Page 13 of Uncharted

“Right. I bet you I have a different description of what the best ‘do-nothing’ day is,” I say, trying to lighten the mood as we move slowly forward.

“Oh, come on, Calvin,” she retorts playfully. Her fingers wrap around my calf.

“This is fine,” I insist, a little defensively. Damn, I would do anything for this woman.

“Fun, even,” adds Zane from behind, his voice a bit muffled. “I’m having a good time.” His tone changes subtly. “But then again, Haley can make any day better.”

I swallow hard. The truth in his words rings. We inch forward, the atmosphere around us shifting subtly.

There’s a breeze picking up from up ahead, ever so slight yet distinctly noticeable. It smells different, feels different—the air carries more humidity. The bottom of the tunnel even feels more sand-like and less gravelly.

“I think we’re finding something. There’s definitely something up ahead,” I say, more to myself than anyone else. “There’s definitely sky up ahead.”

The tunnel we’re in continues forward, narrowing even further. Now I’m army crawling, leading the way. I might not be the best person for this, but I’d never let Haley take the lead. If anyone’s going to tumble into an unknown crevasse, it’ll be me, not her. Not that I’m planning on falling into the ocean today.

My knees are raw from the rugged ground, my palms speckled with little bits of gravel embedded in the skin. But I can still feel Haley’s fingers brushing against my calves every so often, gently propelling me forward.

The tunnel shifts yet again, veering to the left. Now it’s a little brighter, and I’m slithering like a snake. I can finally see my hands in front of my face.

“We’re getting there,” I call out, my voice echoing slightly. There are flashes of sunlight. It fucking hurts my eyes.

“Good, good,” Zane replies, though his voice sounds far away. Given the length of our elongated bodies in this narrow space, he’s probably not even around the last bend yet. He definitely wants this adventure over, but he, like me, would do anything for Haley.

Crawling forward, I come up to a section where a boulder has wedged itself, leaving a tiny sliver of daylight shining between it and the rest of the ceiling. I cock my head sideways, closing one eye to get a clearer view.

It’s the ocean. Haley was right—this tunnel cuts through to the ocean. I can see waves crashing below. Curiously, I cock my head to the left, closing my right eye and using just my left.

And then I see something unexpected out there. “What the fuck is that?” I exclaim, my voice a mix of wonder and apprehension.

“What is it?”

“A fucking boat.” Just the aft is all I can see. I think.

“You’re kidding me?” Her voice rises. “You’re not kidding. What kind of boat?”

I turn my head to the left, closing my right eye again. But all I can see is the aft. “It’s got a swim platform.” I turn my head the other way. But I can’t see anything but the other side of the damn swim platform. And it’s pissing me off.

“Is it the Rock Candy?” Her words come out in heady breaths.

“I... fuck if I know.” Maybe. Probably.

“What other yacht would be sitting on the same island as us?”

I’m both hopeful and fucking fearful. Sam is my friend. I’ve worked with him for years, and honestly, he’s more than my captain. I could have moved on a long time ago. But I didn’t. He’s good people. And we’re all fucking Haley. He can’t have her back. I’ll fight him for what’s ours. Is he alive, even? Damn, I hope so. I don’t like a lot of people, but I like Sam, and his damn dog too.

I have no idea what really happened to the Rock Candy. I’ve been thinking about it for weeks, tumbling it over and over with no evidence. How the hell could I ever get a real answer?

I can’t. Left eye closed. The same view. Right eye closed. Same.

“I want to see.” Haley’s tugging on my calf.

“Hold on. Back up a bit. I want to push on this rock. Maybe I can get a better view.” They do. And I push. And no matter how much I strain against it, I can’t make it budge. It’s just a small sliver.

“Yeah, well, that’s going to be hard. Back it on up.” It takes a minute for us to get to a spot where we can switch positions. Do I want her going in first? Fuck no. The rock didn’t move for me, but that doesn’t mean they can’t move.

“What did you see exactly?” Haley asks.

“The aft of a super yacht. But only this much.” I hold my finger up. We’re still lying on the ground.

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