CALM WATER STORMS
DEEP SEA DEMONS
AND RESCUES OF LOVE
DISCLAIMER
Based On Real Events.
The names, locations, rescues, recoveries, references to governments and law enforcement, organizations, companies, real persons, friends and family have been changed to protect the innocent, their privacy, anonymity, including any past or open inquires & investigations that may be pending.
TO MY FELLOW RESCUERS & FIRST RESPONDERS.
We all know there is no single hero in this service. A life saved from a single action or reaction begins from those who trained us and hard sobering experience. It takes a network of teams we work with ambulances, hospitals, air rescue, law enforcement, and the army of volunteers we call in as needed. Our existence is due to government budgets and planning allocated for us to serve. The same government bureaucracy we love to complain about, limited budgets, restrictions, laws, rules, regulations, liabilities and yet we co-exist because of them.
We are a professional public service, not for everyone, yet a service for everyone. A mission of duty and honor that’s instilled in our souls.
Passion, skill, care, measured and weighed in raw life successes large and small. We dwell in afterthought, sometimes torment, of what could we have done better or did I make the right decision?
Sometimes we live with the weight that we can’t save them all.
In those rescue moments we exist in a zone, a dimension of millimeters and milliseconds where space and time is stretched.
Every breath is so precious.
Recovery operations are peaceful and final.
Long shifts, days blur into nights, nights blur into days.
It’s our recovery as rescuers and first responders that is the most difficult, we keep to ourselves.
We all need to be rescued at some point.
My prayers are with you all.
Dedicated too, and inspired by the Lifeguard’s wife.
The master at rescuing her man’s soul.
To find passion, love and life as to what you’re really good at, is always inspired. And I have been.
Thank you my Angel, I always believed it was true. There were times it took time to really see you. You taught me so much. You stood by me in those days when I was blind. Helped me stand up again and point me in the right direction. I learned how the play again. It’s only you that sees and knows, I’m only a simple boy trapped in a man’s body. And every day in love with you.
I have been blessed in more ways I could ever imagine.
Part 1.
The Resurrection of Deep Sea Ghost
The Lifeguard is a developing story slated for publication in early 2021. Inquires for a short version, pitch deck, are available. Only for legitimate, professional publishers, reputable agents, and established media organizations.
THE LIFEGUARD. (COLD OPEN-SNAP SHOT)
The Lifeguard Station:
Captain of the Lifeguards and water rescue services is always the first in. It’s the same, more or less, every day. Just the way he likes it. The old WWII two story watch station warehouse with big bay windows. It’s an active job with just enough excitement, changes in the weather, same smell in the Lifeguard station, same crap coffee machine that moans, groans, vibrates and leaks likes it’s the last breath with every grind of the beans. The grit of fine sand on the rescue station floor that never goes away no matter how much it’s cleaned. Daily Lifeguard reports printed out, piled up on the desk from the day before from around the Islands, slightly wrinkled, fingerprint smudges and coffee stains.
The mono tone beep of online notifications loading up on the computer screens from the police, rescue services, coast guard, satellite weather live stream and forecast and a steady government paycheck that pays the bills. Its good work, a satisfying public service career.
THE LIFEGUARD (PROFILE):
Dirk Jennings, or “DJ” the nick name that stuck with him for life. Captain of the Lifeguards and Chief of the water rescue services for just over 10 years. Thanks to his best mate from the SAS, the Malta Police Chief Constable, a born and bred Maltese-Brit, that convinced DJ’s wife, this is the job for him. Thinking back it saved his soul from the rat race he was locked into.
The past is the past. A former Life Guard on the South Coast of England, Royal Marine, a decorated SAS officer with 8 years of service, wounded three times in action, third time wheel chair bound for almost a year. Rehabilitation, the endless bureaucracy fighting for government benefits, back to university and working a bland boring bank internship to arise as a top International London wealth management- Private Banker, only to be thwarted by the fall out of the financial crises, new bank regulations, private clients with exposed dark backgrounds that used to be papered over by bank compliance officers and rated as VIP customers.
It all capsized. Name brand banks that denied everything blaming their market traders and private bankers for tainted accounts, stock trades and deals the banks approved.
Government bailouts, downsizing, mergers - acquisitions. The aftermath of regulator inquires, lawsuits, criminal investigations, legal fees, license suspensions, their only child that died from some strange staph infection contracted in hospital, another miscarriage and then the depression, alcohol and drugs. Those dark days are over now...
Malta is now fully complaint with EU international banking laws. There might be a few old school money managers that DJ recognizes from the old days that are slow to change. But they’re on the extinction list like the dinosaurs……………… It’s a new world now.
Malta, the beautiful Mediterranean archipelago that has preserved thousands of years of history, architecture, art, traditions, legends and folklore. Tourist hot spot and laid back international business center.
There are three things DJ loves every day; the wife that saved his soul, his best mate Police Chief Ryan that saved his life and his job.
DJ’s best mate Chief Constable Ryan, saved his life several times in combat on clandestine missions in some of the worst and cursed places on earth. The two have to team up again for a Maltese rescue of a different sort. Chief Ryan and a few handpicked trusted Police officers and Lifeguards will learn from DJ and Ryan to operate stealth, under cover and will be forced to work out of the box, at times bending the law and risking their lives as they all band together to confront an evil not of their world trying to establish its self on their shores of the beautiful Mediterranean Archipelago.
THE SON OF A SON OF A SAILOR.
DJ’s pedigree is a fourth generation Seaman, a lineage of Navy, Coast Guard and Merchant Navy.
Most middle aged men will boast about what they did, where they have been, who they know and revel about the good ol’ days gone bye. For DJ it’s all about the comeback story, not the past. And now it’s about quality of life, love, staying fit and doing what he loves to do. Back to the basics, back to his roots.
“A man of the sea I was meant to be and the sea will always be in me”.
The motto of his forefathers, the motto when he was a young Lifeguard in South England and the motto now.
STORY LINE -SNAP SHOT:
DJ’s world that he loves is about to cross paths with his past bye mere chance in the early dawn morning when two bodies wash up on the rugged Maltese coast line. No signs of visible trauma, DJ and Chief Ryan immediately notice the victims are professionally trained up fit, outfitted in military grade open water commando swim kit lite gear, with all the high tech gadgets, GPS, night vision, water proof encrypted radios, cash, pirated sim cards, portable fold out drone, satellite phones, a change of expensive designer casual clothes sealed in plastic with the Royal Yacht Club
emblem.
Later DJ’s Lifeguards find a neoprene bag washed up on a beach with a small sample of something extremely valuable, untraceable that can be deposited in any bank, traded or loaned against.
During the dawn recovery as the police officers scan the coast line for clues in the dawn light, as bodies are being loaded in the ambulance, instinct directs DJ to turn his binoculars away from the water to the plush villa’s on the hill side overlooking the cliffs and pristine clear water where just for second he sees a long nautical telescope looking back at him and the recovery operations and then a shadowy figure folds it up and disappears behind the shadows of the well-manicured garden hedges.
It becomes clear the two victims were dropped off from a passing cargo ship at night.
On closer inspection of the bodies, DJ and Chief Ryan notice a faded tattoo on the inside arm of one of the victims. Later, post autopsy, the tattoo is digitally enhanced; it appears to be the insignia from India- Special Forces. An insignia long forgotten by the two best friends. A past connection to their clandestine Military operations. A link to one of their former key counter intelligence assets that would be better off forgotten.
Questions and clues start unfolding a dark picture…
Why and how did the professional swimmers drown?
Who’s watching them?
Could it be a connection to one of their past brutal counter intelligence sources that was involved in war crimes and profited from conflict in some in some the most god forsaken parts of the world?
Is there a connection to their former Commanding officer that he never disclosed or maybe tried to communicate before his recent death?
Or could it be a clue to one of DJ’s notorious former private banking clients?
Is it all connected?
Why the Island nation of Malta?
The Resurrection of Deep Sea Ghost, as the two best mates call it.
DEALING WITH REAL LIFE EVENTS
LIFEGUARD REALITIES
Climate change, migration, refugees, pollution, pirates, smugglers of every kind, unruly careless tourist of every sort. All real world issues, modern day situations the region has to deal with.
Real rescues that will shock you, surprise you, bring a tear to your eye, and a rare glimpse into the post-traumatic stress syndrome that first responders never talk about and how they deal with it.
Rescues of love. Professionals risking it all. Pushing the limits of their own lives, all in, and those who die trying to save others.
Cold soul rescues. The ones that are being saved will actually try to drown the rescuer out of sheer panic. On multi victim rescues, the Lifeguard has to decide who lives and who gets left behind.
Rescues of the soul; DJ’s recovery, his teams recovery as they lose a few of their own and not every rescue is perfect. Sometimes the new rookies have to learn the hard way.
A matrix of events that will force DJ to search the deepest parts of his soul and resurrect his brutal survival skills from the past using what he learned in the military, the business world, Lifeguard experience, counter intelligence in a new world reshaped by new rules and a new life while leading a professional Lifeguard Team in a Mediterranean paradise with real world issues.
THE TEAM
THE MAKING OF A PROFESSIONAL TEAM AND TEAM LEADERSHIP
DJ leads a team of twenty fulltime, year around Lifeguards for the Island Nation. To qualify for the Nations Sea Rescue teams as a Full Timer, Aka; The (A-Team) has to pass a grueling military style test for fitness, certified rescue swimmer, classes in theory, equipment training, crowd conflict and de-escalation, boat certification, helicopter rescue training, marine environment classes and all of them are certified Paramedics and on the job work experience counts.
The Lifeguard qualification course DJ has created for Malta is famous all over Europe and then some. Other countries, militaries, Police and other international rescue services will pay to send their Lifeguards and rescue staff to pass the course. It’s legendary and you’re part of a legend if you can qualify.
The (A-Team) elite Malta Lifeguards-Rescuers are awarded and the only ones allowed wearing the coveted rescue Poseidon-Trident insignia with the Maltese cross. The entire Island nation knows any man or woman with this insignia on their uniform and kit is the best of the best. And they have to keep fit, gym passes are included, mandatory swimming time, free diving test are all part of the on the drill, on the job. Even the local shops, eateries and taxi services will comp a member of the teams when in uniform (on duty) with the prestigious Maltese Cross Rescue Trident.
During the high season the rescue staff number doubles and more, with part timers (seasonal) and Lifeguard volunteers and Jr. Lifeguards from the water rescue association are recruited as needed during peak season. For the basic qualified part timers, Jr. Life Guard and rescue volunteers, if they hang in there, a season or more, schools and the University education system will give them on the job training work credit towards graduation. If the rookies can survive a full season with DJ’s team, they can put it on their CV (resume) with a stellar letter of recommendation. Every employer knows; if you cut it with DJ and the crew, you’re employable. As a result, there’s no shortage of young people trying out, full time, part time or volunteers. It’s how to keep the top certified Pro’s and experience that counts.
