Page 23 of Wild Tempest

Tempest frowned. "I'm aware. But if there's a chance he’s still alive, I have to do something. I think it's unconscionable what my mother has done. Her actions could have doomed the whole crew. If you ask me, she should be charged with murder.”

"Proving she deliberately gave them fraudulent information would be difficult," I said. “You’re aware your father might be charged with murder if Owen's statements were factual."

Tempest’s face tightened. "Are you willing to help me, or not?"

I shared another look with JD.

By this point, we were already intrigued. To tell you the truth, I would have gone out there looking for the Morya, even if she hadn’t asked. It wasn’t about the money. Owen’s story had sparked my curiosity. That insatiable quest for the truth.

“If that ship is out there and adrift, it’s not going to be in the same place,” I said.

She shook her head. “Small eddies and counter currents are not uncommon in the Devil’s Tide. There are many documented examples. It’s keeping the Morya in a loop. Don’t believe me? Go see for yourself.”

“I think that ship’s at the bottom of the ocean,” Jack said, trying to elicit a response.

Her eyes narrowed at him. In a confident tone, she said, “Really? Is that what you think?”

Jack nodded.

Tempest pulled out her phone and displayed a picture. She showed it to us. Sure enough, the Almaz Morya floated on the right side of the water. Despite being surrounded by fog and haze, there was no mistaking the ship. The name read clear as day on the hull in bold Cyrillic.

Our eyes rounded with surprise. Of course, it could have been photoshopped.

“When was this taken?” I asked.

“Last month. My father took this and sent it to me.”

I shared another look with Jack, then said to Tempest, “We’ll go to these coordinates and conduct our own search.”

“I’m going with you or no deal.”

“Could be dangerous. I would advise that you stay ashore and let us handle it.”

“Not a chance. There is over $1 billion worth of gold on that ship.”

“Rumor and speculation. That’s never been confirmed.”

“I talked to Kaitlyn. She told me Owen claimed to have seen it with his own eyes.”

“Is this about the gold or your father?“

“It’s about my father. But it’s more than that.” She bit her lip. “My nephew has a rare pediatric neurodegenerative disease. He needs specialized treatment. There is a clinic in Europe that has an experimental gene therapy. It’s expensive. Insurance doesn’t cover it. My brother is swimming in medical debt because of it. My grandmother on my father’s side has been helping them out to the point where she has nothing. The bank is going to take her house. She needs full-time care.” Tempest’s eyes filled, and her throat tightened. She wiped away the tears as they streamed down her cheeks.

It was hard not to have sympathy for her.

“And like you said, my father may be charged with murder,” she continued, sniffling. “If he survives, someone will need to pay for his legal defense. I want to be the one to claim salvage rights to that vessel. I don’t want my mother to see a penny of it.”

“Salvage rights are complicated,” I said.

“The ship was abandoned. It’s derelict. A person who rescues a vessel or cargo from peril is entitled to a monetary reward,” Tempest said, paraphrasing the maritime law. “Even if someone else has a claim against that ship, any successful salvor is going to have a significant claim. Fifty percent of a billion dollars is still a lot of money. It’s enough to make all these problems go away.”

I had to admit, the girl knew her stuff.

“Of course we would split any potential windfall three ways,” she said. “I grew up on salvage boats. I know my way around, and I can turn a wrench. So I’m going to ask again. Are you in, or are you out?”

15

"Iwould not go looking for that boat," Demi said when I called her.