further up the coast, near the northern end.”
Hennesey lowered his voice even more, as if there were other divers nearby who could overhear. “There are conflicting stories about the two missing galleons. Some say they got as far north as County Sligo, but if they had they would’ve been found. It seems there was at least one eyewitness who saw the other two leave Killybegs later than the Girona , and once the storm hit, they were tossed somewhere south of the Aran Islands.”
Daniel met Hennesey’s gaze. “And you got this last bit of information from…?”
“I have my sources.” Hennesey folded his arms and sat back. “Journals, reports, fishermen’s tales. Where the Girona went down has been combed with no results. Given that, I figure it’s worth searching the area south of that site.”
Catherine stared at the map. “Like Clive Cussler says, shipwrecks are never where they’re supposed to be.”
“He’s got that right,” said Daniel smiling. The way he looked at her was unnerving. As if they’d known one another before. She wished she could shake that feeling. Dismissing her thoughts, she studied the map again.
Hennesey scratched his bald spot. “I found a seventeenth-century mariner map of Ireland and matched its coastlines to today’s charts. I’ve also checked out any troublesome rocks and other danger spots around the headlands there.”
Catherine had to give him credit. The man was meticulous in his planning. “You’ve done your homework.”
Hennesey’s eyes sparkled with the compliment. “And to whet your appetite further, it’s also near the site of the Laurentic .”
“How about that?” said Frank. “I’d forgotten that ship went down around there.”
Catherine knew of the wreck but hadn’t realized it was off the Donegal coast. It’d been carrying a heavy shipment of gold and silver to the United States for the war effort, when it sank in the Atlantic in 1917.
Hennesey continued, “As you’ve probably read, most of the gold was recovered, but twenty bars and all of the silver still lie on the gravel seabed. It’s probably buried under her.”
Daniel scoffed, “You don’t expect to find any, do you?”
“Why not?”
“There’ve been over seven thousand dives in that area already.”
“So, we’ll be seven thousand and one. That is, if we strike out on the Spanish wreck and need something to do to make our trip worthwhile.”
On the map, Daniel traced his finger down the north Atlantic coast and stopped at Galway. “About this phantom ship you’re chasing. If it’s supposed to be as close to the Laurentic as you indicate, don’t you think one of the divers would have found it by now?”
“You know as well as I do, a mile in either direction is huge. It’s possible to survey the area and not find anything. Look how long it took them to find the Titanic .”
Frank said to Hennesey, “Twenty bars, huh?”
“If we’re lucky, we’ll get both: a ship from the Armada and some of that missing gold from the Laurentic.” Hennesey pulled a piece of note paper out of his pocket and referred to it. “Each bar weighs twenty-seven and a half pounds; that’s four hundred and forty ounces. With today’s rates of one thousand, six hundred and eighty dollars an ounce, if I find only one bar, it’s worth seven hundred and thirty-nine thousand dollars.”
Frank whistled. “And with the way the economy is going, it could be worth a hell of a lot more by the time it’s dredged up. Of course, that’s peanuts compared to what one of those Spanish wrecks could bring in.”
Catherine turned the atlas around and examined the proposed dive site. “I’ve heard the Donegal coastline can be treacherous.”
Daniel said, “When those winds blow, there’s no chance of any vessel going out there and surviving.”
“Jesus Christ!” Hennesey said it so loud that a patron nearby raised her head and scowled. He ignored her but lowered his voice. “You know as well
Hennesey lowered his voice even more, as if there were other divers nearby who could overhear. “There are conflicting stories about the two missing galleons. Some say they got as far north as County Sligo, but if they had they would’ve been found. It seems there was at least one eyewitness who saw the other two leave Killybegs later than the Girona , and once the storm hit, they were tossed somewhere south of the Aran Islands.”
Daniel met Hennesey’s gaze. “And you got this last bit of information from…?”
“I have my sources.” Hennesey folded his arms and sat back. “Journals, reports, fishermen’s tales. Where the Girona went down has been combed with no results. Given that, I figure it’s worth searching the area south of that site.”
Catherine stared at the map. “Like Clive Cussler says, shipwrecks are never where they’re supposed to be.”
“He’s got that right,” said Daniel smiling. The way he looked at her was unnerving. As if they’d known one another before. She wished she could shake that feeling. Dismissing her thoughts, she studied the map again.
Hennesey scratched his bald spot. “I found a seventeenth-century mariner map of Ireland and matched its coastlines to today’s charts. I’ve also checked out any troublesome rocks and other danger spots around the headlands there.”
Catherine had to give him credit. The man was meticulous in his planning. “You’ve done your homework.”
Hennesey’s eyes sparkled with the compliment. “And to whet your appetite further, it’s also near the site of the Laurentic .”
“How about that?” said Frank. “I’d forgotten that ship went down around there.”
Catherine knew of the wreck but hadn’t realized it was off the Donegal coast. It’d been carrying a heavy shipment of gold and silver to the United States for the war effort, when it sank in the Atlantic in 1917.
Hennesey continued, “As you’ve probably read, most of the gold was recovered, but twenty bars and all of the silver still lie on the gravel seabed. It’s probably buried under her.”
Daniel scoffed, “You don’t expect to find any, do you?”
“Why not?”
“There’ve been over seven thousand dives in that area already.”
“So, we’ll be seven thousand and one. That is, if we strike out on the Spanish wreck and need something to do to make our trip worthwhile.”
On the map, Daniel traced his finger down the north Atlantic coast and stopped at Galway. “About this phantom ship you’re chasing. If it’s supposed to be as close to the Laurentic as you indicate, don’t you think one of the divers would have found it by now?”
“You know as well as I do, a mile in either direction is huge. It’s possible to survey the area and not find anything. Look how long it took them to find the Titanic .”
Frank said to Hennesey, “Twenty bars, huh?”
“If we’re lucky, we’ll get both: a ship from the Armada and some of that missing gold from the Laurentic.” Hennesey pulled a piece of note paper out of his pocket and referred to it. “Each bar weighs twenty-seven and a half pounds; that’s four hundred and forty ounces. With today’s rates of one thousand, six hundred and eighty dollars an ounce, if I find only one bar, it’s worth seven hundred and thirty-nine thousand dollars.”
Frank whistled. “And with the way the economy is going, it could be worth a hell of a lot more by the time it’s dredged up. Of course, that’s peanuts compared to what one of those Spanish wrecks could bring in.”
Catherine turned the atlas around and examined the proposed dive site. “I’ve heard the Donegal coastline can be treacherous.”
Daniel said, “When those winds blow, there’s no chance of any vessel going out there and surviving.”
“Jesus Christ!” Hennesey said it so loud that a patron nearby raised her head and scowled. He ignored her but lowered his voice. “You know as well
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