Z Town

By Russ Ferrier

IT STARTED WITH A NOTE
When a friend finds an ancient letter in a duffel bag, the hunt begins.

A THEFT AND A MURDER
Two small-time thieves escalate a series of events, creating serious repercussions.

A KIDNAPPING AT SEA
Uncovering a clandestine operation leads to more troubles and more intrigue.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tellwell Talent
• Release date: Jun 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9780228856498

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 by Russ Ferrier

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Tellwell Talent

www.tellwell.ca

ISBN

978-0-2288-5650-4 (Paperback)

978-0-2288-5649-8 (eBook)

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my dear wife Sue

for putting up with all my crazy ideas. Many thanks for allowing me to have the time and energy to expend on my literary journey.

Prologue

We worked our way through the forest as quietly as possible. We silently navigated our path among trees, branches and thick brush. We had heard a scream and knew our friends were in trouble.

What had started off as a day full of fun and adventure; was quickly turning into a nightmare. As a police officer Julia had some training for situations like this, but it was not something we had ever expected to find ourselves in. She was in the lead position.

As we crept forward up a knoll, we could hear Nip and Leah arguing their case. We peered over the top and froze in our tracks. What we saw was unbelievable. It hit home how serious the situation had become. Whatever we had been searching for was not worth the risk we were now facing. I would rather be poor and alive than rich and dead. What transpired in the next few minutes would dictate our future, or lack of it.

1

Bring up any topic related to hidden treasures, lost cities or unsolved mysteries and you have got my attention. I love shows like the Curse of Oak Island or Expedition Unknown or any other adventures in exotic regions of the world, so when my friend Nip came storming into my apartment one day, I was hooked. It wasn’t so much that he was bouncing off the walls, like normal, but he seemed so serious about what he was revealing. Nip and I were friends since high school, and we bonded quickly. He was sharp of wit, with a dry sense of humour, and he attracted girls easily; which is greatly beneficial when we were out on the town. Nip was several centimetres taller than myself, had long blond hair, and a charming smile. In any case, he was excited about something intriguing.

His grandparents had emigrated from Europe just prior to the Second World War, and they left in a hurry. The Netherlands were assessing their readiness to enter the war in 1939, but their reluctance to join the war effort was influenced but their ability to remain neutral during the First World War. There was no time for a proper send off or even proper packing of their treasures let alone their clothing. Their parents, Nip’s great grandparents, were privy to military information and movements not known to the general public. They hinted that the Netherland’s army was less than formidable. As such, the grandparents knew it was now or never to get out. In early 1940, travel was relatively unrestricted still in the Netherlands and North America seemed like a safe, distant choice. In hind site their choice to leave was a solid one; the Netherlands were invaded and within four days the Dutch forces surrendered to Germany.

Now back to our current issue. I asked Nip What are you doing with that old carry on bag?

Nip had been going through some old family documents, which were minimal. He was carrying an old weathered canvas bag. It was about the size of a bag one would carry workout gear to the gym. He explained, I was just looking for another bag to carry some supplies in and I came across this well used bag. I flipped it upside down to shake all the dirt and loose items, when the inside bottom piece of cardboard came loose.

Great, you cleaned out an old bag, so what?

Let me finish. Stuck to the bottom of the cardboard was a weathered piece of paper. My great grandparents had apparently decided to secret this document in the bag for safe exit with my grandparents from the Netherlands. This document hasn’t been seen in over fifty years.

I said, Okay, now you’ve got my attention. What does the document say?

I don’t know yet.

What do you mean you don’t know – you can still read can’t you? I was losing patience.

I did a quick search before running over here. It is written in either Dutch or Afrikaans. That’s as far as I got.

Let’s get online and try a translation package.

We moved into my home office and turned on my laptop. My ‘office’ is a small den with desk and chair along one wall. The rest of the den is crammed with boxes, books in piles and picture frames leaning on a wall. Nip sat on a cardboard box. In no time at all we had Google translate working for us. The paper was old and torn and faded but we typed in the first sentence - Ek hoop dat hierdie boodskap in die regte hande vn my gesin is. It immediately translated into - I hope this message finds it way into the proper hands of my family.

Wow, I said, This could be interesting. Let’s type in the rest!

The next sentences translated into: In anticipation of takeover by the Germans, we have hidden our entire family’s jewellery and those of our closest friends’ valuables. You will find a clue to where this is buried at the crest of our ideal driving spot.

Nip turned to me, What are we supposed to do with this?

I said, This is a modern day treasure hunt! But there are so many questions. Who else knows of this cache? Has it been found already? And where was their favourite driving spot?

I’ve heard my grandparents talking of the Netherlands often, but not of a specific area. We could ask for some information under the guise of family tree research.

So what are we saying here? Are we going to waste our time all because of a piece of paper with a note? I wasn’t committed to this quite yet.

Nip stated, It’s an excuse to visit my grandmother. Her memory is failing so the sooner we look into this the better. What have we got to lose other than a few hours of our time? Let’s jump on a bus.

I grabbed a jacket and we were out the door within a minute, and running to catch a bus.

2

Where can you find a cannabis dispensary beside a pizza joint, across from a bar, all of which are adjacent to cubicles for ladies of the night? Although those cubicles seem to be busy during the day too. We are talking about Amsterdam of course. A somewhat quaint city steeped in its unique history, with over a hundred canals gently criss-crossing the city. The city also has its share of dark currents.

Lucas walks into De Druif, an ancient watering hole, does a quick search and then yells at Finn, Where the fuck were you last night? Lucas Sorowka is a resident of Amsterdam, and lives along the fringes of legality, scrapping by with whatever work is available. Lucas is not sure where he was born, but his family moved outside of Amsterdam when he was just 4 years old. Not one bound by norms, Lucas has been on his own since he was sixteen. He currently is a courier for an international company. A quick temper has kept him constantly in search of new work and new opportunities.

Finn Van den Burg is his current target of abuse. Finn puts up his arms in a defensive gesture, I couldn’t slip away. With two young ones at home I don’t have the freedom to just leave anymore. Finn is barely making ends meet while trying to support a young family.

A waitress comes over, so Lucas sits down. The bar is poorly lit, the table is small and ancient, and the place smells of cigarettes and sweat. I’ll have a Gajes. Gajes is an aggressive beer with a high alcohol content. This is a bad sign. I don’t give a fuck what you got goin’ on at home. We had a job to do.

Finn exhales slowly. I can make it happen tonight. The target will still be vacant for another couple of days.

It better be worth the effort. I am tapped out.

The waitress reappears with his beer and Lucas takes a long pull on it, exhales, and then says, What time are you off darling?

Buzz off ginger boy, and she was gone. From the waitress’ response it didn’t look like they would be getting efficient service from now onward.

From what I have found out this is a family that has been in the area for many generations and they have accumulated a lot of wealth over the years. This should be a good one. explains Finn.

Lucas drains the rest of his beer and scowls See you at midnight then. You better be there!

Before Finn can answer Lucas is out the door leaving Finn with the tab.

3

Nip and I jump on a bus to the Bayside retirement home. It is a large uninspiring building of brown and grey brick. We walk inside and wait for the receptionist to finish up on the phone. There is a poster advertising a tour of the Parliament buildings; the pride of Canada’s capital. It sounds like the receptionist is talking to someone named Suzie. Her identification tag says ‘Sandy’. She finishes her call, smiles at us and directs us to the elevators and indicates the room number we want.

If there is anything else you would like, please let me know, said Sandy.

The elevator doors close and Nip says, Wow friendly reception. I might have to visit here more often. I just rolled my eyes.

Up we go to the fifth floor and we exit the elevator. A drab beige hallway is broken up only by an ancient grandfather clock clicking away. As we walk down the hall we pass an older gentleman making his way along in a wheelchair. We move out of his way and he seems to be in a rush to go somewhere. There are machines in some rooms beeping and flashing. I feel like we are in a hospital.

We enter Nip’s grandmother’s room which is small but homey. It is adorned with a few family photos on a beautifully carved old wooden dresser, and a larger picture on the wall of a wedding scene. The room has windows but the shades are closed. The bedside table is crowded with a small wind up clock, a phone with oversized buttons, a box of tissue paper and half a roll of cough drops. She is seated in a reclining chair beside her bed. I get the impression that she spends a good portion of her days in this spot. The recliner is molded to her tiny body.

She is slumped in her chair and is so thin I am amazed she can even sit upright. Her hair is white, curly but patchy and the veins in her temples are quite visible. Her hands look frail and knotted.

As she sees us she straightens up slightly and her eyes come alive. Is it lunch time? she asks eagerly.

No grandma, it’s the middle of the afternoon. It’s me, little Nip. How are you feeling? Nip asks as he approaches her and bends down for a hug.

She hugs back, It’s nice to see you Norm. Is your friend a doctor? I’ve got a problem right here, she says as she points to her hip area.

No grandma, Eddy is just a friend of mine and we have some family history questions for you.

Did I ever tell you about the time old Billy ran our car off the road into the lamppost? My heavens, what a night that was!

That sounds like Billy! Actually grandma, I was hoping to go back a bit further in time to when you were living in Holland. Do you remember where you lived?

Oh yes, we lived in a beautiful old house. It was a brick house with a tiled roof and awnings on the windows. We lived there for quite a while.

I think I remember seeing pictures of your home. What I meant to saw was do you remember the name of the town?

She was silent for a few moments but then said, I live in Ottawa. She looked up with a content smile.

That’s right, but where did you live back when you were growing up? Nip prodded gently.

Yes, yes, of course, in the home land. It started with a Z. Z and something. I loved that town.

I had my phone open and was in search mode. There were over fifty towns starting in Z, and several starting with Zand. I queried, There are a few towns like that, do any of these sounds familiar? Zandberg, Zandeweer, Zandpol, or Zandvoort.

My, you are a smart young man. Are you a doctor?

Nip smiled patiently, No grandma, just a friend. Do any of these towns sound familiar?

They all sound familiar. What was the last one again?

Zandvoort

Zandvoort. I believe that is correct. We used to walk along the beach there for hours at a time. In fact, that is where I met Billy. He was a handsome young man, but painfully shy. I had to approach him to go for ice creams. He barely talked the first few times we went out, but eventually he started to open up. Grandma was reminiscing and starting to get way off track.

I Google-mapped Zandvoort and sure enough it was a coastal town about an hour east of Amsterdam. I nodded to Nip.

You went on walks with Billy, but did you ever go for a drive anywhere? Nip asked.

Well we had no car back then. Of course, some of our friends did drive and we occasionally went with them. We used to love going to the big cities with all the noise and people and lights. It was a lovely time!

Was there one favourite spot that you can remember Grandma?

She looked at me, Are you staying for lunch?

I looked at Nip and we silently agreed that our time was running out. He asked again, Did you and Billy go anywhere in particular that you can remember?

She grinned, There will be no kissing and telling going on here young man. However, we used to hike, and bike and swim, and play soccer. You name an activity and we were involved in it.

They were obviously an active young couple. I didn’t think we were going to get much further here, and I gave Nip the look – let’s get going.

He took the hint. Grandma it was great to see you. We’ll drop in again soon.

It was lovely to see you Nate, and your doctor friend too. She was starting to nod off as we stood and left the room. A wise person once said, ‘once a woman, twice a child.’

Well I do think that was helpful. We now at least know where she grew up. Nip stated. I nodded in agreement. We were making some headway. Little did we realize the extent of the journey ahead of us.

We got to the front door and Nip nearly rammed his face into the front door as he leaned against it. It was locked.

‘Sandy’ was laughing, You can’t leave without entering the code. It’s 1,2,4,8.

I punched in the code, and turned sheepishly to Sandy, Thanks. Have an exciting day. It was an easy place to get in, but not so easy to get out. I don’t want to grow old.

If only it was this easy to find the missing code to our search.

4

Morocco, 18 Months Earlier

Aziz walked briskly through the souk in Tangiers. The youngest street is over a 1,000 year old, and they are narrow, twisting and hilly. Those not familiar with the area would be lost in minutes. Local stalls line the streets and sidewalks with everything imaginable. The smell of exotic spices fills the air. There are vendors all along the alleys hawking everything from used tin cups to beautiful carpets.

The adhan, or call to prayers, can be heard throughout the streets, but Aziz pays no heed. Today is an important one for him and he cannot be late. After several minutes of winding his way through the streets he finds a large wooden door. The restaurant is very non-descript; it is not marked in any way. He opens the door and enters a large restaurant. The restaurant consists of many smaller and more private nooks all of which have very basic and ancient wooden tables and chairs. The floor is worn tile which appears to be hundreds of years old. There are no windows and the restaurant lighting casts a dull glow. In one such nook he spots his contact.

Greetings of As-salamu-alaykum all around and they sit opposite one another.

Praise Allah, this day will be blessed, says Aziz nervously. The man across from him is part of a very powerful group of investors with interests in many industries across the world.

Were you successful? the man asks. He is stoic and all business. He is sipping on a mint tea, and has made no effort to offer anything to his guest.

Y-yes, everything went smoothly, stammers Aziz, My contacts in the Netherlands have come through graciously for us. Aziz passes the documents across the table for him to review.

After several minutes of reading the man nods and looks up at Aziz, Well done. He reaches under the table and hands a satchel to Aziz. He stands and leaves.

Aziz looks in the satchel and sees the stacks of cash, in U.S. dollars. Now he is doubly nervous knowing he has to walk back carrying a satchel filled with more money than he has ever seen in his life. What these guys plan to do with the deeds he has no idea, nor does he care; his job is done. There is a biscuit left over on the clay plate in front of him. He quickly stuffs the biscuit in his mouth, then stands up and walks away.

5

As opposed to heading back to my place, Nip and I detoured to see his parents. They lived in a nice middle class neighbourhood in a bungalow on a large lot. It is difficult to find lots this big any longer right in the city. There is a Volkswagen Golf in the carport, so it appears that someone is home.

Nip knocked on the door and then entered, not waiting for an answer. In this neighbourhood the doors weren’t usually locked. He yelled, Mom, Dad?

His mom came scurrying out of the kitchen. Her hair was tied back away from her face, she had a dirty apron on, and her hands were covered in something moist. Hi boys. What’s going on? Come into the kitchen, I am in the middle of making yogurt. What a beautiful day! It is so nice of you to visit. I am so busy. She is a tall thin woman and she seems to be going in five directions at once. She was speaking loudly so as to be heard over the sound of the birds in the adjacent room. It sounded like a bird sanctuary in here.

Nip looked at me and rolled his eyes. Good to see you ma. We have some questions for you if you can slow down a bit.

"Yes dear. Well I’m not that good with numbers so