Solomon Key

Chapter 1

The sun beat down on his bare shoulders as Dane Maddock broke through the tree line and stepped to the edge of the water. The spring-fed sinkhole was impossibly blue, its steep sides running straight down into the dark depths. He stood there, staring down, wondering what secrets it might hide. He would soon find out.

“Now this is my idea of a dive site.” Bones Bonebrake, Maddock’s partner and former colleague in the Navy SEALs, looked around, nodding approvingly.

“Bones, you are not even looking at the spring.”

“You look at what interests you; I’ll pay attention to what I’m interested in.” The powerfully built, six and a half foot tall Cherokee grinned as his eyes swept the shore, taking in the many bikini-clad young women. “Matter of fact, I think we should skip the dive altogether. There’s plenty of treasure up here.”

“You are all class, Bones,” Maddock said.

“And you’ve been even more curmudgeonly than usual since you broke up with my sister.” Bones held up a big hand, forestalling Maddock’s retort. “Look, I get it. The two of you broke up, the chick you were hot for turned out to be a bad guy. That would piss me off, too. But all the more reason to avail yourself of the local hospitality.”

“That’s not exactly how it happened,” Maddock said. But, Bones was essentially correct. He and his fiancée, make that ex-fiancée, Angel Bonebrake, had agreed to take some time off from their relationship. The breakup had happened after Isla Mulheron had abandoned them in Scotland. He supposed he was splitting hairs with that distinction.

Bones was paying him no mind. He was grinning at a pair of brunettes clad in Confederate flag bikinis. The girls were smiling back, clearly enjoying the attention. “Did you say something?” he asked.

“I thought you didn’t like rednecks,” Maddock said, casting a meaningful glance at the women’s attire.

“Usually I don’t, but I suppose I could make an exception.” He turned and arched an eyebrow. “Live a little, Maddock. Who knows? One of them might be into short little blond dudes.”

Maddock smirked. Sturdily built and just a hair over six feet tall, he was hardly short or little, but most people looked small when standing alongside Bones. “Don’t be so cocky. You know how cold these spring-fed pools are. Those girls might not be so interested in you once you come back out of the water, Mr. Shrinkage.”

“You know, that’s not cool. Besides, that was a long time ago.”

“But it did happen. I’ve got witnesses.”

“Screw you, Maddock. Let’s dive.”

Chuckling, Maddock strapped on his dive gear and checked his equipment while Bones did the same. He had been looking forward to this dive ever since hearing about Caesar’s Spring. Located in the Florida Panhandle, the spring had been kept a secret by the owners of the land upon which it was located, and had only recently been open to the public. To Maddock’s knowledge, no serious divers had investigated it. The odds of anything of value being found there were slim, but that was not at the top of his list. For him, it was the chance to be the first to explore the underwater passages that fed the spring.

“Why do you think they call it Caesar’s Spring?” Maddock said aloud, not really asking.

“Beats me,” Bones said. “The only Caesar I’m really interested in is Caesar’s Palace.”

“Philistine.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Bones moved to the edge of the water and jumped in feet first. Seconds later, his head broke the surface. “Holy freaking crap. How cold is this water?” he sputtered.

“Sixty-eight degrees year-round.” Maddock couldn’t help but laugh. “What did you expect from a pool fed by spring water? It’s not like it’s the first one we’ve dived.”

“I try to block those out of my mind as quickly as possible. Now, get your ass in here. This was your idea, after all.”

Maddock plunged into the water. Even in his diving suit, it was a shock to his system. No matter how many times he did it, diving in frigid water was not something one grew accustomed to.

The daylight fled as they descended through the crystalline waters until they reached the bottom. Here, the world was blanketed in shadow, like the last hours of dusk. He flipped on his headlamp, swam to the center of the pool, and began moving in a slow circle, gradually working his way outward. Bones swam alongside him. Maddock knew his friend would rather swim to and fro without a plan, simply taking it all in. Maddock preferred a methodical approach, not wanting to miss anything.

Looking down, Maddock could see the detritus-choked bottom, all covered in a layer of silt. It was possible, he supposed, that something of value lay beneath the ground here. They wouldn’t know without a metal detector, and perhaps not even then. Considering the site’s remote location, they would likely only find bits of rubbish and not much else. He and Bones were treasure hunters by trade. They’d enjoyed a few big scores lately, and weren’t interested in scavenging for scraps. Anyway, he wasn’t here to work — he was here to relax and forget his troubles.

The spring was a good twenty meters in diameter, but they quickly worked their way out to the edge. Down here the lack of sunlight and the frigid waters kept the vegetation to a minimum. It was all silt and rocks.

It wasn’t long before they found what they were looking for — an underwater passageway leading back into the darkness. It was more than large enough for the two of them to swim abreast. Bones turned to him and gave the thumbs-up.

Maddock nodded. This was both the most exciting and most dangerous part of freshwater diving. It was easy to get lost in passageways like these. They often branched off in many directions, and if one was not careful, a diver kicking too hard could stir up a cloud of silt, blinding them. Many divers had lost their lives in Florida’s freshwater springs. In fact, in most places, the authorities had posted harsh warnings to that effect. There were no such signs here, at least not yet.

Maddock unhooked his reel line from his belt and secured one end just inside the entrance to the passageway. With this to both help them find their way back and mark their distance, he and Bones swam into the darkness. The going was slow, but they managed to make their way along without disturbing the fine particles that coated the walls. A gentle current worked against them, but it provided little in the way of resistance. Within a few meters they found themselves in utter darkness, their headlamps slicing through the blackness. While many people would’ve found the confines of this channel constricting, even claustrophobic, Maddock found a certain peace in the utter darkness and complete silence. Furthermore, he and Bones had been in much tighter confines in the past. This was an easy dive so far.

The channel snaked its way back into the bedrock. A few side passages, much too small for a diver to enter, branched off on either side. Maddock was pleased that he saw no signs that anyone had been here before.

He’d always been fascinated with exploration. As a youth, he had devoured books about the great explorers in world history and in his subsequent career he’d had a few opportunities to come to find things that had gone on undiscovered for centuries or more. There was a thrill that came with knowing he was the first person to explore a place, or at least the first in a very long time.

The passageway finally branched off in two directions, and they paused to decide their next move. Maddock looked at Bones who gave a noncommittal wave of his hand as if to say, “Whichever.”

Maddock checked his air to make sure they were still in good shape. They could safely go on a little bit longer. But which way?

They were spared the decision when a cloud of silt suddenly poured forth from the passageway to their right. Maddock flashed a confused glance at Bones, not that either could see the other very well with their masks on. Had something collapsed up ahead? He moved up for a closer look, and his answer came in an instant.

A diver, flailing wildly, crashed into him. Maddock had been diving for most of his life and assessed the situation in an instant. The diver had clearly gotten lost and become panicked. Frantic, the diver clawed at Maddock’s regulator. He needed to get control of the situation right away.

He seized the diver, a woman based on her physique, pinning her arms to her sides. She struggled and kicked, but could not break free of his strong grip. Meanwhile, Bones forced her regulator into her mouth and held it there, nodding slowly. The woman kicked Maddock hard in the shin with her heel, and he hooked one leg around hers to keep her motionless. At long last, he felt her stop fighting and relax. Soon she was taking slow regular breaths. Hoping it was safe, Maddock released her from his grasp.

The woman pressed her hands together and made a little bob of her head to express her gratitude. Maddock nodded, then pointed to their guide line, and then motioned back down the passageway. She nodded to indicate that she understood.

Bones led the way on the return journey, with Maddock bringing up the rear to collect the rope. With the current at their backs, they made their way quickly out into the sinkhole and back to the surface, Maddock pausing just long enough to unhook their guide line and finish reeling it in.

They broke the surface at the water’s edge. The diver clutched the rock ledge, tore off her mask, and hung there, eyes closed, gasping for breath. Maddock and Bones took up positions on either side of her and waited for her to collect herself. Finally, she looked up and managed a weary smile.

She was beautiful, with big eyes, dark brown skin, and high cheekbones. Her hair was shaved almost down to the scalp, which somehow seemed to emphasize her delicate features and athletic build.

“Thank you,” she breathed. Maddock thought he heard a touch of East Africa in her voice. Perhaps Ethiopia. “I was in trouble. I can’t believe I panicked like that.”

“You were lucky we came along,” Bones said. “People die down in those springs all the time. You really shouldn’t have been diving alone.”

“I don’t need you to mansplain diving to me, thank you very much.” The woman closed her eyes for a moment, her features relaxing. “Forgive me. I’m embarrassed and angry with myself for making such an amateur decision as to go down there alone without guide markers of any sort. I thought I could do it. I was wrong. In any event, I should not take it out on you.”

“No sweat,” Bones said. “Nobody’s at their best after a dive gone wrong.” He flashed a smile. “I’m Bones. This is Maddock.”

“I’m Nomi,” she said. She hesitated, looking from one man to the other. “I hope you don’t mind me saying, but the two of you are a mismatched pair. You don’t go together at all.”

“You mean because I’m good-looking and he’s, well, you see what he’s working with.” Bones inclined his head toward Maddock.

“I think she means because I’m smart and you’re a dim bulb,” Maddock said.

Nomi laughed. “You know what I mean. Don’t misunderstand. You’re both handsome; you just don’t go together.”

“Actually, you’re far from the first to notice,” Maddock said. “We were in the service together, Navy SEALs. Been friends ever since.”

“Almost brothers-in-law until my sister dumped his ass,” Bones added.

Nomi raised her eyebrows. “Single? I’ll remember that.”

“Hey, I’m single too,” Bones said. “And you don’t have to worry about me getting all emo about my exes. Hell, I forget about a girl as soon as I…” The look in Nomi’s eye cut him off in midsentence.

“So what brings the two of you to Caesar’s Spring? Are you the thrill-seeking type that likes dangerous dives?”

“Maybe a little bit. Mostly we just enjoy diving. When we heard about a new place, we couldn’t resist being the first to explore the passageways. Of course, we didn’t get here first,” Maddock said, grinning.

Mischief sparkled in Nomi’s eyes. “Sorry to beat you to it. So, what do the two of you do when you aren’t diving?”

“Actually, we’re pretty much always diving,” Bones said. “We’re marine archaeologists.”

Maddock didn’t miss a slight narrowing of Nomi’s eyes. “Treasure hunters?” she asked.

“Yep. Pretty good ones too,” Bones said. “Tell you what. We’re staying at the campground just off the main road. If you want to drop by later, I’ll buy you a beer and tell you all about it.”

Nomi’s smile was forced. “Maybe.”

“So,” Maddock began, “what brings you to the spring? Are you also a treasure hunter?”

“No,” Nomi said quickly. “I just heard about this place and fancied a dive, same as you.” She pushed herself up and clambered out of the water. “I really have to go. But thank you again.” She stripped off her fins and hurried away.

They watched her go, Bones clearly admiring the way she moved. When she disappeared from sight, he turned to Maddock.

“That was weird. What do you think?”

“I think,” Maddock began, “she’s hiding something. But what that something is I have no idea.”