at low speed and taxied away from the shore, around the breakwater. Jorge unzipped his backpack and then pulled out a gray cap and sunglasses for Massimo. Jorge shook out the remaining contents at his feet, grabbing the bottom of the backpack. The contents included three pocket knives, five rolls of vapor barrier tape, two plastic bags, binoculars, several towels, some clothing and three spent pistols with loaded magazines: one.25-caliber and two.45-caliber.
The boat continued to sail very slowly until all three of them had finished covering the inscriptions on the sides with tape, so that if something happened, no one would be able to identify this boat. Pablo stepped on the gas. Half an hour later a dot appeared on the horizon. After another five minutes, the figure of an island with trees began to emerge.
Soon Pablo slowed down. At Massimo’s request, he turned off the engine. Then the two of them began rowing with oars, gradually going around the island. Fifteen minutes later the opposite shore appeared. Jorge took his binoculars and began to scan the shore. About a hundred meters from the shore, he saw a passenger yacht with the inscription «Peterson» on its side. Jorge’s face contorted. His lower jaw dropped back as he turned the binoculars slightly to the side.
– Well, what’s there? – asked Massimo.
– O-O-O-O-O… Wow.
– What do you see? – Pablo repeated irritably.
Jorge responded in a shocked tone:
– I have never seen so many asses before. – A couple of seconds of delay. – But there’s plenty of nasty stuff too. Crap. There are a lot of old bastards here too. Damn!
– Is there something wrong? – asked Massimo.
Jorge responded in a reserved manner, sharply lowering the binoculars:
– There are as many naked female breasts as there are phalluses. I won’t be able to sleep after this.
Several dozen lovers of exotic tanning appeared before his distant eyes.
– Give it to me – said Massimo, snatching the binoculars.
He examined the beach, simultaneously describing the picture:
– There is a small pier there. It is located just on the edge of the beach. The yacht is standing there, on the side closest to the beach. We can sail up from the other side and moor at the opposite end of the pier. The dimensions of the yacht will easily cover our boat. Nobody will notice us.
– Is there anyone on deck? – asked Pablo.
– I don’t see anyone. If anything happens, we do as planned.
After a short pause, Massimo threw the binoculars into Jorge’s hands and said:
– Let’s row.
The two of them took up the oars. Their boat sailed along the shore so that the view of the vacationers was blocked by the massive yacht.
In about ten minutes the boat had already sailed close to the pier. Jorge remained on guard. Massimo and Pablo each took one pistol, a plastic bag and a knife. Using the oar, Jorge moved the boat a little closer to the edge of the pier so that Massimo and Pablo could climb to the surface without sinking into the water.
– Hey, hey – Pablo whispered indignantly, turning to Massimo. – Where is the cap? Cover your face. Forgot about your criminal record?
– Don’t be hysterical – Massimo retorted, continuing to move forward.
Crouching down, they began to climb the ladder. It was quiet on deck. Pablo rushed through the passengers’ belongings, and Massimo crept into the captain’s covered cabin. There he found a safe. But only a lazy person could call it a reliable storage facility. The safe was made of aluminum, and the lock was one of the cheapest. In such a lock, the tongue simply rotated in a circle when the key was turned. There was no spring or horizontal bolt made of solid steel. Massimo inserted the blade of a knife between the door and the frame, and began to hit the lock tongue through the crack with the edge of the blade. On the second attempt, the mechanism bent under pressure. Inside were documents for the ship, a notebook and some photographs. These are all things that were of no value. And among the more significant objects, Massimo discovered a gilded cigarette case, the contents of which he poured onto the deck; a box with some rare coins and other things from the bottom of the ocean, and a stack of bills from the day’s earnings. Taking with him money, coins and the cigarette case, Massimo went to help Pablo.
Pablo worked promptly. By that time, he had already dug up six gold chains, eight gold and five silver rings, four of which had precious stones; He also took out seven wristwatches, three pendants, an ivory smoking pipe with a carved design, a miniature lady’s mirror in the shape of a heart, eight wallets and about a thousand dollars, which lay in pockets without wallets. With the appearance of Massimo, the volume of loot increased significantly. To this were added eleven purses, fifteen hundred dollars from pockets, ten gold chains, ten rings, four pendants, nine wristwatches, a pearl necklace, an aquamarine bracelet, three pairs of earrings, a rosary, a fountain pen and the latest issue of Playboy.
Inspecting the volume of loot, Pablo suddenly thought:
How many perverts come here to bask their genitals in the sun!?
They hurriedly threw everything into a plastic bag indiscriminately, and when they had collected everything, they began to tie the bag at the lowest point above the contents. After the knot was tied, the bag was turned inside out, as if placing the contents in the second layer of the bag. Having finished with the first plastic bag, they placed it in a second identical one, trying to leave as much air inside as possible.
While Massimo was hastily tightening the second knot, a woman’s voice was heard from behind:
– Pablo?
Seized by a sudden rush of fear, they looked around. Behind them stood a naked blonde girl of about eighteen. Her feet were hidden under a layer of wet sand. She stood motionless, her eyes bulging. When her pupils awkwardly stumbled upon the pistol lying near the robbers, her body seemed to surrender to the embrace of total paralysis. The rustle of the plastic bag stopped. Deathly silence fell on the deck. The girl’s chin trembled and her knees began to shake. After a few agonizing seconds, she barely moved her right foot back a few centimeters, starting to back away.
Pablo’s hands left the bag and reflexively reached for the gun. At these moments the girl turned sharply in the direction of the ladder. The barrel of the pistol was already looking after her, but the trigger refused to budge, allowing the girl to take an extra few steps. Pablo removed the safety with his thumb. The bolt got rid of the obstacle in its path and the weapon ceased to be safe.
The girl began to run towards the ramp, leaving behind traces of crumbling sand. Soon the lead pierced the skin on her back. The wild cold emanating from the forty-five caliber filled the blood.
BANG!!! BANG!!!
Two crimson holes on the golden tan.
Her body collapsed onto her stomach.
After two deafening bangs, Massimo shrugged his shoulders in fear and ducked away from the two flashes. Pablo ran up to the girl’s immobilized body. His cool gaze went through the sight on the bolt to the back of the victim’s head. Another shot. There was a ringing noise of a falling cartridge case.
Screams began to be heard from the beach.
Massimo picked up the pistol and the bag with the last unfinished knot, which was no longer urgently needed.
Somewhere overboard the roar of the running engine was heard. Jorge looked for friends on the edge of the deck. A second later Massimo appeared. He dropped the bag of loot, which splashed into the water, swaying on its surface. Jorge swam closer and threw the bag into the boat.
– Let’s jump! – Massimo said in a restrained half-cry.
He and Pablo ran to the