the winch. I’m going down to the deck.”
Haggerty shook his head vigorously. “Well, only if I go,” shouted Haggerty over the noise. “I damned well want to see what happened.”
“No,” said Cooper. “I don’t want it said that I had any company people looking over my shoulder. And you’d be a distraction.”
“I’m not a fucking distraction! I’m your fucking employer!”
“Then fire me, Gordon. Look, Lloyd’s is going to be all over me with questions tomorrow, and I’d better be ready with answers that I can vouch for as untainted.”
Haggerty’s gathering anger evaporated. He could picture the row of stiff, formal Lloyd’s of London agents sitting across from him in their richly appointed conference room, looking for the slightest opportunity to avoid paying the insurance claim. He could put up a much better argument if Cooper could say he did his investigation without any participation from the oil company.
Haggerty muttered instructions to the pilot and co-pilot to go ahead with the drop.
“Video the whole area,” Cooper told the co-pilot. “I’ll call you with further instructions.” He picked up a hand-held radio and clipped it snugly to his belt. He was already dressed for a drop, in khaki work shirt and pants, an inflatable life vest and rubber-soled work shoes.
He donned sunglasses and waited impatiently until the co-pilot slid open the helicopter’s large door and readied the sling. He grabbed the cable, slipped into the sling and swung fearlessly out the door, as the co-pilot flicked the switch activating the electric winch to let out the steel cable. The punishing wash from the helicopter blades whipped at Cooper’s clothes, and he squinted his eyes and peered down. The pilot had brought the helicopter in to hover over the freighter’s bow deck. When the freighter crew saw what was happening, several took up stations below to receive him. He twisted slowly as he descended, using the opportunity to scan the area around the ship from a new angle. The deck pitched up with a swell, making him land with a thump. He quickly extricated himself from the sling and strode down the deck to meet the captain.
After exchanging greetings in Spanish, the short, round-faced captain showed Cooper through the maze of battered crates and deck equipment to the ladder leading to the large wooden lifeboat from which rescue operations were taking place. Cooper lowered himself nimbly down the ladder and found himself standing amidst a scene he never ever wished to have witnessed. In the bobbing boat were two bodies that had just been brought in. He steeled himself to keep from vomiting at the overwhelmingly putrid odor of rotting, burned flesh mixed with the suffocating stench of oil that would stay with him the rest of his life. He stood for a moment recovering his composure, reminding himself of his mission. Even he was not ready for this grisly business. The shirtless, sweating crewmen wore bandannas over their mouths, and one of them held up a cloth to Cooper, who gratefully took it and tied it tightly on. It reduced the smell only slightly. The men were preparing to load the bodies into a cargo net to be hoisted aboard, but Cooper waved for them to stop. He turned one over. It was but a charred remnant of a human being, the life vest burned away, the flesh black. Cooper stood up and willed himself once again to keep from vomiting. God, but it was hot! Unnaturally hot. He filed away the piece of information, even as he recovered from the shocking sight. The other body was burned as badly. He waved the crewmen to take the bodies away and spent some time staring out at the sea to recover.
The crewmen finished unloading the bodies and cast off. Cooper pointed toward the life raft he’d seen bobbing several hundred yards from the ship. The flat crack of rifle fire sounded from the ship. Cooper peered toward the sound’s source, and saw the captain standing beside a crewman with a rifle and pointing
Haggerty shook his head vigorously. “Well, only if I go,” shouted Haggerty over the noise. “I damned well want to see what happened.”
“No,” said Cooper. “I don’t want it said that I had any company people looking over my shoulder. And you’d be a distraction.”
“I’m not a fucking distraction! I’m your fucking employer!”
“Then fire me, Gordon. Look, Lloyd’s is going to be all over me with questions tomorrow, and I’d better be ready with answers that I can vouch for as untainted.”
Haggerty’s gathering anger evaporated. He could picture the row of stiff, formal Lloyd’s of London agents sitting across from him in their richly appointed conference room, looking for the slightest opportunity to avoid paying the insurance claim. He could put up a much better argument if Cooper could say he did his investigation without any participation from the oil company.
Haggerty muttered instructions to the pilot and co-pilot to go ahead with the drop.
“Video the whole area,” Cooper told the co-pilot. “I’ll call you with further instructions.” He picked up a hand-held radio and clipped it snugly to his belt. He was already dressed for a drop, in khaki work shirt and pants, an inflatable life vest and rubber-soled work shoes.
He donned sunglasses and waited impatiently until the co-pilot slid open the helicopter’s large door and readied the sling. He grabbed the cable, slipped into the sling and swung fearlessly out the door, as the co-pilot flicked the switch activating the electric winch to let out the steel cable. The punishing wash from the helicopter blades whipped at Cooper’s clothes, and he squinted his eyes and peered down. The pilot had brought the helicopter in to hover over the freighter’s bow deck. When the freighter crew saw what was happening, several took up stations below to receive him. He twisted slowly as he descended, using the opportunity to scan the area around the ship from a new angle. The deck pitched up with a swell, making him land with a thump. He quickly extricated himself from the sling and strode down the deck to meet the captain.
After exchanging greetings in Spanish, the short, round-faced captain showed Cooper through the maze of battered crates and deck equipment to the ladder leading to the large wooden lifeboat from which rescue operations were taking place. Cooper lowered himself nimbly down the ladder and found himself standing amidst a scene he never ever wished to have witnessed. In the bobbing boat were two bodies that had just been brought in. He steeled himself to keep from vomiting at the overwhelmingly putrid odor of rotting, burned flesh mixed with the suffocating stench of oil that would stay with him the rest of his life. He stood for a moment recovering his composure, reminding himself of his mission. Even he was not ready for this grisly business. The shirtless, sweating crewmen wore bandannas over their mouths, and one of them held up a cloth to Cooper, who gratefully took it and tied it tightly on. It reduced the smell only slightly. The men were preparing to load the bodies into a cargo net to be hoisted aboard, but Cooper waved for them to stop. He turned one over. It was but a charred remnant of a human being, the life vest burned away, the flesh black. Cooper stood up and willed himself once again to keep from vomiting. God, but it was hot! Unnaturally hot. He filed away the piece of information, even as he recovered from the shocking sight. The other body was burned as badly. He waved the crewmen to take the bodies away and spent some time staring out at the sea to recover.
The crewmen finished unloading the bodies and cast off. Cooper pointed toward the life raft he’d seen bobbing several hundred yards from the ship. The flat crack of rifle fire sounded from the ship. Cooper peered toward the sound’s source, and saw the captain standing beside a crewman with a rifle and pointing
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