by Suzanne Rock
“Here.” Caine tossed her a bottle.
“What's this?”
“Sunscreen. It's supposed to be hot today, and we wouldn't want you to get that beautiful skin burnt.”
Rex made choking noises form the wheel of the boat. “Will you two knock it off? I still don't think—”
“She's coming,” Caine said as he sat down next to her. “And we've already discussed this. Where I go, she goes. She's with us one hundred percent.”
Jenna started to disagree—she had never agreed to be part of something so shady—but then Caine slid his arm around her shoulders, scattering her thoughts. Rex made a disgusted noise and pressed the accelerator.
While Caine’s self-assurance irritated her, Jenna refused to let it show. Instead, she closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh sea air, determined to enjoy the moment. Once she was back on the mainland, there wouldn’t be any more opportunities to go diving. She had to create enough memories in the next few hours to last a lifetime.
The motor on the boat made it difficult for conversation, and Jenna used the opportunity to take in everything around her. She missed being out on the water much more than she had realized. As they made their way to the shipwreck, memories of her mother rose to the surface. She remembered her bird-like laugh, and how her eyes would twinkle every time they took out a new group of tourists. Jenna loved those excursions in St. Lucia as much as she did. It was such a shame that part of her life had to be left behind.
“Here we are,” Rex said.
Jenna opened her eyes and found Caine looking at her. “What?” she asked.
“You.” He grinned. “You haven't changed a bit from when we used to do this in St. Lucia.”
“I've changed quite a bit.” She pushed off the seat and glanced at their surroundings. They had traveled to the far side of the island. The rock formations formed another inlet here, but only the top-most sections of rock poked through the surface of the water. Jenna could easily imagine a ship getting caught up in the semicircle of rocks if the captain wasn't paying attention.
“You ready?” Caine asked.
She turned and found him standing there with some of the supplies. “Who's going to stay with the boat?” Someone had to stay at the surface, just in case they ran into any problems.
“Rex will stay, won't you, buddy?”
Rex waved his hand in the air and opened a beer. “Yeah, I'll be here.”
Caine turned back to her. “You see?”
“So all I have to do is swim along this rock formation and you'll leave me alone?” she asked.
“That's it.”
She grabbed the gage from his hand. “Okay, let's do it.”
It didn't take them long to get ready. Jenna and Rex were similar in size and it didn't take long before Jenna fell into the familiar steps of checking the equipment and putting on her gear. There was a certain familiarity to the process that she found comforting. It was almost as if she was reuniting with an old friend.
After she and Caine checked their equipment. Caine showed her the maps both he and Rex had made of the area. “This is what we've already done,” he said, waving his fingers over an area south of the boat. “And this is what we have left to do.” He indicated the spot where they would be exploring. “Do you remember the hand signals?”
She used one hand to point at both of her eyes, then pointed at her chest.
“Look at you,” he said.
She nodded and motioned the signs for “down,” “safety check,” and “slow down.”
Caine made a circle with his thumb and index finger, telling her “okay.” He then motioned to her that they were to stay close together while underwater.
“Will you two get going already?” Rex asked.
Caine chuckled as he put on his mask and sat on the side of the boat. Jenna mirrored his movements and moments later they were both underwater.
Jenna followed him to the site, her muscles remembering the familiar motions. Down and down they went, stopping at regular intervals to do safety checks and to adjust to the change in pressure. As they approached the wreckage, Jenna's heart began to beat faster. The place was even more beautiful than she had ever imagined.
The ship looked as if it was frozen in time. It was only in parts now, the large hull really the only thing still preserved. Schools of fish swam in and out of the wreckage, and plant life wove in and out of the holes. Caine motioned her to follow him, and they swam close to the site. He pointed to a sea turtle, similar to the ones she had seen in the pictures at the castle. It was large and majestic, and reminded her of the wildlife she saw on her diving expeditions on St. Lucia. She clapped her hands and grinned like a schoolgirl. She could be sure, but she thought that Caine smiled, too.
He showed her the large kelp plants, and the gorgeous shells of the conch. As they made their way down to the ocean floor, he showed her the marker Rex had placed yesterday, and how to shift the sand so as not to disturb the artifacts. He handed her a bag and motioned her to pick up anything she felt was interesting. He then moved to a short distance away to begin scavenging on his own.
They worked in companionable silence for a time, Jenna watching the world around her more than working. She was so amazed by the rich wildlife, much of which she thought couldn't survive outside the Caribbean waters. Odd that such colorful plants could be found this far north. She wondered if they were caught in a warm current or something that allowed the plants and fish here to survive.
Time passed slowly under the water, and Jenna felt almost as if she was in another world. Things were so peaceful here, so different from her life in Chicago. Her chest squeezed as she thought about how much she had lost and knew it was unfair to blame Caine for all of her troubles. She had known that her mother wasn't well, but chose to ignore the symptoms of her cancer. If she had been more vigilant, she would’ve taken more control of the business and sent her mother to be checked out long before she ended up in the hospital.
She watched Caine work and realized that he was in his element. Part of her was jealous that he was able to do this for a living. She hated working for Celeste, and hated servicing clients even more. She longed for the days when she was free to roam the waters again.
Caine tapped his equipment and made the signal that he was low on air. Jenna checked her tank and realized that she was low as well. She motioned Caine to return to the boat and turned toward the surface of the water.
As they were leaving, a flash of light caught her eye. Jenna swam toward it and saw something sticking up out of the wreckage and plant life. Motioning Caine to wait up, she tried to sift through the sand and retrieve the item.
Caine swam toward her and tugged on her arm. When she looked up, he signaled for the surface once more. She shook her head and pointed at the item. He motioned her to leave it, but she couldn't be swayed. She didn't know what the piece was, but it called to her, and she felt a strange compulsion to retrieve it. It was important, she could feel it in her bones, so she ignored Caine's request to return to the surface and began sifting the sand once more.
Caine grabbed her again and began to drag her away. Jenna fought him until she broke free from his iron-like grip. She swam toward the item, desperate to pull it from the wreckage. If only she could get her fingers around it...
Caine shoved her out of the way and went after the item. Within seconds he pulled it out of the sand. It looked like a small figurine, but at this depth in the water, she couldn’t make out much more. Jenna grinned as Caine put it into his bag. It was her first real find. She could hardly wait to get back to the ship to examine it.
Caine grabbed her hand and dragged her back toward the surface, stopping at regular intervals to adjust to the change in pressure. On the last drive toward the surface, Jenna looked up and noticed that the sun was reflecting off the water in much the same way as the sconces reflected color in the foyer when she had first arrived. She began to feel a little disoriented. Her grip on Caine's hand became weaker, and the
world around her began spinning. She signaled Caine to wait, but he only pulled harder. The quicker they moved, the sicker she felt. He kept swimming and swimming, moving faster toward the surface of the water. Jenna ground her teeth as her ears began to ache. Alternobaric Vertigo. She had seen others experience the common diving sickness but had never experienced it herself.
All too soon they broke through the surface and into the sun. Caine ripped off both of their masks and stared at her with wide eyes.
“Are you okay?”
“I-yeah. Just a minute.” Jenna closed her eyes and took deep breaths until the dizziness subsided. “I think I rose too quickly to the surface. My ears didn’t have a chance to adjust.”
“God damn it, Jenna. I’m sorry, but I told you we were low on air. Why didn’t you listen to me?”
“I thought I knew what I was doing.”
“At some point, Jenna, you’re going to have to trust me.” Caine’s strong arms came around her as he held her above water. “Here, let’s get you back to the boat.”
“Did you see it?” she asked after they climbed back into the boat with Rex.
“See what?” Rex asked as Caine took off his gear.
“The artifact? I have never seen an artifact so big before—and it looked to be intact, too.” She turned to Caine. “That’s rare, isn't it?”
“It is.” Caine dropped the sack at her feet. “Come on, let’s have a look.”
Caine fell down onto his knees beside Jenna and watched as the artifacts poured out. In amongst the small coins, pieces of pottery, and arrowheads was the figurine.
“Do you think it's important?” Jenna asked.
Caine examined the find. The small statue was of an angel, praying. The white porcelain had faded with age, but it made it no less beautiful. Caine turned it over in his hands, brushing off the sand and inspecting it as he tried to make an assessment.
“Give me that.” Rex grabbed the artifact and turned it over. He narrowed his gaze at the bottom as he examined the artwork. After a few moments, he looked up and grinned at Caine. “We've got it.”
“Got what?” Jenna asked.
Caine stood and took the figurine from Rex. “The puzzle piece that puts all of this together.”
“What are you talking about?”
Caine turned over the angel and stared at the bottom. Engraved on the underside were two little letters. If they weren't looking for them, then the might have missed it.
“This.” Caine showed her the bottom of the figurine.”
“FB,” she read. “I don't get it.”
“It's the friar's initials.”
Caine explained to her how they thought that the ship might have carried the famous Spanish friar.
Jenna stood and ran her fingers over the porcelain finish. “Wow. The Master of the Island is going to be thrilled.”
“He's not going to know,” Rex said as he grabbed the angel from her hands.
“You don't seriously think you're going to sell this stuff now,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “This could be a huge historic find. These artifacts belong in a museum.” She turned to Caine. “You have to tell Mr. Vardalos. He's paying you. He's been paying you for months to excavate this site. These artifacts are his.”
“Fucking woman,” Rex said.
Jenna glared at Rex. “Excuse me?”
Rex ignored her protest and focused on Caine. “You want to know why I took your goodbye note? This was why.” He waved his hand in Jenna's direction. “You never should have sent for her, Caine. Women are nothing but trouble.”
“It was you.” Jenna took a step forward.
“What?” Rex asked.
“Caine was telling me the truth. He really did leave me a note. You took it.”
“Damn straight.”
Caine watched the argument play out before him, as if watching some terrible movie. He wanted to stop it but couldn’t find his voice.
Jenna crossed her arms. “And you were the one who took the money.”
Rex put on his sunglasses. “I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Oh, I think you do.” She took another step forward. “You were close to my mother and probably coerced her into telling you our bank information. You also went with Caine to the bank that day and watched him deposit the money. You probably went back hours later and took it.”
Instead of answering, Rex turned to Caine. “Do you hear this? She's attacking me. Unprovoked, I might add.”
Caine tried to answer, but the words wouldn’t come. He had tried so hard to please both Jenna and Rex, and now everything was blowing up in his face.
When Caine didn't answer, he shook his head. “Fuck, Caine. This is what women do, don't you get it? They make you lose focus and turn you against your friends.”
“No Rex, you've done that all on your own,” Jenna said.
Rex turned to Caine. “Could you at least back me up here, man? You have to back me up here. We’re buddies and blood. You owe me.”
Caine steeled his jaw as he remembered that fateful night when Rex had broken his leg. Rex was right, Caine did owe him, but he had been paying that debt for over a year. He could see now that he’d never repay Rex, at least not in Rex's mind. His cousin would use his injury to keep Caine involved in his crazy schemes.
As Caine looked from Jenna to Rex and back again, everything became clear. He had lost Jenna once. He couldn't lose her again—not for any price.
“She's right, Rex.”
“What?”
“It isn't right to steal from the guy who's been funding us.”
“But it was your idea!” Rex shouted.
Jenna stared at Caine with wide eyes. “Is that true, Caine? Was it your idea?”
Caine rubbed the back of his neck. “Yes, it was. Although at the time I came up with the idea, I didn't realize the significance of the find. I was only thinking about the money.” He took her hands. “I've since learned that there is more to life than money—much more.” He inched closer. “Will you forgive me?”
“Oh, for crying out loud.” The motor revved up as he turned on the boat. “Let's get out of here.”
Caine and Jenna fell into their seats as Rex sped along the water.
“Are you okay?” Caine yelled over the motor.
Jenna nodded and leaned in close so that he could hear. “This was the Caine I knew in St. Lucia,” she said.
He slid his arm around her shoulders and was surprised with how right it felt. “He's back, Jenna, if you want him.”
“I do.” She tucked her head under his arm as they sped back to the island. The ride itself was quiet, since the motor was too loud to allow for much talking. Caine used the time to think. He knew that Rex was disappointed in him, but Caine felt that with time, he'd understand. Jenna had been right all along. He was just too thick-headed to see it. There was something very wrong about stealing from the man who had been taking care of them for months.
Besides, even if they could manage to get away with the treasure, there was no guarantee they wouldn't get in trouble. If the artifacts did have the large historical significance Caine suspected, then it would be difficult to sell them and not raise red flags. They’d eventually be caught, and then they'd have a lot of explaining to do.
Caine also knew that the drama would never end with Rex. He loved diving, but not in the same way as Jenna and Caine loved diving. Rex was always chasing the next dollar, the next big adventure. He never really appreciated the beauty of the water, or the life and history it contained.
Rex pulled up to the dock and Caine helped him tie off the boat. After they took care of all of the equipment, Jenna picked up the bag of artifacts.
“Oh no you don’t, missy,” Rex said as he took the bag away from her. “Those aren't yours.”
“No, they belong to the Master of the Island. I was going to return them.”
“Like hell you are. Those trinkets are going to get me a lot of money.”
�
�Rex,” Caine said. “She's right. We can't do this.”
“We can and we will.” He got back into the boat, leaving Jenna and Caine on the dock. “The woman is warping your brain, Caine. Until you see things straight, I'm going to take these for some safekeeping.”
“Rex,” Caine crouched low and put his hand over Rex’s as his cousin attempted to untie the boat. “Don't do anything stupid.”
Rex glanced at Jenna, then turned back to Caine. “Watch yourself,” Rex whispered. “She could be trying to make off with the goods.”
“Jenna wouldn’t do that.”
“How would you know?”
“I just know.”
Rex pressed his lips together for a moment in thought. “I'm going to talk to the prince.”
“What?”
“The prince. That rich bastard that came onto the island a few days ago. I'm going to see if he's interested in the artifacts. If he is, then we could be done with this by the end of the week.” He pulled his hands out from under Caine’s and finished untying the boat. “If it works out, I'll text you with the location of the drop-off. We’ll make a clean getaway under the cover of night. By the time people figure out what happened, we’ll be long gone.”
“Mr. Vardalos will come after us.”
Rex made face of disgust. “Please, the man has more money than God. He's not going to bother with small stuff like us.”
“I wouldn't be so sure.” Caine glanced up at the castle as an uneasy feeling crept down his spine. “You know as well as I do that weird stuff goes on inside that castle. Otherworldly stuff. It’s almost as if…”
“As if what?”
“Do you ever...do you ever get the feeling that we’re being watched?”
Rex stared at him for a full moment before responding. “You're sick. That's it. You're running a fever. Go home and go to bed. Tomorrow you’ll feel better.” He stepped back onto the boat. “I'm going to go hide these artifacts in a different place than the others and lie low for a while. Once I get things squared away, I'll text you the details. If you care anything about me, you'll meet me in the drop-off location without the girl.”
