Book of JUDAS

Chapter Sixteen-3

“Simon!” she whispered anxiously but it was too late.

The fragment, unravelling from the white cloth, fell towards the swelling sea. In that split second Simon, pushed the boat into neutral and launched himself fully clothed towards the spot where the arkheynia was falling. She felt hopeless with everything around her happening in slow motion as she turned and watched the little bundle falling through the air towards the waves. The sight of Simon diving in brought her a glimmer of hope as she stared helplessly after it. He was still a long way from where the arkheynia hit the water, maybe twenty feet or so but if he was lucky the white handkerchief might give it a second or two’s added buoyancy, she thought, before it slipped into the murky depths below.

Anna gritted her teeth sharply as she saw the fragment beginning to nose-dive through the clear water on the surface. He doesn’t have long, she thought. Simon didn’t resurface but with the momentum of the dive he kept swimming underwater towards the area where it would be sinking. Eyes wide open, stinging in the salty seawater, he caught sight of the bright red end as the needle-like bone fragment began its descent. Desperate to get there in time, he pushed harder and deeper with his arms. Just a little bit closer he thought and then he lunged out with his outstretched arm. He had made it − he had managed to grab the arkheynia but his lungs were bursting and how on earth was he going to explain this strange event to the ships crew when he surfaced?

The men on deck leaned forward over the railing wondering what was going on. They had heard Simon dive in but couldn’t understand why. Philip sensed what had happened as soon as Anna had turned around and looked back up the ladder towards him.

Simon broke through the surface of the water gasping for air. Anna stared down wondering whether he had reached it in time. Her sense of relief was enormous as she realised from his look that he had made it.

“Are you Ok down there?” shouted one of the crew, ready throw him a lifebelt. “What happened?”

“Sorry,” he cried amidst the splutters. “Anna dropped one of camera lenses as she was climbing down the ladder. I tried to save it but unfortunately I was too late − I’m afraid you’ve lost it!” he added sympathetically, looking at Anna.

“Damn!” she called angrily as she purveyed their concerned faces. “That lens cost me a fortune.”

“What happened?” asked Philip.

“Sorry, I slipped on the wet rung, I thought I was going to fall − it just slipped out the case,” she moaned belatedly.

Meanwhile, Simon had secretly tucked the fragment into his shirt and was swimming back to the motorboat that was bobbing up and down listlessly as it drifted further away from the side. He finally caught up and scrambled up on the stern next to the engines and pulled himself up into the boat. Rolling over, in the same motion, he pushed the fragment on to the floor.

“I think you have some good men looking after you,” said the captain, shaking his head and smiling at Anna. Visibly shaken at almost losing the treasure, her demeanour made the episode seem more plausible.

“We’ll be covered under insurance, don’t worry,” added Philip sympathetically before turning to face the captain. “Apologies for all the dramatics!” he said, smiling and raising his eyebrows.

“Don’t be silly,” he responded in his German accent. “We don’t often get such eventful days,” he said grinning.

Drenched, Simon pulled off his shirt and began towelling himself as he steered the boat one-handed back under the ladder. As he got closer he threw the towel he was holding over the arkheynia on the floor just in case anyone should catch a glimpse. As he approached, Anna carried on descending the ladder followed closely by Philip. Helped on board by Simon, they looked up to wave goodbye to Hans, the captain, Biscan and the rest of the crew leaning over the side of the salvage vessel.

“Thanks again and good luck with the rest of your search,” shouted back Philip as the motorboat’s engine wound up and Simon steered them in a large arc away from the ship’s hull. The crew waved goodbye as Simon opened up the throttle and they sped off towards Koh Samui and Chaweng beach.

“What the hell happened?” bellowed Philip above the roar of the engines as they put some distance between them and the boat. He didn’t feel annoyed just curious to understand how his brother had ended up in the water.

“It’s my fault − thank God for Simon,” shouted back Anna smiling. “He’s our hero!”

Simon grinned and lifted the towel to reveal the missing key of arkheynia.

“We’ve done it,” cried Philip and put his arm around Anna shoulders and squeezed her tightly. “You were brilliant,” he whispered loudly in her ear.

She felt elated with the praise and proud of her performance.

Philip opened his sports bag and took a pair of dry shorts up to Simon in the cockpit.

“I think you might be needing a pair of these?” he said, throwing them up to him.

“Thanks,” replied Simon and, pleased with their work, they exchanged knowing glances.

“What on earth are we doing?” murmured Philip philosophically to himself in the breeze as he took stock of what they had just done. Only a month earlier he had been negotiating high level corporate mergers on Wall Street and now he was embroiled in an adventure miles from home and the woman he was due to marry.

“We’ll need to get going,” shouted Anna as they reached the wooden pier where the boat had been originally moored. “They know this relic well,” she continued, “and if they go back down to inspect their collection they’ll soon see that it’s missing.”

“Don’t worry, we’re going straight to the airport now − we’ll be in Bangkok in time for dinner this evening,” answered Philip, returning sharply to the present.

Koh Samui airport, if you could call it such, consisted of a runway with a wooden shelter at one end with an office inside where you could buy tickets. There were three flights that landed each day and they all came from Bangkok. They were in luck – the ATR propeller aircraft parked at the end of the runway was due to take off in the next thirty minutes. No luggage checks, no baggage handlers − they just walked across the across the tarmac and up the deteriorating metal staircase onto the plane.

It was early evening and the light was beginning to fade. The propellers buzzed noisily as the nose pulled up into the sky. Exhausted, they watched as the picturesque tropical island disappeared from view.