“Well, not compared to some women I’ve dated.”
Bones nodded sagely.
“I’ve been thinking,” Maddock said a bit too loudly, trying to redirect the conversation, “about our next move once we find the second stone.”
“Find the third one?” Matt said, not looking up from the task at hand.
“Yeah, but how?” Bones asked. “We’ve got no clues.”
“Not yet, but I think the next step is to follow up on Dima’s Book of Noah. As far as we know, it’s the only text in history that mentions the stones. Right?”
“As far as I know,” Dima said from her position on the deck. She lay face-down on a towel, the sun glinting off her oiled back. “I’ve been studying Noah’s ark for years and never heard of the Noah Stones until my friend Robert sent me the fragment. I was a little skeptical at first, but now that we know they’re real, I think we should try to find it.”
“This is kind of premature, don’t you think?” Bones said. “Even if we find the wreck, and the stone really was on the ship, there’s no guarantee the stone is still there.”
“Aren’t you the optimist? What’s up with you?”
“Nothing.”
Maddock didn’t miss the scowl Bones directed at Matt, who was now working on Dima’s legs, and he understood. “First the girl at the museum and now her. You’re striking out all over the place, aren’t you?”
“It’s not that. Well, it’s mostly not that. My dry spells tend to be shorter than your…” Bones glanced down and cleared his throat. “Never mind. Anyway, it’s knowing what those guys did to my grandfather, and facing the fact that they got away from us twice. I want to hit someone, Maddock. Hard. In the face.”
“I’m sure you’ll get the chance before this is all over.”
The boat slowed and the whine of the engine lowered in pitch. “Looks like they found something,” Maddock said. “Let’s check it out.”
The stop turned out to be for nothing. Under closer scrutiny, the wreck Corey had spotted turned out to be too recent. Three hours and two more false alarms later, Maddock was ready to pop open a Dos Equis and call it a day. He was about to suggest the same to his crew when Corey got another hit on sonar.
“I’m not getting my hopes up,” Corey said, “but this one looks promising.”
“Let’s send Uma down to check it out.” Uma was the nickname of their underwater miniature submersible camera. The robotic device could get an up close look at a wreck without stirring up too much silt and could safely go in and out of narrow spaces.
They hastily readied the device and sent it down. The crew huddled around the screen that displayed the images Uma sent back. Soon the image of a sunken ship filled the screen. Maddock had to admit it did look promising. It was a wooden ship, mostly buried in the sand.
Corey guided the submersible up and down the length of the ship. They couldn’t make out many details from the exposed portion of the wreck so next they had Uma scan the seabed around the wreck, looking for objects that might have spilled out.
Maddock watched, hoping for some clue that would tell them they were on the right track. Finally, he spotted something.
“Stop. Over there.” He tapped the top right corner of the screen.
Corey brought Uma to a halt, rotated her a few degrees, and panned out. A dark, cylindrical object lay in a rocky section of the sea floor. He had almost missed it.
“Bring her in close.”
Corey complied, and as the object grew larger, Maddock’s heart fell. Even in its current condition, he could tell they had missed their mark.
“What is that?” Dima leaned in for a closer look.
“It’s a cannon,” he said.
“Is that a bad thing?” she asked.
“In this case it is,” Bones said. “Its way to modern. Probably Civil War.” He turned to Maddock. “I could go down for a closer look just to be sure.”
Maddock shook his head. “There’s no need. This isn’t the wreck we’re looking for.”
“But are they the droids we’re looking for?” Bones made a face. “Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood.”
“Nice try,” Maddock said. “Right now, I think a beer is the only thing that will do the trick.”
Chapter 21
Maddock rose early the next morning and sat down on the deck with a strong cup of coffee and waited to watch the sunrise. He took a sip of the hot, bitter brew and gazed out at the horizon. A thin gray line painted across the ocean portended the sun’s arrival. Any day at sea was a good day for him, but mornings were special. He closed his eyes and allowed the cool breeze to wash over him. He was a patient man, especially compared to Bones, but he couldn’t deny his eagerness to find the sunken ship and its lost cargo. He wanted to solve the mystery. The thought of locating these so-called Noah Stones and perhaps the legendary ark itself set his heart racing, but the real drive was to make sure Bones’ family, and Angel in particular, was safe. Though she was not the target of the Trident, he knew she would not hesitate to put herself in harm’s way to protect her grandfather, should the men come after him again.
“That smells good. Have you got a cup for me?” Dima, clad in track pants and a tight-fitting tank top, padded up on bare feet and sat down beside him.
“No, but you’re welcome to share this one if you take it black.” He handed her the mug.
“It’s coffee. I take it any way it comes.” She raised the mug to her lips, took a sip, and grimaced. “My God, that is strong.” She took another sip and handed it back.
“You’re up early,” Maddock said.
“I’m a light sleeper. It’s gotten even worse since Robert sent me that document. I just can’t slow my mind down and I imagine I see those guys around every corner, coming after me.”
“I hope you feel safe with us,” he said.
“I do. At least, as safe as I’m capable of feeling. I grew up in the Middle East so I’ve always walked on eggshells.” She let out a small sigh. “So, what is the deal with you and Bones? You two make an odd pair.”
“He’s my best friend. It wasn’t always that way. We hated each other at first, but we got over it. I guess you could say we are yen and yang.”
“I can believe that. You definitely seem like opposites.” She tilted her head and looked at him thoughtfully. “Are you as big a ladies man as he seems to be?”
Maddock grinned and shook his head. “Not me. I’m engaged. To his sister, in fact.” He felt a touch of amusement as the lines creasing Dima’s face betrayed the same confusion so many others had felt when trying to picture Bones’ sister. “Don’t worry. She’s not his twin or anything.” He took out his phone and showed her a picture of Angel.
“She’s beautiful. Is she a model or an actress, something like that?”
“Professional fighter.” He said, pocketing the phone.
“A fighter. Are you winding me up?”
Maddock shook his head. “Dead serious. She’s one-of-a-kind. Kind of like Bones in that way.”
“He is unique.” Dima bit her lip. “So, what is his deal? I mean, is he in a relationship? Does he even have relationships?”
Maddock always found these questions awkward. The truth was, Bones had never stayed with one woman for any length of time, but there were reasons for that. Reasons his friend would not want shared. “Sure he does. It’s just taking him longer to find the right girl.” Maddock looked her in the eye. “But I can tell you he’s a good man. Maybe the best I’ve ever known.”
Dima turned and looked thoughtfully out at the water. The morning breeze ruffled her long, dark hair, and she brushed a strand from her face. Maddock decided he liked her— she was smart, sincere, and lovely. Bones could do much worse. They sat there in contemplative silence until she spoke again.