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

coastline, a mobile speedboat would have a huge advantage over any pursuing craft.

The car containing the four men arrived at the U-shaped quay in the centre of the village in the half-light of the Spanish twilight. A few old men seated at the cafés overlooking the small port remarked the smart car but since tourists were not unknown in this region the arrival caused no more than casual curiosity. The driver ignored the stares of the village’s inhabitants and made directly for the port where he stopped beside the mooring at which one of Safardi’s speedboats had been deposited the day before.

“Out,” Jaime said as the car came to a stop.

The Colombian watched Kane climb out of the passenger side of the car. Kane’s movements were smooth and powerful. Jaime fought down the feeling of apprehension he had felt ever since they had left the villa. As a small boy scraping a living in the mean streets of Bogota, Jaime had developed a sixth sense which warned him of impending danger. And Jaime’s sixth sense had been working overtime since he’d met Kane. The man smelled of death. The muscular Colombian would not be satisfied until he had complied with his boss’s orders and killed the hijo de puta. He glanced at his watch. In under four hours, they would rendezvous with the Mexican freighter. Two hours later, they would land the goods and the puerco of a traitor would be floating in the Atlantic.

Kane looked back at the picturesque village and the surrounding low hills covered with eucalyptus groves. The air was full of the crickets’ evening songs and the noise of voices and guitar music wafted through the air from the edge of the port. Villagers seated at tables in front of lit cafés argued animatedly while imbibing their evening brandy. It was a scene of peace. Except for the intrusion of their group. The Colombian was holding the Uzi under a windcheater which lay across his arm leaving enough of the short barrel visible to deter Kane from any premature action. Safardi was leaving nothing to chance. Kane walked along the quayside exercising his cramped muscles. Time was running out and he was still unsure of how to proceed. Unless he was prepared for action, he was sure that this would be his last night on earth.

“Check the boat.”

Kane hadn’t heard Jaime move up behind him. The heavy-set Colombian had moved as quietly as a cat. “Check the fucking boat yourself,” Kane said sharply, “I’m a driver, not a mechanic.”

“Verifica el barco,” Jaime said to one of the other men. He tossed an ignition key to the man who dropped into the cockpit of the speedboat.

The guard turned the ignition key and the boat’s engines came to life. Kane listened to the heavy throb of the engines and concluded that they had been souped up. The guard gunned the engines attracting some curious stares from the patrons of the café. The dials on the dashboard of the speedboat showed the oil pressure to be normal and the reservoir to be full of fuel.

“Esta bien,” the guard said, cutting the engine and climbing out of the boat.

“We leave now.” Jaime motioned Kane towards the boat. “We must be at the location where we meet the boat when it arrives.”

Kane jumped on board. A state-of-the-art satellite navigation system had been installed on the panel in front of the driver. He turned on the GPS and inserted the coordinates that Safardi had given him as the location of the intercept. A plaque bolted to the control table told him that the speedboat was a REALM 350 with twin 400 bhp Mercury outboard engines. Although it would be no slouch, even with souped-up engines it wasn’t in the same class as a custom-designed powerboat. He slid open the cabin door. All the internal fittings had been removed and two additional fuel tanks had been added for extended cruising. No expense had been spared in turning the boat into a smuggler’s dream. The deck of the speedboat heaved slightly as Jaime’s feet hit it.

“I sit back here.” Jaime sat on the double seat at the rear of the boat.

“It’ll get pretty cold back there,” Kane said, flicking the switch on the dashboard and bringing the engines to life again. Jaime had ignored the remark. The Uzi lay conveniently in his lap. It wouldn’t be easy to get the better of the Colombian.

Jaime spoke in rapid Spanish to the two guards. “I tell them we return at four o’clock,” he said by way of explanation to Kane. The Colombian smiled.

And I’m sure they’ll be ready to welcome us with open arms, Kane thought, looking at the two men on the quayside.

“Let’s go,” Jaime said.

Chapter Forty-Nine

The run out to the rendezvous point was the easy part of the journey. A large spotlight had been mounted on the roof of the cabin and Kane used its powerful beam to ease the REALM through the narrow channel which separated the village from the wide expanse of the Ría de Arousa. He pointed the bow directly down the inlet keeping an equal distance between the lights on each of the two jutting landmasses between which he passed. The freighter would stay twenty nautical miles from the coast. He didn’t have to look over his shoulder to know that the Colombian was still aiming the Uzi towards his back. He could feel the presence of the gun and Jaime’s finger on the trigger. The single spotlight of the boat lit up the blue ocean ahead of them as they ploughed through the waves. They had plenty of time so Kane kept the revs down to 3,500 for most of the journey.

They arrived on station at the rendezvous at exactly one thirty.

“You go below,” Jaime said, motioning with the Uzi as Kane cut the engines.

Kane opened the cabin door and switched on the light. He slipped into the decimated cabin and looked around for an improvised weapon. As