“You would like us to check out the place tomorrow morning, right?”
“That’s the idea. We do not need a magnet, we have the technology and if we see something, you dive directly with the suits. Those are hardly strangers. Many treasure hunters work around. Entire families make a living that way.”
“Oh, how I wish to get an antique amphora sealed with vintage wine,” dreamt Gosho, and poured more of his in the glasses.
At dawn, the boat approached the place. Valeri watched the sonar very carefully and at one point stopped the ship and dropped anchor.
“Equip yourselves, it’s time for a bath.”
“Did you found the treasure of King Solomon?”
“I do not know whose treasure it is, but there is something. Take a metal detector with you. The depth is eight meters.”
“”Vasco, I’m with the harpoon. You get it!” The Ninth said.
Ivan and Fantomas put on the swimming suits and went down to the seabed. After a few moments, they emerged and boarded the ship…
“The bottom below us is sand, slightly aside are cliffs. At one space, there were broken amphoras, pottery or something. The detector didn’t find anything.”
At that moment, a motor boat was heard. The two hunters had approached the vessel. One of them shouted, “Hey, who are you? Are you pulling shells? Who are you working for? You know that this is the territory of Mityo “The Eyes”?”
Gosho bent overboard, with a bottle of mint in hand. He knew the scums, “Oooh, Seagull, haven’t jammed a fishbone in your throat yet?”
Seagull turned to his friend on the boat, “Hey, it’s Bazil, with whom illegally exported on the Turkish boats, turbot,” and then he turned his head happily to Gosho. “If you’re here, there will be a gain. There are legends about you.”
After quick advising, Valeri descended the ladder, and both men joined them on the ship. A bottle of rum began to spin from hand to hand.
“I noticed you are using a magnet for extraction of metals. Anything interesting out there?” Interested young Parlatov.
“There is. We haven’t left hungry. Why are you asking?”
“We can be of mutually benefit. You with information, we with equipment.”
Seagull violently laughed and added, “There is enough water, the sea is big. There is certainly a sunken ship around here, according to what we have pulled.”
“Two more or less… There will be enough for everybody,” said Ivan.
“Thirty percent for us, after all, we were the ones who found the place. And we have an annual contribution to "The Eyes".”
“Well, thirty it is. Let’s see what lies beneath that, curiosity has come over me. You are saying a ship is there? That sounds profitable, but what is it?
The other looter, "Pantata", explained, “In some places, it is five to ten meters deep and is filled with underwater rocks. Apparently, the ship must have crashed into pieces there during a storm, as we can see only debris. When I descended to the bottom, I found whole amphoras apart of the broken. Yesterday we threw the magnet, and it stuck to something very heavy. I went down the rope to the bottom and saw that it was stuck on a top, stuck between the rocks. This told us that the ship is most likely from around the XVI century.”
“Let’s go get this top out then and look around it,” pleased Fantomas invited them.
After some wandering, the underwater scanner found the place. Then Pantata dressed the neoprene and dropped into the water. Bazil handed a wire rope with a hook connected to the winch at the end, to help pull the cannon. Divers went down to the bottom and saw him. While Ivan and his new friend curled the rope, Vasco crawled around with the metal detector. The winch began to pull slowly, and the two divers surfaced. Once they got it on deck, with interest stared at him.
At one time, Valeri asked, “Where is Vasco?”
“Shit, maybe the sharks ate him!” Pisco, still pessimistic, approached the situation. “God rest the soul of my brother!”
“Don’t joke like that. He is probably looking for antiques at the bottom. We’ll wait another five minutes until his air is almost out.”
Ivan had not yet finished when his friend emerged. He removed his glasses and happily showed something in his hand, “We hit the jackpot in this place. I found a gold coin.”
“Whose is it, can you check?”
“I have no idea, I see only the year 1579.”
“Get on board to look at it.”
Fantomas handed the coin to Valeri, and he stared at him, “It looks like a Venetian ducat. Let’s call my father on skype, he will tell us what we’re dealing with.”
Contacted Parlatov…
“What’s up, father? Something new?”
“I’m still looking for information in Tarnovo archives about the shamans. What’s new with you?”
“We are on an expedition, and we have come across some interesting findings. Can you look at them and give your expertise?”
“Let me see, what is this all about!”
His son turned the laptop to the cannon and then showed him the coin from both sides.
“Where did you find that?”
“North of Sozopol.”
The professor shook his head, “So I assumed. Venetian ducat is a coin of Doge Nicholas De Ponte from 1579, and the cannon is from a pirate ship of Donskoy and Zaporozhsky Cossacks. According to the writings of an unknown monk found in the archives of the monastery "St. Anastasia", it says that in the summer of 1623, Cossack pirates ravaged Ahtopol, then plundered the monastery on the island against Sozopol. Then they sailed for Mesemvria , which is present-day Nessebar, but a storm appeared on the road, and 17 vessels loaded with untold riches sank. In the Ottoman Empire circulated quite some Western European coins and in various diggings right in those places around Sozopol are found not only Venetian ducats but Spanish reals and others. So you’ve probably encountered one of these shipwrecks. Success in the venture, hope you find more.”
The sea wolves were inspired by the good news and started to work. Vasco continued to seek with the metal detector, and Ivan and Pantata began to perambulate the sandy bottom and clean around with the air device, looking for antiques.
They spent several days in this place until were sure enough that everything was found. The ship docked at Sozopol and Seagull called the buyer who would pay them on-site for the findings. The group divided the money, as they had agreed. Everyone was happy but tired. The looters took on their way, and the treasure hunters went home to Varna.
Chapter VI
The return of the Professor
One hot summer day, Parlatov appeared in the villa with a folder in hand,
“It’s complicated.”
“Did you find something, Professor?”
The old man made a fresh juice from grapefruit, shifted comfortable on the leather chair in the dining room and began explaining, “In the fifties of the XIX century, the Turkish authorities and Russian archaeologists were doing excavations in eastern Bulgaria when it was still under Ottoman rule. Even then, people were looking for the disc. However, another Russian-Turkish War broke out in 1853, known as the Crimean, and all the Russians left the Ottoman Empire, carrying their findings with them. In the early 70’s, though, the German jew, Baron Maurice de Hirsch, takes on concession on the British railroads in Bulgaria as a cover, but he actually conducted new excavations in search of the disc. The railway, the first on Bulgarian territory, linking Ruse and Varna, which the British built, was constructed with stones from ancient Pliska, which, as you know, was the capital of Bulgaria after the VII century. This baron was among the richest people on the planet, with huge ties to the Jewish world, and a member of several banks, so he was sufficiently enlightened on the issue. He directly dictated the history. He bought land in Argentina and Palestine, without people knowing his purpose. At one point, Jews were settled there, and things clarified. The archives I managed to lay hands on thanks to a friend from Berlin made me think that the Baron was on the r
ight track. As every archaeologist, he led a diary for the diggings. What we need to do is get that book.”
“Where is this journal?” Interrupted Pisco.
“The diary is in obscurity, because if it were discovered, we would not be looking for the disc now. But in that folder, I’ve followed his whole life, property, family, addresses, etc., so we need to look more closely to identify its possible locations and visit them. It will probably be hidden in one of his houses.”
“The way you explained this new information, it will be easier to find the disk by circling all the caves than finding the diary in this Hirsch,” frowning Ivan intervened. “Who knows what schemes we will have to join.”
“"Elementary, my dear Watson". The truth lies in this folder. I’ve not collected those materials for nothing. With knowledge, information and logical thinking, everything can be revealed. We will use several methods that help the brain think faster.”
“So pour me a whiskey too!”
“I’m not talking about whiskey, Pisco. Somebody should go get chewing gums. It has been proved that when a person chews, his brain works more intensively. In addition, you need to think on an empty stomach because food leads to unnecessary brain activity needed to process it. Well, some amphetamines won’t hurt too, if someone has. They help focus,” followed laughter.
“What we know about the Baron: Born in 1831 in Munich, later lived in France, England, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, where he died in 1896 in the town of Nové Zámky, nowadays Slovakia. It’s located 26km north of the Danube River and the border with Hungary…”
After several hours of chewing gums and reviewing hundreds of documents, Valeri, visibly starving, ran to the kitchen and returned gnawing a piece of salami.
“I found something interesting!”
“What? That you can not think on an empty stomach?”
“Not only that! Baron Hirsch had a personal Jew butler, for whom he built a house near his in Slovakia. He was present at the death of the Baron and his wife three years later in Paris. Since their son died much earlier, and the other was adopted and very young, I think that this Butler got the diary because he was very close to the family. His grandson was in the death camps in Poland during World War II. He miraculously remained alive and moved to New York. The grand grandson of the Butler is 58 yeards old today. He inherited the old house in Slovakia, which was renovated and gets rented from time to time. My conclusion is that what we seek is hidden there. The journal must have been left hidden between the walls of the house. Most likely in a secret place. We have yet to see.”
Fantomas stared at the documents he had read, “What the fuck have I been watching so far? Where are those things written?”
The Professor was squishing his ear as usual with two fingers, thoughtful, “I was thinking in that direction too. It is best to check this clue.”
“Look, stop weeping like a widow for a dick and let’s call Natasha and Tiberius, they need to do some work too. I doubt they will have a problem finding this person in New York.”
The Ninth dialed and explained the situation. The Mason on the other side agreed to check it, and said that they would inform them.
Chapter VII
The Diamond
Tiberius hired a detective, gave the name of the person he sought and, a week later, received a full report with pictures and everything.
“Isaiah lives on 5th Avenue in an expensive apartment, here I’ve written the address. He drives a black BMW 7th series, 2016, a classical smart ass. In certain circles, he is known under the name "Diamond" because he deals with illegally selling diamonds exported from South America.”
Early morning, the black Maybach stopped in front of the building on 5th Avenue. The driver walked briskly and opened the door from which descended Natasha Nikolaevna. The doorman opened the door, and she walked up to the reception.
“Good morning, Miss. Who should I tell about your visit?”
“Apartment 9, Isaiah.”
Dressed as a penguin, the young man energetically dialed the number.
“Good morning, Mr. Dreyfus. You have a visitor.”
“I’m not expecting anyone,” he answered dryly, still sleepy. “Who is it?”
“For whom should I take the message?” The receptionist asked.
“Countess Nikolaevna.”
The young man said the name and the Jew bit his lower lip, thinking about the jobs he had done recently.
“Let her in.”
The Lady was greeted in the luxury suite. Isaiah made tea, and they sat on the leather furniture.
“To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?”
“I have an offer for you, Mr. Dreyfus. Your house in Slovakia is of interest to me. I learned that you are renting the place. My father, who is from an old Jewish family, already of age, wants to write his autobiography in peace. This is my business card, and my offer is six hundred thousand dollars. Call me if you decide to sell.”
Isaiah thought again, "Recently deals do not go well, and I’m bad with money. Six hundred thousand is a lot for a house that is worth a maximum of four hundred thousand. Interestingly, why do they offer so much money? On the other hand, if I slow things, I can miss the perfect deal for me. Whatever is out there, now is the time. With these funds, I will renew my business. They come straight from heaven. Anyways, I do not intend to live in Slovakia."
“We can make the deal immediately, provided that the costs are paid by you.”
“Of course,” Natasha smiled. They shook hands and arranged the flight for Slovakia.
Half an hour after the Countess left Isaiah’s home, the receptionist told him that two gentlemen wanted to see him.
“Let them come.”
"I hope they offer me another deal!" Mused the "Diamond".
While opening the door, he got punched in the face. From the force of the impact, he lost his balance and fell on his back on the furniture. Both African-Americans with gold chains on their necks, tattoos, gold teeth and generally typical gangsters closed the door and sat on the leather sofa.
One made himself a line with his credit card and snorted the cocaine with a hundred dollar bill.
“Hey, Diamonds, what’s going on? The ten thousand dollars should have been paid yesterday! Because you are regular and this is your first delay, we won’t chop anything from you today. But the Cobra, because he is a good man, wants you to pay a hundred dollars per day interest. It’s in your interest to do it faster.”
Тhe drugged one lifted his head and with misty eyes looked at him, “And the interest has a deadline. Within thirty days, you either pay or merge with the cosmic energy.”
Diamond rose, poured himself a glass of whiskey, wiped the blood from his face, took a single breath and turned to his guests, “Hey, you were such assholes! When have I not paid and who do you think I am?”
Isaiah dialed a number on the phone, “Hello, Cobra, what’s this circus, are we losing trust now? Interest is interest. Naturally, I will pay. Everyone lives of something. I know what the rules are, I’m waiting for some money. I always pay, no need to send some animals to wake me up early in the morning!”
“Yes, yes, let me hear them,” the Jew held out the phone. “It’s for you!”
“"Curly" didn’t you see in the list that you had to refer more particularly towards the Jew? I hope you didn’t break or cut anything on him!”
“What are you talking about, bossman? I only hit him once in the mug. We did not cut anything. What do you want, to sing him a lullaby?”
“Go to the other addresses, leave his place.”
“Okay, bro, we are on our way.”
Chapter VIII
The Screwing
A week later, Natasha called Ivan, “Hello, how are you? Did you relax from the last voyage? Are you ready for new adventures? Because the house is already ours. I bought it. Catch the plane, we are waiting for you.”
“You act fast, congratulations for the acquisition. I hope it was worth it
. I will tell the others to pack. I haven’t been in Slovakia, I guess I will visit her too. We’ll keep in touch, bye for now.”
The Ninth hung up the phone and began to organize things. Hearing the news, the professor pulled his ear more cheerful than usual. He clapped his hands and said, “I love potato salad with mayonnaise,” the old man walked towards the kitchen with a quick step.
“Where is the wacko going?”
“As he said, for salad.”
“He is totally crazy.”
“Nothing new under the sun.”
“Better to use it as appetizers for the vodka. Ha ha ha, now I know what bowl he will eat...”
A few days later, the rented car from the airport stopped in front the door in Nové Zámky. The group descended to stretch their legs after the long journey.
“It is not bad here,” Pisco looked around the stone fence. “And there is a big yard with lots of trees. We can breed truffles here too.”
Two hundred meters away stood a two-story stone house belonging to the old butler in a typical bourgeois style preserved even after the renovation. The big door opened, and Natasha met them, smiling. Valeri made his way through the group and came out first in front to greet her with a bouquet of flowers in hand.
“Come, you can settle. The house is large and has a basement. It seems to me that a lot of secrets are hidden here.”
They crossed the door and entered the yard. Aside of the aisle, covered in stone were situated benches and a gazebo. At the end in front of them stood the house. The entrance was vaulted from the terrace on the second floor, leaning on columns in the Corinthian style. On either side of this entry were stone steps leading up, aside with railings. Left from the central terrace, there was a second one ending with a dome. It was shaped by columns with marble railing. Triangular pediment in the center of the roof resembled a pyramid with an eye.
Everyone chose a room, sat down, put their bags and gathered in the living room for breakfast to discuss. The group woke up with a cup of coffee with a Vienna muffin and the time came to examine the old house in detail. They started with the mysterious ceiling. Using flashlights to light it, they found nothing but large cobwebs and an old chair. The hunters touched the walls, checked the wooden beams, looking for niches, turned the chair and thoroughly checked the ceiling. Having been convinced that the notebook was not there, they went downstairs. The rooms were quickly examined because they were almost empty. Only the library was hard for them. The group had to check it out more thoroughly, book by book. The wooden shelves were also of interest.
Treasure Hunters: Secrets Of The Shaman (Adventure Novel) (The Lost Temple Book 2) Page 3
