“WHAT DO you mean Jasper is dead?” Devon growled at the tavern owner.
The man cowered behind the counter, nodding frantically. “It is true, I swear. I went to his house last week and found him. He was tortured to death. The place was completely wrecked.”
“Any idea who did it?” Cody asked.
The man looked around nervously. “Not for certain, no. But there are rumors. I heard it was Captain Blackburn.”
“Goddamn it!” Devon snapped. “He has the map for sure.”
“What map?” the man asked curiously.
“Never you mind. Come on, let’s go back to the ship. We have been gone long enough.”
BRETT REACHED the upper deck easily. Looking around, he could see only two of Blackburn’s men; the others were probably somewhere on the lower decks with the captain. No doubt looking for anything they could take with them when they left.
He was about to jump overboard when a sudden shout startled him. “You there! Stop!”
Brett did not obey this time. He rushed to the side of the ship closest to the quay and jumped over the rail. His whole body was shuddering as he impacted the cold water. He surfaced gasping for air, taking enough deep breaths to regain his balance, then began to swim as rapidly as he could.
He heard Blackburn cursing him from up above but did not stop, not even when the shooting started and the bullets began to fly around him. A bullet hit him in the right arm with enough force to drag him under the water, but he came back up fighting and kept going. Blackburn would not win. His uncle would not defeat him yet again.
DEVON AND the others were boarding the cutter when the sound of guns firing reached their ears. Momentarily confused, Devon suddenly realized where the noise was coming from.
“It’s coming from the Horse,” Cody shouted, practically dropping into his seat and grabbing the oars.
“Let’s go,” Devon ordered, and they began to row with all their might.
“Someone’s in the water,” Elijah yelled. “It’s Brett! He’s coming our way!”
They kept going until they were close to Brett, who, having seen them, swam straight for the boat. Elijah and Devon helped him climb into the cutter.
“You are hurt,” Devon whispered worriedly, allowing Brett’s soaked frame to lean back against his chest.
“Not… seriously,” Brett panted, letting Elijah tie a piece of cloth on the still-bleeding wound.
“Who is that, Brett?” Cody asked.
“Blackburn…,” Brett huffed, still out of breath.
The others exchanged a worried glance.
“Captain Blackburn?” Elijah asked.
“Yes….”
“What did he want?” Devon growled angrily.
“Me,” Brett replied softly, his forehead resting against Devon’s throat, his whole weight resting entirely on Devon.
“ARE YOU sure we are safe here?” Devon asked, looking around the inside of the run-down church.
“Yes,” Elijah replied. “Tortuga hasn’t had a priest for some time. No one will come here.”
“Good. Cody, go look for the rest of the crew. Tell them not to return to the ship. Explain what happened. And tell them to meet us here tonight at midnight. Elijah, search for something you can use to bandage Brett’s arm.”
The others nodded, and Cody rushed out of the abandoned church with a parting wave. Devon turned to Brett, who was sitting quietly in one of the pews.
“How are you doing?” he asked softly.
“I am well, Devon,” Brett said, giving him a weak smile.
“He is,” Elijah said, carrying a small pot filled with fresh water, a bottle of whisky, and a few pieces of linen to use as a bandage. “The bullet merely grazed him, and the wound has stopped bleeding. Once it is properly cleaned, there shouldn’t be any problems.”
Devon nodded and allowed himself to relax for the first time since seeing those men shooting at Brett from the ship. Blackburn would pay dearly—for taking the Flying Horse, killing his men, and especially for hurting Brett. He began pacing the expanse of the church, impatient to take some kind of action but knowing he would have to wait.
Devon watched as Elijah cleaned Brett’s wound with the water, then used the whisky as a disinfectant, apologizing when Brett hissed sharply. That done, Elijah wrapped the wound and patted Brett gently on the shoulder.
“All done. I’ll have another look at it tonight, just to make sure it is not infected.”
Cody burst through the large wooden doors, looking a little out of breath.
“I’m back. Everyone knows what happened,” he said. “They will be ready at midnight.”
“What are we going to do at midnight?” Brett asked Devon with a knowing grin.
“Get our ship back,” Devon said angrily. “I’m not letting that degenerate keep the Flying Horse. That ship is mine,” he snarled, then looked down at Brett. “Now, what did you mean when you said Blackburn was here for you?”
Instead of answering, Brett removed something from within his shirt. “I believe this is what you came here for,” he said, handing it to Devon.
Devon accepted the object, unfolded it, and looked at the crude drawing on the animal skin. He blinked as he recognized what he held in his hands.
“Brett, how did you manage to end up with Jasper’s map in your possession?” he finally asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Blackburn asked me to translate it, since it is in French and both he and his associate are unfamiliar with the language.”
“Associate?” Cody said.
“My uncle,” Brett sighed tiredly. “Apparently they have been working together for years. My uncle provides information on ships carrying valuable cargo, and Blackburn attacks them. Jasper made a terrible mistake when he contacted Blackburn about that map. When he heard you were also looking to buy it, Blackburn sent his men to kill Jasper, after torturing him until he revealed the location of the map. Blackburn then met with my uncle, probably to discuss how to go about such a venture, and found the map was in a foreign language.”
“Your uncle does not speak French?” Cody asked.
Brett snorted. “My uncle, speak another language? My uncle believes England should rule the world and all other nations should bow to the British Empire. They should be the ones to learn English, not the other way around.”
“I get the idea,” Devon told him. “And, of course, you speak French?”
“Yes. My mother and I spent a few years living in France, and my uncle is aware of that. Blackburn was going to attack the Courage in order to get me back, but you were faster.”
“Why didn’t your uncle just pardon you?” Elijah asked with a frown.
Brett shrugged. “I didn’t ask. But I believe a pardon takes some time to arrange, months I think. And I’m guessing they were afraid you would somehow get ahead of them and find the treasure first. Not to mention, my uncle knew I would never help them out of my own will, even after being liberated. Plus, the Courage would be out at sea for at least six more months. Even with the pardon, they could not wait that long for me to return.”
“How did Blackburn know you were staying aboard the Horse?” Devon asked.
“He didn’t. From what I understood, he was with my uncle when Captain Perry arrived at Port Royal. They realized I was with you, and now that you were back, you would obviously come for the map. Blackburn set sail right after us and followed us here. He is probably anchored on the other side of the cape. He watched the crew come ashore, saw you leave, then realized I had stayed behind, so he tried his luck. He killed the others and tried to force me into translating the map.”
“And did you?” Cody asked with a grin.
Brett chuckled. “No. I stole it instead,” he said, making the others laugh as well.
When the laughter had died down, Devon looked at his friends. “It is after midday. We need to find something to eat. Cody, Elijah, see to it. We are going to spend the afternoon here, maybe rest for a few hours. There will be no sleep for us tonight. By this time tomorrow, I want to be back on board the Horse and on our way to the treasure island.”
“Island?” Cody said, practically vibrating with excitement.
“Yes. I can’t understand the words on the map, but the drawing represents a group of small islands close by. One of them is marked with a cross. We should find McKenzie’s hoard there.” Devon looked at Brett, who nodded his agreement. “It should not take us more than a day to reach it. Providing Blackburn did not do anything to our ship.” His eyes narrowed dangerously. “And Lord help him if he did. He will regret it for the rest of his short, miserable life.”
IT WAS already dark outside when Brett woke from his afternoon rest. His arm throbbed a little but nothing that would lead his attention astray. He rose from the pew where he had been lying, noting the others were still asleep.
He walked closer to the altar, his mind wandering over the past months. How much his life had changed since his chance meeting with Devon Hall nearly four months earlier. The pirate had stormed into his life and turned everything upside down, changing his peaceful—if not always pleasant—life into a never-ending adventure. And what was even more amazing, Brett was loving every minute of it. Even after having been whipped, imprisoned, sent to the galleys, threatened by bloodthirsty pirates, and shot at, he wouldn’t change a thing if it meant not having met Devon.
Brett shook his head ruefully. He had been right before; he was insane. And apparently getting worse, for now he was one of Hall’s men, a pirate himself, on the way to a treasure hunt with a ruthless villain on their trail.
“What are you thinking about?” Devon whispered softly from behind him.
“About Captain Blackburn,” he replied without turning around.
“What about him?” Devon asked.
“He will chase after us. You do know that, don’t you? Especially after what I did, stealing the map right from under him. He is probably plotting his revenge as we speak.”
“Let him. He won’t get near you ever again. He won’t hurt you ever again,” Devon said fiercely.
Brett shuddered at the emotion he could hear in Devon’s voice.
“Cold?” Devon whispered, mistaking Brett’s trembling for something else entirely different.
“A little,” Brett said, and Devon wrapped his arms around him from behind. “Devon?” Brett called after an extended silence.
“Yes?”
“What’s happening between us?”
“I’m not sure. But it’s not a bad thing. Is it?”
Brett chuckled softly. “Not bad, no. Dangerous, though.”
“I know. Let’s… get through this first, see what happens.”
Brett nodded. “I agree,” he tipped his head back to look at the man embracing him.
Without any conscious thought, he turned to face Devon, leaning forward slowly, uncertain of his reception. Apparently unable to resist the unspoken offer, Devon closed the distance between them and their lips met. Devon’s mouth was soft and moist against his own, and Brett tenderly explored the addicting sweetness. He nipped at Devon’s lower lip, then traced it with his tongue before teasing at the crease between the full lips until they parted and he was allowed access to the heat of Devon’s mouth.
Brett moaned as Devon pressed his warm body against him, tightening his hold and pulling them impossibly closer. Brett wrapped his arms around Devon’s neck, sighing softly and settling into Devon’s embrace as their tongues danced leisurely together. Both were breathless when they finally parted.
“This is waiting?” Devon finally asked, amusement tingeing his voice.
“Just something to keep you interested,” Brett grinned.
They stayed in each other’s arms for a long moment, Brett resting his head on Devon’s shoulder as Devon nuzzled his hair softly with his cheek. Brett smiled. No matter what happened in the future, this moment would forever stay in his mind. Even with all the madness constantly crashing in on them, for the first time in his life, Brett felt content, safe, whole.
He looked back at the pews, his breath catching in his throat as he saw Elijah sitting quietly, looking at them. Brett exhaled softly, relaxing against Devon as Elijah smiled gently, nodding his approval.
“Finally,” Elijah mouthed.
Brett grinned back, relieved to have Elijah’s friendship and understanding. “Thank you,” he mouthed back.
“Are you two done?” Devon chuckled suddenly, leaving Elijah and Brett staring at each other shamefaced at having been caught.
A knock on the door broke through the silence, rousing Cody. He went to answer and opened the door for the rest of the crew to join them. It was finally midnight. Time for action.
Devon nodded at his men. “You all know what happened this morning. I have no idea if we still have a running ship or what that mercenary might have done to our Horse, but it is time we get it back. We still have our three cutters in the quay, and at this hour, we will not have any problems ‘borrowing’ a few more. There is just enough for all of us to get back to our vessel. Be as silent as possible, surround the Horse from all sides, and when I give the signal, climb on board as fast as you can. Be careful. We don’t know how many there are or what weapons they might be using. Let’s go.”
It took over fifteen minutes for the whole group to reach the quay. Even if Tortuga was a pirate haven, there were still enough of the governor’s spies around to make them cautious. Every available seat was soon taken in the three cutters, and four more were appropriated for their cause.
Rowing as silently as ghosts, the cutters slid effortlessly through the dark waters toward their target. Under the patronage of a new moon, all eyes locked on their lost lady, the Flying Horse.
Devon waited enough time for all the cutters to surround the ship, then gave a battle cry. “Go!” he ordered furiously.
Suddenly the quiet harbor thrived with frantic activity. Every seaman rushed to obey the command, grabbing ropes, riggings, and the anchor line, anything that would help them get aboard the ship.
Devon and Brett were among the first to set foot on deck. Under Devon’s guidance, the crew split up, spreading throughout the ship, looking for any signs of their enemy.
Devon gritted his teeth as he spotted their five fallen comrades hanging from the masts. He knew then that Blackburn was long gone; those symbolic hangings were meant as a taunt, a way of hurting him. But all it really meant was another nail in Blackburn’s coffin.
“Well?” he asked when Elijah approached him, looking a little shaken.
“Nobody. They are gone. And by the look of things, they left soon after Brett escaped.”
“And the Horse?” Devon growled angrily.
“Everything is in place,” Elijah said. “Nothing is damaged that I can see. The others are checking again.”
“Have someone cut the men down.” Devon gestured to the bodies of the hanged men. “They deserve a proper burial at sea.”
“I’ll ask John to see to it,” Elijah said as he walked away.
Devon took a deep breath, then let it out slowly, trying to control his fury. His revenge would have to wait. At least now he had someone by his side who knew what Captain Blackburn looked like. One day—soon—they would cross paths again. Maybe Brett was right and Blackburn would follow when they departed for their treasure hunt. And should they come to battle…. Devon would come out the victor.
“Devon, you better have a look at this,” Elijah called out, bringing him back from his reverie.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, walking over to his friend.
“Brett’s cabin is completely destroyed,” Elijah said, leading him to the sleeping quarters.
The others were all there, already waiting for him. Devon looked around dismally. The cabin was a complete wreck. The bed was broken, the chest open and overturned, the bookshelf had been torn from the wall, and the chairs were lying in pieces on the floor. The only thing left whole was the table, standing tall and resistant among the chaos. Upon its scarred top rested a small sheet of paper with something scribbled on it.
“What does it say?” Cody asked.
Brett looked up, gazing at them. “Until we meet again, Mr. Campbell,” he said softly.
IT WAS a beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly, the sky was clear for as far as Brett could see, and there was a soft breeze blowing, which prevented the typical Caribbean heat from becoming too menacing.
He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and enjoying the smell of fresh air and salt water. Nothing could ruin that moment, not even Blackburn’s pathetic threats. He was in heaven.
“Enjoying yourself?” Elijah asked from beside him.
Brett opened one eye to glance at him. “I certainly am, Elijah. I seldom have had the chance to enjoy such a marvelous day, especially during the last months.”
“Well, you better make the most of it, ’cause it will not last,” Elijah said.
Brett raised an eyebrow quizzically. “Oh?”
“John says the weather’s gonna change during the day, might still rain today,” Elijah said.
Brett looked up at the clear blue sky. “You jest, surely? It’s such a nice day, not a cloud in sight!”
Elijah shook his head and shrugged. “Can’t explain it, but I know it’s true. Seen John predict it before. He never fails. He told me once the air smells kind of different when a storm is brewing. He is expecting that by late afternoon a gale will build from the southwest.”
“Which is the course we have taken?” Brett half asked, half stated.
“Yes,” Elijah said with a chortle.
“So you are basically saying we are heading toward a possible storm?”
“Yes.”
“Why, thank you, Elijah. Glad to see you are the bearer of such good news,” Brett said sarcastically.
Elijah laughed. “Always aiming to please, that’s me.”
Brett remained hopeful for most of the morning, as the weather kept fairly warm and sunny. However, as the night drew closer, as John predicted, the weather did change. Threatening gray clouds replaced the clear sky, and even Brett could feel the difference in the air around them. It felt charged, heavy and stuffy, making it almost impossible to breathe.
The storm didn’t hit until the early hours of the morning, catching most of the crew in their sleep. The first splattering drops rapidly turned into heavy rain. The wind picked up, and the waves began to swell, rocking the ship violently.
“I can’t believe this,” Devon yelled, trying to make himself heard over the roar of the storm. “We are so close to the damn treasure! One more hour and we could have found a safe cove to hide from the storm!”
“Too late now?” Brett guessed, yelling back.
“Yes,” Devon shouted with a nod. “And John says this is a big one! Let us hope the ship holds up!”
Brett held his breath as he faced one of the most exhilarating and frightening moments of his life. Lightning lit up the sky, and thunder boomed in his ears. The raindrops were so thick they hurt when they hit his body, and the ship was swaying so hard it was difficult to keep on his feet.
He watched John and Elijah trying to control the helm while Cody tied himself securely so the growing waves wouldn’t drag him overboard.
Brett walked slowly to the bridge, where Devon was holding on for dear life. The blinding light and loud noise from the thunder and lightning was painful to withstand, but Brett knew it was too late to go back now; they were in the heart of the storm.
“Devon! The ship will not take much more punishment,” Elijah yelled at them. “We are being pounded to pieces by this storm!”
“We have no choice,” Devon said. “We are barely holding on now. If we try to turn back, the winds will take us off course and set us adrift! We have to keep going!”
Lightning slashed through the sky at his words, illuminating the furious sea as if it were day. Thunder rumbled overhead, and the ship seemed to vibrate in its wake, making standing a difficult task.
“Jesus,” Brett whispered.
He felt Devon reach for him and hold him tightly as a huge wave nearly capsized the Flying Horse. Large waves rolled over the decks, buffeting the cabins and threatening to destroy the ship.
One powerful bolt struck the main mast, breaking it in half and setting it on fire until the merciless rain falling down put it out. The top half of the mast crashed down onto the deck, sails and rigging coming down with it.
“Reef!” Brett heard someone shouting over the maddening roar. “Reef! Watch out!”
It was too late. The wind pounded the Horse against the reef, and the ship struck with a jolt, throwing everyone off-balance. Brett watched, terrified, as several of the crewmen fell overboard, their screams ringing loudly in his ears, even over the storm.
He cried out as the ship tilted dangerously to the left. Cannonballs and powder kegs slid rapidly through the deck, slamming into the panicking men before being swallowed by the raging waves. The sides of the ship gave way, the noise of splitting wood competing with the thunder for attention.
“There is a hole in the hull near the bow! It’s taking on water!” someone shouted, but Brett seemed to be the only one listening; everyone else was fighting for their lives.
“Help! Help us!” he heard John shouting.
He turned to see both Cody and Elijah frantically trying to break free from the ropes tying them to the helm. The ship was sinking. If they didn’t hurry, they would go down with it.
Brett reached for his dagger and crawled painfully on the soaked wood until he reached his friends. “Hold on!”
“Where is Devon?” Elijah shouted.
“Behind me!”
“I can’t see him!”
Brett turned back, never stopping cutting through the thick rope. His heart lurched as he realized Devon was no longer there. He, Cody, and Elijah were the last ones standing on the bridge. Taking a deep breath, he forced his mind back to the task at hand. Devon was all right; he had to be.
Finally the ropes slipped free, and the three of them rose awkwardly to their feet. Just as they were rushing down the short flight of stairs leading to the upper deck, a loud crash sounded, and the whole ship shook.
Brett had enough time to realize the Horse was breaking in two—a nutshell in Mother Nature’s hands—before something hit him from behind, and he dove into the unforgiving sea.
BRETT WOKE to the sound of seagulls and the warmth of the sun on his skin. He was lying on his stomach, on a beach, by the water’s edge. It took him a moment to remember what he was doing there, but when the memory returned, he sat up with a gasp.
“I can’t believe I’m still alive,” he muttered as he looked around.
Then a painful ache filled his heart as he thought of Devon and the others. Could they still be alive? After all, and against all odds, he had managed to reach land. And by the look of things, the very island they had been searching for.
He couldn’t bear the thought that Devon might be dead, not when they still had so much to face together, to look forward to. And as for the others, he had come to enjoy the friendship and camaraderie they seemed determined to share with him. He wasn’t ready to give them up for dead. Not yet.
He looked back at the sea, staring as far as his sight could reach, seeing large chunks of wreckage floating in the clear water. He blinked suddenly as he noticed something strange about a large piece of a cutter, which was drifting closer to the beach.
“Oh my Lord,” he whispered, recognizing the body lying on the floating wood.
He rose swiftly and plunged into the water, then swam rapidly until he reached the drifting wreckage. He felt for a pulse, holding back a sob as he realized Cody was alive, merely unconscious.
He turned Cody onto his back, wrapped an arm around him protectively, and swam back to the beach. He laid Cody gently on the sand, feeling a little out of breath.
“Brett!” he heard someone shout, and turning toward the voice, he saw Elijah waving madly at him.
He waved back, suddenly feeling better. He still didn’t know where Devon and the rest of the crew were, or even if they were alive, but at least two of his friends were safe and together.
“Is he—” Elijah began fearfully as he looked at Cody.
“Cody’s alive,” Brett said. “Merely unconscious. I just pulled him out of the water. I was about to try and rouse him.”
“We have more survivors. There is another beach on the other side of that cliff,” Elijah said as he looked Cody over. “John is trying to patch up everyone as best as he can. We have three dead and eight men still missing.”
Brett patted Cody’s face gently. “Wake up, little hog. Come on, my friend, we need you to open your eyes.”
Cody groaned, turning his face away from Brett’s hand. “Brett, will you stop that?” he rasped out angrily, swatting at the insistent hand.
Brett chuckled. “I see you’re practically back to your old self. Open your eyes.”
Cody sighed tiredly but obeyed. He stared at them, at their surroundings, and then closed his eyes again. “Lord… I never thought I would live to see another day,” he said. “I can’t believe we sunk. Holy….” He sat up, still looking dazed.
Seeing that Cody was fine, Brett turned to Elijah, ready to ask the question burning in his soul. “Devon?” he whispered.
Elijah shook his head sadly. “He is one of the missing. No one has seen him yet.”
Brett nodded slowly, gazing despairingly back at the sea. He felt numb, unable to grasp the reality that Devon might be dead. He couldn’t be. It wasn’t fair.
“He’s alive,” Elijah said, certainty in his voice. “That man has nine lives.”
Brett smiled slightly as he looked at his two friends. “Am I that transparent?” he asked.
Cody stood up and bumped shoulders with Brett. “Whenever you two are together, you are always smiling at each other and eyeing each other like you have not eaten in days and the other’s a full meal.”
Elijah laughed. “That is one way of putting it.”
“And are you comfortable with that?” Brett asked.
“In these violent times, you reach for whatever happiness you can find,” Elijah said with a smile.
“Besides, it would not be any of our business.” Cody grinned. “And you two look… right together.”
Elijah wrapped an arm around Brett’s shoulders. “He’ll show up, you’ll see. Come on, let’s go over to the other side and join the others. We found fresh water, and some of the men are already out looking for food.”
Brett nodded, really looking at their surroundings for the first time. They were standing on a beautiful beach, by a dense forest that reached beyond their vision. A few softly rolling mountains were barely visible above the trees. He could hear birds singing, as well as the calls of other animals he didn’t recognize.
He took a long, deep breath and closed his eyes, smelling the wet earth, scented flowers, and the salt air. They had found paradise, but he had no one to share it with.
BRETT STOOD by the water’s edge, gazing upward at the endless expanse of the heavens. It was a clear night, and millions of stars shone their light down on the small island.
He wanted to be alone. He appreciated the effort everyone was making to draw him out and talk, but he really couldn’t be bothered. The eight men were still missing, with Devon among them.
The whole day had been spent building shelters, finding food to last a few days, and searching for their missing friends. Stranded on the island, they had no way of knowing when they would be able to rejoin civilization, but they had a pile of wood ready to light should they happen to spot a ship sailing by. The smoke from the bonfire would surely be enough to disclose their location.
Now all they could do was wait. Wait for the night to end so they could keep working on their provisory habitations, wait for a vessel that would rescue them, wait… for Devon to appear.
A sudden noise close by made him tense, but before he could move, he was grabbed from behind. A hand covered his mouth while an arm wrapped powerfully around his chest, imprisoning him. He fought fiercely as he was taken to a shelter behind a large group of boulders.
Once there, he was released and turned around to face his captor. Prepared to growl his protest at being manhandled this roughly, he focused his attention on the man before him. And blinked.
“Well? Aren’t you going to say anything?” Devon finally asked, obviously amused at his speechless reaction.
“You… you lout,” Brett snapped, coming out of his daze, obviously surprising Devon with his anger. “I thought you were dead! And why the hell did you drag me out here? I thought it was a miscreant wanting to hurt me.” Then in one swift movement, he buried his right hand in Devon’s hair and pulled his head down, brushing their lips together in a featherlike caress. “I thought you were dead…,” he whispered brokenly against Devon’s mouth. “That I would never see you again, feel you again, kiss you again….”
“I’m sorry,” Devon said, capturing Brett’s lips and kissing him passionately.
Brett broke the kiss long enough to take a deep breath, then took Devon’s lips again, this time less frantically. When they finally parted, their eyes met and held, saying all the things they were unable to voice yet.
“Why didn’t you join us at the camp?” Brett asked.
“I wanted to see you first, speak with you first. I could not resist when I saw you by the beach.” Devon sighed tiredly. “I can’t believe we came all this way for nothing. Now we have no ship and no map. I wish I had never heard of that treasure.”
Brett smiled. “Well, I can’t assist you with the ship, but I still have the map.”
“You do?” Devon asked, confused. “I thought I left it in my cabin.”
“You did. But I still have it…. Memorized in my head,” Brett said smugly.
Devon hugged him hard, laughing softly. “You really are one hell of an amazing man, Brett Campbell.”
“SO WHAT happened to you?” Elijah asked Devon.
Devon, Brett, Elijah, and Cody sat around a warm fire, the remnants of roasted fish scattered on some leaves.
“I was thrown overboard by a wave,” Devon said as he stared into the flames. “Last thing I remember is Brett crawling over to you and Cody, then this huge expanse of water coming at me and then… nothing. I woke up on a beach on the other side of the island.”
“See anybody else?” Cody asked. “We still have seven missing.”
Devon nodded. “Simmons’s and Kershaw’s bodies washed up on the beach. I buried them before coming to search for the rest of you.”
“What now?” Cody asked. “We have no ship and the map is gone.”
Devon grinned at Brett, who sat beside him quietly. “Well, Brett here says he remembers what was written on the map. Since we are already on the island, all we need to do is follow the instructions.”
“Why bother?” Elijah asked. “Even if we do find the treasure, then what? We have no way of getting it off of this island. What is the point in finding a treasure if we can’t spend it?”
“We will have to be patient. The Caribbean Sea has a lot of navigation. Sooner or later a ship will sail close enough to locate us, providing we build a fire to catch their attention.”
Brett snorted. “With our luck, it will be a pirate ship and we will all be slaughtered.”
Devon glared at him. “Damn it, Brett, don’t say things like that. Look, even if it is a pirate ship, chances are they will not stop for us; they won’t care. On the other hand, if it’s a Navy vessel…. They patrol this area frequently, and if they see the smoke, they are bound to investigate. We can say we were attacked by pirates and left here to die. There is no reason for them not to believe us.”
“Then what?” Elijah asked, but he was grinning.
Devon chuckled. “You know what, we have done this before. We overpower the poor bastards sent to land, don their clothes, and take over their ship.”
“You make it sound so easy,” Cody laughed.
“It is. We did this twice before when we were after ships more powerful than ours and couldn’t afford to engage in a battle. They fall for it every time. It will work; you’ll see. The worst part is having to wait until a ship comes close enough for us to see it and for them to see our signal.”
“The plan still stands, then?” Brett asked. “Tomorrow we will go searching for McKenzie’s treasure?”
“Yes. I’ll talk to the crew. They will stay here; this place is well out of sight, and they should be safe. The four of us will leave first thing in the morning,” Devon said, ignoring Brett’s pitiful moan.
Seeing the others nod their approval, Devon rose and went to speak with the crewmen about the new plan. He took his time, going around all the small fires spread throughout the camp where the men were warming up. When he returned, the others were preparing to sleep, lying as close to the fire as humanly possible without getting burned.
Grinning, he waited until Brett was lying on his side before joining him. He spooned up behind the sturdy body, shaking his head chidingly as he felt Brett tense against him.
“Devon—”
“It’s all right, Brett,” Devon said softly, propping up on his elbow and looking down at Brett. “Nobody will say a thing. I just want to stay close to you.”
Brett stared up at him for a long moment, then nodded and nestled back against him, closing his eyes with a soft sigh. Almost immediately his breathing changed into a sleeping pattern.
“I’m glad you made it,” Elijah said, tone earnest. “I don’t know what we would have done with him if you died.”
Devon frowned. “What do you mean?”
“He hardly said a word all day. Kept to himself, did not let anyone get too close. He hid it well, but… it was easy to see how much he was hurting,” Cody said.
“Yes. You better not do something like this ever again, or I might be forced to hunt you down and kill you,” Elijah mock glared at him.
Devon grinned at his friends, understanding they had accepted his relationship with Brett and knowing they would give him hell if he ever hurt Brett. With a final nod to the others, he snuggled closer to the warm body lying so close to his own and proceeded to fall into much needed sleep.
“YOU SURE the map said we had to start at the ‘cliff of white’?” Elijah asked for the hundredth time.
“Yes,” Brett said tiredly.
“What the hell does that mean?” Cody frowned.
“I don’t know, Cody. The walls of the cliff will probably be made of a different kind of rock, white in color. Sort of like the cliffs at Dover.”
“Let’s keep circling the island. We are bound to find it sooner or later,” Devon remarked as he walked ahead of the small group.
Half an hour later, they had found the elusive cliff, which as Brett had predicted, was white. Devon leaned over the edge, looking down at waves crashing over the sharp rocks far below.
“Now what?” Elijah asked Brett.
“Well, the map said to look for the twin mounds.”
“Twin mounds?” Elijah said, looking around. “Don’t see anything resembling that description.”
Devon narrowed his eyes suspiciously as Cody suddenly snorted, chuckling softly until it turned into a full belly laugh. “Twin mounds,” he chortled. “Twin mounds.”
“What in the damnation is so funny, boy?” Devon asked, exasperated.
“There,” Cody gestured toward the mountains visible above the trees. “Twin mounds, can you see it?” He placed each hand in front of his chest, kneading the air as a man would knead a woman’s breasts.
And Devon laughed too, realizing the two mountains did resemble breasts, standing parallel to each other and with their inverted V formation. He laughed harder as Brett shook his head disgustedly at the two of them.
“Unbelievable,” Brett said.
“We found the twin mounds.” Elijah chuckled as well. “What’s next?”
“We have to reach their base,” Brett replied.
Devon sighed, all laughter leaving him. The mountains looked far away, and it would take hours to reach them. He wasn’t sure he would make it without killing one of the others. They made for a great crew but were a pain to be with on dry land. He had never seen a more complaining group in his life.
From Brett, who didn’t like early mornings, to Cody, who kept telling them amusing stories—or so he said they were—to Elijah, who never shut up. Devon felt like an old matron trying to keep her unruly children in line.
“We should stop wasting time. It is nearly midday. Elijah, lead the way.”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” Elijah replied, giving him a maddening grin.
Devon exhaled softly, going back on his thought; none of them were behaving. It was going to be a long, long day.
DEVON FROWNED. “Where is Elijah?”
“Ahead of us. You sent him to lead the way, remember?”
Devon glared at Cody. “Yes. But we haven’t seen or heard from him in a few minutes.”
They stopped moving, all ears wanting to pick up on Elijah’s whereabouts.
“Elijah,” Brett called out. “Elijah, where are you?”
“I heard something,” Cody said. “It came from there.”
They marched that way, cutting through the dense foliage until they all heard it, Elijah urgently calling out, “In here. I’m in here.”
“Why the hell is he not coming back to find us?” Cody asked.
“Let’s find out,” Devon said.
They followed Elijah’s voice, reaching a small clearing in the middle of the forest. The floor was covered with dry leaves, which was obviously the reason Elijah had failed to see the quicksand he was rapidly sinking in.
“Damn it,” Devon growled, looking around. Spotting a sturdy piece of tree bark, he snatched it from the ground. “Elijah, grab the bark.”
Elijah reached slowly for his salvation, careful not to make any sudden moves that would make him sink faster. “Got it,” he said, barely daring to breathe.
Devon nodded, and with Brett and Cody’s assistance, began to pull Elijah out of the quicksand. Once Elijah was out of danger, Devon scowled at him. “You told me you’re supposed to be good at this scouting thing.”
“I am,” Elijah said, sounding defensive. “I heard something fly above me and looked up. When I realized I had stepped into quicksand, it was already too late.”
Devon sighed tiredly. “Fine. We should keep going. We are almost there.”
It took them over an hour to reach the base of the twin mountains. They were obviously traveling through a scarcely visited island, and it was hard to advance in such rough conditions. The vegetation fought them every step of the way, and even cutting through it with the axe Brett had found on the beach that morning, it was nearly an impossible task.
Once they were finally there, Devon turned to Brett. “Next?”
“Turn east. There should be a narrow path going up the left mountain,” Brett said.
Cody nodded. “Found it.”
Brett shrugged. “Then we go up until we find a cave.”
“Sure is a lot of walking to this treasure hunting thing,” Elijah complained.
“Well, you did not want it to be easy, did you? Everyone would be able to find it, then,” Cody said, youth keeping him spry.
They kept climbing for about another half an hour before they found the entrance to the cave. They walked inside, taking deep breaths, enjoying the cool air, relieved to be out of the suffocating heat.
“And now?” Cody asked. “Let me guess, we keep walking?”
Brett chuckled. “Right you are. There should be a tunnel to your right, heading down. We are to take it and keep going until we see a large chamber where we are to find the treasure.”
Cody grinned. “You mean this is it? No more threading through the jungle?”
“This is it. Although there was nothing in the map stating how long we have to walk before we discover the aforementioned chamber.”
“In that case…,” Devon drawled sarcastically, gesturing for them to get moving.
“LORD, THIS is tiring,” Elijah said as they found yet another fork ahead.
They had been walking for over an hour, always going farther and farther into the mountain, still moving downward. At each turn, they had found a fork, having to look for the scratches on the rock that pointed in the right direction. The inside of the cave was a real maze, and without the faint markings, they would have been lost, maybe forever.
Cody shuddered. “I just wish there were not so many bats in here. I really don’t like them.”
“You know what would be really ironic?” Brett said. “If we got to the chamber and there was nothing there.”
“Brett, you want me to shoot you?” Devon glared at him.
“No.”
“Then shut up.”
Cody tilted his head to the side. “I can hear running water.”
“Yes, so can I. It is just ahead,” Elijah said.
The passageway kept getting wider until they were standing in a large chamber. There was a cascade of water running from the cave ceiling and beautifully sculpted stalagmites and stalactites all around.
“This place is amazing,” Cody said breathlessly, looking longingly at the waterfall.
“Think this is the right chamber?” Devon asked Brett.
“No. The map stated it was the last chamber. There is another passage to our left.”
Devon groaned. “Of course there is. Keep going, then.”
“You know,” Elijah said as they continued. “If we keep going down, we are going to be below sea level. This chamber is not underwater, is it?”
“The map did not mention anything. Which in itself means nothing,” Brett said grimly. “It could have been done on purpose, in case someone had found the map and was trying to reach the treasure before McKenzie could retrieve it.”
“I can see light up ahead,” Cody said.
They followed the light into another chamber, and this time Devon knew that they had found the right one. It was probably the biggest cave chamber he had seen in his life. Water droplets were catching light as they fell hundreds of feet from the ceiling, making it look like it was raining stars. The walls were covered with luminous rock formations, and the impressive stalactites and stalagmites spread out through the ground and ceiling looked like polished chandeliers and candlesticks.
And there, right in the center of the chamber, resting in what looked like a natural cavity in the cave’s floor, stood the treasure. Chests and chests full to the brim with jewels, precious stones, gold coins, goblets, and tiaras.
“Oh. My. Lord,” Cody whispered, walking slowly toward the huge golden pile. He whooped, jumping into the pool of water surrounding the treasure. “We did it! We found it!”
The treasure hunt was finally over.