Chapter 25
575 Words
Chapter 25While I was sitting a couple of tables away, observing the co-pilot as he was pouring tea, which the waiter had brought out to the veranda facing the rows of palms, a few yards away from the gazebo. The sun was setting behind them, sending rays of red amid mauve clouds shooting into the ocean beyond the garden.
“... I don’t think you’ll find Slimane that way, Mark.” Talya went on to say. “Unless I am wrong, the man is not going to have his name listed on any NGOs. I think he acts and directs everything from behind the scenes. He’s like the producer or the director of a play; he lets the actors take the praise or the tomatoes – whatever the case maybe – and never comes on stage.”
“Yes, I believe you’re right. So, do we let the evidence lead us to the producer then?”
“Absolutely. When we have the evidence, the authorities can do the rest, and you can do whatever is required – apprehend or kill the man – as usual.”
“So we need to find the way the drugs were shipped, instead?”
“Yes... And I believe we can find the answer at these Nassau Terminals. But to be sure we need to go there.”
“Well, if it’s a yacht we need, it’s a yacht that we will get then,” Mark concluded.
“There is another way to get there unnoticed,” John said quietly. “We can fly to Amelia Island – there are enough private jets going in and out of there every day to pass unnoticed – and get a fishing boat from the port, instead of a yacht if we need to get on the high seas. Your terminals are on Franklin Street on San Fernandina Beach – they’re actually railroad terminals, not shipping terminals.”
Mark turned to their apparently well-informed navigator. “How do you know all that? Do you have family on Amelia Island?”
“Not exactly. The place has one of the largest Afro-American communities on the East Coast. I was corresponding with someone there from time to time. The fellow wanted to come back to Africa...”
“How did you know about the terminals then? Did he mention them?” Mark asked.
“As a matter of fact he did. He sent some items to my parents a while ago and I had copies of the bill of lading mentioning the ‘Nassau Terminals’ as the point of departure of the package that was subsequently mailed from Miami to Africa.”
“That’s what I call a piece of good luck, John. I think we should do exactly what you’ve suggested,” Khalid said.
Turning to Talya, he saw that she had suddenly taken leave from the conversation. “What’s the matter? Don’t you think it’s a good idea to fly to Nassau?”
“Sure..., I have no problems with that...” Talya replied.
“But you’re not convinced?”
“No, no it’s not that... I’m just thinking about those fishing boats...”
Mark grimaced. “Don’t tell me we are going fishing?”
“I don’t know, Mark. I need to think about this whole thing once again.”
“Are we still going to Nassau then?”
“Oh yes, Khalid, we are definitely going to Nassau.”
“Okay then and if we don’t need a yacht, I can relax tonight...” Mark was stretching his arms over his head while Talya seemed to be unsatisfied with what she had heard.
“Well, if we have to prep the jet for tomorrow morning, John and I better get to the airport. Shall we see you in The Dining Room later?” Pierre asked, as he and John were ready to leave.
“That’s a good idea...” Khalid replied.
I closed my book and smiled to myself. They had figured out part of the operations, but they were certainly not near an answer. Thinking that we were shipping drugs or nitro in containers was a good idea, but they were far from hitting the jackpot.
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