CHAPTER – 5 (PART A)

The overcast white skies and the not so rough seas were a calming site. They weren’t quite at open sea yet. It was still just a bit chilly as winds were steadily blowing from the Northeast. Out in the horizon where the sea met the sky, pockets of sunlight beamed down like heavenly rays. There were other yachts out on pleasure trips and a huge US Naval ship was not too far off in the distance. It seemed like everything was fine as Chester and Haddock were enjoying getting back to their roots out to sea again and bragging about their battle with the America sailors.

Tintin did not share their enthusiasm at first. Enzo was sitting on the chair really exhausted and hurt all over. “Where do you hurt most?” Tintin said examining him in common area.
"My sides hurt" Enzo breathed heavily.
“You’re going to have to take off your shirt, I need to see the wounds” Tintin explained. Enzo slowly took off his sailor’s tunic. He had multiple lacerations on his sides, chest, and back.
Tintin gasped, “Let me see if I can find the first aid kit,” he said searching through the cabinets.
Enzo’s head hurt from the initial attack. Tintin came back a couple minutes later with a first aid kit getting out medicinal spirits, gauze pads, and bandages. Tintin dressed the biggest wound on his left side cleaning it with alcohol and taping bandages on that wound. Enzo closed his eyes and winced in pain when he put the medicinal spirits on his wounds to clean them. “This may take a bit” Tintin warned.
“Tintin, it wasn’t me they were after…” Enzo spoke at length as he began dressing another wound.
“I know… who was in the car?” Tintin asked.

“The man who grabbed me drove while was thrown in the middle of two black robed men with long beaked masks. Another guy up front wore the same outfit and he called me you and asked if I remembered him. He lifted his mask half way and closed it when he realized that I was someone else. All I remember last was he quickly covered his face back up and then they opened the door and tossed me out” he finished.

“Remember who? What did he look like?” Tintin kept thinking. “He had a heavy English accent and he had a long nose that hardly stuck out” he described.

“Who was Gaspar?” Tintin continued.
“He was Captain Chester’s first mate until last year”
“Hmmm… why does this story sound so familiar?” Tintin narrowed his eyes in deep thought as he continued for the next thirty minutes helping Enzo to get well.

“Listen, go lie down for a while” He smiled. “Snowy would you mind keeping Mr. Enzo company for me?” Snowy cocked his head and looked at Tintin wagging his small tail.
“ …always think about everyone else Tintin…” Snowy thought to himself. Tintin helped Enzo to his and Chester’s cabin below. It wasn’t as small as he had originally thought. There were two small twin cots each covered with green quilts and a small desk and chair with a closet on the opposite side. It definitely wasn’t the Ritz but it was comfortable as long as the sea wasn’t too rough. Each cabin had a nice little window as well. Tintin also noticed that the cots could be folded into the wall making more space. Tintin was a bit impressed how efficiently the room was designed.

“I never thought I would see the day when we would become ‘sailors’ in the navy again…” Chester began to remember jokingly. The bridge was above the third deck and full of seats for those wishing to enjoy the view which the bridge had to offer. Chester stood at the helm steering as Haddock was busy using a pair of binoculars watching for any signs of them being followed.

“Aye! Those were memories I loved and hated… during peacetime, it was a lot of fun and hard work…but once the war began…” Haddock remembered how many of his shipmates he lost during the war which was part of the reason he drowned his feelings in alcohol. Chester was not much different as he too had witnessed things he wished he hadn’t. War changes individuals and those who survive it are never the same. “Blisterin’ Barnacles! I’m out of tobacco!” Haddock cried.

“Look in the cabinet by the first aid kit on the wall” Chester replied not taking his eyes off the sea. Haddock quickly began searching and found a can full of tobacco.
“Chester you think of everything don’t you?” Haddock laughed filling his pipe.
“Bring me some, I need to light up too” Chester nodded.

They both lit their pipes, “Oi! This is different tasting!” Haddock said a little surprised. “This is tobacco my daughter grew for me. She flavored it with cherry extract” Chester smiled remembering another good reason to always keep visiting. As Haddock continued to smoke, the cherry flavor was not overpowering and gave the tobacco just enough sweetness to give it a nice mellow taste.

“Not bad…” Haddock nodded as it wasn’t what he was used to but it was something he could come to like. “Chester, who was that Gaspar fiend?” Haddock finally decided to start discussing their present situation.

“He was my first mate for six years, until he turned mutinous on me…”Chester answered. Haddock had a strange feeling that resounded in him but didn’t voice it. Tintin entered the bridge amazed to see the gears, the helm, and the well decorated nautical theme in the bridge. “Ah, Tintin! How is Enzo feeling?” Chester asked without turning around. Tintin immediately noticed the cherry flavored tobacco smell.
“This is different” Tintin commented. “It’s not bad…want to try it?” Haddock offered.
“Aw no, my lungs aren’t for that” Tintin declined. “Enzo will be sore for a couple of days, but he will recover. He’s resting in one of the cabins” Tintin informed him.
“He did a good job cleaning the ship for me” Chester commented. “That he did” Tintin agreed noticing that everything seemed to be in its place.

“Captain, I’m afraid the people who assaulted us back at the manor may have been responsible for what happened a few hours ago” Tintin replied.

“Are you sure? How do figure?” Haddock said taking a seat not far behind the helm.
Tintin sat down across from him.

“Enzo described who his assailants were…and I can’t help but thinking there’s a connection” Tintin voiced his formulated suspicions.

“I think we should radio the police and let them know what’s going on” Chester suggested.
“Aye aye captain!” Tintin said taking a seat working the radio at the back of the bridge. Tintin worked the knobs of the radio as he put on the head phones listening to find the police channel. “Police, this is Shooting Star, police” he radioed. The distorted sounds rose and fell.

“Police here go on…” somebody answered.

“I want to report an attempted kidnapping and assault near the docks” Tintin replied.
“Yes, we know, it has already been reported by a couple of eye witnesses but we are getting conflicting stories” the policeman responded.
“We were the other party, they assaulted us for no reason” Tintin went on. “A man by the name of Gaspar…” Tintin looked up at Chester.
“Schnider” Chester responded.
“Schnider, he's a wanted man” Tintin informed.
“Is that so?” someone else responded. Tintin began to get confused as to who he was talking to. “Copy” the other man responded.

Tintin quickly turned the radio off. “You shouldn’t have told them the name of our boat” Chester shook his head. Tintin mentally cursed his self for being so careless. “It’s too late now, don’t worry about it” Chester put up his hand.

“Besides, we beat them once, and we’ll beat them again” Haddock added.

“ Captain Chester, why did you throw Gaspar off your ship?” Tintin asked.

“He was a twisted man. I never knew just how twisted he really was…” Chester paused. Tintin and Haddock’s interest grew. “Right under my nose he kidnapped young girls and sold them to clients who had the cash into slavery” he concluded blowing a puff of smoke into the air.

“Great snakes!” Tintin yelled. “By the barnacles of God!” Haddock and Tintin both expressed their horrifying dismay.

“Aye! I didn’t know it was going on until Scotland Yard caught up with up with us in Athens. He had a young lass of about fifteen who was the daughter of prominent lawyer in London. Then there was another girl a couple years older who had no family from Romania” he finished.

Captain Chester’s hands seemed to grip the steering wheel a bit tighter. “Naturally I cooperated with Scotland Yard. I believed in Gaspar as he tried to convince me this was all a scam to slander his reputation. I fell ill for three days then it was Enzo who discovered my drink was poisoned and immediately I realized what had been going on and where he had been keeping those terrified young women” Chester said shamefully.

Tintin and Haddock sat silently giving Chester their full attention. “I wanted to kill him as I thought about my daughter. My crew members and I found the area in the hull where they kept them. We immediately turned them over to Scotland Yard. Gaspar and five other crew members were involved. We caught three of them and Gaspar escaped with the others. It’s a really sad tale my friends…” Chester finished taking another puff on his pipe.

“We’re there any others?” Tintin asked.

“I’m afraid so… at least two others by the accounts of the two we rescued” Chester replied somberly. “That miserable no-good carcass!” Haddock thought out loud.

“The time for him to pay for his sins is will come soon” Chester whispered. Tintin stood up and walked around the bridge wanting to lighten the mood back up.

“So, about that tale of the photo…” Tintin asked curiously. “Oh that…” a smile began to seep on to his face once again.

“You were a devil then!” Haddock laughed. “Was I?” Chester gave him a perplexed joking look.

“That fiery haired lassie caught your attention. I remember it well” Haddock laughed. “Let me guess, that was your wife?” Tintin finally asked.

“No, we were never married, she wanted me to marry her, but the life of a sailor is an uncertain one. I saw her a few more times when I came to London…Haddock spent some time with her sister” Chester winked back.

“Oh really now?” Tintin became more intrigued.

Haddock looked up a bit surprised, “She was a sweet lass, but as Chester says, the life of a sailor is an uncertain one. Like Chester, I saw her only a couple more times. The last time she was hanging off the arm of another man,” Haddock concluded.

“Yes, we were young then and quite carefree…” Chester nodded. “A year later I received a letter from her saying that I was a father and that she was to be married in Edinburgh to a banker” Chester continued his tale.

“I was a busy man like Haddock, ambitious, and hard working. I saw my daughter twice a year, once for Christmas, the other in the late spring. She wanted to go sailing with me. I let her come for a month when she was thirteen, she kept me crazy” Chester laughed. “Nothing else to say really other than she grew into a fine young woman and married a fine young gentleman, and now I am a grandfather” Chester shook his finger.

“Alright granddad!” Haddock laughed. Tintin burst into laughter but still was intrigued to get a bit more of his companion’s past for Captain Haddock like him was not forthcoming with all the details of his past.

“So you were a ladies man, sweeping them off their feet” Tintin laughed standing by the window. Haddock took a puff on his pipe and put it down as Tintin turned away. Haddock crept up on Tintin, picked him up, and threw him over his back.

“Captain!” Tintin shouted laughing. “You’re right, I do know how to sweep someone off their feet” he cackled. “What should I do with him Captain?” Haddock laughed.

“I say we throw ‘em overboard” Chester laughed grabbing Tintin’s wrists as Haddock grabbed his legs swinging him back and forth. “One…two…three!” Haddock and Chester counted as Haddock let go and Chester pulled Tintin up to his feet. “You guys are still crazy! Treating me like a child” Tintin laughed.

“What are you talking about?” Haddock chuckled.
Chester cocked an eyebrow and looked at Tintin. “You ARE a child” Chester corrected. “At least to us you are” Chester finished.
“Ok children, we are about to enter out into the open North Sea” Haddock laughed. They went past the last part of the mainland.
“Now yer talkin’” Haddock smiled looking at the open sea. “Set course due west north” Haddock finished.

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