The Seventh Secret

Chapter 14 — Convergence

Sam watched Purdue survey the ocean on his tablet screen, rigged up to various radar devices. Even sonar technology was employed via Purdue’s echolocation and pulse reader, whatever that was. Sam had never enjoyed science. As long as Purdue knew what he was doing, Sam was willing to trust his judgment and not going to ask any questions.

He had learned that lesson early on. Once you asked Purdue how something worked, it would inadvertently turn into a lecture involving countless other gadgets that would have to be explained as well to clarify the next and the next, and all that would just end up leaving Sam more clueless and confused than he had been before. So he silently sat with a cold beer, watching the playboy-inventor type in random sequences of numbers that gave Sam a headache.

Until they found the wreck, went diving or to retrieve anything Sam would be left bored, save for the odd braai or a walk on the beach to get fishing tips from the locals.

“When will you know if we have something here, Dave?” Crystal asked from the open kitchen where she poured some wine for her and Nina.

"Very soon!" Purdue shouted. The volume of his answer was born from excitement, yet he did not smile or face any of them. He did not want to lose his train of thought or neglect the next sequence because finally he had reached a pinnacle of the laborious process. "I have picked up an anomaly just 5 km from international waters!”

Sam perked up. At last, he had something to look forward to. For some reason, Nina was not paying much attention to him and Crystal seemed to reserve her consideration for Purdue’s search. She was more interested in what his green lines and shapes revealed than what she could be doing with a randy Scottish lad with a brand new tan. “Anomaly, as in a wreck?” he asked Purdue, shifting closer with his beer firmly in hand.

“Looks like one,” Purdue answered, scrutinizing the numbers, writing them down and then changing the program. He looked at Sam, “How about a cold one for the hard working super genius over here?”

Sam laughed and went to the fridge. He brushed past Nina, who had her nose in a book.

“Good story, Nina?” he asked nonchalantly as he got two more beers out.

“Aye,” she responded to Sam’s surprise. “It is fascinating, actually. Not a story, though, but true life accounts about treasure hunting and sea battles over treasures.”

Her eyes briefly met his, but there was nothing there. Sam could not find any affection or warmth in them. He realized that Nina was just sharing the subject of the book with him — nothing more, nothing less. It stung him far more than he had thought it would, but he smiled, “Sounds riveting… maybe just a little too portentous,” and left immediately to hide his disappointment.

Crystal had taken her place by Purdue’s side and inspected the data he had printed. It looked like a massive hull pointing upward from the sand bed. On the screen, he had dimensions and a legend for scale purposes — even shading from the three-dimensional graphics. Sam decided not to disturb the two and their obvious captivation with the object and set Purdue's beer down next to him before taking a seat on a stool at the bar near the sliding door.

“Should I get my equipment ready?” he jested just to break the silence.

"Actually, it's going to happen sooner than you think, old boy," Purdue replied from over by the machine nest of wires and devices where he had made his home. "I believe that this is what Dr. Malgas was referring to."

Nina closed her book and came to see what the model looked like. For a long moment, she examined the distinct inconsistency on the sea floor and frowned.

“Excuse me if I sound daft, but is this just… half a ship? Or am I missing something? Am I misreading the contours?”

“No,” Crystal confirmed, holding up the printout of the data for Nina to see. “You are quite right. Either the ship is broken in half or — and this part scares me —” she sighed, “the rest of it is actually buried under the ocean floor.”

"Jesus! That would be impossible to pull out without a tanker and a humongous crane if that would even be doable!” Nina exclaimed.

“And that’s why the mere possibility scares me,” Crystal answered.

“Don’t you have the technical means to do something like that though, Crystal?” Sam asked from his stool in the sunshine. She looked at him with a hopeless expression. “I mean, with your resources,” Sam added, “could you not have something to get the job done?”

“Sam, it is not about having the money to build such a thing, darling,” she clarified in her slight German accent that only made her sound sexier and smarter. “The problem with equipment the size we’d need for a salvage of that magnitude is that our little secret would not be a secret anymore, and we’d find our asses in jail in less than fifteen minutes.”

“And we can’t… I don’t know… drag the thing along the sea floor until it hits international waters?” Nina asked, feeling as dumb as Sam had sounded a minute ago. She cast a glance in his direction, catching him staring at her.

“That would be the only solution, provided the rest of it doesn’t get wedged somehow," Purdue smiled at Nina. "Not as far-fetched as you might think." He winked at her, drawing a smirk from the petite historian. Sam felt utterly sick at the dynamic within the group, wishing he had a way to recover from his current social shunning.

His wish was granted in a quite curious way when two vehicles pulled up to the house and parked on the short grass that served as a sidewalk in front of the property.

Sam peeked over the wall from his seat, then jumped up and cried, “Our associates have arrived!” He pulled on his running shoes, worried about the nasty thorns he unexpectedly stepped on the day before when he leaped barefoot over the fence to go to the beach. Nina followed him outside to welcome the rest of their multi-national expedition.

It was nearing late afternoon when the historian and the journalist came out to meet the security and the academics.

"So happy to see you, Sam!" Dr. Malgas cried from the car, elated to see his old acquaintance after so many years. He gave Sam a look of astonishment, briefly investigating his wild appearance. Gone was the clean-shaven, despondent and insomniac investigative journalist. Before him stood a matured man with an air of adventure, exuding a zest for life. The two men embraced heartily at meeting up after so long.

Dr. Malgas exclaimed, “My God, you look like a survivalist!”

“Or a male stripper,” Nina remarked, standing behind him, with her arms folded and an eyebrow raised. Both men turned their attention to Nina, then Sam pulled her closer to Dr. Malgas.

"Billy Malgas, meet Dr. Nina Gould. Historian, academic, sharpest tongue and the most exquisite pain in the ass you will ever have to endure," Sam introduced her. Dr. Malgas’ face contorted to a smirk at Sam’s courage to talk about her like that in her presence.

“It is a true honor, Dr. Gould,” he smiled. “I see you and Sam are close friends. Only good friends get to insult each other so openly.” He shook Nina’s slender hand, amazed at her grip. He noticed the tattoo.

“Lovely to meet you too, Dr. Malgas,” she nodded courteously and insisted that he call her by her first name.

Two women came around the car, followed by two quite dangerous-looking men. Sam immediately noticed the young blonde woman, not that the dark beauty by her side was any less appealing. The blonde just looked somewhat familiar. She reminded him of his late fiancée Trish, back when he had first met her. Zain was very professional when meeting the new people, keeping an eye on Sibu, who did not make an effort to conceal the fact that he found the women very attractive.

Who could have blamed him? A Malay beauty, a stunning young blonde, a gorgeous petite academic and a sultry professional with angelic eyes — a collection that was going make it tough for the men on the expedition to focus.

The woman seemed to click immediately. At first, there were no competition or catty remarks as was often the case when a group of strong, beautiful women was thrown together. Crystal led the ladies into a hallway on the ground floor of the building to show them their bedrooms.

"Unfortunately, there are only two rooms left, if you two don't mind sharing?" she requested tactfully.

“No problem, thank you, Crystal,” Mieke smiled and went into one of the rooms to put down her small valise. Cheryl was the quieter one, only smiling. She was carrying a backpack and a large handbag.

“What about Zain and Sibu?” Crystal asked Nina, who came to call them for some wine and hors d’oeuvres on the patio.

“Oh, Purdue is showing them to their room around the corner by the master suite,” Crystal told her.

“Well, hurry up, ladies,” Nina warned, rolling her eyes. “You are about to see a Scotsman hosting his first braai!”

“This I have got to see,” Cheryl laughed, with much agreement from the others. Laughing and speculating, the women stumbled curiously along the hallway to the living room where the sliding doors would display the hilarity. Purdue, Sam, Zain, and Sibu stood around the impressive fire, each nursing a beer.

“Castle Lager, ladies?” Sibu shouted.

“I’ll have one,” Cheryl giggled.

“I’ll stick to what I know, thank you,” Nina announced. “And what I know is that I do not end up behaving very ladylike on beer. Crystal, wine?”

Crystal nodded enthusiastically. “Me too, please,” Mieke chipped in. She joined Nina in bringing the wine and glasses outside to the garden table. The sun had set, but the orange horizon held on to the daylight as the wind settled down into a gentle breeze. The sea rushed in the background as the group acquainted themselves with each one’s capacity on the expedition and background.

“Cheryl, you worked for Dr. Malgas before?” Crystal asked. “Why did you leave?”

It was an honest question, but it was one Cheryl had not expected. Especially Mieke could not wait to hear what her predecessor was going to say, and it made Cheryl extremely uncomfortable. There was no denying that she felt intimidated by the buoyant Mieke, who had replaced her.

"I… I fell ill. Unfortunately, I could not continue assisting Dr. Malgas because I was absent so often," she explained.

“That’s horrible. You have fully recovered, I assume?” Crystal asked, and Cheryl confirmed with a nod.

“Really?” Mieke asked plainly. “I heard you left because you were a heroin addict.”

Nina and Crystal sat speechless, exchanging silent looks as Cheryl and Mieke stared each down.

“That is behind me now,” Cheryl said, adamant on maintaining appearances.

“That’s great,” Mieke smiled sardonically. “Because that kind of dependence is dangerous. Keeps you from being… vigilant.”