Brent: Military Heroes (The One I Want Series Book 2)
Page 7
“Slow down a little before the coordinates. There’s no reason to stop, but we’ll want to be going no more than five knots when we deploy. For the scan, I’d prefer to keep it about three knots. Let us know as we get close.”
“What’s the depth?” Donald headed aft and squatted down beside Brent to double-check his prep of the equipment.
“Pretty shallow, actually,” she replied. “About forty feet, range of thirty to sixty.”
“Not too shabby.” Brent peered out at the calm sea. Crystal blue skies capped them from above with only a light smattering of wispy clouds. “The San Jose was found in less than thirty feet. It would be nice if that’s what we got to dive in, but I’ll take forty to sixty over eighty plus. It’ll make recovery that much easier and give us longer time on the dives.”
Brie understood. Deeper dives necessitated shorter dive times and longer surface intervals. At thirty feet, each dive could extend well over an hour without going into decompression. At eighty feet, they would have less than twenty minutes at depth and would push the dive tables. Not that Brent and Donald weren’t experienced in decompression dives, she was too, it was rather that they were more complicated and would lengthen surface intervals and decrease the total number of dives a day.
Since the men had everything under control, she headed to the bridge to do what she’d been hired on to do. All the fun treasure hunting stuff would be done by them. Towing the side-scan array along a tedious grid would require all her attention for the next couple of hours.
At the coordinates, she signaled Brent and slowed down. A few minutes later, Brent and Donald joined her on the bridge. As she stared forward, and tracked her progress along the grid lines Brent set out, the two men hunkered around a display. She glanced over from time to time, but her focus had to be on hitting her heading dead on. After heading a mile straight out, she executed a tight turn and headed back the way they’d come. Each turn covered a hundred-yard swath, and with each pass more of the ocean floor revealed itself to the eager treasure hunters.
“What’s that?” Donald’s shout had her turning to see what the scan revealed.
“Looks like rock.” Brent peered forward and pointed at a smudge on the screen.
“Could be more.”
“I don’t know. There’s a lot of rock scattered in this area.” Brent rubbed at the back of his neck. “It’s going to make it difficult to see anything.”
The map of the seafloor grew more detailed as the day went on. A soft rolling landscape of sand and loose rock revealed itself beneath the waves. There was nothing that looked like a ship, although it would have been ripped apart over the centuries as wind, waves, and the tides broke it apart and spread it out. Needle in a haystack came to mind, but Brent didn’t share her doubts.
“There!” Brent’s shout had her turning again.
“What?” Donald spun around and leaned toward the screen.
“Look at this.”
Brie turned, captivated by the eagerness in his voice. A long narrow structure revealed itself as they ponderously cut through the waves.
“That could be a spar.”
“If so… ” Donald thumped Brent on the back. “This could be it.”
“Could be. We’ll need to finish this pass and come back to map it all out.” Brent rubbed at his chin. “I wonder if all this rock we’re seeing littered along the sand could be ballast stones.”
“If that’s so, shouldn’t we stop now and take a look.”
Brent gave a nod, but then paused and reconsidered. “We have the coordinates and can come back to it. The area we’re searching is huge. I’d rather have a good map before we start looking for real, but damn that looks promising.”
“What do you see?” She stepped back from the wheel and tried to peek over their shoulders.
Their enthusiasm was infectious, but she didn’t understand what would get them excited about a long blip on the sea floor. She couldn’t move from her post, her path needed to be spot on, but she leaned as close as she could.
“This…” Brent traced the thick line. “It could be a keel. If we see spars, this could be it.”
“I don’t see any spars.” She peered across the room, but didn’t see anything that looked like the ribs that would extend from the keel to make up the hull of a boat. “And wouldn’t they have disintegrated by now?”
“Yes and no. Actually, if they’ve been buried, there’s not much aerobic activity. No oxygen beneath the sand slows down decomposition. Did you know fishermen are still finding hundred-year-old canoes all around here? Every time a hurricane blows through, the Coast Guard gets reports of unusual structures on the bottom of the ocean. There’s tons of history buried around here. The keel is much bigger than a canoe and much more likely to have withstood decomposition. The spars are smaller. If they weren’t kicked around and spread out from the site of the wreck, they are more susceptible, but this wreck has been buried for centuries. It’s highly likely it’s relatively intact.”
“And that’s how you’ll know?” She tried to keep the skepticism from her voice, but that was hard.
“This is enough to mark and come back to. Now, if we find signs of a cannon—those were made out of bronze and are virtually indestructible—then we’ll know for sure. The debris field can still be miles long. This isn’t going to be a quick and easy find. It’s why I hired you until the job was done. Two weeks is merely an estimate, but if we find something, we’ll stay out upwards of a month, or until our stores run low and we need to resupply.”
Donald winked. “You think you’ll get tired of us, hun?”
Her shoulders lifted and she had to fight to keep her expression calm. Every time Donald called her hun she couldn’t help but cringe.
“Brent warned me about the time commitment. Hopefully though, you’ll find something soon.”
“Bam!” Brent’s shout had her jumping.
“What’s wrong?”
“Not what’s wrong.” He crossed the distance and gripped her arms. Before she knew what was happening he planted a fat kiss on her lips.
“Well, I’ll be damned.” Donald leaned back as Brent gave her a swoon worthy kiss.
Her entire world shifted and the deck beneath her feet swayed a little more than it had seconds before. Brent hadn’t just kissed her. He laid one on her, dipping her back over his arm in a kiss meant for the big screen. When she came up for air, Donald wasn’t staring at her like she thought he would. All his attention focused on the screen.
“Is that what I think it is?” His finger pointed to a long cylindrical shape that looked suspiciously like a cannon.
“Hell yeah.” Brent released her and returned to the screen. He traced out the very detailed representation of a cannon. “I bet that’s her.” He turned to Brie. “You want an X to mark the spot. That is one hell of an X. Combined with the keel of the ship…” He pulled Donald into a hug. “All we have to do is move some sand, find proof of the ship’s name, maybe a coin or two—”
“An ingot or bar of gold.” Donald completed Brent’s sentence.
Brent thumped his friend on the back. “And we’re fucking rich!”
Donald’s gaze shifted to her and his lids narrowed. He gave her a long-measured look then turned back to Brent. “Looks like you got the girl, again.”
Brent thumped Donald’s back. “Yeah, about that…”
Chapter 10
Brent
Kissing Brie may not have been the best way to break the news to Donald, but Brent hadn’t been able to contain his excitement. Finding not only a keel, but a cannon as well, validated years of painstaking research and financial investment.
His family thought he was crazy investing in this venture, but he’d always known he would find this ship. As for Donald, he may be sweet on Brie, but his friend wasn’t the kind of guy to get serious about a girl.
“Guess I should say congrats.” Donald kept his voice down, unusual for his brash friend, but Brent understood.
“How long have you two been a thing?”
Brent pulled at his chin and peered at the results of the side-scan radar. “I guess you could say from the moment I saw her. I should’ve said something sooner, but Brie wasn’t comfortable with it.” He kept his voice low as well.
“Love at first sight?” Donald glanced at Brie. “Are you kidding me?”
“It sounds corny, doesn’t it?”
It wasn’t clear if Brie heard them, but he sensed she knew they were talking about her. All of her concentration was focused on her job. In a few minutes, they would be making another tight turn.
“No skin off my back. I’m used to you getting the girl.” Donald jabbed at the screen. “How cool is this? On the same day we find our sunken treasure, I find out my best friend has found his match. I’d say it’s a pretty fucking cool day. All the stars aligned and shit like that.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that. Now, all we need to do is establish origin and pull something up. I can’t wait to see what she was carrying.”
The boat leaned starboard as Brie executed a tight turn.
“We have about five more passes before the grid is complete,” she said. “Are we headed back to that cannon?” Her voice might be light, but tension threaded through her words. She shot a worried glance at the back of Donald’s head and her lips tightened.
Brent walked over and wrapped his arm around her waist. He kissed her temple. “Sorry about the kiss. Donald’s cool with it, if that helps.”
“Is that what you two were talking about?”
“Yeah, not so subtle, were we?”
“Considering it’s the first time you two have whispered all day, yeah.”
“Are you okay with it?” Not that it mattered. The cat was literally out of the bag. “Forgive me for that kiss.”
“It’s hard to be mad at you for anything, but a little warning next time might be nice.” The tight lines on her forehead smoothed out. She placed a hand on his chest, letting her fingers explore. “I’m still not comfortable with…you know.”
“Hey, you lovebirds need a moment?” Donald joined them at the helm. “I can finish the scans if you want to head below.”
Her lips pressed together and she glanced away. He understood. Brie seemed to be a private individual and he had to respect that.
“You don’t need to worry about us.” He grabbed her hand and kissed the back of her knuckles.
“Well, still, if you want a break I can take over for a bit.” Donald’s eagerness to drive confused Brent. While Donald did his fair share of the work, he rarely went above and beyond.
Brie shook her head. “I’ve got this. You two need to focus on what that scan reveals. I’ve got a few more passes before this grid is mapped out, unless you want to scrap that and focus on where that cannon is?”
Brent thought about it for a minute, gauging the sun’s position overhead. Just past noon. If they stopped now, they could get in a couple of dives before calling it quits for the day.
“What do you think?” He turned to Donald, letting him weigh in.
“You’re the boss. I say let Brie finish. That way we won’t have to repeat it. We can make sure our gear is ready and go over our dive plan.” Donald patted his gut. “And maybe grab a bite? I can whip up burgers if anyone is hungry?”
“Burgers sound great.” His stomach rumbled in response. “What about you, Brie? You hungry?”
She gave a nod. “Actually, that would be great, Donald. I skipped breakfast and could use something. Just don’t let my burger bleed, please? No mooing allowed.”
“Ha-ha,” Donald flashed a grin. “Two non-mooing burgers coming up. Singles or double?”
“Single for me,” she said.
“I’ll take a double, and I’ll fry up some bacon while you’re grilling.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Donald left the bridge and headed below.
Brent came to stand behind Brie and wrapped his hands around her waist. “I really am sorry about that kiss.” He nuzzled the side of her neck and fluttered light kisses from the angle of her jaw all the way to the tip of her shoulder.
She gave a tiny shiver. “Stop that.”
“I don’t want to.”
“What about Donald?”
“You don’t have to worry about him. He thinks it’s great, and it’s just a kiss.”
“Just a kiss often turns into something more.” She gripped his wrist and stopped the upward exploration he intended. “No groping allowed.”
“What about kisses?”
“Depends.”
“It’s going to be challenging keeping my hands off you. You realize that, don’t you?”
“Anticipation is the best reward.” She removed his hands from around her waist. “Now, go fry up some bacon and help him with lunch. This is boring work up here.”
“I can make it more interesting.” He ran his hand up her back, tickling her as he went.
“Stop that!”
“It’s fun to see you squirm.”
“Brent! I’m serious. Stop distracting me and let me do my job.”
“I want you to do me.”
She slapped his hand and pushed him back. “Men are incorrigible. You know that?”
“I’d say we’re relentless when we see something we want. I want you, Brie. I’m glad we don’t have to hide it anymore, but I’m giving you fair warning.”
“What’s that?”
“Didn’t you hear me? I want you, and I’m not just talking about sex. I want more.”
“Not while Donald is around.” She twisted her fingers together, but the flush on her cheeks told him she wanted the same.
He didn’t think she understood. If she had, there would be an entirely different expression on her face. Once this trip ended, he planned on keeping Brie around for all the days that followed. He felt it in his gut, in the beating of his heart, and in the way she made the blood race in his veins.
“I hear you. No funny business while Donald is here, but that doesn’t mean I can’t touch you, or kiss you, or…”
“There is no ‘or’ Brent.”
He backed away and lifted his hands up into the air. Wiggling his fingers, he lifted his brows, teasing her. “When you’re ready, you’ll have to beg me to take you down below. But fair warning, Miss Brie Hamilton, you will want to and you will beg.”
“As long as Donald is here, I don’t see that happening. And I don’t think I’ll be the one begging.”
He wiggled his fingers again. “Never underestimate a determined man, especially when he’s got his eye on the prize.”
“Never underestimate a determined woman when she’s trying to make a point.” She shook her finger at him. “Now go. I like my bacon extra crispy, by the way.”
He allowed Brie to shoo him off the bridge and headed down to the galley. When he arrived, Donald had a stack of burger patties on a plate with a pile of buns and cheese slices.
“Hey.” He stepped back to let Donald out of the small galley.
“You gonna make bacon?”
“Thought about it.”
“Cool, save the grease, will ya’.”
“Why?”
“It’s great for cooking and I need a fresh supply of bacon grease. The stuff I had before is rancid. Just put it in that cup.” He used his elbow to point to a metal cup sitting beside the tiny stove. “Can you believe we found her?” Donald referred to the shipwreck, not Brie. “Do you think you can locate others?”
“Finding this one was hard enough, but who knows what time and effort will bring. Honestly, I doubt it, but we can always decide about that later.”
“Have you and Brie…” Donald made a crude sound and pumped his hips in and out. The way he switched topics gave Brent pause.
“Be cool okay? Brie’s not that kind of girl. We’re not having sex, not that it’s a
ny of your business.”
“No problem, just wanted to know if I needed to move my bunk for the duration to give you two a little more privacy. Just trying to be polite. No need to get defensive.”
“I wasn’t being defensive.” Although, he would do whatever it took to protect Brie.
While he would love if Brie moved into his cabin, she wouldn’t, at least not now, and definitely if she knew Donald relocated so they could have sex. If Donald could chill a bit and stop acting like an ass, Brent may have a chance with Brie. For now, he resolved to remain sexually frustrated for the duration. Things were far too new for him to be pushing things with Brie.
“No need to move your bunk. Brie’s not moving in with me. Like I said, she’s not that kind of girl.”
“Cool. Just putting it out there… yanno, thinking of you, dude.”
“Just cook our burgers, and make sure they’re not bleeding when you’re done.” He tried to lighten things with a laugh, but it came out forced.
“On it. When you’re done, let’s go over our dive plan. When do you think we’ll be in the water?”
“The way things are going, Brie should be done with the grid in less than an hour. That gives us time to eat and set our plan. I’d say, no later than two. We’ll for sure get in a couple of dives, maybe three before the sun sets.”
“You said Brie dives, too?”
“She does. Her certification is advanced open water, but she’s not tech trained.”
“You going to show her how to use the lift bags?” Donald asked. “It would be great to have a third to help out.”
“I was going to ask you first. How about we see how she handles herself underwater before asking her to help with the heavy lifting.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Donald headed up while Brent crisped the bacon. There would be a lot to teach Brie, but he was happy to hear Donald thought she could be an asset to their team. Having her help would allow both him and Donald to take breaks during the day. It was better to only have to dive four times than five or more.
Thinking about teaching Brie about his passion put a smile on his face. He couldn’t wait to share everything with her, and looked forward to the next few weeks.