Heaven's Edge
by
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The water was calm, no white caps in sight, and the sun was blistering hot. The breeze from the boat ride helped to keep the group cool for the moment, but the real relief would come when they hit the azure water. Tommy sat straddling the side of the boat, with one booted foot hanging on the outside of the vessel, catching the spray from the bow. “Tommy, look over here,” Sue Atwater chimed as she pointed her camcorder at him. He waved. “Hey Sue! You ready to see sharks today?” he teased. She paused and pulled her eye away from the camera. “You’re kidding, right?” He grinned, raised his eyebrows boyishly and replied, “You never know.” She looked back in the camera, laughing nervously. “Oh, you’re just messing with me!”
Mick walked over to Tommy and tapped his shoulder, nodding in the direction of the approaching mooring. “Let’s get ready.” The boat slowed, maneuvering into position, so Luis could hook the line up to the mooring so the boat wouldn’t drift while they dove. Tommy hooked his weight belt around his waist, tugged on his fins, spit in his mask and then rinsed it out. He slid his buoyancy compensator (BC) over his shoulders and fastened it securely in front. He hooked his console across his chest with a brass fastener and then slowly stood. Leaning forward, he readjusted his BC and then looked to his dive buddy. “You ready?” “All set.” They shuffled to the side of the boat and sat on the edge. After slipping his mask strap over his head, Tommy held his mask to his face with one hand and his consoles to his chest with the other as he plunged backwards into the crystal blue water. After the entry, he bent at the waist and descended head first towards the coral reef where he met up with Mick. They exchanged an okay sign and then Tommy gestured for Mick to lead. The top of the reef was shallow, resting in about 45 feet of water, perfect for an entertaining safety stop on the way up. But for now, Tommy wanted to drop down and visit his favorite part of the site, an old Spanish galleon. Mick knew that was the reason Tommy wanted to dive today and he had to admit, it was one of his favorite spots as well. The ship sat in 100 feet of water on a sandy bottom. Resting on a 30-degree angle, what was left of the vessel’s main mast reached helplessly toward the surface. Slowly, they approached the eerie ship; seaweed wrapped around the mast waving in the current like an ancient flag identifying the ship’s homeport. Its homeport now was the depth of the sea, home of the sharks and graveyard to many unfortunate souls. That was what Tommy thought was so cool about the ship. Every time he visited it, he relived the fateful night in 1684 when the ship fell prey to a storm.
He could feel the panic and desperation of the crew and envisioned how they must have thrown themselves into the sea as the ship began to sink, hoping to make it adrift on one of the nearby islands. Who knows? Maybe someone did survive...or maybe not. Tommy didn’t really know, he just thought the whole thing was cool. He and Mick entered the ship through a large crack on the port side. It was dark inside the galley and they switched on their primary lights. They knew they were in the galley and they knew that the galley was across the hall from the dining area. In fact, they knew the multilevel ship like the back of their hands. But they explored the vessel as if it was the first time they had seen it, hoping new eyes might reveal something. Tommy kept a close watch on his air and time as they worked their way down the hatch in the floor to the lower level, where the Spaniards had kept the supplies. They were well within their limits and he figured they had about 10 minutes left before they needed to exit the ship. It was times like these that he was glad he had started diving with Nitrox; it allowed so much more bottom time with so much less risk of the bends.
As they rounded the corner and peered into the last storage room, they startled a six-foot black tip reef shark. It thrashed its tail and swam in a tight circle, momentarily dazed. The men froze as they waited to see what the shark would do.
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About the Book
Jesse Hamilton loves deeply; she loves her husband Tommy, their simple life on the island and their successful dive resort. She wants nothing more than to ride out their lives in this tranquil existence. Seth Warren loves nothing, his heart damaged and scarred years ago. And he wants it all; women, wealth and a life free of commitments and complications. When their lives collide, mysteries of the past force the pair on a quest in search of ancient treasure, self-forgiveness and the opportunity for a second chance. Will she be able to protect herself from becoming another victim in his wake?
About the Author
Kathleen Harrison fell in love with the creative process of writing at a young age and completed her first full length novel at only fourteen years of age. She went on to graduate from the University of Delaware with a degree in Recreation Management. When she learned to scuba dive in 1991, it became obvious that her two passions could, and should, be combined. It was then that she began incorporating diving into her fictional writing. As a certified advanced open water diver for over 17 years, she has explored reefs, walls and wrecks in the Pacific, Atlantic and Caribbean waters. She utilizes these experiences to enhance the underwater and technical aspects of her writing. In addition, she has lived abroad and traveled extensively which provides her with a colorful array of cultures to draw upon. Her debut novel The Treasure was released in 2004.