by R. K.
The silence on the other end of the line continued for a brief moment before the older gentleman spoke again. “My name is Professor James, Kirby James. I’m the chair of the archaeology department at Bryn Mawr College. I’m calling on behalf of an interested party wishing to further investigate your discovery.”
“Mr. James, we found a ship down there, but as I said, the conditions in the water are a bit hazardous for an effective dive,” Sean said, regretting the position of having to turn down work; even work that took two full days just to travel on-site.
Without further hesitation professor James asked, “How big is your boat?”
“Eighty-one by twenty-two,” he provided in automatic reflex.
“Would you have room for a nine foot submersible ROV, and the ability to launch such a craft?”
“What’s the weight?”
“Six-thousand pounds.”
Sean had to think about that for a moment. If we removed the aluminum awning, cut out a section of the freeboard and reattached it with hinges, and rearranged a few things, it would work. “Yeah, we could make it work. Our winch should handle that with no problem.”
“Are you interested?” the professor asked as if that was all that was left to discuss.
Since money had yet to be brought into the conversation, Sean instinctively thought it was not much of an issue to the caller and whoever he was representing. Sensing an opportunity, and plenty of work that went along with it, he decided to test his feelings. As if considering it for the first time, he rattled off a mental list of things necessary for the expedition.
“Let’s see, we’d need to do some fabrication work on the boat, make a stopover at Nassau for resupply, and spend no less than four days on site, depending on the amount of success and the degree of investigation you want done, for a minimum of nine days in total, including our stopover. We’re looking at a down payment of ten-thousand with an additional twenty-five hundred a day,” he finished while holding his breath in the process.
“If you’ll give me an account number, and the name of your financial institution, I’ll send a wire for the down payment right away,” Professor James said without hesitation.
Sean proceeded to give him the information over the phone. Before he completed the call he said, “When do you want to go and how many will be in your party?”
“In two weeks, if that is okay with you. July 6th. There will be five of us.”
“Okay Mr. James. As soon as I receive the deposit I’ll start the work on the boat and we’ll be ready to go.”
“Thank you very much Mr. Rylan,” he said before disconnecting the line.
Sean was less than efficient when it came to booking a job. Diedra normally handled the business side of things but she wasn’t here. He had no idea how they were supposed to pick up the submersible, what time of day they were leaving, if any of their group was dive qualified and would be joining him on the descent, and what they expected to find on an undocumented find that was worth the kind of money they were throwing around with so little information. These thoughts, among others, went through his mind while he left Alex behind to return to their apartment. He hadn’t mentioned anything to him about the conversation and was not planning to until he had more to go on than a semi-anonymous phone call.
If he returned empty handed, Alex was sure to throw a fit about being left alone to do all the work. The least he could do was put some lunch together to take back as a damper for that episode. Before he went to see what they had in the refrigerator that was still edible, he powered up and logged onto his computer. As he waited, his thoughts went back to the call and he was beginning to think he was wasting his time—it sounded too good to be true. When the screen indicated that it had finished going through its start-up, Sean clicked on the link to his bank and typed in his password. He then looked at the numbers in his checking account: ten-thousand, two-hundred and fifty-nine dollars; exactly ten thousand more than he had earlier that day. Now other things started to go through his mind: Who was this guy and what was this about? Did he understand that even with the use of a submersible they may not be able to effectively dive the site?
Sean shrugged his shoulders and decided that if they had that kind of money to spend it probably meant a lot less to them than it did to him at the moment. He finished his drink and turned off the computer. He returned to the Cantankerous II ready to begin the necessary transformation, forgetting about the lunch he originally had in mind for his partner.
“There’s no way we can dive that wreck!” Alex said. “The currents are too strong.”
“I know,” Sean said agreeably.
“Then why in the hell are we doing all this?” he asked while pointing to the mess on the deck.
“Because we took a job and we are getting paid for it.”
“It’s still a waste of time,” Alex grumbled a little less enthusiastically before kicking an empty water bottle across the deck.
“Maybe so, but it is our time and their money. We go, do our best, and then get paid. It’s as simple as that. Besides,” he said waiting until he had his full attention, “now you get to overhaul the engines.”
Alex smiled for the first time since the conversation began. The boat was his baby. If anything failed to work on it to his expectations, he took it as a personal insult.
Alex was the easier of the two he needed to deal with. His sister would have to be handled differently. Fortunately, Dee only came by the boat, or the apartment, about once a week. She spent most of her time as a part-time teacher in Miami and the remaining free time doing research for her doctoral thesis. Sean decided to take care of the necessities before she became involved. After the modifications, engine work, and license renewal, they had nearly five-thousand dollars left for food, fuel, and personal items. The only other bill he paid in full was to the old man who ran the store where they purchased their diving supplies. Sean liked him and hated to run up too much on credit. Thirty-eight hundred was more than he anticipated paying, but if anyone made out on the venture it should be him. Sean got a free bottle of pop out of the transaction and a smile.
What the hell? he thought. It was more than he got from the bank.
Dee was going to be pissed. Probably about as much as Mr. Zybinski, but he’d just have to wait until they got back. Now all he had to do was keep her away from the boat for the next two weeks, and remain unavailable for any calls from South Atlantic Bank & Trust. That should be easy, he thought, admitting to himself that he had no idea how he would accomplish both.
~ Two ~
The bank called Sean. Sean forwarded the calls to voicemail. The bank then called Deidra who in turn called Sean who replied that he was taking care of it. It was all working out fine. The bank was excited, Dee was excited, and Sean was excited. The only difference was the focus of the excitement.
Ducking the bank was easy; Dee was another story. The only plan Sean could devise would trade one set of unpleasant circumstances for another. They would go home to visit his parents on the 4th of July. They would arrive a few days early and leave first thing on the morning after. If it was up to Sean, he would leave right after dinner. Dee would be distracted by the visit enough to keep her off his back.
He redialed the professor’s number to make him aware that everything was ready for their trip, to determine their exact departure time, and to inquire about where, when and how they would pick up the ROV. At first, the call seemed to Sean to be more of an annoyance to Mr. James than anything. Either he already knew what was involved with such an undertaking, or more than likely, he did not and therefore had no clue what he was in for. Sean kept that in mind while they exchanged information. Something still seemed odd to him about the whole affair but as long as their checks cleared, he was willing to take the chance.
After they had the boat in better working condition than it had been in for quite some time, they finished the modifications and made the personal berths tolerable for a possible two week run. They locke
d everything up tight and made ready for their road trip. Alex had met Sean’s father once before. It was at a staff function. He was a captain in the Navy. Their conversation consisted of little more than, “Nice to meet you sir,” “Yes sir,” and “No sir.” Now, he was going to spend time with him under the same roof. He wasn’t exactly thrilled at the notion, but after Sean explained the situation he decided it was best for all concerned. Sean might have been slow to reveal the finer details of what they were involved in at any given time, but he never kept anything from Alex. They may argue about some things, or most things, but they never lied to each other.
They packed their bags into Sean’s sport utility vehicle and headed north on highway one. In two hours, barring the unexpected but common traffic congestion, they would arrive at Dee’s in time to start the long leg of the journey. In the Key’s, life went by at a casual pace. As soon as you made it to the mainland it was much more abrupt. Add to
that all of the retirees who were rewarded with a ten year driver’s license, regardless of whether they passed their test at the age of seventy or eighty, and that made for some interesting times on the highways of Florida. Alex and Dee thought Sean complained too much. Sean challenged them to prove that he was wrong. It gave them something to talk about while the miles passed by. When they reached the Virginia border, Sean explained some of the proprieties involved with lodging at ‘Rylan Manor.’
“Is it really that big? No offense, but I thought your dad was only a captain in the Navy,” Alex asked.
“It’s a family home.” Deidra cut in. “It was owned on our mother’s side and she was the last member to be able to afford its upkeep.”
“You mean your mother. I think I was adopted.” Sean said.
“Sean, do me a favor; don’t be a wiseass the entire time we’re home, okay?” she said out of frustration.
“Just telling it as I see it little sister,” he said mockingly.
She rolled her eyes at him and kept her next thought to herself.
“As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, when our mother greets you she will tell you to call her Connie. Her name of course is Constance but her friends call her Connie. Please do me a favor and don’t call her by either name. Call her Mrs. Rylan. It will make our time there go much better.”
When he looked in the mirror he saw the scowl on his sister’s face. “Am I incorrect in any of that sweet sister of mine?” he asked in challenge.
She said nothing in reply as she turned to look out the window to avoid his taunting gaze.
“I didn’t think so,” he continued. “You see, our mother is from Hollywood stock. You would be viewed as little more than a porter, so it would be inappropriate for you to refer to her by her name.”
“Sean!” Deidra said in exasperation.
“And me and my sister are affectionately referred to as ‘darling,’” he finished without wavering.
Dee stuck her tongue out at her brother.
Alex couldn’t help but laugh out loud. He knew there had to be some truth to the story by the way these two were acting, but he didn’t know what it was and how much. Sean rarely talked about his parents. He knew it was going to be an interesting few days; just being in the same room with Sean and his sister for more than an hour was entertaining in itself.
They arrived late in the evening after driving straight through. They each stretched to loosen the kinks in their bodies as they climbed out of the vehicle. The night was calm and the air carried the familiar layer of humidity which prevented the thermometer from dropping too far below the record high of the day. Normally they would have been met by their long time butler, but he had retired the previous year due to diminishing health. His parents still retained their maid, Molly, but they would not see her until the following day as it was well past her bedtime.
They removed their luggage and dragged themselves up the grand entryway of the stately home hoping to avoid any contact with their parents until after they got some much-needed sleep. The seventeen hour drive between Marathon and Fairfax was a trial of endurance in fighting boredom and each other. Unfortunately, it was not to be. They were greeted before they reached the door.
“Deidra darling,” a stunningly beautiful Mrs. Rylan said as she reached out her arms to embrace her daughter. Her hair was shorter than her daughter’s and a shade lighter in color. Her physical features were flawless. While Deidra was beautiful, her mother was near perfection.
“Hello dad,” Sean said while offering his hand.
“Son,” Jack Rylan said while taking his hand in one of his own and slapping him affectionately on his arm with the other.
“This is Alex; you’ve met him once before.”
“Nice to see you again, Alex. Welcome to our home.” He said sincerely.
“Thank you sir,” Alex said out of natural reflex. Even though he was out of the Navy, and Mr. Rylan was not in uniform, old habits die hard.
“Mother, this is Alex. Alex, our mother,” Sean said hoping to avoid his own ‘darling’ affair.
“So happy you could come, Alex. And please, call me Connie,” she said as she offered him her delicate hand.
“Thank you, Mrs. Rylan,” he said as he noticed a brief nod of approval out of the corner of his eye from Sean.
“You all look like you’re dragging ass.” Jack Rylan said, moving everyone past the greeting stage of their visit. While his wife carried herself with grace and elegance, Jack Rylan was every bit the military man. His close cropped hair had faint traces of gray interspersed among rich black hair, and his bearing was almost rigid. His looks and size were similar to those of Sean, including his emerald green eyes. “Why don’t we go inside and get a drink? Then you can tell us what’s new and exciting in your lives,” he said as he turned to usher them into the house.
Sean gave a quick hug to his mother and turned to follow after everyone else. The house hadn’t changed since the last time he had been home. That was nearly eight years before. They put their bags down in the foyer and moved to a side room that was furnished in leather and richly colored hardwoods. The fireplace was nothing more than an accent piece having never been used, and the crystal lighting was elegant yet not overdone.
His father went directly to the bar and poured the men a bourbon and the women a glass of white wine each. Sean was more of a beer guy and Alex didn’t drink much, but he wasn’t about to say anything. The small talk flowed freely as Sean listened more than he spoke. Mother was already on the subject of work and school with Dee, and dad was talking to Alex about his time in the Navy. All in all it went rather well. After three drinks, two more than any of them really wanted, they all retired to their rooms for the evening.
“Your parents seem really nice. I don’t know why you make such a big deal about them,” Alex said as he was shown to his room. Sean followed him inside and closed the door.
Sean ignored his statement. “One door down on the left is your bathroom. Try not to wet the bed. We do have a maid, but I think she would tell my parents what my friend did here if she had to change your sheets.”
“Screw you!”
“Breakfast is at eight, so we will leave at seven.” Sean said and then explained further, “Dad is the only one up early around here. Unless you want to talk about the Navy all morning it’s best we find something else to do. Mother will be up promptly at eleven-ish, so we’ll keep busy until then. They’ll want to take us all to the country club for lunch. When we get there just remember to place the napkin in your lap and not in your shirt collar.”
“I think you were adopted,” Alex said. “You seem like the only odd one in the family so far.”
Sean smiled. “Get some sleep. I’ll be by bright and early.”
Although he could have used a few more hours of sleep, Alex woke without the aid of the alarm. His ‘built in’ clock had told him it was five in the morning. He remained in bed catching a few more sporadic minutes of sleep before finally deciding to give up. The house was qu
iet as he managed to find his way to the bathroom to perform his morning ritual. Everything about the house screams money, he thought as he looked around. Even the towels hanging in the seldom used room he was now using were something he saw only in fancy hotels. From what he knew about his best friend, he would never have thought he came from this kind of background.
Shortly before seven, Sean opened his door without knocking. Alex was lying on top of his bed reading a manual on “Inert Gas Combustion and Byproducts” when he walked in.
“Let’s go sunshine. I’ll give you the grand tour.”
Alex ignored the comment and put his booklet away. Sean looked as fresh and ready as he always did. Alex never thought of him as the ‘hyper’ type, but he always seemed to have energy on demand. He followed him through the corridor and down the carpeted steps to the first floor. Instead of leaving by the same way they came in, he turned and led them down a hallway in the opposite direction. Lining the walls on both sides were nicely framed pictures of Mrs. Rylan next to many famous movie stars. He didn’t recognize every actor or actress in each of the pictures, but assumed they were such due to their flawless features. He stopped by one and said out loud, “Is that really Marlon Brando?”
“What?” Sean asked as he stopped and turned. He saw his friend pointing to a frame on the wall. “Oh, yeah. Mother is an actress. She hasn’t been at it for quite some time, but if you ask her she’ll say ‘you never get out of the business darling,’” he answered while doing his best to over-inflect the remark.
“Wow,” Alex said more than once as he continued on more slowly, taking in the rest of the images.
When they reached an exterior door they stepped out to a sunny morning. The grounds were plush and colorful. When Alex caught up to his friend, the discourse began.
“This property came from mother’s side of the family. They had the money. This was willed to mother primarily because of my father. They knew he was shrewd with finances and that his profession would frequently see him in near proximity to this place, especially as he climbed the ranks.”
