Severed Threads (22 page)

The
Wanli.

Impossible.
The beam of light panned over the tilted illusion, a sight that left her gasping for air. Beside her, Chase remained stationary, staring for an eternal minute, perhaps as mesmerized as she was.

He turned and signaled
,
"Okay?"

She nodded, but the shock had barely worn off. Below them rested a vision beyond her comprehension. Beyond the dreams her father had so ardently shared. Instead of the few rotten timbers or rusted pieces of metal she imagined they’d find, a complete ship took shape, extending beyond her field of vision. It rested on its side, half-buried in silt on the ocean floor and, by her best estimate, had to be over three hundred feet long and one hundred-sixty feet wide. According to her research, this was an extraordinary merchant vessel…one of the largest in the Chinese fleet.

She glanced overhead and studied the igneous rock formations surrounding them. Somehow the ship had settled inside of a volcanic crater. In the course of time, a microcosm had been created. With seismic activity in the region causing underwater rockslides, the
Wanli
had become totally encased while miraculously remaining unscathed. Lost and forgotten in the earth's inner core, she'd been protected from the sea’s damaging wave action and had managed to survive the ravages of time.

Amazing!
Even though sand and soot blanketed a third of her hull, slowing the perpetual decay, nature had found its way into the ship's catacomb. Algae hung from her two remaining masts, waving as if caught in a gentle breeze. Sea anemones covered the ship, and in every dark corner, schools of iridescent fish flittered about, reacting to their invaders' slightest movements.

The spike in A.J.'s readings had been a clear indication that the ship's cargo far exceeded their original expectations. Once located, they could begin the arduous task of floating their finds to the surface with lift bags and air from a spare tank. With Blaine's help, her real work would begin: cleaning, identifying, tagging each piece. Finding the heart of the dragon and taking it to Pollero without anyone being the wiser.

Although not a simple merchant ship as her father originally believed, the bow of the massive sixteenth century junk was exactly as Dr. Ying had described. The prow’s brilliant figurehead that had once been proudly displayed was now broken off, leaving a large gaping hole in the ship’s hull.

Chase motioned two fingers, signaling their entry. She waited as he attached a penetration line. He finned through the opening and disappeared from view. She glanced at her computer and noted the readout of eighty feet. After a few seconds, his flickering light pierced the wooden slats. She glanced back at the cave's entrance and mentally measured the distance.

With her camera secured, she swam through the gap with her light leading the way. The cone-like beam bounced off a quarry of marble-eyed fish. They dispersed above stacked crates, broken planks and smashed porcelain littering the surface. She reached down and picked up a green shard, dragging black sediment through the water. She dropped it back into the dissipating cloud before joining Chase.

He'd found a barrel and had wedged a piece of wood under its cracked top. She instinctively wanted to halt his actions. Urge him to leave his discovery untouched. But then she reminded herself of her new role as a salvager. From now on, discovery took priority over preservation.

When the rotten lid gave way, they both peered down into the barrel's demolished contents. Chase reached inside and extracted the single plate that remained remarkably intact. He slipped it into his mesh bag before moving on.

Rachel kicked up silt as she followed behind. She held out the detector and waved it in a broad arch. The shrill alarm sounded. She picked up a large elongated-shaped rock and turned it over in her gloved hand. It appeared to be a calcified artifact – perhaps some type of carving. She pulled a blue bag from her stash and secured it inside. She snapped it onto the lower section of her harness to keep it from dragging.

Up ahead, Chase motioned for her to hurry. She continued after him, waving her directional beam from side to side. An interesting rock took shape before her eyes. She stopped long enough to pick it up and realized she was looking into an empty eye socket.
Shit!
Her heart leaped into her throat. She dropped the skull and watched it disappear into a cloud of blackness then looked around for Chase.

He was nowhere in sight.

No doubt wanting to be the first to find treasure, Rachel assumed he had swum ahead to gain access to the cargo hold. Aside from an appealing reward, his success would set him apart from the crew members anxiously waiting above.

Rachel proceeded along the route where she'd last seen him. Seamen, caught unaware, had been interned in a common grave with the ship for all eternity. She could feel their presence in the murky shadows, in the godforsaken wreck itself. She increased the speed of her fins to escape the ship's dark, eerie vastness.

Her flashlight flickered several times then completely shut off. Rachel drifted in place, shaking it hard. She banged on the lens, but to no avail.

Damn it!
She peered into the blackness, trying to determine which way to go. Wishing Chase would wake up and discover he'd left her alone.

That's when she saw it...out of the corner of her eye. The white glow of a bioluminescent light form. Almost simultaneously, a buzzing sensation seized her brain. Her muscles locked up and her chest constricted. She watched as the illusion glided across the top of the ship's broken rail. Remote. Drifting. Ghostly. The image hung in the current for an eternal moment, studying Rachel and all her myriad flaws. Then it turned and folded into itself. Disappearing like a magician's silk handkerchief.

On cue, her lungs filled. The tingling in her nerves passed
.
The flashlight on her wrist sprang to life, sending the beam toward the vanishing object’s portal. But other than shimmering particles dancing in the light, the gun rail appeared vacant.

What was that?
Had her mind been playing tricks? Serving up the side effects of nerves and an overactive imagination?

Plunk
. A sound spun her around. Chase had come back to find her.

Did you see it?
She quickly signed. He looked about before shrugging. With the glaciate shake of his head, she realized she'd have to share her experience with him another time. Preferably after a strong drink on
Stargazer's
warm foredeck. After her nerves were less frazzled and her thoughts had congealed. The story would give his crew all the elements they needed for a fantastical tale – Chase rescuing her from Mai Le just as they were about to claim her priceless possession and a literal fortune in gold. An inconceivable yarn to anyone who hadn't witnessed the experience first-hand.

They continued on with Chase in the lead. The motion of their fins turned the powdery sediment into a billowing cloud of dust. Below them lay a jumble of decaying timbers and the massive bulk of a broken mast. In the midst of them, Rachel spotted an opening in the middeck – a gateway into the vessel's vast underworld. She pointed before letting out a few short bursts of air from her BC vest. She slowly descended onto the ship with the intent of venturing inside. But Chase tapped her arm. It seemed he had another plan in mind.

She followed him toward the bow and entered the gaping hole that had resulted from the disemboweled figurehead. Within the small, cramped quarters, decaying remains and stacked barrels lined the inner hull. Their fins dusted the floor, exposing piles of dishes that were strewed across the floor: green and blue Chinese porcelain plates that had apparently escaped their confines.

Nearby, an open hatch led to the floor below. Chase dove even deeper into the hold. He turned back and seemed to be searching Rachel's eyes for any sign of apprehension before continuing on. They were now buried in the bowels of the cursed ship, one hundred feet down – an unnerving distance from their original entry. The long expanse in either direction extended beyond the scope of their lights.

Rachel released more air from her vest. She turned off the metal detector's blaring alarm before setting it down. She fanned her hand across the floor's surface. A corroded iron band came into view. She dusted more sediment and realized she'd uncovered the top of a chest. Nearby were three – possibly four or more chests – all buried in the blinding murk. Chase joined her and pulled one of his knives free. He jammed it under a single latch, forcing the lid open.

Gold!
It couldn’t be! The sight sucked the air from her lungs. The gleaming metal danced before her eyes: a stockpile beyond imagination. She picked up a single coin, amazed by its unblemished appearance. She turned it over and studied its unusual markings. She held it out for Chase's inspection, but his dark, wild gaze had already found the stronghold’s alluring treasure. He reached down and scooped up a handful. He dumped a flurry of coins into his goody bag. He tucked them into the neck and sleeves of his suit and motioned for her to join in his plunder. Following his example, she filled her empty green bag with blind abandonment. No wonder her father was hooked. It was so easy, so exhilarating…this treasure-seeking business.

The adrenalin rush warmed her heart – drove her blindly into Chase's arms. She was still locked in his embrace when the buzzing started. When the approaching entity filled the shadowy exit. Had she come back? The ghost who guarded the ship’s secret treasure? Rachel dislodged herself from Chase’s grip.

Who are you?
At first glance, the distorted vision appeared to be a school of barracuda. But then, as the murky water cleared, her gaze traced a familiar outline. Dread gripped her from inside – told her to guard every movement, control every breath. She signed 'danger’ and just as Chase turned,
a huge shark
escaped the swirling cloud, confirming her worst nightmare.

By her estimated, the creature had to be twelve feet long and close to two hundred-thirty pounds – considerably
bigger
than they were. She counted seven gills on each side of its pectoral fins as it swam by. With its claspers visible, it was unmistakably male. Brown spotted underbelly, jagged cusped teeth. Comb-shaped in its bottom jaw.

Notorynchus Cepddianus
. She relaxed a bit, having experienced this species before. Although the creature fed on virtually anything, it wasn't typically a threat to humans. It dwelled in more temperate waters and at much greater depths. But what the hell was it doing here? She was still debating that question when it circled around them in a figure eight, keeping its back towards the dark water.

Chase seemed to be taking no chances. He unsheathed his knife
. Ball up,
he motioned.

Rachel waved off his warning. She pulled out her
slate.
OK-Seven Gill,
she scribbled. But as she continued watching the creature’s guarded behavior, she realized something was off. It cruised above them a second time, once again disappearing into the murky shadows. Rachel drew up her legs, all the while assuring herself that the shark's constant eye contact was purely an act of self-preservation. It was searching for an escape route. Its nearness had nothing to do with its desire to devour them. Their size, smell and vibrations didn't fit into the large shark's spectrum of prey. But after a third pass, its inquisitive dance ended. It charged unprovoked, bumping into Chase, spinning him around. Rachel grabbed hold of his elbow and stared into his mask.

“
Are you hurt?”
She signed. He shook his head from side to side. She watched him adjust the knife in his hand in preparation for the next assault. In an instant, the shark was back. But this time, Rachel's reflexes took hold. She blocked Chase's avenging arm and with a well-placed kick thumped their attacker's nose with her fin. The menacing fish stole out of sight, seeking a safe refuge.

Amazing!
Rachel smiled, still caught up in the exhilaration. But Chase bristled at her side.

Up
, he repeatedly motioned. She recognized his apprehension and reluctantly followed after him as he backtracked their course. With minutes cut off their stops, they burst through the surface. They pulled off their masks, one after the other.