The middle of the sea is the last place one would expect to find something as unusual and illegal. But that's exactly what happened to the Lewis brothers, two sailors whose curiosity got the best of them when they spotted a strange mass. And after getting closer...well...let's just say they haven't set foot on the sea since.
They contacted local authorities, who revealed the nature of the protrusion. Everyone was shocked that such an object could be found, rather than its existence itself. For the Lewis brothers, it was just a mass at sea. But for others, it was a matter of life or death?
SailingThe Lewis brothers took a week off to go sailing in the sea. The day started well: the sun was shining, but most importantly, the wind was strong that day?!
Everything seemed to be going smoothly. But the strong wind quickly pushed them further into the high sea. It was an exciting adventure, and the two brothers were eager to see what their nautical journey would bring them!
LunchtimeAt one point, one of the Lewis brothers decided to slow down a bit so they could enjoy a delicious lunch on the boat. The brothers positioned their sails neutrally and sat down for a well-deserved meal.
The elder brother finished his meal and decided to take a look at the surroundings, taking in the beauty of the ocean and the calmness of the surroundings. Then, something in the distance caught his attention. An object floating with the waves...
A MassHe saw some sort of object, visibly black and floating about a meter above the water's surface. The sun was shining brightly, and because of that, it was reflecting off the object. The elder brother had no idea what it was, but he was very intrigued.
He called his younger brother. A second opinion is always welcome, right? And he needed it because the object was truly a mystery. These poor souls would have been better off ignoring it...
What is it??The younger brother followed suit: his curiosity had also been piqued by the discovery. They hadn't brought binoculars, so they had no choice but to get closer. And the closer they got, the more the object resembled a protrusion. Maybe even a living protrusion. Once they reached it, the brothers realized they had no idea what they were looking at?!
The object was black, as big as a human, and potentially alive?! Unfortunately, the Lewis brothers barely had time to examine it further. A loud, massive ship was already approaching. What should they do??
Cover it upOne of the brothers quickly reacted and threw a spare sail overboard. They managed to cover the object in the sea, and a few minutes later, the large ship passed by. It slowed down.
Clearly to give the crew on board an opportunity to assess the situation. The brothers pretended to be very busy trying to retrieve the "lost" sail. Now that they were even closer to the object, they made another discovery...
Contrary to their expectations, the object didn't react. It wasn't a living being. That's all the Lewis brothers knew for now. The other boat had moved away, and it was time for the Lewis brothers to bring the object on board. They succeeded and soon set sail again. Next stop: the port. It took them longer than expected to reach the port.
Mainly because of the weight of the mysterious object. Once they arrived on land, night was already falling. The brothers had just had a very long day and went straight home after reaching the port. They left the object in the boat, keeping their fingers crossed.
In the MorningThe next morning, the brothers went to the port. The day before, they had already contacted the sheriff. He was supposed to visit them during lunchtime. They arrived at the port. An unfamiliar boat was there, rather large compared to the other ships present. It looked like the boat that had passed them the day before...
The morning fog prevented the brothers from seeing clearly, and as they approached, they stopped in their tracks: there were men searching their boat?! The brothers didn't hesitate and yelled at the men to leave their property. They were not impressed, but still disembarked from the boat. They would soon see each other again...
Just in TimeFortunately, the Lewis brothers arrived just in time. The sail still covered the object, which meant that these men hadn't discovered it. But they had been warned and needed to be cautious.
They called the sheriff because they wanted to ask him to come a little earlier. The situation had taken a rather bizarre turn, and he needed to be informed. However, he didn't answer their calls.
SeparatingThat's when the elder brother decided to separate. It seemed risky (and it was risky), but also necessary. One of them would watch the boat while the other went to find the sheriff. A few hours passed.
The younger brother, who had stayed at the port, began to worry: at first, for his brother's safety, and then for his own safety as well. That's when he noticed them: the men who were on their boat this morning were back and approaching again...
A Friendly VisitBut strangely, they weren't trying to cause trouble. "We were told the sheriff is on his way. Is that correct??" The younger Lewis brother replied, "What does that matter to you??"
The man who seemed to be the group's leader stepped forward, "No time to be hostile, son. The sheriff is the last person you could have dragged into this mess?!" The younger brother didn't know it yet, but this man was absolutely right.
The Corrupt SheriffThen the man began to explain the corrupt habits of the sheriff. The younger Lewis brother could no longer deny the evidence once these men showed him proof to support their allegations.
All the pieces fell into place correctly. Their accusations were more than solid. Now, he didn't care about the mysterious object anymore. After all, his brother was with that corrupt sheriff...
Heading out to SeaThe younger brother informed the group that his brother was at the sheriff's office. Once they realized that he had been there for hours, the men understood that he intended to bring reinforcements with him.
As true men of the sea, they all understood that there was only one way to keep the object by their side in order to be able to exchange it for the other Lewis brother: they had to head out to sea.
Calling the Sheriff
So, a few minutes later, they all set off. But not before leaving a voicemail for the sheriff. It was the younger brother who recorded it, knowing it would have a greater impact.
He calmly explained that they would make the exchange once it was guaranteed that his brother would be released safely. He wasn't willing to take any risks when it came to his older brother's safety. The reaction was not long in coming...
Wait?!It was the sheriff who contacted the younger brother. He put him on speakerphone now that he understood that there was no room for mistakes. The men listened in silence and shook their heads as the sheriff tried to proclaim his innocence.
The younger brother threatened to hang up, informing the sheriff that he would wait for him to change his mind. He was giving him the option to reconsider his proposition. "Wait?! Wait?!" he exclaimed, panicked.
Arranging the ExchangeThe sheriff lost all his confidence and audacity and asked how they wanted to arrange the exchange. His arrogant and honeyed tone had completely disappeared. He listened to the terms from the younger brother.
On his part, he had only one request: that the object not be opened before the exchange and that the transaction take place before nightfall. He looked desperate. What on earth was the sheriff hiding?
Back on Solid GroundThe younger Lewis brother and the government agents were back on solid ground. They made sure to utilize the strong winds as much as possible since they were in a hurry.
They reached the port in no time. They docked at the specified pier in their conversation. Once there, they only saw one person: the older Lewis brother. Where was the sheriff?
What is it?!Once on solid ground and off the boat, the sheriff showed up. He was nervous and immediately demanded the object in question. The younger brother didn't respond to him and first looked at his brother. He seemed to be in good shape.
The older brother nodded to signal that he was alright. The younger brother then told the sheriff that he needed to know what the mysterious object was before showing him where it was. Finally...
A Floating SafeThe object turned out to be... a safe?! It was specifically designed to float and survive in water if the need arose. Inside was unmarked money, clearly printed and extremely illegal.
The sheriff ended up behind bars: with the government agents already present and witnesses to his actions, the criminal had no chance of getting away. The Lewis brothers were hailed as true local heroes.