I Met a Drifter Who Walked out of the Darien Gap - [Part 10]

Part 1 l Part 2 l Part 3 l Part 4 l Part 5 l Part 6 l Part 7 l Part 8 l Part 9

As I touched my fingertips all I could feel was a stabbing pain from my finger tips to my wrist.  It was as if my mind couldn’t understand what had happened to me.  The pain was there, not the most excruciating pain, but a shooting pain, like a constant cramp or charlie horse in the center of my palm, if that makes any sense.

Any finer sensation, like feeling the texture of my fingertips, the heat of my body, or even the discomfort of dragging them against the rather rough and sharp edges of the crate next to my cot were all gone.

I frowned as I struggled to stand up, flexing my fingers slowly.  Trying to get a grip on the reality that now, I could move them, but I couldn’t really feel them.

“Shit,” I cursed under my breath, “I should have ignored the damn door like Baron Samdei said.”

Did he tell me to ignore it?

Was it even real?

I shivered, looking at my phone.

The time showed it was morning, and I was certain it was real.  I moved to the cabin door, and grabbed at the handle.  

My hand clenched tightly on the knob. I didn’t feel the texture or even the hardness of the handle.  It was as if my hand was cramping, gripping the handle so tight I worried I might snap it off in my hand. Pain shot up my arm, as if my arm was being ripped off from all over again.

I ripped my hand away after a moment or two, sweating from the pressure of the pain.

This was going to take some getting used to.

The door still appeared locked.

“Hey!” I shouted, hoarsely, “Open up!”

“Lock yourself in or something?” I heard Cassara say on the other side of the door before she paused, “Hey… Hey who the fuck locked David in his fucking cabin?!” I heard her shout.

“Kendis did,” I said, “Can you get the key or something?”

“Stand back,” I heard Cassara shout.

“Wait, what?” I said, stepping away as I saw the door heave along the hinges for a moment, before it buckled and the hinges tore away from the wall, twisting and hanging from a padlock that secured the other side.

“You okay?” Cassara asked.

“Uh, yeah,” I frowned, grabbing my phone, wincing as more pain shot through my arm, and sliding through the broken door carefully, “Junior’s going to be pissed you messed up his ship.”

“Fuck Junior,” Cassara snapped as she took my hand and pulled me through the doorway.

The feeling of Cassara’s hand gripping mine made me wince in a sudden and unexpected rush of pain induced adrenaline.

I didn’t hear what Cassara said, and she repeated with concern, “Uh, your hands are freezing.  Are you all right?”

“Long story…” I grunted through my teeth, “You don’t know anyone named Sofia by any chance, do you?” I asked.

“Sofia?  I mean… Common name, gotta be a little more specific,” Cassara pointed out.

“Short girl, has six angel wings, kind of a psycho?” I asked.

Cassara lifted an eyebrow, “Only people I know with Angel wings are the Queen, Empress, and the princesses Eva and Zeph.”

I blinked in confusion, “That’s… Way too many people with angel wings.”

“Royal family shit, I guess,” Cassara shrugged, “Doesn’t seem to make them any stronger…” Cassara paused, “Well maybe Zeph and the Empress.  Having gone against both I swear they’re related.  Think it’s the eyes.”

“You fought this Empress lady?” I asked.

“Oh, yeah.  Tough bitch, not going to lie.  We only fought for a bit though, before the Queen got all swoony over her,” Cassara rolled her eyes, “Called me off right when things got interesting.”

“Er, She got swoony eyed?” I asked, confused.

Cassara sighed, her tired expression resting on my face, “David, I come from a place where only women live and men are kept off site for purely reproductive purposes, okay?  Let's not pretend that the ladies there aren’t getting it on every now and again.”

“I didn’t… I mean… It’s not normal-” Cassara’s hand let go of mine quickly and she narrowed her eyes on mine.  I felt a lump in my chest and I suddenly lost the capacity to speak.

“And what is ‘normal’, exactly, David?” Cassara’s arms crossed over her chest as she lifted one eyebrow at me, “Enlighten me.”

“W-well I-” I stammered, unsure how to broach the subject further.

Cassara took a deep breath through her nose, her eyes closed, “David, I get it, okay?  Outside of my happy little bubble I’m a freak, fine.  But do me a favor and don’t be that kind of prick who clutches his pearls the second you hear something that goes against your fragile sensibilities.” 

I cleared my throat, “I didn’t mean to offend.”

“I’m not offended,” Cassara hissed, “I’m pissed off,” she turned on her heel, “Learn the fucking difference.” 

I winced, realizing I had two strikes in one conversation as I tried to catch up with Cassara and consider how I could remove my foot from my mouth going forward.

With some effort, I caught up to her, “Sorry.”

“Forget it,” Cassara spat, her eyes forward, “Don’t do it again or I’ll bust your nose.”

I gave a firm nod as I followed behind her.  

We made our way to the deck to find Kendis and Kayode strapping down new cargo.  Though Kayode was pushing one rather heavy looking crate closer to the middle, arranging it to be covered by a few other items.

I saw, spray painted on the side of the large box, something that said “O.N.U.” 

It was an odd thing to see, as I wasn’t too sure we would be picking up any United Nations items that would have been delivered to Cuba, not dropped off.  Also, of all the methods to ship things from the UN, they usually traveled over DHL or FedEx, not Junior’s small shit bucket of rusted bolts and rum.  

Come to think of it, the fact it was ‘The Baron’ probably meant it was very close to death.

For the English speaking folks, I understand your confusion, but the abbreviation in other languages places “Nations” before “United” on most crates.  

Still, the mystery around this crate only increased as Kayode pushed a box to cover it.  I walked over to him, “Kayode, where’s that one headed?”

Kayode didn’t stop working, covering it and turned to me, “Which one?”

“The crate in the middle-” I tried to ask before Kayode cut me off with a stern motion of his finger.

“There’s no crate, you saw nothing, Junior knows nothing, understand?” Kayode snapped.

Cassara stepped in, “We’re not blind and we’re not-”

“My life,” Kayode whispered, “Is on the line, please… It is one crate.  It costs Junior nothing, and it saves my neck.  Please, leave it.”

Cassara looked Kayode up and down.

“I didn’t rat you out to that Penthasailian bitch,” Kayode said, eyes narrowing on Cassara, “We get through this life by doing each other favors, yes?  Everyone has something hunting them.”

I was even more confused as Kayode got defensive.

Cassara’s hand went on Kayode’s shoulder, “I thank you for that, but whoever’s after you, I got you.”

“You don’t have this,” Kayode said as he shrugged her hand off his shoulder, “I appreciate it, but you can only help me here by doing nothing.  Understand?” 

Cassara’s stern gaze was set firmly on Kayode’s eyes, and the pair stared each other down before Cassara finally relented with a silent nod.  

Kayode remained firm, nodding and walking off with a, “Thank you,” before heading back to the dock to help Kendis with the next box.

“What was that about?” I asked.

“Don’t ask anymore questions, and just help where you can,” Cassara said quietly, “Until I repay him for what he did for me, we just hope he didn’t bite off more than he can chew.”

Junior shouted from the deck, “Cass, I ain’t chauffeurin’ yah around the Caribbean fer free!  Get tah movin’!  We gots to be in the Keys by morning!” 

“Duty calls,” Cassara grumbled as she headed to join Kayode and Kendis.

Junior gave a sharp whistle to me, “David, come ‘ere!”

I nodded and headed up to the bridge to see Junior.

Walking up to the wheelhouse I found Junior looking out a rather grimy window at the docks below, “How yah holding up?”

“...Surviving,” I answered, unsure how else to respond.

“Dat bitch,” Junior hissed, “She did dah same to me after she arrested me an’ my first crew and tossed us into Gitmo,” he turned to me, his pupil’s dilated, eyes wet.  “I wouldn’t wish dat fate on me worst enemy.  Yah got a taste, fer dat, I’m sorry,” Junior turned away from me.

I shuddered to think what other horrors Junior had faced in a place like Guantanamo Bay.  Especially if someone like Sigrid had the luxury of time on her side.

“I been givn’ yah a free ride the last two days, just cause I can sympathize wit yah,” Junior turned back to me, “But tomorra, I expect yah tah be pullin’ yer weight.  Yah hear?”

I gave Junior a nod, “Thank you.”

“Don’t tank me,” Junior whispered under his breath, “I ain’t done nothing tah help yah.  It’s me own damn fault yah got intah dis situation… I never shoulda let that Penthasilian onboard.  She more trouble den she worth.” 

“Hey she didn’-” I was cut off.

“She got us boarded by Penthasilian Navy!  I knew she was bad luck from da start, but thought maybe havin’ her here would help me avoid dat shit!  Instead, I bring those bitches to me front door!” He glared at me, “She told me she wanted off soonish, and da next port, she can go and neve’ come back!” Junior shouted.  “An’ if yah go wit ‘er, David…” Junior trailed off, “...May God save yer soul.”

I was silent for a bit, unsure how to respond.  

“Yah can go,” Junior said, not looking back at me.

Without another word, I left.

…

It was later that night that Cassara woke me from an otherwise sound sleep.

“Hey, David,” Cassara whispered as she jostled me, “...It’s Kayode.”

I rolled out of bed and got my shoes on quickly as Cassara led me through the darkened hallways.

I could hear Kendis snoring loudly, as we passed his cabin.

That meant that Kayode was on watch.

“What’s going on?” I asked Cassara.

“I had this… hunch, and…” We climbed silently up the steps leading to the top deck and there Cassara stopped me, peering over the railing, “Look,” she instructed.

I peaked up over the lip of the stairwell to see Kayode struggling with the cargo.  Slowly moving crates around.

“Does Junior know?” I asked.

“Junior’s driving, he’s got to know.  He knows what happens on his ship,” Cassara turned to me, “Do you think it’s normal to unstrap cargo while we’re at sea?”

Before I could answer the question, two loud horn blasts came from another nearby ship.  I turned to see, over a rolling wave, another vessel making its way towards us.

The ship was larger, and cleaner than Junior’s ship.  Though that wasn’t a hard bar to pass.

I could hear Junior shouting, “Kayode, get dat shit off mah damn boat ‘fore I toss yah over wit it!”

Kayode had just freed the crate that was hidden from the center, working against the rolling of the ship as he did so.

“Aye Aye, Captain!” Kayode shouted, rolling the crate from the center of the deck and towards the edge.

Cassara turned to me, “Distract Junior.”

“What?!” I cried out, while trying to do my best to keep quiet.

“You distract Junior, I’m going to figure out what the hell Kayode got himself into,” Cassara hissed as she pushed me up the steps.

I gave a nod.

I stumbled my way onto the deck and climbed up towards the bridge.  The door was locked, which was odd. I took a deep breath, and gave three hard knocks on the steel door.

There was a pause before I heard Junior shouting, “Kayode, yah better not be askin’ me tah help yer scrawny ass!” Junior soon opened the door, looking me up and down, “What in da hell are yah doin’ here, David?”

“I… Couldn’t sleep, just wanted to talk,” I lied.

“Yah a shit liar,” Junior growled as he pulled me inside and sat me down in a chair before he moved back to the helm.  I could hear the radio calling out.

“Little Minnow, where’s my box?” The radio blared in Spanish.

“Droppin’ in the drink soon, den we be heading away and yah best fetch it before we out,” I heard Junior say as he placed the radio back down, “Dis is somethin’ yah better off knowin’ little tah nothin’ ‘bout, David.  Now what ch’yah want?  If yah can’t tell, I’m busy.”

“I can’t help but be curious about what’s going on,” I pressed.

“Yah know what dey say about Curiosity n’ Cats, David,” Junior said, his eyes shifting from the instruments in front of him to the machete that was on the wall, “I’ve skinned plenty of cats in my day,” Junior growled as he turned back to the panels in front of him.  “Now get back tah yer cabin, an’ leave me to handle me business.” 

“Is it you forcing Kayode to do this, or someone else?” I asked.

Junior took a measured breath, “Short answer, is not me,” Junior said, not even looking to me for a second, “Long answer is, me crew members gots a bad habit o’ draggin’ me ship in tah shit I want nothin’ tah do wit,” Junior turned to me, “I’m helpin’ Kayode outta a bind.  Dat’s all yah get, got it?”

I nodded, “I just… Okay, fine.”

“Trust me, less yah know the better, now get back down below deck,” Junior ordered, “Dis nothin’ but a bad dream, got it?”

I nodded, headed out of the bridge, and glanced to see Kayode pushing the crate marked “ONU” overboard.

As it hit the water, I saw it bobbing up and down, a light flashing on it along with an orange buoy.  

From behind the door, I heard Junior announce, “Yah box be free.  Come get it.”

With that the ship lurched forward, and I stumbled to the deck’s floor.

Cassara grabbed me, and pulled me to my feet, pushing me against the steel wall of the bridge, putting her finger to her lips.

I nodded, “You good?”

Cassara gave a nod, “Yeah.”

With that we made our way back below deck.  “What was that about?”

“Eh, there might be some high fish in the gulf this weekend,” Cassara shrugged.

I paused, looking Cassara over, “What did you do?”

“Kayode got in with some bad folk,” Cassara said with a sly grin, “That box was to be dropped at this spot, for pick-up by another boat.”  She shrugged, “And Kayode did exactly what he was supposed to do.  It’s not his fault if, you know, the rough seas broke the box.”

I frowned, “Cass…”

“What?  He did what they told him,” Cassara chuckled as she headed to her room, “And if the lil’ plastic membrane around all the shit in there happened to bust open when it dropped in, and happened to cause the whole create to pop like a balloon then that’s no one’s fault but fate.”

“Membrane?  What the hell was in there?!” I asked.

Cassara sighed, “Pills, lots of them.  And you don’t drop pills into the ocean with a special buoy for some random boat to pick-up in the middle of the damn gulf.”

I winced, “Cassara, why stick your neck out like that?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do,” Cassara snapped, “I have no love for cartels and shit, okay?  They got Kayode in a bind somehow, and used him as their little mule.  So fuck them!” Cassara shouted, “See you in the morning.” With that, Cassara headed into her cabin without an opportunity for me to give any further objections.  

I sighed, and headed to bed.  We were only a few hours from shore, or so I hoped.  

What sleep I managed to get was broken and plagued with that off sinking feeling you get in the pit of your stomach.

I thought about Kayode’s situation.  Cartels weren’t going to just let him off the hook, even if he did do the job right.  And now that the job, or the drop, whatever it was, got fucked up, I was certain this wouldn’t end well.

I felt the ship come to a halt, and figured we were docked.

After that I woke up and headed up topside, and found everyone at work, as normal.  “What can I help with?” I called out.

After what was a normal working morning, we had our cargo unloaded fully.  

The sun was pretty bright and the day a hot and muggy one as Kayode and Kendis rested on the dock, smoking a joint.

Cassara’s eyes were on Kayode all throughout the morning.

“Cass,” I sighed, “What’s going on?”

“Keeping an eye on him,” Cassara whispered.

“Why?” I asked.

“Another hunch,” Cassara said as she pushed off a pylon and walked towards Kayode and Kendis.

I followed, and watched as Cassara’s gaze shifted to someone else.

A man was walking towards Kayode and Kendis.  A ball-cap on his head, his hand in his pocket.

He turned to Kayode, his movement suddenly swift.

Just before he got within Kayode’s reach, Cassara blocked him, and grabbed his hand tight.  The man struggled for a few moments before Cassara pulled him tight against her.

Cassara released the guy, and in his hand was a pocket knife covered in blood.

Cassara’s own bloodied hand slipped into her pocket as she stepped away from him, blood soaking his shirt as he staggered on the dock before he stumbled into the edge.

The man slipped off the dock, and splashed into the water.  

I rushed to the edge of the dock, spotting only a pool of blood on the water’s surface.  His body was nowhere to be found, and I wasn’t even sure if anyone else had seen him.

Kayode got to his feet, stunned, “Wait, what-”

“Don’t worry about it,” Cass said, her hand on Kayode’s shoulder, “It’s my problem now.”

I had witnessed a murder, and that murderer was a close friend, and my travel companion for weeks.

Kayode shook his head, “Cassara…”

“Just pin it on me, okay?  I’m bouncing anyway,” Cassara informed Kayode.

“I owe you my life, Cass!” Kayode gushed.

“That crate of that Jamaican rum you’ve been hiding would be more than enough for me,” Cassara said with a knowing grin.

“Right away!” Kayode said as he made his way back onto The Baron.

Junior was leaning against the railing, his eyes on Cassara and I.  He seemed more than happy to see the both of us leave.

Would Junior have my ass for even bearing witness to this?  Would he turn me over to the cartel just to identify Cassara?  Did Junior see anything, or was he just playing dumb?

I hedge my bets in my mind, but I had followed Cassara this far, and I was pretty sure I was about one wrong move from getting a machete to my throat from Junior if I stayed onboard.  

But most importantly, the words of the Angel Sofia echoed in my mind.  “Protect Cassara, for she is likely marked by both The Guardian Temple, and the Forces that rise against us.”

“Thank you for the ride, Junior,” I offered with a wave as I hefted my backpack onto my shoulder, hoping that Junior wouldn’t say anything about what Cassara had just done.

Junior didn’t give much of a response as he took a final drag of his cigarette and tossed it overboard.

Kayode rushed back to Cassara, handing her a small case of at least twelve bottles filled with clear liquid, “Are yah sure you don’t want more?  I mean it, you saved me back there!”

Cassara smiled as she took the case, “Thanks, Kayode.  This is the good shit,” Cassara looked at me now, her eyes searching mine.  I could tell she knew that I saw what she did, and it had changed my opinion of her.  “So, David, are we parting ways?”

I hemmed and hawed, Junior’s voice interrupting my train of thought.

“Aye!” Junior shouted down from the railing, “Dat’s what yah need tah get through day innit?  Don’t go given’ way all ‘ere heart to dis woman!” Junior narrowed his eyes on her, “She may seem fine, but she followed by some bad Juju,”

Kayode turned to face Junior, shouting, “Capin’, I swear tah yah, she a blessin’ in disguise!”

“A blessin? Ha,” Junior mock laughed as he looked at me, his yellowed eyes searching mine, “Guess it all depends who yah serve, eh David?”

I paused for a moment before I turned to Cassara, “I guess I’m with you,” I stated, with more than my usual level of unease.

Cassara sighed, “You’ve got to be the most unlucky son of a bitch I’ve ever met, David,” as she removed the bottles from the case and stuffed them into my backpack.

“My mother was actually quite nice, you’d like her,” I said as I felt my stomach sink, not realizing then how right Cassara was.  

As I left the Baron for the final time, I heard one last remark from Junior, my attention turned to him as I looked back at the rusted old ship that had been my home for the last couple weeks.

Junior pushed himself away from the railing, shooting Cassara and I one last steely gaze, “If yah ever cross me path again, blan” Junior had growled, “It be all too soon.”