“No ... no you will not. But before you go back to New Orleans, there is something I would like to show you. Something that I imagine you would love to see. It may even make you want to stay.”
Jean gave a polite nod but clearly had no desire to stay with the Black Sun, no matter what he was going to be shown. He didn't know much about them but he knew more than enough to have made up his mind. He knew a bad group of people when he saw them and the Order of the Black Sun were clearly bad people. Good people didn't lock up other people in dirty dungeons as hostages.
As terrifying as the book of shadows was when he found out, he wished that he could look at its pages right now. With that knowledge, he could probably bust out of this place and get home all on his own. At this point, he would read from even its most disturbing of pages if it meant being a free man again.
Julian turned back around before he left. “Again, I apologize for this mess. I hope to resolve it as soon as we can, and when you see what I have to show you, I think we can put all of this behind us.”
Jean gave another curt nod, but again, it meant nothing.
He just wanted to get out and get back home. Like Julian said, Jean wanted nothing more than to put all of this behind him.
4
CHAPTER FOUR – THE CHALLENGER
There were very few ways to reach the deepest parts of the ocean. You couldn't just strap on some scuba diving equipment, tie some rocks to your feet, and sink all the way down. The pressure at those depths would crush all of the bones in the human body. Even most submarines weren't built to withstand the environment that far down. Getting down there was going to be more of a challenge than Purdue's usual destinations, that much was for certain.
Luckily, now that Purdue had so much money again after his treasure hunt, he could afford a vehicle that could reach those dark depths. Now he just needed to make his pitch to actually be able to use it.
The Deepsea Challenger was designed to traverse the deepest parts of the ocean. It could go farther down than any other submersible, and had already made a couple of dives down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. It would be the perfect vessel to help them find Admiral Ogden's secret treasure that he dropped to the very bottom of the sea. Unfortunately, it was being stored in California, in the United States for repairs and had been stored there for years. They would have to convince the engineers in charge of it to let them rent it out, and if that didn't work ... well, the crew Purdue was working with had experience in stealing.
It wasn't difficult to track down the Deepsea Challenger's location but actually getting it was going to be the real struggle. The money Purdue had was enough to at least set up an appointment to speak with the people in charge of the submersible's storage and maintenance.
“I'm Dr. Volpe.” A petite, dark haired woman greeted Purdue as he entered the facility with Sam and Aya. “It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Paige.”
Paige was the best alias Purdue could think up when he was scheduling the meeting. He couldn't just toss around his real name. The rest of the world still needed to think that David Purdue was dead. He couldn't risk news of his survival getting out just yet, if ever. It was essential that the Order of the Black Sun thought they had finished him off for good.
He wished he hadn't used his real name when dealing with the Wharf Man but he doubted that crime boss was going to start shouting out his name to the world. He was the kind of criminal that preferred holding on to any knowledge he had for himself. He wasn't the kind of person that liked to share. Hell, he tried to have Purdue killed to avoid having to share the treasure they had found.
“So you are looking to see the Challenger for yourself?” Dr. Volpe asked. “I'm afraid it's not quite as impressive on dry land as it is in the water. We have plenty of footage from previous dives that could show you just what it can really do.”
Purdue decided to just lay the cards out on the table and stop beating around the bush. “I would appreciate seeing it but we're not here to just look at it. I would like a first-hand demonstration of what it can do down at the bottom of the ocean.”
Dr. Volpe looked like she wasn't sure if he was kidding or not but her expression quickly shifted to confusion and bewilderment. “I'm sorry but there must be some kind of misunderstanding here. The Deepsea Challenger is not operational at the moment. It has no scheduled dives, and may never even complete any dives at all ever again. For the moment, it's under something of a retirement.”
“That would be a shame. A terrible waste even,” Purdue argued. “Why let it sit around and collect dust when it could go on another voyage. Are you saying it doesn't work? I thought this place was supposed to be keeping it from falling apart.”
“It would work just fine,” Dr. Volpe said defensively. “But, Mr. Paige, this isn't a matter of wanting to see it make a dive. It's a matter of legality, taking proper procedures, and setting up a dive through proper channels. This … what you're doing here … is not how we have ever set up a dive. This isn't a car that you can just walk in and rent if you have the proper identification. This vessel has gone to the deepest parts of the world.”
“A matter of legality?” Purdue asked. “Nonsense. We both know everything and anything is simply a matter of money.” It felt good to be able to flex his financial muscles again. He was so happy to have found that pirate's treasure. “And I have plenty of it. Plenty that I'm willing to spend just for the chance to have the Deepsea Challenger see some action again.”
“You are making it sound so easy,” Dr. Volpe groaned. “It's really not. I'm sorry, but this isn't up for discussion and it's not a negotiation. I am in charge of the vessel. The Deepsea Challenger is my responsibility. This is my decision and my decision is no. Good day, Mr. Paige. I hope you find something else to spend all of your money on.”
Dr. Volpe turned to leave and Aya nudged Purdue, like she was asking if she should have her crew get to work at trying to steal the submersible. Purdue wasn't ready to go to such extremes yet. He had spent his whole life flaunting his fortune around and having that kind of money always unlocked a locked door. There was always a price that something could be bought for. He'd spent so much time without money, that he was just a bit rusty, that was all. He had forgotten how to use it as the perfect negotiation tool.
“Name your price,” Purdue called after her. “Any price. We will accommodate it. You can use it however you wish. Maybe even to upgrade this facility of yours. I will even pay for any repairs needed after the dive.”
Dr. Volpe turned around and put her hands on her waist. “You're talking like the dive is a sure thing. It's not. And there is no price that will get me to let some stranger take the Challenger back into the water!”
“We're looking for something!” Sam blurted out, catching everyone in the room off guard. “Something that could change how the entire world looks at the ocean. I'm sure you have spent years studying the ocean, haven't you, Dr. Volpe? Well we are looking for something that could put all of those years of hard work to shame. You could help us find it. To make a real discovery. Isn't that what this is all about? This whole place … the Deepsea Challenger … finding out what's down there in the deepest waters?”
Dr. Volpe listened intently and her entire posture relaxed a little. She didn't look as defiant and adamant as she had only moments before. It was like Sam's argument was really reaching her, finding something in her that could be convinced—her thirst for knowledge about the sea.
Purdue was surprised by Sam's passionate statement. After all, Sam still didn't fully support this quest and he didn't fully believe that there even was any sort of treasure down there at the bottom of the ocean. Yet here he was, throwing his full support behind it like it was the one thing in the world he believed in.
Sam continued, with that same fire. “That's what we're going to be doing, doctor. We're going to be unlocking things about the ocean that no one thought was even possible. Do you want to be remembered? This is what you would be remembered for.
We need your help. We need the Deepsea Challenger.”
Dr. Volpe looked from Sam to Purdue and he could see that she was really thinking about it. Money wasn't the way to get her to have a change of heart. She obviously responded to the possibility of scientific discovery far more than she did to any sort of bribe.
She folded her arms, but she had clearly conceded a little. “Tell me more about it then.”
As she offered them a place to continue their discussion, Sam muttered to Purdue, “You owe me for this. I'll feel real guilty if we ruin this woman's life over something that might not even exist.”
“It's real,” Purdue replied. “Just trust me on this one. It has to be.”
They sat down in her office and Purdue recounted the journey they had taken to find Admiral Ogden's gold. He told her about the logbook he found among all of the coins and treasures they found, and what that logbook said about the pirate's real most valuable treasure. He made sure that the story was thorough and she understood how important this was to all of them. The only detail he left out was his real name.
Dr. Volpe sat there and took in everything she was being told. There were a few times when she pursed her lips and looked like she had a question but held off. She let them explain everything before she interrupted with any thoughts of her own. When she did, she still seemed unsure about all of it but kept her voice calm. “So you are telling me that you're taking the word of some journal from three hundred years ago. And what this pirate said … this treasure could control the ocean. What does that mean?”
“I imagine it's exactly as it sounds,” Purdue said. “At least I hope it is. Creating tidal waves with a thought would certainly be something, wouldn't it?”
“You realize this sounds insane.”
“We're aware,” Sam said honestly. Despite his impassioned speech, he was on a very similar train of thought as Dr. Volpe was. “But...” Sam glanced at Purdue. “But what if it isn't? Shouldn't we at least find out? Isn't that the only way you people of science find out the truth? To perform an experiment, to do a case study, anything?”
“For some things, yes, but you're talking about taking the Challenger down to the bottom of the ocean without any sort of sanctions or approvals from the people in charge of it.”
“Aren't you in charge of it?” Aya asked.
“On a basic level,” Dr. Volpe said. “But I still answer to someone.”
“They won't need to know about it,” Purdue argued. “We'll just take it for a quick spin and have it back home by the end of the day. It'll be like it never happened.”
Dr. Volpe shook her head. “Or something will go wrong, the Challenger will sink to the bottom of the ocean, you will have cost us millions of dollars, and I will lose my job. That's just as possible. Why should I risk that?”
“Two reasons,” Purdue said. “To find out the truth and because I will pay you an absurd amount of money to let it happen. Your crew you have here in this facility will also be compensated, of course, and once it's done, no matter what we find, we can all go back to life as normal but you'll be a hell of a lot richer than you are now. Doesn't sound bad, aye?”
Dr. Volpe clicked her pen nervously. She was mulling it over but it was understandably a hard decision to make. It could destroy her whole career ... but if it was successful and they really did find something that could control the sea, then it could launch her career into a whole new stratosphere. She could help pioneer a brand-new era for hydrology.
“Fine.” They were all stunned to hear the word leave the scientist's mouth. “It will cost you a lot of money, but fine. At least if this all goes wrong and I lose my job, I'll have your money to fall back on.”
Purdue grinned. “It will be more than enough money to help you through any losses we'll face. No matter what happens, your life and the life of your workers will change for the better today.”
Dr. Volpe held out her hand to seal the deal. “Whatever price I name. You'll pay it.”
The pirate gold he found had its limits, but he hoped those limits were higher than any price she would name. “Twenty million dollars for me. And at least five million to each and every member of my team.”
“Only a quarter of your cut?” Sam asked with some surprise. Maybe the doctor was a bit less moral than she had been trying to seem.
“I'm the one in charge,” Dr. Volpe said, a bit embarrassed. “If this all goes wrong, it'll be my head much more than it will be theirs.”
“Fair enough,” Purdue said and took her hand, shaking it. “We have a deal.”
“This isn't going to be simple. The Deepsea Challenger is an amazing craft but there's still a great deal of risk involved.”
“I know all about risks when it comes to finding things,” Purdue said.
“Good, very good,” Dr. Volpe said, looking exasperated and a bit surprised by her own actions. She knew she was doing something wrong, but sometimes the best decisions were ones that were frowned upon by others. She hadn't expected the possibility of her life being changed when she came into work that day. Now, she was going to make millions of dollars and might even receive a prize for the discovery she was helping to make. “So ... want to see the Challenger then?”
The Deepsea Challenger was waiting in a hangar by the docks. It wasn't an enormous piece of equipment. Purdue was hoping it would be a bit bigger, more akin to a full-fledged submarine than a little box. It was slim and yellow-green and from the diagrams, it looked like the ship stood taller than wide once it reached the ocean floor. It was more of a tube than it was any sort of real vessel.
The rest of Aya's remaining crew came to see the Deepsea Challenger for themselves. They followed the scientists like a pack of tourists, listening to whatever was said as best as they could. They couldn't afford to miss something that would cost them everything.
Dr. Volpe's engineers took some convincing to join in on the plan, but their lead scientist was able to win them over once she told them how much money they would be getting. All it took for them to make millions was to allow the Challenger to go on just one unsanctioned voyage. Something could go wrong, of course, but they were confident enough in the work they had done on the craft that they were certain it wouldn't be destroyed or lost down at the ocean's floor.
Dr. Volpe and her team stood in front of the submersible and explained more of the specifics about its capabilities. It sounded complicated but nothing that they couldn't handle. Once they got past all the scientific mumbo jumbo, it sounded like most pieces of equipment Purdue had driven and controlled before.
“It can get down to those depths within a couple of hours at top speed and can rise back to the surface just as fast. In this case, it's more about the destination than the journey. Once your down there ... that's when the Challenger really shines ... sitting still on the ocean floor, scanning and surveying down there. However, I hope you're not all expecting to go down there. The Challenger is built for one pilot, so which one of you will be controlling the craft?”
Obviously, Purdue thought. It didn't look like it was big enough to hold much more than one person inside. The whole crew turned to Purdue. He was the obvious choice since this whole expedition was his idea. He wasn't thrilled though that he would be completely and utterly alone down there in the dark. He would be miles from air and there would be nothing but a slim metal membrane between him and drowning.
He must have looked as worried about it as he felt because Sam gave him a pat on the back. “Still want to put on your goggles and snorkel? Or are you coming around to the fact that this seems like a baffling, ridiculous idea?”
“I'm sure I'll be fine.” Purdue looked at the engineer. “I'll be fine, aye?”
“Most likely.” That wasn't very comforting. The engineer continued. “There are no guarantees with the sea. If it makes you feel any better, you wouldn't be the first civilian to pilot the Deepsea Challenger. Some years ago, James Cameron took it down to the bottom of the trench by himself ... doing research for one o
f those science fictions films of his. Avatar I believe.”
That did put Purdue a little at ease. If some big-time filmmaker could do it, there was no reason Purdue couldn't. Sure, he wouldn't get an Academy Award for his efforts but hopefully his prize would be even better than that.
Purdue spent the next several days learning the ins and outs of the Deepsea Challenger from Dr. Volpe and her team of engineers. It was a whole lot to take in, but he did his best to try and keep track of everything they were telling him. It was more intense than any sort of crash course he had ever done before, but there was lot on the line, so it was worth the struggle.
Most of all, he wanted to make sure he knew how to work it so he didn't die. If he pressed the wrong button, he could fill the Challenger with sea water and drown. If he couldn't control it correctly, he might accidentally damage it and sink it to the bottom of the sea. He might accidentally cut off his own air supply. There were a lot of factors and a lot of potential mistakes for him to make. He hoped that he would be able to perform the right tasks when the time came.
“You all seem to have a much better handle on this beauty than I ever could. Are you sure none of you want to pilot it?” Purdue asked the team of engineers. “That would make things a lot easier, eh?”
They all looked at him like he was insane. One spoke up. “That would require a whole lot of paperwork and a huge risk to all of us for something that we don't even know exists. We're already breaking all kinds of rules and laws by letting this even happen, we're not going to risk our lives too.”
“Aye,” Purdue said with a nod. “That makes sense. What about if I doubled what I was willing to pay?”
They all laughed and walked away. There wouldn't be any convincing them to hop into that submersible and go to the bottom of the sea. This was his crazy idea and he was going to be the one risking his life to see it through. He had to admit that it was fair enough. If anyone was going to be stuck at the ocean floor, it was going to be the one who was mad enough to want to go down there in the first place. Money couldn't get him out of this one. It had already helped give him what he wanted. Now he just had to execute the plan.
Order of the Black Sun Box Set 10 Page 4