Deadly Depths by Rick Chesler

Author:Rick Chesler
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Charade Media, LLC

CHAPTER

TWENTY-FIVE

Off the Southern California coast

“I see a boat,” Juan told Fernando. After drifting for almost two hours and being in the water for three, any kind of man-made object was a welcome sight. They had surfaced with empty tanks following a strenuous underwater swim. They were pleased to see no Coast Guard vessels or crowds of onlookers, but were alarmed at being adrift fifty miles offshore with nothing but their diving buoyancy vests. “Who are they?”

“Who cares?” Fernando looked around at the empty sea and sky. “If we do not get on that boat, we will die out here.”

“What will we tell them?”

“Say we were part of a dive group in the islands and were left behind by our boat. It happens often enough.”

“I think we should say as little as possible—like we are unable to speak much after our ordeal at sea.”

The black schooner slid down a rolling swell before another hid it from view again. For a moment they heard music, and then it stopped. When the schooner reappeared, a shirtless man on deck was tossing a life ring.

It landed within arm’s reach of Fernando. He grabbed it. Juan could think of no arguments. He too grabbed the life ring, and the two divers feigned complete exhaustion, allowing themselves to be towed to the old yacht’s side.

“They do not look like authorities,” Fernando observed as they were hauled toward the small crowd gathering on the schooner’s port rail.

“We could say we do not speak English.”

“They might call Immigration.”

“Maybe. What if the boss comes back to look for us in the plane?”

“What if he does not?” Fernando said through clenched teeth.

“Why wouldn’t he?”

Fernando pondered this, as a man with dreadlocks pulled them in. The man said nothing, but he nodded toward the stern as he began to walk the line toward the swim platform there.

Fernando lowered his voice to a near-whisper as they were dragged along the hull. “Why wouldn’t he? Maybe he crashed. Maybe he was escorted to the mainland. The last thing he said was something about the Coast Guard coming.”

“Or maybe he is halfway to Cabo San Lucas right now because he decided things have become too risky.”

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