by David Wood
Still biting down on her mouthpiece, she screamed in mute frustration. She tried to fight, but her desperate flailing and kicking quickly subsided as the darkness consumed her. She released her bite on her useless air supply and surrendered. As consciousness faded, she saw a light coming toward her.
What do you know? All the stories are true. She watched with detached awareness as the light grew brighter. She was drifting up to heaven… or wherever. The glare grew intensely bright, and then she could have sworn she felt arms around her. An angel has come to take me to heaven… A sudden tightness encircled her middle, pinning her arms to her sides, and before she knew what was happening, something was forced into her mouth. She tried to protest, and cool, sweet air poured into her lungs. A coughing fit immediately ensued. She had taken more than a bit of water into her mouth, and now it felt like all of it was in her lungs. She tried to twist free, but whatever it was held her tight.
Instinct took over, and she gradually regained control of her lungs and spat the water free. With the fresh flow of oxygen came a renewed sense of calm and awareness. Someone had come to her rescue after all. He was holding her tight so that she would not, in her panic, drown both of them. She took few long, calming breaths from the pony tank her rescuer was holding in his right hand. At least, she hoped those thickly muscled forearms belonged to a guy. Making a point to keep her body as relaxed as possible, she slipped her right arm down and tapped him twice on the thigh. His grip relaxed a touch, and she raised her hand and she circled her thumb and forefinger to make the “OK” sign. He slid the mini-tank into her hand and let go of her.
Turning to face her rescuer, she saw that it was indeed a man, but other than his blond hair, she could not tell anything about him. Giving him a nod and a quick wave of thanks, she led the way back up the channel. She could not believe how close she had come to dying. What’s more, she could not believe someone had rescued her.
Relief gave way to embarrassment and anger as she neared safety. She couldn’t believe how her own bad judgment had almost killed her. Stupid! She was a professional, not some weekend scuba diver. This guy, whoever he was, probably thought she was one of the dozen grad school bimbos working the dig aboveground. She was going to beat herself up over this for a long time.
The glow of sunlight flickered in the distance, and soon she was up the shaft and breaking the surface. Strong hands grabbed her under the arms and lifted her free of the water. Her feet touched the ground, and then she dropped down hard on her backside.
“Why were you down for so long?” Saul rounded on her, his square face marred by concern. “What happened in there? Are you trying to kill yourself? Because you nearly killed me from worry. Do I need to take up diving so I can keep an eye on you?”
“I’m fine, Saul. Really I am.” She shrugged off her tanks and grinned, reaching up to pat his short, neatly coiffed brown hair like she would a faithful pet. “Thank you for sending someone for me. I was wondering if you had even noticed.” She didn’t catch his reply because her attention was focused on her rescuer, who was clambering out of the water.
He wasn’t the tallest fellow, not quite six feet, even with the spiky blond hair, which was already sticking up as it dried in the hot Argentinean sun. He pulled off his dive mask to reveal a lightly tanned face, a friendly smile, and intense blue-gray eyes. Jade smiled back, taking a moment to admire the thickly muscled legs. The guy wasn’t the type she usually went for, but he was definitely cute. He took a step toward her, and she hauled herself to her feet to greet him, but Saul was quicker.
“Thank you again for helping us.” Saul stepped between them, clasping the man’s hand in both of his. “She had been down for so long, and I always tell her she takes too many unnecessary risks. Thinks she’s immortal, she does.” He suddenly seemed to realize that he was still shaking hands with the fellow, and let go.
“It’s quite all right.”
She liked his voice. It was cheerful yet firm, and had a rich timbre, like one of those guys who reads audio books. What was she thinking about? She hadn’t even spoken to the guy and already she was mentally babbling.
“I’m just glad I was nearby. It was a close thing getting her out of there.”
Saul was about to say more, but Jade pushed him to the side and offered her hand.
“Thank you so much for your help, Mister…”
“Maddock,” he replied, looking her directly in the eye. “Dane Maddock. And you’re welcome.”
“I’m just so embarrassed that I let myself run out of air like that. I’m really an experienced diver. I just pushed it a little too far.” She stopped, realizing she was on the verge of babbling for real. He was still looking her in the eye, though, which scored him a few points in her book. Most guys would have let their gaze drift a little lower by now.
“You know what they say,” he replied, waggling his finger like a grade school teacher. “One-third of your air going in, one-third going back out…” He was grinning ear-to-ear.
“…and one-third in reserve in case of an emergency, one of which I did arise. I’m well aware of the rule of thirds, Mr. Maddock. I just…” she felt her face grow warm. “I just didn’t follow them this time.” She wanted to be annoyed at his condescension, but his grin told her he was only joking.
“Understood. You can just call me Maddock. Incidentally, I still don’t know your name.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m Jade Ihara.”
“A beautiful name. “You don’t have a Japanese accent.”
“My father was Japanese,” she said. “My mother is Hawaiian. I was raised on Oahu.”
“Well, that explains it.” He cupped his chin and looked thoughtfully into her eyes. “I was trying to figure it out, but I couldn’t place it.”
“Explains what, may I ask?” She resisted the urge to squirm like a schoolgirl under his cool gaze.
“You have the traditional Japanese beauty, with just a touch of the robust splendor of Polynesia.”
“I don’t know whether to be flattered or totally creeped out.” He had her laughing—another point in his favor. “Where did you get that line about ‘robust splendor of Polynesia’ anyway?”
“From a coffee commercial,” he said, grinning.
“So, what are you anyway? Some kind of professional ‘damsel in distress’ rescuer or something?”
“I’m a marine archaeologist,” he said. “We were working nearby. The discovery of this outpost has been a great opportunity for us.”
Saul cleared his throat loudly, reminding them of his presence. He stood with hands on hips, tapping his foot. His mouth was twisted into a sour frown.
“Saul, if you will please pack up my equipment, I’ll be with you in a moment.” She cut off his protest with a raised hand. “Thank you, Saul. I’ll join you shortly.” She met his stare with a level gaze until he turned away, muttering something under his breath. He snatched up her dive gear and stamped off through the tangled growth. “I’m sorry,” she said, turning back to Maddock. “Saul is very protective of me. He means well.”
“Not your boyfriend, I hope.”
“No, he’s definitely not my boyfriend. He’s my assistant.” That was technically true, she supposed.
“Well, I need to get going,” Maddock said. “By the way, did your mother ever teach you about the old Hawaiian tradition? When someone saves your life, you have to have dinner on his boat that evening.” He made a show of checking the time on his dive watch. “At exactly 18:00 hours. Give or take a few minutes, of course.”
“Is that so?” She really didn’t have time to socialize with this, or any guy. But he had saved her life. Besides, an idea was forming in the back of her mind. “Who am I to flout tradition? Six o’clock it is. I’ll need directions to this boat of yours.” What was she getting herself into? “And Maddock? Dinner had better be spectacular.”
Chapter 2
“Man, I cannot believe you’re kicking us out,” Matt Barnaby, Maddock’s engineer and
first mate for this expedition while his partner Bones was on vacation, complained as he swung his leg over the side of their boat, the Sea Foam. “And for a girl of all things.” He shook his head, turned, and hopped into the waiting motorboat. “Unbelievable.”
“Hey, it’s not that unbelievable,” Maddock protested. Actually, it was. Since the death of his wife and unborn son nearly five years ago, he had sworn off women. Recent experiences had changed his outlook, and he was beginning to come to grips with some of his inner demons. “I like girls.”
“I thought you liked Kaylin.” Corey Dean, the ship’s tech-head, and sonar guru stumbled out of the cabin, trying to slather on sunscreen and spray himself with insect repellant at the same time. His fair skin was no match for the intense sun, but he loved the sea. “I didn’t know you were playing the field all of a sudden.”
“Kaylin’s my friend.” Kaylin Maxwell was the daughter of Maddock’s former commander. The two of them had been through a harrowing adventure together and come out of it barely alive. The experience had forged a strong bond between them, but sometimes it felt more like brother and sister than anything romantic. Perhaps it was because she was the first woman since Melissa to get close to him. “And she isn’t your problem in any case.”
“So you won’t mind if I ask her out,” Matt said, “seeing how you’re just friends and all.” He smiled a gap-toothed smile and ran his fingers through his close-cropped receding brown hair, pretending to primp in front of a mirror.
“She’s from a Navy family. She’d sooner date a pig than an army grunt,” Maddock jibed.
“See there, Corey? You’ve got a shot after all!” Matt helped Corey over the side and into the small craft.
“You know what really blows?” Corey replied, ignoring Matt’s dig. “Bones goes on vacation, and now Maddock turns into the player. I thought we were going to get a temporary break from the college dorm room shenanigans.”
Uriah Bonebrake, nicknamed “Bones”, was Maddock’s partner and a longtime companion. They had been best friends since their days in the Navy SEALs. The big Cherokee had a way with the ladies and was known to kick his crewmates off the boat for an occasional evening of entertaining.
“That’s right,” Maddock called back, warming to the banter. “I’m picking up the slack for Bones. Bet you I…”
“You what?” Jade sat astride a jet ski just off the starboard bow. Maddock had been so busy bantering with his friends that he had not heard her approach. Her brown eyes sparkled, and her straight white teeth shone against her almond complexion. She was wearing a loose-fitting white tank top over a turquoise bikini top. Her black shorts were rolled at the waistband, showing off her flat stomach and a few extra inches of her firm thighs. “Come on now, I’m dying to hear.”
“Epic fail!” Corey laughed and fired up the motorboat. “Good luck climbing out of that hole, Maddock.”
“Hey, girl. How you doing?” Willis Sanders, the final member of the crew, gave Jade his warmest smile.
“I’d be doing better if you didn’t call me ‘girl.’ I’m a bit old for that.” Jade winked to show there were no hard feelings.
“I hear you. Y’all have a good night now.” Willis joined Matt and Corey in the motorboat, and they cruised away.
When they had gone, Maddock turned back to Jade. “I’ll bet you absolutely love the dinner I’ve prepared for us.” Leaning over the rail, he offered her a hand, which she clasped firmly. He hauled her over with one tug, and she landed nimbly on the deck, her bare feet making barely a sound when they hit. Martial arts training, he supposed, or perhaps dancing. “By the way, totally unfair shutting down the engine and drifting up on me like that.”
“I’m full of surprises.” She gave him a coy grin. “If dinner’s good enough, I might let you take it for a spin around the harbor.” She surveyed the Sea Foam with an appraising eye. “Nice,” she said. “She’s obviously been worked hard, but I can tell you take good care of her.”
“Done much sailing?” he asked, intrigued by this beautiful young woman who seemed to have a great deal of depth. “I suppose if you’ve done enough diving, you have to have climbed your share of rigging.”
“Is that some sort of innuendo?” she teased. He shook his head, and she laughed. “I grew up around the water in Hawaii. My uncle had a fishing boat, and I spent a lot of time out with him. My mother hated it, said it wasn’t ladylike, but I didn’t care. Even then, I loved the sun, the salt spray, the dips and the swells.” Her eyes had a faraway glint as she remembered. “I don’t get out on the water as much as I used to. Mostly when I go back to visit my mother and uncle.”
“What about your father?” Maddock asked. He could tell by the way she flinched that he had touched on a sore subject. “Sorry. I don’t mean to pry.”
“That’s all right,” she said. “He left before I was born. Went back to Japan. He wasn’t really part of my life.” She stared down at the blue-green water, her face now downcast. “I did all right, I suppose. What about you? What’s your story?”
“Navy brat,” Maddock said. “Did my time in the service, met my friend Bones, and we went into business together when we left the SEALs.” He shrugged. “It’s a good life. Lots of sun. The occasional interesting diversion,” he gave her a meaningful look and grinned.
“I think you skipped over quite a bit in that lovely ten-second autobiography.” She narrowed her eyes and stepped close to him. “But that’s okay. I have all night to pump information from you.” Raising her head, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “What’s on the grill?”
Dinner was one of Maddock’s specialties: broiled sea bass with lime and herbs, steamed vegetables, and fresh fruit. Jade was duly impressed, and dinner conversation was relaxed and enjoyable. An archaeologist by trade, she had graduated from the University of Utah with a specialty in Native American tribes of the southwest, and now served on the faculty of Central Utah University.
“So,” Maddock said, squeezing a lime into his second Dos Equis, “what is someone with your background doing working an early Spanish dig in Argentina? Seems pretty far out of your area.” He took a long drink, savoring the strong flavor, the cool drink perfect on such a muggy evening.
“It’s not as far afield as you might think,” she said. “The Spaniards who founded this settlement were some of the same men who explored the American southwest, even up into Utah.” She put her bottle down and folded her hands in her lap, suddenly serious. “I have a business proposition for you.”
“Bummer,” Maddock said. “And here I hoped it would be a proposition of a more personal nature.” He smiled, put his beer down, and leaned forward, mirroring her posture. It was a technique by which Bones swore. He said it created empathy and identification. Then again, when had Bones ever cared about either of those things? Maddock suppressed a laugh and leaned back, letting his arms hang over the sides of the chair.
“Very funny,” she said, misunderstanding the reason for the grin on his face. “Personal comes after I’ve known someone a great deal longer than one evening. Or did you think I was, shall we say, promiscuous?”
“Didn’t think, only hoped.” That was a comeback worthy of Bones, but it didn’t gain him any points. Jade just smirked. Bones had a natural way with women while Maddock had to work hard at it. It wasn’t fair. “Seriously, what’s your proposition?”
“I need to have another go at that underground stream.” She raised her voice and hurried on when she saw Maddock grimace. “I think it will take only one more time. I need to go back to the place where you rescued me.” She paused, her brown eyes boring into him. “And I need a dive partner.”
“I hate fresh water dives,” Maddock protested. “They’re dangerous, as you found out today, and they’re not something I’m comfortable doing.” Jade kept staring at him in silence. He knew what she was up to, waiting for him to fill the gap in the conversation. She would try to keep him talking until he talked his way through all his objections and right
smack into doing what she wanted. Not biting, he retrieved his beer and took another swig.
“I don’t blame you. I know it’s dangerous work, which is why I need an experienced diver with me.” Her voice softened. “This is very important to me. I’ve been working on it for ten years. It’s not…” She broke off, uttered a distinctly unladylike curse, then mumbled something that sounded a lot like “Why do I get so flustered around you?” before turning her attention to her beer.
He made her feel flustered? He swore he would never understand women. The look of disappointment on her face was heartbreaking. “Why don’t you tell me what you’re working on?” he said.
“If I tell you, will you dive with me?” She cocked an eye at him.
“No,” he lied, knowing full well that he was going to let her have her way because… well, just because that’s what was going to happen. “But I’ll think about it. Tell me what you’re doing here.”
Jade leaned across the small table, close enough that he could smell her perfume. Jasmine or something like it. “Are you familiar with the story of the Seven Cities of Cibola?”
“I’ve heard the name,” he replied cautiously. “That’s about it.” A creepy déjà vu feeling blanketed his mind, enveloping him in a muzzy semi-conscious state. He couldn’t possibly be getting into another weird mystery.
“Part of the impetus behind the Spanish exploration of New Spain, what we could term Colonial Mexico, was the myriad of myths about treasure and magical places.” As she spoke, she sat up straighter and her voice gained strength and confidence. She would make a great lecturer. “One of the greatest was the legend of Las Siete Ciudades Doradas De Cíbola, the Seven Golden Cities of Cibola. The myth was an outgrowth of the Moorish conquest of Portugal in the early eighth century. Allegedly, in the year 714, seven Catholic bishops and their followers fled across the Atlantic to a land called Antilia.”