There was a momentary silence.
‘Nick, thank you. Thank you very, very much.’
‘Don’t thank me yet. We’re still bobbing up and down in the middle of nowhere.’
There was another tracer burst. Stefan hugged me. I looked down at him. ‘It’s OK, mate. It’s just telling us where your mummy is.’
Frank barked, ‘What’s happening?’
‘Everything’s fine. They’re just showing us where Tracy is. She’s on another skiff. Would you like to talk with her when we meet up?’
That was a no-brainer. ‘She and I will talk later. Nick, I know you’re not safe yet — I understand that — but I do thank you.’
‘No drama. We’ll talk soon, OK?’
I slid the iPhone back into my pocket. We were closing on the other skiff. They treated us to another fireworks display even though we were only about ten metres away. The 12.7’s muzzle flash strobed the passengers. BB was down by the engine. Pissed-off was written all over his face. ‘Stop that fucking racket, you cunts! They’re on fucking top of us!’
Stefan gripped me even harder.
I hadn’t noticed it before in the frenzy, but he stank. He absolutely reeked. I supposed we all did.
‘Your mummy’s right there. You’re going to see her soon, yeah?’
He nodded into my chest. ‘Mummy?’
‘Yes. Not long now. Look.’ I pointed at the dark shape bobbing in the swell about five metres away.
The two lads in the bow got off their mobiles and grabbed the side of the other boat. We levelled off. Tracy was already leaning towards us, her arms outstretched. ‘Stefan!’
He almost wriggled out of my arms. ‘Let me help you, mate. It’s a bit late for a swim.’ The last thing I wanted was him falling between the two boats.
The 12.7 from the technical was hanging off the bow of Tracy’s boat. It was clearly Star-gigs’s turn at the trigger. He couldn’t have been happier if it was a giant marlin. There were empty shell cases all over the deck.
I hoisted the boy over the side. Tracy grabbed him and almost fell backwards into her boat. Star-gigs steadied her and eased them both back onto the centre bench.
They were soon stuck together like glue, crying into each other’s hair. She pulled back and stroked his cheek. ‘It’s OK, darling.’ Then, as Star-gigs fired up his lighter and lit something that smelt stronger than a cigarette, I saw her face in the darkness.
‘Nick …’
She tried to say more but her sobs were suddenly the noisiest thing in this part of the ocean.
BB had had enough of this shit. ‘Listen, those other two cunts are out there somewhere. How are we supposed to find them?’
I turned back to Awaale. He was on his mobile. ‘Mr Nick, is everything OK at the airport? The money?’
‘All ready to go. But where are the other two?’
He didn’t answer. He got busy with his mobile instead. And he wasn’t a happy bunny.
‘Awaale, you have got the other two, haven’t you?’
BB scuttled across the deck towards me. ‘What’s up?’
‘The other two lads. I think they’re Georgians. They speak English? You get anything out of them?’
He shook his head. ‘We weren’t allowed to talk. But so what?’
He stank as bad as Stefan did.
‘We’re going to find out for Frank who they are, then hand them over to these lads. We think they killed the clan boss’s brother.’
I left out the bit about Jan. Now wasn’t the time for Tracy to learn about that. She had enough shit to deal with.
11
Awaale finished his call. ‘OK. We split up now.’ He gobbed off to the crew and they pushed us apart.
Erasto was smart. It was probably why he was about to become even richer. These three weren’t coming ashore until Awaale had confirmed the money was at Mog airport and the deal was in the bag.
I could still hear mother and child sobbing to each other as their skiff was swallowed by the darkness.
‘Tracy! It’s OK. We’re all going to the airport. A plane is waiting. We’ll be back together soon. Just a couple more hours. I’ve got to go ahead and make sure everything’s good when we get there. BB will look after you.’
BB grunted. ‘My fucking name is Justin.’
We headed out to sea as Star-gigs continued his love affair with the 12.7.
Awaale sparked up his radio and a dozen different voices jibber-jabbered back.
Another line of tracer peppered the sky behind us.
‘You see, Mr Nick? Everybody will be together soon. But we have to make sure the money is there first. Me, I trust you with my life. But Erasto — he doesn’t know you like I do.’
I didn’t bother turning back. ‘Mate, the money will be there. But I’d feel a lot happier if we knew where Nadif’s killers were. Have you made contact?’
He had to shout as we picked up speed. ‘Do not worry, Mr Nick. I’m not worried. I’m not worried about a thing. We know the sea. I’m happy. I’m a great commander. Everybody is talking about me. Everybody knows about the attack. Even Lucky Justice will hear about it very soon.’ He nodded. ‘Yes sirree.’
One of the crew was hunched below the bow, out of the wind. He talked excitedly into his mobile.
I moved closer to Awaale. ‘That is fantastic news, mate, but remember — success breeds enemies. Just be careful now you’re big-time. Some people don’t like to be upstaged. You know what I mean?’
We bounced about on the waves. I didn’t have a clue if we were pointed in the right direction.
He thought about what I’d said and eventually nodded. ‘You’re right. But I’m Somalian. We know these things. Erasto will not be pleased. Once he has the money, he’ll try to have me killed. But I’ll be quicker than him. My father will give me advice. Everybody loves me for the great fighter I am, just like my father before me. Thank you, Nick.’
I smiled politely. I was getting a lot of thank-yous tonight. That always meant a drama was just around the corner.
12
These guys started life as fishermen. I shouldn’t have doubted their prowess at sea. Two hours later I began to see the lights of the city over the bow. We were coming in from the east. I didn’t have a clue how far out to sea we’d had to divert during the RV with Tracy, but that didn’t matter now. All that did was that her skiff made it back too. Ant and Dec’s? I still had no idea.
Awaale perked up now he could see land. He had spent most of the time curled up on the deck holding his stomach. ‘I told you so. You don’t have to worry about anything, Mr Nick. Everybody is now safe.’
We started to approach the airport. The runway was lit up like a UFO landing pad. We headed for the bit sticking out into the ocean. As we got closer, I spotted two technicals. The crews looked excited to see us. Their new conquering hero was home. There was change in the air.
Awaale got on his radio. Then he hauled his mobile out. ‘You see, Mr Nick? Everybody loves me.’
We pulled the skiffs into the beach. The sting of salt water reminded me that, after a day in my socks, my feet had taken some serious cuts.
The technical driver shouted down at us through the glare of his own main beams. He thought he was helping, but he was just killing our night vision. Blinded, we felt our way up the rock and clambered onto the runway.
