تروریست‌ها

Chapter seven

Terrorists

Takis took me up out of the room and up the stairs. We were outside. He put his gun into his pocket.

‘Be very quiet,’ he said. ‘We only have a few moments before Mike finds out that Mr John doesn’t want to see him. Then Mike will come back and Mike, as you know, is not a nice man.’

‘I don’t understand,’ I said. ‘I thought you were going to kill me.’

‘No,’ said Takis, ‘I’m trying to help you. Can you swim underwater,’ he asked.

‘Yes,’ I replied. ‘But aren’t you one of them?’

‘No, I’m not one of them,’ said Takis. ‘I work for an international police force. But they think I’m one of them.’

‘Interpol,’ I asked. I began to understand. ‘We work with Interpol at the university.’

‘Why didn’t you listen to me,’ Takis asked. ‘I told you not to come.’

‘I thought I could find out what they were doing,’ I said. ‘What have they found,’ I asked. ‘Is it a statue, An old pot?’

‘A statue, A pot, What are you talking about,’ Takis asked me. ‘Are you mad? These men are terrorists. They’re here to sell guns.’

‘Guns,’ I said. I felt ill. ‘I thought that they were stealing old pots,’ I said. ‘I’m an archaeologist.’

‘I see,’ said Takis. He smiled. He had a nice smile. ‘And that’s why you wanted to find out what they were doing?’

There was a noise from below.

‘Quick,’ said Takis. ‘That must be Mike. Jump into the sea. You can swim under the rock there.’ He pointed. ‘On the other side is the beach of Aghios Sostis. There’s a cave there, And that’s where the mines begin. Go into the mines and stay there until I come and get you. I have to stay here. There are some men coming tonight to buy the guns. I have to know who they are.’

At that moment Mike came back onto the deck. He looked very angry.

‘Go, Now,’ said Takis.

‘What’s going on, Takis,’ shouted Mike.

I jumped into the sea.

‘Stop,’ shouted Mike. He took out his gun.

I swam under the water and felt something go past me. Mike was shooting at me, but nothing hit me. I was OK. I swam to the back of the boat and put my head above the water. Mike was shouting at Takis but I couldn’t see them.

‘Why did you let her go?’ Mike was shouting.

‘She was a pretty girl, why not,’ answered Takis.

Then I heard a heavy noise. I swam forward a bit. I saw Mike hit Takis. Takis fell down.

‘What’s happening,’ said another voice. It was Mr John.

‘I don’t know, Mr John,’ said Mike. ‘I think we have a problem. Takis didn’t kill the girl. She’s seen the guns and she’s gone.’

And why did he do that,’ asked Mr John.

‘I don’t know, boss,’ said Mike. ‘Takis didn’t tell me.’

‘Is he dead,’ asked Mr John.

‘No,’ I thought. ‘Not dead, please.’

‘No,’ said Mike. ‘I just hit him, He hit his head on the side of the boat. He’ll wake up later.’

‘When he wakes up I want to talk to him,’ said Mr John. ‘I have a lot of questions for Takis. He worries me. In this job you can’t have men who worry you. What about the woman? You were stupid, Mike, to bring her.’

‘Sorry, boss,’ said Mike. ‘You know me and women.’

‘Yes, I do,’ said Mr John. ‘One day you will die because of a woman. Now, what about this one?’

‘I think she was just afraid. She was just a stupid English tourist. Anyhow, I shot her as she jumped into the sea. I think that she’s dead. She hasn’t come up.’

I wasn’t dead, but I was very afraid.

‘I want you to watch for the woman,’ said Mr John. ‘If she’s alive, you’ll soon see her. There’s only rock here. There’s nowhere for her to go. If you don’t see her, then we know she’s dead.’

‘Yes, boss,’ said Mike.

‘Now, tie Takis up.’ Mr John was very angry. ‘I’m going to phone a friend of mine. Takis says that he knows him very well. I believed him. Now I’m not so sure. Tell me when Takis wakes up. I want to talk to him. First, he can tell me why he let the woman go. Then he can tell me who he is. And then I will kill him.’

‘Oh no,’ I thought. ‘This is terrible. And it’s my fault. Why did I ever get on the yacht? They are going to kill Takis because he helped me. Now I have to help Takis. But how?’