port,” Camaro said. “That’s closer than I’ll go.”
“Don’t worry about it. The Cubans are going to bring this guy out to us. You won’t have to go closer than ten or twelve miles offshore.”
“Where?”
“You have charts?”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s see them.”
Camaro and Matt went into the cabin, and Camaro brought charts that marked the coastline of Cuba. She spread them on the galley counter and switched on the overhead lights to shine directly down upon them. Their heads cast shadows as Matt traced his fingers along the land. Camaro glanced away once and saw Parker watching from the outside. She gave him a black look, and he moved off.
“It’s here,” Matt said finally. “Right here.”
He showed her a spot about one hundred fifty miles east of Havana, off the place called the Baños de Elguea. There were many little islands off the coast there, but open seas beyond. Camaro marked the distance from shore to the waters beyond. Twelve miles kept her safely clear of the bay. “They can bring him out that far?” she asked.
“Yeah. It’s all going to happen out there. They come to us, make the exchange, and we each go our merry ways. Done and done.”
“What about Cuban patrols?”
“The Cubans say they won’t be around. They’re bribed off the spot for the night.”
“And if they’re not?”
“You’re an American. What are they going to do except tell you to get the hell out of their waters?” Matt asked. “It’s not like they’re gonna haul you in.”
Camaro looked at him. “You don’t know what they’ll do. They could force us to dock in Cuba, they could board us…there are lots of options. If the government in Cuba really doesn’t want this guy leaving the country, this could still easily turn into something fast.”
“Well, let’s hope that doesn’t happen, okay?”
“You hope. I want guarantees.”
Matt straightened up sharply and nearly clipped his head on the ceiling. He ducked and glared and tried to lean into her again. Camaro put up a hand, and he stepped back. “What do you want?” he asked. “They wouldn’t be paying us this kind of money if it was a cakewalk! You’re getting paid good money to play taxicab, so don’t be giving me any static. We go in, we pick the guy up, and we leave . No one’s going to be boarding anybody.”
Camaro did not raise her voice. “Let’s get one thing straight right now: I’m skipper. Not one of your crew. And if you treat me like I am, I’ll park this boat halfway to Cuba and push you over the side. Without this boat, you can’t go anywhere or do anything. You know it, and I know it. So can the shit.”
She could see the retort spinning around inside of him, wanting to be given voice, but Matt’s lips merely quivered. In the end he smiled and raised his hands for peace. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry I got a little carried away. It’s the stress, you know?”
“Let me talk to Parker.”
“He doesn’t—”
Camaro cut him off with a look. The corner of Matt’s mouth curled, but he turned away and climbed up to the aft deck. She heard him speaking in low tones to the others, and then Parker descended. “What’s up?” he asked.
“Close it,” Camaro said.
Parker shut the wooden door. When he looked at her again, she saw fear. “What is it?” he asked her.
“How solid is this?” Camaro asked. “Is this guy blowing smoke, or is there really going to be a boat out there to meet us?”
“It’s going to be there,” Parker said. “Absolutely. This is a done deal.”
“Who are we picking up?”
Parker peeked out through the window in the door. No one was watching. He moved to the counter and spread his hands across the charts. The shadow of his fingers fell on the rendezvous point off the Cuban coast. “I don’t know a whole lot. From what Matt tells me, he’s some kind of big deal. Maybe he’s a Cuban official, maybe he’s some rich guy…I don’t know. All I do know is that these people
“Don’t worry about it. The Cubans are going to bring this guy out to us. You won’t have to go closer than ten or twelve miles offshore.”
“Where?”
“You have charts?”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s see them.”
Camaro and Matt went into the cabin, and Camaro brought charts that marked the coastline of Cuba. She spread them on the galley counter and switched on the overhead lights to shine directly down upon them. Their heads cast shadows as Matt traced his fingers along the land. Camaro glanced away once and saw Parker watching from the outside. She gave him a black look, and he moved off.
“It’s here,” Matt said finally. “Right here.”
He showed her a spot about one hundred fifty miles east of Havana, off the place called the Baños de Elguea. There were many little islands off the coast there, but open seas beyond. Camaro marked the distance from shore to the waters beyond. Twelve miles kept her safely clear of the bay. “They can bring him out that far?” she asked.
“Yeah. It’s all going to happen out there. They come to us, make the exchange, and we each go our merry ways. Done and done.”
“What about Cuban patrols?”
“The Cubans say they won’t be around. They’re bribed off the spot for the night.”
“And if they’re not?”
“You’re an American. What are they going to do except tell you to get the hell out of their waters?” Matt asked. “It’s not like they’re gonna haul you in.”
Camaro looked at him. “You don’t know what they’ll do. They could force us to dock in Cuba, they could board us…there are lots of options. If the government in Cuba really doesn’t want this guy leaving the country, this could still easily turn into something fast.”
“Well, let’s hope that doesn’t happen, okay?”
“You hope. I want guarantees.”
Matt straightened up sharply and nearly clipped his head on the ceiling. He ducked and glared and tried to lean into her again. Camaro put up a hand, and he stepped back. “What do you want?” he asked. “They wouldn’t be paying us this kind of money if it was a cakewalk! You’re getting paid good money to play taxicab, so don’t be giving me any static. We go in, we pick the guy up, and we leave . No one’s going to be boarding anybody.”
Camaro did not raise her voice. “Let’s get one thing straight right now: I’m skipper. Not one of your crew. And if you treat me like I am, I’ll park this boat halfway to Cuba and push you over the side. Without this boat, you can’t go anywhere or do anything. You know it, and I know it. So can the shit.”
She could see the retort spinning around inside of him, wanting to be given voice, but Matt’s lips merely quivered. In the end he smiled and raised his hands for peace. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry I got a little carried away. It’s the stress, you know?”
“Let me talk to Parker.”
“He doesn’t—”
Camaro cut him off with a look. The corner of Matt’s mouth curled, but he turned away and climbed up to the aft deck. She heard him speaking in low tones to the others, and then Parker descended. “What’s up?” he asked.
“Close it,” Camaro said.
Parker shut the wooden door. When he looked at her again, she saw fear. “What is it?” he asked her.
“How solid is this?” Camaro asked. “Is this guy blowing smoke, or is there really going to be a boat out there to meet us?”
“It’s going to be there,” Parker said. “Absolutely. This is a done deal.”
“Who are we picking up?”
Parker peeked out through the window in the door. No one was watching. He moved to the counter and spread his hands across the charts. The shadow of his fingers fell on the rendezvous point off the Cuban coast. “I don’t know a whole lot. From what Matt tells me, he’s some kind of big deal. Maybe he’s a Cuban official, maybe he’s some rich guy…I don’t know. All I do know is that these people
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