Chapter 21

 

Tony and Edna had fallen asleep, both awakening when the chopper began a steep descent. Still dark, a dense fog covered the water below them. Feeling as if they were in a falling elevator, they braced for a crash that never came. Seeing their discomfort, Sasha grinned.

“You both can relax. We are simply descending for a landing,” he said.

When the chopper emerged from the clouds, Tony saw a giant, offshore complex. It looked like a drilling platform except there were no draw works or drill pipe. The chopper touched down on a bull’s eye near the top of the complex. When the door opened a man in a helmet appeared. Lights in hand, he motioned them out of the chopper. The rain had ceased, but angry clouds masked the moon.

“You coming?” Tony shouted to Sasha.

Sasha shook his head, waving slowly as the chopper lifted off the platform, rising through the clouds.

The noise of the chopper’s engines diminished as they followed the man to a steel door. It slammed shut behind them with a metallic clank.

“I’m Louis,” he said. “Welcome to the far end of the earth.”

***

Tony awoke to a clanging in his ears, disoriented, and in a strange bed. When a voice outside the door called to him, he didn’t immediately remember where he was.

“Good morning. I’m leaving a carafe of coffee at the door, and I’ll be back to get you in half an hour.”

When he retrieved the coffee, he found the person with a pleasant female voice was gone.

The little room where he’d caught up on a few hours of sleep was apparently crew quarters, complete with bed, head, shower, functional desk and chair, and little else.

A Picayune, the New Orleans’ newspaper, was on the tray with the carafe of coffee. There was also a note informing him someone had laundered and pressed his clothes. He was reading the paper when the woman with the pleasant voice knocked on his door again.

“I’m Tamela,” the young black woman said.

She looked sharp in her khaki shorts and Tulane tee shirt, a red bandanna tying her dark hair into a ponytail. After following her up a flight of metal stairs, Tony realized why she seemed so happy.

The sky was still cloudy but a shade of blue he’d never seen. So was the water around them. They were on a deck high above the Gulf of Mexico, a warm but persistent breeze blowing in their faces. Tamela couldn’t stop smiling.

“I’ve never seen the water this clear, or this blue,” he said.

“That’s the same reaction I get from every person that visits.”

“What’s up?”

“The depth. We’re way beyond the shallow waters near shore affected by silt dumping in from the rivers.”

“Where’s Edna?”

“Spent the night in the infirmary.”

“She okay?”

“I checked on her earlier. We have around-the-clock medical staff and world-class facilities capable of handling any situation.”

Edna was the center of attention when they reached the infirmary, a frown on her face and arms tightly crossed as a doctor and two nurses tried to convince her to use the wheelchair they had brought for her.

“I walked in and now I’m walking out,” she said.

The young doctor dressed in a white smock and expensive shoes finally just shook his head.

“Your wound will never heal unless you stay off your feet,” he said. “At least take these crutches.”

“Not gonna happen,” Edna said.

A frizzy-haired nurse ended the standoff as she hurried behind the doctor carrying a cane.

“Don’t need it, but I’ll take it, just to make you feel better.”

Edna smiled as they walked out the door when Tony said, “Troublemaker.”

Edna twirled the cane to show she didn’t need it.

“Not as sexy as Doc Bruce’s shillelagh, but it’ll make a pretty good club next time we meet some bad guys.”

“You’re a hoot, Miss Callahan,” Tamela said.

“Just Edna,” she said. “Who are you?”

“I’m Tamela.”

“And you are?”

“Your tour guide. Please relax and enjoy yourselves.”

“Where are we going?” Tony asked.

“We have time for breakfast and a small tour,” Tamela said, hurrying along a gangplank overlooking the Gulf. “Sorry,” she said, slowing when she remembered Edna’s injured leg.

Another storm was blowing in from the south, angry clouds bearing the threat of thunder, lightning, and lots of rain. Busy staring out over the broad expanse of seemingly endless water, Edna had forgotten her wound for the moment.

“Oh my,” she said. “I don’t see land in any direction.”

Tamela pointed into the distance. “We’re about a hundred miles south of the Louisiana coast,” she said.

Properly impressed, Edna asked, “Is this a drilling platform?”

“More accurately, a production platform. This complex of raised structures overlies a part of the Gulf where a giant oilfield once was.”

From where they stood, Tony could see another platform equally as large. The size of a football field, it rose high above the water on massive metal stilts. Futuristic buildings constructed of metal and glass topped the structures. A complex system of ramps, runways, and catwalks connected the structures. A flock of gulls circled above.

“Those buildings don’t look like any offshore platform I ever seen,” Tony said.

“When the old company abandoned the field, the entire facility was stripped. Boston architects designed the buildings that replaced them. There are three more ramps you can’t see from here.”

“Beautiful,” Edna said. “Like something out of a sci-fi movie.”

“We get that a lot,” Tamela said. “They are designed specifically to accentuate the stark beauty surrounding us, and robust enough to withstand a hurricane’s direct hit.”

“It’s a long way down to the water,” Tony said. “How high up are we?”

“A hundred feet,” Tamela said. “It can get rough fast out here in a storm.”

“I bet,” Edna said. “I have no sensation of motion. How is this thing anchored?”

“We’re in a part of the Gulf known as the Flower Garden Banks. This field overlies a seamount.”

“A what?” Tony asked.

“A high spot caused by a salt dome pushing things up. The water is only about sixty-five feet deep here. There’s a coral reef beneath this complex.”

“How deep is the rest of the Gulf?” Edna asked.

“Very,” Tamela said.

“Two hundred feet?” Tony said.

“Some parts as deep as fourteen-thousand feet.”

“No way.”

Tamela nodded. “The Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest geographic body on earth. Some people call the Sigsbee Deep the Grand Canyon under the Sea. It’s almost three miles straight down.”

“I had no idea,” Edna said.

“Most people don’t. Here is where the Gulfstream, one of the most powerful currents on earth, originates.”

Edna glanced up at a flock of migratory birds flying overhead. “You’re quite the tour guide. How do you know so much?”

“My degree in marine biology from Texas A&M. I’ve trained for this job all my life.”

A large boat emerged from the fog beginning to cover the water.

“Damn!” Tony said. “That thing looks like a little destroyer.”

“Our security boat,” Tamela said. “It circles the resort continuously.”

Tony did a double take. “With a cannon and machine guns?” he said. Looks ready for a major naval battle.”

“Never know what might happen out here in the middle of the Gulf. We’re in open water, far beyond continental waters of the U.S. We are responsible for our security.”

“But . . .”

She stopped Tony with a wave of her arm. “Pirates and ne’er-do-wells reign out here. Our responsibility is to our guests. Our security must be locked down and iron tight.”

“Pirates?” Edna said.

“Don’t let it worry you. We’re safe. You must be hungry. I’ll answer your questions over bacon and eggs.”

The complex of raised platforms was more extensive than either Tony or Edna had imagined. They followed Tamela through a long series of gangplanks, escalators, and elevators, finally reaching a commissary complete with wonderful aromas emanating from the kitchen.

Dozens of people occupied the area, eating, drinking, and conversing, and dressed in identical sea blue jumpsuits.

“All these people work here?” Edna asked.

“And many more,” Tamela said.

“What the hell do they all do out here in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico?” Tony said.

“This is a resort. Flower Garden Banks Resort. It takes lots of people to run a world-class facility such as ours.”

“I never knew there were reefs in the Gulf,” Tony said. “Hundreds, actually,” Tamela said. “Some are man-made. A few, like this one, resulted naturally.”

“If this is a resort, where are all the tourists?” Edna asked.

“We’re on the platform reserved for employees,” Tamela said. “The guests stay on the main structure.”

“How the hell do they get here?” Tony said.

“Yachts, service boats, and helicopters.”

“It’s beautiful and eerie,” Edna said. “But what else is the attraction?”

“Diving, deep sea fishing, gambling and world-class entertainment. For our guests that don’t dive, there’s the Aqua Room.”

“What’s that?” Tony said.

“Glad you asked. I’ll show you after breakfast.”

The commissary was more than functional, offering a breathtaking view through a wall-sized window overlooking the Gulf. Once seated, Edna spent a moment wincing as she rubbed her thigh.

“You gonna make it?” Tony asked.

“Sorry to be such a whine bag,” she said.

Tony grinned. “I’d still be in the hospital bed if it was me.”

They were soon feasting on eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy. The smiling wait staff kept bringing food and drink until Tony could eat no more.

Other than Tony and Edna, Tamela was the only person not dressed in a blue jumpsuit. The kitchen workers stopped bringing food when she finally moved her index finger past her throat.

“This is just one of many commissaries at this facility,” she said. “They’re open around the clock.”

“Quite a perk for the employees,” Edna said.

“It’s an excellent place to work. Food is good, pay high and you only have to work two weeks a month. It seems like no one ever quits,” Tamela said.

“What about movies, or trips across town to eat at a new restaurant?” Edna asked.

“We have a theater that screens all the latest movies and a performing arts center for bands and other live entertainment. That’s just for the workforce. Other than probably Vegas, tourists would have a hard time matching the dining experiences and entertainment available to them.”

“You've sold me,” Edna said. “Where’s Elvis.”

“Impersonators are the best I can do, but there are some good ones. We get a few from time to time.”

“I’ll pass,” Edna said. “What else you got?”

“Finished eating?”

“Another bite and I’ll need bigger pants,” Tony said.

“Then let me show you something our guests pay thousands to see.”

Tamela led them through yet another winding pathway of corridors, stairs, and hidden passages. Tony’s ears popped as they descended in an elevator. When he exited, he realized why.

“Geez!” he said. “Are we at the bottom of the ocean?”

Tamela’s smile was the only answer he needed. The four walls of the room were glass, the only thing separating them from the sea life swimming on the other side.

“Oh my God!” Edna said.

“We’re surrounded by the reef’s abundant plants and fishes. It’s like a bathysphere at the bottom of the Gulf.”

“Is that a whale?” Edna asked.

“A big one,” Tamela said.

“Oh, my!” Edna said. “It can’t get through the glass, can it?”

Tamela laughed. “I won’t go into detail, but the walls are strong enough to prevent almost anything, even a very large hurricane.”

A big shark swam toward Edna, bumping the glass with its nose. The beast stared at her with steely eyes before swimming away.

“That’s comforting,” she said. “That shark looked big enough to swallow me whole.”

“The reef is a virtual paradise for creatures of the Gulf. Turtles, whales, sharks, manta rays, and exotic fish you can only imagine. You’ll see them all if you stay here long enough,” Tamela said.

“So colorful,” Edna said.

“Sponges, star, boulder and brain coral. Commercial fishermen noticed the bright colors years ago. That’s how the banks got its name. There’s more.”

They followed her through a steel-encased corridor, complete with observation portholes, to another viewing room at a different part of the reef. Finally, Tamela glanced at her watch.

“Almost time for your meeting,” she said.

“We still don’t have a clue why we’re here. You gonna keep us in suspense?” Tony asked.

“You’re about to find out.”

A small train connected the platforms. Their car seconded as an observation vehicle. The walls, roof, and floor, were glass and afforded spectacular views in all directions. They began seeing tourists for the first time as they passed stops along the way. As the car went outside the steel and glass structure, Tony had the sensation of flying.

“What do you think?” Tamela asked with a smile.

“Beautiful but creepy,” Edna said.

“This thing has never fallen, has it?” Tony asked.

“Though it feels like we’re floating, I assure you we are safely connected to the primary structure. That’s the marina,” Tamela said, pointing below them.

“Wow!” Tony said. “Are those all private boats?”

“Sea-going yachts from all over the world. Saudi sheiks, Chinese and Russian billionaires, dignitaries from every country on earth. You name it, and they are here.”

Not far from the yachts, a whale broke the Gulf’s blue water, gulls disappearing into the fog as they chased after it. When Tamela manipulated an app on her cell phone, the single car halted and its glass door slid open. She led them around a granite wall to an elevator door.

“This is where I leave you.”