TNT: Ch 55

James Brixon stared at the swimming pool outside his hotel. He could see the specks that were his family down there; his teenage daughter Lily sitting on a chair reading her book while the littluns played in the water. He should probably join them - it was after all a family vacation.
The lawyers had left an hour ago and he knew he was in good hands and desperately wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing with his family, but he couldn't get the springs out of his mind. He had seen what they could do, and he could only imagine what dubious use the State of Florida would find for rhem, if they didn't just stick them in a box to be undiscovered again. He would find a real use for them. After all, he'd discovered them, he and Sam. They were the ones who'd been coming here every year diving in the same spring, deeper each year. They were the ones who found the secret rock shelf, and saw the glint of mysteriously unrusted steel. The Springs of Life were clearly theirs to have.
James hated the lack of control. Sam was obviously the one qualified to handle this. He was a lawyer. But he was only 25 - a kid. And James wasn't sure how far he trusted him. I mean, they'd been coming here at the same time and diving together for six years, but how well did he really know Sam? Well, better than any other lawyer, and at least Sam was doing it for relatively cheap. Ha! How money is relative, he thought. Sam's relatively cheap rates, if they lost this thing, would be a serious blow on the family. With Lily heading off to college in a year, one of the cars on the fritz, and Jimmy needing braces, they simply couldn't afford to lose the case.
The sound of the hotel door opening and the beep of the keycard startled James from his reverie. His wife, Connie, had entered, looking surprisingly good in her one-piece and white towel for a women of 46.
"James," she said, "You should come out and play with the kids. Chase really wants to play that game with you, you know the one-"
"I know," he said. "I guess I'll go get my suit on."
"How did the meeting with the lawyers go?"
"I don't trust lawyers, Connie. I never have."
"Well what about Sam?"
"Sam's a nice boy and a good diver, but when he puts on that suit it's like he's a different person. He gets all lawyery."
"Well, Dear, we can always just call it off and head ho-"
"No!" James nearly screamed. There was a stunned silence.
"No," he repeated more calmly, "This is really important, honey. If we can get these springs it'll all work out. I know it."
"Will it pay our legal fees? Will it get Lily through college? Fix the car?"
"I don't know, ok? I just know we have to get them. They're ours rightfully and we have to get them. Just trust me. Now I'm going to get my suit on and go swimming."