Atlantis Gold

Chapter 14

The giant manta ray glided over Hunt’s head, while a recorded male voice droned on about the people of Atlantis, Atlanteans, they were called, and how advanced their technology was for their time.

“I have to hand it to you, Hunt,” Jayden said, stepping aside to allow a mother with a stroller to move past him up to the aquarium display in the crowded lobby area of the Atlantis Resort, “I’m really racking up my frequent flyer miles hanging out with you. My credit card perks are going ballistic.”

Hunt tore his gaze from the majestic animal to glance around at the crowd ogling the over-the-top sprawling indoor architecture. A massive skylight let in streaming sunshine between huge pillars wrapped in ivy, while patrons looked down from the veranda seating of a seafood restaurant one floor up.

“As pressing as the situation with Maddy is, you have to admit, this place is pretty cool.”

Jayden stared back into the giant aquarium, watching a school of thousands of silver fish swim through a carefully sculpted rock tunnel beneath a statue meant to resemble some mysterious ancient god. He sipped from the Bahama Mama concoction he purchased at a poolside bar a few minutes earlier (“Just to make sure I blend in with the tourists, you know”). “I could get used to it, I guess.”

But then he saw Hunt shift the weight of his backpack on his shoulders and was reminded of the urgency of their mission here, the reason why they had come all this way on a moment’s notice. To save the life of their friend, and as a bonus, to keep priceless artifacts out of the hands of a murderous black market antiquities dealer. He hadn’t realized before how much he cared about preserving history for everyone to see. Maybe Hunt was on to something, he couldn’t help but think.

Hunt glanced at his Omega dive watch, given to him as a special present from his grandfather when he’d graduated college. “We should start moving to the rendezvous point.”

He and Jayden walked across the large marble tiled floor until they entered a mall-like area enshrouded with indoor trees and subdued LED lighting. High-end shops lined both sides of the enclosed avenue: jewelry, souvenirs, Bahamas-themed resort wear, scuba gear, activities booths encouraging guests to try parasailing, jet-skiing, snorkeling or deep sea fishing…There was certainly no shortage of things to do here if one was not short on money or time, Hunt thought. He entertained a fleeting notion of he and Maddy lying on a secluded beach in one of the island chain’s outer isles….Maybe, just maybe, when all this is over, Hunt thought…

“There he is!” The no-nonsense urgency in Jayden’s voice was unmistakable as he looked straight ahead into a large foyer. Hunt also directed his gaze that way. The ceiling was multiple stories tall here, again with a skylight, and an indoor waterfall cascaded down into a fountain luxuriously decorated with marble sculptures of mermaids and shipwrecked sailors. And there, against one wall, was a giant sculpture of Poseidon the sea god, seated in a massive chair while holding his iconic trident. A family of three stood in front of it while a man — Daedalus — took their picture.

“One more, just to make sure — say All Praises to the Mighty Poseidon!” The family laughed and he handed them back their camera as they sauntered away.

“I don’t see Maddy with him,” Hunt said under his breath.

“He sees us.” Jayden nodded casually at Daedalus, who returned the gesture.

“Game on.” Hunt and Jayden walked toward Daedalus. Contrasting to their own beach bum wear — surfer’s board shorts and scuba shop tank tops with flip flops, towels around their shoulders — Daedalus wore expensive resort linens, leather loaders and a lot of gold jewelry, including a shipwreck coin from the famous Atocha wreck discovered by Mel Fisher off Key West in the 1980s, as a medallion that Hunt had no doubt was authentic and not one of the replicas most people wore.

Hunt and Jayden walked up to Daedalus at the foot of Poseidon. Daedalus handed Hunt a point-and-shoot digital camera. “If you would be so kind, sir!”

Hunt shot his friend’s kidnapper a used car salesman smile and snapped off the obligatory tourist shot. He handed the device over to Daedalus while saying in a low voice, “Where is she?”

“She is enjoying herself at the bar in the company of two exciting gentlemen…not you two, I’m afraid, for the moment. But that is about to change, am I right?” Daedalus glanced kitty-corner across the space to an indoor establishment called The Sandbar that beckoned with a literal sand beach floor and tiki hut ambience. Hunt caught his breath as he saw Maddy there, wearing a black bikini top with a pink sarong, seated on a bamboo barstool at a table between two of Daedalus’ Treasure, Inc. goons. Both of them wore khaki shorts with open button down aloha shirts to show off their hairy chests festooned in heavy gold chains.

“You have a thing for 1980s rap videos, Daedalus?” Jayden mocked.

But the black market mogul was unfazed. “Perhaps she will do the wild thing with you two later, yes?” He grinned lecherously until Hunt took off his backpack. The smile disappeared and Daedalus watched him intently.

“Here’s what you came for. Tell your cretins to release her to us and it’s yours.”

Daedalus spread his hands in a gesture of reasonableness. “You can see that she is fine, Mr. Carter. I have brought her to you. Allow me to see the artifact, to verify its authenticity, and you may join her at her table…alone.” A couple of twenty-something lovebirds walked up to Poseidon at that moment, the young woman, sapphire nose ring glinting in the overhead lights, climbing up onto the knee.

“You see,” Daedalus said to Hunt and Jayden, “every woman loves a god. Now let me see the one you have brought me. Let me see Anubis.” His gazed seemed to burn right through Hunt’s backpack. The couple took their pictures and then bounced off, laughing, oblivious to the drama playing out before them.

Daedalus watched Hunt’s hands carefully as he unzipped the pack and pulled from it a statuette wrapped in cloth. Daedalus extended his hands and Hunt passed him the object. All three men were silent as Daedalus unwrapped the item, its golden splendor soon peeking through the folds of the fabric.

“It does seem to have the proper weight, at least,” Daedalus said as he unwrapped the figurine the rest of the way.

“Take it or leave it, Daedalus. We found what we found, okay? You said you wanted it, here it is. Now let Maddy go!”

Hunt expected some kind of acerbic retort, but instead, as the figure came free of its wraps, Daedalus was transfixed while he inspected it. He turned it over slowly in his hands, eyeing it reverently before holding it upside-down and looking at the bottom of the feet.

“So here is the chip from where you took the sample.”

“Right,” Hunt confirmed.

“Do you have it?”

“Have what? The little chip that came out?”

Daedalus looked up from the statue to make eye contact with Hunt. “Yes, the piece you gouged out — do you still have it? It can be used for chemical analysis of the material, and It could perhaps be reattached, making the piece whole again.”

Hunt shook his head before looking to Jayden. “You didn’t save that little piece, did you?”

“You kidding? I’m lucky if I can hold onto my wallet when I go on vacation, I’m not going to keep track of a little pebble. We might have used it as a paperweight to hold down the receipt on our table at that café in the Azores.”

Daedalus pursed his lips for a second but then shrugged. Another group of people ambled up to the Poseidon display, and one of them politely asked Daedalus if he could move out of the way while they took a picture. Hunt did his best not to let his pleasure show while Daedalus stepped aside and sidled up to Hunt.

“Overall, good work, Mr. Hunt. Your artifact recovery skills are surprising even to me. If you — both of you,” he added, also looking at Jayden, “would like a position in my organization as professional treasure hunters, do let me know.” Hunt and Jayden scoffed at the sarcasm Daedalus injected into the word “professional.” But the Treasure, Inc. founder was looking over to the table where Maddy sat with his two henchmen at the tiki bar. He raised a hand in the air and nodded.

“In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay on this beautiful island with your female friend. I do hope we meet again.”

“That makes one of us,” Jayden quipped. Daedalus glared at him ever so briefly before walking toward the bar.

“Come on!” Hunt saw Maddy step down from the bar stool and begin to walk away from the tiki area. She passed Daedalus on her way toward Hunt and Jayden. Hunt could see that Daedalus said something to her, and that she shot him a look to kill in response. Then she was running to Hunt, hugging him and then Jayden, tears brimming in her eyes.

“Maddy, are you okay — have you been hurt?”

She stared into Hunt’s eyes. “I’m shaken up, but no, they didn’t actually hurt me. Thank you so much, though — both of you. If it wasn’t for you offering that Anubis artifact, I don’t know what would have happened.”

At the mention of Anubis, Hunt’s expression became grim. “Speaking of that, we better get a move on before Daedalus gets a closer look at it.”

Maddy’s eyes widened. “You mean…it’s not genuine? You found a fake?”

Hunt lowered his voice even more. “Let’s just say that we found a genuine article, but what we gave Daedalus just now was not so genuine.”

Jayden tapped both of them on the shoulder. “C’mon, we better make like a tree and leave.”

The trio began to walk toward an exit door, a large archway overhung with vines with a sign above it reading, TO MYSTERIOUS GROTTO. As they were about to pass under the exit, Daedalus’ enraged voice carried after them: This is fake! Mr. Hunt, wait right there!”

But Hunt had no intention of waiting. “Let’s move!” As he ushered Maddy through the massive archway, with Jayden plowing on ahead of them, gunfire rang out behind them. Puffs of plaster dust billowed from the walls, and screams of terrified tourists erupted around them as the three of them ran outside of the building.