Drained (Edgars Family #6) - Suzanne Ferrell Page 0,126
line of work, he’d learned two things—the smallest detail could be the lynchpin to solving a case and trust no one.
And yet, he’d trusted Mike, a man he’d met working on the docks near the Naval Academy in Annapolis. One of the poorer students, Zach had to help pay his way. His experience as a stevedore gave him a unique perspective about ships and how they were run, both commercially and militarily. Mackerel Mike had been one of the many different characters he’d met back then. So, when he’d gotten a note a month ago that he wanted to meet to talk, Zach hadn’t been sure what the old man wanted, but agreed to meet him anyways.
“Good to see ya, boy. Been a while,” Mike said, slipping into the seat across from Zach. He looked around him in that way that always reminded Zach of a rat making sure no cats were around to chase him off a piece of scrap he’d found.
Zach motioned for the barkeep to send a couple of beers their way. Once the waitress dropped their glasses off at the table, he watched Mike down almost half of his drink in one gulp. “What is it you wanted to talk to me about?”
“You remember my friend, Gus?”
“Big guy? Walked with a limp?” The two had been pretty inseparable on the docks.
“Yeah, got that injury from a shark bite down in Florida when he was first working a fishing boat. Decided working the docks and merchant ships further north was safer.”
“Gus got something to do with why you wanted this meet?” He was trying to keep his patience, but he knew Mackerel Mike would take fifty words to tell a ten-word story.
Mike nodded and downed a third of the remainder of beer in his glass, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket. “When the Brits decided to go to war with them Naa-zis, old Gus signed up to work on a merchant marine ship taking supplies across the pond. Didn’t know why he thought he had to do that. Told him so. He says to me, he says, ‘Mike, there’s good people in the world and there’s bad. Them Naa-zis is some of the baddest ones ever. Besides, I don’t like bullies.’ He never did. That’s how we met, you know. He jumped into a fight between me and four other guys outside a bar. Saved my hide.” Mike paused to take a breath, his eyes growing a little watery. He swallowed a few times, then shook his head. “Wish I could’ve returned the favor.”
“Something happen to Gus?” Zach prodded.
“Them U-boats attacked the convoy his ship was in carrying food to the Brits.” He paused again, the muscles around his mouth growing tense. “Not a soul from his ship survived.”
Zach understood his anger. With every American merchant ship that went down trying to send relief cargo to the British, the need for military escort became apparent to him. Problem was, too many Americans and Congressmen still believed they could remain on the sidelines while England took the next wave of attacks from the Germans. This tied the President and all of America’s military leaders’ hands.
“Sorry to hear about Gus, Mike, but not sure what I can do to help you.”
“Ain’t wantin’ you to help me, Lieutenant. I want to help you,” Mike said.
Zach couldn’t hide his surprise. “What are you thinking?”
“Seems to me, them Naa-zis might be getting information about the convoys from somewhere. Maybe along the docks somewhere,” Mike said, toying with the glass in front of him. “I know an awful lot of people workin’ those docks. Could keep my ears opened, work my way up and down the coast. See if I hear anything useful.”
Zach considered his offer a moment before replying. “Mike, I know you want to help, but I’m not in a position to make you an official informant. I’ve barely started working at ONI.”
“I know and I was real glad to hear you’d gotten that job. You always was good at listening and observing people, even down on the docks. Nothin’ much slipped by you. I ain’t askin’ to be official. Not askin’ to get paid. I’ll just keep my eyes and ears open, maybe join one of those German-American Bund groups…lots of guys on the docks are talkin’ about them. If I see or hear something useful, I’ll let you know.”
Zach gave him a nod. “Okay. You just don’t do anything dangerous. Gus wouldn’t want you doing anything