turned to a grip. It fastened tight around his ankle and threatened to pull him under. Seconds later, Keith emerged with a bellowing holler.
“Holy shit, man!” he yelled. “Can you fucking believe it! Whoo hoo!”
“No, I can’t,” Nick replied, huffing for another breath.
“The entire ship slid off the hillside.”
“Almost taking us with it! Why the fuck did you take off without me? I was pinned down by a bench down there.”
Keith’s eyes rolled. “I lost you. Fuck, I couldn’t see anything in that murky water either.”
“Did you even try to find me?”
“Screw you.”
Yeah, screw me, Nick thought.
“There was nothing I could do,” Keith continued. He lifted his arm out of the water, hand gripped tight around his bag of valuables. “But who the hell cares. We’re alive with a big stash.”
“Still too close,” Nick said. He groped for a mirror in a pouch at his waist to signal to Barry, but it was gone.
“I don’t have my mirror.”
Keith shook his head. “You’re not as dependable as I once thought you were.” He dug into his pack and drew out his own mirror, along with a whistle. “It’s a good thing you have me.” He blew into the whistle and held up the mirror. Barry’s flashlight swished through the air and paused on them. A few seconds later, the motor of the Dawn Maiden growled. The boat swung a half circle and slowly drifted up beside them.
Barry threw a dingy into the water and helped pull them both to the boat. Nick let Keith step up the ladder first. He didn’t trust him and plus he wanted to take his time with the cut burning at his side. The gash didn’t feel deep enough for a hospital visit, just bloody and stinging.
Keith dropped his bag and swiveled around to offer his hand to Nick. “See, look what a good friend I am, helping you out once again.”
Nick paused, thinking about what he had almost just lost and how Keith’s attention was fixated on gathering as many valuables as he could possibly stuff into his bag. He didn’t care that lives were in jeopardy, including his own.
Nick pulled himself up the ladder. “I saved myself.”
Keith’s eyes sharpened on him. “However you want to look at it.”
Nick chose not to reply. Instead, he sloughed off his tanks and went to the captain’s chair, his chair. Keith shook his head.
“So, what the fuck?” Barry said. “Did you find the statue?” He looked to Keith and then to Nick.
“No,” Nick said. “The ship collapsed down the hillside, almost pulled us down with it.” He watched Keith dig through his trophy bag.
“What!” Barry said. “Damn, you’re two lucky sons-of-bitches.”
Nick noticed three empty beer cans stashed in a net at the side of the seat. “Good to know that you were keeping watch,” he said, gesturing to the cans.
“What’d you expect? You rather me jerk off?”
Keith slugged him in the arm. Not hard but enough to shut him up. He picked up a towel and started drying himself off.
“What’s your problem?” Barry said to him.
“We’re down in the deep risking our lives, and you’re up here having a fucking party.”
Barry swung his arm out. “C’mon, I can drink that for breakfast.”
“Doesn’t matter, anyway,” Nick said. “We didn’t find the statue. It’s gone for good now.”
Keith pulled out a necklace from his bag. “Don’t go all pouty. We found some other cool shit.”
Nick couldn’t shake his disappointment. The statue of Rán would have meant another surgery for his Matt. Now, that dream was just as dead and cold as Jim.
CHAPTER 5
A flash of lightning brightened purple into a dusk-laden sky. A few silent seconds later, thunder clashed. Lucy, Kate’s tabby inherited from Jev, jumped wide-eyed awake, ears flattened back. Kate scratched behind her collar. Lucy slowly softened to her. The cat finally grew used to her and David, and the new house, but the recent storms scared her, often sending her bolting for cover beneath the
“Holy shit, man!” he yelled. “Can you fucking believe it! Whoo hoo!”
“No, I can’t,” Nick replied, huffing for another breath.
“The entire ship slid off the hillside.”
“Almost taking us with it! Why the fuck did you take off without me? I was pinned down by a bench down there.”
Keith’s eyes rolled. “I lost you. Fuck, I couldn’t see anything in that murky water either.”
“Did you even try to find me?”
“Screw you.”
Yeah, screw me, Nick thought.
“There was nothing I could do,” Keith continued. He lifted his arm out of the water, hand gripped tight around his bag of valuables. “But who the hell cares. We’re alive with a big stash.”
“Still too close,” Nick said. He groped for a mirror in a pouch at his waist to signal to Barry, but it was gone.
“I don’t have my mirror.”
Keith shook his head. “You’re not as dependable as I once thought you were.” He dug into his pack and drew out his own mirror, along with a whistle. “It’s a good thing you have me.” He blew into the whistle and held up the mirror. Barry’s flashlight swished through the air and paused on them. A few seconds later, the motor of the Dawn Maiden growled. The boat swung a half circle and slowly drifted up beside them.
Barry threw a dingy into the water and helped pull them both to the boat. Nick let Keith step up the ladder first. He didn’t trust him and plus he wanted to take his time with the cut burning at his side. The gash didn’t feel deep enough for a hospital visit, just bloody and stinging.
Keith dropped his bag and swiveled around to offer his hand to Nick. “See, look what a good friend I am, helping you out once again.”
Nick paused, thinking about what he had almost just lost and how Keith’s attention was fixated on gathering as many valuables as he could possibly stuff into his bag. He didn’t care that lives were in jeopardy, including his own.
Nick pulled himself up the ladder. “I saved myself.”
Keith’s eyes sharpened on him. “However you want to look at it.”
Nick chose not to reply. Instead, he sloughed off his tanks and went to the captain’s chair, his chair. Keith shook his head.
“So, what the fuck?” Barry said. “Did you find the statue?” He looked to Keith and then to Nick.
“No,” Nick said. “The ship collapsed down the hillside, almost pulled us down with it.” He watched Keith dig through his trophy bag.
“What!” Barry said. “Damn, you’re two lucky sons-of-bitches.”
Nick noticed three empty beer cans stashed in a net at the side of the seat. “Good to know that you were keeping watch,” he said, gesturing to the cans.
“What’d you expect? You rather me jerk off?”
Keith slugged him in the arm. Not hard but enough to shut him up. He picked up a towel and started drying himself off.
“What’s your problem?” Barry said to him.
“We’re down in the deep risking our lives, and you’re up here having a fucking party.”
Barry swung his arm out. “C’mon, I can drink that for breakfast.”
“Doesn’t matter, anyway,” Nick said. “We didn’t find the statue. It’s gone for good now.”
Keith pulled out a necklace from his bag. “Don’t go all pouty. We found some other cool shit.”
Nick couldn’t shake his disappointment. The statue of Rán would have meant another surgery for his Matt. Now, that dream was just as dead and cold as Jim.
CHAPTER 5
A flash of lightning brightened purple into a dusk-laden sky. A few silent seconds later, thunder clashed. Lucy, Kate’s tabby inherited from Jev, jumped wide-eyed awake, ears flattened back. Kate scratched behind her collar. Lucy slowly softened to her. The cat finally grew used to her and David, and the new house, but the recent storms scared her, often sending her bolting for cover beneath the
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