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On its approach to Honolulu the ship rounded Diamond Head, it was late morning and the view was spectacular. Very soon they were tying up at a berth close to the Aloha tower, a tall square building some 10 stories' high. Clocks on all four sides had the word "Aloha" printed on the balconies above them. Originally, it was the tallest building in Honolulu, and so well known that it was regarded as the Hawaiian equivalent of the "Statue of Liberty" in the USA.

Will was eager to get ashore, but his duties were erratic for the remainder of the day which would have meant a very short excursion. I'll wait until tomorrow to get a full day ashore, he thought. There was no hurry, the ship would be here for at least a couple of weeks, giving him plenty of time for sightseeing.

The following morning Will left the ship to go into downtown Honolulu, only fifteen to twenty minutes' walk away. It was much like any other American city, and spending the day going through the shops was just as tiring. The day was rounded off by a visit to one of the best movie theatres he had ever seen. Next day he decided to go farther afield to see the beaches and scenery for which Hawaii was famous.

One place he had always wanted to visit was the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and also Waikiki Beach, which were both prominent in his mind from the films he had seen. The hotel was known as the "Pink Palace" because of it's pink painted exterior and Moorish-Spanish architecture with towers, giving it the look of a regal palace. Arriving at the hotel, he walked through the surrounding gardens which were filled with palms and brilliantly colored flower beds, then on to Waikiki beach, the most famous beach resort in the world.

The scenery, looking across to Diamond Head was breathtaking, and Will stood there for some time taking it all in. The weather was brilliant, a clear blue sky with a slight sea breeze, and the sun was hot but not overpowering. It was late morning, but there were very few people on the beach, which had the finest white sand stretching in a long curve towards Diamond Head. After the scene had been implanted permanently in his mind Will walked back to the front of the hotel. Once inside, it's pink decor was luxurious and he wandered through the downstairs rooms noting the shiny black floors and crystal chandeliers. After looking around he finally settled down in a small room with a bar. Ordering a drink, he found a table near the back of the room which gave him the full view of all the comings and goings of customers and staff.

 

There were quite a few people, mostly military personnel sitting at the bar and tables but it was far from crowded. The chairs were very comfortable so Will relaxed back to sip his drink and observe the scene. Glancing along the bar he noticed a young man wearing white trousers and a bright floral shirt, a characteristic dress for Hawaii. He must have been looking directly at Will and their eyes met. Not wanting to be rude and look away Will nodded slightly, and within seconds the man was making his way over.

On approach, Will noticed that his walk was light-footed like that of a female, his features were fine, with a perfect complexion and his grooming immaculate. Reservations were building up inside, but it was too late for that now as he was standing right there in front of him. A nervous smile came over his face as he spoke.

"Hello, would you mind if I sat down?"

"Be my guest." The man sat down and then utter silence continued for some considerable period. Looking across the table it appeared that the man was extremely nervous and totally incapable of starting any conversation. As each second ticked by, things got more embarrassing. Reaching across the table Will extended his hand.

"My name is Will Brenner."

His hand was thin and the handshake floppy, not firm. "I know your name, and I know who you are."

Will flinched, he had been taken completely by surprise. "How do you know my name? I don't know you, what's your name?"

"My name is Gerald," he replied, with an intonation that Will now recognized. This man is homosexual he suspected, what is he up to? The silence returned and an atmosphere of tension began to intensify between the two men. Gerald's nervous disposition was increasing, his eyes rapidly looking up at Will, then down on to the table. As he lifted his glass to take a drink his hand was trembling slightly. Completely at a loss and unable to read Gerald's intention, Will got up from his chair and picking up his drink prepared to leave. "For God's sake, please don't go." he pleaded.

Gerald's face had turned from a look of nervousness to one of fear, and he furtively looked around as though to check if anyone had overheard his last remark. The look on his face compelled Will to sit down and just wait for a

 

 

response, there surely must be one? Gerald finished off his drink and placing the glass back on the table his hand still quivering, he looked across at Will, and struggling with the words he spoke again, this time quietly.

"I know that you're with the organization and I've been asked to contact you." Will felt at a disadvantage. His mind flashed back to ferret man, the correspondent, Omah and Blyth, but this man was completely out of character.

"I think we should get away from this bar, let's go on to the beach and sort things out." As they walked out of the hotel and on to the beach Will felt the impulse to keep his distance. If any of the crew spotted him with Gerald, seeing his unmistakable walk which obviously put him in the homosexual class, they would never let him forget it for the rest of the voyage. Keeping to the edge of the beach and under the palm trees, Will resumed the conversation. "I'm not part of the organization, but you are."

Gerald hesitated, signs of nervousness showing again. "Yes, I am,"he blurted out, "and I do know that you have been involved also."

"Yes, but I'm not an agent," and as he was speaking it suddenly dawned on him that perhaps someone had made a mistake in bringing him together with Gerald. The possibility of finding out more information about the organization sprang immediately to mind, but this was not the time for questions of that nature. "Are you going to ask me to do something for you here?"

"No, I need you to do something with me."This was certainly a turn of events! "Look Gerald, don't push me into anything. You've taken me by surprise. Give

me some breathing space. I'll meet you again right here tomorrow around 11 a.m. and we'll talk things over.”

Gerald's face took on a scared look. "You're not going to let me down are you? If you do, we'll both be in a lot of trouble."

Will paused before speaking. "I've been threatened with reprisals before, but you can count on me being here."

Turning he walked away, the scenic splendour of Waikiki beach taking second place to the recent happenings. His mind was nowfullypreoccupied, trying to come to terms with the fact that here he was again under ferret man's thumb, even though he was on the opposite side of the world!

What about Gerald? It was impossible to imagine him as an agent, his whole demeanour was that of a highly strung individual. What am I getting myself into?

 

I'll need to know more about him in order to feel secure before getting involved. These thoughts continued to haunt him until the meeting next day.

Gerald was there as arranged. Will could see him nervously pacing up and down between the palm trees. The look of relief on his face when he saw Will approaching was easy to read, but to feel sympathy towards him could be a big mistake. "Let's walk along the beach and talk," Will suggested.

"I have a better idea. My car is parked outside and I know of a small inlet where we won't be disturbed. It's only a few minutes drive away."

"Is the car hired?" Will asked, thinking that Gerald was probably from one of the other ships in the harbour.

"No, I own it."

"You live here then?"

"Yes, I've been here about a year."

Willasked no more questions as they approached the car, a massive two-door white coupe with the top down, exposing it's vast comfortable interior. He's got to be working permanently for the organization, Will guessed.

They drove off along the beach road and in the relaxed comfort of the car Will began to feel the tensions slipping away, as the exotic scenery once again began demanding his attention. Looking across at Gerald he seemed to sense that he was also beginning to relax, no doubt he was feeling that the initial contact had been made, and everything was still on-going.

The car pulled off the beach road into a small picnic area. It had been less than ten minutes since leaving the Royal Hawaiian Hotel so Will estimated that they were no more than two or three miles farther along the beach. The area was certainly secluded and elevated from the road. There were just a few picnic tables scattered indiscriminately amongst the palm trees, and Gerald made his way over to one and sat down. Joining him, Will looked below into a small cove with a sandy beach, a scene that could have come from a tropical island film.

"Would you like a coke Will?" he offered, reaching into the bag he had carried from the car. They both sat sipping their drinks in silence, but Will knew that very soon the conversation would get serious again. Taking the initiative, Will asked a direct and searching question.

"You've been blackmailed into doing this type of work as I have, haven't you?" Gerald remained silent but the signs of nervousness were beginning to

 

 

reappear. "I'll be blunt,"Will continued, "you're homosexual and they are holding a past activity against you, isn't that the truth?" The agitation intensified, now becoming quite visible but Gerald still remained silent. It was quite obvious that he was struggling to cope withthe substance of the questions, "furthermore, they have something about you so devastating that it forced you to accept their proposal to join the organization." The pressures inside him must have increased to bursting point. He stood up and turned away with his back to Will in an effort to hide his feelings.

Why isn't he retaliating? Gerald still remained silent. Am I going too far? Sympathy returned once again and Will quickly suppressed it. "I don'tgive a damn what I'm threatened with, I won't do anything with you unless I know more about you."

Gerald turned and sat down his head slightly bowed, and eyes fixed in one position on the table. "Yes, what you say is the truth. I have nowhere to turn, and do as I'm told. I live in an apartment downtown and work in an office close by. From time to time I'm asked to gather information."

"From other homosexuals in the military?"

"Yes, just little bits and pieces that I pass on." His head bowed a little further and Will for one moment thought he was going to burst into tears.

"You haven't asked about me, so I assume you already know." "Yes, I've been told enough."

"Your friends don't know what you get up to, do they?" "No, but I haven't many friends. Do you have any?"

"No, I guess you could call me a loner, which is better under the circumstances." Gerald nodded in agreement. He seemed to be recovering from the previous session of conversation, and an unusual relationship was beginning to develop between them. A car appeared in the clearing and a family got out to picnic.

"We must move away now," Will suggested, and as Gerald walked quickly towards the car in that typical female fashion Will once again questioned, "what have I got myself into?"

Verylittle was said as they made their way back towards downtown Honolulu but it was Gerald who broke the silence. "We both haven't eaten since breakfast, shall we stop for a meal?" Will hesitated. The more time he spent with Gerald the

 

more chance of someone from the ship spotting them together and asking questions. The thought of having to introduce him sent shivers down his spine. On the other hand, Will needed to give him plenty of opportunity to get around ultimately, to whatever task was ahead. Will's assessment of Gerald so far, indicated that it would be something that he was not capable of doing by himself. "Yes, I do feel hungry. Do you know an out of the way place which would not

be frequented by anyone from the ships?"

"I know just the place, and it's only a short distance away, but inland." He turned at the next side road, heading north into the Hawaiian countryside, finally pulling into the car-park of a combined restaurant and roadhouse. It was certainly off the beaten track.

"Where are we?"

"In the Nuuanu Valley area."

It was a delightful place tucked away amongst the trees, it's decor inside, exactly what one would expect in Hawaii. The people in the restaurant greeted Gerald genuinely and warmly. He introduced Will, as Will, and there appeared to be no devious attitudes here. Will settled down at a table in the corner and watched as Gerald was still engaged in conversation, eventually coming over to sit down. He seemed to be completely relaxed, amongst what was obviously friendly surroundings.

"Will, if you ever get into trouble in Oahu, come here and ask for Aki. He's not here at the moment so I can't introduce you, but he will help you no matter what the problem is." Gerald looked at Will waiting for a response.

"I understand. Is it safe to talk here?"

"Yes, but don't ask me about the assignment. You're going to be here for at least another two weeks, but the day after tomorrow your ship will be moved to Pearl City for the remainder of your stay, which will make it easier for us."

"How do you know about the ship's movements? No one on board has said anything."

"Your skipper won't know until tomorrow. It's easy for me to get that sort of information as it doesn't fall into the classified category."A waiter approached the table carrying two plates. "I took the liberty of ordering for us both, I think you will enjoy this." Will looked down at the sweet potatoes and sea food with water melon, pineapple and bananas. It looked very appetizing.

 

 

The two men concentrated on their food and eventually the conversation resumed as Will talked about his family and upbringing in the country. For obvious reasons, Gerald was more reticent to impart any information about his background but Will gleaned that his father was a career diplomat, having served in several Embassy's abroad. Knowing this, Will realized that Gerald would have a lot of contacts available to him through his father, and that people like ferret man would be threatening to expose his homosexual activities to his father's diplomatic world, which would be disastrous for both father and son.

"During the next few days I will have to get you some local identification. Have you a head and shoulder photo of yourself out of uniform?"

"No."

Gerald took a card from his pocket. "Go to this photo shop and ask for a set of passport photos, it's within walking distance of the ship." Then passing another card to him. "Give them this and leave the photo's at the shop, I will collect them later."

"I'll go tomorrow before the ship leaves for Pearl City."

It was now getting late. Arrangements were made to meet again in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel on the third day and Gerald dropped Will off close to the Aloha Tower, giving him only a short distance to walk back to the ship.

The day had been mentally tiring, and Will made his way to his cabin. Ted was back and getting ready to settle down for the night. He had been walking nearly all day and was physically exhausted. It was usual after being ashore to trade the events of the day, but under the circumstances Will was happy to forego the ritual, falling off to sleep almost immediately. He was surprised to awake feeling refreshed next morning after a good night's sleep knowing that the previous day's events had not apparently affected him.

He had no difficulty in finding the photo shop. It was within easy walking distance as Gerald had outlined, tucked away in a side street with very few other shops around. Will could not see any passport photo signs which was unusual for that sort of shop. The frontage was very small, with a window on one side of the front door containing a few cameras and other photographic bric-a-brac on display. Will checked the number on the door against the card that Gerald had given him and it matched, so he went inside.

He was immediately struck by the semi darkness inside, emphasized no doubt

 

by coming in from the brilliant sunshine outside. The dimness was probably a product of only one small window and just a single lamp hanging over the counter, situated at the far end of the shop. The entire room carried an air of neglect.

A man suddenly appeared through a doorway behind the counter, his thick black hair and features distinctly Hawaiian. The floral shirt and black apron covered a large plump body, but Will was not greeted with the usual smile. Instead, the man just stood there waiting with a half frown on his face.

"Could you do a set of passport photos for me?" Will's enquiry brought questions about his nationality, residential status, etc. in a deep voice with an American accent. A negative answer only served to deepen the frown on the shopkeeper's face. On producing Gerald's card however, the atmosphere abruptly changed and quickly shuffling to the front of the shop, the Hawaiian flipped over the closed sign and locked the front door before returning to the counter.

Looking directly at Will he just waited for a further response. Disconcerting thoughts were now beginning to develop in Will's mind. Why has he locked the door? It seemed a devious action to take.

"Look," Will finally remarked, "I've been recommended to come here and I have given you the card, if you don't want to do the job let me out of here." The fat man shrugged his shoulders and pointing to the door at the back of the shop, indicated for Will to go through.

The room was small and completely cluttered except for an open area in the corner. A not so white card about 4 foot x 3 foot was pinned to the wall with drawing pins, and immediately in front was an adjustable stool positioned close to a camera on a tripod. The set-up could not be mistaken for any other purpose than taking passport photo's and the rest of the equipment lying around, includinga light box, indicated that some form of art work was in progress.

Will sat down on the stool and the fat man adjusted the camera. After the flash he was ushered back into the shop to wait. Will could hear activity coming from the room at the rear as he looked once again around this dark and dismal place. Gerald would surely have his reasons for getting the photo's done, and it was probably best at this stage that he was not aware of the details. The fat man reappeared behind the counter. "That will be two hundred bucks."

Will was taken aback. "No, I've given you the card, the photo's will be picked up and paid for then."The fat man insisted. "I must have the money now, or else."

 

 

"Or else what, will you call the police?"

The fat man's face took on a sinister look and within seconds another man appeared. Where did he come from? flashed through Will's mind and he quickly glanced around the room looking for another door, but could see none. He must have been in the shop all the time Will concluded, it wouldn't be difficult to hide in such dim surroundings. The man was well built but not fat and he moved closer to where Will was standing.

Here I am, through no fault of my own being menaced again and he was getting annoyed. He turned towards the fat man, at the same time keeping a wary eye on his partner.

"What you are doing has got nothing to do with me. If you take this any further you'll be in deep trouble, I can assure you. Tell your partner to back off, I'm leaving now."

The fat man gestured and his partner stepped back a couple of paces, and walking backwards towards the door, Will lifted the latch and seconds later found himself back on the street.

Taking deep breaths he lifted his gait to a half run in an endeavour to get as much distance as he could between him and the shop. Turning the corner into the main street he was now in a populated area and feeling more secure slowed down to a walk. I'll have Gerald for this! he thought. He should have organized things better, and once again began to question his own safety in any dealings with him. The information that Gerald had given him turned out to be true, and on the following day the ship moved away from the dock in Honolulu to go to one in Pearl City, just a few miles away. As the ship was slowly turning in the confines of the harbour opposite Aloha Tower, Will stood on deck watching the activity. A large tug was moving towards the "Wiltshire" at a fair pace, it's bow wave quite

evident, indicating it's speed.

They moved to the port side to get a better look and by now the tug was close enough to be able to see the skipper standing on the short upper deck in front of the wheelhouse. Perched on a locker, with his front paws resting on the rail, was a small white terrier dog with a black patch around one eye.

The "Wiltshire" was practically at a standstill now, but the tug, still steaming at full speed, was showing no signs of changing course. Someone shouted, "Hit the deck Will, he's going to ram us!"

 

Will lay prone on the deck as the ship shuddered with the impact, and looking up he saw the little white dog flying through the air, landing amongst the coiled rope lines on the bow. Suddenly, the deck crew of the "Wiltshire" were running in all directions. Will looked over the side, fully expecting the tug to be taking on water, but apart from a damaged bow everything seemed to be in order and the little dog could be seen scurrying back towards the wheelhouse, seemingly unhurt. Divers were sent down to inspect the "Wiltshire's" hull for any damage to report to Lloyds of London, who would be informed for insurance purposes.

Fortunately, it was quickly ascertained that the ship was not taking in any water and eventually continued on it's way to berth in Pearl City.

The area surrounding the new berth was largely taken up by US navy vessels. On taking a short walk ashore, Will soon found out that they were quite close to the US Forces Pacific Headquarters and on one occasion observed high ranking officers coming and going to a large colonial style building, nestled amongst lots of large palm trees.

Getting back to Honolulu to meet Gerald on the following day was more time consuming by bus, but not problematic. He was there waiting, pacing back and forth between the palm trees, as before. Will stood for awhile, out of sight observing him, eventually moving into view to put him out of his misery.

"You damned near put me into a right predicament at the photo shop, why didn't you organize it better? The whole thing nearly got fouled up!"

"I'm sorry Will, I've done plenty of work through him and things have always been alright."

"He's doing illegal documents there, isn't he? That's why they got suspicious of me and were about to get physical. In future, we go places together, so you can take your share of the heat."

"Look Will, I can assure you that whatever we do from now on we'll do it together. Let's go some place where we can talk."

They were soon speeding through the Hawaiian countryside again in Gerald's white coupe and Will settled back into the big comfortable seat. They seemed to be getting deeper into the countryside with less signs of habitat, the growth was lush and colourful with African tulips and many other flowers, all intermingled with fern, Banyan trees, and a Norfolk Pine occasionally towering over the roadway. At that moment the car pulled into a clearing, and Will recognized immediately

 

 

that they were back at the restaurant and roadhouse in the Nuuana Valley but had approached it from the opposite direction.

"This is one place I can rely on," Gerald remarked, as they got out of the car and went inside. This time Aki was there and Will was introduced. Around 40 years of age Will guessed, typically Hawaiian with a wonderful sense of humour and always smiling. After a period of general conversation Aki left, leaving Gerald and Will at the table.

"What does he know about what you do?"

"Only just enough to retain his support. I can get him quite a lot of business without much effort so things work both ways."

"He can be trusted then?" "Yes."

They both settled down to a mid-day meal during which time very little conversationtook place. The restaurant had started to fill up and Gerald suggested that they move away to a more secluded area for coffee. Guiding Will to a room at the rear of the premises they both went inside. "This is one of Aki's offices that he rarely uses, we will be okay here."

The room was a fair size, about 20 foot x 12 foot but had no windows, the fresh air flow being supplemented by a large ceiling fan and several ventilators. Local artefact and paintings covered the walls. A solid desk with accompanying chairs was situated at one end of the room, with a large coffee table surrounded by four easy chairs at the other. The abundance of wall hung items, combined with a large square carpet which nearly covered the floor area, contributed to the acoustic deadening in the room, providing some security against conversation being overheard. The only predominant sound was the gently swishing of the fan as it slowly cut through the air.

As Will walked around the room discussing the various items with Gerald, the door opened and a girl entered carrying a tray which she placed on the coffee table and then left, quietly closing the door behind her. Gerald made himself comfortable in one of the easy chairs and Will, choosing the chair opposite him, sat down. After pouring the coffee Gerald appeared to be getting uptight again, as he had on previous occasions when it was necessary to get down to practicalities. It had become apparent to Will by now, that he probably had a select group ofpeople he could use for obtaining information, keeping him in good faith with the

 

organization with very little stress, but this time he was obviously being asked to do something that was out of his depth. Gerald continued to nervously fidget and Will felt compelled as before, to break the silence.

"For heaven's sake Gerald, is the assignment so dangerous that you can't bring yourself to tell me about it?"

"It could be, but it's something I've never done before." "Carry on and tell me everything."

"The organization want to get their hands on some information that is sitting inside US Pacific Headquarters. I normally get everything passed along by word of mouth, but this time they want hard copy of actual documents, and I can’t ask my contact inside to get them out for me.”

“How many documents?”

“Just two. We have to go in there, photocopy the two pieces of paper, and bring them out.” Pausing, he looked at Will, the worried expression on his face painted the picture that he was already tortured by the forthcoming event, and he was expecting some sort of response.

"Just tell me how you intend to do it, what the risks are, and don't skip over the details. I can't get caught again with the impression that things are going to be straightforward, you must promise me that."

Gerald pulled himself together and carried on, explaining that he had a single contact in the main administrative building. This contact would leave the two pieces of information on an open desk, next to some electrical components, in a room within reach of a copying machine, but only for a short period of time. Gerald would copy the information in reduced format so that it could be easily concealed.

Will would look at the equipment as though in the process of repairing it, should anyone appear on the scene. Service orders from the company who supplied the equipment had already been obtained, also passes to go through the main gate. To Will, everything seemed to be getting over complicated.

"Does your contact have the authority to remove the items from the file?" "Yes, he is signing items out on a regular basis for various reasons, and

recording them back to file again. They will be amongst many on that day, so things will not be out of the ordinary."

Will listened and had no difficulty in foreseeing the possible dangers, but one

 

 

thing seemed obvious to him. Waiting for a break in the conversation Will asked. "If everything is so well organized why do you need me? Surely your contact could copy the documents himself and just pass them on to you, once you were inside." Gerald shrugged his shoulders and Will carried on further. "It's just not good enough Gerald. This is your contact's idea isn't it?"

"Yes."

"I thought so. He's doing absolutely nothing that would put him in harm's way, but you and I are exposing ourselves to danger whilst we are inside, and also to being identified afterwards. We are putting our heads in the lion's mouth while your contact runs and hides, with little or no responsibility."Gerald remained silent, the look on his face revealing his thoughts. "He gets paid by the organization and as far as I'm concerned he'll have to earn his money!"

Gerald was beginning to panic again. "What am I going to do Will?"

At that point in time Will began to see the real possibility of getting himself into severe trouble, over which he had virtually no control. Looking at Gerald he once again experienced sympathy for his plight, tending to upset any good judgement in considering where to go from here.

"Let's spend some time going over the whole thing,"Will suggested, but as time went by and the pro's and con's were discussed the outcome seemed even more precarious. It was now getting late in the day and Will needed to get back to the ship to show some sort of normality in his comings and goings.

"Can you meet me tomorrow?" "Yes."

"Where then?"

"I'll park opposite the dock gate around 10 a.m. but not in the white coupe, it's too conspicuous. Instead, I'll borrow Aki's wagon."

Driving back to the Pearl Cityarea little conversation was exchanged between the two men as they had exhausted their thoughts, so tomorrow would hopefully bring fresh ideas.

Willarose early and during breakfast concentrated his mind on the forthcoming meeting with Gerald, now only three hours away. He had to get as much control over whatever circumstances could arise for his own well-being, knowing that he could not rely on total support from Gerald should anything go wrong.

The options were limited. Will felt very uneasy about going through the main

 

gate and into the administrative office. If things backfired it would not be difficult for military personnel to come up with their descriptions. They must get in and out without being seen Will concluded, and Gerald's contact inside would have to take on the responsibility of bringing the documents out of the building and into the grounds. The only problem would be finding a way in and out, but it appeared far less dangerous than Gerald's plan.

Leaving the dock gate at 10 a.m. Will glanced up and down the street looking for Aki's wagon, but it was not in sight. Crossing over to the other side he started walking in the direction of Honolulu, deciding to get well clear of the dock gate to avoid meeting any of the ship's crew and guessing that Gerald would probably be coming from that direction.

With the dock entrance still in sight Will looked for somewhere convenient to stand and wait but at that instant a dark blue pick-up pulled up alongside and he recognized the driver as Gerald. Will climbed into the passenger seat and the pick- up turned in the road and sped off in the direction of Honolulu.

"Pull into the first available side road Gerald,"Will directed. It happened to be a residential street and the vehicle pulled up alongside a vacant lot. Gerald switched off the motor and turned to Will with a questioning look on his face.

"I was on my way back to Aki's place where we could talk, or have you other ideas?"

"We may have to visit a couple of places. Will that be alright with you?" "Yes, whatever it takes to get things resolved,"and starting up the motor they

proceeded east along the highway towards the Nuuanu Valley. It was another warm sunny day, and even though Will felt the anxieties from the affair that had overtaken him, it did not spoil the pleasure he derived from viewing the colourful lush countryside they were passing through.

They went directly to Aki's back room as before, and after a few minutes chatting with the restaurant staff, Gerald returned with a tray of coffee and cookies. As the seconds ticked by his nervous fidgeting became apparent again, indicating his usual reluctance to open the conversation.

"Have any other arrangements been made since we met yesterday?" "No."

"Have you any ideas of your own?" "No."

 

 

Will was beginning to lose his patience. "I've a good mind to turn my back on the whole affair before I get myself into severe trouble,"he threatened, standing up to reinforce his point.

Gerald's head was characteristically bowed, his eyes focused once again down on to the table showing that his mind had reached an impasse. He looked up at Will. "Please don't do that Will. I wouldn't be able to carry on and the consequences could be disastrous for me."

Willwalked around the room looking at the native shields and spears exhibited on the walls. The two men remained silent, but even as he was objecting to the way things were developing, Will knew that he too was under the influence of the organization and the affair would ultimately have to be resolved. He turned to face Gerald who was now looking up at him with an expectant look on his face.

"I'll tell you what I think we should do, and then you must make up your mind, or come up with something better."

Gerald nodded his head vigorously in agreement, his facialexpressionchanging to one of relief, probably at the thought of things now proceeding forward again. There was a knock on the door and Aki appeared, his smiling face and jovial manner completely changing the whole atmosphere, and very soon everyone was affected. They all retired into the restaurant for lunch. Aki's interruption could not have come at a better time, and Gerald was now enjoying the company of his friends who were constantly engaged in active conversation with him. How wonderful these circumstances would have been for Will, without the threat of this

clandestine affair hanging over his head.

Aki bounced back to the table. "Enjoying your meal Will?"

"It's really good. Can I bring the ship's cook here for a few lessons? Failing that, could you find me a job here?"

Aki jumped up calling out to everyone and pointing to Will, "He wants a job here! I'll say yes, on one condition."

"What's that?"

"That you marry one of my daughters," he said beckoning to one of his Hawaiian girls standing by the counter. She came over and stood in front of Will's chair as everyone's eyes turned to him, his face blushing a bright red.

The girl placed a lei around Will's neck and a spontaneous clapping and cheering seemed to come from every direction. Quickly extraditing himself from

 

that embarrassing moment Will, with Gerald not far behind, retired to the back room. Both men were feeling much better now and Will did not want to waste any time in getting the conversation underway, to lose the advantage of a congenial atmosphere. But before he could speak it was Gerald who took the initiative.

"They told me that you managed to see your way through some awkward situations. If you could do that for me I would be forever in your debt."

Will paused before answering. "You must understand Gerald that everything I did centred on getting myself out of trouble, and there was only myself involved, just me to worry about, no one else. I can't predict what will happen until the time arrives." Will carried on explaining to Gerald what he had in mind. "We must get into the grounds without being seen. Your contact must meet us at a prearranged place in the grounds to hand over the documents, and then we leave via the same route."

Gerald shook his head. "My contact won't agree to that."

"He'll have to or the whole things off. We're not going to stick our necks out any more than is necessary, just to keep him out of trouble. In any case, I want to see him before anything goes ahead. Just tell him what I have said and if he doesn't agree to either bringing the documents out into the grounds, or arranging to see me, I'm not interested, whatever the repercussions might be."

Gerald gestured as though to speak but Will continued, "Believe me, it's the best for both of us. To get caught inside that military building is a far different cry to being discovered in the grounds. We can give any old excuse for that but inside the building we're dead ducks!"

"I know you're right. I'll talk to my contact tonight and if it's convenient we can arrange a meeting. Is that all we need to talk about?"

"No, there are a couple of things. The first is the matter of the negative from my photo. Do you have it?"

"No."

"Then we'll have to go and get it, preferably before I see your contact, but don't tell him about the negative and don't contact the shop."

Will knew that the men at the shop were rough characters, and they could expect the worst, but he wouldn't say anything about that until later when they parted at the dock gates. Dusk fell during the journey back to the ship, and the twinkling of lights scattered amongst the trees and shrubs, highlighted the natural beauty of the place.

As the pick-up came to a stop about a quarter of a mile from the dock gate, Gerald had not asked him about the second thing he had suggested they talk about. Knowing his nervous demeanor it would be best left unsaid. Things could get rough when they went back to get the negative.

"Do you own a gun, Gerald?" Will queried, as he prepared to leave. "Yes, but I never carry it."

"We will go to the photo shop the day after tomorrow, bring your gun with you and pick me up at 10 a.m. You can also arrange for me to meet your contact during that same evening."

Before Gerald could get the opportunity to question him Will jumped out and headed for the dock gate. He knew that Gerald's mind would be working overtime and getting fearful by the minute, but he had no other choice. If for some reason the photo shop was raided by the police, the negative could verify that he had been there, so he had to get it back at all costs.

During the next thirty-six hours Will tried to keep himself occupied, and most of the daylight hours were spent visiting various places in the area, rounding off the day by taking in a late evening movie. After breakfast, on the day he was to meet Gerald, Will recovered the twin barrelderringer from his bag, preparatory to going ashore. The feel of it's ivory handle sent shivers up his spine as he instinctively pictured the need for it's use.

Gerald was waiting this time, still in Aki's pick-up looking awful, his face drawn with dark circles under his eyes as though he had not slept.

"Before we go downtown pull into the harbour front, down in the Aloha Tower area." It was only a short distance and Gerald soon pulled in amongst the warehouses that were for the best part, deserted.

"Did you bring the gun?" "Yes."

"Show it to me."

He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled the gun out. Will burst into spontaneous laughter when he saw what Gerald was holding.

"That's the most menacing piece of hardware I have ever seen, you'll only have to point that thing at someone and they'll die of fright!" Will produced his derringer, and the comparison was ludicrous. The sight of the two guns in close proximity

 

brought more laughter and this time Gerald joined in. Will looked across at Gerald. "Relax, everything's going to be alright. When we get to the shop, pull up with

the passenger door in line with the shop door and please do as I ask. Whatever you do don't show any fear, even though you may be terrified inside." Gerald nodded, but he had that scared look on his face.

The side street was almost deserted as on Will's previous visit, and Gerald parked next to the footpath and close to the shop door. Will entered the shop first, but this time he quickly looked into the shadows detecting the dim figure of a man secreted in the far right corner.

Gerald was following close behind, and Will positioned himself between him and the man in the shadows as they approached the counter. Almost immediately, the fat man came out of the back room nodding in recognition, but without saying a word. Will broke the silence, but even though he was speaking to the fat man, his eyes never left the corner of the room.

"I've come for the negative from the photo you took of me the other day." The fat man shifted uneasily from one foot to the other.

"No, I can't do that."

"We're not going to leave until we have the negative, so get it right now!" Will's voice was raised.

The fat man's accomplice suddenly appeared out of the shadows and advanced towards them. He was armed with a short iron bar. Will drew the derringer from his pocket and pointed it at the man's chest but he continued to come forward. Pulling back the hammer stopped him in his stride.

"If I pull this trigger you'll have a hole in your chest big enough to put my fist through."

The look of fear on the man's face and his bulging eyes, brought back memories of the fat Goanese in the linen locker on his last ship. Will turned to Gerald.

"Go into the back room with him," pointing to the fat man, "and get that negative, if he gives you trouble show him that big revolver."

Out of the corner of his eye Will saw Gerald disappearing through the rear door with the fat man and after what seemed an eternity, they reappeared.

"I've got what you want," Gerald called out, holding up an envelope. The fat man slumped on to a small chair behind the counter a look of despair on his face

 

 

as Gerald moved towards the front of the shop. Will spoke to him as he passed. "Get into the pick-up and start the motor," he ordered, and Gerald increased

his pace towards the door. Addressing all his attention to the fat man's accomplice, and with a wave of the derringer Will commanded, "get outside!"

The look on the man's face changed to surprise, and he showed reluctance to leave. Will thrust the gun forward at arm's length to reinforce his demand and he moved quickly towards the open door through which Gerald was now disappearing.

Turning to the fat man Will made his departing remark. "If you tell anyone, you'll be visited by the police and the feds." The fat man nodded his head, indicating that he understood. Pocketing the derringer Will joined the others outside, Gerald had started the pick-up and the fat man's accomplice was standing on the sidewalk, showing no signs of escaping.

"Get into the car," Will ordered, and once inside he spoke to Gerald. "Head for the harbour front as quick as you can." As they sped away Will looked across at Gerald, he looked tense but showed no other signs of distress. This was probably the first time he had experienced the close proximity of danger and Will was surprised that he had survived it without incident.

"What are you going to do with me?" The fat man's accomplice spoke in a fearful, questioning voice.

"That all depends on you. If you tell anyone what happened here today we'll dump the fed's on you, and you'll probably finish up in jail for a very long time."

"No, my brother and me wouldn't dare do that, we've got to keep out of trouble." Will was taken aback. So this was the fat man's brother, who would have believed it? They looked totally different, but this made things much easier. As brothers, they were bound to protect each other, Will calculated.

"Pull up right here." Gerald brought the vehicle to a screeching halt. The fat man's brother scrambled to get out, and Will watched him running back up the street as fast as his stocky legs would carry him.

Will could feel the adrenalin still flowing and his legs were beginning to shake. He pressed down on his knees to try and stop the tremor. "Don't go back to Aki's place yet, let's go down to Waikiki beach and sit for awhile."

Gerald nodded in agreement. "I'll get some coke and sandwiches."

Will looked across at him noticing his hands gripping the steering wheel like a

 

vice, the knuckles showing white under the pressure and his arms were shaking. It would be okay for him to breakdown, now that the danger had passed Will thought, as he tried to relax.

Sitting on the beach under the palms was far better medicine than taking any tranquillizer. Another clear blue sky, and a light mild breeze, coupled with the sound of the surf soon had the desired effect. Will lay back on the sand and allowed his body and mind to return to normal.

"There you go, Will." It was Gerald with the coke and sandwiches. His hands were still trembling slightly, but Will was amazed that he was so composed. "Can you tell me something? Would you have shot the fat man's brother?"

"No." A look of relief came over Gerald's face. "Can I tell you why?" Gerald waited for his answer.

"I don't have any bullets for the derringer!" Both men burst into laughter. "You know Gerald, I was more concerned with my own safety in the event

of you wielding that cannon of yours!"

Gerald chuckled. "Your concerns were well founded, I've never fired it before!"

Both men were now relaxed enough to talk about the incident at the shop, and Will outlined his reasons about the negative getting into the hands of the police. "We had to frighten them back there to stop them from blackmailing us so you'll have to find someone else to do your identity documents."

Gerald had made arrangements to meet his contact in the early evening, so it was decided that they relax for the remainder of the afternoon and have a light evening meal before the meeting. Will was clear about what he wanted from Gerald's contact, enabling him to put things out of his mind until the time arrived. .

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