Never touch them. Even though they're dead, they still sting. Yes, it may be tempting to pop the air bladder with your toe but don't – it's like stepping on a bed of hot coals.
When you're in the water, jellyfish are difficult to see, so look for signs on land. If a lot have been washed up on the shore, there are probably more of them alive in the water. And don't go in after a major storm – the waves break up the tentacles so that they can't be seen, but they can give you a painful sting.
If you're in the water with
someone who gets stung by a jellyfish or a stingray, help them out as quickly as possible and get first aid.
6. Feet first
Don't dive into water unless you are absolutely sure of the depth and can see the bottom. Every year people are paralysed diving into shallow water in rivers and lakes. Always enter the water feet first.
7. Don't go alone
Even the best swimmers, sailors and surfers can get into trouble. If you're on your own there's no one to help or call for rescue, so don't be tempted to go out on the water without a companion.