“What about his upgrades?” Duncan asked.
“He didn’t have any at first,” Ruby explained. “They had a crude computer system that suggested gadgets based on a spy’s weaknesses. But mostly they were just kids who were really good at something.”
As the other kids imagined the prehistoric days of NERDS, the submersible sank farther into the deep. There was no need for Duncan to steer. Gravity was carrying the small craft to the bottom of the ocean. Duncan drifted as well, into his own thoughts: his sister’s mean comments, his parents’ confused expressions when he spoke, his anxiety over losing his upgrades. Somehow it was all tied together; he just couldn’t undo the knot. He didn’t like being confused. It made him feel like he used to before he became a spy and his whole life changed—back when he was below average.
“What’s on your mind, muchacho? And nice threads, by the way,” Flinch said as he leaned forward.
“Thanks. Just thinking about our mission,” Duncan lied.
“Isn’t this great? It’s like that book Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. You’re like Captain Nemo up here in the control seat. Whoa! Did you see that?”
Duncan looked out the window and saw a fin swim past the submersible. The only problem was, this fin was four times the size of the craft. “What was it?”
“How would I know?” Flinch said, his eyes as big as saucers. “The closest I’ve ever gotten to the ocean is a box of Swedish Fish.”
“It’s a whale,” Ruby said, following it on her radar screen. “It must weigh close to twenty tons.”
“That would make it a whale shark,” Duncan said. “It’s one of the biggest animals in the world and it’s native to this part of the ocean.”
“Whale shark?” Jackson cried as he swiveled the harpoon gun to prepare for attack.
“Relax, it’s harmless,” Duncan said.
The whale shark glided by once more, this time slowing to fix a massive eye on the craft. The children held their breath until the animal swam away, then craned their necks to follow its path. Swimming in its wake were thousands of tiny silver fish. They moved about in a single massive group, less like fish and more like a ribbon of gelatin trailing the whale shark. Suddenly, a school of tuna fish appeared from nowhere, darting in and out of the hitchhikers, feasting on the flickering ribbons of life. Duncan had never seen anything like it in the world.
“Do we not have the best jobs ever?” Flinch cried.
Just then, the front glass flickered and the image of Agent Brand appeared before them all. He looked rather irritated.
“What’s the problem, boss man?” Matilda asked. “You look angry.”
“Isn’t that how he always looks?” Jackson mumbled.
“I’m fine, Wheezer,” Brand said, though his irritated voice said otherwise.
“We haven’t found anything yet, sir,” Ruby said.
“It will take you a half an hour to make it to the spot we believe the Bom Jesus settled. I was just letting you know our sonar scans have shown that there is indeed something below you.”
“Where’s Ms. Holiday?” Duncan asked.
“Ms. Holiday is busy speaking with Captain Blancard,” Brand snarled.
“Oooooh,” said Matilda. The children shared a knowing look, which seemed to irritate the agent even more. A moment later his image vanished from the glass.
“That poor dumb moron,” Matilda said. “He’ll lose her if he doesn’t learn to talk.”
“Ms. Holiday is the bomb,” Jackson added.
After some time, Ruby alerted them that they were quickly approaching the ocean floor. Flinch flipped on the external lights and Duncan switched on the motor. He could feel the vibration of pumping engines through his body as the Ali suddenly responded to the tiniest movement of the controls. He gripped the throttle and soon the little submersible was propelled forward through the water, just above the seabed.
“See anything out there, Flinch?” Matilda asked. “Rather, see anything I can punch in the face?”
Flinch grinned. “Nothing yet, but you’ll be the first to know. Wait! There’s something!”
Duncan brought the craft to a halt. “I don’t see a thing.”
“There,” Flinch said, pointing out the window at a green mass on the sandy floor.
“Congrats, you spotted some algae,” Jackson said. “Good job, eagle eye.”
Flinch laughed. “That’s not algae. Well, it is, but what’s underneath it isn’t algae. That’s an anchor.”
Ruby’s terminal was beeping wildly. “He’s right. This computer photographs objects and then allows me to digitally remove surface materials that may have collected on them. That’s an anchor all right.”
“Then the Bom Jesus must be around here somewhere,” Matilda said.
Duncan piloted the ship along the sandy floor. Soon they came across some ancient barrels and what looked like a rudder. It wasn’t long before they saw the stern of the ship. That’s when Matilda let out another little cry.
Duncan tapped the radio. “Agent Brand. Agent Holiday. The Muhammad Ali has found the Bom Jesus.”
Holiday’s face appeared on the screen. “Amazing! Perhaps all of you will become treasure hunters one day like Captain Blancard here. Any sign of our diamonds?”
Ruby shrugged. “Nothing yet. We’re going to have to get closer.”
Duncan steered them closer to the ancient ship. Flinch spotted a huge hole in the hull. From the look of the wreck, the Bom Jesus had sunk on its side. Duncan piloted the submersible closer, spotting several cannons poking out of windows and a massive hole on one side of the ship. Duncan couldn’t be sure, but it looked as if one of the cannons had exploded, causing the hole and possibly sending the ship down beneath the waves. The hole was just big enough for the Muhammad Ali to enter, but the moment Duncan tried, a great white shark charged out of the ship at them, snapping its jaws and causing the children to scream. When the beast found nothing to eat, it circled around, then got bored and slipped away.
Duncan eased the submersible into the ancient ship and Flinch directed the high-powered lights. Inside, nearly everything was covered in a green sludge. Little crabs scurried into crevices and a few striped fish darted away. It was both beautiful and ghostly.
“There’s one of the cannons,” Flinch said as Duncan steered the ship around the hull. The ancient iron gun sat among little barrels with XXX painted on them.
“Matilda, I think we’re going to need those arms,” Duncan said. “If the diamonds are here, they’re in the bottom of the boat. Pull up the floorboards, but steer clear of those barrels. I suspect they’re full of gunpowder.”
Matilda grinned as she slipped her hands into two rubber gloves. Suddenly the arms on either side of the craft came to life. Matilda tore into the bottom of the boat, causing algae, plankton, and sand to swirl around the sub.
“I’ve broken through,” Matilda said.
They waited for the swirling fog to settle, only to find the mechanical arms had ripped a hole into a small room. Inside were tables and chairs and two bone-white skeletons that floated up and hit the submersible window. Ruby shrieked but Jackson and Flinch laughed.
“That was awesome!” Flinch cried.
“Look!” Duncan cried.
Scattered about the room were wooden chests with brass padlocks.
The NERDS cheered. It looked as if they had found the diamonds.
Captain Blancard’s face reappeared in the glass. “Very good, my friends. Now, Gluestick, there is a button just above your right knee that says TRUNK. Do you see it? Push that button.”
Duncan pushed the button and watched as a portion of the submersible rolled out from underneath the craft. Its lid opened, revealing a large storage space.
“OK, Wheezer, let’s get one of those chests into the submersible and opened. No point bringing them all up if all we’re going to find is some old clothes,” Blancard said. “But be gentle. Those chests are hundreds of years old.