The screen switched and displayed a balding man with a thick mustache. The remnants of hair on his head and the facial hair were streaked with gray. “I implore the people of Greece to please be civil and patient. We are still investigating the report that was released concerning our food supply, and while our fears may be true there are contingency plans in place for this sort of thing. We must remain united as a country and a people.”
The man disappeared as the camera shot changed to one of the protesters. Their voice was translated to English by a female voice. “This government has done nothing to help its people. The economy here has been bad for years. The jobless rate is too high. And now they are telling us that our farmers and production facilities couldn’t get enough food for everyone? It is time for a change. We need new leadership.”
Gikas chuckled as he leaned back in the soft couch, his arms splayed out to both sides. He turned the hand holding the remote toward the television and hit a button. The screen went black, and he set the remote down on the cushion next to him.
“So, Teo, what do you have for me?” he asked, turning his attention to his new head of security.
Bourdon walked around the edge of a matching suede chair and helped himself to a seat. “I took care of Paulino. No loose ends there, just like you requested.”
“Good,” Gikas nodded. “I always prefer to keep things as simple as possible.”
“Of course. I do as well.”
“What of Wyatt and Schultz? I noticed we have already slowed down.”
Bourdon nodded. “They made anchor in a cove not far from the island.”
“Any sign of them?”
“No,” Bourdon shook his head. “There has been no movement on the boat, and I’m pretty sure I saw someone moving in the grass on the upper part of the island. I’m certain they are wandering around, probably searching for the artifact.”
Gikas’s eyebrows lifted. “Aren’t you going to stop them?” He seemed surprised that his new apprentice would be so lackadaisical.
Bourdon crossed his arms and smiled. “I thought you had more faith in me than that. I sent three men over to their boat. They swam over to the near side of their craft as I was out on the deck. If Wyatt and his friend were watching me, it was unlikely they saw the three men as they approached Wyatt’s craft. They waited, shielded from sight by the boat’s hull until I came inside. Whoever may have been watching would have lost interest within a minute or two. Our men are climbing aboard Wyatt’s vessel as we speak, and when the Americans return with the relic they will be shot on sight and the object will be yours.” He leaned back proudly as he finished the description of his plan.
Gikas was impressed, but there was still something bothering him. “What if they don’t have the Eye of Zeus in their possession?”
“My men were instructed to kill Wyatt and his friend only if they had the device with them. If there is no sign of it, the men are to bring the Americans back to this ship where we can interrogate them ourselves.”
Silence pervaded the room after Bourdon finished his explanation. A few moments later, Gikas began clapping. The four guards in the room eyed each other suspiciously, unaccustomed to seeing their employer express himself in such a manner. “Impressive, Teo,” he said after ending his applause. “An excellent plan. So, all we have to do is sit and wait for Wyatt and his friend to fall right into our trap.”
“Precisely. Have your ship’s captain steer us out of the cove and out to open water. It will appear that we are simply out for a leisurely boat tour and have continued on our way. When our men have commandeered their boat and taken them prisoner, they will radio us, and we will meet them back at this spot.”
“I like it,” Gikas said as he crossed his arms. “Mikel,” he called to one of the other guards in the room. “Have Serge take us out of this little bay and back out to the open sea between the islands. Have him sit there and wait for further instructions.”
The guard stepped forward and gave a quick nod before striding over to a door at the other end of the cabin and disappearing through it.
Gikas stood up and made his way over to a bar in the corner near the television. He picked up a decanter half-full of clear liquid and removed the crystal cap. He glanced back at Bourdon and motioned with the bottle, “Would you like a drink?”
“No, thank you,” Bourdon said. “I never drink when I’m working. And I am almost always working. I find that in my line of employment, it is essential to keep one’s wits as sharp as possible.”
Gikas flicked his eyebrows and gave a nod. “I can appreciate that. And I agree. You should most certainly keep your wits about you.” He poured a few ounces of the alcohol into a tumbler and set the decanter down, replacing the lid as he did so. He lifted the glass and sniffed the drink with a long inhalation. “You know, most Greeks prefer ouzo. It’s the drink of our homeland.”
“Not you, though, eh?”
Gikas shook his head. “No, I have always had a preference for good vodka. And this is the best money can buy. Perhaps when this little matter regarding Wyatt and Schultz is done, you will have one with me.”
“It would be my pleasure.”
The boat’s engines grumbled deep from the aft of the yacht, and the huge vessel began to move again. Its weight and size made the interior of the boat extremely stable, and its occupants barely had to brace themselves as the ship’s captain steered the yacht out of the cove and back into open waters.
Gikas took a sip of the vodka and clicked his tongue, then let out a sigh as the warm sensation trickled down his throat. “Go downstairs with two of the men and bring up the woman. I want her on deck when we apprehend Wyatt and his friend. If he won’t tell us what we want to know, maybe the sight of her in pain will change his mind a little.”
“Of course,” Bourdon nodded. He motioned for the two closest guards to follow him. Then he walked to the front of the cabin and descended the stairs to retrieve Adriana.
A smile eased onto Gikas’s face. Everything was going according to plan. Wyatt had led him straight to what he wanted.
Chapter 47
Swimming without the aid of fins made for a much more difficult task than Sean had anticipated when he made the suggestion. The water fought against their progress with every stroke and kick. For a moment, Sean wished they had gone back to the beach and risked being seen in order to get the flippers, but he knew their current plan was the only way. It gave them an element of surprise and might just get them the upper hand in whatever showdown was about to occur.
Tommy breathed heavily as he chopped wildly through the water. He tried desperately to keep up with Sean, but didn’t have nearly as much experience swimming in the sea. Sean wondered if his friend had much swimming experience at all, based on the unorthodox technique Tommy was using. He looked more like an octopus flailing arms and legs around everywhere as he fought to keep going forward. It would have been worse had they been farther out from the island. Fortunately, where they were, the water wasn’t as rough as it would be fifty yards away.
Sean took a second to dog paddle and look back at where they’d started. He frowned. They’d only gone thirty yards, and already his friend was gasping for breath. He continued to hover in place to let Tommy take a minute to rest.
“I’m…not used to…swimming in this kind…of water,” Tommy said, stopping his reckless movement, taking a moment to rest like Sean was doing.
“Yeah, it’s a lot different than swimming in a pool.”
“I don’t understand how you do it,” Tommy said, spitting out a little water through his lips. “You make it seem so easy.”