Poseidon's Horses E-Book

Regina E.G. Schymiczek

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Seitenzahl: 440

Beschreibung

When the marine archaeologist Dr. Jack Foster discovers an unknown place built like an antique city off the Gulf Coast of Florida, he soon realizes that he accidentally came across a triton-conspiracy aiming at taking over the world supremacy by creating a new nuclear catastrophe, worse than Fukushima. Quickly, Jack gets involved in the matter and unerstands that he has to take down the head of the conspirators. He gets on a journey that brings him to Berlin, to the Mont-St-Michel, to New York, Phoenix, and Las Vegas where the powers of the underworld are gathering for a final showdown. However, Jack is not alone. Fighting by his side are his best friend Tony, the attractive biologist Cat, a German professor, and, what is not always to his liking, his mother.

Leseprobe

Poseidon's Horses

TitelseiteFor123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930Facts And FictionABOUT THE AUTHORCopyright

Poseidon’s

Horses

Regina E.G. Schymiczek

Copyright © 2022 Regina E.G. Schymiczek

Translation of the German novel “Die Weide der Seepferde”

by Regina E.G. Schymiczek, CreateSpace 2013

Cover Design: Regina E.G. Schymiczek © 2022

BOD - BOD Books on Demand, Norderstedt/Germany

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 9783756215171

For

mtf

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My deepest thanks go to my almost life-long friend Ingrid Eumann who is not only a constant source of inspiration for me but also helped me in creating the English version of “Die Weide der Seepferde” – “Poseidon’s Horses”.

I am also grateful to Rosalie Schiak who did a great job in proof-reading “Poseidon’s Horses”.

1

Rebecca bit her lip. All of a sudden, she was not so sure about her plans anymore. Maybe this was a mistake. Pull yourself together, she thought. Hesitantly she raised a hand, took in a deep breath, and knocked. She heard someone talk on the other side of the door. When nobody answered, she turned the doorknob and looked peeked? into the room. A man stood next to a desk with his back to the door, talking with a raised voice on the phone. Rebecca only picked up that it was about figures and deadlines. He wildly gestured with his free hand while looking out of the window.

He was quite tall and in good shape, his brown hair was cut short, he wore khaki-shorts and a dark blue T-shirt, withLazy Lobsterwritten in white letters upon it. Probably he was in his late twenties but belonged to those people who always look younger than they really are.

Obviously, he had neither heard her knocking nor noticed that she had entered the room. Rebecca remained standing next to the door and scanned the tiny office. There were stuffed fish hanging on the wall, joined by several framed photos showing a man – most likely it was the one standing at the desk – in diving outfit. In each picture he presented a different object to the camera – a golden cross, a coin, or a goblet.

Jack finished the telephone conversation, turned around and banged the receiver on the hook. He had spent the whole day with unpleasant talks to banks, insurance companies, and travel agencies, and now the landlord also put him under pressure! The crammed office space above the restaurantLazy Lobster, on Ocean Drive, had been a stroke of luck. Though the rent was quite high, the promotion he got from the restaurant generally more than compensated that. However, the last two winters had been unusually cold in Florida. This had had a strong effect on tourism, especially regarding the bookings for diving excursions. Furthermore, Jack was not the only one who took advantage of the failed attempts of the Spanish conquerors to ship gold from the New World to Europe. The number of offers for diving excursions to the wrecks equaled that of sunken galleons along Florida’s coast. A motor damage of the boat added to this competitive pressure, tearing a large whole in Jack’s business account. Agitatedly, he ran his fingers through his hair and tried to figure out a way out of his present dilemma.

Then the girl, who now stood right in front of his desk, caught his attention. She stared at him with her big, water-blue eyes. He frowned. This was really not the time for any kid stuff. Probably, she was collecting for a charity project of her school – an exclusive private school, considering her clothes. Even the blue bonnet, which tidily tied her long, dark blond hair, looked expensive.

‘What do you want, kid? Did you get lost?’

‘I did not get lost,’ the girl answered seriously. ‘Your door sign says:Foster & Campillo. Organization of diving excursions to wrecks, salvages, valuation of artworks.You are Jack R. Foster Ph.D., aren’t you? At least, that’s what the sign on your desk says. In that case, that’s what I would like to hire you for: Diving, salvage, and valuation!’

Jack glanced at his watch. Actually, he was about to call it a day. He sighed and let himself fall into the old leather chair behind his desk.

‘Listen, kid –’

‘My name is Rebecca Whithall-Meyers and notkid!’, the girl interrupted him slightly irritated.

‘Alright, Rebecca, you have found a treasure map and now you want to hire me to hunt the treasure, right? Do you have any idea how much that will cost?’

‘I just said, my name is Whithall-Meyers!’ answered the girl, becoming impatient.

Jack had already opened his mouth to send the girl home for good, when he suddenly realized what that name stood for. The Whithall-Meyers were a dynasty of shipbuilders, who had their headquarters in Florida. Their yachts were sold worldwide. If the girl was a member of that family, she wouldn’t have any problems to pay for his services. His face lightened up.

‘Whithall-Meyers you say… what do your parents think of your idea of a treasure hunt?’

‘My parents have been dead for a long time. I cannot even remember them. I grew up at my Grandma’s. She died four weeks ago. Now my uncle is my guardian, but I don’t live with him. I have a private teacher who lives with me in Granny’s estate in St. Augustine. After Granny‘s death I indeed found a treasure map, namely this one.’

Rebecca opened her expensive designer bag and pulled out a yellowed piece of paper.

Jack’s curiosity had increased enough to stretch out his hand. Rebecca handed him the map. He expertly fingered the paper and held it against the light. He frowned.

‘Seems to be old, indeed,’ he murmured, more to himself. ‘At first sight, at least.’

Then he looked more closely to the drawings on the map, showing the southernmost part of Florida. At the northern point of a small group of islands, just above the Big Pine Keys, there was a small cross with a strange drawing, resembling a seahorse. Jack made a face. The complete group of islands was environmentally protected and thus not accessible. He returned the map to Rebecca, who had meanwhile seated herself in the also quite worn-out leather chair in front of his desk.

‘And what makes you so sure that this is a treasure map? Not every cross on a map automatically marks the spot where a chest with gold coins is hidden, you know.’ He knew it before, the whole thing would take him nowhere, he thought with disappointment.

‘Granny told me that our family has knowledge of a great treasure and that she would tell me all about it in due time,’ Rebecca said with an expression as if the treasure chest only had to be picked up at the Post Office.

Jack placed his elbows on the desk and buried his face in his hands. Then he looked at Rebecca.

‘Grannies love to tell stories to their grandchildren. That‘s what they’re there for. And this is a very fine story, Rebecca, but nothing else. Probably one of your ancestors sighted a wreck and marked the location because he suspected that a Spanish galleon had sunken there. As these ships were generally used to carry precious cargo, he planned to dive for it at a later time. The map has been kept in your family and each generation has added something to the story – but nobody actually looked for the treasure. If you want, I can try to sell the map, it might well bring some hundred bucks. But I would rather suggest that you keep it – then you can once tellyourchildren and grandchildren an exciting treasure story.’

Jack stood up. He thought that he had now spent enough time with the girl. Rebecca stayed in her chair. Silently she looked at Jack, then she grabbed her bag again pulling out a small package which she handed over to him.

‘I found this together with the map,’ she said quietly. Jack took the package and sat down again.

He pulled away the paper and was quite surprised to find a golden charm in the form of a seahorse with a crown on its head. The tail of the seahorse bent backwards over its back, touching the gently flexed neck. This created a ring through which a leather strap was pulled. Some strange signs were engraved in the body of the animal. Jack studied the golden charm intensely. Strong signs of abrasion and patches of patina indicated that the charm had been in salty water for a long time. However, he found it hard to date the jewelry, as he had not seen anything like it before.

‘This was with the map? Can I see it again?’

Rebecca slid it silently across the desk. He stared at it, sighed and shook his head.

‘Even if there really were a treasure – we will not be able to get close to it. This all belongs to the nature reserve. Any treasure hunting is forbidden. The entering of the region alone is an offence.’

He preferred not to mention the fact that this was the place where he had already run into some considerable problems with the law enforcement some time ago.

‘But I would pay you well,’ Rebecca said.

‘You’re watching too many crime stories on TV. It’s not that easy. There are laws, you know, and …’

‘$5,000 in advance and 25 % of everything you’ll find.’

Jack laughed. ‘$5,000, you say? And where will you get that kind of money? You may come from a rich family, but I doubt that you get so much pocket money. How old are you, anyway? Twelve or thirteen? You‘re not even legally competent! When Uncle Bill finds out, he’ll send you to boarding school and me to jail, cause I took part in this!’

She frowned at him, reached again into her bag, pulled out a large bundle of dollar bills, and threw it on the desk.

‘This money was also with the map, together with a letter from Granny. She writes that the money is meant for the treasure hunt. And furthermore, I am already thirteen and my uncle’s name is Cedric, not Bill!’

Jack let his chair tilt backwards and crossed his arms behind his neck. The whole story was unbelievable! Cedric Whithall-Meyers … hadn’t he heard that name in the media recently?

‘And does Uncle Cedric know about all this?’

Rebecca lowered her eyes and shook her head. ‘We don’t get along so well. He asked Granny several times for the treasure map, but she always acted as if she didn’t know what he was talking about. Then she told me that this was a secret between the two of us. That’s why I didn’t tell him that meanwhile I had found the map.’

Jack let his chair snap back into an upright position and rubbed his forehead. ‘Listen, Rebecca. I’m really sorry. I’m sorry about your parents, your Grandma, and I’m sorry that you don’t get along with your uncle. But I can’t help you. The region marked on the map is out of bounds. Period.’

Rebecca gave him a disappointed look.

‘And now,’ he said while standing up again, ‘you see that you get home quickly. How did you come here, anyway? It’s quite a long trip from St. Augustine to Miami Beach.’

‘Bodenstein, Granny‘s driver, brought me. He’s waiting downstairs.’

Jack nodded. Why didn’t he think of that? Of course, the upper class had drivers at their service. He pushed the money in Rebecca’s direction.

‘Take it and don’t put it on the table of the next driving instructor. Not everybody is as nice as me.’

While Rebecca stowed the money and the map back into her bag, Jack once again studied the golden seahorse.

‘That’s really a nice piece. When you’re grown up, you can wear it as jewelry,’ he said and handed it to the girl. Rebecca gave him a last pleading look. But Jack shook his head and stretched out his hand.

‘I wish you all the best, Rebecca.’

‘Good-bye, Dr. Foster,’ she said softly and turned to the door.

When she had left, Jack went to the window and looked down on the street. It was still too early for the tourist masses searching for the right restaurant on Ocean Drive for the evening. He spotted a black limousine. When the girl entered the street, the driver got out and opened the rear door of the car. Rebecca got in, and the car smoothly merged into the evening traffic. Jack pensively followed it with his eyes, when he heard a knocking on the door.

‘Come in, Rosalia,’ he called, without turning around. It was after working hours and this could only be the cleaning lady.

The door opened.

‘Dr. Foster?’ a male voice asked.

Surprised, Jack turned around. Two men, dressed in expensive dark suits and designer sunglasses stood in his office. One of them carried an elegant briefcase. They didn’t look like the people who typically booked a diving excursion with him.

‘Yes, that’s me. Can I help you?’

One man sat down in the chair, the other, the one who carried the briefcase, remained standing at the door. Jack got the impression that this man would stop him from leaving the office should he try that. Maybe these were his landlord’s new debt collectors? The recent phone call hadn’t ended on a very friendly note, but couldn‘t have caused such drastic measurements either, he thought. The man in the chair smiled at Jack.

‘Please have seat, Dr. Foster. We would like to propose a deal.’

Stunned, Jack dropped back in his chair. What else was to happen on this crazy day?

‘Dr. Foster,’ the man, who Jack disliked at once, started again, ‘we’re here by order of Mr. Cedric Whithall-Meyers.’

Jack‘s eyebrows jumped up.

The man continued: ‘We know that Miss Whithall-Meyers was just in this office to hire you for an excursion.’

I’ll be damned, Jack thought, Uncle Cedric is quick! Aloud he said: ‘Listen, I don‘t belong to those people who wheedle money out of little girls‘ pockets. Of course, I refused and sent Miss Whithall-Meyers back home, and …’

The man in the chair raised his hand to interrupt Jack. ‘Dr. Foster, Mr. Whithall-Meyers wants you to accept this job.’

Jack stared at the man. ‘Excuse me?! I just can’t! This area is out of bounds! I won’t get a permit!’

The man in the chair signaled the guy at the door. He went to the desk, put his briefcase on top and opened it. Jack could not believe his eyes when he saw many neatly bundled 100-Dollar-bills.

‘Don’t worry about the restricted area. Mr. Whithall-Meyers has friends in high places; a permit won’t be a problem. Here are $50,000 for your effort. However, Mr. Whithall-Meyers asks you not to disclose to his niece that he is involved. She shall be left under the impression that she executes this project on her own. Mr. Whithall-Meyers thinks that this is very important for the mental welfare of his niece. The girl is traumatized after the death of her grandmother. We all hope that such an adventure will give her new confidence and courage. You, on the other hand, have the advantage to get paid twice – which is very accommodating for you, I think, considering your financial situation.’

Jack frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

The man in the chair smiled sparsely. ‘Dr. Foster, don’t you think we did some research? This building is owned by the Miami Loft Inc., one of the enterprises of the Whithall-Meyers family. You’re already two months in default with your rent.’

Jack stared on the desk, then he looked the man directly into the eyes. ‘I figure, it was not by chance that Rebecca came to me first, right?’

‘Now you’re starting to understand, Dr. Foster. It had been arranged that Miss Whithall-Meyers found one of your flyers at the right time.’

The man placed his elbows on the arms of the chair and tipped his fingertips together. ‘Well, Dr. Foster, do we have a deal?’

Jack took a deep breath. He disliked the man as much as his boss. To treat a helpless orphan like that was completely against his beliefs. On the other hand – $55,000 was an amount of money which would not only help him to survive the next months, but which would also enable him to invest in the boat and a better diving outfit. This would make him more competitive and –

The man in the chair pulled him out of his thoughts: ‘Dr. Foster?’

Jack rubbed his left eyebrow. ‘First, I have to talk with my partner, Mr. Campillo.’

‘I’m sorry, Dr. Foster. Mr. Whithall-Meyers expects an immediate answer. Furthermore, we know that you are the one who’s responsible for the coordination of excursions.’

Damn! Uncle Cedric has really done his homework, Jack thought, cleared his throat and said: ‘Well, I get $50,000 from you right now, then $5,000 from Rebecca, and 25 % of everything we find? Is that correct?’

The man in the chair laughed out loud. ‘Dr. Foster, I really thought you were someone who rips off tourists with wreck diving. I never would have thought that you’re so naive as to believe in a sunken treasure!’

Jack stared at him angrily. ‘Now, is that correct or not? Will I get a written statement about that?’

The man got serious again. ‘You’ll get this money and the money that Miss Whithall-Meyers promised to you. I don’t care if you also keep a doubloon if you find one. You see, nobody gets hurt. It’s all about designing a harmless adventure for a little girl to make her happy again. We don’t need a contract for that. This is an agreement between gentlemen. Here, this is the number of Bodenstein’s cell phone. You can call him and tell him to turn the car around.’

*

In the restaurantLazy Lobster business was still slow. Carl, the barkeeper, talked to the waitress Suzie, who hoped each day for the moment that one of the guests proved to be Mr. Right, swept her off her feet, and carried her on his strong arms to his million-dollar-yacht. Two elderly tourist couples sat at one table and laughed out loud. They had drinks with little umbrellas standing right in front of them, and just ordered house-style shrimps, which were offered all-you-can-eat for $ 9.95 each Friday.

When Tony entered the restaurant, he directly walked towards his friend and partner Jack, who, just like always, sat at their favorite table in the corner. As he came closer, he was surprised about what he saw.

‘Who are you?’ he asked without greeting anyone.

Before the girl could answer, Jack said: ‘May I introduce my partner, Mr. Antonio Campillo. Tony, this is Miss Rebecca Whithall-Meyers, our boss for the next excursion!’

While Rebecca said in a well-behaved manner: ‘It‘s my pleasure, Mr. Campillo,’ Tony angrily put his hands on his hips, raised his eyebrows, and faced Jack.

‘What’s going on? You think that’s funny?’

‘Not at all. Calm down and take a seat. Suzie, please bring us one lemonade and two beers. And we’ll all have the shrimps!’

Tony sighed and let himself drop on a chair. He was the same age as his friend, but while Jack was handsome without actually knowing it, Tony was well aware of his assets and placed great value on his looks. Dressed in a pristine white shirt and beige linen trousers, his freshly styled black hair falling over his eyes, he was quite a feast for the eyes of the ladies on Ocean Drive, receiving many interested looks and inviting smiles.

Skeptically he now looked from Jack to Rebecca and back again. Everybody remained silent until Suzie had placed the drinks on the table, which she did in a provocatively slow manner. She also looked quizzically from one to the other. Jack and Tony had brought many a queer client to their favorite restaurant – but what they were now up to with this girl in her expensive clothes...

When she eventually left, Jack shortly summarized Rebecca‘s request. Tony banged his flat hand on the table, making the bottles quiver.

‘Madre de Dios, I can’t believe what you’re telling me – we’re supposed to work for a little girl? With an allegedly old treasure map? In a region that is out of bounds? Don’t we have enough problems right now? Todos los Santos – are you completely out of your mind?!’

Rebecca straightened her back and gave Tony a killing look. Then she turned to Jack: ‘Do we need him at all? You can do the diving on your own!’

Tony snorted derisively and rolled his eyes, while Jack harrumphed embarrassedly and stared on his hands turning the bottle with Mexican beer.

‘Well, the truth is – the diving is Tony’s part. I organize the excursions and assess the value of the findings afterwards. But – Tony is the diver.’

‘But the photos in your office – I thought … you’re always in a diving suit!’

‘That‘s marketing, you don’t understand that yet!’ Tony said and took a long sip from his beer bottle.

Rebecca angrily glared at him. ‘I do understand that very well! And I hate it when you treat me like dumb little girl!’

When Tony opened his mouth to answer, Jack was quicker and turned to the girl: ‘Rebecca, if you’re looking for the restrooms, they’re right behind the bar on left side.’

‘But…,’ Rebecca protested, then she understood Jacks intense gaze.

‘Yes, thank you, Dr. Foster,’ she said, stood up and walked towards the bar.

Tony’s eyes followed her until she disappeared behind the bar. Then he looked at Jack, who signaled Suzie with his empty bottle.

‘When you said on my answering machine that we got a new client, I thought you were talking about a grown-up, not a kid!’

‘Well, here are the facts: We make $55,000 and a little girl gets an inspiring adventure. Nobody gets hurt, everybody wins! All we have to do is to play treasure hunt with the girl.’

‘Yeah? I don’t know…’

‘Hey, buddy – $55.000! With Uncle Cedric’s blessing! And just think of the region which we can explore – legally!’

‘Uhm… okay, you got a point here.’ Tony became pensive.

‘And what’s more…,’ Jack pulled the little package that Rebecca had returned to him out of his shorts pocket. He opened it slowly, watching Tony’s interest grow. ‘There may be more of this down there!’

Tony stared at the golden seahorse, and then carefully picked it up. ‘Santa Maria! What’s that?’

‘It’s somehow connected with the map – do you see the engravings? They look like an inscription. I haven’t seen anything like that before! It’s old, so much is sure – Tony, do you know what that could mean?’

Tony leaned back and looked at his friend with a sceptic expression. Then his mouth tilted mockingly.

‘Jack, Jack – cut this Atlantis crap! I know only too well that you marine archaeologists all dream of finding that sunken continent, but I also know that there is not one sound proof that it actually ever existed!’

Jack rubbed his left eyebrow – as he always did when he tried to solve a problem.

‘I’m not saying that we will automatically find Atlantis, however, this could be the discovery of an unknown civilization, anyway. I don’t know a parallel for this kind of writing – and nobody else does. I cautiously enquired that on the internet. We could use this excursion for our own research and make a load of money at the same time!’

‘Uhm.’ Tony’s gaze became dreamy. More than the payment or the alleged Atlantis, the idea of diving in a prohibited area and discovering a golden treasure teased him.

Then Rebecca came back. ‘Did you have enough time to talk about me or do I have to wash my hands again?’

Both men grinned. Tony rose, pulled Rebecca‘s chair back and said: ‘Señorita Whithall-Meyers, my partner has convinced me: It will be my honor to work for you!’

Rebecca sat down and cheerfully looked at them.

‘So, we do have a deal?’

‘We have a deal!’ Jack answered smiling.

In this moment, Suzie brought two new bottles of Mexican beer, with lemon wedges peeking out of their necks, as well as the house-style shrimps that smelled delicious. After she set down everything, Jack lifted his bottle. ‘A toast!’

Tony grabbed his beer and Rebecca her lemonade. Tony cheered: ‘Let’s drink to a successful treasure hunt, Señorita Whithall-Meyers!’

Rebecca giggled and said: ‘My name is Rebecca.’

‘Tony.’

‘Jack.’

The three of them clinked bottles and glass.

2

The black limousine stopped at the marina. It was still early in the morning; no people were around. That was the hour of the seagulls, which flew squawking over the mirror-like water. Rebecca refused having Bodenstein carry her bag to the boat. After all, this was the beginning of an adventure! She walked along the jetty to the agreed meeting point. The boat was there, alright, bobbing gently up and down. However, Rebecca was quite disappointed when she saw it – it did not resemble the sleek yacht she had seen on the photos in Jack’s office at all. It looked much more like an old, modified fishing boat. And that’s what it smelled like, too, Rebecca thought.

Tony was just about to carry his diving gear aboard, when he saw the girl and noticed her critical glance.

‘That‘s …’

‘… marketing. I see,’ Rebecca completed his sentence.

Tony grinned and stowed away his stuff. Jack appeared from below and helped the girl gallantly aboard.

‘Welcome aboard theDriftwood,’ he said. ‘Pick your favorite spot, we will soon weigh anchor!’

He took her bag and Rebecca climbed to the bow. She looked out over the glistening turquoise water and took a deep breath. It had been a long time since she had felt so at ease. Jack started the engine, while Tony loosened the ropes. Then he jumped on board and the boat gently chugged out of the marina.

For a while, Rebecca watched the bow wave produce an endless row of whitecaps, which soon got destroyed by the boat’s hull. Then she decided to occupy her cabin and climbed to the stern. As the treasure hunt would take several days, they had agreed to stay on the boat for that time. Rebecca had told her uncle that she had been invited to her teacher’s family for a couple of days. He knew better, of course, but consented anyway.

Curiously, the girl looked around. Down here, it looked better than she would have guessed. The boat was indeed quite spacious. As it had six cabins, she had the choice. The first door she opened belonged to Jack‘s cabin. Rebecca was immediately sure about that when she discovered plenty of books in the shelves. Meanwhile she knew that Jack was the antiquity expert, while Tony was responsible for the diving. Rebecca giggled, when she saw a cute little plush shark, donned with a Hawaii-shirt, sitting in-between two illustrated books about antique jewelry.

The next door she opened lead to the cabin on the other side of the aisle. This must be Tony’s, she thought. There was stuff lying around everywhere, and a poster of an attractive girl in a bikini on the wall, placed directly next to a colorful plastic Madonna with lights.

Rebecca carried her bag into the next cabin. The closets were empty and clean. Quickly she stowed away her stuff. At last, she pulled the treasure map out of a side-pocket, which she had carefully sealed in a water-proof cover. She sat down on the bed and flattened the map with her hands. All of a sudden, she had to think of Granny and felt a lump in her throat.

Jack, who put his head through the hatch, pulled her out of her thoughts: ‘Anybody like a sandwich?’

Quickly Rebecca put the map back into her bag which she put in the closet.

‘Yes!’ she shouted, as she suddenly felt very hungry.

Jack had installed a fold-up table on the deck, which already carried a pile of delicious looking sandwiches. Now he came out of the galley with a thermos flask filled with coffee and a milk carton.

‘Well, Boss, did you accommodate yourself?’ he grinned at Rebecca. ‘I’m sure the fresh ocean breeze made you hungry – dig in!’

Rebecca beamed at him and sat down. Tony, who now had the helm, fished for a sandwich, and tried to eat it, while balancing a cup of hot coffee at the same time. Rebecca heartily bit in her sandwich und then asked: ‘When will we be there?’

‘Tonight. We will anchor very close to the shore. When it gets dark, we can put some fish on the grill at the beach. What do you think?’

Rebecca slowly lowered her sandwich and sternly looked at Jack. ‘You don’t have forgotten that we are here for a treasure hunt, do you?’

‘Rebeccita,’ Tony answered in his place, ‘naturalmente we haven’t forgotten that. But I can’t dive before tomorrow. So why shouldn’t we have some fun tonight?’

Rebecca‘s face lit up again and she nodded. ‘So tomorrow is diving day?’

‘Tomorrow is diving day!’

*

The next morning Rebecca was awake early. She was much too excited to sleep in. She dressed and pulled out the treasure map. Aboard, all was quiet, only the gentle gurgling of the water could be heard. Now and then there was a splashing sound as if something hit on the water surface. She had heard that sound already the night before when she she went to bed. When she had asked Jack, he explained that playing dolphins may have made the sound. Now she looked through the porthole but could not see anything. Both men seemed to be still asleep. Rebecca decided that it was time for them to get up.

She had to knock several times at Jack‘s door before she received a grumbling answer.

‘Good morning!’ Rebecca cheerfully called out at her side of the door.

Another grumbling sound was the answer.

‘Coffee is ready!’ she lied. At least, that stimulated Jack to answer in a human language: ‘What time is it?’

‘Almost half past six,’ Rebecca said joyfully.

Jack moaned. ‘Okay, okay, I’ll get up…’

In this moment the sound of a boat engine tore up the peaceful morning silence. Suddenly Jack was wide awake and pulled the door open. He pushed Rebecca out of the way and jumped on deck. Tony did the same and followed his friend.

‘You stay there!’ he ordered Rebecca. Both men had been marked by earlier adventures – all too often wreck divers and treasure hunters tried to frighten away each other from their territories or even to snatch away their findings. Conditions could get rough as nobody liked to lose a lucrative deal. Rebecca caught her breath and listened. She heard the other boat mooring alongside theDriftwood.

‘Jack Foster!’ a forceful female voice said. ‘Now that is too bold, even for you! The last time you got off with a slap on the wrist, but this time I won’t be so soft on you. I’ll call the Coast Guard!’

‘Good morning, Cat. Yes, I’m also happy to see you. How about a cup of coffee?’ Jack returned cheerfully.

‘Stop calling me Cat! You know damn well that I hate that abbreviation, my name is Catherine! Anyway, it won’t help you, I …’

‘Before you go on getting upset, dear Cat, I have a PERMIT for diving in this area. If you would like to have a look…’

Rebecca had sneaked up the staircase, so that she could watch the deck. She saw how Jack turned to the wheelhouse and came out with a sheet of paper. He held it out to a young woman with short dark hair, wearing a ranger uniform. Next to the woman stood another ranger, who kept a watchful eye on Jack and Tony. He was quite a hulk who had one hand placed casually on his holster.

‘Madre de Dios!’ Tony said while the woman studied the sheet of paper. ‘Isn’t that la bonita Señorita Beaulieu!’

Tony made an effort to embrace the female ranger but was immediately stopped by her fellow ranger who intercepted him, snorting angrily, ‘Hey!”

The young woman, about whom Rebecca had now learned that she was acquainted with Jack und Tony, had meanwhile studied the sheet with a frown and now faced Jack again.

‘Signed by Cedric B. Whithall-Meyers personally? How did you manage to get that? Or is this another pretty forgery?’

‘Forgery? Now come on, Cat!’ Jack seemed to be honestly upset.

Rebecca caught her breath as her uncle’s name was mentioned. True, Jack had said he would take care of getting a diving permit for this nature preserve – but that he would go behind her back to contact her uncle, no, she wouldn’t have imagined that. Disappointed, she bit her lip.

‘Well, I have to check this out. Mr. Campillo, you will accompany me. Then I’m at least sure that there will be no diving in the meantime,’ Cat said and gave Jack a provocative look.

She knew very well that she had successfully struck him with this statement, as his fear for diving was more than embarrassing for him, and he didn’t like to talk about it. When Jack started to reply, Rebecca stepped up behind him.

‘The permit is legit. I‘m Rebecca Whithall-Meyers, Cedric’s niece. I have hired these two to dive for me in this area, and my uncle got us the permit.’

Cat stared unbelievingly at the girl. ‘A kid, Jack? What’s going on? You haven’t kidnapped her in the end?’

‘Come on, Cat, you can’t seriously believe that!’ Jack replied angrily.

Inwardly, he begged that the girl didn’t start to tell something else, just because she was angry that he had contacted her uncle after all. Rebecca did him the favor and stayed with their story. However, Cat insisted to check the matter in her station and to take Tony with her. She invited Rebecca to join them, but the girl refused the offer.

‘I’d like to take a walk on the beach. Is that okay?’ she asked.

‘Of course!’ Cat answered, ‘Eric will accompany you. He can tell you a lot about the animals and plants on this island,’ she added and smiled at the girl. Eric pushed Jack away and started to tamper with the small dinghy which was used for excursions on shallow shores.

While Tony joined Cat on her boat and Eric lowered the dinghy into the water, Jack tried to figure out a way to explain the whole matter to Rebecca.

‘Rebecca ...,’ he began. But she gave him a killing look.

‘Later, Dr. Foster!’ she said tightlipped and let Eric help her in the dinghy.

Jack rested his hands on the rail and sighed. With the ranger boat disappearing and the dinghy almost reaching the shore, his hopes to bring this strange deal to a successful ending vanished as well.

When they reached the shore, Rebecca jumped out of the dinghy, and said to Eric: ‘I’d rather take a walk on my own!’

The ranger was surprised but had no objection as there was nothing dangerous on the island. He sat down on a thick tuft of grass and stared out to theDriftwood.

Here, Jack stood, looking to the shore. He saw that Rebecca walked alone along the beach until she finally sat down in the sand.

Maybe she only had to digest the new facts and then they could just go on with the excursion, he hoped.

Rebecca stuck her toes into the sand and lifted her head. She enjoyed the warm and comforting wind and looked out over the ocean. With bent legs and popped-up arms she sat next to the waterline, just so close that the gently lapping waves could not touch her naked feet.

She had never bathed in the sea in her life and felt a strange mixture of fear and fascination towards the ocean. Her grandmother had strictly prohibited her to take swimming lessons. That would be dangerous to her health, she had always said. Never before, she had been so close to the ocean with so little supervision.

Rebecca could see that sandbars had appeared not too far away from the shore. Her eyes wandered along the picturesque beach, and she sighed. She never had felt like this before. She just couldn’t understand what was going on inside her. On the one hand, she found the sea fascinating and wanted nothing more than to plunge right into the waves although she didn’t know how to swim. On the other, something held her back, so strongly that she even kept her feet out of the water.

She thought of Jack and the issue of the diving permit. Maybe, he really didn’t have had any other choice and didn’t tell her because he didn’t want to trouble her. Exactly, that must have been the reason why he hadn’t informed her about his agreement with Uncle Cedric! She was quite happy that she had found a way to scare off the sad thoughts. Now she could start looking forward to the treasure hunt again. Would they really find something? If Granny only would have told her more about it! What was the connection between her family and the treasure?

Rebecca looked out over the ocean one last time and was about to get up to go back to Eric, when a struggling figure on one of the sandbars caught her eye. Maybe this was a stranded dolphin? She blinked her eyes and tried to recognize something.

‘I don’t believe it!’ she murmured when she realized what she saw. ‘It’s a horse!’

Intensely Rebecca looked to the sandbar again and finally got up. It was indeed a black horse that was lying with the front part of its body on the sandbar and seemed to be unable to get up. She heard it whinnying and saw how it again and again stamped the sand with its hoofs. Rebecca could not see the back part of its body as the animal was directly facing the shoreline. She looked around to see if there was someone who could help her. But she had strayed too far away. Eric had pulled his hat over his face and seemed to sleep; Jack was out of reach on theDriftwood. Besides, she could not detect him anywhere on the deck, anyway.

It may well be too late for the poor animal by the time she could get Eric’s or Jack’s attention. She was on her own. ‘I have to help him. Maybe he just got stuck with his hind legs and I can free him,’ she tried to motivate herself despite her fear and took a deep breath.

She closed her eyes and took the first step into the water. It was completely different from what she had thought. She never had felt so at ease as in the moment when the sun-warmed seawater first enclosed her feet and then her wades. Getting more and more confident, Rebecca slowly walked towards the sandbar.

*

Tony’s fingers impatiently drummed on the rail, while Cat’s ranger boat ploughed through the water.

‘Madre de Dios! Can’t you go any faster?!’

Cat gave him a killing glance through her dark sunglasses. ‘You want to be patient for a few more minutes, Mr. Campillo!’

‘A few more minutes? When we’ll finally arrive at theDriftwood, it will be late in the afternoon, and I can’t dive anymore. We will lose a whole day – only because you decided to be difficult! That’s damage to our business, we will hold you responsible for that!’

Cat made a face. ‘You’re lucky that I didn’t look deeper into the matter. This permit rather stands on feet of clay!’

A torrent of Spanish curses was his answer. Cat shrugged her shoulders and concentrated on steering the boat.

Finally, they reached the bay and moored alongside theDriftwood.

‘Hola, Jack! Where are you, muchacho?’ Tony called, wondering why Jack hadn’t already turned up on deck. He must have heard the sound of the boat engine! Even before Cat had finished tying her boat to theDriftwood, Tony jumped aboard and immediately disappeared under deck. However, his search was in vain, Jack was nowhere to be found.

Tony rushed up again. Cat stood at the bow of her boat and waved to Eric, who had just left the shore with his dinghy and was now approaching the two boats.

‘Jack’s not aboard!’ Tony said and his voice clearly indicated his worries.

‘What?’ Cat asked absent-minded. However, she wasn’t too comfortable either. She could not see the girl, and Eric looked upset.

‘Jack’s not aboard!’ Tony repeated impatiently, but did not get an answer from Cat, who helped the sweating Eric aboard.

‘Catherine, the girl is gone!’ Eric gasped and wiped his red face with a handkerchief.

‘Gone? What do you mean – you were supposed to keep an eye on her!’ Cat shouted, pushing her sunglasses on her head.

Embarrassed, Eric spread his fingers and answered: ‘I know, I know – but, she wanted to be alone. And there’s nothing dangerous there. I wanted to watch her from a distance, but then I must have dozed off …,’ his voice faded.

Cat snorted angrily and her eyes narrowed. ‘I don’t believe it! That wasn’t such a difficult task! Can’t you even … !’

‘Jack is gone, too!’ Tony interrupted her lecture. ‘Maybe the two events are connected. Something must have happened. We should start searching, instead of determining a scapegoat!’

This proposal got Tony a thankful look from Eric. Cat agreed and the three of them began to search all corners of theDriftwood.

However, their efforts remained unsuccessful. Thus, they went to the shore and searched the beach. They could follow the girl’s footsteps up to the point where she had sat in the sand.

‘It looks like she’s gone into the water!’ Eric shouted and pointed to the rest of the footsteps which had not yet been destroyed by the waves. Tony stared out over the sea.

‘I can only imagine that Rebecca wanted to go for a swim and somehow got into trouble. Maybe she’s got a cramp, or…’

‘Yeah, something like that,’ Cat agreed and added: ‘Jack must have seen that from theDriftwoodand came to help her – but what happened then?’

‘We have to dive!’ Tony said determinedly, turned around and walked back to the dinghy. Cat quickly caught up with him and grabbed him by the arm.

‘The sun’s already setting! It is too late to dive today! We won’t see anything. Let’s wait till tomorrow!’

‘The longer we wait, the smaller is the chance to find them alive! We have underwater lamps on board, we can also dive at night,’ Tony said. Cat saw the desperation in his eyes, let his arm go, and nodded.

‘Okay, let’s do it,’ she said. She knew that Tony was well-aware that the chances to find the two alive were zero should they really be somewhere under water. However, she also understood that he wanted to know what had happened to his best friend.

Back on the Driftwood,Tony and Cat quickly put on the diving gear. Every movement was perfect; they both were experienced divers. At last, Eric helped them to put on the oxygen flasks. When the two were in the water, he handed them the underwater lamps and murmured, ‘Good luck!’ He watched them until even the light of the lamps was no longer visible.

Tony and Cat had agreed that Jack must have swum from theDriftwoodto the point where Rebecca’s traces were lost in the sand. Where the tow lines crossed, something must have happened. It was quite exhausting to get an orientation in the dark water. Cat signaled Tony that she wanted to surface.

At the surface, she pulled out the mouthpiece and gasped, ‘It’s pointless, Tony! In the end, we may overlook something. Let‘s stop right here and continue in the morning.’

Tony was pleased that Cat called him by his first name, but he didn’t want to give up yet.

‘Just a little bit further, then we turn around!’ he answered, put his mouthpiece back in and dived again without waiting for Cat’s response. She could do nothing but follow him.

Cat took the light from Tony‘s lamp as orientation. Suddenly, she noticed several dark shadows closing in quickly. There was no sight of Tony anymore. A movement behind her made Cat swirl around. Horrified she saw that the shadows had encircled her completely.

3

A few hours before, Rebecca waded through the warm, turquoise water. Quickly it became deeper and soon wetted her shorts. Just when she thought it would not get any deeper, she stumbled into a hole and sank down with the water up to her chin.

‘Well, now it doesn’t make any difference,’ she thought and kept on moving through the water. Strangely, she did not fear that the water would get too deep to walk.

She could clearly recognize the horse. It was black as coal, had a small noble head and a muscular neck shining moistly in the sun. The long mane had already dried and fluttered in the wind. Time and time again it fell over its eyes. It was still lying on its chest in the sand and had its front legs popped up. The movement of its muscles showed how hard it tried to get away. When it realized that Rebecca had reached the sandbar and climbed out of the water, it whinnied distrustfully and flattened its ears against its head.

Rebecca approached slowly and tried to talk to the animal in a soothing way. Horses were her secret passion. She had immersed in all the books she could get on the subject – but unfortunately, she never had the chance to actually ride a horse. This, just as swimming, had been prohibited by her grandmother as being too dangerous. As a result, all of her knowledge was just theoretical.

The horse had calmed down as if it had understood that the girl meant no harm. Its ears were now pricked up and its big eyes followed her every movement. Rebecca first wanted to check out why the animal was not able to stand up. Slowly she walked round the horse – and could barely suppress an outcry.

The horse’s body ended in a kind of dolphin’s body, and instead of hind legs it had a big, horizontal tailfin!

Rebecca had trouble taking in that picture. While she stood there stunned, staring at the impossible, she saw something blinking in the sand, close to the horse. She bent down and picked up a golden charm fixed to a leather strap.

It was the depiction of a seahorse with a little crown – exactly resembling the charm she had shown to Jack. The leather strap was very long, and Rebecca found some long, black horsehairs entangled therein.

‘That must have hung around its neck,’ she murmured. But who had put it there?

Rebecca was still lost in her thoughts when she was suddenly startled by the rising sound of the surf. The wind had freshened up and the ford between the sandbar and the shore had broadened considerably. Horrified Rebecca saw that the way back was barred by deep water.

Then she heard the horse whinny again. It felt the water rise under its belly and knew that it would be free soon. The mighty tail fin hit the water.

Determinedly Rebecca shortened the leather strap with a knot and hung it around her neck. Then she again approached the horse. Carefully she extended a hand and gently touched the animal’s neck. It did not protest.

‘Now you have to help me!’ she said to the seahorse, which again hit the rising water with its tail fin. Rebecca thought of all the nice horse books she had read, summoned her courage, grabbed the long mane with both hands, and pulled herself up on the horse’s back. As soon as she sat there, the waves floated around the seahorse’s body – it pushed itself for a last time from the sandbar and was free.

Rebecca was torn between feelings of greatest fear and utmost happiness. Just when she began to think about how she could convince the horse to swim in the direction of the shore, it stretched its neck, lowered its head, and dived steeply down – all in one single smooth movement.

Instinctively Rebecca grabbed the mane even tighter, kept her breath, and closed her eyes tightly to protect them from the saltwater – then the waves clashed over her head.

*

After he had seen that the girl sat down in the sand, Jack went downstairs and occupied himself with the diving gear. He had to do something, just sitting and waiting got on his nerves. Eventually, he found nothing more to do and climbed up again. His eyes wandered along the beach, where he saw the sleeping ranger. Rebecca, however, was nowhere to be seen. Then he noticed a movement in the corner of his eye. When he turned around, he saw how Rebecca reached the sandbar and approached a lying horse.

‘Rebecca!!!’ Jack cried at the top of his voice, but the wind was too strong. His fingers grabbed the rail when he saw how the rising tide made the sandbar vanish. He knew that the girl could only get to the shore by swimming. He looked once again to the ranger, who was still sleeping, then climbed over the rail and jumped into the water, just as he was, with shorts and shirt. As soon as he reached the surface, he swam towards the sandbar with forceful strokes.

He was only a few feet away from Rebecca and the horse, when he saw, much to his horror, that the girl climbed on the back of the animal, and that they dived together into the waves on the other side of the sandbar. Jack stumbled on the sandbar, which was now already covered with water up to his knees and stared at the giant tailfin hitting the water. Without further thought he followed headfirst.

Under water it was hard to follow the creature; the sea was much too disturbed. Jack noticed, however, that the horse – or whatever it was – was diving further downwards. His lungs felt like bursting, but he was dead set on retrieving the girl from the back of the animal. He knew, however, that he could not go on much further before he needed to surface to breathe. Suddenly, he felt a strong pain in his right upper arm. Instinctively, he reached out and felt the thin arrow of a harpoon stuck there. In an impulse, he opened his mouth, swallowed water, and kicked his legs as hard as he could to go up. He had almost reached the bright shimmering surface when a dark figure intercepted him. Then Jack lost his conscience.

 4

The sand under his hands was soft and warm; a mild breeze gently touched his face. In the distance, he could hear cheerful laughter and the sound of the surf. Jack stretched his limbs without opening his eyes. The dream was much too nice; he did not want to return to reality at all. Then he remembered.

He abruptly opened his eyes and sat up. He was surprised about what he saw.

The bed, in which he had awakened, was equipped with smooth silk sheets and a heap of soft cushions. Next to the bed stood an elaborately forged little table, carrying a precious glass carafe with water and a matching goblet, as well as a silver bowl with deliciously smelling fruits. The walls and floor of the room were made of pink marble; the ceiling was coffered.

Just like a Roman villa, Jack thought and wondered if he was still dreaming. On the right wall he saw two large, narrow windows. There seemed to be no glass panes, only transparent drapes hanging down to the floor, being gently moved by the warm wind. Again, he heard the sound of the surf and the laughter – they didn’t belong to his dream but were real.

Jack got dizzy and sank back into the cushions. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. The last pictures he remembered, before he lost conscience, reappeared before his inner eye. Something had hit him – a harpoon arrow! Jack again opened his eyes and looked at his right arm.

There! Indeed, there was a bandage! It was only then that he noticed that his upper body was naked. Jack pulled away the sheet. The shorts he was wearing wasn’t his own but fit him well. Carefully he stood up. He was still feeling a bit dizzy.

The marble floor felt smooth and cool under his bare feet. Slowly he walked to the window and lifted the drape. Jack blinked. He could not believe what he saw.

Only about 300 feet from his window, there was a white sandy beach, perfectly contrasting the turquois water of the sea. In the distance he could recognize a rocky ridge of hills. At the beach, a group of young people played a ball game. However, what made Jack doubt his perception skills, was the fact, that the young men and women were dressed in antique garments. Suddenly he got it.

‘Atlantis!’ he murmured, and a joyful surge of adrenaline rushed through his body. ‘I found Atlantis!’

Among all the suggestions regarding the location of the mythical continent, there also was the much smiled at thesis that it might have been close to the American continent. Maybe …?

After he had stared out of the window for a couple of minutes, he decided to get to the bottom of things. He returned to the bed, helped himself to a goblet of water and approached the two wooden doors facing the bed from the other wall.

Carefully he pushed the handle of the left door. It was not locked and opened without a sound. Jack put his head through the opening and peeked out.

What he saw was the perfect atrium of a Roman mansion. The small patio was surrounded by a peristyle. More doors indicated that there were several rooms like his own. In the middle was a rectangular basin with many colorful fish. An elaborate fountain produced a calming ripple.

He opened the door completely and entered the peristyle. One of the doors would lead to the outside, he was sure.

‘Salve, peregrinus!’ a voice behind him said. Jack spun around and found himself facing a young man dressed in a tunic.

Peregrinus was the Latin word for stranger. Jack‘s heart made another joyful jump. Of course, they spoke Greek or Latin in Atlantis.

‘Salve,’ he answered and tried to remember other Latin words he could use now.

‘Ubi …’

‘You want to know where you are?’ the young man responded in fluent English and smiled.

‘The Prefect will answer all your questions. My name is Marcus, and I will bring you to the prefecture now.’

He turned around, went to one of the doors, opened it, and left with long strides. Jack hurried to follow him. He had noticed that his guide wore a leather strap with a golden charm – a little seahorse, resembling the one, Rebecca had shown him.

Jack saw that there were several similar villas in the neighborhood. The more far off buildings also looked as if they belonged to the antique Rome. Occasionally, other people passed by. They wore antique garments as well and gave Jack curious looks. But Marcus hurried on and he did not get any chance to stop and ask questions.

Finally, they entered a broad street, leading to the center of the settlement. A wide, rectangular place opened up, surrounded by several two-story buildings – a typical antique agora. A colonnade with Corinthian pillars made the picture perfect. Marcus stretched out a hand and pointed to a richly decorated building at the head end of the place.

‘This is the prefecture!’ he said. Fascinated Jack followed him. He was really eager to get an explanation for all this.

The impressive door was guarded by two beefy men in Roman armament, equipped with swords and lances. Passing by, Jack noticed that the weapons looked like the real thing. The entrance hall was a representative room, completely covered with dark red Porphyry marble.