by J. T. Cross
Now that the old man was on his way to the hospital, she felt relieved and a sudden rush of fatigue overcame her. She went to the rear of the boat and sat down. She closed her eyes for a few moments and then glanced over at Matt, who was leaning against the captain’s chair and staring at the yellow case.
“It’s been a strange day,” she said.
Matt walked back to where she was sitting. “I’ve seen stranger ones.”
“Do you think he’ll make it?” she asked.
Matt shrugged. “He’s on his way to the hospital. They’ll know what to do for him.”
She glanced at the yellow case. “He was scared to death that something might happen to his equipment. I told him we would take care of it until he gets out of the hospital.”
“He doesn’t even know us.”
“He said he trusted me.”
“Well, you did save him from a sinking plane.”
“Nobody drowns on my watch ever again.” she said sharply.
Swallowing hard, she stood and went forward and then down into the cabin. She put on her jeans and shirt and grabbed her purse. When she came back up, she saw that Matt had opened the yellow case and was rifling through its contents.
“Oh my God! Matt, what are you doing? The poor man hasn’t been gone for more than five minutes and you’re already getting into his stuff.”
He gave her an annoyed look. “I’m not going to take anything. I was just wondering what was in here that was so damn valuable. Here, read this,” he said, handing her a spiral notebook he’d opened to what appeared to be two quickly scrawled notes.
She began reading.
To Whom It May Concern,
Please return the contents of this suitcase to The Laboratory for the Study of Anomalous Physics at the University of Arizona. The bearer of this note will be given a $5,000 reward from Annie Woodland upon presentation of this case and all its contents to Dr. Dane Withrow.
Robert Woodland
Dane,
Below the location noted, I have found proof that more than human emotion and intention can change the RNG’s. If I don’t make it, follow up on this. Please! This will clear my reputation.
Robert
After reading the notes, she felt guilty, as if she had violated the old man’s privacy. They didn’t even know his condition yet. She threw the notebook on top of the laptop, pulled the case away from Matt, and slammed the top shut.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m honoring my promise to Robert.”
Putting the case under one arm, she climbed up on the side of the boat, jumped down, and began walking quickly toward the gangway. Rushing up the gangway and onto the cement walkway, she passed by the small guard shack that stood between the parking lot and the docks. Charlie the guard waved at her as she passed by.
She waved back and hurried across the parking lot toward several bungalows, one of which Matt had been on the verge of losing until an influx of cash from her research grant had begun paying the lease. Their bungalow was closest to the docks and overlooked the marina area. She picked up her pace, as she got closer to the small building.
She hurriedly climbed the stairs to a wooden landing and unlocked the front door. She walked a few feet down the main hallway and into her office as she heard the door slam behind her. She quickly closed and locked her office door. Pushing aside some papers, she set the case on her desk. A moment later, she heard knocking.
“Megan! Open up. Let’s talk about this.”
“When Robert gets out of the hospital, he can decide if he wants you to see what’s inside his case.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. He might not even live to reach the hospital.”
Her eyes grew wide. “I can’t believe you said that.”
He knocked on the door again. She ignored it.
“You might want to get on my good side, Megan. You owe me $400 for diesel fuel, or did you forget?”
She could just imagine the pompous look on his face. “That’s a low blow, even for you, Matt. If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t still have the bungalow. I’ll get you the money as soon as my loan goes through.” She was almost close to tears.
“Come on, Megan, you need me.”
“Yeah, like I need the bird flu. Now fly away.”
She waited for several moments and then heard the bungalow door slam. Good. He left, she thought.
She looked around the room. Against the wall to her right was her armoire. It did have a lock. She opened the door. Several stacks of Archaeology Today magazines were jammed onto the top shelf. She pulled them out and stacked them on the floor.
She picked up the yellow case from her desk and sat it in their place. Perfect, she thought as she shut the door. She pulled her keys out of her purse and locked the armoire. Good, that should keep it safe until Robert came to pick it up.
She unlocked her office door and looked out. The hallway was empty so she quickly left the building and locked the door. As she walked out to her car, she suddenly remembered the two sacks of pottery sherds they had left behind after the plane crash. She’d have to wait until Matt calmed down and hopefully find them on the next trip out.
In the parking lot, she climbed in her car and started the engine. She drove out of the lot, turned onto Ocean View, and was soon leaving the harbor area and heading toward her condo. As she drove, she wondered about the old man. Was he a bit addled, or had he really made an earth-shaking discovery?
Beneath the Deep
is available at Amazon Kindle:
Beneath the Deep
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About the Author
One of J.T. Cross’s favorite things to do is to sit in his truck at a nearby lake with his laptop, working on his next novel. He also composes and records music, and enjoys building custom cabinetry.
