Thursday 25th February
CHAPTER 40
It had gone eleven the following day on the Florence, a hired diver, Yusef Galos, an ageing friend that Kimmy knew dived down to the Athena.
Yusef radioed through to confirm his descent. Yusef dived down fifty feet into the clear blue Mediterranean waters. He saw the wreck of the Athena largely intact but it had a large hole in its port side.
Yusef crackled through on his radio embedded in his breathing mask "I am entering the wreck site."
Kimmy "That's great what do you see?"
Yusef moved into the ship and he said "Mostly containers, agricultural equipment and bits of large twisted metal."
Yusef glided down the central access between the containers located in the first cargo hold. "I have reached the edge of cargo bay one. I am proceeding down the entrance across a long corridor."
Jasmine said "Are you anywhere near the Captains quarters?"
Yusef "They are a few decks above. I am however quite close to the crew quarters. Would you like me to enter?"
Kimmy looked to Jasmine and they both nodded in agreement.
Kimmy "Go ahead."
Yusef entered a room ten by eight feet in size and it was one of the crew quarters on the Athena. It was largely intact and it still had pictures on the wall and the picture of faded photograph of a loved one. As Yusef looked around he spotted the circular window that the crew man would have looked out. He saw a safe located underneath his work desk. Yusef tried to pry it open and found that it wasn't locked.
Yusef opened the safe and he saw a suitcase "I have found a suitcase in the crew quarters that I am in."
Kimmy listened intently on the radio "What's inside?"
Yusef got the suitcase but he found that it was quite heavy. The weight took all his might and breathed heavily as bubbles escaped from his breathing mask.
"Its heavy. I can't open it."
Jasmine said "Can you bring it back to the surface?"
Yusef nodded as the weight of the suitcase was becoming too much "I can and I have an airbag with me to lift things to the surface."
Yusef left with the suitcase and it was heavy taking a lot of his oxygen supply. He approached underneath the boat. Up above he saw that the weather was bright and sunny. He checked his position and saw that he was underneath the boat and its propeller blade and he swam to the boats port side and attached the suitcase to an airbag. As it ascended to the surface Yusef checked his oxygen supply and he noticed that most it of had gone and that he needed to surface quickly.
Paul looked over the side and saw Yusef ascending. He knew nothing about diving apart from the odd photos and articles he saw on TV or in the National Geographic Magazine.
Yusef took off his wet suit and diving gear. Jasmine grabbed the suitcase with a hook at the end of a long pole. She couldn't lift the pole and Paul had to step in and it took the two of them to lift the suitcase. Everyone huddled around as Jasmine opened the suitcase on a sturdy table and she was grateful its lock hadn't rusted solid.
The suitcase was opened. Inside was something no one had expected. There was an analogue timer connected with wires to a small metal ball.
Jasmine looked worried.
Paul noticed her concern "What's up?"
Jasmines face turned to worry "I don't think that this is any ordinary suitcase. I remember reading something about this only a few months ago. They call it a nuclear suitcase."
Kimmy looked baffled "Nuclear suitcase?"
Jasmine explained "Essentially a small nuclear device. These things were always supposed to be a myth like the Yeti. If this is what I think it is then we have a bigger problem than I first thought".
Paul looked at Yusef "Is there anymore on board?"
Yusef shrugged his shoulders "It would take hours to search all the decks and crew quarters. I would need people to help me out".
Kimmy looked concern "We have got to be careful. We need to check this is what we think it is."
Jasmine nodded "I agree."
The boat arrived back to the harbour as night descended. They both agreed to meet the following day.
Kimmy looked to them both and she said "I have contacts who can confirm whether this checks out. You two go back to my house and lock the doors."
Kimmy threw her keys at Paul and she left as she got into her car with Yusef.
Paul drove back with Jasmine to Kimmy's house. The whole way back both were quiet. Jasmine knew what they had discovered was terrifying. As they drove into the house. Jasmine walked to the kitchen and poured herself some water.
Paul sat on the kitchen counter top "What does this mean?"
Jasmine looked terrified "Those things shouldn't exist."
Paul replied "Forgive my ignorance but what are nuclear suitcases?"
Jasmine said with a fear in her voice "Imagine a suitcase and in that a bomb that could destroy a couple of square miles of a city."
It dawned on Paul what they had discovered as a thought crossed his mind.
"Yusef said the ship looked like it had been sunk deliberately."
Jasmines eyes narrowed "What are you saying?"
Paul bit his lip and knew that he could no longer hold back what he had discovered "I should have said this earlier. When I was looking at the people on board that ship it wasn't just your uncle. There was a name for Isabella Rosinni who took a one way trip to Libya on the Athena."
Jasmine was furious at the implication "Are you saying my uncle and my mother sunk that ship. That's outrageous."
Paul said nothing as he got the piece of paper out of his jacket. Jasmine took it as she read it with horror.
Jasmine felt disgusted "I can't look at you right now. You hold this back from me after everything we have been through."
She stormed out of the room. Paul said nothing and he bitterly regretted hurting her but this was the reaction he had expected.
Paul walked out to the balcony and he looked across to the Mediterranean Sea. He noticed that the moon wasn't as full as it had been in Dukes Hall and was only three quarters full. A warm breeze blew against his face as the stars shone overhead.
In the room above, Jasmine was calmer but still angry at the thought of her uncle and mother were involved. The thought that they had sunk a ship repulsed her. They were the closest people to her. Sinking a ship to prevent a greater evil didn't sit right with her. Yet she knew that it made sense. There were many times over the years that she would be left with her father and her mother and uncle would go away for days at a time.
To Jasmine she thought it was because they enjoyed each others company. But those memories that were precious to her were now tainted with the possibility that they had blood on their hands. Even if the Brethren had killed her uncle the sinking of a ship was a price too high even for her.
Anger and tears welled up inside her as she lay on her bed.
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