Page 15 of Drowning in Sins
It also took a bit longer than we calculated, but we wanted to be extra careful. After it was finally secured and connected, we swam from the wreckage. A cold current wrapped around us, and the shadows stretched wider. I glanced at Tyler just in time to feel the current sweep under us and pick up.
He reached for my hand, then pointed up. I nodded and kicked my legs as we got caught up in part of the current. The AUV swam by us, and we grabbed the handles as it powered through the current and traveled up and above it.
It should’ve gotten brighter and warmer the closer we got to the surface, but it didn’t. Once my head was above the surface, I realized why. A storm had come out of nowhere. Like an omen,something was different about these waters. The first strike of lightning had me jumping as I swam.
Tyler and I moved quickly to the platform and climbed up and onto the deck. We deposited our gear and turned around to see the others guiding the AUV and chest in behind us.
“We got it!” Bryan shouted as the rain started to come down.
Everyone moved fast—no time to think. The platform was pulled back up and securely closed. We dropped the gear off in the storage room and moved up to the deck where they covered and tied down the AUV.
The ship rocked unsteadily, and my hands gripped the railing. Between the rain and the waves, everyone was holding on to lessen the danger of slippery feet.
I wanted to help but wasn’t sure what to do. This wasn’t something I trained for. All I could do was nervously grind my teeth until I saw the first wave crash over the side of the ship.
Kai yelled from above in the control room for everyone to get inside. A chill filled the air with the storm, and my teeth chattered as I made my way inside the room with the others. Blankets were passed around for us to warm up as we made our way down to get into dry clothes.
I had a feeling this wouldn’t be the last time a storm took us by surprise. We were just getting started.
Chapter Fourteen
KAI
Eavesdropping wasn’t something I liked to do. In fact, I avoided others more often than not, so I wouldn’t have to be part of their drama. Being out on the sea had a way of reminding us how small we really were. Maybe that was why I preferred the company of fish. However, being on a ship, stuck with others for extended periods of time, will remind you how easy it is to be swept up in conversations.
I did my best to ignore the research team below. Their voices carried though. I was sure that was part of why I had to sign an NDA with the Jones Maritime Collective when I was hired.
We’d be docking soon, and they were already making a plan for when we left port again in a few days. I only caught snippets of their chat. They mentioned something about the shipwreck missing half. It wasn’t news to me. People had come from all over years ago to search for it before scientists determined the missing piece of it had been destroyed by the elements on its way to the sea floor.
A small part of me wanted to remind the research team of this, but the bigger part of me wanted to see if they thought therewas more to that story. What other secrets could the depths of the ocean be hiding?
The sun was halfway across the sky as we slowed and coasted into the docks. It would soon disappear on the other side of the mountain before setting completely.
We got tied down and set up the ramp in no time. I nodded to everyone as they stepped off the boat. Some left in conversation; most left in silence.
Rosalyn was the last of the research team to leave. I watched as she shouldered her bag and glanced back out to sea before turning to find me observing her.
“Ros?” I tilted my head. Was she okay?
“Sorry?” She shook her head and switched her bag to her other arm.
“You all right?”
“Not the best night of sleep.” She forced a smile on her face. She glanced back at the sea again before approaching the ramp, like she wasn’t sure if she wanted to go back on land. I knew that feeling all too well.
“Storms will do that. Enjoy a few days on land.”
She nodded and stepped down the ramp and onto the dock.
Frederick left in a hurry, ignoring any attempt at conversation with me. I still wasn’t sure why he was here. What had my father said that convinced him to come back out?
Joe was the last to leave theMaribeth. He helped me bag up the sheets and sit it all out on the dock. I paid one of the kids to take it to be laundered and dropped back off on the deck for me to worry about tomorrow. There was a covered area that would protect it if it rained before I was able to carry it inside.
It rained here just about every day. It was normal and why the air smelled as sweet as it did, our own little rainforest. Sometimes, it would pour for hours, while other times, it would only drizzle for a few minutes.
I hated putting things off and normally took care of everything after the crew left so I could then enjoy a true day off by doing nothing. But this time, I left right behind everyone else—maybe because of the fact that Joe and Frederick knew what they were doing, so I didn’t have to go behind them to fix things. I didn’t have a long checklist of things to do for once, and it was refreshing. A perfect opportunity for the break the next few days would bring. A chance to visit with old friends and enjoy a few drinks. No distractions.
The sun was starting to set as I entered the Sunkissed Bar and Grill. I made my way up to the bar and slid onto one of the tall wooden stools. This place wasn’t known to most tourists, since it was far enough from the main road and busier parts of the beach. Sunkissed Bar and Grill had been one of my favorite places since before I was old enough to drink.
