Red Card Of Terror

It didn’t take long before Max could see the route the trawler had maintained over the past few days. One of the lines led to the coast of Spain near the port of Garrucha with time notations written at even points along the route. He was satisfied. Folding the chart he inserted it into the waterproof pocket on his wetsuit and closed the zip.

Moving through the broken glass and wood on the floor he stood in front of the still babbling Arab. Max shouted at him to shut the fuck up kicking him on the wounded leg. The Arab shut the fuck up recoiling in pain.

‘Now my friend, began Max, staring at the wounded man before him, ‘you and I are going to chat. If I’m happy with what you say you may be OK. If you fuck me about I’ll kill you now and painfully. Nod if you understand what I’ve just said.’

The Arab shook his head shouting at Max in Arabic. As the words poured out of his mouth Max kicked him again on the injured leg but this time directly on the shattered kneecap. The man arched in pain and screamed. Max waited for him to stop before speaking again.

‘Listen fuckface, as a Captain of a trawler you have to be able to read, write and speak English. You know that, I know that, so stop pissing me about or I’ll fucking hurt you again. All I want to know is where the fuck is Carlos? The guy you lifted from Spain and held below. I can read the charts and we know you’ve had him aboard – so what happened to him?’  

The Captain looked frantically about him and kept glancing at the door.

‘Your crew cannot help you, they’re all dead’ lied Max. ‘It’s just me and you. Now what of Carlos? Realisation seemed to dawn on the Captains face. Switching to English he slowly replied.

‘He is on another ship.’

‘When?’ asked Max.

‘Over four hours ago.’

‘Was it one of your fleet?’

‘I will tell you nothing further’ spat the Arab now shaking from the pain in his leg.

‘Which ship? Where’s it gone? Makhem?’ screamed Max directly into the face of the captive.

‘I will say no more, you pig.’

Sharky and Quinn entered the bridge. Looking at Max, Sharky told him they’d secured the door to the engine room it couldn’t be opened and that Splitpin was now in Charlie Two with Ian and Toby. Toby’s hurt as well, took a lump of wood in the face. That’s what started the shit. Whoever threw it overboard hit him by accident and saw him.’

‘OK’ replied Max, then ‘this fucker moved Carlos to another boat a few hours before we arrived and won’t say which one or where it’s heading. I’ll find out while you two rig the boat.’

Sharky and Quinn knew what Max meant and turned to leave the bridge.

‘We’ll set things for ten minutes to give us time to be well away. That should be enough. How’s the hand?’

‘Its fine’ replied Max.

As Sharky turned to leave the bridge he looked down at the Captain shaking his head.

‘If I were you I’d answer his questions my friend.’

Alone again with the tied up injured man, Max stooped down in front of him.

‘I’ll ask you one more time. Tell me what boat and where it’s going to’

The Captain spat. Max wiped his face removing the blood and spittle with the rubber sleeve of his wetsuit. Reaching down to his right shin and unclipped the serrated diving knife.

Max put his foot on the Captains leg just below the entry hole of the bullet he had taken in the knee. The Arab cried out in pain and tried to move away but was held fast by the bonds on his wrists, fresh blood started to flow again down his arms.

Inserting the tip of the knife into the wound, Max started to work the blade slowly against the bone and exposed nerves caused by the bullets entry. The Captain screamed and his body arched against the pain causing his flesh to tear along the sharp end of Max’s knife, fresh blood began running onto the deck. The wires on his wrists also dug deeper into the Captains arms and began to bleed again. It was as if someone had connected him to an electric socket.

Max removed the knife. Sweat was now pouring down the Arabs face and tears of agony welled up in his eyes and ran down his cheeks as the pain shook every fiber of his body. It took almost a minute before he started to relax and Max asked him the question again.