"Whatever you say, Mr. Purdue. I hope you are paying him enough to keep your secret," she said, and looked out on the angry ocean, akin to her own frustration. Shamelessly she coveted a cigarette and wondered if there was any alcohol on Deep Sea One.
At the airfield Sam Cleave waited for the helicopter pilot to collect him from the lounge. On the table in front of him were his cell phone and an ashtray with four crumpled butts in it. He rhythmically kicked his duffle bag under the table while he looked out from the wide window to the goings-on of the airstrip. A blunt headache chiseled away at his brain, filling his skull with burning waves every time something loud happened. On the tender spot above his navel, nausea persisted that he could not rid himself of, no matter how many potions he prepared to alleviate the discomfort. There were few things worse than a hangover and today he had the pleasure to host one. Checking his watch he realized that there was time for one more cigarette before his ride would arrive. The orange fire of the burning tobacco brightened as he sucked in the smoke and he wondered what Purdue was up to this time.
He had not been given any more detail than the basic. Most important, his camera gear was needed. Apart from that he was not quite sure what it was all about, but he knew it was on the North Sea and had to be kept discreet. The money was extravagant, so Sam was happy to comply with anything Purdue wished to bribe him for. Knowing the flamboyant billionaire it was probably an island of mermaids he bought or maybe he managed to perfect what the USS Eldridge could not complete during the Philadelphia Experiment. Nothing would surprise him.
"Mr. Cleave," a man in a uniform addressed him. His voice was remarkably clear in the din of the roaring planes, something Sam did not appreciate.
"Yes."
"This way for the Purdue party," the man said loudly and led the way.
Good God, can your voice be any sharper? Sam thought, as he gathered up his gear and followed.
A few hours later he was circling over Deep Sea One, marveling at the deserted location. It was far offshore and immediately Cleave grew suspicious. It was in international waters, not bound by any specific country's laws and that roused his bullshit meter. Cynicism was part of his job, not to believe what he saw on the surface. Why would the location of Purdue's oil rig be so far out? Unless he discovered a potent vein deeper in. The platform was enormous and it reminded him of the Eiffel Tower if it had been swallowed by the sea and lived there for two hundred years. His journalistic inquisitiveness took over and a thousand questions darted through his mind as they landed with a swaying jerk on the deck. What could be so damn secretive to a bloody oil rig? Exactly what kind of secret could possibly be kept here?
Sam saw a few men move up and down the iron stairs, as the pilot led him to the control rooms where he recognized Purdue's boisterous yapping. He heard another voice too, that of a woman.
"Nina," he gasped a little too loudly, as he entered the doorway and saw the small fire breather standing against the wall. Even though she expected him, she did not think that his actual arrival would ignite her hurt so much and she bit her lip in Purdue's presence.
"Welcome to Deep Sea One, Mr. Cleave," Purdue smiled. "Tea?"
Sam nodded briefly and looked at Nina, who glared at him with a hint of abhorrence from the brim of her cup. He had no idea that she was involved. Purdue sure had a knack, or is that a perverted amusement, for uniting foes just to watch the chemical chaos it birthed. This was probably why he was not told who else was involved, but now he was here, packed, ready and well paid. His imbursement was incentive enough to bear with Nina Gould and her fury.
"Mr. Purdue," Liam peeked in, "Phone call for you."
"Excuse me, Sam. Here — finish making your tea. I shall be back shortly," he smirked and shoved a mug in Sam's hand. For a moment the journalist wanted to go with his host, not wanting to be left alone with the bully. But he had to face her. In his opinion she had overreacted anyway and she had no reason to be mad.
"So you had to wedge in on this one too, huh? Not enough fame yet? Are Matlock's coattails finally withering?" she snapped at him in a hushed tone.
"What did I do, Nina? Come on. Out with it," he replied, as he busied himself with the kettle.
"I thought you had some integrity, Sam. I thought you were like me, not easily swayed by the guile of fame and glory and money. So what do you do? You whore out on me!" she hissed, moving closer to him so that she could comfortably chew him out.
"Excuse me?" Sam frowned. He refused to be talked to this way, a side effect of growing some self-esteem. "You knew that we all did what we had to do, Nina. Just because you did nothing to secure your part in the story, does not mean that everyone else did you in. My God, the gall of you!" he clenched his words between his teeth in the most subdued tone he could muster.
Nina was visibly taken back by his reaction. He was not the submissive, careless guy she knew a few months ago and quite frankly she was caught off guard.
"How could you side with Matlock when you knew that you and I discovered the documents that led to the Antarctica expedition in the first place? How could you let him take credit for what belonged to you, Sam?" she moaned, her anger now slightly pacified.
"You forget that it is my job to do editorials when I am sent on assignment, Nina. For Christ's sake, not everything is about you. Stop taking everything so personally," he explained while stirring in the sugar and tossing the spoon carelessly into the sink. It clamored loudly on the steel among the background hum of the machines and the hiss of the waves. The loud clang startled her and made him seem more aggressive.
Sam waited for her to fight back but all he saw was defeat. Nina's face was weary and unhappy as she held back the tears. His attraction to her had not faded at all and he felt sorry for the beautiful academic who once kissed him, a sensation he still recalled when he felt lonely.
His voice softened, "Look, I know you got fucked over. Believe me, I know how much you put into that expedition and everything you did to save our asses. Matlock could have credited you as coauthor or at least have given you credit for bringing the idea to him." Sam put his tea down and rubbed her arms with his hands as she sank her head. Under his palms he could feel the slight shaking of her body as Nina wept silently. He pulled her against him.
"Come on, give me an intellectual 'fuck you' that you do so well," Sam play-pouted to cheer her up. It was the first time someone from the expedition openly admitted that she was fucked over by Matlock and it was strangely therapeutic to hear it.
He continued, "I know what you did. Everyone in your department knows too. Who cares? It's only a matter of time before Matlock is a has-been. You are only just getting started, right? Hey?" he sank his head to see her face. Nina nodded.
"Thank you," she said, in an almost inaudible voice.
"Sorry? Can't hear you," he teased and gave her a little shake.
"You're an asshole, Sam Cleave," she sniffed. He took his tea and hugged it with his cold fingers.
"That's my girl."
Chapter 10
As soon as the sky started to turn light Purdue, Nina and Sam prepared for their first trip down to the submarine. The two guests had each been given their own quarters with amenities, which included heaters and extra blankets. Keys for their lockers were supplied for their own peace of mind and the walls contained built-in radios, which had satellite reception, should they wish to drown out the incessant buzzing of machinery and listen to a bit of music from civilization. The living quarters were remarkably luxurious considering their distant location from land, but then again, to Purdue luxury was a necessity. Nina adapted well under the circumstances and relinquished her claustrophobia to the quaint charm of the room she was given, which almost had her forgetting that she was stranded on a steel monstrosity in the middle of the deep sea.