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

He opened his eyes and looked at the countryside. It was flat and burnt and empty. Miles of concrete road extended before them and miles receded behind. He closed his eyes again and willed himself to think of how he could possibly extricate himself from the predicament into which he had jumped with both feet. He should have learned this lesson. Undercover work was risky. Exposing Safardi and Barrett was the easy part. Now he was afraid there would be a heavy price to pay. The noise of the mobile phone cut through his thoughts. He looked in the driving mirror and saw Jaime’s black eyes register what passed for surprise.

He watched the Colombian switch off the radio, take his phone out and listen. After a few minutes of one-way conversation, Jaime said, “Si, jefe,” and put the phone down.

Kane kept his stare ahead. Suddenly, Jaime’s eyes flicked into view. There was something new there. A new awareness. Jaime had passed from a sleepy listener of salsa to a wide-awake attentiveness. One of the guards called for the radio to be switched on again. Jaime cut him short with a single word. Silence descended on the interior of the BMW like a cloak.

Kane turned his head to the monotonous countryside again. Jaime had spoken with the chief. What possible message had Safardi passed to his minion that could have changed the mood so completely? He had the feeling he was being watched. Kane stared into the mirror. Jaime’s dark eyes stared back at him. Somehow, he’d been rumbled. Something had gone terribly wrong and he had no idea what it was. He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. If something were to happen soon, it would already be underway. There were a hundred and fifty kilos of cocaine on the high seas and he was the only one who stood a cat in hell’s chance of getting it ashore. He was probably safe for the moment. He tried to think of what could have gone wrong and could come up with nothing. Perhaps he was being paranoid. He opened his eyes and shot a quick glance at the mirror. Jaime’s eyes stared back and the mirror had been slightly tilted to give the Colombian a better view of him. He wasn’t paranoid.

Chapter Forty-Seven

It was early evening when the Range Rover carrying Morweena, Barrett and Pedro arrived at Safardi’s villa. Morweena’s hands were bound with plastic cable ties.

Safardi stepped from the shadows of the front porch as the Range Rover drew up. “I suppose I owe you an apology,” he said as Barrett climbed gingerly down from the passenger seat of the car.

“Accepted,” Barrett said. “When do we get our hands on Kane? I know a few not so subtle but very painful tortures I want to try out on that swine.”

Morweena climbed out of the Range Rover. “Get her inside,” Safardi instructed Pablo. “Kane is on his way to Rianxo. I called Jaime and informed him of the new situation. He won’t let Kane out of his sight until the coke is landed. Then it will be curtains for him.”

“No,” Barrett said, his lips pulled back in a sneer. “I want him. Tell Jaime to bring him back.”

“Never mix emotion and business.” Safardi put his arm around Barrett’s shoulder. “Kane will die and that’s the most important thing, isn’t it? Now, I think that you should be rewarded for what you’ve done for us. Firstly, there’ll be no need to return the money I advanced you. The job will be done by Kane and he is unlikely to arrive to claim his fee. Let’s go inside and see how our new guests are faring.”

Pablo slowly circled Morweena, his eyes devouring her body. A smile creased his mahogany face. “Una puta maravillosa,” he said, putting his face close to hers.

Barrett and Safardi entered the room and laughed.

“I think I’ll let Pedro have a bit of fun with her,” Barrett said. “She won’t be so bloody high and mighty when he gets through with her.”

“I knew you were an evil bastard, Graham,” Morweena said through clenched teeth. “But I never thought that you were this low.”

“I may get the opportunity to show you how low I can go.” Barrett went to the drinks cabinet and using his single good hand poured himself a large whisky.

“No por el momento, Pedro,” Safardi said touching the Colombian on the shoulder.

“Soon,” Pedro said. “I want the puta soon.”

“Okay. As soon as Kane is out of the way, you can have her. Until then we’ll keep her as insurance.”

“Si, patron.” Pedro went to stand by the door.

Safardi clapped his hands and his servant appeared. “Lock her in one of the bedrooms and feed her. Pablo will stand guard.”

The Colombian motioned Morweena. “Ven, puta.”

Chapter Forty-Eight

It was ten o’clock at night when Safardi’s BMW arrived in the tiny cluster of houses by the shore which constitutes the port of Rianxo in the province of Galicia in north-western Spain. Kane had tested his hypothesis that Jaime was paying closer attention to him several times during the journey. Each time he found the black eyes focused directly on him. His apprehension had been rising as they approached their destination. His mind was dominated by one thought only, what had suddenly soured his pitch? What had happened back in Marbella that was making Jaime watch him so closely? He was beginning to get the feeling that the plan had changed and not for the better. Therefore, it was up to him to formulate a variant that would get him clear.

The village of Rianxo lies on the tip of a peninsula in the wide bay called the Ría de Arousa. The coastline of Galicia is cut by deep Atlantic bays dotted with small and medium-sized islands. Safardi had chosen the site of his operations well. The seas off Galicia are known to be among the most treacherous in the world but once inside the myriad bays that constituted the