Crash Course by Derek Fee (pdf to ebook reader .txt) 📕

of the boats and the engines but there is one element that cannot be manufactured. That is skill and courage. You displayed both today.”

“There is a world of difference between courage and foolhardiness,” Morweena said.

Before Kane could reply, he was borne along with the crowd towards the podium and he, Morweena, and David were deposited along with Hakonen’s crew, and the Italian crew of the Benneton boat. They stood in a cluster while the chairman of the race sponsors extolled the virtues of his company’s product whether mixed with orange or soda. The speaker finally called on Hakonen to receive his trophy which would have required the assistance of a weightlifter to hold aloft. Hakonen quickly passed the one-metre-high piece of metal to one of his teammates and concentrated on accepting the cheque for first place. The ebullient Finn shook the magnum of champagne the sponsors had provided and showered the people nearest the podium with the frothing white liquid. The Benneton team were presented with an equally impressive trophy and a more modest cheque. The mainly Italian crowd were ecstatic with their favourites. The sponsor went into another long rambling introduction before presenting the Penhalion team with a metal trophy and a cheque for $100,000. Kane cradled the trophy while Morweena kissed the cheque for the cameras.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Tom and Kane stood on the balcony of the Sorrento Palace watching the string of lights along the coast. The weather had cleared and the evening was balmy with a warm breeze blowing from the ocean.

“This sport could get hold of you.” Tom leaned over the wrought-iron guard rail. “You know you could have got yourself and Morweena killed out there today.”

“This is your gig.” Kane stared ahead. “You called the shots and everything that happens is down to you. It goes with the territory. And so do people like me. I don’t give a rat’s ass what happens to me. That’s my edge when I go undercover. Whoever we’re after has got to believe that I’m his kind of man and the only way that I can convince him of that is by being extreme. That’s my forte. Didn’t Davenport tell you that?”

“I don’t want to be responsible for something bad happening to you or Morweena.” Tom looked out to sea.

“You didn’t bargain for that, did you?” Kane let his tall frame rest on the guard rail beside Tom.

“No, I didn’t. But if you can live with it, so can I. If I were using a powerboat to smuggle drugs and if I saw your performance out there today, you’d be the man that I’d want at the wheel of my boat.”

“Good old Tom. There’s nothing so single-minded as a man bent on revenge. You must complete your mission. Otherwise, it would eat away at you. If we succeed, you’ll learn that the accomplishment won’t take away the pain of your child’s death. You might be elated for a few minutes, hours, or days, knowing that you have avenged your daughter’s death. But in the end, she’ll still be dead and you’ll miss her for the rest of your life.”

“You paint a dark picture.”

“I’ve been there. I’ve experienced the darkness. It’s another part of my edge.” He was tired. He’d been pissing blood over the past few hours but he knew that was par for the course. If it didn’t stop by morning, he would have to visit a doctor. He wondered whether Morweena had the same problem. It was a long time since he’d wondered what was happening to another human being. Hopefully, she was tucked up in bed sleeping the sleep of the just. He’d gone too far during the race. She had been scared out of her wits and it hadn’t been fair. He tried to drive the thought of her from his mind. The adrenaline rush of the race had left exhaustion in its wake. He had eaten and drunk and now there was only a drowsy feeling replacing the high of the late afternoon. Hakonen had been as good as his word and the champagne had flowed like water in the bar of the hotel. The winning cheque had been displayed to all and sundry. A glass-encased monument to the Finn’s hour of glory. Winner’s cheques could not be bought for money and people like Hakonen already had enough cash. A few more glasses of bubbly and he could toddle off to bed.

“A penny for them,” Tom said.

“They’re not even worth a penny. My mind’s an empty vessel. When you’re hyped up like that for hours, the comedown leaves both your body and mind drained. I’m only a simple copper so I haven’t had a worthwhile thought for years.” He smiled.

“Do you ever stop feeling sorry for yourself?” There was an edge to Tom’s question.

“How come everybody wants to be my psychiatrist?” Kane turned to face him. “I do one of the most high-risk jobs on earth to keep you and people like you away from the guys who want to take all your money or kill your children by ramming shit chemicals down their throats. What did you expect? Bozo the clown? A smiling happy face? Or maybe a well-adjusted family man who puts his feet up in front of the television after helping the children with their homework? Well, that’s not me. Because I’m the guy you send out after the bogeyman while you stay behind in your nice, detached mansion. Do you mind if I feel sorry for myself occasionally?”

“Touché. But the work that you do matters. You save lives. You put the criminals away.”

“Big fucking deal. The people in prison all come out, Tom. And when they do, they’re a damn sight worse than when they went in. They’ve networked. They find out the names of the crooked lawyers. They’re more ruthless. Some of them have been de-humanised by what’s happened to them inside. I’m a glorified streetcleaner. I sweep your street this week but I’ve got to come back next