We circled the small limestone key, which had a few sheer cliffs. At high tide, the cave wasn't visible. You had to know it was there. Back in the day, Mickey had been all around these islands and knew every inch of them. The details had gotten a little fuzzy after 40 years.
We cruised up and down the east coastline twice, Mickey surveying the cliffs with intense eyes. He finally pointed to an area. "There!”
Jack navigated the boat closer.
Waves crashed against the limestone, spraying mists of salty air.
It was growing dark, and it was hard to see under the surface of the water.
It had been a while since I’d been out to this location. But it looked like the spot.
Mickey nodded. “Yeah. This is it.”
"And you think there’s a good chance the money is here?" I asked.
"I know I've hidden stuff here before. Money, dope. It's a good temporary spot when you get in a pinch. It’s a good place to leave it for someone else to pick up. Not many people come out here. Not many people want to deal with the sharks. And the technical aspects of the dive can put a lot of people off.”
The cave had a few dangers of its own beyond the wildlife.
"I don't expect you all to risk your lives on my behalf,” Mickey said. “I’ll suit up and go.”
“I’ll go, too,” Flynn said.
"No. You’re staying here,” I said to Flynn.
He frowned but didn’t put up too much fuss.
“I’m going with you,” I said to Mickey. “Nobody swims without a buddy. Especially not a dive like this."
Mickey gave a nod of appreciation.
We donned the gear and plunged into the water. I cleared my mask and spotted the entrance to the cave.
A quick glance around told me there were no sharks in the vicinity.
That could change at any moment. Bull sharks were prevalent in this area and were known to attack divers on occasion. A rare event, but still enough to give one pause. Drawn to the area by an abundance of fish and the natural habitat for nurseries, Shark Fin Key lived up to its name.
33
With the sun on the other side of the horizon, it would grow dark soon. There was always an inherent danger with diving in caves. Things became exponentially more difficult at night. With a powerful flashlight and two backups, I led the way.
My fins propelled me through the water as I approached the mouth of the cave that was a few feet underwater. I swam in, the beam of my flashlight slicing through the darkness. At low tide, you'd be able to see the arch of the cave above the water, but you’d still need to swim down the passage. You couldn’t get a boat through here, even at low tide.
We finned down the dark tunnel, my flashlight on my headband sweeping across the limestone walls. The cave wasn’t long. Maybe 50 feet. It opened to a small grotto, like a cenote. A small shaft of light bled through the domed ceiling. Light that was fading fast.
Underneath the grotto, a sinkhole named the Devil’s Pipe plunged 110 feet below. It branched off into two narrow passageways.
We surfaced, and I spit out the regulator.
The sharks around here were the least of your worries. It was the Devil's Pipe that was the real danger. It had already claimed several lives. Diving to the bottom of the sinkhole was pretty straightforward. As long as you had enough oxygen, didn’t stay down too long, and didn't surface too fast, it posed little risk beyond an ordinary dive.
The problem came for those who ventured off into the smaller passageways. Some were narrow, and the sediment at the bottom was disturbed easily. Clear, pristine water could become a soupy haze with the stroke of a flipper. It was easy to get lost in those dark, narrow passageways. In some parts, you’d have to take off your tank and push it through, disturbing sediment. That’s where a lot of divers got into trouble. Heaven forbid the battery died on the flashlight while you were down there and didn’t have a backup. It could be panic-inducing. Then there was the added danger of narcosis at that depth with an improper mix.
Knowing the depth, I filled the tanks with trimix. We’d have 16 minutes at depth, with a 5-minute safety stop at 20 feet. It wasn’t much time.
The splashes of water echoed off the walls of the cave as we treaded water.
"Is this sparking any memories?" I asked. "Do you think you hid it down there?”
