| |
Snake stood in the shadow of the outside stairwell on the Promenade deck. It was cold, and he pulled his sweat jacket closely around him. He looked down at the inky sea and wondered how cold the water was. He knew the normal temperature in the Mediterranean approximated seventy degrees. He could see whitecaps on the water, which was uncommon for the usually calm sea. He figured they were most likely caused by the ship’s propellers. He finished his cigarette, ground it out on the deck with his foot and threw it overboard. Then he sat on the bench behind the column to wait for Vadim. The lounge chairs they’d sat in yesterday were gone. The Promenade deck was clear and unobstructed. Fortunately, the wind had died down.
He checked his watch. It was almost one thirty. He strained his ears and heard footsteps. Someone was running. He smiled to himself as he recognized the size and build of their target from half a block away. Snake stood and moved into the darkness under the stairway. If Vadim showed up, they’d grab him on the next rotation. Snake had watched the man jog for several days, and knew he generally ran for about forty-five minutes. He watched as the man continued running down the deck. The man was tall, close to six feet. He would need Vadim’s help to hoist him over the rail.
Several minutes went by and the sound of the jogger faded into silence. Then he heard a click, and the door across from him opened. A man the size of Vadim stepped out, walked over to the rail, and lit a cigarette.
Snake watched him from behind the column. His heart pounded in his chest. The light from the match reflected on the man’s face, but it wasn’t Vadim. His heartbeat accelerated. Who the hell was this guy? He could’ve sworn it was the Russian based on his size.
The breeze stopped for a moment and a voice said, “Okay, asshole, I see you behind the column. How much time do we have?”
It was Vadim. Snake couldn’t believe it. How in the hell had he disguised his face? Snake walked out from behind the metal post.
“We’ve got about three minutes. Are you ready?” he asked as he scrutinized the face he didn’t recognize.
Vadim nodded and inhaled deeply on his cigarette. “Hell, yeah. I’m ready. This is easy. Just a grab and hoist.”
Snake nodded and said, “The dude’s tall, man. Close to six feet. And, he’s big.”
Vadim shrugged his shoulders. “So what, it won’t be a problem. You stop him and I’ll grab him, and together we’ll push him over the rail. It’s a piece of cake,” he assured him, a sneer on his face.
“It sounds like you’ve done this before,” Snake said.
Vadim looked at him, his dark eyes glittering in the low light. “Nah, but I’ve done everything else,” he admitted. He stopped for a moment and said, “Get up there near that doorway and stop him. I hear him coming our way.”
Snake quickly moved into position and stood in the dark. He flattened his body against the doorway. He looked up, saw a security camera, and cursed quietly to himself. A few seconds later, he jumped out as their target ran right in front of him. Snake grabbed him and wrestled him to the ground. The element of surprise worked in their favor. The man was stunned and hardly resisted. Several seconds later, he and Vadim tossed the shocked man into the Mediterranean Sea. They heard the splash ten stories down as the body hit the ocean.
Snake shook his head. “I can’t believe the son of a bitch didn’t even scream. I’d have been yelling my head off.”
Vadim nodded. “My guess is he was scared shitless and the cat had his tongue,” he said with a grin as he looked down at the water. “I don’t see nuthin’ going on down there,” he observed.
“Let’s get outta here,” Snake suggested, “before all hell breaks loose.”
“Good idea,” Vadim agreed. The two men separated and walked quickly to their staterooms.