Buccaneer (Dane Maddock Adventures) (21 page)

The idiot! Locke tried to silence him with a glare but to no avail.
“
I can question her first, if you like.
”

“
No.
”
Would he have to choke Fisher to get him to shut his mouth? Clearly, the ordeal beneath the island had rattled him, but that was no excuse.

“
Wait a minute, Mister Locke.
”
Sheriff Meade swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and went on.
“
I understand you have the support of some important people, but the law is the law. I cannot allow you to take this woman away. She...
”

Locke stared him into silence, then stepped so close he could see the one silver hair in the man
’
s left eyebrow. The sheriff stood his ground, but he worked his jaw nervously.

“
Sheriff, you have two choices.
”
He raised his index finger.
“
You can set your people back to guarding this island so my museum staff can continue its work here undisturbed, and we shall remain friends. Or,
”
he raised a second finger,
“
you and your two deputies can take out your sidearms and attempt to stop us. I would prefer we we remain friends, and I would consider it a great personal favor if you permitted me some time alone with this woman before I return her to your custody.
”

For an instant, he thought Meade would go for his weapon, but the sheriff thrust his hands in his pockets instead and stalked away.

“
Have her back to me by morning,
”
he said to no one in particular. The deputies sent twin withering looks
in
Locke
’
s
direction
before following Meade.

“
Are you sure you don
’
t want me to question her?
”
Fisher asked when they were out of earshot. He turned to watch the young woman being led away.

Locke turned and punched Fisher in the
jaw
. The man crumpled to the ground.

“
What was that for?
”
he mumbled.

“
Stupidity,
”
Locke said.
“
You speak of
interrogation
in front of the man whose son you tortured and killed only a few days ago?
”

“
He
’
s too
dumb
to put it together,
”
Fisher said, still holding his
jaw
.

“
You don
’
t know that. In any case, your special brand of questioning gained us no new information and added a complication. Between that and tonight
’
s fiasco, I no longer trust your judgment.
”

“
I
’
m sorry. I always give everything I have to the cause.
”

“
Morgan will decide whether or not to accept your apology. For now, I want everyone out of here
except the museum staff. They may
continue their research just as we planned. You will remain here as security until your fate is determined.
”

“
I
’
ll see to it immediately.
”
Fisher wobbled to his feet and staggered away.

Locke shook his head. Fisher
’
s failure notwithstanding, Morgan would consider this Locke
’
s responsibility, and it was. Morgan could temporarily be assuaged by the news of the temple beneath the island, but he would have to produce results soon or she would grow impatient. Perhaps this girl could help him bring things back into balance.

Where could they have gone? Dane looked around, but there was no one in sight.

“
Maddock?
”
A voice called from the woods.
“
Bones? Thank God.
”
Avery appeared from the shadows and hurled herself into Bones
’
arms.

Dane raised an eyebrow and Bones shrugged.

“
What happened?
”
Dane asked.

“
Angel
’
s been arrested. I went over to the shore to look for you and, when I came back, they were putting her in their patrol car. I feel like I should have tried to stop them, but what could I do?
”

“
Nothing,
”
Bones reassured her.
“
They would have taken you in too.
”
He looked over the top of Avery
’
s head and scowled
.
“
Let
’
s go get her. Meade and his crew have pushed this too far. They can
’
t just take my sister in on some bogus charge.
”

“
I know,
”
Dane said.
“
First, we need to get out of here in case they come back. Then we
’
ll figure out the best way to handle this.
”

Avery handed him her spare set of keys and, only then, did she notice the casket they
’
d recovered from the island. She looked at him in surprise and excitement.

“
It
’
s sealed shut. We
’
ll take a look at it when we
’
re somewhere safe. Bones, you ride in the back and keep the casket with you. If we get stopped, you might have to slip away.
”

“
No problem,
”
he said.

Dane took them on a route that led up the coast, away from town and, he hoped, the sheriff
’
s patrols. As he drove, he fought to suppress the rage that boiled inside of him. Right now, all was forgotten except the thought of Angel locked in a jail cell. He wanted to go in, guns blazing, and rescue her. He had a vague
picture in his head
of carrying her out through the front doors, action hero style, and laughed inside at the image. Where had this sudden hero complex come from?

As rational thought took hold, he considered their options. He and Bones were on the sheriff
’
s radar, and likely wouldn
’
t get anywhere if they showed up at the jail. Besides, they were in a foreign country. What she needed right now was bail money, a good attorney, or both.

“
We need to call Charlie,
”
he finally said.
“
He
’
s got money and connections we don
’
t have. If we show up there, we might get arrested too.
”

Bones considered that for several seconds before acquiescing.
“
Yeah, Charlie
’
s the man for the job. He can take care of getting her out while we follow up on this.
”
He tapped the casket.

“
The mystery
’
s solved,
”
Dane said.
“
That casket was the only thing on the island. Once it
’
s opened, that
’
s it.
”

“
Hardly,
”
Avery said.
“
There were three chests. Three treasures. I don
’
t think Dad planned on quitting after only one. He
’
d follow it all the way to the end.
”

“
You know how it goes with us, Maddock.
”
Bones leaned forward and rested his chin on the back of Avery
’
s seat.
“
The first thing we find is never it. There
’
s always more.
”

“
Yeah, I know.
”
Dane chuckled.
“
You can
’
t blame a guy for wishing for a quiet life.
”

“
I
’
m not even going to comment.
”
Bones sat quietly for a minute, then suddenly burst out laughing.

“
What
’
s so funny?
”
Avery asked.

“
Angel
’
s going to be pissed when she finds out we started without her. She
’
s been dying to go
on another
of our little adventures.
”

“
Do you do this sort of thing often?
”
Avery looked from Bones to Dane, who grinned ruefully

“
You have no idea.
”

They contacted Charlie, who assured them he would take care of Angel, as well as send a couple of his men to the cottage to collect everyone
’
s remaining belongings. They didn
’
t provide him with any details of what they had discovered beneath Oak Island, but assured him the search was over and encouraged him to pack up his crew and return to the States as soon as possible. By the time they rendezvoused with Corey and Willis, who met them
aboard
Sea Foam,
they had filled Avery in on all the details of the hidden Templar church. She was fascinated and couldn
’
t wait to see the pictures they
’
d taken, but was even more eager to see what was hidden in the casket.

While Willis piloted the boat toward international waters, Dane, Bones, Corey, and Avery gathered belowdecks. Using small chisels, Dane worked at the seal until he freed the lid. He paused and took a long look at the others. This was the moment he
relish
ed
—
the edge of revelation.

“
Stop titillating us and open it already,
”
Corey said.

“
Dude, you said
tit
.
”
Bones elbow
ed Corey, who winced and rubbed his arm
.

“
Are they always like this?
”
Avery cast an annoyed glance at Bones and Corey.

“
What did I do?
”
Corey complained.

“
Never mind,
”
Dane said.
“
Masks on and we
’
ll do this.
”
When they had all donned surgical masks, Dane took hold of the lid and lifted it free.

The inside was stuffed with a tangle of string brown material.

“
Coconut fiber,
”
Avery said.
“
It was used for packing material. They even found some in the
Money P
it.
”

Dane reached a gloved hand inside and pushed the fiber aside to reveal a dagger with a dark, mottled blade and a gleaming white
handle
. He looked up to see Avery holding the casket lid in trembling hands, and Bones and Corey looking over her shoulder.

“
Carnwennan.
”
She turned the lid so Dane could see the Latin word carved on the inside. The word was unfamiliar, but the look in her eyes told him it was significant.

“
And what is that?
”
he asked.

“
King Arthur
’
s dagger.
”
She leaned in for a closer look.
“
He had three legendary weapons: Caliburn, which we know as Excalibur, Rhongomnyiad, his spear, and Carnwennan, his dagger.
”

“
Wait, so we
’
ve just found proof that...
”
Bones began.

“
King Arthur was an actual, historical figure?
”
Dane finished. His mind was numb with shock. He
’
d expected to find treasure beneath Oak Island, but not this.