The old fishing trolley chugged relentlessly out to sea. It was underway at the maximum speed it could muster, which wasn't very much. No doubt its former owner would replace her with a more seaworthy vessel that is if he didn't spend his bag of gold on vodka, women and song first.
They would be out of nationally controlled waters soon and into international waters. That wouldn't mean much to the forces in these areas though, if they chose to investigate and catch us. I was hoping that it wouldn't come to that, but I couldn't dismiss the radio hailing that had been going on for the past half hour. Someone out there wanted to know what we were up to and they were asking it in Russian.
I glanced at the green flashing indicator beacon light on my wristwatch. Things would be okay. They just had to be after all the ordeal that we'd already come through. I hadn't alerted the couple laying out on the moonlit deck lost in each other's arms kissing each other's face off, as to the imminent problem we might be facing. They'd had enough distractions already in their young life together, without adding a new fear to the mix.
Relief shot through me as my watch spoke, "Come in Shalako, Mother Goose calling."
"Read you loud and clear Mother Goose!"
"Are you aware of possible bogey in pursuit?"
"Yes, let's make this a hole in one."
"Affirmative, the Eagle is landing."
I shook my head at the man's brashness of wordology on the other end of the radio.
The seaplane I had just recently noticed began to bank around and lose altitude and I adjusted the navigation of the fishing trolley to compensate. I saw the plane touch down in the distance, as the moon highlighted the kicked up waves, of its landing. I didn't have to go far though before I caught the darker shadow of a fast approaching pontoon boat. I began to slow the fishing trolley down to a stop.
The pontoon pulled alongside, as the ship's radio crackled with harsh activity. Trent handed Deshavi down into the boat and then followed. I slipped over the ship's side and landed in the boat a little unsteadily. A strong hand steadied me and I thanked the man, who it belonged to.
"Can't be losing you now after all you've come through!" The hand's owner said.
In the moonlit darkness I saw a hand outstretched toward me and I gave it a firm shake with my own.
"The names Flint and it is an honor to finally meet you Sir."
I glanced at the man more closely in the semi darkness. So this was the man that Chantry had brought in to serve as my replacement, when at the time he had been nothing but a teenager. An extremely capable teenager. I hadn't thought Chantry would send someone so important for a pickup errand. It would appear that I had underestimated my old friend yet again.