by Clay, Verna
Dottie swam behind Jake to a gaping hole caused by rotted timber. With sign language he asked if she wanted to continue into the bowels of the Vittoria. Without hesitation, she signed yes.
Before venturing inside, he switched on a beam of light and instructed Dottie to do the same. She followed him in. Outside the circle of their illumination darkness clutched whatever secrets lay within. Jake paused and shined his light downward.
If possible, Dottie would have gasped. Rusted chests lie tumbled on the sea-eaten hull of the ship where sand had poured through rotted sections. Were the clumps of sand scattered throughout the hull covering more chests? If Collin hadn’t located the Vittoria would the sand have finally obliterated its presence?
Unexpectedly, the panic she'd felt when first entering the water returned. She tried to talk herself out of it, but it only got worse. She started to motion at Jake when a sudden wave of nausea hit and her arms began to tingle, then her legs. She was in serious trouble and she knew it. Knowing that unchecked panic would only worsen her situation, she tried to slow her breathing, but no air came through her mouthpiece.
Now she panicked!
She dropped her light, flailed her arms, and tried to swim toward Jake. Her horror-filled eyes met his and then everything went black.
Chapter 21: Hauling Ass
Collin monitored the electronic equipment and computer screens while the dive took place. The outlines of divers could be seen on sonar. Crutching over to the booth, he slid onto the bench to spread out and study the photos taken of the ship soon after its discovery. He had yet to decide on the best recovery strategy. He'd know more after he studied the photos taken today.
His mind drifted to Dottie and what she must be experiencing at that moment. Tonight they would relax on his patio under a sky littered with stars and he would encourage her to tell him everything she'd seen and felt. They'd sip wine and–"
Wallace, who had entered the cabin after weighing anchor and had been writing in the ship's log, interrupted his musings. "Something's wrong!"
Collin grabbed his crutches and shot off the bench, ignoring the pain in his leg. Wallace pointed to one of the monitors. There were two divers assisting another diver to the surface, and two more hauling ass upward.
Collin ordered, "Get the oxygen and first aid kit. Meet me on the platform."
"Yes, sir."
Collin cursed as he rushed as fast as he could from the control room onto the deck. The rocking of the ship slowed his progress. He'd just reached the platform when two heads popped out of the water. Kate ripped off her mouthpiece and shouted, "Something happened to Dottie!"
Zeke was next to her pulling off his dive gear and handing it to Wallace on the platform. Three more heads popped above the surface and Zeke hastened to help them. Quickly, the crew worked to remove the weights and buoyancy compensator and other equipment from Dottie's limp form. Wallace pulled her onto the platform. Collin's heart stopped. What had happened? She'd completed all of her dive exams, in and out of the water, with flying colors.
Jake and the others lifted themselves onto the deck as Wallace fitted an oxygen mask over Dottie's mouth and nose. Jake pulled her wetsuit down to her waist to perform a physical examination. Collin could hear relief in his voice when he shouted, "Her pulse is strong and she's breathing on her own!"
Collin released the breath he'd been holding.
Dottie moaned and batted at the oxygen mask. Jake said, "Dottie, you're okay. Don't move. Just relax and breathe slowly." He repeated his instructions and she stopped thrashing.
Jake glanced up at Collin, his expression bewildered.
Kate had disappeared inside the control room and now returned carrying a blanket. Jake wrapped it around Dottie and carried her inside. Collin directed that she be brought to his cabin. Everyone worked in unison and soon she was lying in Collin's bed. He sent everyone except Jake away while they undressed her.
Neither man spoke as they efficiently worked to make her comfortable. Pulling the covers to her chin, Collin sat on the edge of the bed stroking her cheek. He said, "Dottie, you're going to be fine. Your body is in shock so we have to keep you warm."
Collin glanced at Jake and motioned him outside. The men entered Jake's cabin, opposite Collin's. Collin ran a hand down his face and rasped, "What the hell happened?"
Jake shook his head. "I wish I knew. Everything was fine one minute, and the next she's flailing and trying to swim toward me. And then…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "…she suddenly went limp. I was replacing her mouthpiece with mine within seconds, but she didn't regain consciousness on the swim up."
Collin and Jake stared at each other. Jake said, "I'll gather her gear so it can be checked out. Peter has never made mistakes before He's always so methodical and double checks everything."
Chapter 22: You Snore
Dottie's eyelids felt as if they were weighted with concrete but she didn't give up on trying to open them. She heard voices. Collin? Jake? Finally, one eye opened and she saw the men standing at the foot of the bed she was in. She tried to say Collin's name, but only a croak came out. It was enough to get his attention, though. Her other eyelid opened and she watched him rush toward her.
He reached to take one of her hands in both of his. "Welcome back, Dottie. We're almost to the dock where an ambulance is waiting. Soon you'll be in the hospital under a doctor's care.
Dottie tried to squeeze Collin's hand. The attempt was feeble but he returned the pressure. Her throat hurt when she rasped, "What happened?"
"We don't know exactly, but it appears something went wrong with your breathing apparatus that made you black out."
Dottie tried to remember. She flashed back on the joy of the dive and then the apprehension she'd suddenly felt, followed by not being able to breathe. Her grip on Collin's hand tightened.
He said softly, "We'll find out what happened." He stroked her forehead and she relaxed, closing her eyes. "Dottie, please try to stay awake."
It was an effort, but she opened her eyes again. Vaguely she was aware of Jake in the room. She made a mental note to later thank him for saving her life.
Although Collin kept up a running conversation, she drifted in and out of sleep. She became alert again when paramedics were taking her vital signs and transferring her to a gurney. Her gaze sought out Collin's. He stepped next to the gurney. "I'm right here. I can't ride in the ambulance, but Jake and I are following it to the hospital.
Dottie nodded. She'd never felt so lethargic.
Within a short time doctors and nurses were hovering and asking questions about any discomfort she was feeling. Then they started testing her ability to see and hear. After that, she was transported to a darkened room and finally allowed to sleep.
Dottie's eyelids again felt weighted, but not as much as before. This time it only took a couple of tries to open them. Although heavy curtains blocked a window she could see daylight streaming around the edges. For several seconds she concentrated on remembering. Her memory returned like a flash flood and the awful realization that if not for Jake, she would be dead. Something had gone horribly wrong at the dive site.
Glancing around a room that was now coming into focus, she saw someone in a chair at the foot of her bed. She squinted and recognized Collin. His elbow was on the arm of the chair with his head resting in his hand. He was slightly snoring. Her voice came out a whisper, "Collin."
He jerked upright looking confused and then focused on her. Before he could say anything, she said softly, "Did you know you snore?"
His concerned expression morphed into a smile. "Who? Me?"
"You should go home and rest."
"I wanted to wait until you woke up."
"I'm feeling stronger by the minute. Do you know what happened?"
Even though the room was in shadow, she could see his frown. "Something went awry with your dive equipment. We're not sure what. Jake is checking into it. We've never had this happen and I can assure you we'll get to the botto
m of it."
Chapter 23: Questions Without Answers
Collin was happy when the doctor released Dottie the next morning. The news media had yet to pick up on the story, so they were able to leave without bombardment. Oliver drove them home and Sandy rushed to assist as soon as they pulled to the front door.
Collin's cell phone rang and he glanced at the ID. "Hello, Jake."
"Hi, Collin. I called the hospital to get a progress report and they said Dottie had already checked out. That's good news."
Collin lowered his voice. "It is, but something in your tone tells me you're not calling with good news."
Jake was silent.
Collin waited.
Finally, Jake admitted, "My news is terrible." He went silent again.
Collin said, "Hold on a minute." He motioned for Sandy and Oliver to take Dottie inside. When he was alone, he said, "Just spit it out, Jake." He heard Jake sigh.
"Dottie's compressor was jimmied with and the Hopcalite filter removed."
"What!" Collin shouted.
"I took the gear to Peter and together we examined it. There's no doubt of foul play."
Collin was so angry he was seeing spots. He forced himself to inhale a calming breath. "I'm calling Detective Aguiar to report this."
Jake said, "Ah, Collin, there's more."
Leaning heavily against his crutches, Collin asked, "Do I need to sit down for this."
"Yeah, buddy, you do."
"Shit! Give me a minute." He maneuvered to a chair on the portico. "Okay. Give it to me straight."
"I, ah, got a call from the NTSB about your plane crash."
"Yeah. And?"
There was momentary silence and then Jake replied, "Your plane was sabotaged."
Collin was too shocked to respond.
Jake waited a few seconds. "Are you still there?"
"What the fuck is going on?" Collin spat.
"I wish I knew. The obvious answer is that someone wants you dead, and now they want Dottie dead, too."
"That's crazy."
"Yeah. I know. About Detective Aguiar, I already called him. He's making this top priority. In fact, he's on his way over to look at the dive equipment and he's bringing a forensic expert. He wasn't happy that I investigated the failure without him, but I never considered it to be premeditated tampering."
"So where do we go from here."
"I think you need to hire security."
"I think you're right." Collin puffed a breath. "How the hell am I supposed to tell Dottie about this?"
Jake didn't respond at first, but then he said, "You’ve got to tell her the truth."
"I will. Check back with me soon." He ended the call and decided to contact Detective Aguiar personally so he could let him know Jake had apprised him of the situation. He scrolled through his contact list until he found J.D. Aguiar. J.D. was with the Key West PD and had solved a missing items case for Collin about five years back when artifacts had gone missing from lockdown at the warehouse. The thief had turned out to be one of the curators hired to document items, and although the case was solved, Collin and Jake had remained friends with J.D.
He called J.D.'s personal number. J.D. answered with his usual direct shot conversation. "I think it's my turn to treat you and Jake to lunch. I've been following your status on the news. The media is having a helluva time locating you. Leave it to you to hide in plain sight."
Collin chuckled, "How's that old saying go: Toss a dog a bone? We've just been tossing false bones to the media."
J.D. grunted and immediately morphed into detective mode. "I spoke with Jake about the latest."
"I know. I just talked to him. I have no idea who the nut is that wants me and Dottie dead."
"Maybe it's more than one person. Maybe the cases aren't related. I've learned to never jump to conclusions."
"You're right. That's why you're the detective."
"Do you want me to come to your house or would you rather meet somewhere?"
"I think you should stop by the house. I just got Dottie home from the hospital. I haven't told her we're targets yet, but I will before you arrive. What time do you think you'll get here?"
"Give me an hour or two. I'm on my way to Divers' Destiny to look at the scuba gear and get it appropriated to my forensic person."
"Okay, J.D. See you soon."
Collin gazed across his property giving himself a few minutes to prepare before breaking the news to Dottie.
There was no one in the living room so he entered the kitchen. Oliver glanced up from pouring a cup of coffee. He said, "Sandy's getting Dottie settled in her room. Is there anything you want me to do?"
"How about pouring me a cup, too?"
"You got it."
Collin leaned his crutches against the island and then propped his hip against it. Oliver set a mug in front of him. Collin ignored the cream Oliver pushed toward him, choosing to sip the brew black. He glanced over the top of his cup to see Oliver frowning at him.
Oliver said, "You okay?"
"Not really. You better sit down while I give you a scoop on the latest."
Oliver slid onto a barstool.
Collin cut to the chase. "Detective Aguiar is coming over in an hour or two."
The crease between Oliver's eyes deepened.
Collin continued, "Jake called earlier with some startling news. Seems the reason my plane went down in Arizona was because it was tampered with and…" he inhaled, "Dottie's breathing apparatus was also tampered with. It appears someone or someones want us dead."
Oliver's expression became an amalgam of anger, shock, and disbelief. He found his voice and spit out an expletive.
Collin nodded. He'd done and heard more cursing in the past two days than he had in years.
For several minutes Collin and Oliver discussed the situation and when Sandy entered the room, Collin said, "I need to talk to Dottie about this. Oliver, will you update Sandy?"
Solemnly, Oliver nodded. Sandy glanced questioningly between them.
As Collin left the room, he heard Oliver say, "Honey, you better hold on to something to hear this."
Collin entered the living room and scanned the ocean reflecting an azure sky, or perhaps it was the sky reflecting the ocean. He ground his teeth. His motivation in bringing Dottie to Florida had been to give her the adventure of a lifetime. She'd certainly had that—a hellish adventure.
He followed the hallway to her door and softly knocked. She called, "Come in."
Collin opened the door and his breath hitched. Dottie was sitting on the side of the bed brushing her shoulder length hair. She had changed into shorts and a tank top and was seated so that she had to glance sideways to look at him. Her sweet smile tilted her eyes upward and he thought her to be the prettiest woman he'd ever met. She had the kind of smile that could launch a thousand ships. He puffed a breath and entered the room, walking to stare out the window.
"Why so glum?" she asked.
He needed to come clean about the attempts on their lives, but he couldn't bring himself to do so just yet. Moving away from the window he walked the six feet separating them and sat beside her on the bed. "I'm so sorry. I never would have brought you here if–"
She placed a finger over his lips. "Say no more. You had no way of knowing this would happen, so I don't want you apologizing or blaming yourself."
"Dottie…" his voice cracked. He stared into her beautiful eyes and watched her face ascend toward his. His heart soared when she placed her lips gently against his. Obviously, she'd meant to comfort him by her action, and he should have kept the kiss light and detached, but he couldn't.
God help him, he'd wanted to kiss her for days, and he did so now with his whole heart. Placing his hands on either side of her head he deepened the kiss. When she didn't retreat, he lightly caressed the crease of her mouth with his tongue. Now she groaned and the sound went straight to his groin. She parted her lips and allowed him access into her sweetness. Laying her backward across the bed,
he adjusted his body until he was hovering above her, anchored by his good knee. Still exploring her mouth he savored its depths. His hands tangled in her hair and he moved his mouth to taste her neck and earlobe. She turned her head to give him access, and he took full advantage of the movement, dipping lower to kiss the upper mounds of her breasts. He wanted to lower the straps of her top to expose her breasts, but feared she wasn't ready for that. Instead he returned his lips to hers. Her hands moved from clutching his shoulders to encircle his waist.
He placed his lips against her ear and whispered, "You're so beautiful I don't think I can stop kissing you."
She turned her head until her breath tickled his forehead. "Then don't."
That was all the encouragement Collin needed to move his mouth back to hers in a long hard kiss. Then he returned to her breasts. Through the fabric he suckled and she arched into him. He had just moved his hands to the straps of her tank top to pull the hindrances down, when a knock on the door startled them. Oliver called, "Collin, are you in there?"
Collin inhaled deeply in an effort to make his voice sound normal. "Yes, I'll be right out."
"Okay. I just wanted to let you know Kate entered the front gate."
Collin cursed under his breath. He glanced at Dottie who was straightening her hair and top. She wasn't looking at him. He said, "Dottie, look at me."
She lifted her eyelids and he felt gut punched by her trusting eyes. His gaze roamed her blushing face for an instant. He said, "We'll talk about this later," and lifted off of her, grabbing his crutches from the floor and exiting the room.
