The Emerald Quest (11 page)

Noah felt in his pocket. He’d forgotten all about the knife he’d taken from Dave ‘The Wrench’ Dixon. “Here,” he said, pulling out the knife and tossing it to his dad.

Frank raised his eyebrows in surprise as he caught the knife. He flicked open the blade and cut the fuel line. Dark liquid dripped out of the tiny tube.

“That ought to do it,” he said. He leaped over the side of the Slingshot and into the Donzi.

Noah looked up. Off to the north, another Slingshot speedboat bounded over the water, speeding toward them like a rocket. “They’re back!” he hollered.

“Get the line,” Frank pointed at the rope line that tied the Donzi to the dock. Noah grabbed the rope and freed the boat. “Go!” Frank yelled to Riley.

Riley pushed the accelerator and the boat vaulted away from the dock.

The Slingshot was about thirty feet from them. Wright was at the wheel. Chang stood in a half-crouch, ready for action.

Frank gestured wildly at Riley. “Try to outrun them.”

Riley sped up, but the Slingshot veered at them. The other boat had momentum and quickly barreled down on the Donzi. Riley yanked the wheel to the right. Wright’s boat glanced off the Donzi’s side. The spyglass fell to the bottom of the boat and rolled around wildly on the floor.

“Get it!” she yelled at Noah.

Noah scrambled after the spyglass, but it spun away from him. He crawled after it, finally snatching it up. He sat back in a chair and held on tightly to the spyglass.

As the two boats clanged together, Chang hurdled over the side of the Slingshot and landed right in front of them. He wavered for a moment, trying to catch his balance. Frank sprung at Chang and hit him in the face. Chang merely shook his head, as if he’d been smacked with a flyswatter. He took a step forward.

“Is that the best you have?” he snarled at Frank.

Frank raised his fist and swung at Chang again. This time, Chang grabbed Frank’s fist, crushing it in his own hand.

“Ah!” Frank grimaced. He backed away, staggering as the boat rocked in the choppy waves. Then he fell to his knees.

The Donzi picked up speed as Noah’s mom revved the engine. Behind it, Wright’s Slingshot kept pace with the Donzi.

Chang advanced on Frank. He hauled Frank to his feet. Frank grappled with Chang, both faltering with the wobbly motion of the boat. Frank managed to push Chang back a foot. Noah saw his opportunity. He dove to the bottom of the boat behind Chang. Riley glanced back and saw where Noah was. She jerked the wheel, which caused Chang to stumble. He backed up and bumped heavily into Noah. Noah pushed sideways and Chang’s feet flew into the air. He lurched back, grabbing onto Frank’s shirt, and pulled Frank with him as he tumbled over the side of the boat.

“Dad!” Noah shouted. He dropped the spyglass on the floor.

Riley glanced over her shoulder again. “Frank!” She cut the power to the boat.

Frank threw out an arm and clung to the side of the boat, his feet dragging in the water behind him. Frank’s shirt ripped where Chang had grabbed hold, and Chang fell into the water. He kicked about, flailing violently in the wake of the boat. Wright nearly ran him over as he pursued the Donzi.

Noah grabbed Frank by the back of his jeans and helped him crawl into the boat.

“Keep going!” Frank yelled at Riley. She accelerated and the Donzi whizzed through the water. “Where’s the spyglass?”

Noah looked around frantically.

“There it is.” He seized the spyglass from under a chair.

“Don’t let go of it!” Frank ordered him. “Stay in the bottom of the boat where you’re safe.”

Noah hunkered down on his knees, still high enough where he could watch what was happening.

Behind them, Wright had circled his boat around and stopped for Chang. The Slingshot had lost distance, but Wright was not giving up, and the Slingshot slowly gained on the Donzi.

Noah, Frank, and Riley all gazed ahead, searching for the
Explorer
. Noah turned and looked back. Wright’s boat was getting closer.

“Come on,” Riley muttered to the Donzi, her hands gripping the wheel tightly.

The Donzi cut through the water, jarring them as it hit wave after wave. Noah glanced back again. The Slingshot drew nearer. What would happen if Wright overtook them? Noah thought about Wright and the vial of poison. He shuddered.

“Frank, I can’t go any faster,” Riley shouted.

“We’ll have to lose them somehow,” Frank hollered back.

“We won’t make it!” Riley gritted her teeth.

And then they saw the
Explorer
.

CHAPTER TWELVE

THE FLOUR SIFTER

The
Explorer
approached on the horizon and its horn sounded loudly. Nearby Noah spotted a police cruiser.

“It’s Chief Burton!” Noah jumped up and down and waved his hands.

Behind them, Wright’s boat slowed down.

“They see the police,” Frank said. “Wright’s giving up.”

Wright made a U-turn and sped off, vanishing from view.

Riley guided the Donzi up to the
Explorer
. The police cruiser drew up alongside both. The
Explorer
’s engine stopped.

Anthony bounded out of the cabin. “You’re all right!” he shouted joyfully.

Riley killed the Donzi’s engine. “We’re fine, thanks to Noah.”

Anthony helped Noah climb from the Donzi to the
Explorer
. Riley almost fell into the water as she followed Noah.

“After all we’ve been through, I almost take a dunk into the ocean!” she laughed as she dropped into a seat.

Chief Burton emerged from the cabin of the police cruiser. Detective Shaw appeared behind him. Both had stern looks on their faces.

“Noah, what in the world were you thinking?” Chief Burton said. “Anthony told us all about your plans to meet the kidnappers without the police, and that you had disappeared.” He shook his head. “We searched all around Marquesas Keys but couldn’t find you. I can’t tell you all how relieved I am to see you.”

“Isaiah Wright kidnapped us,” Noah blurted out.

Chief Burton wrinkled his brow. “What happened?” he asked Frank, who was still in the Donzi.

“After we left the station the other night, we headed back to our house,” Frank said. “On the way home, I saw an accident on the road. It looked like a motorcycle had crashed and a man was lying in the road. I figured he was hurt, so I got out to help. But someone jumped me from behind. Whoever it was put a rag to my face and that’s all I remember.”

“Someone did the same to me,” Riley said. “I was just getting out of the car myself when someone covered my nose with a rag.”

“Probably chloroform,” Chief Burton said. “Simple to do.”

“Next thing we know, we’re tied up in a room,” Frank continued. “We didn’t know what happened to the car or Noah. Then a man we didn’t recognize took us to a room filled with books and maps, like a large library. He gave us the spyglass, and told us to figure out where the De La Rosa Emerald was hidden.”

“We just made up the location,” Riley interrupted. “We still haven’t figured out what the map really says.”

Frank nodded. “We had to stall for time until we could figure out a way to escape.”

“But then he captured Noah and threatened to hurt him,” Riley said.

“Who?” Chief Burton frowned.

“Isaiah Wright,” Noah replied.

“And how did Isaiah Wright get a hold of you?” Chief Burton asked Noah. He leaned his knees against the side of the boat and put his hands on his hips. “Why didn’t you and Anthony let the police handle things? You could’ve been killed.”

“We’d like to know that, too,” Riley said. “We were too busy getting away from Wright to hear what happened to you.”

“I’m sorry,” Noah said to Chief Burton. “I didn’t think that a stand-in would fool the kidnappers, so Anthony and I decided we would go by ourselves.”

Then Noah turned to his parents. His words tumbled over each other as he explained all that had occurred since his parents’ disappearance.

“That’s quite a story,” Chief Burton said when Noah finished. He stared off on the horizon. “Isaiah Wright’s behind all this.”

“Yes,” Noah said.

Chief Burton pursed his lips. “That man’s a billionaire. He’s involved in all kinds of philanthropic endeavors. He’s odd, no doubt, but I never would’ve thought he’d be capable of this.”

“He is,” Frank said.

Chief Burton sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. “You all need to come into the station and make a statement,” he said.

“We can’t do that right now,” Frank replied.

“What?” Detective Shaw glared at Frank. “Do you want to let that man get away with kidnapping?”

“Of course not,” Frank snapped. “But I – “

“Frank, I’m your friend and neighbor, but I’m also Chief of Police,” Chief Burton interrupted. “You have to make an official report about what happened.”

Frank waved him off. “Ben, we will, but right now we have to find the De La Rosa Emerald. Max Scheff and Wright are after it, just like we are. We’ve got to find the emerald before they do, or all of this will be for nothing. We’ll come in and make a statement once we have the emerald.”

“Please, Ben,” Riley said. “I can’t tell you how important finding the emerald is.”

Chief Burton gazed out into the water, thinking. Then he turned to Detective Shaw. “Let’s go out to Copper Key and have a talk with Mr. Wright.”

“What about their statements?” Detective Shaw asked.

“We can’t force them to make a report if they don’t want to,” Chief Burton said. “And I know Frank and Riley.” Chief Burton’s mouth curled into a smile. “Once they’re after some lost treasure, nothing will stop them. Not even the Chief of Police. The Winters can come in to the station later and we’ll get their statements then. Right now, we’ll visit Isaiah Wright.”

“He won’t tell you anything,” Frank said.

“Of course not,” Chief Burton snorted. “He’s too smart to let himself get caught in anything. I’m sure he’s removed any traces of your presence there. I doubt I could find even part of a fingerprint, let alone a soundproofed room or other evidence of foul play. Not only that, I don’t have a warrant to search the house. What I will do is tow the Donzi back there and ask Wright how it came into your possession. And he can explain why he was following you. I suspect he’ll say you were trespassing on his island and that you stole the Slingshot to escape, and they were just trying to get the boat back.”

“That’s a lie,” Noah said.

“Yes, it is.” Chief Burton held up his hands. “I should be able to get a warrant to search his house. But unless I can find proof that he kidnapped you, there’s not a lot I can do.”

“Thanks, Ben,” Frank said. “Let’s tie up the Donzi.” He helped Chief Burton and Detective Shaw secure a line from the police cruiser to the Donzi. Then Frank leaped across into the
Explorer
. “I’ll stop by later on tonight to give you an update.”

“I’m counting on it,” Chief Burton said. “And for you to make a statement when you complete your treasure hunt.”

“You have our word,” Riley said.

“What about Wright?” Noah asked. “Will he try to hurt us again?”

Chief Burton shook his head. “He knows we’re on to him, so he’ll have to be careful.”

“We’ll be careful, too,” Riley said, patting Noah’s shoulder. “No more excitement for us.”

But that was not to be.

***

Against Noah’s protests, Frank and Riley took him to the hospital to have his shoulder examined. Luckily, Noah suffered no broken bones or pulled muscles. Noah’s shoulder was bruised, but the doctor in the emergency room assured everyone that in a few days, the shoulder would feel fine.

Back at the Winters’ house, Riley and Anthony fixed sandwiches for everyone. While they ate, Noah and his parents chatted excitedly about everything that had happened to them. Juan Carlo and Anthony sat on the edge of their chairs, enthralled by the story.

“Increíble,” Juan Carlo murmured repeatedly while they talked.

“Now Wright and Max have the map,” Frank said in conclusion. “We had to show it to them.”

“It’s just a matter of time before they figure out what the map means,” Riley said.

“But they’re missing the cross piece, just like we are,” Noah said.

“What do you mean?” Frank asked.

“We’re missing another piece,” Noah replied.

“There should be a piece that attaches to the etched pieces of glass,” Juan Carlo said. “It has lines to mark the exact spot where the emerald is hidden.”

“‘X’ marks the spot,” Noah said.

Frank shrugged. “Even so, we’re still not sure what part of the Keys the map is showing.”

“We traced the map onto paper,” Anthony said. “But we couldn’t figure it out either.”

Frank stood up. “Let’s project the map up onto the wall.”

Riley had put the spyglass in a safe when they’d returned home. She retrieved it and gave it to Anthony. He held it up and Riley shone a flashlight through the end of it.

“We found notches on the edges of the glass pieces,” Anthony said.

“So we lined up the notches, like this.” Noah reached around his mother and rotated the glass pieces so the notches pointed toward the ceiling. “This way, the arrow on the map points to the north.”

Noah twisted the glass pieces slightly until the lines on the wall resembled a map of islands.

Frank rubbed his chin as he studied the map. “I have no idea what group of islands those are.” He scrunched up his face. “Or even if that’s a set of islands in the Keys.”

“It doesn’t look like anything to me,” Riley said.

“Let’s get back to the cross piece.” Anthony set the spyglass back on the table. “Juan Carlo, do you know what it looks like?”

“It’s supposed to be made of porcelain,” Juan Carlo said. “It’s round and fits over the other two etched-glass pieces. It’s got wires hooked in it, like the crosshairs in a rifle scope.” Juan Carlo took a piece of paper from the table and drew a circle and lines. “Like this.”

 

“If it wasn’t with the glass pieces that we found in the cave, it must’ve been kept with the spyglass,” Anthony said.

“That means it’s somewhere around the
San Isabel
wreckage,” Frank said.

Riley scowled. “Unless Alfonso De La Rosa hid it someplace else.”

All of a sudden, Noah’s mind flashed back to when they’d dived the
San Isabel
earlier that week. He remembered the circular piece of porcelain he found. He’d thought it was a flour sifter. Now he knew it wasn’t. “I found that piece,” he said.