Portersville

By Daryl Haskew

After a summer of record-setting heat, the water of the Gulf of Mexico began to boil. She consumed the available fuel, sending giant clouds skyward to the edge of space. As her eye formed, her power increased. Like a hungry beast, she consumed the warmth of the Gulf and drove it skyward, increasing her appetite even more. Soon, she became one of the most feared forces of nature . . . Hurricane.

Growing stronger each hour and with nothing to guide her, she wandered aimlessly in the central Gulf. Unaware of her existence, the coastline to the north lay sleeping like an innocent child. Her winds screamed louder and louder with each passing minute as she moved northward her banshee cries resonating across the Gulf and into the dark void of outer space above.

A lifetime of communing with the sea told him that she would not turn away, and soon it would be too late

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jan 1, 1900
• ISBN: 9781098397371

Book preview

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-This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, events, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Portersville © 2021 Daryl Haskew

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

ISBN (Print): 978-1-09839-736-4

ISBN (eBook): 978-1-09839-737-1

Contents

Author’s Notes

Preface In the south, time is measured between hurricanes.

Part 1

Chapter 1 USA

Chapter 2 Don Velentas

Chapter 3 The Trip

Chapter 4 Port St. Joe

Chapter 5 Smooth Sailing

Chapter 6 E. E.

Chapter 7 Portersville

Chapter 8 The Village

Part 2

Chapter 9 Island Life

Chapter 10 Big John

Chapter 11 The Boatyard

Chapter 12 Thunder Village

Chapter 13 The Don: The Arrival

Chapter 14 Gino and Selena

Chapter 15 Change

Chapter 16 Winter

Chapter 17 Growth

Chapter 18 July 4

Chapter 19 Payoff

Chapter 20 Thunder in the Heart

Chapter 21 Not Yet

Chapter 22 Clean Up

Chapter 23 The Visit

Chapter 24 E. E.’s Rage

Chapter 25 New Plan

Chapter 26 The Meetings

Chapter 27 Confrontation

Chapter 28 Cy and Gino

Chapter 29 Voodoo

Chapter 30 Pig Ears

Chapter 31 Pankration

Chapter 32 Get Out or Fight

Chapter 33 The First Steamer

Chapter 34 The Trap

Chapter 35 Waiting

Chapter 36 Tombstone Shadow

Chapter 37 The Casino

Chapter 38 Hoodoo

Chapter 39 New Orleans Bound

Part 3

Chapter 40 Prosperity

Chapter 41 New Orleans Mob

Chapter 42 The Boys

Chapter 43 Haves and Have Nots

Chapter 44 The Shrimp Boat and Trawl

Chapter 45 The Otter Trawl

Chapter 46 Decisions

Chapter 47 Winter Again

Chapter 48 New Year’s Fireworks

Chapter 49 Honesty

Chapter 50 Charlotte

Chapter 51 A Time to Remember

Chapter 52 Becoming a Man

Chapter 53 Villa Alba

Chapter 54 The Regatta

Chapter 55 Crazy Idea

Chapter 56 Winter 1900

Chapter 57 Confrontations

Chapter 58 Labor

Chapter 59 Childhood Dreams

Chapter 60 Good vs. Bad

Chapter 61 The Ruckus

Chapter 62 Righting a Wrong

Chapter 63 Better, but Not Fixed

Chapter 64 The Big Week: Monday

Chapter 65 Big Week: Tuesday

Chapter 66 Big Week: Wednesday

Chapter 67 A Long Night

Chapter 68 Before Daylight

Part 4

Chapter 69 A New Day

Chapter 70 Seeing Is Believing

Chapter 71 Guardian of the Gold

Chapter 72 Education

Chapter 73 Mobile

Chapter 74 Advanced Pankration

Chapter 75 Spring Hill College

Chapter 76 Time Marches On

Chapter 77 Advice to Live By

Chapter 78 When Heading Toward the Rocks, Change Course

Chapter 79 Dream Big

Chapter 80 Planting the Seeds

Chapter 81 Breaking Old Habits

Chapter 82 Bright Sun and Full Sails

Part 5

Chapter 83 Fall 1905

Chapter 84 Life in the City

Chapter 85 Shadow People

Chapter 86 Price

Chapter 87 Learning the Game

Chapter 88 All Shined Up

Chapter 89 A New Feeling of Worth

Chapter 90 OPM Lesson 1

Chapter 91 Suits Make a Difference

Chapter 92 Hunting and Hoodoo

Chapter 93 Hoodoo or Talent?

Chapter 94 Monroe Park

Chapter 95 Inside the Ring

Part 6

Chapter 96 Winter 1906

Chapter 97 Springtime 1906

Chapter 98 Sting-a-ree

Chapter 99 Summer 1906

Chapter 100 Thunder in the Gulf

Epilogue Three years later:

Author’s Notes

For eons, great storms prowled the Gulf of Mexico. The feeble efforts of mankind to stand against the fury of the sea are left behind in a wake of destruction. Yet, we are drawn, as if by mystical powers, to the sea. Knowing the risk and futility of our efforts, we wait for that time of pending doom. Such has been the fate of Portersville. Walk along the shores of the bay that bears the name Portersville. Live among the men of iron in wooden boats. Feel the thunder of the Bay Shore engine as it crosses the bayou. Sit on the porch of the Oleander Hotel with Captain Bosarge, listening to the Heartbeat of the Storm as she approaches.

Take a drive down to Bayou La Batre and Coden, Alabama. Use your imagination and envision what once was. Let Portersville speak to you through the years.

In 1952, my parents purchased a plot of land on which sat a one- room cabin. The cabin was nestled in a thicket of pines with a path leading to the shore of Portersville Bay. I was five years old when we spent our first summer in Coden, Alabama. Dad added a small screen porch, which became my bedroom every summer.

I am an only child and learned early to entertain myself. The bay became my playground as well as a classroom. On low tide, the grass beds and sand bars thrived with crabs, mullet, squid, shrimp, and an occasional sting ray. I walked for miles in the shallows with a small mullet net trying to encircle the elusive creatures succeeding in catching mostly croaker and catfish.

The years passed and I learned to handle a skiff. My friends and I expanded our horizons to include the bayous and nearby islands. We fished on the oyster reefs for trout, red fish, and sharks, which nearly always broke our lines. By adding a small motor to the skiff, we explored Dauphin Island and even made it as far as Pettit Bois Island. We sometimes stayed overnight, fishing in the surf for blue fish and gigging flounder in the shallows.

At times, the flickering lightning against a darkening cloud sent squalls across the bay. We learned to hide behind an island to escape the wind gusts and stinging rain. If caught in the open water, we bailed out the skiff with a coffee can.

As a teen, my summer jobs consisted of painting houses, frame carpentry, yard work, and charter boat mate aboard the Gulf Rebel. For seventeen summers, I listened to stories about pirates, voodoo, spirits as well as a deep resonating vibration indicating the approach of danger from the gulf. Stories say that tourist came from near and far to enjoy the hotels, mineral water, top entertainment, restaurants, hunting, swimming, and fishing. Also, history confirms the Bay Shore Railroad made two runs from Mobile to Portersville per day, bringing passengers and other goods for the growing town. The idea that a place like this even existed fascinated me. It seemed like Camelot of old. It flashed like magic in my mind crying to be set free. Portersville demanded to be brought back to life through fact or fiction. Today, it lives through the eyes of characters. It lives on the breeze, in the salty water, through the spirits of ancestors and within the pages of this book.

In preparation for writing Portersville, I spent hours reading faded letters, handwritten stories, and newspaper articles, most of which were retrieved from archives. Also, I studied in detail photographs taken during the time frame of my story. Many of the legends, tales, and sightings were confirmed as much as possible through these old documents.

In 1969, the Great Hurricane Camille destroyed our little cabin on the bay as well as the remaining antebellum style homes along the coast. Since 1969, I have lost two more houses on that site as well as many piers. Today, I have a travel trailer on the property, which is moved each time a hurricane enters the Gulf of Mexico. Enjoy Portersville because it still exists.

Preface

In the south, time is measured between hurricanes.

She crept between Cuba and the Yucatan, parting the waves under a shroud of darkness. Only puddles from her rain, rumbling thunder, and debris on the beaches revealed evidence of her passing. Now, she was free.

After a summer of record-setting heat, the water of the Gulf of Mexico began to boil. She consumed the available fuel, sending giant clouds skyward to the edge of space. As her eye formed, her power increased. Like a hungry beast, she consumed the warmth of the Gulf and drove it skyward, increasing her appetite even more. Soon, she became one of the most feared forces of nature . . . Hurricane.

Growing stronger each hour and with nothing to guide her, she wandered aimlessly in the central Gulf. Unaware of her existence, the coastline to the north lay sleeping like an innocent child. Her winds screamed louder and louder with each passing minute as she moved northward her banshee cries resonating across the Gulf and into the dark void of outer space above.

The warm sun shone brightly along the coastline hundreds of miles away. The gentle breeze across the bays, beaches, and pine-covered islands sensed no warning of her approach.

She stalled and consumed the last bit of energy from the warmth of the Gulf. Beyond the horizon, Portersville enjoyed a beautiful day. On September 25, 1906, giant swells approached land and crashed into deep caverns with a sound like thunder.

The vibrations resonated within the chest of Captain Bosarge. The deep sound echoed relentlessly as he peered across Portersville Bay toward the distant horizon. She is upon us. She is upon us, he whispered.

From ominous clouds in the distance, dark swirling columns attached themselves to the surface of the bay. Like performers on a stage, they danced to the rhythm of the pounding beat of the swells crashing in the distance.

A lifetime of communing with the sea told him that she would not turn away, and soon it would be too late. His eyes dimmed by years on the sea spotted a tell-tale sign floating on the wind currents high above. Bearing close resemblance to ancient predators, the man of war birds, circled among the boiling clouds.

Only the most powerful storms forced these creatures toward the land. Yes, they knew that the demon was approaching. Her heartbeat grew stronger, resonating inside the old captain’s chest again and again. A dark tendril formed high in the churning clouds above Portersville Bay. The surface of the bay rose skyward, creating a massive spinning leviathan raging toward the coast. He grasped the arms of his ancient rocking chair and with the help of a strong hand nearby, stood on trembling legs facing the godless beast. There was nothing anyone could do.

***

Part 1

Chapter 1

USA

Cy Papatonis and his wife, Selena, had arrived in Tarpon Springs, Florida, from Greece in 1885. Like many other Greeks, they were hired by wealthy owners of sponge companies to gather sponges and construct boats. Rather than peering down into the shallow water using a glass-bottomed bucket to locate sponges and hook them using a long pole, the Greeks used diving suits. This new technology for diving made available more plentiful sponge beds at greater depths for harvest. Using the deep-sea diving suits, the Greek divers walked on the bottom at depths over 200 feet. They brought up higher-quality sponges, yielding more income for the sponge companies. The divers, however, did not receive more pay than the locals still harvesting sponges in the shallows using long sticks with hooks.

For more than a year, Cy worked on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, wearing the heavy diving suit, and gathering sponges. Breathing equipment malfunctions were common, costing divers their lives. In addition to mechanical hazards, sharks were always present in the depths. They were curious, and sometimes brushed the diver with their rough skin or bit at the lines providing air from the boat above. At first, divers could scare the sharks by releasing air bubbles. In time, the sharks became less frightened by the bubbles and would not swim away. As more divers plodded the depths, larger sharks were attracted. Tiger sharks, hammerheads, and bull sharks were now regular visitors, as well as the smaller sand sharks. It was sometimes necessary for divers to work in pairs—one to gather sponges, the other to watch for sharks and prod them with a long stick if necessary.

The local sponge-gatherers still using the hooking method resented the Greeks. Fights between Greeks and locals were common and were becoming more frequent. Out of necessity, the Greeks traveled in groups, to hopefully avoid confrontations with locals. Eventually, this type of behavior led to mob action by locals, along with death and destruction of property, including the sinking of Greek schooners. For many years along the Florida Gulf Coast, and even into the Caribbean, the conflicts were known as the Sponge Wars.

Cy was the victim of an attack while walking home from the sponge dock, having worked late inspecting the diving gear and locking it safely away. The streets were dark and quiet except for a bar on the corner two streets over. He looked around before turning down a dark alleyway leading to the entrance to his rented room. He heard a whisper, shuffling feet, and smelled liquor on the breeze. The sounds came from both in front and behind him. Three large local men stepped out from behind a building and blocked his way and began calling him names. Cy looked around for help but there was none. The men moved closer, two of them waving clubs. Cy could see the light from his second-floor room where Selena waited with his supper.

Cy moved into the middle of the alleyway and spun around, quickly sizing up the men. As a child and throughout his teen years, Cy had been trained by his grandfather and father to fight the Spartan warrior way, called pankration. There were no rules, and the training was brutal. He learned to use centuries-old methods to disable or kill an adversary, with or without weapons. He was not distracted by the sight of his own blood or the blood of others. Being outnumbered was nothing new to Cy. He knew what the men were going to do. Muscle memory took over as he assumed a defensive stance.

The men attacked. The largest of the three tried to grab Cy from behind and hold him so the others could hit him. Anticipating this, Cy stepped aside, avoiding the large man, kicked him in the knee, cracked his nose with an elbow, and watched him crumple to the ground.

Without hesitating, the remaining two men tried to hit Cy with their clubs. He simply stepped back and avoided the first blow. The club whizzed in front of his face. Cy let the momentum of the blow turn the assailant, exposing the rib cage. Cy struck the ribs with a closed fist and heard the crack.

The second blow came quickly, but rather than move away, Cy stepped forward and caught the man’s right wrist with his left hand. Cy drove his open right hand into the exposed throat while his knee connected with a thud to the man’s groin. He too toppled to the dirt below, clutching both points of contact. The injured men lay in the soft dirt staring at Cy.

Cy warned, I don’t want trouble with you or any of your friends. I am trying to make a living, just like you. If you make trouble for me or my wife, next time, I will kill you and your friends.

Word spread quickly among the locals and Cy was left alone.

As more divers arrived, there became a shortage of boats. Cy and some friends decided to open their own independent boatyard. They refused the low wages offered by the large sponge companies, paid off their debts, and began building boats for whomever they wished. Word soon spread that they constructed high-quality boats for a reasonable price, and business grew.

The owners of the large companies did not like having to deal with the small, independent boat-building company. A lawsuit was filed claiming that it was illegal for the men to stop diving and build boats under any other ownership than that of the company that had originally hired them. The judge ruled that the men who opened the boat-building operation had fulfilled their obligations to the sponge companies by diving for one year and paying back all expenses incurred for travel.

As a result of quality work, the boatyard gained a good reputation. Orders for sponge boats around Tarpon Springs as well as specialty boats from other locations, like Tampa and St. Petersburg continued to arrive. From time to time, strangers from out of town came by the boatyard suggesting that Cy and his partners sell out the building operation to their boss. Cy told them to get lost. He could see what was coming and began saving every dollar he could.

When not working in the boatyard, Cy enjoyed fishing along the shoreline. He learned to weave cotton twine into nets. After much effort, Cy completed a seine net about twenty-five feet long and six feet tall. At low tide, Cy and a group of friends gathered on the shore by a marsh to pull the seine. They anchored one end of the net to the bank and walked the other end out into the shallow water, lowered it to the bottom, and dragged it like a wall until reaching the bank. Shrimp and other sea creatures trapped in the net were put in buckets.

With a few buckets of shrimp in hand, as well as a few crabs, Cy invited his friends to a shrimp boil. The group became larger and larger, thus needing more shrimp. Cy designed larger and more efficient seine nets and used them in deeper water, pulling them between small boats. Soon, the demand for shrimp grew until Cy spent more time catching shrimp than building boats. He built cast nets used by one person. All that was needed was a small skiff and an oar. Simply row out to a likely spot and toss the net, trying to make it into a circle. Once the net reached the bottom, the operator could pull the line attached to the net, allowing the top of the net to collapse, thus trapping all inside. The demand for shrimp grew quickly, and shrimping became a business.

Fishermen in St. Augustine, Florida, across the state on the Atlantic Ocean, were catching large quantities of shrimp also. Most still used the cast net and seine, but soon a new net was introduced called an otter trawl, modeled after nets used to catch codfish in the northeast. They believed the success in catching shrimp using the new net would mean that boats suited for pulling the new nets would be needed. Cy and his partners began experimenting with new boat designs specifically for this purpose.

For six months, Cy worked hard designing and building boats, as well as working on better ways to harvest shrimp.

Cy’s wife, Selena, enjoyed teaching at the Greek school. They were looking forward to starting their own family, but where? Did they want to live in Tarpon Springs?

The strangers continued to come into town and try to cause trouble. They began by suggesting that shop owners pay them part of their earnings for protection against gangs that were springing up around the area. Robberies became a regular thing, either during daylight or break-ins at night. Some of the owners began paying.

Cy heard about the threats and decided to try and do something about it. He knew what was coming. Selena told him that strange men came into the school and told her that they knew who she was.

Cy vividly remembered how the Godfathers of the Night conducted their business in Greece. He still felt the pang of helplessness when intruders entered his father’s home and fondled his wife. He still felt an urge for revenge. Should he ever come face to face with them again, the outcome would be very different.

The Papatonis family, for generations, established a reputation as excellent craftsmen. Although the family still constructed high-quality boats used mostly in the sponge trade, more money could be earned as a diver. For years, Cy’s father free dived locally, but sometimes traveled to the rich sponge beds of Kalymnos, over 200 miles to the east across the Aegean.

Cy excelled in the pankration combat training, as well as strategy and other disciplines handed down from the ancient Spartans. He took pride in being able to take down men twice his size and render them helpless. In his early teens, he traveled with his father to sponge beds. After completing his education in Greek school, Cy continued to study math and apply the theories practically by developing carpentry skills in the family boatyard. At age twenty, Cy married his childhood sweetheart, Selena.

Cy’s first exposure to the Greek Mafia came during dinner only one year prior. As a teacher at the village Greek school, Selena sometimes stayed late to plan or have meetings. Everyone watched out for each other, so there was little danger walking home late. However, this night, the door burst open and in came two large men with guns. The family was told to stay where they were at the table and listen. The men stepped aside and allowed an older man, Don Velentas, into the house, his hand gripping Selena’s arm tightly. The last to enter was a young man, the youngest son of the Don. Cy slid his chair back but before he could get up, his father kicked him in the shin under the table.

The Don’s son was a huge man about the same age as Cy. He pushed his way into the room and glared at the Papatonis family, holding a pistol. Showing his authority, the son pointed at Cy and said, You and I are going to have some business soon. You think you can protect this family, but you are wrong. My older brother has told me about this woman and how they met in Athens. He is not like me. He is weak; but I will show you and your family what happens if my father is not taken seriously.

The Don placed his hands on the large shoulders of his son, moving him to the side. My son will be taking charge of a new operation, so you will deal directly with me. I sent my oldest son, Gino, to New Orleans in the USA to watch our interests there.

You know who I am, right? said the older man, placing his hand on Selena’s other arm and roughly pushing her into the room.

Cy’s father stood up slowly, showing the palms of his hands and said, Yes, I know who you are and what you want. Just don’t hurt our family.

Now, why would I do that if you are going to pay me for protection? said the older man, smiling. I know that you are going to do that. You will tell all of the divers and builders on the waterfront that ten percent of all they earn in the sponge business and boat business goes to us.

Cy was sweating, shaking with rage, and beginning to push his chair back again when his father stopped him again. He looked at Selena. With tears in her eyes, she shook her head no.

You have one week to turn over to us the names of each diver, as well as the names of each family member. We will be back here to collect. My people are watching your family. Remember that. You would not want to have anything happen to this beauty, would you?

The men with guns laughed as the old man walked over to where Selena was standing. He put his arm around her waist and kissed her on the lips. She resisted, but to no avail. She was passed around and fondled by the other two men while the family watched.

Knowing what Cy was about to do, Cy’s father slowly moved behind Cy’s chair and placed his hands on Cy’s shoulders. His shoulders were like stone. His eyes revealed what was in his heart.

The men with guns looked at Cy and smiled. Cy locked his eyes on the intruders and did not blink. He had a knife in his hand under the table and knew that he could kill them all. The men blinked and looked away from Cy, feeling the air being sucked out of the room. They knew they were in danger from a wild beast ready to spring. They pulled their pistols and pointed them at Cy.

I will see you in one week, said the Godfather.

The door closed and Selena ran to Cy. Father wrapped his arms around them and said, Nothing is worth your life, the life of your family now, and the life of your future family. I will do as they say. We will be fine.

They have no right! yelled Cy. I can kill them now before they leave the village.

No, they will send more and take revenge, said Father. We will pay. It may be better if you left Greece. Perhaps you both should go to America for a while. They need divers there too. There are many Greek divers being hired by large sponge companies in a place called Tarpon Springs.

I can’t leave my family and run.

Cy, I know you well, said Grandfather, who had not moved or spoken. You will kill some of these men and they will destroy everything we have worked all of our lives for. This will pass. When it does, you and Selena can come back. Please. We love you both.

The next day, Cy and other divers from villages all around the area met at the dock and listened to a company representative from America. They were promised good wages and safer conditions, because the water was shallow compared to the reefs in Greece. Within a week, a large sailing ship departed Leonidio for Tarpon Springs, USA.

During1886, more and more Greeks arrived to work the thriving sponge business. A letter arrived from Cy’s father delivered by an old friend from Leonidio also seeking work in the USA. The letter was a warning. During a collection visit, neighbors overheard a conversation. The Greek mob and the Italians planned an alliance which would benefit both families. The plan was to set up business in the Greek village of Tarpon Springs, exhorting money from the working class. The men at their house that night, now in St. Petersburg, plan to run the operation. They were looking for Cy. Watch for them and be careful.

That night, Cy showed the letter to Selena. She began to cry and shake at the thought of the men coming to find them in their new home.

They will not touch us, whispered Cy. I will see them coming and take care of them. This is America, and we have a right to protect ourselves. Believe me, this village will not allow them to take over. Many of my friends are here because of the corruption in Greece. I know what’s coming.

While in port to pick up a load of sponges, a schooner captain named Graham walked through the boatyard where Cy was working. Captain Graham told Cy that he was also a boat builder, as well as captain of his own boat. Even though Captain was older than Cy, the two men became instant friends. They talked boatbuilding, exchanged ideas, and Cy invited Captain Graham to supper.

Cy went home to tell Selena that they would be having a guest for supper. Selena was surprised to hear that Captain Graham was not Greek and became curious. She told Cy that supper would be served in their small rental room at six o’clock. She immediately went to a Greek market for fresh vegetables, bread, and other necessities.

After an enjoyable supper, they went out onto a small porch overlooking the alleyway below. The evening was warm, and Tarpon Springs was still awake. Music and laughter filtered through the night air from the bar nearby. Captain Graham told the couple that he lived in Portersville, a booming little settlement on the Alabama coast. The shrimp, oysters, and fish were plentiful. The climate was great, and most of all, there was a flourishing tourist business. There were hotels, eating establishments, stores, and deep harbors—but not much boatbuilding. The locals still caught shrimp using seine and cast nets and could surely use the new ideas for improvement. The hotels bought every shrimp they could catch, but the real market was to the north in Mobile.

In parting, the captain told Cy and Selena that a beautiful island lay off the coast of the mainland, and having been raised there, he knew it was a great place to live. Also, Captain Graham told them this could be his last trip to south Florida in his schooner. More money could be made running day trips with the guests from the hotels, and he could sleep in his own bed at night.

Cy and Selena watched Captain Graham walk back toward the docks where his son Robbie tended their schooner. They discussed their future in Tarpon Springs and the troubles brewing in the sponge trade. Was this where they wanted to begin a family? During the sleepless night, they agreed that traveling north to Portersville would be worth the risk. They had enough money saved to make a new start. Hopefully, the Queen would carry them away from the evil men and toward Portersville where they could make a new home.

At dawn, Cy went to the dock and spoke with Captain Graham about traveling on the schooner. Captain Graham introduced Cy to his son, Robbie, aged fifteen. Cy assured them that both he and Selena could pull their weight on the voyage. Captain Graham told Cy that if he took his turn at the wheel and helped Robbie with the sails, both he and Selena could travel at no charge. Of course, Selena would have to cook, because that meal he enjoyed with them the night before was the best he could remember having in a long time. The men shook hands, clapped each other on the shoulder, and had a good laugh. They would sail the next day with the wind.

After confirming with Captain Graham to travel on the Queen, Cy went directly to the Greek school where Selena taught. He explained the urgency to get out of Tarpon Springs and how traveling to Portersville could be the answer to their prayers. She sadly told the children goodbye, griped Cy’s hand tightly and walked out of the school. Before arriving at their apartment, the couple went inside the quaint Greek Orthodox Church to pray with the bishop for guidance and safety for all.

***

A few weeks ago, Cy received a short letter from his father in Greece.

Godfathers of the night boarded a ship bound for USA. They plan to hunt you down and kill you. Remember the ways of your Spartan ancestors. Plan your attack. Strike hard.

We are fine,

Father

Word spread through Tarpon Springs that four strangers had been seen walking around asking questions. Two of the men were large Greeks and the other two were Sicilians from New Orleans. They were overheard talking loudly at a small restaurant near the docks. Cy received word that they were looking for him.

Cy went by the restaurant to talk to the waiter who had overheard the conversation. The men were staying in St. Petersburg as guests at the Don Carlos Hotel on the beach. Many names of local politicians were mentioned in the conversation, as well as the names of men known for their involvement in the business of providing protection and demanding pay.

The four men showed up at the boatyard where Cy was working. Cy and his fellow workers were attaching the ribs to the keel of a 40-foot sponge boat. The sun was hot, and they were covered with sweat and wood chips. As the four men approached, Cy stopped work and whistled to his friends. They were ready. The workers walked toward the intruders with tools in hand. The mobsters reached into their pockets but before they were able to pull their pistols, the workers were on them, clubbing them with heavy mauls and the blunt end of axes.

Do you know who we are? yelled one of the large Greeks lying on the ground bleeding.

Yes, we know who you are, growled Cy, his foot across the man’s throat. Do you know who we are?

You are dead men, said the youngest of the men. The bosses and my father will see to it. Gino, my brother, knows your wife, and will come for her.

Cy recognized the large man as the Don’s youngest son, who had entered his house back in Leonidio.

Let him up, said Cy, walking toward the man. You were in my father’s house back in Greece. Remember? You and your father put your hands on my wife. How is your father or Gino going to help you right now? Look around, you. What do you see? Greek working men! We are not going to let you come in here and take over like you did in Greece. This is America! How does your brother, Gino, know Selena?

They knew each other in Athens a few years ago. Gino loves her and will take her away from you! screamed the young brother, bleeding from a cut above his eye.

Rage engulfed Cy and one front kick in the sternum used by the Spartans of old to break the shields of the enemy ended the rogue’s life. The kick was much harder than intended. It was not meant to be lethal.

Anyone else care to get up? said Cy, looking down at each of them. You two were pretty tough back in Greece with your guns. You liked kissing pretty women and pushing around old men. Well, we are not old men or pretty girls. You four are about to see the sponge reefs up close.

They tied up the men, gagged them, and shoved them into the tool shed. Two of the workers stood guard at the door. A sponge skiff with a small steam engine was moored to the dock. After everyone left for the evening, they dragged the men to the boat leaving a trail of blood on the dock.

The night was dark. The wind was light. In thirty minutes, they were out of the river and heading to the open Gulf. In thirty more minutes, they were at the sponge grounds in 100 feet of water. They shoveled bloody scraps of meat from a butcher shop into the water and waited. Within minutes, the sharks came. First came the small sand sharks, followed by the fast-moving black tips. The water churned as more meat was shoveled overboard. Soon, two large fins brushed past the side of the boat—tiger sharks. The man-eaters rolled on the surface of the water, casting their eye at those on board. Large, powerful jaws opened and closed around the scraps of meat, as well as other sharks, should they be challenged. Into the water went the future of the mob in Tarpon Springs.

***

On the way back to the dock with his friends, Cy said, Keep a close eye out for what’s coming. If you see it, plan for it and be ready. Do not let things catch you off guard. Like our ancestors, the Spartans, first prepare yourself and focus on what is important. Protect your families. Always seek an advantage, and do not underestimate your enemy. Make your enemy fight on your terms and at a location of your choosing. Watch out for each other.

The words knew each other back in Athens rang in Cy’s head. Selena never spoke of Gino—or anyone, for that matter. He made a vow not to mention this to Selena until the time was right or she told him the truth.

Chapter 2

Don Velentas

The June breeze ruffled the curtains in their room. For many, the day had begun hours ago. The aroma of Greek coffee permeated the air, as well as fresh bread from the bakeries. On the dock, sponge boats were hoisting sails to catch the breeze with hope of a good day on the bottom of the Gulf.

A few miles to the south on the beach at St. Petersburg sat the Pink Lady, aka The Don Carlos Hotel. Her guests enjoyed only the best accommodations, food, and entertainment. Earlier, a box wrapped in tissue paper with ribbons was delivered to the hotel addressed to a Greek guest, Mr. Velentas, a partner of the Sicilians from New Orleans who had been staying there for weeks. The man was notified about the gift by the bellman, who was directed to hold onto the package until someone picked it up.

Just another gift from someone looking for a favor, said Joe Provenzano, head of one of the Sicilian mob families in New Orleans. Let’s continue to talk about how you and I can make some money from this group of sponge divers from Greece who are working in Tarpon Springs.

My youngest son is in Tarpon Springs as we speak, setting up the operation. He is young but can handle the business—once they get rid of one of the Greeks, named Cy Papatonis. We had a little problem with his family back in Greece.

The two men sat outside laughing and enjoying coffee when a heavy-handed bodyguard delivered the package and handed it to Mr. Provenzano. The writing on the outside of the package was written in Greek, so Provenzano passed it to Velentas.

Inside the small box was a simple handwritten note scrawled in Greek.

We know who you are and where you are. We are always watching and will see what’s coming.

Velentas dropped his coffee cup as color drained from his face.

What is that? asked Provenzano. Some sort of joke?

Remembering the feeling in the room with the Papatonis family two years ago when the eyes of Cy across the table pierced his soul, Velentas’s heart began to race and sweat broke out on his forehead.

I must contact my son in Tarpon Springs immediately, said Velentas. There may be trouble there.

Under the tissue lay a large tiger shark tooth embedded in a small sponge.

***

The chests were packed for the trip. Tomorrow, they would board the schooner and leave their home of two years. Both Cy and Selena felt the tug to stay and build a future in Tarpon Springs with their fellow Greeks, but the visions of Portersville and the island erased the sadness of leaving.

Cy boiled water on a small wood stove and spooned powdery Greek coffee into two cups. This was the last morning before sailing north. The day would be spent saying goodbyes and making sure all obligations were taken care of. Tonight, the village planned a shrimp boil to wish the couple farewell.

As the sun set behind a thunderhead in the west, Cy gathered his partners together and thanked them for their friendship and loyalty. Each man gave Cy a hug and assured him that they would take care of the village. They would watch for what was coming and take care of it before it arrived at their doorstep.

One of the large chests was packed with clothes and personal items, while the other contained Cy’s tools, boat plans, and money. Cy had installed a false bottom in the chest and made it waterproof. Inside was their savings from the past two years. The money should be enough to make a new start.

As the shrimp boil ended, a rain squall moved onshore soaking everyone and dousing the fire. The wind blew and the lightning crashed but the storm moved inland making way for a beautiful morning.

***

Cy and Selena were on the dock with their two chests before Captain Graham and his son Robbie climbed on deck from their berths below. The schooner was loaded with the sponges and