Shot at Redemption Read online

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  The Land Rover drove into the town of Port Stanley. Home to 2,300 residents, ninety percent of the island’s population. Most of the inhabitants descended from the original English settlers who arrived in 1832. Today, the Falkland Islands maintain the charm of a British colony.

  They pulled up in front of a small white building with a brown, thatch roof. A blue wood-cut sign hung above the door. Gold lettering read The Crown.

  “I’m hungry,” Williams said. “We can grab a bite to eat and a drink before we go out to the ship. No alcohol allowed on board.”

  “Sounds good,” Jay said. “How long has the ship been in the Falklands?”

  “A few days. I’ll explain everything once we place our order.”

  Jay thought he walked into a London pub. Dark paneling covered the walls. Union Jacks and Falkland Island flags flew from the ceiling. A picture of Queen Elizabeth adorned the wall behind the bar. Another photo showed Prince Charles visiting wounded British soldiers during the Falklands War.

  Williams pulled up a stool at the bar. A few local fishermen dressed in plaid wool shirts and filthy coveralls sat at the other end. Two older women sat at a table in the back corner next to a red-felt pool table.

  “Try the bangers and mash,” Williams said. “It will fill you up. What do you want to drink?”

  “I’ll have a black and tan,” Jay said.

  “Make that two,” Williams said to the bartender.

  “Did Bonner tell you why he sent you down here?” Williams said.

  “No. If he did, I can’t remember.”

  “You’re assigned to the R/V Nereus II. It’s a U.S. research vessel owned by the Navy but operated by the New England Marine Institute. It’s in the Falklands on a research expedition. Our security officer had a heart attack last week. We flew him to Buenos Aires for medical care. We’ve been waiting for you to arrive to finish our voyage.

  “How long will the ship be here in the Falklands?”

  “Another week, then we sail back to Falmouth.”

  “Falmouth, England?”

  “No, Falmouth Massachusetts. On Cape Cod. You’ve heard of it?”

  “Hell yeah. It’s my hometown. I have relatives there.”

  “No shit. It’s a small world.”

  “Where are you from?” Jay asked.

  “Here and there. I was a Navy brat. Grew up on bases around the world. The last port of call was Newport, so I went to Mass. Maritime and traveled the world on rusty freighters. I landed the job in Woods Hole a few years ago. It’s been the best gig I’ve had. They treat you well, and the pay is the best in the business.”

  “Why do you need a security guard?”

  “Pirates. They’re taking everybody hostage. They don’t care who you are or what country you call home. As long as they can extort a few million from the ship’s owners, they’re happy.”

  “I thought they ended the pirate operations off Somalia.”

  “Yea, they did. I’m talking about South American pirates. They’re coming out of Brazil, Venezuela, and Colombia. A lot of them work for drug cartels.”

  “You look pretty dangerous,” Jay said with a smile. “And you handle that knife pretty well. Why aren’t you in charge of security?”

  “To be honest, it’s all an act. I haven’t fired a rifle or handgun since the academy.”

  Jay ate his food and drained the beer in a manner of minutes. The English sausages were bland for his taste since he grew up on the spicy Linguica and Chorizo common to Portuguese cooking.

  Williams drove down the street and parked the car in a small parking lot next to a fishing pier. Jay and Williams boarded an ancient Boston Whaler.

  “Welcome aboard,” said the captain of the boat, an overweight man with a thick white beard. “My name is Charles Moody. I’m a direct descendant of the first Colonial Governor. I’ll be taking you out to your ship.”

  “Nice to meet you, Captain Moody,” Jay said as he tossed his gear onboard. He thought the man reminded him of Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick.

  As they pulled away from the dock, Jay noticed the wreck of a sailing ship sitting in a shallow harbor.

  “Captain Moody, what’s the history behind that shipwreck?” Jay asked.

  “What, that old hulk in Whalebone Cove?” Moody said. “That’s the Lady Liz. She’s an iron barque. It was damaged sailing around Cape Horn back in seventy-nine—1879, that is. The ship sat in our harbor until 1936. Then a storm ripped her from her mooring, and she beached.”

  “Why is she still there?”

  “Some locals say it’s a memorial to the power of the sea. It reminds us not to get too cocky and respect the force of nature.”

  “What do you say?”

  “The island governor is too cheap to pay for the salvage fees. Either way, It’s part of the island’s lore.”

  Captain Moody piloted the boat south along the eastern coast of the island. Then he headed west. A small island lay ahead with flocks of birds flying over a large beach.

  “You might want to grab that pair of binoculars on the console,” Moody said. “We’re approaching Sea Lion Island.”

  Jay picked up the binoculars and trained them on the beach. To his amazement, he spotted three large sea lions lying in a cluster. Their large, blubbery bodies meshed together like a giant Jello pie. Sea Lion pups flopped along the beach while doting mothers kept a close eye on them. Thousands of penguins scurried around. At the edge of the beach, individual penguins sat tall on grassy nests scattered across the sand. Other penguins waddled through the sand with fish in their mouths.

  “This is amazing,” Jay said. “Can you go onto the island?

  “Of course,” Moody said. “You can even stay overnight at Sea Lion Lodge. The island is a nature reserve. In fact, one of the research teams from your ship is studying the sea lions right now.”

  Jay took out his iPhone to take pictures of the giant sea lions basking on the beach.

  “Look to your port side. There’s your ship. She’s a beauty.”

  Moody turned away from the beach and headed towards their destination. The R/V Nereus II sat anchored in the calm waters of Falkland Sound with its white superstructure rising high above its dark blue hull. The square fan deck rode low over the water with a large gray gantry standing high above the deck. Jay saw people milling about. A few people started waving.

  “There’s your greeting committee,” Moody said. “Hang on, and I’ll take you in.”

  The Captain maneuvered the small boat towards the large ship. One of the crewmen lowered an aluminum platform off the fan deck.

  “Mendes, throw that mate the bowline,” Williams said.

  Jay followed her order and threw the nylon line to the crew member. A few minutes later, Jay followed Williams onto the ship.

  After many introductions, Williams led Jay below deck to the crew quarters. He entered the stateroom with two bunks, a small desk, and a closet. Luxurious compared to the cramped crew quarters on warships.

  “You’ll have the cabin to yourself since you’re the only security guard. I’ll give you a tour of the ship later. Take an hour to get settled and catch a nap. The evening meal is at 17:00.”

  Jay dropped his duffle bags onto the floor, stripped down to his briefs, and lay down on the top bunk. Not so bad, he thought. He could get used to this duty. A second later, Jay was sound asleep.

  Chapter 2

  A loud banging on his door woke him up.

  “Mr. Mendes?” a young female voice said. “The Captain needs to see you on the bridge.”

  “Okay,” Jay said as he shook the cobwebs out of his head. He jumped off the bunk and opened the door. An attractive African American crew member named Perry stood outside his door. Her eyes opened wide when she saw Jay’s chiseled muscles and scars.

  Jay sensed something was wrong.

  “Sorry about that,” he said as he grabbed a t-shirt from his duffle bag.

  “Please, don’t apologize. I haven’t se
en a body that sweet for months. But we must hurry.”

  Jay got dressed then followed her through the winding corridors to the ship’s bridge. The Captain stood looking out the window. A tall, gray-haired man, he wore a white dress shirt and dark blue slacks. He stood looking out the window with a pair of binoculars. Without turning, he said, “Welcome aboard, Mendes. I understand you have diving experience?”

  “Yes, sir,” Jay replied. “Fourteen years as a Navy diver.”

  “You brought your scuba gear?”

  “Yes, sir. Everything except the tanks.”

  “We have tanks. Perry will show you where they are. Get suited up. We have a situation. Two of our scientists are on a rigid hull inflatable on the sound. They’ve been tracking a pod of Sei whales. The propeller of their boat got tangled in a fishing net, and they’re stranded. I need you to cut the net free.”

  “Sounds pretty straightforward,” Jay said. “I’ll get my gear.” He turned to move towards the door.

  “I hope you brought a dry suit,” the Captain said. “The water temperature is forty-three degrees this time of year.”

  Back in his cabin, Jay searched through his duffle bag. The last time he went scuba diving, he was in the Persian Gulf. The water temperature was seventy-five degrees. But Jay brought several suits with him.

  Thirty minutes later, Jay sat on the sidewall of the inflatable fifty yards away from the disabled boat. Jay could see the brown fishing net floating in the water.

  Jay dropped off the side of the boat. The shock of the cold water took his breath away. He sank until his feet hit the rocky bottom. The water was sparkling clear, and he could see where the net tangled on a pile of rocks.

  Movement off to his right caught him by surprise. A quick flash. Then nothing. Jay swam toward the net as fast as he could, his powerful strokes working his muscles to fight off the cold. He saw another flash. He turned to see a sleek, gray shape fly by him.

  Jay focused on the net, using his knife to slice through the hemp until it floated free. Task one accomplished.

  As he swam to the surface, he saw the flash again. This time he saw a sleek body and powerful flippers. It swam closer. Jay thought it might be a shark, so he prepared to defend himself. Then he got a closer look. His guest was a dolphin. It stared at him with curious eyes as he swam by. It seemed smart enough to stay away.

  Jay continued to cut a path through the net. All around him, fish swam free. As he worked his way towards the boat, he noticed movement near the water’s surface. The shape was gray, but not a fish. What if it was a shark? Jay held the knife in front of him, ready to strike if the beast struck out. Then the head turned. Two round black eyes stared back at him. Then he heard a soft whine like a sheep.

  It was a baby seal. Too small to be a sea lion pup, it was five feet long and had fuzzy gray fur. Jay swam closer to see one of its flippers caught in the net. The seal looked like it was injured. “Mendes, are you alright?” Perry said in his earpiece. “What’s going on?”

  “The net’s free from the bottom. I’m working my way toward the boat’s propeller, but I have a situation.”

  “What situation?”

  “I found a baby seal. It’s entangled in the net.”

  “Well, cut it loose and let it swim away. You’re running out of time.”

  “I can’t. It’s stuck in the net. If I leave it here, it’ll die.”

  “Mendes, you’ll freeze to death if you don’t get out of the water in five minutes.”

  “I’m cutting him free. Radio to the crew on the boat and tell them I’m bringing a passenger on board.”

  “But Mendes…,” Perry said, but Jay didn’t listen. He focused on the seal’s flipper.

  The seal watched his every move. Then it stopped moving. As if it knew Jay was there to help it. He spotted the seal’s rear fin caught in the net twisted at a strange angle. Likely broken, Jay cut the net away from the fin, careful not to cut the seal’s skin. Then he reached out and held the fin steady with his left hand while he cut the net away with his right. The seal didn’t move.

  When he finished, the seal splashed around and grunted. Jay swore he saw the seal smile at him as they floated to the surface together.

  “Over here!” a voice shouted. “Bring the seal to the boat, and we’ll lift it in.”

  Jay turned to see two researchers waving towards him from the edge of the inflatable. He pushed the baby seal towards them. The poor little guy didn’t have the energy to resist.

  The two researchers extended their hands down, and Mendes pushed the seal into their arms. They pulled him onboard.

  “Great job Mendes,” Perry said in his earpiece. “Now cut the net away from the boat’s propeller and get back here.”

  Jay followed orders by cutting the net, then swam back to his rigid hull. Perry reached down and pulled him out of the water. He peeled his suit off and wrapped himself in thermal blankets. When he was ready, Perry gunned the engine, and they headed back to the ship.

  The researcher’s boat followed close behind, pulling up to the aluminum dock at the same time. Jay jumped off his inflatable and went to help with the seal.

  One of the researchers, a young dark-haired woman, waved to Jay.

  “Hey, thanks for saving this little guy. Can you help us carry him off the boat?”

  “Sure,” Jay said. “I’m glad to help. Is he going to be okay?”

  “His body temperature is very low,” she said. “We need to warm him up in the medical ward. We weren’t planning on having any sea mammal guests on this trip, but we brought a few tubs in case of an emergency.”

  “What are tubs?” Jay said. “You mean bathtubs?”

  “Yes, designed for injured marine mammals. They have to stay in the water to survive.”

  Jay helped the woman carry the seal to the medical ward. There a medic and a nurse examined the seal. The medic pulled a portable x-ray unit over and snapped an image of the seal’s rear fin. The doctor reviewed the image on the machine’s LED screen.

  “Sorry, it’s broken,” the doctor said. “It won’t be able to return to the ocean. I’ll have to euthanize it.”

  “No,” Jay said. “You can’t kill him. Can’t you do something?”

  “I’m sorry,” the doctor said as he walked over to a medicine cart and removed a hypodermic needle. He filled the syringe with a clear fluid.

  Jay stepped between the doctor and the seal. “You’re going to have to kill me before you kill that baby.”

  “Mendes,” Williams said, standing in the doorway. “Stand down. That’s an order.”

  But Jay didn’t budge. He stared the doctor in the eyes.

  “Mendes, I said stand down.”

  “No, it’s okay,” the dark-haired woman said. “I’ll take care of him. If he recovers, I’ll take him back to the aquarium in Woods Hole.”

  Jay looked at the woman. She was going to save and care for the baby seal. The woman stepped over to Jay and placed her hand on his arm. Jay relaxed. The doctor turned and put the needle down.

  “Mendes, I’m putting you on report,” Williams said as she turned and stormed out of the medical ward.

  “Let me complete my examination,” the doctor said. “Then we can discuss what to do with him.”

  The woman took Jay’s hand and led him out of the ward. They went out a door onto the outside deck. The woman wrapped her arms around Jay’s shoulder in a warm embrace.

  “This is nice,” Jay said. “But I don’t even know you.”

  “Jay, you don’t recognize me?”

  “How do you know my name? We weren’t even introduced?”

  “I’m Olivia. Olivia Cataldo.”

  Jay searched his memory. He grew up in Maravista. A village in Falmouth, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. His next-door neighbors were Walter and Maria Cataldo. Olivia was their daughter. She was fourteen when he joined the Navy. His brother Joseph’s age. Then the memories flooded back to that horrible morning.

  The ship’s PA
system blurted, “Mendes. Report to the bridge. Immediately!”

  Jay held Olivia’s hand for a moment longer. Then she pushed him away and said, “You don’t want to make Williams angry. We can talk later. How about after supper?”

  Jay laughed, “Sounds great. It will be fun to catch up.”

  “Good luck,” Olivia said with a smile.

  Chapter 3

  The view of Falkland Sound was breathtaking. A mile away, the water erupted in foam. A large dark form broke through the surface, and a fountain blew into the air. Behind the whale, he saw Olivia taking pictures while Stephanie, another researcher, piloted the inflatable. She was trying to get closer to the elusive Sei whale.

  Jay watched the action from his boatswain’s chair high above the ship’s deck. He was painting as punishment for insubordination. Jay didn’t mind, though. He enjoyed the fresh air and scenery, a stark contrast to the last four days spent traveling.

  Jay saw crew members and researchers on the fan deck building an enclosure and pool for the seal. Olivia told him the research team named the seal Jojo in memory of his younger brother.

  After finishing his duties, Jay grabbed a quick sandwich in the galley and went out onto the fan deck. He heard a sharp screeching sound. It sounded a bit like a sheep. As he approached Jojo’s pool, he saw movement. Then a dark gray head popped out of the water, and Jojo bleated Baaaaa again. Jojo dove back under the surface and spun around in circles.

  Olivia walked up and hugged Jay. “What’s he doing?” Jay asked.

  “He’s cleaning himself. Fur seals spin around in the water to remove sand and other debris from their fur.”

  “It looks like fun,” Jay said. “Do you know how old Jojo is?”

  “We think he’s six months old. He’s eating fish, which means he’s weaned off his mother’s milk.”

  “Does he live here in the Falklands?”