Commandeered (Mercury Black Authority Book 2) Page 17

  Francesca and Frank prepared the Lear for flight. When they were through, Frank invited Gregory to take the controls to log in some more flying time after which Francesca joined Anna and Adam in the passenger cabin. Anna was curious.

  “Francesca you were very quiet. I hope that you and Frank enjoyed yourselves. We never saw you.”

  “We are not as advanced at playing. My background is pretty much traditional.”

  “What about all that stuff you and Adam did?” Adam was surprised to hear this.

  Francesca shrugged off the comment, “We ran some guns covering half the globe, and he killed me. That is about it.”

  “You are so devoted to each other I thought you were fully involved.” Anna had the feeling that she put her foot in her mouth.

  “No, I was a rebel leader. They hired Noah to kill me and there was no choice, so he faked my death and I started a new life. You heard the story down in Barbados.”

  Anna wanted to clarify things, “You told me about him setting you up with a new ID, but you never said why.”

  “I was a communist rebel leader, and the CIA wanted me dead. So Noah put a gun to my head and fired. He faked my death claiming that he threw me out of the airplane.”

  “So, for that you trust him now?”

  “No, if he did shoot me, he could have kept the six million dollars that he was holding.” Anna was surprised that he turned down six million to keep his word.

  “And you trusted him to keep his word?”

  “I might as well trust him. He could have shot me anyway. They would have sent someone else if he refused because as long as I was alive they would hunt me. They killed my husband and his brother without much problem.” Anna looked over at Adam.

  “You turned down six million to save a friend that you have only known for a week or two?” Anna was trying to get a handle on this. Adam finally decided to enter the conversation.

  “You cannot put a price or a clock on friendship. Whether it is for a few hours, a few days, or a few years a friend is a friend. Francesca and I are not romantically compatible. However, we are most definitely friends.”

  Before accepting Adam’s offer, Anna and Gregory had many long discussions about whether or not Adam could be trusted. “We were carrying one hundred pounds of gold and four hundred carats of Russian diamonds to fund our new life in America. I came prepared to shoot him if there was any funny business on the trip.”

  “I was also prepared to shoot him.” Francesca added. “He took the whole payment up to North America and promised to bring back the rest of the guns. I am very glad that I did not have to shoot him.”

  “I am glad you did not shoot him too. He delivered on everything he promised. His sense of friendship set the General and me up very comfortably. To tell the truth it would have hurt me to shoot him. He is a very good friend.” Adam tried to interject himself in the conversation.

  “I am glad that neither one of you had to shoot me. It has happened in the past, and I can safely say I would like to avoid it in the future.” Anna brushed her hand over Adam’s right arm.

  “Are these little scars from a shotgun?” There was a series of pin head scars all over Adam’s forearm.

  “That is over spray the guy in front of me took the main load. I have a few more holes in me, but they are flesh wounds. There are a few knife wounds and some miscellaneous scars from other accidents.”

  Anna was happier with her decision to trust Adam. She was sure that if things got tough he would not cut and run. She felt that this venture could succeed. A ship could easily hold the three hundred thousand pounds of cargo and more. The run to Malta would be worth it if her former contact was still in business. It was only noon when they landed in Malta. The contact was in the Valletta area, and Adam decided to make the two nights stay memorable. The hotel was a five star hotel in Valletta. He booked rooms at the Hotel Phoenicia booking a suite for Anna and Gregory and did the same for Francesca and Frank while booking a smaller room overlooking the extensive gardens on a different floor for his choice. After settling into their rooms, everybody gathered on the terrace for lunch. They settled for a variety of Mediterranean appetizers for five. Adam preferred Spanish wine, so he ordered an Alicante from Castile. The fall air was pleasantly warm. Francesca and Frank opted for taking a tour of the old forts. Gregory left to look up an old friend because Anna’s contact Marc did not like him after he made a pass at his teenage daughter.

  Anna took Adam down to a bar in the harbor area and after a few stops they found Marc. He was a man in his sixties. Marc owned a small fleet of feeder container ships. They worked the Middle East stopping at various small ports in the Mediterranean. His personal ship was called the Patna, which was the smallest of the fleet. It was rated at three hundred TEU, which meant that it could hold three hundred twenty foot containers or hold up to one hundred fifty forty foot containers. The feeder ships had their own booms for loading in the smaller ports. The Patna had three such booms and could load or unload rapidly.

  Adam tried to recall the reference, “Patna, the name sounds familiar.”

  Marc laughed, “It is a ship mentioned in one of Joseph Conrad’s books?”

  Adam knew which book it was in, “It is the doomed ship carrying Muslim pilgrims that refused to sink. It ruined Jim’s career in ‘Lord Jim’. All the readers think it is a hard luck name but the ship survived without a crew.”

  Marc produced several pictures of the Patna. It appeared to be a hulk with the hull looking as if it had not seen paint in years. The white superstructure showed many rust streaks. It looked like Conrad’s description of the Patna in his book. He produced pictures of the interior. The bridge looked like a disaster area but the cabins were modern and up to date and the engine room was immaculate.

  “Her engine room is clean enough to eat off the floor,” Marc bragged. She came with enough power for a ship twice her size. The hull design will cruise at twenty knots and can over drive to twenty five knots or better. The waterline is painted five feet higher than it should be so that even when it is carrying something it looks light. She carries ten thousand extra gallons of fuel for longer range or ballast. I prefer to ballast with fuel since we can fill the ship when the price is low. It can accommodate a thirty man crew, so I have enough skilled boom operators that we can work around the clock and the crew is highly skilled.”

  Adam was surprised when Marc went directly to the smuggling aspects. Anna calmed him down.

  “I have only dealt with Marc for special shipments. You will notice that he did not ask about the cargo. He will not ask about it either. We do need to give him the starting point and the finish point.”

  “That makes sense. Go ahead and tell him.”

  “We will be picking up on the Black Sea at Trabzon, Turkey,” Anna said, “offloading on the Arabian Sea at Karachi, Pakistan.”

  “The price will be two hundred fifty thousand. I want one hundred twenty five up front and the rest when we leave the dock in Trabzon. It should take six or seven days. Depending on the time of day, the Suez Canal traffic is one way, so you may be delayed for several hours. You will of course pay the tolls. Do you plan on any passengers?”

  “Yes, six to ten passengers, but I have not figured that out yet. How many can you handle?”

  “With a maximum crew we can accommodate ten to twenty passengers, depending on whether you require single or double cabins.”

  “There will be a maximum of five hundred thousand metric tons. I have a man that will help with the documents and when you are closer to a departure, he will help with the paperwork.”

  “There will be a bonus in Karachi after we off load.” Adam wanted to keep Marc’s attention. “Let us say a fifty percent bonus after we offload in Karachi.” Marc perked up instantly.

  “I can hear what you say. What do I call you?”

  “Call me Noah.”

  “Well, Noah, you have chartered an Ark.” Marc said making Adam feel much better already. “Anna, te
ll your pervert husband that I would still like to talk to him.”

  Adam had to ask, “What was that about?

  “Gregory groped his fourteen year old daughter twenty years ago and Marc wants me to remind Gregory that he is still looking for him. It will be safe to say that Gregory will not be joining us on the voyage. If the two of them end up in the same room only one will walk out. Gregory is good but Marc is a sneaky bastard so I would give him the edge.”

  Adam and Anna took a taxi back to the Phoenician. Anna was exhilarated. It had been three years since she had worked a deal with Marc, but mother Russia did not like to pay the help. Anna had to admit that their simple life was safe and secure but it did lack excitement. When they arrived back at the hotel, Anna had a message from Gregory saying he would be back tomorrow afternoon.

  “He is out whoring around again. It is one of his weaknesses. I put up with it because he does not say anything about my little adventures.” Adam called up to see if Francesca and Frank were available, but they were out touring. Anna decided to go down to the harbor and walk around, since from her earliest days she loved walking the harbors. They found the fisherman’s harbor and walked around looking at the multicolored fishing boats. Anna loved the water having lived within walking distance of the Black Sea as a child. The blue green of the Mediterranean with the colorful fishing boats floating in the harbor put Anna in a reflective mood causing her whole demeanor to soften as the old images flooded her brain.

  Adam spotted a small restaurant on the water. It was not serving dinner but cold appetizers could be arranged. They ordered a bottle of Spanish Alicante and allowed the owner to select some cold local fare. Adam was surprised when Anna accepted the dry red wine. Anna walked in the building rinsing off her feet and sandals. The owner gave her a towel. She put her feet in Adam’s lap.

  “My feet are killing me.” Anna moved her feet seductively in Adam’s lap. “Give me a foot rub?” Adam complied with a firm foot rub.

  “So are you going to become Noah again? Does Terri know yet?” Anna pressed.

  “She does not know what we just covered this afternoon. The reason she did not come with us is that Susan had a project that she needs to work on.” The owner brought out a dish called hobz-biz-zejet which was bread stuffed with onions, tomatoes, capers, and tuna with an herbal olive oil dip. He also brought out a selection of olives, cheese and herbs. Adam and Anna sat in the sun discussing her childhood on the Black Sea. When the restaurant was open for dining, they had an herb salad, humus, grilled octopus, and Aljotta, which was a fish soup. They browsed slowly taking several hours to eat. They ordered Sea Bass for a main course and Canoles for dessert. Anna and Adam watched the sun set behind the hills on the other side of the harbor.

  It was nine PM before they made their way back to the hotel. Adam purchased a bottle of Cointreau on the way back to the Phoenician. They did not turn on any lights. The lights from the city provided enough light in the room. Anna handed Adam the bottle.

  “Pour us a couple of drinks. I need to wash my feet off after walking through the street they feel like sandpaper. Anna walked out of the bath naked. She had a muscular feminine body and every inch of her was toned. She was not thin, but there was little fat on her. Her nipples stood out prominently from her breasts. Adam noticed a glint of light each from each of her diamond barbells. She wore a single long gold chain with a loop in each end which was connected to each bar bell.

  “So Adam, what did Terri tell you about our evening at the Inn?”

  “A gentleman does not ask.” He smiled and kept quiet. Anna held the glass up to her chest and poured a small amount over each breast.

  “Does a gentleman help a lady clean up?” Using his hair she pulled his lips to her breasts. He licked her diamonds proceeding to clean up every drop. She undressed him and put her chain between his teeth. Adam cleaned up again as she poured a little more of the liquor on another area of her body. She pushed him back on the bed and poured little drips all over his body cleaning up each drip. The bottle was empty by midnight. When they were through, Anna slipped out of bed and gathered Adam’s clothes helping him to get dressed.

  “I promised Gregory that I would not sleep with you.” Adam was confused.

  “What did we just do?”

  “We definitely did not sleep. Now get dressed.” When he was ready she escorted him to the door gently pushing him out. Adam went back to his room to sleep. When he returned to his room there was a message to call Francesca and Frank in the morning at nine AM.

  At nine Adam called Francesca and Frank finding out that they had arranged a tour. All of the business was finished. They called Anna to see if she wanted to join them for the tour. Gregory answered the phone and after pressing him a little he and Anna agreed to join the others for the tour. They went to Mdina the medieval capital of Malta. Anna insisted on the dungeon tour of the castle. She showed particular interest in the various devices in the dungeon. They had a quiet lunch returning to the hotel. Gregory and Anna decided to have dinner by themselves. Adam joined Frank and Francesca for a quiet dinner at a restaurant that the concierge recommended. Frank started out by asking Adam what his thoughts were on the arms deal.

  “How much are you planning on moving?”

  “Three or four hundred thousand pounds seems to be the target.”

  “Are you thinking about getting Francesca and I to help you?”

  “Not with the weapons, but I might need some help with some personal transportation. If you can find Ralph and our other Frank, I may not even need that. Then again, we may not do the deal. There is much to arrange yet.” Adam was right. The form of payment needed to be arranged. Adam needed to know how the payment was to be made and set the price. Francesca was worried about being involved in another arms deal.

  “We will be happy to help you with personal transportation, but we will haul nothing illegal.” Francesca was living the good life and was well thought of as a prominent business woman. She had many influential friends and she and Frank owned a highly successful business outright. Adam was a good friend, but there were limits. Adam appreciated this assuring them both that he would respect their wishes. After the ground rules were agreed upon they settled down to quiet conversations about the day’s sights agreeing to leave by eight AM, so that Adam could arrive in Washington early enough for a meeting with Hans.

  The Lear 36 was fueled and ready to go when they arrived at the airport. Francesca let Gregory take the controls with Frank. Frank had been a trainer for Everywhere Air running through some instructions with the Lear for Gregory while they were over the Atlantic Ocean. Adam closed his eyes in the back of the cabin while Anna and Francesca talked in the front seats of the passenger cabin. Francesca filled Anna in on upcoming contracts that she had information on and what it meant to various companies. They discussed financial strategies, clothes, and husbands.

  “How come you and Adam never got together,” Anna asked.

  “He was getting divorced from Pat at the time. Someone was trying to kill Terri and then there were the other women at the resort.”

  “My ex-wife Pat is out of bounds for discussion,” Adam said flatly. “She separated her life from mine. Please do me a favor and never mention that name again.” Francesca looked back at Adam in surprise. “I do not ask favors often, so please take me at my word.” Adam made the second request flatly without emotion, so Anna chose not to pursue the issue.

  “It was a past life,” Adam said without emotion.

  “I told you about my past,” Anna said. “What about you?”

  “I do not have a past, just a present and the future has yet to be decided.” It dawned on Anna that she never heard Adam discuss anything that happened in the past, not even the past year, past month or even the past few days. Everybody talked about something in their past, but Adam was the exception.

  “Why don’t you talk about it?”

  “There are many things in my past that can do nothing but harm.” Adam
could see the next question forming. “Look at it this way. I was born with size twelve feet and a beard.”

  “That must have been horribly painful for your mother.”

  “It was more painful than you would care to believe,” Adam laughed.

  “How many times have you had to change your name?”

  “I have had so many different names that I cannot remember my real name.” Francesca remembered what Adam said when he handed her the new identity. “What happened in the jungle never happened, and I have done nothing for Anna or Gregory either.” Adam mixed himself a drink and settled down in a neutral silence.

  The Lear Jet landed in Washington with Adam using the Furst ID to clear customs. Adam apologized for his moody behavior on the trip over kissing Anna and Francesca good bye and shaking hands with Frank and Gregory. When he went to the Watergate it was time to switch to Noah Body dialing the number that he received earlier from Hans. When he was through Noah ordered room service and after a few minutes Hans called the room.

  “Noah it has been a long time. May I come up and see you.”

  “Of course you may. We need to talk over old times. I have some cold beer and a bottle of Dewers in the room. Come on up to the room at five thirty.” Within a few minutes Hans knocked on the door.

  “You could have let me know that you were coming. I have a graduation to attend this evening.” Hans’ son was graduating from elementary school.

  “Then we should get down to business, and you will be home in plenty of time.” Noah poured himself a drink and Hans turned his down.

  Adam waded right into the details. “I have checked on your request. I can come up with around three to four hundred thousand pounds of small arms. That should give you thirty heavy machine guns, twenty thousand AK 47s, fifteen hundred RPG 7s, twenty two million rounds of ammunition or more plus some miscellaneous small arms and I will get it delivered to Karachi and no farther. I will need twenty five million in front money. The Russians want to be paid in Krugerrands on delivery and the rest will be for transportation. I will have to make a deal with Turkey to cross their borders and a deal with Pakistan to land the weapons.