Danger - A Safe Bahamian Novel - Day 28

Danger - A Safe Bahamian Novel - Day 28

(2:10 pm Wednesday Nov 28, 2007)

*** A Lonely Room

Hmmm. Hey there gentle reader. How are things with you today?

(3:20 pm Wednesday Nov 28, 2007)

Where does it go? Are there perhaps ants in my pants that I am unaware of? Is that why I can't sit still to write sometimes? It must be more than that though because there are times when I sit right here and still can't manage to write fit a kick.

Shall I do as I was thinking about last night and just excuse myself from the two thousand a day quota and instead go back and try to find a story some where amidst all these words that already exist. I really would prefer to go on making quota if I can manage it and look for the story in December or January perhaps.

*** In The Very Spacious Salon Of A Mega Yacht Some Where In The Waters Of The Bahamas

"Sisters, every time we think we have this figured out, we run into one dead end after another. There must be something wrong with this map, but what? I am convinced that it is genuine and not a fake so what are we not seeing?"

"I keep running that through my head as well Moon Daughter," says Horse Rider, "it doesn't make sense. Barb, didn't you say that Man Tears is reporting that our foes are still happy with their progress based on the recreation of this very same map done from memory? It is good that they haven't fully succeeded yet, but how can they be happy with their progress when we are anything but happy with our own?"

"That is what Man Tears said when I was last in contact with her this morning." says Barb, "we are running out of time. What do we do now Moon Daughter?"

"Well, if we don't make some sort of break through by the end of the day, I think we may need to go back and pay our friend Black Jack another visit." says Moon Daughter.

"We should have never let Golden Child leave us at a time like this," says Silver One, "you are right Moon Daughter, it may not be bad luck like I fear to have done so, but it has certainly left us short handed at a time when we can ill afford it. You should have stopped her."

"We cannot win by losing Silver One. Or let me just say that I don't want to win only to lose in the end."

"You really need to speak more clearly Moon Daughter. That is way too confusing," says Horse Rider.

"I know, Horse Rider, but it is a complex situation and not easy to put into words. Look, we believe certain things, we have certain traditions, we live a certain way. We have a goal right now. It is not going to be worth it to us to reach that goal if the only way to reach it means giving up on our deepest beliefs, giving up who we are at the very core."

"So, what? We are supposed to just lose then, so that we don't lose?" says Barb, "That doesn't seem to make much sense either."

"No, Barb, it means we have to find another way to reach our goal. Another way to win. A way through the maze such that we will win when we win and not lose when we win. OK?" says Moon Daughter.

"So, why couldn't you stop Golden Child from leaving now then?" says Horse Rider.

Moon Daughter sighs deeply and with great tiredness. The weight on her shoulders right now is almost past her strength.

"Horse Rider, our most ancient code tells us what to do in cases like the recent one involving Golden Child. I gave her the options that are spelled out in the code. She chose. The code says we must give everyone the freedom to chose their path in such cases. We gave it to her and she had to be free to follow her decision. I could not do otherwise."

"That is just stupid Moon Daughter! So our whole sisterhood has to perish just so Golden Child can have the freedom to leave us when we most need her! If I were in charge, I would have found a way to stop her!"

"Silence!" says Moon Daughter in a voice of command that will brook no argument. "You are not in charge! I am! And I will hear no more on that. If I had stopped her, we would have lost before the fight. At least now, we are in the fight and no matter how bad it looks at the moment, we still have a chance to win out. Let us find the way to win together. We will not find it if we insist on fighting each other."

(6:51 pm Wednesday Nov 28, 2007)

*** A Lonely Room

Wow, time going down the drain again. And I feel worse today than any day so far. A relatively sleepless night last night and the eyes are more weary than ever.

What to do. I know I am not going to grind it out tonight. If no ideas flow, two thousand words are not in the plan tonight.

*** A Little Cay Off Of New Providence

Mandy, Jack, Sarai, and Mandy's team are assembled on a small cay somewhere off the coast of New Providence. One of Jack's friends had dropped them to the cay before the sun set.

Jack had asked Mandy if the team was in the country officially.

According to Mandy, they were here as tourists but the people who needed to know, knew enough of what was going down not to cause problems.

Jack was not so sure he should accept that, but he was here and didn't see an alternative other than not to go. That was not something he wanted at this point. He had touched base with some of his own contacts and hadn't been warned off but hadn't been given a green light either. Must be some of the plausible deny-ability action people were always going on about.

The helicopters cam in low and quiet over the trees on the cay and set down on the beach.

"Let's go people," said Mandy, "keep your heads down and take your gear with you. You two come with me."

The loading went quickly and the helicopters were airborne soon after that. Heading out over the water, flying low.

"Are we going to stay this low all the way to Abaco?" asks Jack.

"I have never been on one of these models before so I don't know what their exact plans are. My guess would be that they will go a bit higher once we are further away from land."

*** A Salvage Vessel Anchoured Off Of The North Shore Of Ambergris Cay, Abaco

(7:30 pm Wednesday Nov 28, 2007)

The boat is about a hundred and twenty feet long. She has a large open deck at the stern where she sports an A Frame and winches.

Reg is standing on the after deck looking at men working the winches. He is talking with a man in the shadows. We can't see the man but we know the voice. The is the man from the sub-sub-basement on Paradise Island. This is the boss.

"So Reg, do you think they will get it up tonight?"

"I can't say boss. It looks good from what I hear, but working under these conditions is difficult at best. I don't like being involved in an operation as make shift as this one we are running here when it is around the sea, but constraints are constraints and we are doing the best we can. I think we have a good chance of getting it."

"Good, good, the pieces of this puzzle are finally beginning to fall into place nicely. I can barely believe that we have made so much progress already working from a hand drawn map made from memory under duress. I think fate is smiling on us this time Reg. I must say, your help since you returned to us has been invaluable. I think we would have still been looking for this last site if you had not spotted that anomaly on the chart. You had me worried for a while there Reg when you had been under their influence for so long. I debated long and hard as to whether I should take you back on this project or wait until another one to let you prove yourself. I think I made the right decision."

"Thanks boss. If I run into that Jack again, I will make him pay for what he did to me."

"Careful Reg, don't let your emotions get in the way of your good judgment."

"Boss, if you had done to you, what I had done to me, you would not be so quick to tell me not to let my emotions rule."

"All I am saying Reg, is that you can get yourself in a world of trouble by not thinking clearly."

"Boss, I think it is coming up now. I need to go check on things back there."

"OK, Reg, I will be in my cabin, call me as soon as it is safely on deck and properly secured."

"Will do boss," says Reg turning and heading towards the stern, the boss heads off towards the bow along the starboard side.

(8:23 pm Wednesday Nov 28, 2007)

*** In The Very Spacious Salon Of A Mega Yacht Some Where In The Waters Of The Bahamas

"Moon Daughter, we are getting word that something may be coming up from the bottom now. Should we make preparations to move on them?" says Horse Rider.

"Not yet. Let's see what develops over the next hour or so. Make some minor preparations but we should have some time after we know what happens over there."

(8:52 pm Wednesday Nov 28, 2007)

*** A Salvage Vessel Anchoured Off Of The North Shore Of Ambergris Cay, Abaco

The winch is straining under the load. Reg is in the port corner of the stern and looking down into the water. Spot lights are pointed down into the clear water. He can see the his divers tending the huge slab that they are lifting.

Suddenly, from out of the darkness a shark streaks into the light and grabs the leg of one of his divers. Blood is everywhere instantly and pandemonium breaks loose. The crane operator gets distracted for a second and things go south. And the cable parts and the slab heads back for the bottom from whence it came.

Reg grabs a bang stick and dives in. He motions his dives to get the injured man topside and looks about for the shark. Everything is blurred and the salt in the water stings his eyes. He spins in the water trying to keep a watch of three hundred and sixty degrees in three dimensions. He almost does not make it but sees a blur coming in out of the corner of his eye at the last minute.

He manages to swing the stick around and gets in a luck strike. Not a killing strike, but he does hit the animal's pectoral fin and it heads for greener pastures in a hurry. His head breaks the surface and he swims to the platform to get out.

"Where is that medic? Someone go get him here now! This man is losing a lot of blood!"

(9:32 pm Wednesday Nov 28, 2007)

"Reg, are you alright? Are you crazy? Thanks! I was more than scared down there when that shark attacked I don't mind telling you! I had visions of being next on the menu."

"I don't know what got into me Amanda, I just reacted. If I had stopped to think I don't know if I would have gone in."

"Exactly Reg," says a voice from the shadows, "I warned you that letting your emotions rule you head could lead you into trouble."

"Well Boss, I for one am glad for his emotions right now!" says Amanda.

(9:43 pm Wednesday Nov 28, 2007)

*** Shack Near Beach

Ronnie is at the computer again.

He is just noodling around here and there, wasting time. Chatting with friends scattered around the world. Reading some more foolishness by that guy who wrote 'Tings - Anuddah Bahamian Novel' and listening to Free copyleft music that he is finding here and there.

He comes across a site where some guy is putting down bits of lyrics and asking others to work on finishing them with him.

I'm going to a place

Where the past is free to roam

Where no one knows my face

And I can find a home

I want wide open spaces

Cause I'm weary to the bone

So I'm seeking out a place

Where the past is free to roam

--

My feet are in the sky and

My head is on the ground

My heart is in the gutter

On the other side of town

Girl I love you better

Every time around

--

I want to have a taste

Of someone else's honey

Want to grab me a pile

Of someone else's money

I want to live my life

Like the Sunday funnies

So I bought me a guide

Written just for dummies

--

The consequences have unraveled

The girl's defences have all flown

Her best pretenses lie in ashes

Now life is senseless, she's alone

Tonight the boys are in the jungle

They're hunting fresh meat every one

Until the moon hides in the ocean

They head on home, here comes the sun

--

I'm not your dream

I'm not your joy

I'm not your favourite

Plastic Boy

But if you touch me

Under the stars

I'll be your man

And you can drive my car

--

I'm not happy bout the sound of your clothes

The high end's fine but the low end blows

And as for the midrange, no one knows

Girl we gotta do something bout the sound of them clothes.

--

I'm just a few hurts short of being in tune

But baby it seems you'll fix that soon

My life was alright till you turned up the gloom

Now I'm a few hurts short of being in tune

--

Through your eyes

I see the lies

And rise above

Their dark disguise

When morning and

The evening flies away.

Girl in my heart

I've made a start

Come join me now and

Be a part of day.

--

He thinks he may try to get in on that game. Some of them look like they might go somewhere.

(8:59 pm Thursday Nov 29, 2007)