Under Pressure by Kathy Brandt

Author:Kathy Brandt
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Monkshood Press
Published: 2015-05-14T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

When I got down to the warehouse, Stark was leaning against a palm tree, arms crossed against his chest and sunglasses propped on his head, watching them unload the airplane. Harper and Sturtevant had gone out to the wreck with Harrigan before dawn. They’d managed to pull the entire plane up in one piece with a crane and set it down on a barge. Now it was being backed into the warehouse.

“I’m sorry I’m late, Stark. I got tied up talking with the Westbrooks.”

Stark’s response was exactly what I expected. “Hey, no problem, mon. I be enjoyin' dis fine day,” he said in a casual island accent, one he resorted to only in such instances. Stark had a typical island mentality, one I envied and hoped someday to truly emulate. Though I was getting better, I still had a “hurry up, get it done, no time to linger” approach to life.

Harper and Sturtevant were standing with Joe Harrigan over near the warehouse door. Harper, still in his wetsuit, looked humble for a change. Sturtevant was wearing the same faded swim trunks and a grease-stained T-shirt that looked like he’d used to work on an engine.

“How’d it go?” I asked. Sturtevant just shook his head.

“That airplane wanted to fly out on the currents once we started to raise it. Then one of the straps around the right wing snapped,” he said, glaring at Harper. “The plane was hanging in the water sideways with one of the wingtips buried in the sand. We’re damn lucky we got the thing up in one piece.”

“Anything apparent when you brought the plane up?” Stark asked as we walked Sturtevant out to the street to find a taxi. Harper was hanging back, shooting the shit with Harrigan. I could hear him making excuses about why that strap came loose and implying that it had to do with Sturtevant's carelessness.

“No, but I’m no expert. I just bring ‘em up. Harrigan will take it from here. If there’s something to be found, he’ll find it. Harper and I are done here. We’re heading back to the hotel to change and get our gear and then catching the next ferry back to Saint Thomas.”

“Things were kind of rough out there?” I asked.

“You could say so. When that strap let loose, I was still in the water. It almost took my head off. I’ll tell you one thing: Harper won’t be contracted on another salvage operation if I’ve got anything to say about it. If I ever do another job here, I’ll call you, Sampson, get you to help me.”

I held up my hands. “Not on your life, Sturtevant. Sounds way too dangerous.”

He was climbing into a taxi when Harper caught up with him. He had pulled his wetsuit off his upper body. The arms dangled around his calves and he wore a T-shirt with a huge red and white dive flag plastered across the front, leaving no doubt that he was one macho diver.

Stark and I went into the warehouse.

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