Severed Threads (20 page)

“
Thank you,” he said faintly, as if he was hard at work concentrating on some difficult mental task. “By the way, this is our chef, Mika Yamada. Her father’s the new pastor at Westbury Foursquare and I have to tell you…this girl makes the best Yakisoba I’ve ever had in my life.”

How nice.

Mika tilted her head to one side and gave a coy, cutesy smile. “Then you should
love
dinner.”

Rachel wondered how the pastor would feel about his daughter flirting and flashing her hot pants at a bunch of horny men. Her speculation must have translated into a scowl. After one look in her direction, Mika scurried around the room, collecting empty cups, and vanished into a remote area of the ship.

Chase resumed his command. “If any boats or ships come into the area, as far as anyone's concerned, we're working the
Griffin…
the WWI commodity wreck you've all been briefed on."

The deception continues.
Her father must have uttered the same words before his run ended – demanded the same mindless loyalty from his crew.

"But the copper and shell casings are completely tapped out," Blaine interrupted.

Ian grumbled, "Ya think?" He jerked his thumb left. "Good thing we got Genius on board." His remark deepened the scowl on Blaine’s face, but failed at silencing him.

"I still don't understand why we're being so secretive. We've got every right to be here, don't we?"

Before Chase could explain that their salvage right had in fact been granted, Ian spoke up, heightening the drama in the room. "Scavengers and scourges don't care. They’ll walk on water ta add coin to their pocket. One flick of their blade and yer shark’s noon delight."

Blaine smirked. "Scourges…like in pirates and cutlasses? That’s absolutely ridiculous. Next you’ll be claiming we’re cursed for coming here.”

"Ah…not so,” Ian cajoled. “Was cursed the moment ya stepped on board.”

Blaine was visibly angry. “Are you serious? How do you expect me to work with this moron?"

Ian pivoted in his seat. "Moron, ya say? Ya mangy cur. Open yer mouth one more time and I'll toss you over the side me self."

Egad.
Rachel looked back at Chase. What had she gotten herself into? There seemed to be an on-going dispute between Blaine, an Americanized Harry Potter, and Ian, an abasing Richard Harris. If not for their intrusive timing, the men’s interactions could prove an entertaining distraction.

"Okay, enough already," Chase admonished.

Blaine sank back in his seat. He shoved his glasses up on his nose with a downturned glare.

Chase threw Ian a warning glare. “Hopefully you all remember why we're here…"

A.J. added his two cents. “The
Wanli
.” He tipped his head back, taking another sip from his cup. Although his brown, close-cropped hair and rectangular wireless spectacles could place him unnoticed in any corporate office, there was something inherently familiar about him. Was it possible he’d been a member of Sam's former crew? A recent visitor at the foundation office? No…but she had definitely seen him somewhere.

Chase began unfurling his treasure map and anchoring it with stones on the newly varnished table. "Like I was saying, there’s modern-day pirates all over these waters. We're traveling fully armed, so stay alert and keep calm. I’m not looking to spend the next five years in jail."

Armed? Like in guns?
Rachel stared at him, completely dumbfounded.

“
This is our position,” he pointed out. Everyone’s attention was drawn back to his triangulated diagram. “We’re going to finish laying the grids and going about our business as usual.”

A.J. scribbled notes on his pad as Chase dictated coordinates and varying field degrees. Meanwhile, Wade remained propped on his elbow at the far edge of the sofa, casting her a disparaging look.

"As you all know," Chase continued, "Sam Lyons played an important role in this project. What set him apart from other salvagers were his instincts…his willingness to search outside the box. Although he's no longer with us, he put us on the right path. Twenty kilometers beyond
Griffin's
perimeter
,
porcelain shards turned up. We've since discovered a virtual trail leading to the Nimbus jetty where the
Wanli's
anchor was found. In sector twelve, we might be looking at cannons, which according to Doc, the smugglers used to protect their horde. So keep your eyes peeled and stay on target. We’re after china and jewelry here but any relics you come across are a bonus in all our pockets. And one more thing,” he added. “Don't take any unnecessary risks. I intend to bring everyone home safe and sound.”

As he reviewed hand signals and safety issues, Rachel's mind slid to a dark, ominous place: the concrete building where she'd last seen her bother. She reminded herself that after four days – five days max, she'd be gone. After amassing whatever she could to satisfy Pollero, she’d find an excuse to get off the ship, collect Devon and hightail it out of town before anyone was the wiser.

Chase cleared his throat, drawing Rachel's attention. "One last thing," he said. "We're a team here. Everyone watches each other's backs. And follow the orders you’re given. I don’t want any heroics on or off this ship.”

Although his directives seemed to be leveled at her, she saw no point in their delivery. Much to Chase's apparent chagrin neither did A.J. Hobbs.

"Any objections if I make the first dive? Got some great hits on the sonar and if my theory's correct – ”

"Cap'n," Ian broke in, "thought we agreed…Hawkins and I go first."

From the tightness in his voice, Chase's patience appeared to be running on fumes. "Listen! We're all diving. Check the schedule. Right now this is how it's gonna run. A.J., I need you to double-check your readings. And let me know if any unauthorized boats or ships turn up…especially the
Legend
. Wade, as soon as you finish helping with the dive gear, set up a cleaning station for Rachel. And make damn sure no one trips over any lines." He jotted down numbers on a sheet of paper then handed it to Blaine. "Get our log up to speed," he told him. “Is everyone clear on their assignments?”

"Aye, Captain," the crew bellowed. They all began sliding out of their seats. A.J. looked up in time to catch Rachel’s stare.

“
So what’s the A.J. stand for?” she asked.

“
Alexander Jackson. Sort of an old family name,” he said matter-of-factly.

Ian snickered. “And here I thought it was short for arse weed jackass.”

A.J. smiled back, but behind his square framed glasses, his eyes remained cool and calculating.

Alexander Jackson Hobbs.
Rachel looked away. His name didn’t register.

"One last thing,” Chase announced. "The first person to hit pay dirt cracks open that bottle of Hennigans scotch Naomi gave me.”

"Kiss it goodbye, mates,” Ian boomed. He charged through the doorway with Blaine following closely behind. Wade, on the other hand, was slow to leave.

"Interesting group,” she said.

Chase's eyes were trained on his map. "They'll get the job done."

"So, I guess all your dreams are about to come true." As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted uttering them.

"Are you offering something, Rachel?”

"I was referring to the wreck."

"Yeah, figured as much.” He tossed her a quick sideways glance. “Anyhow, after that 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit the Pacific Ocean about 120 miles off the Oregon coast last week, there’s no telling what we're looking at. We'll either get lucky today or end up like the
Olympic
."

"The
Olympic
?" she echoed.

"Ian and I worked that project a while back. A ton of sand buried our markers. Set us back weeks. We had to bring in a barge and go a hell of a lot deeper than we originally planned. The total recovery ran way over budget and ended up taking six months to complete."

Six months?
Her heart skipped a beat. "But what about
this
project? You’re only days away from finding treasure in the
Wanli
wreck. Right?"

"Hopeful thinking I'm afraid. But in any event, the porcelain we've collected so far should be worth something.” He treated her to one of his boyish grins. “We’ll be striking it rich before you know it.”

Shit!
Pollero and his thugs would never settle for a Chinese tea service. Rachel was fuming. It was all big talk. Nothing more. Just like her father’s credulous claims.

“
It was just a lie?” she tossed. “How could you do that, Chase? After everything that’s happened?"

He cocked his head to the side. "What are you talking about? I didn’t lie to you. If memory serves me, I told you we were close to finding something. I never said
how
close."

Rachel looked down, shaking her head. Trying to make sense of it all. The professor had been so convincing,
so
sure. She’d used his hopes and fantastic dreams as leverage to save her brother. If anyone was to blame for this mess, it was her.

The revelation closed her eyes.

"Come on, Rachel, relax,” Chase chided. “We're just getting started. I assure you we're not leaving here empty handed.”

"I can’t take that risk,” she murmured. Knowing Devon’s temperament, he’d be hard-pressed to sit back and cooperate with his abductors. The more time they wasted at sea, the greater his chances of being killed.

Chase tilted his head. "Why not?"

"It’s a long story. You just have to trust me."

“
Ah…I see. That’s awfully convenient, isn’t it? Especially since you don’t have an ounce of trust when it comes to me.”

“
Chase…”

“
You provided this ship and insisted on coming along. As far as I’m concerned, you're stuck out here with the rest of us. No one’s leaving without a damn good reason. And since you’re not willing to provide one, maybe you can find something better to do.” He turned his back on her. “Hawkins!” he yelled. The silent warrior sprang to attention. “Escort Miss Lyons back to her room. I believe she has some research to finish.”

He was dismissing her? Like a child? How could he do that?

Wade Hawkins was at her side. By her estimate, his six-foot frame weighed in at a solid two hundred-twenty. His tree-trunk arms poked out from his gaping black vest, adding girth to his sculptured appearance. He lifted one hand in the air, presenting a demanding, unyielding signpost.

“
This way,” he said with a deep guttural voice.

Rachel looked to her insensitive protector. "This is ridiculous. You have to listen to me, Chase. We're wasting time."

"Totally agree with you there.” His eyes never left his nautical charts.

“
It wouldn’t be any problem for me to pilot the Zodiac myself, you know.”

His blue eyes swung back to her, ferocity filling their depths. “As long as I’m in command, you don’t leave this ship without my authority. Is that clear?”

“
Aye, aye, Captain,” she huffed.

Wade took another step forward, forcing her to back up. “Come with me,” he said.

He moved stealthily past her, barely clearing the closest exit. Rachel joined him, trailing closely behind. They descended the stairwell and followed the passageway leading to the forward cabins.

“
Here,” he announced. He lowered the brass door handle on her designated room.