by Stieve Adams
guys? And what would happen to Valerie and Boy if I tried to put myself on the cross. By the way, I was convinced that Valerie and Boy would somehow get rid of their guard. With the experience I received from them in the last few days, it was only a matter of time before they alerted the cavalry and organized a rescue expedition.
This was what quickly flown through my brain and further enhanced my self-esteem. At the same time, I heard a muted joint laugh from gentlemen around the table.
"You have, mafia, ha, ha. As you understand, we have our business in another part of the world. If you do not know who we are, then we have no reason to eliminate you either. To the authorities in St. Kitts and tell you that you helped dig up a treasure. But then we are far from here and your position with the local authorities would seem very strange. In particular, you should pay treasurees on your consultancy fee and as If you do not have a work permit here you would probably have a month's imprisonment in a dirty prison hole. Ha, Ha, as I said. "
The chairman was very convincing in his argument and I had no objection.
"Okay," I said, "what are we doing now?"
"We want a complete presentation of you about everything that can help find the treasure. Here's a map of Mosquito Bay with surrounding areas." We've understood that's where we're going to search. "
Actually, I wanted more background, but I understood that for me it would not be good to know the story. In addition, I was assumed to know what it was the question of if they had known how little I really knew could my consultant fee quickly freeze. Therefore, I decided to focus the discussion on possible places of treasure evasion.
"So, that's the way," I started, "in a complicated way using advanced computing ..." It does not hurt to confuse the "board" with a little snapshot, I thought. "With the help of a special program in my computer, I have thus obtained an approximate position indication for something I do not know what it is. The expedition I participated in so far has had limited financial resources and we have therefore been referring to a preliminary examination on land."
I went to the overhead projector who showed the detailed map of the southeastern part of the island and continued:
"According to my estimates, the position indication shows that this area is interesting." I drew a big red ring around Mosquito Bay and the ocean beyond. At first, I noticed that on the outskirts of my red ring there was a small, small island southeast of Mosquito Bay. It gave me an idea why I continued.
"According to the chart, the sea is filled with grains. The treasure can be as well on land but most likely in a wreck on the seabed. Or even on Booby Island," I said, drawing a big blue arrow pointing to the small island outside in the sea. Actually, I did not have a clue about Mosquito Bay or Booby Island or the seabed was the likely place for the treasure. But I thought, at least, let them do the hard work. They seemed to have resources.
"I propose so," I continued in the same tone as if I would propose a relatively large data investment to the Board of Directors of Glasgow Rangers, "that with the help of a suitable vessel we will take us to Booby Island and explore the island. We should positively examine the bottom from Booby Island to the country with the help of echo sounder. Probably there is some wreckage on the bottom that we have to investigate with the help of groves and divers. "
I looked around in the congregation and actually looked like the "board" seemed positive to the proposal. None of the other people around the table had said anything all the time, maybe they were only bodyguards. But I missed myself. The younger lazy comrade opposite me took the floor.
"As technologically responsible for this expedition," he said, "I think the proposal is good. We actually have a motor cruiser here at the bridge with equipment for such an excursion. Therefore, I propose that we move to the practical as soon as possible Implementation of the proposal. "
The rest of the table agreed with a little different motivation. The chairman concluded by pointing out that he counted on my full cooperation and that Maria was fully responsible for my safety. What he could do with it. I thought she would watch me so I did not smell, and maybe that was what he meant.
So we boarded a big motor cruiser who was moored at the hotel's pier. My luggage including my laptop was already on board and I got my own cabin. It felt like going on a luxury cruise, except that the door of the cabin could not be opened from within.
"Lift the handset," said the technical manager of the expedition, "and Maria will take care of all your wishes."
It was a little confused with no comment. The cabin was below the water line so I could not see where we were going. The boat was at sea, at least, and we felt like we were heading for Mosquito Bay or Booby Island.
I lay on the couch to relax, but after a short while, Maria got in and urged me to go to the deck because now was the time to go to Booby Island.
Booby Island was not an island in real terms, but more a windshield cut with some single bushes that managed to cling to the crevices. The boat we were on was now walking very slowly and carefully closer to the island. The captain of the Command Bridge read the echoes and pointed out that the entire bay between the small island and St. Kitts was due. I thought of the rocks at Black Rocks. If the bottom looked like it was a stiff job to investigate the bottom without this nice boat getting the hull cut out of sharp underwater cliffs.
Like almost all islands in this area, St. Kitts and neighbors are Nevis's volcanic islands. The seabed consisted of lavablock thrown around from the time the volcano was active. Looking down into the clear water, you saw the breeze every now and then, it looked like giant mushrooms with colorful tropical fishes, which no harm swam around in their shoals.
The technical manager, he was called Orlando, plus some from the crew went landing on the island to investigate it properly. A few hours later they came back empty handed with the exception of a few wreckage puzzles. With the motor cruiser we slowly walked around the island to help with the help of the echo sounder if there was something interesting on the bottom. It was not easy, the bottom was very uneven and the fish timber constantly disturbed the echoes.
In the afternoon it was time to investigate an echo that could be a wreck that lay just outside the small island. I suffered from insomnia why I asked if I had to go down and look at the wreck. Orlando shrugged his shoulders and told Maria to fix dive equipment. She tricked out air ducts, breathing nozzles, fins and Cyclops to both me and her. She would not have to fold from my side so it was natural that she followed me in depth. But it was not very deep, so it just needed simple standard equipment. Maria brought a knife, I had no one.
We swam down to the wreck but it turned out to be overgrown with coral and thus not recently lost. That's why I swam to the small island, surrounded by striped and checkered and spotted fish. I felt like an algae, an aquarium fish that does not really fit into the surroundings. The rock formations here at ten meters depth were impressive. I continued and followed the beach with a glance at the bottom to look for interesting trails.
Thus I swam under a protruding rock and followed the stream towards land, apparently it was ebb and now it was about to be a river. I continued quietly and had the attention downward, not forward. Then I felt it received, I felt a snare around my throat and one arm was stuck. Giant octopus, I thought and panicked in panic to get lost. I would not have done that.
I had read too many adventure novels, there was no giant octopus. I do not think they are in these peaceful waters. When I calmed down, I noticed that I was stuck in a net. A rough mesh fishing net and when I panicked, I'd messed up properly. I stuck in the net as sure as a three kilo pike would have sat in my net in Loch Ness.
But I was no fish, so just try to get out again. But it was easier said than done. I looked around to get help from Maria. But she who would not fold from my side was not there. Maria had a knife, I did not have it. Now I felt like the air was going to end. I had been down for 15 minutes and I had air with me for 15 minutes, Orlando pointed out.
How in the wh
ole world I had managed to trample me into the net in this way. I tried to bring the net to the surface by swimming to the surface. I came up a meter or two, but I was still at least seven meters below the surface. The surface that became red of the falling sun and when the tropics night fell, it became as dark as if someone had pulled down a roller blind.
Now, I tried to methodically work out the net in the same way as I was prying the pike from the net at Loch Ness. Now I had one hand loose and soon the other. The next step was to try to detach the head. Or rather, get rid of the net from the head. Was I stuck in a sharknet or what was it? The air started to push and my thoughts became blurred and blurred. Is it flashing in the head of oxygen deficiency or is it headlight?
A shark is coming to me, a slim well shark and I see a slight cut against me but miss, but now I have one foot free and the other foot free and my head free and we push the surface, the mouthpiece gets out of my mouth and I breathe Fresh salt-saturated sea air and Maria keep me above the water surface. With her shiny knife she had saved me at the last moment from the horrible shark net.
15. Bottom Survey
Maria apparently had a course of rescue, at least she saved my life. She took a steady life rescue around my chin and