Sam exhaled one gigantic breath during the entire ascent, as the air in his lungs expanded as the atmospheric pressure lessened.
The Navy Seals below were unable to follow, having been down much longer than Sam and Tom. The nitrogen in their bloodstreams would have built up to a greater degree, the longer they remained submerged. Consequently, they would be unable to follow Sam and Tom to the surface, without almost certainly, dying.
Soon, the SEALs were little more than dark shapes moving at the dark bottom of the lake.
Sam and Tom stopped their ascent at about six feet from the surface, just below their Zodiac.
“How you doing, Tom?” Sam asked.
“Yeah, I think okay. How about you?”
“I’m all right. I think we’ve escaped.”
“We’ve certainly beaten those at the bottom, but an advanced mercenary team like them, must surely have a surface team,” Sam said, and then went on to say, “That is, assuming that we’re not dealing with one of our own teams.”
The consequence of his last words echoed in his ears.
What if they are one of ours?
That thought and the possibility it might be the truth, scared the hell out of him.
“You’re right, Sam. Maybe the surface team won’t yet know what’s happened below. Let’s stay underwater until we reach the rock, and then let’s hope we can take off before they know what’s happened.”
“Good idea, Tom.”
“Sam?”
“Yes?”
“What did you mean by ‘one of our own Navy SEAL teams’?” Tom asked.
“Well, we already know that there was something more valuable than gold aboard the Magdalena when she disappeared,” Sam said. “Whatever it was, it’s attracted a large assembly of treasure hunters, and they’re willing to stop at nothing to obtain their prize.”
“And you think that assembly might include members of our own government?”
“Yep, and I just wish I knew what that treasure actually is.”
Two minutes later, Tom surfaced at the edge of the granite rock where his helicopter was still resting. He turned slowly, his eyes scanning a full 360 degrees, trying to get a complete view of their environment.
There was nothing to alert him of their danger.
No shouts or shots fired.
“We’re good so far, Sam.”
“Okay then, let’s go.”
They both quickly scrambled up the edge of the rock and climbed into the helicopter. Before Tom had even began to remove his dive equipment, he flicked the switches to begin the slow process of warming up the engine.
On the other side of the lake, something moved.
Before Tom could see make out what it was, he had lifted the helicopter into the air, and disappeared into the narrow Tyrol Valley below.
Chapter Fifteen
Disappointment still shrouded Sam when he arrived back at the cabin.
Instead of finding the Magdalena, and the answer to a mystery that had already remained hidden for three quarters of a century, he had nearly lost his life, and found a whole set of new, unanswered questions.
How did they know he was still alive?
Who were they exactly?
Why would U.S. Navy SEALs be involved in this mess?
And, finally and most significantly: What is it about the Magdalena that I don’t know that makes her so damn important?
Once he entered the cabin, Sam checked his cell.
There was a message from her. It was the only good news he’d heard today.
The text message read, I’m free tomorrow. Want to see the Alps from a different perspective?
The sudden increase in his heart rate told him that he did.
Sam immediately hit the call-back number.
“Hi, Aliana.”
“Sam, is that you?” Aliana asked, in her distinctive voice.
“Yes. So, you decided to stick around a little longer?”
“I thought I might stay for the weekend.”
“I’m glad,” Sam said, and he meant it too.
“Are you going to be free?”
“Yeah, my work here seems to have reached a dead end.”
“Then, do you want to see the Alps my way?” Aliana repeated.
“Okay, that could be just what I need. What did you have in mind?”
“I’ll tell you when you get here. Can you meet me at the hotel where I’ve been staying? Say, at about eight o-clock tomorrow morning?”
“Sure, what should I bring with me?” Sam asked.
“Just wear some comfortable clothes. I’ve got everything else you’ll need.”
“Okay then, I’ll see you at eight.” Sam said, and ended the call.
The grin came over his face, like a child at Disneyland — relentless and uncontrollable.
He’d had a number of women interested him over the years. He was young, healthy, and had the physique of a man who spent his life outdoors — and, of course, he was rich, although he took great pains to ensure that few people realized the immensity of his fortune.
Tom was probably the only person who knew him well enough to understand that he’d only dated a few of those women and none of them had held his interest or lived up to his expectations.
Aliana was different.
She was both stunningly beautiful, and in possession of a mind sharper than that of any other woman he had known — and the people he often worked with were genuinely very bright. They were specialists in their own fields, but she was smarter than any one of them. She had a love of the outdoors which matched his own, and the tenacity to see it all, in its glorious wonder.
Aliana was a mischievous, playful, and captivating creature — and she had decided that she wanted to spend the weekend with him.
As far as Sam was concerned, the Magdalena could just as well stay lost forever. He had discovered something far more exquisite than a seventy-five year old mystery. He had found Aliana and she wanted to spend a few days with him.
His heart kicked up. Did that mean night’s too? It will if I have anything to say about it.
Tom looked over at him, and asked, with a note of sarcasm, “So, I take it I can go to Paris for the weekend? And we’ll both return to the task at hand on Monday, both feeling a little fresher?” Tom studied the besotted expression on Sam’s face, and added, “Well, maybe not fresher, but at least your mind will have been cleared from our current predicament.”
“That sounds like a good idea to me,” Sam replied. “You sure you don’t mind that I didn’t invite you along?”
“Not at all. Besides, the last thing I want to do is stare at these damn mountains. Anyway, I’m keen on going snowboarding with some friends.”
Sam watched from the ground as Tom pulled the collective on his 44, and eased the helicopter back into the sky above, after dropping him off. As Tom rotated the helicopter so that he again faced Sam, he gave him one last smile, which said, have a great weekend, and then he flew off.
Sam looked at his watch.
It was only 0740, but he still had a five minute walk down the rickety stone road which led to the only accommodations at Tyrol. He walked into The Summit, the B&B where Aliana was staying.
He took a seat in the foyer, and casually picked up a magazine advertising an article bearing the headline, “Europe’s Best Walks Above 4000 feet.” He started to flick through its pages without paying much attention.
From where he sat, Sam could see a large, thick, glass window that allowed a stunning vista of the valley below, and the mountains towering high above. It was difficult to discern the height of those mountains; their distance was capable of tricking the mind into thinking they were higher than they actually were. Over the past few weeks, he had flown over all of them. He knew exactly just how high those mountains were.