To anyone that might be watching, Zahra and Vincenzo resembled a commonplace duo of divers — maybe even a romantic couple on vacation. They weren’t the only ones in the area either. The 4th-century wreck was dead-center in Cala Minnola, surrounded on three sides by the picturesque shoreline. Groups of beachgoers were sprawled out on the warm sands, enjoying the gorgeous weather. Zahra couldn’t imagine Levanzo being anything but beautiful.
Several boats were anchored in the waters, though they purposefully kept their distance from the ring of circular, orange buoys. The markers indicated which part of Cala Minnola you weren’t allowed into — the spot Zahra and Vincenzo were headed to now. The pair kept close to the bottom, following it deeper and deeper. So far, the terrain had consisted of nothing but sand and a few rocks. It had been a while since Zahra had done something like this. The pressure building in her skull was uncomfortable, but not a nuisance. She knew she’d become more and more accustomed to it as the minutes passed.
She blew out a long breath, cringing at the burst of bubbles floating toward the surface. The warbling swarm scattered a small school of fish as they rose. If there was anyone with half a clue watching the waters, all they would have to do was watch the trail of bubbles to know that someone was headed where they shouldn’t be. They had scoped out the area with binoculars, pretending to be looking at the water. In reality, they had been looking for authority figures. After finding none nearby, Vincenzo had led Zahra to a shore further to the south and then quickly slipped into the surf. Luckily, the Mediterranean never got all that cold, especially around the shallower coastlines.
The wreck sat in ninety feet of water. Zahra had never dived that deep before. As far as she knew, their equipment was only meant to be used for depths of up to 130 feet. Hopefully, there wouldn’t be a reason to test it. The sandy bottom dropped away sixty feet out, and Vincenzo kept near it, navigating around patches of seagrass. The growths were becoming more prevalent as they continued deeper. Zahra stayed close to him, doing her best not to think of drowning. Her gear seemed to be in top-notch shape, but still…
Vincenzo looked over his shoulder and pointed straight ahead. Zahra followed his outstretched hand. She could just barely see a shape buried in the seabed. The shipwreck was just that — a wreck. It owned the classic oval body with pointed ends. The base of the center mast was present, but the rest of it wasn’t anywhere to be seen. As she swam closer, she noticed that it was in decent shape, considering its age.
The entire keel was beneath the seabed. The cargo ship’s contents might have been preserved by the packed sand, as long as the hull’s integrity had held. The announcement of the amphorae gave Zahra hope that there was, indeed, something to find.
The increasing pressure was starting to get to Zahra. Her head felt like it was in the jaws of a vise. She slowed because of it. Vincenzo took notice and turned and swam back to her. Zahra tapped her temple and shook her head. Vincenzo shook his own head and held up his left wrist, tapping his dive watch. They didn’t have time to surface. To do so meant they’d have to swim back the way they had come.
Zahra sucked in a deep breath of tank air and tried to calm herself. She agreed. This was their only shot. Zahra had experienced so much worse in her life than this. She was safe but was having trouble convincing herself of it. So, she didn’t give herself the time to think it over. Zahra bit down on her regulator’s mouthpiece, pushed onward, and started swimming again. Vincenzo fell in line beside her, and the two arrived on the scene minutes later.
For just a moment, the duo peacefully floated and admired the ancient remnant. The uppermost deck was a mess of sand, coral, and rotting wood. There was no way through it, not for Zahra and Vincenzo, anyway. They didn’t have the tools or the time to bust their way in. Plus, Zahra wanted to do as little damage as possible. She was an adventurer, but she respected the stuff from the past as well.
Vincenzo looked over at her. Zahra lifted her right hand and pointed at her eyes with her middle and forefinger. Then she pointed down at the wreck and made a circular motion. They would survey the site before trying anything else. Zahra quickly slipped into her element — that of an experienced archaeologist. She zoned out and swam, never once taking her attention away from the cargo ship.
