by J. T. Cross
Megan pushed the case back. “I’ve got to get you out first. Your plane is sinking.” She grabbed the man’s arm and tried again to pull him out of the cockpit.
The old man pushed the yellow case back in her face. “No, first, save my data!”
She angrily grabbed the case, pulled it out of his hands, and shoved it out onto the water.
She turned her attention back to the man in the cockpit. Once again, she found him reaching for something. “Is anyone else on board?” she asked.
“No, I’m alone. My pills!” he said in a stilted voice.
“Are you crazy? I need to get you out,” she said forcefully. She grabbed him by the front of the shirt and roughly pulled him out of the cockpit.
As she held onto him, she treaded water to keep them on the surface while she looked at him more closely. He appeared to be in pain.
Inches away from her head, a life preserver suddenly splashed into the water. Matt had pulled the boat alongside and thrown the preserver, which was attached to a rope. She grabbed it and shoved it into the old man’s arms. “Hold onto this,” she said.
Matt immediately began pulling the man toward the boat. He looked back at her with a panicked expression. “It’s my heart. My bottle of nitro pills. It’s still on the plane.”
Now she understood his concern about his pills. She turned back to the fuselage, just as the tail disappeared below the surface. She took several deep breaths and dove straight down, struggling to catch up to the sinking wreckage. When it was within reach, she grabbed the top of the cabin and pulled herself inside.
Beginning to feel a little out of breath, she quickly looked around but saw nothing, then glanced up and caught sight of a small bottle floating up against the headliner. She grabbed it, stuck it in her bathing suit top and pulled herself back out of the cabin. She needed air.
She pushed off against the fuselage and began swimming toward the surface. She was surprised, and then alarmed, as she realized just how deep the sinking plane had taken her.
She pushed herself upward with hard kicks and wide swipes of her arms. Above her, she could see the outline of The Gypsy Queen, and not far from it, the man. She really needed air. Just as she felt as if her lungs might burst, she broke through the surface and began taking in deep breaths of fresh air.
She pushed her hair out of her eyes and looked around to get her bearings. She saw Matt tugging at the man’s shirt, trying to help him climb up the ladder that hung over the side of the boat.
She swam over to them and looked into the old man’s half-closed eyes. “How are you doing?”
“I can’t climb the ladder,” he said as he gasped for breath.
For a moment, she wondered if she could help push the man up the ladder. No, she was going to have to get in the boat and help Matt pull him up.
“Just hang onto the ladder,” she said and climbed up into the boat.
Standing next to Matt, she reached over and grabbed one of the man’s wrists as Matt took the other. Together, they slowly pulled him up the side, over the edge, and into the boat where he collapsed onto the deck.
She got on her knees next to him. “How are you doing?”
He looked up. “Did you find my pills?”
“Yes,” she said, reaching into her bathing suit and withdrawing the small bottle. She opened it. “How many do you need?”
“Two.” He reached up, opening his hand.
She shook out two of the small pills and carefully placed them in his hand. She watched him put the pills under his tongue and then lay his head back down. He stared up blankly, as if waiting for something.
“Ah…” he said a few moments later. “They’re helping, but I still need to go to the hospital.”
Matt bent over them. “Why don’t you get a seat cushion for his head, Megan? It’s going to be bumpy on the way in.”
“No!” the old man said in a panicked tone as he tried to raise himself up. “We can’t leave without my equipment. Please…”
Megan’s eyes went wide as she remembered she hadn’t retrieved the man’s case. She got to her feet and looked back out over the water. She spotted the yellow case bobbing up and down, just thirty feet off the starboard side and was surprised to see it was still floating.
“Pull the boat next to it and I’ll grab it,” she said to Matt and then walked to the bow and pulled a grappling hook from its holder.
The diesel engines revved as the boat began to move. She kept her eye on the case as Matt pulled the boat beside it. Reaching out with the long pole, she snagged the yellow case by its handle and pulled it aboard.
She laid the case and pole down on the deck and went back to the old man. “Your equipment is safe.” She laid her hand on his shoulder. “We’ll get you back to the coast as fast as possible. You’re going to be okay,” she said.
He looked up and reached out his hand to her. “By the way, my name is Robert Woodland. It’s nice to meet you. Thanks for saving my life.”
She gently shook his hand.
“I’m Megan O’Brien and the guy at the wheel,” she frowned, “is Matt Turner.”
Woodland smiled up at her. “Before we leave, could you bring over my equipment case?”
She scooted the yellow case next to him as Matt joined them. “Sorry, your stuff is probably soaked,” she said.
Woodland rose up on one elbow. “It’s supposed to be waterproof,” he said, unlatching and opening the case. He looked inside and then took a deep breath and sighed. “I think everything’s okay.”
She quickly glanced inside and saw a laptop and some other electronic equipment. On top of them was a spiral notebook. He quickly closed the lid.
“What were you doing up there, anyway? I saw you fly by at least five times,” she said.
He looked at the case as if in deep thought for several moments, then stared at Megan. “I’ve discovered something incredible out here.”
Matt moved closer. “What did you find?”
The old man shook his head slowly. “I don’t really know. It will take experts to get their hands on it so we can find out. It could be priceless.”
She saw Matt’s eyes go wide.
He bent down closer to the man. “Priceless? What do you mean by priceless? Are we talking about gold?” he asked in a hushed voice.
“I can’t really tell you.”
Matt gave him a knowing look and grinned. “That big of a treasure, huh?”
Woodland blinked, grimaced, and then looked off the side of the boat. “No, it’s not like that at all. What I discovered out there is a violation of the fundamental laws of quantum physics.”
Matt continued to stare intensely at the old man. “What do you think caused it?”
“Don’t know…”
Megan thought the old man looked uncomfortable. “Do you think you could sit on one of the seats at the back if we helped you? It would be more comfortable.”
“I think so,” he mumbled with a faraway look in his eyes.
She and Matt helped him to a seat at the rear of the boat. Matt kneeled at Woodland’s feet and Megan sat next to him.
Woodland rested for a moment then continued, “There’s something out there that is unlike anything we’ve ever encountered.”
“And it’s priceless?” Matt pulled closer to Woodland. “So, if we could locate this thing, and bring it up…”
Megan glanced at Matt and could see by the expression on his face that he was almost intoxicated with the idea of a priceless treasure.
She pushed Matt back. “Oh, my gosh. Would you leave him alone? His heart’s bothering him.”
Matt cast an indignant look her way.
She glared back. “We need to get him back to shore now. Can you please get this boat going?”
He stood. “He looked like he was doing better. I was just asking him a few questions. Didn’t mean to do anything wrong.”
“Well, stop it. Let’s get going.”
He made a face at her.
She stared back angrily as he went back to the wheel and sat down in the captain’s chair.
She watched him push forward on the throttle and felt the powerful diesels come to life as he pulled The Gypsy Queen around in a circle and accelerated back toward the coast.
She turned back to Woodland. “It’s going to take us about an hour and a half to get back.”
“I understand; we’re quite a distance out,” he said and blinked several times. “Could you do something for me?”
“It depends on what it is.”
“Would you promise to take care of my equipment until I get out of the hospital? I want to make sure it stays safe.” He paused for a minute as he looked into her eyes. “I trust you.”
She felt honored. He hardly knew her and yet, he trusted her. “Thank you. Of course, I’ll take care of it.”
“However,” he paused for a moment and took a breath, “if I don’t make it, open the case and follow the instructions in the spiral notebook.”
She frowned. “Don’t talk like that. You’re going to make it.”
He continued staring directly at her. “Can I count on you?”
“Yes. I’ll take care of it until you get out of the hospital.”
He patted her hand. “Thank you.” He laid his head on the back of the seat and closed his eyes.
Megan got up and went below deck. She found her purse and took one of her business cards out of her wallet. Turning over the card, she wrote a quick message on the back.
I’ll take good care of your things. Call me when you’re better. Megan.
She rushed back on deck and over to the old man. Sitting down next to him, she held the card in front of his face. “This is a card with my number. When you’re better, give me a call and you can pick up your things.”
He slowly opened his eyes, looked at the card, and nodded. She slid it into his shirt pocket. She looked up at the clouds. Please let him live, she thought.
Chapter 3
On the way back to the marina, Matt called the Coast Guard and let them know where the plane crash had taken place. He also let them know there had been only one passenger and that he appeared to be having heart problems and would need an ambulance.
As they entered the marina, Matt slowed the boat to a crawl and Megan caught sight of the paramedics waiting on the dock.
She looked over at the old man. His head was still tilted back and his eyes were closed. The fact that he hadn’t said a word for the last half hour caused her more than a little concern.
As they got closer to the dock, she stood and motioned to the paramedics and they began to make their way out along the wooden planking. She felt the boat nudge the dock and Matt jumped out and moored it.
A well-tanned, muscular paramedic climbed on board. “We got a call on a plane crash victim,” he said.
She pointed to the old man. “This is the guy we pulled from the plane. He seems to be having heart problems. About an hour and a half ago, he put two of these pills under his tongue.” She handed the bottle to the paramedic.
“Okay, thanks. We’ll check him out,” the paramedic said as he carried his emergency kit to the stern of the boat. She watched him pull out a stethoscope and begin examining the old man.
She stood off to the side as another paramedic came on board, unpacked a portable device, and attached leads to the old man’s chest. After a few moments, the first paramedic glanced back at her. “We need to get him to the hospital immediately.”
There was a blur of activity as another man rolled a gurney out to the boat and it was brought on deck. Minutes later, she watched them roll the old man off the dock and toward the ambulance. As they loaded the gurney and slammed the back door of the vehicle, it seemed so final. She watched the ambulance pull out of the parking area and rush away with its lights flashing and siren blaring.
Now that the old man was on his way to the hospital, she felt relieved and a sudden rush of fatigue overcame her. She went to the rear of the boat and sat down. She closed her eyes for a few moments and then glanced over at Matt, who was leaning against the captain’s chair and staring at the yellow case.
“It’s been a strange day,” she said.
Matt walked back to where she was sitting. “I’ve seen stranger ones.”
“Do you think he’ll make it?” she asked.
Matt shrugged. “He’s on his way to the hospital. They’ll know what to do for him.”
She glanced at the yellow case. “He was scared to death that something might happen to his equipment. I told him we would take care of it until he gets out of the hospital.”
“He doesn’t even know us.”
“He said he trusted me.”
“Well, you did save him from a sinking plane.”
“Nobody drowns on my watch ever again.” she said sharply.
Swallowing hard, she stood and went forward and then down into the cabin. She put on her jeans and shirt and grabbed her purse. When she came back up, she saw that Matt had opened the yellow case and was rifling through its contents.
“Oh my God! Matt, what are you doing? The poor man hasn’t been gone for more than five minutes and you’re already getting into his stuff.”
He gave her an annoyed look. “I’m not going to take anything. I was just wondering what was in here that was so damn valuable. Here, read this,” he said, handing her a spiral notebook he’d opened to what appeared to be two quickly scrawled notes.
She began reading.
To Whom It May Concern,
Please return the contents of this suitcase to The Laboratory for the Study of Anomalous Physics at the University of Arizona. The bearer of this note will be given a $5,000 reward from Annie Woodland upon presentation of this case and all its contents to Dr. Dane Withrow.
Robert Woodland
Dane,
Below the location noted, I have found proof that more than human emotion and intention can change the RNG’s. If I don’t make it, follow up on this. Please! This will clear my reputation.
Robert
After reading the notes, she felt guilty, as if she had violated the old man’s privacy. They didn’t even know his condition yet. She threw the notebook on top of the laptop, pulled the case away from Matt, and slammed the top shut.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m honoring my promise to Robert.”
Putting the case under one arm, she climbed up on the side of the boat, jumped down, and began walking quickly toward the gangway. Rushing up the gangway and onto the cement walkway, she passed by the small guard shack that stood between the parking lot and the docks. Charlie the guard waved at her as she passed by.
She waved back and hurried across the parking lot toward several bungalows, one of which Matt had been on the verge of losing until an influx of cash from her research grant had begun paying the lease. Their bungalow was closest to the docks and overlooked the marina area. She picked up her pace, as she got closer to the small building.
She hurriedly climbed the stairs to a wooden landing and unlocked the front door. She walked a few feet down the main hallway and into her office as she heard the door slam behind her. She quickly closed and locked her office door. Pushing aside some papers, she set the case on her desk. A moment later, she heard knocking.
“Megan! Open up. Let’s talk about this.”
“When Robert gets out of the hospital, he can decide if he wants you to see what’s inside his case.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. He might not even live to reach the hospital.”
Her eyes grew wide. “I can’t believe you said that.”
He knocked on the door again. She ignored it.
“You might want to get on my good side, Megan. You owe me $400 for diesel fuel, or did you forget?”
She could just imagine the pompous look on his face. “That’s a low blow, even for you, Matt. If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t still have the bungalow. I’ll get you the money as soon as my loan goes through.�
�� She was almost close to tears.
“Come on, Megan, you need me.”
“Yeah, like I need the bird flu. Now fly away.”
She waited for several moments and then heard the bungalow door slam. Good. He left, she thought.
She looked around the room. Against the wall to her right was her armoire. It did have a lock. She opened the door. Several stacks of Archaeology Today magazines were jammed onto the top shelf. She pulled them out and stacked them on the floor.
She picked up the yellow case from her desk and sat it in their place. Perfect, she thought as she shut the door. She pulled her keys out of her purse and locked the armoire. Good, that should keep it safe until Robert came to pick it up.
She unlocked her office door and looked out. The hallway was empty so she quickly left the building and locked the door. As she walked out to her car, she suddenly remembered the two sacks of pottery sherds they had left behind after the plane crash. She’d have to wait until Matt calmed down and hopefully find them on the next trip out.
In the parking lot, she climbed in her car and started the engine. She drove out of the lot, turned onto Ocean View, and was soon leaving the harbor area and heading toward her condo. As she drove, she wondered about the old man. Was he a bit addled, or had he really made an earth-shaking discovery?
Beneath the Deep
is available at Amazon Kindle:
Beneath the Deep
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About the Author
One of J.T. Cross’s favorite things to do is to sit in his truck at a nearby lake with his laptop, working on his next novel. He also composes and records music, and enjoys building custom cabinetry.