Raising the Limit-Book 1 - 5. Chapter 5

TC started his week with a phone call from an insurance company. A sixty foot fishing trawler had caught fire and sank about a thirty miles off the coast of Ft. Myers and the insurance company wanted an estimate of salvage costs. TC got the ball rolling with gathering the information he would need in order to get the information to the insurance company. He knew right off the bat that a trip to Ft. Myers would be needed. In all likelihood he’s also have to send a dive team out to the sight to do an assessment. Better yet, he decided to lead a dive team.

TC was certified as an advanced diver with additional certifications in wreck diving, dry suit diving, as well as several commercial diving certifications that were required for his line of work plus a few others that weren’t, but he just wanted to have. He took his livelihood seriously and safety was his top priority. All of the diving crew were experienced, certified divers who had the same values as himself. TC didn’t want anyone under the water with him that didn’t know how to prioritize safety.

He had his administrative assistant call the owners of the fishing boat that had sunk to set up a time to meet with them tomorrow afternoon. He would need to take one of the company’s salvage boats down there and it would take about two hours at a moderate clip. He already had the Coast Guard report with the GPS coordinates of the wreck. He sent texts to the two other divers that he wanted for this project and both of them responded immediately, they were both available and would meet him at the dock at seven the next morning.

TC spent the rest of the afternoon doing the necessary paperwork and then headed back to his condo so he could pack a few things in case he got stuck in Ft. Myers for a few days. He threw his wallet and keys on the table by the door as he walked in. The condo was on the fifteenth floor and faced west, out toward Sarasota Bay. He had a great view of Lido Key and the end of Longboat Key, beyond that was the expanse of the Gulf of Mexico. Siesta Key was only ten minutes away to the south. It was one of the best beaches in the U.S., its wide stretch of sugary white sand reaching for miles.

He took out a container of beef vegetable soup out of the freezer that he had made a couple of weeks ago and put it in the microwave to thaw. He also grabbed a bag of frozen biscuits and pulled two out, putting them on the counter while he turned the oven on. It seemed a little silly to heat up the oven for just two biscuits, but he didn’t have a toaster oven.

Once the oven had preheated, he placed the two nearly thawed bits of dough on a small baking pan and slid them in, setting the timer for the required twelve minutes. The thawed out soup got transferred to a saucepan and set on top of the stove with a medium heat going underneath it.

TC headed into his bedroom and took off his work clothes, throwing on a worn out pair of basketball shorts and a faded t-shirt. He gathered his laundry and stopped at the stackable washer/dryer unit that came with the condo. He quickly sorted his clothes and had the first load going in no time.

Back in the kitchen the soup was starting to bubble and he could smell the yeasty goodness of the biscuits as they finished baking. He stirred the soup and then peeked in the oven. The biscuits were just starting to get a little golden brown on the top edges so he turned the oven off and grabbed a potholder to slide them out of the oven and onto a plate that he grabbed. He gave the soup a stir and then transferred it to a bowl. He brought both out to his balcony where he had a small table with two chairs. He had a fleeting thought, wishing David was here. He knew he would need to call him soon and let him know he was probably going to be out of town for a day or two. TC went back inside to get a beer from the fridge and he left his slider open after stepping back out onto the balcony.

His condo overlooked the marina and to the right, down below he could see the famous ‘Unconditional Surrender’ statue based on the Life magazine cover photo of the sailor returning from WWII who was immortalized kissing a nurse. The statue was nearly thirty feet tall and although his view was partially obscured by a few trees, most was visible. He could make out a few people around the base of the statue probably taking pictures.

TC enjoyed his dinner while watching the activity in the harbor below. He could see the two boats that his company had docked there. The sun was setting and it was one of those beautiful melding of colors that made the extra money he paid for a west side view worth it. When he finished with his meal he sat back and pulled out his phone. David should be home by now, or at least he was hoping. He knew the man had been putting in a lot of hours with two major projects on the board.

TC was in luck and David picked up after the second ring. “Hey Handsome, how’s it going?” he asked when he heard David’s voice.

“Good, how ‘bout you?” David answered.

“Not too bad. Hey, I wanted to let you know I’ll be out of town for a couple of nights. I have to go down to Ft. Myers for a job. I should be back sometime Thursday.” TC said.

“Sounds like you’ll be busy. Hopefully not too busy to text or call.” David remarked.

“Mmmm, I guess I can probably fit in a phone call or text, maybe.” TC teased. “How about we plan on getting together Friday night? My place this time?”

“I’d like that. I’ll talk with you later in the week and we’ll figure out the time and whatnot.” David said. “I hate to cut this short, but I promised Alleycat and Owen I would Skype with them tonight.”

“I understand. I’ll talk to you later in the week. Don’t work too hard. I need you to save some energy for the end of the week.” TC told David, with a slight Dom tone to his voice.

David caught the tone and replied, “Of course, Sir.” and then let out a little chuckle.

“Cheeky bastard. Goodnight David.” TC replied.

“G’night TC.” David said as he ended the call.

TC smiled as he picked up his dishes and headed inside. He threw the clean clothes from the washer into the dryer and started the next load. Next, he cleaned up the kitchen and swept the floors. He straightened up his living room and then pulled a travel bag out from his closet. The dryer buzzed after the second load was done and as he folded the clothes he set aside what he was going to pack for the next couple of days.

By the time he finished his chores and packing it was almost ten-thirty. He decided to pack it in for the night as he needed to meet his crew at seven the next morning.

TC was up early and was showered and dressed in no time. He fixed a travel mug full of coffee and grabbed a yogurt and some fruit and headed out. He was lucky that all he had to do was walk across the street to the marina. When he got to the slip he saw Dennis, one of his divers already waiting for him. He greeted Dennis and it was only a few minutes later his other diver, Todd showed up. The three men boarded the boat and TC took the clipboard that was hanging on the bridge down and clipped a new checklist to it. Together the three of them went through the checklist to make sure that they had everything that they needed. It didn’t take too long as TC always made sure that provisions were restocked and fuel tanks refilled each time the boat came into dock.

The longest part was checking all of the dive equipment. They made sure the oxygen tanks were full, all the valves were working properly and all of the other equipment was in good shape. This was one step that TC allowed no leeway on whatsoever. Once he was satisfied that everything was in order he went up to the harbormaster to check in and let them know that the boat was going to be out for a few days. The harbormaster wished him a safe journey.

Back on the boat, Dennis and Todd had untethered all of the lines except for the bow line. Todd stood on the dock at the stern and held onto the back rail to keep the back end from drifting in the light breeze. TC hopped on board and climbed up to the bridge to start the engines while Todd released the bow line.

Once Todd was safely onboard, TC gently pushed the throttle forward,allowing the boat to glide smoothly through the water, away from the dock. He followed the channel markers out of the marina and into the causeway. He stuck to the speed limit as he made his way out to the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. As soon as he was clear he pushed the throttle forward and the boat put on a burst of speed, increasing until it was up on plane, riding along the tops of the waves. There was a nice breeze out in the open and it created a light chop that caused them to bounce along. TC loved the feeling of being out on the water. He sat back and programmed the coordinates for the marina in Ft. Myers into the GPS and gave in to the feeling of freedom that being out on the open sea always gave him. This was the best part of his job.

Dennis and Todd sat with him on the bridge and they discussed their upcoming dive. TC had printed all of the information given to him by the owner of the boat and the insurance company. According to the Coast Guard report the boat was submerged in about ninety feet of water. Their biggest problem was going to be that there was a chance that the boat may have broken up as it sank. If that was the case it may be more difficult as the area where the accident happened was known for a strong current that had the potential of strewing the debris over a large field. They wouldn’t know until they got out there.

The trip passed all too quickly for TC. If he could spend all day out on the water he would. He followed the GPS instructions as they got closer to Ft. Myers until he finally saw the channel markers that he needed to guide him the rest of the way. He pulled back on the throttle and the boat settled down into the water as it now slowly cruised along at the approved speed for the channel. It took them another twenty minutes before TC cut the engines after approaching the public docking area and both Dennis and Todd grabbed the lines and jumped off the boat onto the dock and pulled her up close, the bumpers protecting the sides from damage to either boat or dock.

Once the boat was secure TC went to the marina’s office to secure a slip for the next couple of nights. The owner of the sunken boat was already there, having arrived as they were tying down the lines. He greeted TC and thanked him for coming. His name was Aaron Jensen and he was still upset over the loss of his boat and its cargo. Apparently his crew had pulled in a good haul and they were all looking forward to a nice payday. Luckily all of the crew had made it off of the trawler before it was engulfed in flames and destroyed. They were forced into the life raft, but had been picked up quickly by another fishing boat before transferring to the Coast Guard ship when it arrived. Aaron was thankful no one was hurt.

Aaron suggested that they have lunch at the marina’s restaurant and TC agreed. Todd and Dennis were invited and the four of them were seated at a table overlooking the docks. The restaurant was pretty casual, as many of them are. There was a more upscale restaurant at the next marina over from them which was owned by the same family. TC perused the menu and settled on a roast beef sandwich. He didn’t want anything too filling if he was going to be diving later on. Aaron had his tablet with him and showed them pictures of his boat before it sank. He was also able to pull up a bathymetric map which showed them the topography of the submerged area. These maps were great, but TC knew that if there were strong currents in the area, the topography was subject to change frequently. The map Aaron showed them was relatively recent so it would at least be a good guideline for what they should expect.

TC asked Aaron if there was anything specific that he wanted to make sure was salvaged and Aaron told them no, he didn’t keep anything personal or sentimental onboard and there was nothing valuable, other than the equipment which would already be ruined by the saltwater submersion. He was more concerned with the environmental impact. The Coast Guard had reported an oil slick and Aaron knew that if it was really bad he could be looking at some serious fines. His most pressing issue was to salvage enough of the boat so they could try to determine the cause of the fire. He was more than willing to pay whatever fines necessary if the cause of the accident had been his or his crew’s fault, but he’d like a final determination on the cause first.

After lunch they headed back to the salvage boat and parted ways with Aaron. Dennis and Todd got the lines undone and soon they were out on the water once more. It was just after noon time and TC was hoping to get an hour of dive time in before they needed to head back. He opened up to full throttle as soon as he could and they bounced along the Gulf, wind whipping past them as they headed to the site.

TC slowed down as they approached the coordinates of the wreck site. Dennis and Todd had already gotten the dive equipment ready. TC dropped the anchor and ran up the diving flag, then went to the back deck. He and Dennis would go below, while Todd stayed topside. TC stripped down to his bathing suit which he had changed into earlier and then turned into a contortionist as he pulled on his wetsuit. The Gulf temperatures were in the 60’s this time of year, but the wetsuit would be fine for the short amount of time they would be down there. It would still feel cold, but they wouldn’t be in danger of hypothermia.

He and Dennis checked each other’s tanks and TC tested his regulator. Todd threw the guideline overboard. TC was the first to jump off of the platform on the backside of the boat. He swam to the guideline and clipped onto it. Dennis was quick to follow. They sank below the surface and TC let the silence of the ocean wash over him. Soon the only thing he heard was the hiss of his regulator as it supplied him with oxygen. Visibility was pretty decent, maybe forty feet or so. He led the way, Dennis following at a safe distance. TC caught some movement out of the corner of his eye and smiled as he saw a large turtle about ten feet away checking them out. They caught glimpses of fish as they descended further. TC’s depth gauge registered seventy feet when he finally saw the sandy bottom below them.

TC let himself drift a bit with the current and after sixty feet or so he saw the silhouette of the sunken vessel to his left. He kicked his feet and had to fight the current somewhat, but he managed to get close enough to see that the ship was mostly intact, but the damage was extensive. He wasn’t sure that it would hold together if they tried to get it to the surface as is. In all likelihood they would need to get it into smaller pieces and probably float the pieces to the surface and then winch them out of the water. He unclipped his underwater camera and motioning to Dennis they swam a little closer. TC took pictures and Dennis did the same. They had been down for a little over twenty minutes and TC wanted to start the ascent soon. They had gone deep enough to warrant a slow, gradual uprising to the surface. At these depths the bends were a real concern and a trip to a hyperbaric chamber was the last thing TC wanted to endure.

They managed to get plenty of images of the burned out, waterlogged hull. TC could see the remains of what must’ve been the main fuel tank laying about fifteen yards off the port side, not far from the stern. His mind was already starting to formulate what they needed to do to bring the ship back to the surface. Taking a couple of last images with the camera, he indicated to Dennis that they needed to start their upward journey to the surface. Keeping a slow, but steady pace, following the guideline back, they finally broke through the surface safely.

Todd hopped onto the platform and helped haul them both aboard. TC shucked off his tank and fins, then proceeded to peel his wetsuit away from his body. Todd handed him a big towel which he immediately wrapped himself in. The breeze was a lot colder than it had been earlier. He remembered that a cold front was making its way southward. The guys managed to get everything tucked away where it belonged and TC threw on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt to ward off the chill. They could see a long line of clouds to the north, bringing colder air down their way.

TC closed the windows on the bridge and guided the salvage boat back to shore. The waves had really picked up and it was a bumpy ride. By the time they reached the marina, the temperature had dropped considerably. TC was grateful for the safe harbor. It took him a couple of tries to back the large vessel into its temporary slot. The wind was working against him. With Todd and Dennis jumping off and helping to guide the large boat, he managed to get her secured at last.

The salvage boat that they had used was originally a seventy foot fishing vessel. They had retrofitted her so that the holds that had been used for fish were now used for salvaged materials. There was a large winch that could haul loads up to twenty thousand pounds out of the water. The back thirty feet of the boat was a large open deck. TC knew that they’d need their larger vessel for this job. He was already calculating things in his head.

They cleaned up at the marina, which offered shower facilities. The guys decided to get an Uber to take them to the closest sports bar for dinner. TC had looked at the forecast and it looked like rain would be moving in overnight and would start to clear up late tomorrow morning. He was not a fan of being out in the open water during a storm, so he decided to see how the weather panned out tomorrow before deciding to go back out again.

They enjoyed a decent meal and half paid attention to a few of the games that were being broadcast on the multiple screens. TC charged the bill to the company credit card and by the time they got back to the marina the rain had started and they lucked out when the heavy stuff held off until they were safely on board. TC booted up his laptop and connected to the marina’s wifi. He sent an email to his business partner, Tom, letting him know that this would be a good paying gig. TC and Tom had good business sense, and better yet an honest sense of ethics. Yes, this was going to be an expensive project, but TC knew what they would charge would be fair. He was confident that they would win the bid.

TC spent a couple of hours itemizing the work that needed to be done and matching it with the projected costs. He and Tom had invested in a customized computer program that enabled him to pick job specifics from drop down menus in specific categories and it would automatically fill in a price for that service. The end result was a fully itemized invoice for the client. The trick was remembering everything that needed to be included such as fuel costs and labor.

By ten o’clock his eyes had had it with the computer screen. He pulled out his phone and shot off a quick text to David. ‘Hey there, hope you had a good day, thinking bout u’

David must have had his phone on him because the reply came a moment later, ‘day was good, busy, been thinking bout u2’

TC tapped the screen ‘theyre a good band, saw them in concert 2x’

David sent an eye rolling emoji in reply. ‘Idiot’

TC laughed as he typed ‘but u miss this idiot’

David’s reply ‘yup. When u gonna b back?’

TC quickly typed ‘still looking at thurs. Not sure what time. I’ll call you when I get in’

David’s answer popped up ‘K. ttyl. Gnite sir’

TC shot back ‘its Sir, and I’ll remember this’

David: ‘counting on it’

TC shook his head, he now was looking forward to Friday night even more. David needed a little lesson and TC knew exactly what he was going to do. He may even have to figure out something sooner.

After a last goodnight text, TC decided to hit the hay for the night. He said goodnight to Todd and Dennis and retreated to his small cabin. The boat only had one cabin that was private. Dennis and Todd would share the main living area where there two separate couches converted into beds. They weren't luxury accommodations, but it would suffice for a couple of nights.

The next day they lucked out and the rain cleared up by mid-morning. They were able to get to the site and this time Dennis and Todd made the descent. They took the underwater video camera and were able to get some really good footage of the entire wreck site. It wasn’t as spread out as much as they had feared.

It was too late when they got back to Ft. Myers to make it back to Sarasota before dark so TC resigned himself to a second night on the boat. He set his alarm on his phone early and told the guys they would be heading back at first light. He put in another couple of hours on the computer before calling it quits.

He had texted David earlier and had gotten just a quick reply. He was working late as well. TC looked at the time and decided that it wasn’t too late to call. He made sure the door was locked to the cabin and he stripped down naked. David was about to get a lesson in manners. They had already discussed phone sex in the context of their agreement and both had decided that it was alright if one of them were out of town. Ft. Myers was only seventy miles from Sarasota, but it was still out of town, it counted. TC actually giggled as he hit David’s number. This was going to be fun!

David answered on the first ring. “Hey TC, I didn’t expect you to call this late, but I’m glad you did.”

TC smiled to himself, knowing what he had in store for David. He answered “It’s not too late is it?”

“Nope, I just finished up with my shower and was getting ready for bed.” David answered.

‘Good answer’, thought TC. “Are you naked right now?” TC asked, dropping his voice an octave, taking on his Dom persona.

“Yes, Sir.” was the immediate reply from David, hearing the change in TC’s voice.

“Kalo agori, get on the bed and put the phone on speaker.” TC waited a moment for David to comply and listened to the sound of the man shuffling about, getting comfortable. When he heard nothing but breathing he asked, “Are you hard, Agori?”

Once again, “Yes, Sir.”

“I want you to stroke yourself, slowly. Let me hear you, don’t hold back any sounds, understand?” demanded TC.

“Yes.”

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, Sir”

TC listened and stroked himself as he heard the soft moans and whimpers David let out as he masturbated. He loved hearing the occasional swear word as David worked himself up. He couldn’t help but add fuel to the fire, instructing David to go faster, then slower. He knew he was driving David crazy.

He listened closely for any changes in the rate of David’s breathing and when he heard the intake of air become quicker he said “Don’t you dare come agori, you tell me when you’re close.” TC fisted himself faster, feeling his orgasm building. He could hear David’s distress as he held back from orgasming.

“I’m going to come TC.” David panted.

“Take your hand off your cock RIGHT NOW!” TC ordered.

David’s voice was strained and TC could picture the look on his face as he fought back the wave of his orgasm.

TC’s own cock erupted and shot out a strand of cum across his chest and abdomen as he stroked it faster. He let out a long, low moan, knowing he was adding to David’s distress. Once his orgasm abated he reminded David, “Don’t touch yourself again. I’ll be back tomorrow and I’ll see you on Friday. Goodnight, agori.” and then he ended the call.

TC cleaned up his mess and smiled to himself as he thought about David and his blue balls for the next two days. Friday was going to be fun.