Diamond Rain: Adventure Science Fiction Mossad Thriller (The Spy Stories and Tales of Intrigue Series Book 2) by Michael James Gallagher

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here, buddy,” said Billy.  He suddenly produced a cell phone and waved it
around.
    “Don’t those things
cost a fortune?”
    “The prices’re coming
down quite a bit.  Besides, I need it for work.”
    Billy pressed a few
buttons.  The phone connected to someone and he spoke briefly.  He smiled.
    “Here he is,” he said,
handing the phone to Thomas.
    “What’re you up to,
Billy?”
    “Just take it.”
    Thomas took the phone
from Billy.
    “Who is this?”
    “You dirt ball.  Who’d
you expect?  Suzelle?”
    “Lanky?”
    “None other.  What’s
this ’bout you moping around on that boat when I’m sitting in my apartment all
by myself in Boston.  When ’m I gonna see ya here, buddy?”
    “I didn’t wanna bug ya,
Lanky.”
    “What the fuck are you
talking about, man?”
    “Just hit a rough
patch, that’s all.”
    “Sounds like you need
to get laid, as usual.  Get your ass down here.  Get out of the boonies and we’ll
see what we can do about that.”
    “I dunno, Lanky.”
    “I won’t take ‘no’ for
an answer.”  He laughed.  “Besides I gotta show you my new lab.  You know they
named a lab after me.  Come and watch me in action, man.”
    “I’ll think about it,
Lanky.” Thomas didn’t sound too enthusiastic.
    “You’ll do more than
fucking think about it Thomas.  You’ll get your ass down here this weekend and that’s
final.”
    Billy was nodding his
agreement when Thomas gave him back the phone. “Thanks Billy.  Dug myself a
deep hole here.  Didn’t know how to get out of it, I guess.”
    “That’s what friends
are for.  Pack your shit.  We’re heading down to Boston. Let’s go.”
    Billy didn’t give
Thomas a chance to refuse.  He stood up and started throwing Thomas’ dirty
cloths into a duffle bag.  Thomas still didn’t move. “They’re gone, Billy.”
    “I know, buddy.”  His
tone was more gentle than usual.  “Think about it this way.  Your ma, well, she
took action when things got tough.  She never stewed in it.  That’s what got
you here.  She had balls, man and she’d want you to have balls too.  You won’t
bring ’em back looking down a bottle.  Whoa.  These are pretty rank.  I think we'll
leave ’em behind.”  Billy grimaced as he picked up a pair of jeans covered with
puke.
    “Let's get out of here,
Billy.  I’ll tie her up on Willard’s dock and leave the key in the usual
place.  Willard’ll figure it out and put her back here on anchor.  I can pick
up some clothes in Boston.”
    “I’d say Willard’s good
for that, but leave him a note just in case,” said Billy as he pushed the
starter button while adjusting the choke.
    The old lobster boat’s
motor chugged to life with a long puff of black smoke and Thomas came up beside
his friend to look out on the harbor as they moved the boat into the dock at an
old friend’s bait and tackle shop.
    “Look at that.  It’s
one of those Maine Osprey you wrote about,” said Thomas.
    “Thanks to you, I wrote
about those birds and got on my feet again after ‘Nam’.  You showed me how to
use that camera to get real clean shots.”
    “Thanks Billy.  I was
digging a hole I couldn’t dig myself outta.”
    “That’s what you said. 
But it’s nothing you wouldn’t do for me.”
    They left the lobster
boat tied up at Willard’s dock and Thomas left a note giving the boat to the
old man who owned the bait shop.
    “That’s more like the
Thomas I know.”
    “He always talked about
wanting a lobster boat and I’m never going to be here to take care of it anyway.”
    Billy’s pickup was
parked in the harbor loading area.  They walked over to it and Thomas threw his
duffel bag into the back.  Billy understood when Thomas didn’t say much on the
first part of the drive into Boston.  He remembered his own time after getting
out of the army.  Sometimes he’d needed space too.  A little while later,
Thomas turned around when they passed a highway sign pointing