by K D McNiven
“Let’s hope we catch a break from those blood thirsty fellows,” Dax said. “In our condition, we won’t be much help.”
“It all hinges on whether we can pull the authorities in.” Decker shrugged but was fully in agreement with Dax. Fending off another attack would be challenging. There were other able bodies on board, but neither wanted to risk the lives of the crew.
The skies were painted with a golden hue, brushed with wispy, white horsetail clouds. The seas were calm as the bow of the Sharp Eater split the pristine Caribbean waters at fifteen knots. They were headed towards Eleuthera, where they would veer westward toward Miami. The beautiful weather contrasted sharply with the conditions they had been in when they had come into Cap-Haitien a few days earlier.
India and Karina laughed softly when they saw Decker and Dax approaching. Decker’s arm was propped in a sling, and Dax was hobbling along, leaning on a wooden cane to steady himself. Yet neither of them looked in too bad of shape, considering all that they’d gone though, and as usual, they were upbeat and wore wide smiles.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” said India, her eyes framed with humor.
“What kind of welcome is that?” Dax asked. “You know how to hurt a fellow.”
“Glad to see both of you up and about.”
“We’re glad to be up and around, believe me,” Decker said. “I don’t make a good patient.”
“No, I wouldn’t think you would. Or Dax either for that matter,” India replied.
“I agree,” said Decker. “Wanted to thank you for covering us last night. We might not have gotten out as well as we did if you hadn’t had our backs.”
“You knew we would. So, what now?” India asked, leveling her gaze on Decker.
Decker was expecting retaliation from Chronis, and he didn’t want to be taken off guard when he did. The man was ruthless. There was a hint of a smile on Decker’s lips as he turned enough so that the others saw he had his PX4 Storm Compact Barretta stuffed into his waistband to show the crew he planned on being prepared when the time came.
Though none of them mentioned it, they were all a bit uneasy. Beneath the smiles and fun-loving chatter, there was a cord of tension flowing between them. However, it was best for them to do business as usual and try not to dwell on the likelihood of another attack.
Decker’s cell phone chimed, and he stepped aside to take it. “Dad,” he said. “Good to hear your voice. How are you?”
Callie came up alongside Decker wanting to hear how Garrett was doing as well. With everything that had been going on over the past week, they had not made contact with him.
“Had a bit of an incident,” Garrett informed Decker, almost hesitant to tell him. “We went on a dive and were confronted by two money-grubbers.”
“What does that mean exactly, Dad?”
“Apparently, when Carson and I were at the museum to have the curator look at the coins, one of their employees overheard our conversation. He decided he wanted a chunk of the action, or rather, he wanted all of it. He ambushed us while diving. Cut my regulator hose and slashed my arm. But aside from that, I’m doing fine.”
“Did the police catch them?”
“Yeah. They are locked up for a short while, though the police said they would probably be released before too long until their trial begins.”
“And you worry about me!” Decker admonished.
“Yes, I do. As well as that beautiful wife of yours. How are you both doing?”
That was a loaded question. Decker glanced over at Callie whose mouth was drawn into a
thin line of humor. She shrugged, knowing their mishap would cause more than a little worry for Garrett. At the same time, he needed to know what was happening. And they weren’t out of hot water yet.
Decker related the events that had played out over the past couple of weeks. He could hear his dad’s sharp intake of air and knew that it would create some anxiety in him, but he had to be honest with his father. He owed him that. There would always be mishaps and dangerous turns. His dad knew that. He would never think to tell Decker and Callie to stop what they were doing.
“I’m glad you’re all right.” Garrett was relieved. “Hope you guys can involve the authorities so they can shut down the plant.”
“You and me both, Dad.”
“Well, Son, we’re going to see if there is a land entrance to the underwater lava tube where we found some coins. We believe that the coins are washing down from higher ground. If we can access the cave from the other end, we may find more.
“That’s great.”
“We’ve spent most of our vacation underwater,” Garrett said. “Today will be a nice change. Even if we don’t find anything, Holly will have the chance to see some of the flora and fauna, which she adores.”
“You sound happy, Dad,” Decker said.
“More than you could imagine, Son.”
“Keep me updated.”
“Likewise.”
Decker hung up and squeezed Callie’s shoulder with his free arm. “I know this expedition has not turned out exactly as we’d planned but hopefully this nightmare will come to an end, and we can accomplish what we came for.”
“So long as I’m with you, Decker, it doesn’t matter.” She stood on her toes and kissed him. “We’ll have plenty more opportunities to explore the wreck. I can’t believe how fortunate we are to be a part of this discovery, though. This is like stepping back in time.”
“I know what you mean.” He smiled. “You can almost envision them scampering across the decks, trimming the sails, and scoping the seas from the crow’s nest. I can only imagine what must have gone through their minds when they realized the ship was going to go down.”
Their time of reflection was broken when Lars focused his camera on them. They waved. The camera was in constant use, capturing every aspect of their experience. It was why Lars was so highly regarded and sought out. His work was top quality, and one could say that, photographically, he uncovered treasure of a different nature.
“Beautiful morning,” he greeted them, zooming in on Decker’s face.
“Lars, I think you’ve had one cup of coffee too much,” Decker teased.
Lars laughed. “You think?” He understood what Decker was saying. He had always been excessively hyper and never seemed to stop. Sleep was often elusive as his mind was like a movie reel that didn’t want to shut down. Usually, he didn’t manage to have more than four to five hours a night. It gave him uninterrupted time to view his photos and write, so it was not wasted time. Something he abhorred.
“Aren’t you tired of seeing our faces?” Decker questioned.
“Only when they’re not in water.” His response brought a short burst of laughter.
There was a whirring sound that caught their attention. Their eyes scanned the skyline and at first, did not see anything. It came out of nowhere—a low altitude drone, swooping down, its small rotors beating at the air. Whoever was at the controls brought it to hover over the deck. Caught fully off guard, they stared at it, trying to wrap their minds around why it was there.
The drone swept over the deck, obviously taking video shots. In the back of their mind, they wondered if the drone would drop an explosive, or if it was merely being used to gather Intel. Not knowing its purpose made them apprehensive.
The drone circled, diving downward to zigzag across the deck. It shot upward and back around, nearly crashing into the pilot house but managed to continue surveillance.
Irritation flared up in Decker, and within minutes, when the drone dropped down starboard side to survey more of the ship, he grabbed his gun from his hip and shot off several rounds of ammunition at it. The drone exploded midair, pieces of it falling like sleet onto the deck with a clatter.
“I believe this is a warning from Chronis, and he wants us to know they’re following close behind,” Decker ground out, his eyes reflecting a glowering tenor that some of the crew had not seen before. “I don’t know what they’re g
oing to try and pull off, but we have got to be watchful for anything that looks unusual. Have your guns ready at all times.”
There was a solemn hush over the deck, each one trying to think ahead of their pursuers,
though there was no way of knowing when they would make their move, and how they would execute it. One thing they knew, Chronis had every intention of stopping the crew from exposing what he was doing.
“They will, no doubt, try and stop us before Miami,” Dax concluded.
“Hard to know how to prepare,” Decker said with a deepening scowl.
Callie touched his arm and looked into his eyes. “There is something else bothering you. I can tell.”
He was quiet for a moment, then replied, “That drone looked like a military drone. Why would a manufacturing plant in Haiti have one? And how could they afford to purchase such expensive equipment, not to mention the helicopter?”
“Maybe they stole it,” Dax said.
“Maybe they’re involved in much deeper things than ocean pollution?” Decker suggested.
“Like what?” Dax asked.
“I’m not exactly sure. But I think it would help if we could locate the Rosy Anne and find out exactly what kind of cargo she is carrying.”
Captain Manny leaned forward, his interest pricked. “We are more than a little suspect that the Gabriel is now the Rosy Anne. She launches from Brazil and makes several stops on her way to Miami. If we could catch her unaware—let’s say when she docks in Cuba—we can climb on board at night when the crew is out carousing, and see if we can determine what she’s carrying. Then get out quick.”
They looked at one another to see if they were all in agreement. The crew had signed on to explore a sunken galleon. Not enlist in a dangerous conspiracy that could result in someone losing their life. It was a gamble for sure. If they were not all in agreement, they would need to continue their journey back to Miami.
“They need to be stopped,” Dax agreed with Decker and Captain Manny.
“Well, I’m in,” India said.
Lars shrugged. “You got to do what you got to do,” he said matter-of-factly. “They have no intention of letting us go, that’s clear. We have to do something.”
“Linus?” asked Dax, fixing his gaze on him.
“Yeah, I’m with you on this.”
The rest of the team nodded. They were all aware of the fact that they would be hunted down, and that their best bet was to gain the upper hand, to know what they were dealing with so they could involve the authorities.
“Let’s find out the route that Rosy Anne is on and try and intercept her,” Captain Manny said. “And thank you. You are an amazing crew, and I’m honored to be your captain.”
“Likewise,” Dax said.
If they could locate where Rosy Anne was docked presently and then figure out how many knots she would push, and the route she usually took, then, hopefully, they could pin her down. They would spend time going over the logs and with any luck, they would locate her within a couple of days. Their hope was that they would have the element of surprise on their side. Chronis Manufacturing would think they were still heading for Miami which would buy them time.
CHAPTER 27
Miami, Florida
Lara Drake was horror-struck when she saw the condition of her house. Furniture was knocked over, glass was broken, and there was a hole in the wall. She was stunned that her brother, Dax, had not gotten hold of her and told her what had happened. Fear made its way along her spine, considering that something awful may have happened to him.
She walked through the rest of the house. Except for the living room, everything else seemed to be in place. She had been gone for three weeks to Greece, working for Mediterranean Cruise Lines. As their director, she was responsible for the itinerary, on shore reservations, hiring entertainment and locating culinary options to please every palate on board. Sometimes the responsibilities and demands were overwhelming, but she enjoyed the travel opportunities.
She had not spoken with Dax or even seen him in well over a month. Guilt cropped up in her. If something had happened to him, she would not forgive herself for being so consumed. But then, Dax had not taken the time to call either. He was her only family, she told herself. She needed to be more thoughtful and available.
Before she called him, she decided to sweep up the broken pieces of glass scattered across the floor and put things back into order. She brushed her dark brown hair back from her oval face and secured it with a hair band. Odd that he hadn’t called to let her know what she would be walking into. But then, Dax was deeply involved with his salvaging business, and seldom took the time to include her. Their lives had taken different paths over the years which
had placed a wedge in their relationship.
Thankfully, nothing was broken except the shattered vase and the hole in the wall; everything else looked undisturbed. She grinned as she finished sweeping and dropped the wall chunks into the garbage. Blow-up furniture would be rather difficult to destroy, she mused, and briefly recalled the day she and Dax had purchased the chairs. They’d agreed not to spend much money on the house since they were never there to enjoy it. As she looked around, there was no question in her mind Dax had had a brawl, and it was evident someone had been thrown roughly against the wall.
She pulled her cell phone from her jacket as she went to her bedroom. Pensively, she tapped out Dax’s number, leaning against the door-jam, allowing it to ring multiple times until voicemail came on. “Hey, brother, how are you? I made in home from Greece a short time ago and found the living room trashed. A note of explanation would have been nice. Hope things are going great for you. Call me, please. I need to know if you’re okay.”
Hearing his voice on the recorded message made her miss him. It had been way too long. With a sigh, she placed her cell phone on the nightstand beside her bed and went into the bathroom to wash up.
The hot water on the washcloth felt good on her face. She was tired after the trip and wanted to climb between the cool sheets and sleep. When she removed the washcloth, she screamed. There was a man standing behind her as she stared into the mirror. There was no time to react as his hand clamped over her mouth, an odd smelling handkerchief in his palm. Within seconds, everything around her went black.
CHAPTER 28
Kealakekua Bay
Garrett, Holly, and the rest of the crew planned to go on shore. Their intention was to find an entrance into the lava tube from the eastern slope. Because they had not come prepared for an archaeological treasure hunt, they were forced to purchase more equipment. Shane Pierce would remain on board to monitor surface ocean currents and be available for any emergencies that might arise. Carson would go along with the team.
Everyone was relieved the two men who had attacked them still remained behind bars. At least they would not have to contend with them. They had gotten clearance by the Hawaiian government to go ahead with the expedition, so long as they upheld their promise not to remove any artifacts they might find until the proper permits cleared.
The day was hot and the ten mile an hour breeze did little to alleviate the heat. The palms swayed gently, reminding them of the hula girls they’d seen at the luau one week ago over at the resort. The scenery was alive with color, from the pink Lokelani flowers, prized by the locals for their beauty and fragrance, to the brilliant colored Lehua blossoms sacred to Pele, Hawaii’s volcano goddess.
The crew would be scrambling over vast flows of lava. To prevent injuries, they dressed
suitably, in long-sleeved shirts, jeans, and hiking boots, as well as leather gloves to climb over jagged protrusions that could easily slice through their flesh.
Using the coordinates they’d taken while inside the cave, they marked out their starting point with a small flag and began to scale the rough terrain. The day was hot and humid and coupled with the steep hillside enmeshed with a heavy concentration of vegetation, it made their expedition quite grueling.
Two hours
had gone by without mishap when suddenly Garrett took a wrong step, his foot slipping into a gap hidden under some vines. He stumbled forward, his knee smashing painfully against the stone. Carson offered his hand and pulled Garrett free. His jeans were torn, the sharp spurs acting like scissors on the material, and blood was spattered across his knee. Fortunately, it was nothing more than a nasty abrasion, and there was no need to turn back. Garrett smeared a coating of antibiotic salve over his wound and then motioned for them to continue on.
It was a slow process looking for any sign of an opening in the lava tube. With the layer of vegetation, their vision was obscured. They pushed back on the vines, hoping to catch sight of a dark entry.
Following along the base of a lava formation, which they hoped was the tube, they came to a steep slope covered with dense growth.
“We’ll need to use some of the climbing gear to manage the slope ahead of us,” Carson mentioned, looking up at the sharp incline. They would need something more secure than clinging to the brush to keep them from stumbling backward, so anchoring ropes by way of a grappling hook seemed the most logical procedure.
Carson tied the hook to a strong hemp line and circling it above his head to create momentum, he flung it forward. He smiled when it caught hold of a rock mound.
Garrett glanced over at Holly. “Are you up for this?”
“It looks pretty demanding. But I’ll do my best not to slow you up.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Garrett reassured her, giving her a gentle squeeze. “If it becomes too difficult for you we’ll go back to the Jade and let the others proceed.”
Garrett let Holly go ahead of him in case she might slip. He could easily break her fall if he was right behind her. With a lot of exertion and frequent stops for water, they continued their climb, searching as they went.