THE TREASURE SEEKER

 

By Bill K.

 

Part Two

    It was five minutes after nine the next morning.  Linda waited on the stern of the single-masted excursion boat docked at Pier Four and tried not to become impatient.  She was already burning about having to pay for the stolen tanks and for new rentals.
    She surveyed the horizon.  It would be a beautiful day, perfect for diving.  Days like this made her job seem less a job and more a paid vacation.  The clear blue waters of the Gulf would be warm and calm, the view as good as could be hoped for; it was perfect for what they planned.
    Looking back Linda spotted Veronica approaching.  She was wearing red nylon warm up pants and a matching jacket, and was lugging a full tank, mask and fins with little difficulty. For a moment Linda allowed herself to wonder how their lives might have differed if their friendship hadn't been sundered at the tender age of twelve.  Then she forced her mind back to business.
    "Only going down once today?" Linda asked.
    "I figured we could do two or three easily," Veronica replied.  "Unless you're not up to it."  
    "You're diving three times on one tank?" she asked.
    "I've got one more back in my car," Veronica said.  "The third came up with a bad valve and I had to leave it behind."
    "I've got a spare one you can use," Linda said.  "I always carry a spare."
    "You're a life saver!" Veronica beamed.  "I really had my heart set on going down three times.  It looks like a great day for it."
    "Sure does."  Linda helped her aboard, more out of courtesy than anything else.  Veronica seemed instantly at home on a boat.  "Want to show me where we're going to start looking?"
    They ventured into the cabin of the boat.  Veronica took the map from Linda and scanned it for a few moments.  
    "The letter said it was on the northern route past Cuba," Veronica said, tracing along the map.  Her long, tapered finger came to rest on a point on the map.  "I'd say we start looking here.  That out of the question?"
    Linda leaned in, focusing on the map.
    "Should take about an hour to get there," she judged.  Linda glanced at Veronica.   "I'll get underway after I pick up your other tank."
    "I'll pick it up," Veronica said.  "You get us ready to go."
    "Aye aye, skipper," she said playfully.  Veronica bristled momentarily, then saw she was kidding.  A smile curled her lips.
    "Keep that attitude and we'll get along fine," she playfully jabbed back.
    About a half-hour into the journey, Veronica joined her in the pilot's cab.  She still wore the jacket, but had doffed the pants.  Linda noticed her swimmer's legs.
    "You ever swim competitively?" she asked.
    "Yeah," Veronica said, smiling knowingly.  "Did you finally remember?"
    "No.  Are you famous?"
    "I was," she said, deflating.  "But apparently not as much as I thought.  Seriously, you don't know?"
    "Know what?"
    "I was in the Olympics seven years ago.  Remember now?"
    "Sorry.  I don't pay much attention to the Olympics.  No offense."
    "It's OK.  I'm getting used to it," Veronica smiled wistfully.  "So how did you know I swam?"
    "Those legs and those shoulders," Linda replied.  "They're a dead giveaway.  You've got a swimmer's body.  I'm almost jealous.  So how did you get into marine archaeology?"
    "Competitive swimming isn't a career.  I had to do something with my life, so I took up archaeology.  The marine part just came naturally."
    Veronica turned to her, looking her up and down for a few moments.
    "So what about you?" Veronica said.  "I know you're not old enough to have been diving eleven years."
    "Started when I was fifteen," Linda answered.  "I've just done it ever since.  I decided one day that it was all I needed to fulfill me.  Moved down here about six years ago."
    "Working in paradise?"
    "Nobody'd ever call Key West paradise," Linda grinned.  "But if you do what you like, it's not really work."
    "Well, it certainly agrees with you, Linda," Veronica said.  "You seem happy.  Happier than I remember you being in Eau Claire."
    "Not enough water in Eau Claire."
    "Certainly not for a couple of water babies like us."
    The time passed quickly.  Linda liked the fact that they could fall so easily and comfortably back into the groove of their old friendship.  It had been a spartan life down in Key West.  Linda suddenly realized she missed having friends rather than acquaintances from the pier.
    "We're coming up on the first dive point," Linda said.
    "I'll get into my gear," Veronica said, leaving quickly.
    When they reached the dive point, Linda dropped anchor and stripped out of her shorts and shirt and into a black short-sleeve dive top with yellow trim and matching short-legged dive pants.  She hauled her diving gear out to the deck, then slipped on her diving belt, fins and tank.  She was about to don her mask when Veronica emerged.
    She wore a cherry red one-piece that hugged her sleek form like paint.  It had a low cut bosom and a scoop back and suited her to a T.  Veronica noticed Linda staring.
    "Something wrong?" she asked, adjusting her weight belt.
    "I could very easily hate you for looking like that," Linda replied, unable to hide her appreciative look.  Veronica resumed her prep with a satisfied smirk.
    They donned the rest of their gear and plunged over the side.  Entering the water was like entering another world.  It was an alien vista Linda was familiar with, but one in which she would always be a stranger.  Suspended almost weightless in the warm liquid, almost naked, never failed to be an erotic thrill for her.  She looked over to Veronica, a mermaid in breathing gear, and wondered if she felt the same.  Wouldn't it be great if she did?
    Veronica turned to her and, for the merest second, it seemed that they did share that connection.  Then she checked her wrist compass and pointed in a southeast direction.  Linda nodded and took the point.
    The immediate area was a flat stretch covered with sea vegetation and various feeding fish.  The colors and hues were even more brilliant than usual, due to the sunlight coming through the unusually clear water.  It was obvious that nothing even remotely resembling a shipwreck was in this area.  Linda stopped and halted Veronica.  She gestured to the expanse and shook her head, then pointed north.  There were rock and coral formations there that could hide wreckage.  Veronica nodded.
    They approached the rocks cautiously.  Linda threw a beam of light on the formations.  The beam caught a barracuda, and it cringed back into hiding.  They gave it a wide berth.  The light disturbed several other creatures, including a lemon shark, and exposed every facet of the rocks and the coral.  However, they found no trace of a ship or of anything man-made beyond a Pepsi can.  With their hour quickly running out, Linda motioned them to the surface.
    "Well, that was fruitless," scowled Linda, pulling her tank off with leaden limbs once she rested on the deck of the boat.
    "It's rare you find a wreck your first time down," Veronica said, sinking to the deck on equally fatigued muscles.  "This is just a general guesstimate of where the 'Donna Bella' went down."  She shot Linda a playfully wicked glance.  "Why do you think I wanted to bring three tanks?"
    "Well, you called it," she smiled admiringly.
    "Besides, we got to swim under a warm Gulf and see some beautiful sights," Veronica added.  "I'd hardly call it fruitless."
    "Guess I'm too goal oriented," Linda shrugged.
    "That's OK," she smiled warmly.  "You're still handy to have around.  Did you bring lunch?"
    Linda hauled herself up and disappeared into the cabin.  As she gathered the food she brought, she thought to herself again how easy it was talking to Veronica. There was never any hidden agenda in anything she said; she was open and straightforward and not afraid to be so.  Linda liked that.  She'd been without it too long.  She returned with cold cuts, bread, cheese and fruit juice.  It was a simple repast, but Veronica's eyes lit up and the pair picnicked on the deck.
    The two afternoon dives proved long on scenery and short on results.  Linda didn't mind.  Watching Veronica cut through the water, her sensual form gliding effortlessly and gracefully around, was a sight she couldn't get enough of.  She swam better than Linda did and with more power. She could see how Veronica could have competed in the Olympics.  Rather than be intimidated by it, Linda admired it.  And Veronica was so smart, light years ahead of the level Linda had reached.  On the second dive, Veronica spotted a wood fragment that could have been part of a rudder.  She would have passed it by, but Veronica was very excited about it and Linda found herself being excited about it, too.
    After the third dive, when Linda was climbing onto the boat, she was sorry to see the dives over.
    "Didn't find much," Linda offered.  
    "But we covered a lot of area," Veronica retorted.  "We know where it's not.  We'll find it," she grinned confidently.  "Can we go out tomorrow?"
    "If the weather holds, sure," Linda said.  Then she noticed Veronica's self-assured confidence dim a little.  She looked down.
    "Um," she began hesitantly.  "Are, um, are you doing anything tonight?  I mean, I don't know what your policy is on, well, fraternizing with clients, but," and she paused for an agonizingly long time, "if you'd like, I thought we could have dinner?"
    She peered up hopefully.  Suddenly she seemed fifteen years old asking someone to the dance.
    "Veronica, it's me!" Linda smiled, incredulous.  "Of course we can have dinner!  I'm amazed you had any doubt I wouldn't!"
    "Great!" Veronica said, her face lighting up.  "We can eat at the hotel, if that's OK.  I'm staying at the Benefax.  Casual?"
    "Sounds great."  Linda glanced around to gauge the winds and the weather.  "Guess we better get into port."
    "Guess so," Veronica replied cheerily.

    Linda arrived at the hotel restaurant at the appointed time of seven p.m.  She was dressed in a nice black skirt and a white polo shirt.  It was a little heavy for the weather, but sacrifices had to be made.  Veronica was nowhere to be found.  Sighing, Linda stood in the lobby near the entrance and waited.  Apparently Veronica had become one of those chronically tardy people.
   
    In Veronica's hotel room, Veronica glanced at the clock.  She was late and she knew it.  However, she couldn't help the situation.
    At the moment, she was laying on the floor on her side, wearing only a bra and panties.  Her wrists were tied behind her back with a severed phone cord, the end of which ran down and circled her ankles, drawing them to her hands.  
    "Mmmmph!" she cried through the wadded cloth jammed into her mouth and held in by a second cloth cleaving her mouth.
    The two masked men who bound her roughly tore her room apart.  They were looking for something.  It couldn't be money.  Veronica glanced at her purse, discarded on the floor with her money and credit cards intact.  What were they after?  Veronica watched them methodically tear the room apart and wondered.  She didn't have anything else of value.  Was it something she didn't realize was valuable or didn't know she had?  Or was it a case of mistaken identity?
And what would they do to her when they didn't find it?
    She wriggled her wrists again, trying to somehow slip the constricting grip of the thin cord.  It didn't help.  Veronica fought the urge to panic.  Panic wouldn't help her.  Only a clear, calm head would help her.  As the intruders continued to rifle the room, the bound woman searched the room for something she could use to free herself or to defend herself.  Nothing presented itself, though.  Veronica felt so defenseless.
    The two men ventured out of the room, one going into the bedroom while the other searched the bathroom.  Neither was being particularly discreet.  Veronica strained against her bindings, but only succeeded in pulling them tighter around her wrists and ankles.  She let her forehead fall to the plush carpet beneath her.  She desperately didn't want to be here when they didn't find what they were looking for, but what could she do?
    Her eyes darted around the room, taking in everything from her floor level view.  There was nothing down here except a ring that a previous guest must have dropped, back under the table next to the television.  As Veronica turned her head, she briefly thought about inching her way over to the door.  If she could get there quick enough and get into the hall, maybe someone would see her.  That idea crashed in flames immediately when she realized the door was closed and she couldn't reach the knob hogtied on the floor.
    As her gaze swept left, Veronica rolled over onto her side to take some of the pressure off of her stomach and diaphragm. That side yielded nothing besides plush carpet, soft furniture and protective caps on all the legs, so a guest didn't accidentally cut their foot and sue the hotel for millions.  Then there was her purse with the contents spilled out onto the floor.
    "Including my nail file!" thought Veronica.
    It was an incredible long shot.  Assuming she could inch over to it in time, the file was not the sharpest blade in the world.  It would probably take forever for it to saw through metal wire insulated with a thick coating of flexible plastic.  However, Veronica didn't see any other option open to her.  She gathered her legs toward her chest, which pulled against her wrist binding, then thrust out to propel her forward a few inches.  The polyester fibers of the carpeting gave the flesh on her arm and hip friction burns.  A few more like that and she'd have a noticeable mark on each.  That was secondary, though.  Another thrust inched her closer.  Then she froze when she heard her attackers returning.
    "There's nothing here," one of the men said to his partner, his face obscured by a mesh stocking over it.  Veronica was both glad and frustrated by that fact.
    The other man turned to Veronica.  Despite her attempts to remain calm, she cringed when he approached her.  Roughly hauling her into a painful sitting position, the man closed a hand around Veronica's throat as he knelt beside her.
    "I'm going to take the gag out," the intruder whispered into Veronica's ear.  "If you do anything other than answer my question in your softest voice, I'll kill you.  Understand?"
    Veronica nodded cautiously, trembling.

    "That's odd, ma'am," the desk clerk said.  "Perhaps she's not in her room."
    "No, we had a date for dinner," Linda said.
    "Well maybe she unplugged the phone.  It did ring quite a while."
    "Or maybe something's happened.  What's her room number?"
    "I can't give out that information..." began the clerk incredulously.
    "Then you send someone to check on her!" Linda growled.
    "Ma'am..."
    "Look, I'll call the police if I have to!"
    The desk clerk sighed, then motioned to one of the bell caps.
    "I'm coming with you," Linda said as the bell cap headed for the elevator.  
   
    The gag pulled out of Veronica's mouth.  The hand tightened ever so slightly around her throat.  Veronica sat rigidly, waiting for her captor's next move.
    Just then, there was a knock on the door.
    "Hello?" called the bell cap.  "Ma'am, this is the hotel staff.  Could you open the door, please?"
    "HELLLLLP!" bellowed Veronica.
    The man holding her clamped his hand too late over her mouth.  At the sound of her scream, Linda threw herself against the door and shattered the puny hotel lock.  Instantly the two intruders lunged for the door and pushed past the stunned bell cap.  Linda grabbed for one, but he shoved the diver against the door frame and pulled away.  For a moment Linda considered chasing them, but decided they were too far away.
    "Call the police!" she barked at the bell cap, then raced to Veronica's side.
    Veronica, still trembling, lay quietly as her rescuer undid the knotted phone cord around her wrists and ankles.  She allowed Linda to help her up to a sitting position.  Finally she looked at the woman.  Seeing the concern in her friend's eyes, Veronica finally cracked.  
    "Thank you," she whispered, snaking her arms around her neck and clinging to her.
    "Are you all right?" Linda asked.
    "I'm a lot better than I would have been if you hadn't shown up," she giggled, surpressing hysterics.
    "Were they robbing you?"
    "No," Veronica replied quietly.  "My purse is right there.  They just tossed it aside."
    "Were they going to...um."
    "I hope not," Veronica said, her voice cracking with emotion again.  "No, they were looking for something."
    "What?" Linda said, clearly concerned and upset.   
    "I don't know."
    Linda just held Veronica protectively until the police came.  After getting her a robe, she faded into the background as the police questioned her friend.  Veronica demonstrated admirable control and calmness, describing the situation in detail and answering the questions with a minimum of emotion.  Medical personnel arrived and she calmly sat as they treated her minor injuries.  The management of the hotel arrived and apologized profusely.  She dismissed their need to apologize, but accepted their offer of a new room.
    One of the police officers moved over to Linda, who was still silently watching over her friend from a distant part of the room.
    "Didn't we talk just yesterday?" asked the officer, one of the out of towners Key West had managed to lure into staying.  He had soft, thick brown hair, soulful eyes and kissable, delicate lips.  That and the uniform would have ordinarily caught Linda's attention, but her mind was elsewhere.  She looked at him, seeing him for the first time.
    "Yeah," she said.  "You took the report about what happened at my place last night."
    "How do you know the lady?"
    "Childhood friends," Linda replied, her gaze returning to Veronica.  "Plus, I'm escorting her on dives out in the strait."
    "Hmm.  Treasure hunting?"
    "Archaeology," Linda glanced at him, amused suddenly by the concept.
    "Hmm.  Find anything interesting?"
    "Part of a rudder.  No gold or diamonds, if that's what you're wondering."
    "Hmm.  Nobody'd want to steal that.  Funny, though, something like this happening to the both of you.  Two guys break in, hog-tie you, each separately on successive nights.  Neither one of you has something someone might want that bad?"
    "Not that I know of," Linda said, her eyebrow cocked.  "But you're right, it is funny, now that you think about it."
    Finally everyone was gone except for Linda, Veronica and a complimentary room service cart.  Veronica looked up to her shyly.  She again saw the concern on her friend's face and found it something she had missed for a long time.    "How are you feeling?" Linda asked.
    "Better."  She thought a moment.  "What made you come looking for me?"
    "You were late for dinner.  I got worried."
    "I'm glad you did.  Most guys would have figured I'd blown them off and left."
    "Well, I figure I'm a little smarter than the average guy," chuckled Linda.  "Besides, I know you."
    "You don't think I've changed since twelve?"
    "I don't think you've changed all that much.  Maybe you're a little quieter, more introspective."
    "Timid," added Veronica.  "I wish Dad had never moved away.  I was always able to be myself around you more than anyone else.  And since I broke up with Darien, I've just kind of buried myself in my work."  Linda saw her friend's eyes begin to mist over.  She could sympathize.
    "Well, it's not like I'm queen of the world, either," offered Linda.  "I run a dinky little business on a ratty pier in a ratty little tourist trap town in the hottest part of Florida.  I tell myself I'm doing what I like, but when I'm not under water, I'm just sort of numb and drifting."
    Veronica draped her arm around Linda's neck and hugged her.  For the first time in a long time Linda felt something she'd missed desperately: the warmth of human contact.  She hooked her arm around her friend's waist and they clung to each other.
    "You know," Veronica said at last, "that room service cart's probably getting cold--and I do owe you a dinner."
    "Sounds good," Linda replied, climbing up to her feet.
    "We can trade stories about our wayward paths up to this point."
    "Not for too long.  We've got a nine a.m. start tomorrow."
    "Well, you could sleep over," offered Veronica, "just like old times."
    "As I remember, whenever I slept over, we usually got into a pillow fight," grinned Linda.
    "So?" smirked Veronica.  "It's not like they're our pillows."

Part Three

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