“I’m sure they’re looking at you.”
“Nope. You’re something we never see in North Carolina — a white guy with all his teeth.”
They shared a laugh, a genuine one, and Maddock sensed a lightening of the tension.
“You really need to get out of here before a gap-toothed woman in a tube top makes you her boy toy.”
Maddock nodded. “How about my offer?”
Bones sighed. “I’ll think about it.”
Chapter 3
They called him Odelin, and no one knew if that was his first or last name. No one cared, either, because he was the boss, at least as far as those here with him were concerned. They had heard him on occasion talking on the phone with someone he obviously had to answer to, but that was not their problem.
Odelin looked over at the remains of the priest he had visited earlier. His men wrangled the blood-soaked corpse into the panel van they’d parked in an alleyway here at the edge of the worst part of town. As soon as they had stowed the whole messy bundle inside, Odelin told the driver to wait and stepped inside the vehicle. He pulled on a pair of latex gloves and knelt before the mangled deceased. One of his men asked if he would like help searching the body, but Odelin refused. The matter was too sensitive and critical for that level of help. “I’ll handle it. Just keep watch and alert me if anyone approaches by any means.”
The man nodded and left him alone. Odelin proceeded to search Abbe’s body, a disgusting task given the nature of his demise, but one that was wholly necessary.
Come on, preacher man, make this easy on us.
But a few minutes of thorough searching later and Odelin had nothing to show for it but a pair of bloody gloves. Frustrated, he stripped them off and tossed them unceremoniously onto the deceased before exiting the van.
He told his men to wait while he walked to the nearest dwelling, a dilapidated mobile home that happened to have electricity and running water, utilities that were not a given in this part of the world. Used as a low key safe house for his organization, Odelin detested the ramshackle place but found it to be an effective lair in which to lay low and get things done from time to time.
Once inside, he locked the door behind him. He cursed at the rats that scurried off at his sudden approach before making his way into the kitchen. For some reason this is where the phone was kept, something about it being the only accessible point where the illicit wiring job could be tapped into the mains. He opened a cabinet and took down the pushbutton landline telephone.
Odelin dialed from memory and when the other end picked up, he said without preamble, “He doesn’t have it.”
A pregnant pause ensued during which Odelin could sense his superior’s disappointment.
“What steps are you taking?”
“I have my men searching the church and the priest’s home as we speak. I will let you know the second they find anything.”
“See that you do.”
The words were direct enough, but Odelin recognized them for the threat they were and shivered as he replaced the handset in the cradle.
See that you do. He flashed on the times former associates of his had heard that same phrase and then failed to deliver. He watched a cockroach scurry up the wall and into a crack where the wall met the ceiling. He would be living like that, too, if this search didn’t pan out — running for cover of darkness for the rest of his short-lived days.
He picked up the phone again and dialed a new number. He had already told his man to report in after the search had been completed, but that was when he had thought he would hit paydirt on Abbe’s body. He had been all but certain the priest would not allow something so important to ever be out of his direct possession, especially after being confronted about it. But he had thought wrong.
It was time to find out how the other search was progressing.
Chapter 4
Maddock pulled in to the parking lot of the Cherokee Suites. He cut the engine of his '75 Bronco and took in the pitiful site — faded paint, sagging roof, cracked windows. He shook his head at Bones’ living situation. This was no place for a seasoned and talented warrior of Bones’ caliber. But his friend had to want to take steps, and that’s why Maddock had come. His former comrade in arms hadn’t been interested in his business proposition last night in the casino, but maybe now, after some time to reflect and calm down a bit, he would be open to reason.
He found the room number Angel had given him and knocked on the door. Hopefully Bones wouldn’t be still in bed with one of his hookups. Something told Maddock his friend’s mood was too dark lately for such frivolity. A few seconds came and went. Maddock knocked again.
“Unless you’re a hooker, go away. I don’t need to find Jesus and I don’t need housekeeping.”
Maddock smirked. “I’m sure it’s a pigsty in there, Bones. Open up.”
Maddock heard the thump of feet hitting the floor and stomping across the room. The door cracked and the Indian’s face looked out at Maddock from behind his unkempt hair. “Get your own room, Maddock, they’ve got vacancies. You’ll love it. These twin beds are like king size luxury mattresses compared to the barracks cots.”
“Yeah, I remember your feet always used to hang off. How’s the flea situation?”
“They don’t eat too much.”
“That’s good. Can I come in for a few minutes?”
Bones undid the security chain and pulled the door open. He stood aside while Maddock entered, took in the gloomy, disheveled look of the place at a glance, and then opened the curtain. Bones closed the door and squinted at Maddock. “Too bright.”
“Since I’m hoping you’ll see that light, that works for me.” Maddock took one of the two chairs at the little round table in front of the room’s only window and turned one of them toward his friend.
“Sit. Hear me out.”
“Is this about that treasure stuff you were blabbing about last night?”
“Yes. But I’m not just talking about it, Bones. I’m doing it. I already bought the boat and the equipment. Now I’m looking for a qualified partner, preferably one I’ve worked with before.”
Bones said nothing, but Maddock took solace in the fact that he wasn’t laughing yet. And he couldn’t really blame him if he did. It was a common reaction Maddock got from a lot of people. Treasure hunting, huh? He could hear the doubt lurking in their voices, practically hear them saying, Why don’t you just get a real job? None of them knew the first thing about treasure hunting, though, especially underwater treasure hunting. But Bones did, even if he acted like he didn’t give a damn.
“What kind of boat you get?”
Maddock grinned. Finally he was getting somewhere. “You remember Marco Cosenza’s boat?”
Recognition took hold over Bone’s features. “The Sea Foam?”
Maddock smiled and nodded.
Bones looked incredulous. “That old scow?”
“One and the same.” Maddock’s thoughts flashed to a whirlwind adventure through and beneath the streets of Boston in search of Paul Revere’s famous lanterns. The distant look in Bones’ eyes told him his friend was doing the same.
“I’ve done a lot of work on her: overhauled the engine, new wiring, fresh bottom paint, retrofitted with state-of-the-art electronics…”
“So you’re saying that ship is dependable and ready to go? Because I don’t have a Sea Tow membership.”
“She’s more than up to the task, Bones. The question is… are you?”