The forty-minute drive to the harbor in Agios Stefanos on the other side of the island turned out to be visually stunning. High vistas and rolling hills filled with trees and set into rocky cliffs were a treat for the eyes. Sean suspected the drive to reach the marina would have been even shorter if not for traffic lights and the slow speed of the island’s drivers. Although being a tourist destination probably added to the lack of urgency from most of the vehicles. Most tourists were not likely in a hurry, as he’d already witnessed in the airport.
Corfu struck Sean as a strange place. Geographically north of mainland Greece, it was more like a Mediterranean version of Alaska in the United States. Contained in the island’s two hundred and thirty square miles were farms, vineyards, a few thriving cities, and an abundance of coastline. The city of Corfu, which served as the hub of the island, was a tightly packed town of colorful buildings, homes, and businesses. Sean wondered how a man like Gikas could have attained so much power on the mainland from a remote place like this. Then again, maybe that was the man’s secret to success. Staying removed from all the political and economic turmoil going on several hours away in Athens gave him anonymity, which he would use right up until the point when everyone needed him the most. Then it would seem he appeared as if from nowhere, a savior on a white horse to help the Greek nation and lead it to prosperity once more.
After thirty minutes of relative silence, the harbor appeared in front of them as the car rounded a rocky bend in the road. The horseshoe-shaped bay housed a gigantic marina, filled with hundreds of sailboats, yachts, and cabin cruisers, all floating on an aqua-blue sea that stretched out to the horizon. Sean remembered his little shop back in Destin, thinking about the beautiful waters of the Florida Panhandle. Even on its best of days, the waters of the Gulf of Mexico were no comparison to what his eyes gazed upon now.
“That water is absolutely perfect,” Tommy commented, leaning over the seat in front of him to get a better view as the car wound its way down the gradual slope toward the sea.
“It certainly is,” Paulino agreed, acting as though he’d beheld the sight a thousand times. “The locals here are very proud of this location. Even though many visitors come to Corfu throughout the year, the citizens of this area prefer not to let the secret out.”
“I can see why,” Tommy said. His eyes still gaped at the vision.
The driver steered the car through a few stop signs and into a parking lot adjacent to the marina. He parked the car after passing through an open gate, then switched off the vehicle and hurriedly got out of the car to get the luggage from the trunk for his passengers. Paulino set the backpacks on the ground and double-checked one of the forms he’d found in the front of the car before killing the real driver.
“I believe your boat is over here,” he pointed to one of the nearby docks.
Tall white masts bobbed and wavered as the boats they were connected to shifted in the sea’s rippling waves. The sound of ropes banging against the metal filled the air with each ship’s movement.
Sean took in a long, deep breath, letting the fresh sea air fill his nostrils. One of his favorite things about the sea was how the air seemed to be able to cure any nasal-related problems such as allergies, a common nuisance that came with living in the southeastern United States. Whenever Sean had visited the salt water in the past, his sinuses cleared almost as soon as he reached the sandy shores.
Now, he couldn’t enjoy it as much as usual. Someone he cared for deeply was in trouble, if she was still alive. He snapped his head, shaking off the thought. She was still alive. Gikas needed her alive. Sean had seen this kind of thing play out dozens of times. Gikas would keep his prisoner alive until he had what he wanted. Then either he would try to kill everyone, which was the likely outcome, or he would make the trade and send Sean and his friends on their way. The possibility of the latter was slim to none. Knowing this, Sean had a backup plan. He preferred never to have to use contingency plans, but with his experience he knew they were a necessity.
Paulino led the men down the gangway and onto the dock. Tommy and Sean preferred to carry their own bags, which was fine with the Italian. Just because he was making a hundred thousand euros didn’t mean he was going to be anyone’s slave. They passed several boats before coming to the one Tommy had booked on the plane. It looked like it had barely been used.
“I believe this is your boat, gentlemen,” Paulino said, motioning with his hand in an inviting manner.
“Very nice, Tommy,” Sean said with his hands on his hips as he admired the gleaming white vessel. “Well done.” He slapped his friend on the back and stepped aboard into the aft part of the boat.
“You will find the keys tucked away in the side panel near the steering wheel,” Paulino said.
Sean moved up to the console and lifted the lid of a small glove box. He removed the keys and held them up so the other two could see. “Got ‘em.”
Tommy turned to the driver and offered his hand. “Thank you so much for doing this, again on such short notice.”
Paulino took his hand firmly and realized there were some folded bills in Tommy’s palm. He looked down and smiled. “Oh, sir, you don’t have to do that.”
“Please, take it. It’s the least I can do for your trouble.”
“Thank you, sir. I do appreciate it. And it was no trouble at all.” He motioned to the cabin cruiser bobbing gently in the boat slip. “I do hope you two get to enjoy this fine vessel for a little while, at least. Thank you again.” He turned and walked steadily down the dock’s walkway while Tommy spun around and climbed aboard.
As they prepared to take the boat out to sea, they didn’t see Paulino turn down a different direction than they’d come.
When he was out of sight, he looked down at the money Tommy had given him. Two hundred euros was a hefty tip for an ordinary driver. To him, it was chump change. In a few minutes, he would be collecting another fifty thousand. He considered wadding up the cash and tossing it into the water out of spite, but he decided against it. Money was money. He could buy a few drinks with it at least. He stuffed the folded bills into his front pocket and continued marching toward the rendezvous point.
Chapter 43
Tommy and Sean sifted through the storage crate on the back of the boat. It had been delivered before they arrived and contained all the scuba gear they’d requested: tanks, regulators, masks, fins, and a few other miscellaneous things. Untying the ropes and getting the boat out of the slip only took a few minutes. Both of them had grown up with friends who had similar vessels, so they had spent a great deal of time on the lakes surrounding their hometown. The biggest difference between the cabin cruiser they were driving now and those back home was that most of the lake boats weren’t seaworthy. Their hulls and motors weren’t designed to take the rigors of the open sea and salt water, something Sean had enquired about at one point during one of their fresh water voyages.
Tommy stood behind the wheel, keeping the speed down as they maneuvered their way through the no-wake area of the harbor. Sean told him to drive since Tommy had more experience with boats in sea conditions. Most of Sean’s time driving a boat had been on a lake, which was a totally different thing altogether. Out beyond the last dock, a rock formation broke the waves from coming into the bay. It appeared to be man-made, a common construction for places where people wanted to build marinas but couldn’t due to the damage done by unchecked tides.