reflected on the water, its hazy blue colour almost took his breath away. Next to him was a line of other swimmers, lying flat on their stomachs, gently paddling farther out to sea. The water was calm with hardly a ripple.
The swimmers patiently waited for a swell to appear. They didn’t have to wait long. David smiled and looked at the others, who smiled back. One young swimmer was quick to launch himself into the foaming white water whilst others drifted in the current, timing their movement more carefully.
David turned around and could just make out Melvin, still waiting, in the distance. He didn’t want to exhaust the man’s patience, so he swam swiftly in his direction. Seeing a turbulent mass of water, he dipped his head beneath a large, incoming wave. The powerful current jolted him backward, but he soon countered this by making strong sweeps of his arms.
The current suddenly became stronger as he swam to the far leg of the pier where it swirled like a whirlpool and had sucked four men to their deaths over the years. A huge wave appeared when he was a few yards away from Melvin and tumbled him about, but he quickly recovered.
The wave retreated. He looked up and couldn’t find Melvin. But, just like a cork popping up in water, so did Melvin a few seconds later. He had already set off swimming towards the shore. David followed suit, battling against the powerful currents, determined to win this race.
Within yards of the shore, David managed to catch up with Melvin and emerged out of the sea a second or two ahead of his opponent.
David stood on the sands with Melvin beside him. Melvin was a tall, muscular man in his mid-thirties, with thick brown hair, a square jaw, and a broken nose. On his right arm, just below the elbow, was the crater-like scar of an old bullet wound. His back and left arm also had several scars. Neither said a word as they recovered from their exertions.
“Shall we make it the best of three?” asked Melvin.
David nodded.
I N THE LAVATORY ADJACENT TO THE PIER , a young man leaning next to the sink glanced up. “Got any ’baccy with you, Hood?”
“You know I hate the sight of you, Harry.”
“I’m sorry to bother you. I just thought you might have ’baccy.”
“I warned you never to approach me again after letting me down last year. Do you know what this means? You are in big trouble, Harry.” Hood placed the heavy bag of contraband on the floor.
“I’m sorry, Hood.”
The sound of children’s voices outside made Hood pick up his bag and hide it on top of a water tank in one of the cubicles. A football rolled inside the entrance of the lavatory. Seconds later, two small boys rushed in to retrieve it.
Hood trapped the ball beneath his foot. He then booted it with all his strength, hitting Harry square in the face, felling him to the ground. The two boys stood watching in horror, open-mouthed and motionless. Harry slowly picked himself up, blood trickled from a cut along his cheekbone. The ball rolled back, and Hood gave it a fierce kick, once more hitting Harry, in his stomach this time, and making him fall to the ground again.
“You can go now,” said Hood. Harry picked himself up, gasping for breath and limped away. Hood turned to the boys. “Any of you lads fancy being the goalkeeper next?”
They stood speechless. Hood picked up the football and handed it to one of them. The boy trembled, and the ball fell from his hands onto the floor.
Hood pulled his leg back as if to kick but stopped. He picked up the ball and handed it to the boy once more, grinning. “Give them some money for sweets, Percy.”
Percy handed a shilling to the boys. They took the money and ran.
Laughing, Hood and Percy came out of the lavatory. From his pocket, Hood pulled out a collapsible telescope and placed it against his eye. He noticed Melvin Shank walking from the sands into the sea.
Hood had proved more than useful in selling Melvin’s stolen goods. He had some contraband
The swimmers patiently waited for a swell to appear. They didn’t have to wait long. David smiled and looked at the others, who smiled back. One young swimmer was quick to launch himself into the foaming white water whilst others drifted in the current, timing their movement more carefully.
David turned around and could just make out Melvin, still waiting, in the distance. He didn’t want to exhaust the man’s patience, so he swam swiftly in his direction. Seeing a turbulent mass of water, he dipped his head beneath a large, incoming wave. The powerful current jolted him backward, but he soon countered this by making strong sweeps of his arms.
The current suddenly became stronger as he swam to the far leg of the pier where it swirled like a whirlpool and had sucked four men to their deaths over the years. A huge wave appeared when he was a few yards away from Melvin and tumbled him about, but he quickly recovered.
The wave retreated. He looked up and couldn’t find Melvin. But, just like a cork popping up in water, so did Melvin a few seconds later. He had already set off swimming towards the shore. David followed suit, battling against the powerful currents, determined to win this race.
Within yards of the shore, David managed to catch up with Melvin and emerged out of the sea a second or two ahead of his opponent.
David stood on the sands with Melvin beside him. Melvin was a tall, muscular man in his mid-thirties, with thick brown hair, a square jaw, and a broken nose. On his right arm, just below the elbow, was the crater-like scar of an old bullet wound. His back and left arm also had several scars. Neither said a word as they recovered from their exertions.
“Shall we make it the best of three?” asked Melvin.
David nodded.
I N THE LAVATORY ADJACENT TO THE PIER , a young man leaning next to the sink glanced up. “Got any ’baccy with you, Hood?”
“You know I hate the sight of you, Harry.”
“I’m sorry to bother you. I just thought you might have ’baccy.”
“I warned you never to approach me again after letting me down last year. Do you know what this means? You are in big trouble, Harry.” Hood placed the heavy bag of contraband on the floor.
“I’m sorry, Hood.”
The sound of children’s voices outside made Hood pick up his bag and hide it on top of a water tank in one of the cubicles. A football rolled inside the entrance of the lavatory. Seconds later, two small boys rushed in to retrieve it.
Hood trapped the ball beneath his foot. He then booted it with all his strength, hitting Harry square in the face, felling him to the ground. The two boys stood watching in horror, open-mouthed and motionless. Harry slowly picked himself up, blood trickled from a cut along his cheekbone. The ball rolled back, and Hood gave it a fierce kick, once more hitting Harry, in his stomach this time, and making him fall to the ground again.
“You can go now,” said Hood. Harry picked himself up, gasping for breath and limped away. Hood turned to the boys. “Any of you lads fancy being the goalkeeper next?”
They stood speechless. Hood picked up the football and handed it to one of them. The boy trembled, and the ball fell from his hands onto the floor.
Hood pulled his leg back as if to kick but stopped. He picked up the ball and handed it to the boy once more, grinning. “Give them some money for sweets, Percy.”
Percy handed a shilling to the boys. They took the money and ran.
Laughing, Hood and Percy came out of the lavatory. From his pocket, Hood pulled out a collapsible telescope and placed it against his eye. He noticed Melvin Shank walking from the sands into the sea.
Hood had proved more than useful in selling Melvin’s stolen goods. He had some contraband
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