Chapter 62

Natalia gazed at the city of Portsmouth from the bridge of the freighter. The light breeze rustled wisps of her dark hair across her face. She tucked them behind her right ear and pulled down her warm hat so it entirely covered the back of her head.

The Captain had sensed that she needed support after her ordeal. He could not comprehend the thought of losing two brothers. It was enough to make anyone feel compassionate for the sole sibling remaining.

Captain Sharkey had been hugely sympathetic. Normally brimming with life, enthusiasm and extremely gregarious, the effect of the presumed loss of life on his ship had had a profound impact. The Captain had treated Natalia as a daughter. Like all of his family members and crew, he cared for Natalia as best he could. In a not dissimilar fashion to the Morales way, the Captain tried to help Natalia come to terms with her immediate shock over the first forty-eight hours of her loss. He saw to her meals, her drinks and that she had a comfortable cabin to sleep in. Her own cabin had been affected by the fire so it was important that she moved and took up quarters near the Captain’s cabin.

Natalia’s mind had been a blur. Her thoughts were confused. She had needed space over the last couple of days since the incident to work out how she was to cope with the recent course of events. It would take her much longer to come to terms with what had happened, but the immediate priorities gave her a focus.

Yes, her mind was able to concentrate on the here and now. She would try and push the recent events to the back of her mind and concentrate on the moment. It was worth channelling her remaining energies to justify all the planning and preparation that had gone before. In just another twenty-four hours all the supply would be out in the market place and she could start recouping the monies that she and her family were due.

Potentially, they would make thousands of pounds sterling, hundreds of thousands, perhaps much more than that. Certain suppliers and distributors did have to be paid and without her brothers’ strong arm support, Natalia reflected that they might have to be paid in full. This was worrying. There had to be a way around it. There was never enough cash in the pot for everyone. If Natalia was to succeed then this had to be at the expense of others.

Thinking about the next few hours was crucial. She selected her outfit and read up on Betts, their man on the inside who had kept the UK authorities at bay. He had done well so far, but nothing lasted forever, did it? Her packages needed to be followed and kept tabs on, both the car and the other smaller goods. Betts would play his part and allow the final distribution meeting to take place.