The Atlantis Stone

CHAPTER 32

The R/V Sexton's Dream gleamed white in the Egyptian sun, two hundred and thirty-five feet of ocean high tech. The bridge bristled with a complex array of antennas and radar. A tall mast flying an American flag on the aft deck added a Christmas tree of electronics.

A thick rectangular frame painted yellow jutted out over the water at the stern. The deck was crowded with equipment.

Several hundred yards away was another research vessel that dwarfed Sexton's Dream. The bridge sat on top of a superstructure that looked like a transplanted apartment house.

The launch carrying Nick and the others pulled up to a gangway that had been lowered on the starboard side. A muscular man about Nick's age and size waited for them on deck. He had brown, curly hair, a deep tan and a broad smile. He wore khaki pants, boat shoes and a red shirt open at the collar.

"Hi, Jeff," Selena called.

She waved at him, looking happy. Jeff waved back. Nick felt something ancient and hostile stir inside.

When they reached the top of the gangway steps, Selena hugged her friend.

"It's been too long," she said. "Jeffrey, this is my husband, Nick."

"A pleasure to meet you." His eyes were neutral as he studied Nick. His handshake was firm. He turned to Selena.

"I didn't know you were married."

"Late last year. We didn't send out invitations."

She introduced Lamont and Ronnie.

"Let me show you around. We're a little cramped but quite comfortable."

"How large a crew do you carry?" Lamont asked.

"Eighteen crew and three officers. Plus the scientists. We can bring as many as thirteen with us. Right now there are only five, all marine archaeologists."

"You've been studying Heracleion?" Selena said.

"Yes. We've pulled up all sorts of interesting things. Gold coins, pottery, statues. It sank around eighteen hundred years ago."

"Why did it sink?" Nick asked.

"It was built on silt accumulated from the Nile Delta. The current theory is that earth tremors liquefied the base. One day it was there. Then it wasn't. There are several tectonic plates that come together in this part of the world. The whole area is seismically active. There was a 6.0 quake not long ago, right in the middle of the Mediterranean basin. We got another alert this morning. Everything from here all the way out to the middle of the Atlantic is potential quake country."

"How far down is Heracleion?" Lamont asked.

"Oh, not very far. It's an easy dive, maybe ten meters. The water is murky. No one ever noticed it until the French stumbled on it sixteen years ago."

"What's that other research ship out there?" Selena pointed off the port bow at the larger ship.

"That's the R/V Tolstoy out of Sevastopol."

"Russian?"

"They're with the Shirshov Institute in Moscow. Pretty glum bunch. They keep to themselves."

Jeffrey gave them the tour. The interior of Sexton's Dream was fitted out with a bosun's shop, a communications room, an elaborate electronic shop that looked as if it belonged at NASA, a machine shop and a lab where recovered artifacts soaked in tanks of saltwater. The bridge was crammed with computers and electronic displays.

"I upgraded everything when I bought the ship," Sexton said. "It's the best gear available, as good as what the military has. Our scanners produce accurate images of the ocean floor, even the deepest parts."

He led them down a corridor with small cabins on the side. Each cabin slept two or four. Jeffrey assigned two of them.

"Selena, you and Nick take this one. Lamont and Ronnie, you're next door."

"When's chow call?" Lamont asked.

"Two bells into the dog watch."

Lamont smiled. Selena looked confused.

"1700," Jeffrey said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go topside."

"It's good to see you again."

"You too." He took Selena's hand. "Come on up when you're ready."

The cabin was hot and stuffy. Nick opened the port hole to a fresh, Mediterranean breeze that brought the rich smell of the harbor

"So that's Jeffrey," Nick said. "A ship like this, he must have quite a bit of money."

"He comes from a wealthy family. His grandfather made a fortune in timber."

"How well did you know him?"

"I told you, we went to school together."

"The way he looked at you was more than just friendship."

"Oh, Nick, it was a long time ago."

"Did you sleep with him?"

"Once."

"Because you were friends."

Selena was getting annoyed. "Yes. Because we were friends. There wasn't anything more to it than that."

"If you say so."

"There's no reason to be jealous. It's not like you."

Nick took a deep breath. "Sometimes I look at you and I think I can't be this lucky. You can't blame me for getting jealous once in a while."

Selena put her arms around him. "That might be the nicest thing anyone ever said to me."

She kissed him.

After a moment, they broke apart. "Let's go topside before this turns into more than a kiss," Nick said. "We need to tell Sexton where we want to go."

Selena took a folder with copies of Stephanie's satellite scans out of her backpack. Nick tapped on the open door of Ronnie and Lamont's cabin.

"Time to let the Captain in on what's happening."

They found Sexton on the bridge, talking with his first mate.

"We need to brief you," Nick said.

"Let's go into the wardroom."

They followed him to the room used by the ship's complement of officers. The wardroom was paneled with varnished wood and fitted out with polished brass lamps. It had the feel of another time, when ships traveled under sail and the lamps were lit with oil instead of electricity. Much of the small room was taken up by a narrow, rectangular table. They sat down at the table.

"You mind telling me what this is all about?" Sexton asked. "You've been checking on my security clearance."

Nick saw no reason to deny it. "How did you know that?"

"I have my sources. You're not out here because you're looking for an interesting dive." He looked at Selena. "Are you?"

"Why do you think that?" she said.

"Oh, I don't know. It could be that pistol you've got tucked away in the small of your back. Since when did you start packing? Although I remember you saying you wanted to shoot that philosophy professor."

"For being boring. I'd forgotten that."

Jeffrey turned to Lamont. "I guess you don't remember me. The Gulf? Operation Broken Wing?"

Lamont gave him a careful look. "Yeah, I remember you now. You were dressed like an Arab. You were the Intel officer."

"Yes."

"That was a good mission. We got our pilot back and kicked ass."

"It was a good team." Sexton paused. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out you four are a team. Except for Selena, it's obvious you three are military. Why are you here?"

"It's classified," Nick said, "and we're former military, not active. Before we go any further you need to look at this and sign it."

He pushed a piece of paper across the table. Sexton picked it up.

"A secrecy agreement? I haven't seen one of these for a while."

Sexton took a pen from his shirt pocket and signed the paper.

"You don't want to read it?"

He handed it back. "I've seen them before. Okay, what's this all about?"

"Selena, you brief him."

"How much can I tell him?"

"You can tell him what you think you found. He doesn't need to know more than that at this point."

Sexton watched the exchange. "Now I'm really curious. When we talked on the phone you said you'd found an undiscovered sunken city."

"That's right," Selena said. "What I didn't tell you is that I think I found Atlantis."

Sexton started to laugh, then stopped. "You can't be serious." He looked at their faces. "You are. I don't believe this."

"I'm almost certain the city I found was the capital of Atlantis. The only way to know for sure is to dive on it. That's why we need you."

"My sources said I was being looked at by a spook agency. They didn't know who it was but they didn't think it was Langley. Who are you working for?"

"We work for the president," Selena said. "I can't tell you more than that."

She put the folder with the scans and GPS coordinates on the table.

"Everything you need to know to find the site is here. The plan is to locate it, dive on the ruins and decide if it is Atlantis. You can't tell anybody about it. In the future, if it turns out to be Atlantis, you'll be able to claim some of the credit for the discovery. It will make your reputation. Until then, everything is black. Are you good with this?"

"What are you looking for? Wait, I know, you can't tell me because it's classified."

"That's right. You must understand that, with your intelligence background."

"Sure I do. Okay, let me see what you've got."

Selena passed the folder over to him.

"The site is near the Azores," Selena said.

They waited while Sexton took out the scans and charts and began looking through them. After a few minutes he looked up.

"No question there are ruins down there," he said. He was excited. "Atlantis. I can't believe it. We'll leave tomorrow. If these coordinates are accurate I can have us on site a week from now."

"You can't get us there sooner?" Nick asked.

"I have to take care of a few things here before I leave," Sexton said. "If I suddenly take off it will seem odd."

"I guess we'll have to settle for that," Nick said.

Someone knocked on the door. Sexton rose and opened it.

"Skipper, the harbormaster is here. He mentioned a new tax."

"Tell him I'll be right out."

"They tax you for being here?" Selena asked.

"He's looking for a bribe. Are we done for now?"

"Yes."

Sexton got up and they followed him on deck.

A small motor launch bobbed in the water alongside Sexton's Dream. A pudgy man with a large mustache stood in the bow. Behind him were two uniformed police officers. A sailor manned the cockpit.

"Peace be upon you, Captain," called the official in English.

"And upon you," Sexton said.

"A beautiful day, is it not?"

Nick saw one of the policeman staring at Selena. He said something to the other cop. Both of them looked at her and then at Nick.

"I understand a new permit is required," Sexton said.

"Alas, it is always so."

Sexton took a fat envelope from his pocket. "I was fortunate enough to obtain the necessary forms when I was in town yesterday. I've filled them out. They're in this envelope with the fee."

The man smiled. "Excellent, Captain, excellent."

One of the policeman came over to him and began talking. He pointed at Nick and Selena. Nick couldn't hear what he said. The harbormaster frowned and said something back. The cop looked unhappy.

The harbormaster said, "This officer will come up and retrieve it from you."

"No need," Sexton said. He handed the envelope to his first mate, standing nearby. "Take this down to him, John."

The mate went down the steps with practiced ease, handed the envelope over and returned.

The harbormaster glanced inside. The envelope vanished into his pocket. "Everything appears to be in order, Captain. I will see you again, soon."

"I look forward to it."

The harbormaster sat down and the launch pulled away. They watched it leave.

"I think that cop recognized us," Selena said.

"I think you're right." Nick turned to Sexton. "We need to leave now."

"Something you're not telling me?"

"We had a little trouble in Cairo a few days ago," Selena said.

"And now the cops are after you."

"Yes."

"Tell me," Sexton said. "This mission of yours. Does it impact national security?"

"You could say that," Nick said.

Sexton walked over to his mate. "Fire her up, John. We're leaving."