Treasure Tides (The Coins) (5 page)

“Heyyy Girl,” Vickie called as Becki strolled into Supreme Scuba.
“What have you been up to?”
Vickie owned the local dive shop and had worked hard to “sex-up”
the hobby.
Her new line of female scuba fashion had taken off like
gangbusters. She had all the newest gadgets with bling galore.
“You here for the pink set?” Vickie asked knowingly.
Becki had fallen in love with the new hot-pink snorkel and fin set as
soon as she had spotted them.
“You know it,” Becki grinned. “I’ve gotta look good out there.”
“You always look good, and you know it,” Vicki scoffed. “Did you
score some teeth for me yesterday?” she asked, her eyes shining in
anticipation.
“No, but we did find a crate of some sort,” she said browsing through
the sale rack of bikinis. “We couldn’t get the darn thing open, so I
brought it home and put it on my deck last evening. Unfortunately, the
brats decided to prank me last night and took it.”
“Awww, bummer; you might be the new rich girl and don’t even
know it,” Vicki said, playing along. “Those crazy kids will probably call
you later demanding a ransom of chocolate chip cookies.”
“I know, right? I’m sure it’s empty anyway or filled to the top with
worthless crap. It wasn’t even a pretty crate, so I may just refuse their
demands,” Becki joked as her cell phone rang.
“Hi, Natie, where are you guys? I’m at the dive shop. Go left at the
next intersection, and it’s on the left. Ok, see you in a sec.”
“My sister and her boyfriend are in town,” she explained to Vicki.
“We wanted to go back out in the boat today, but the water is starting to
get a little rough. I think we’ll walk around The Battery downtown
instead.”
A bell over the door chimed as Natie breezed in. Becki immediately
noticed her puffy eyes, and the way Jonah slunk around the shop wearing
sour expression.
They had obviously been fighting again.
What a
vacation.
Poor Natie should have left his sorry ass at home. Come to
think of it, she should have
left him
period.
“Hi, Natie,” Becki said giving her sister a hug and totally ignoring
Jonah. “I thought we could go to White Point Gardens today. Since the
wind is starting to pick up a little, the water is starting to get rough. The
tropical storm is moving a little slower than expected, but I don’t think
we should go out in the boat today.”
“That’s fine with me,” Natie said, looking through the rack of new
swim suits. Holding up a blue bikini studded with Swarovski Crystals
around the neck and waist she said, “This one is pretty.”
Leave it to Natie to pick out the most expensive suit in the store. An
addiction to bling was one thing the sisters had in common.
“I love it! Vicki has the gray and black put back for me,” Becki said
with a flash of her dimple. The suit might not be something she would
want to wear diving, but it was killer beach wear.
Natie laughed. “I should have known,” she said, hanging the bikini
back on the rack.
“OK guys, let’s head out,” Becki called to Natie and Jonah.
“It was nice to meet you, Vicki,” Natie said as she followed Jonah out
the door.
“See ya, Vic,” Becki said, adding in a whisper, “I’ll take the blue one,
too.”
Vicki gave her a “thumbs-up”, whispering back, “You’re a good
sister.”
Retail therapy did help, but Becki still could not stop thinking about
Royce.
She longed to go home, turn the air-conditioner down to sixtyfive degrees, wrap-up in a blanket, sip hot sweet-tea, watch movies, and
indulge in a well-deserved pity party.
She could finish the evening by
consuming about a gallon of ice cream. What part of the universe
decided who attracted whom?
And
, what part of the universe made it ok
for one person to feel the attraction all the way to the depth of their soul,
while the other person evidently felt nothing?
Becki’s pity party would have to be put on hold. Natie and Jonah
were waiting for her, and Uncle Kurt had made it pretty clear that he
expected her for dinner tonight. She text him a reminder that Natie and
Jonah would be there, too.
A few minutes later, Kurt responded that he was expecting them
all
for dinner. Frogmore Stew was on the menu, and
she
was in charge of
dessert. Smiling, Becki decided that ice cream sundaes would be perfect.

Since Natie and Jonah were evidently not speaking to each other,
Becki couldn’t wait to get the heck out of the car. Parking was always
tricky, but walking downtown remained one of her favorite things to do.
History positively
oozed
from each building, street, and alley with a life of
its own.
Beautiful colors, blooming flowers, cobble stone streets, and
moss covered trees provided more color and depth than it was possible
to absorb.
An ocean breeze whispered through the moss, swinging it
gently in the trees. Today it whispered more loudly than usual, thanks to
the approaching storm.

The buildings downtown had survived centuries of weather, war, fire,
even an earthquake or two.
Cannons gleamed in the bright sun, a
solemn reminder of those who had lost their lives on this very ground.

“If only these walls could talk,” Becki had heard her grandfather say
many times, “just think of the stories they could tell.”
She imagined all kinds of stories; stories of ill-fated lovers, pirates,
artists and thieves; stories of grand balls and elegant gowns; stories of
wives and mistresses pacing the “widows’ walk” while watching, hoping ,
and praying
this
might be the tide that would bring their loved ones
home safe and sound.
“Look, there is a wedding going on,” Natie said as they strolled on
the pathway winding through White Point Gardens.
“Do you want to crash the party?” Becki asked with a smile and a
twinkle in her eye.
A few years ago, their parents had decided everyone should meet in
Tennessee over the Christmas holiday.
After a large, rather fancy, family
Christmas celebration, Natie decided they needed some girl-time, and a
“refreshing beverage”.
Still clad in their festive Christmas attire, they had meandered through
the atrium on their way to one of the hotel bars, enjoying the fountains and
foliage.
A bride, groom, and complete wedding entourage had practically
run them over rushing to get to the reception on time. As the sisters backed
quickly away from the main walkway in an attempt at self-preservation, they
bumped into one of the many elaborately decorated Christmas trees gracing
the common areas of the hotel. After getting an up-close and personal look
at the groomsmen, Natie had grabbed two fake gifts out from under the
Christmas tree, handed one to Becki with a wink, and joined the stream of
wedding guests on their way to the reception.
After depositing their “wedding gift” on the appropriate table, they had
enjoyed cocktails, danced with the groomsmen, and flirted shamelessly all
evening. As the party began to wind down, the bride’s father had strolled
over to the bar where they were seated, and ordered three shots of whisky.
After handing them each a shot glass, he said, “I don’t know who you gals
are, but thanks for livening up this party.” He tossed back his shot and then
added, “I can’t wait to see them open up that gift tomorrow.” He chuckled,
winked, and then kissed them each on the cheek.
Becki and Natie ordered another shot as they watched him collect his
wife, kiss his daughter, and glide to the door, pausing to tip his hat to them
before he left. Natie and Becki had collapsed with laughter, and when they
could breathe again, had decided it was the best wedding reception they had
never
been invited to.
Glancing toward the happy couple currently pledging to “love, honor,
and cherish” one another, Becki shook her head.
“I don’t know about this one, Natie; they seem a little stuffy,” Becki
grinned.
“Well, then, it’s a good thing we’re here to save the day,” Natie
announced as she locked arms with Becki preparing to drag her toward the
festivities. It was fun to see Natie enjoying herself.
Immediately upon arriving at the gardens, Jonah had decided to walk
back to their hotel to “take a nap”.
Right.
Whatever his true plans were,
Becki was glad to have Natie all to herself for a few hours.
“Ok, let’s liven this place up,” Becki said, enjoying the moment.
As she and Natie moved toward the gazebo, the ceremony was
winding down. “You may kiss your bride,” announced the minister.
As the newlyweds kissed, their guests whistled and cheered.
Becki
smiled as she absorbed the joy of the couple’s special moment.
Suddenly, she caught a slight movement out of the corner of her eye.
Turning to investigate, she spied a familiar figure.
The joy of the
moment evaporated immediately.
“What the--” Natie began, as she felt her sister’s body tense and
stiffen.
“Shhh, that’s him,” Becki said in a whisper, her eyes watching Royce
with avid curiosity.
What is he looking for?
He seemed to be deep in
thought, talking to himself and retracing his steps.
“Him-
who
?” Natie whispered back, ogling Royce. “Do you
know
that guy? Damn. He’s gorgeous--, and has a nice ass,” she observed as
he bent to look under the branches of a small shrub. “Maybe we could
help him find whatever he is looking for.
“Shut
up
, Natie,” Becki whispered, through clinched teeth.
“What are you so uptight about?” Natie asked, taking her eyes off
Royce for a moment but
only
for a moment. “Seriously, do you know
him?” Natie pressured, turning to watch him intently,
again
. “What is he
looking for anyway?”
“I don’t know,” Becki hissed and simultaneously jerked Natie quickly
behind a big oak tree.
“Oh my God, you
have
lost it,” Natie observed, swallowing the urge
to laugh. “Look, is he dangerous? Should we be running? Do I need to
go punch him in the nose?”
Natie sometimes forgot she was every bit of five feet tall. When they
had been sophomores in high school, Natie had actually punched one of
Becki’s boyfriends and bloodied his nose because he was saying mean
things to Becki.
His mother had actually called their mother to tell on Natie for
punching her son in the nose. Of course, the fact that he was six feet six
inches tall made the story even funnier. Natie had actually
jumped up
as
she swung her fist to hit him in the nose.
“No,” Becki whispered furiously, “just shut the hell up for a hot
minute.” She stretched on her tiptoes, peeking out from behind the tree.
“You’re going to think
hot minute
,” Natie growled. She had just about
had all the fun she could have, hiding behind a tree.
“He was at my house this morning, but he said he had to leave. I
thought he was leaving town, but I guess not.”
“He was at your house this morning!” Natie forgot to whisper.
Like a laser beam locking onto a target, Royce turned his head in their
direction; his eyes zeroed in on the pair.
“Oh,
hell no
,” Royce muttered before clinching his teeth. He saw not
one but
two
sets of eyes peeking out from behind one of the large oak
trees scattered in the garden.
He would know those chocolate eyes
anywhere; they were eyes a man could get lost in.
This should have been a simple assignment, a simple search and
seizure operation: grab the first coin, return it to the council, move on to
the next. It was, in fact, turning out to be anything but simple, more like
the-mission-that-never-ends.
Of course, no one had mentioned
Witches
in the initial briefing;
obviously there were questions that he would now demand answers to.
Why were Witches interested in the coins? Royce had instructed Joanna
to stay completely away from the coins at all costs. One detail that
had
been shared by the council was the fact that the coins could be
deadly
to
any Witch who came into direct contact with them.
He had contacted Arimus, the Council leader, and requested a video
conference first thing in the morning. Until he had answers to
all
of his
questions and felt assured that nothing had been overlooked, he had to
stay especially alert. He was dealing with unknown danger at this point.
Eyes locked onto his prey, Royce stalked toward the oak tree with
angry strides. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, he was making a
huge mistake. He, however, was unable to stop himself.
“Shit,” Becki muttered, knowing she was in big trouble without
having been told. It was time to make a hasty exit.
“What’s up boss? Did you find it?” Sean asked as he loped over and
fell in behind Royce.
Royce did not slow his pace, did not acknowledge Sean, but kept
moving forward with one purpose in mind. When he was finished with
her, Becki would understand. She simply
had
to stay away from him.
Sean had arrived a few hours ago, insisting that he could track the
coin more easily if he were on location. He had continued to tweak the
software each time a
signal was
received from
one of
the coins.
Unfortunately, the signals were still very random and infrequent. They
had set up base camp in the condo at Fort Sumter House.
The last
known coordinates of this particular coin were somewhere east of the
gazebo. Royce had been searching the area in hopes of finding a clue to
what might have happened to the coin after the Witches “zapped” him.
He felt a “zap” of an entirely different kind when saw Becki. He
hadn’t planned on seeing her again-- ever. If his life had been “normal”
he could have--, make that
would have
, acted on these feelings, and
found out where they would have taken him.
Unfortunately, his life
was far from normal. His life was downright complicated, and so were
the lives of his team. They dealt with forces of good and evil, the stuff
of dreams and nightmares.
His world did not have room for an
innocent, and her world was far too innocent to have room for him.
Royce might have mumbled, but Becki had heard him loud and
clear; “hell no”. Grabbing Natie’s arm, she started walking in the
opposite direction as quickly as her long legs would carry her.
Becki
was not up to being publicly rejected.
This day just kept getting better
and better.
“You’re hurting my arm,” Natie complained.
“The only thing hurting is your nibby nose,” Becki said, calling her
out on the lie. “Hurry up! I promise I will explain it all, but we have to
get out of here.”
“Becki,” Royce roared.
“Keep moving,” Becki urged Natie.
“Becki, I’m calling Uncle Kurt. This guy is pissed, and he could be
crazy as well,” Natie said reaching for the cell phone in the back pocket
of her jeans.
“He’s not crazy, but I think he
is
pissed,” Becki acknowledged.
“Please don’t call Kurt. They’ve already met, and I don’t think they like
each other.”
“Becki, damn it--” Royce had caught up with the two girls without
ever altering his pace or stride.
Becki
had
no
intention of
acknowledging
him;
her
heart
was
pounding with humiliation and rage.
Royce reached out to catch her
arm in his grasp; she jerked away from him while continuing to charge
ahead, forgetting that she was still dragging Natie along behind her.
Sean caught up with Royce just in time to see one of the two
stunningly beautiful women actually wrench her arm away from him.
Apparently Royce had lost his touch, literally.
“Boss? Do I need to do something?” Sean asked hesitantly.
Women did not generally walk away from the boss.
Normally it was
quite the opposite scenario, women going out of their way to
attract
his
attention.
Royce didn’t bother to respond. He stalked with great
determination, closely following the retreating women.
“Do you know them?” Sean asked, keeping pace with Royce.
Natie could not believe they were walking away, correction running
away, from not one but two of the best looking men she had seen in-well, ever.
Obviously, Becki knew these men.
She said one of them
had been at her house this
morning
? Becki didn’t do mornings, period.
Whatever was playing out here, had Becki on the run, and that too was
out of character for her sister.
“Becki, I’m warning you--” the man with dark hair said ominously.
“They are still following us,” Natie needlessly pointed out, curiosity
killing her. This mystery needed to be solved, right now; enough was
enough. Taking a deep breath, Natie planted her feet, refusing to budge
another inch.
Becki stumbled, and would have fallen if the Adonis with green eyes,
raven hair, and a perfect ass, hadn’t caught her in his arms.
“Are you alright?” Royce asked Becki as he steadied her on her feet.
Becki glared at him with narrowed eyes, which seriously lost their
hateful effect as soon as they filled with tears, “As if you give a flying fu-”
Natie watched as, in the next instant, he grabbed Becki, jerked her
tightly against his body, and planted a lip-lock on her sister like she had
only seen in the movies.
And then, wonder of wonders, Becki was
kissing him right back. Natie grinned. Something had been skipped
over during their girl-talk earlier today; something along the lines of,
‘Natie, I’ve met the most gorgeous guy. He was at my house this
morning, and man-o-man is he a good kisser.’ Oh, yes, something had
definitely been left out of their earlier conversation.
“Hi, I’m Sean. Are you ok?” the tall one with blue eyes asked.
He
had accidently bumped into her when she stopped so abruptly and was
now bending down to look at her as if she were a little china doll.
Tingles zipped over her skin where he touched her arm.
“I’m Natie, Becki’s sister.” Nodding toward Becki and her mystery
man, Natie asked, “Who is kissing her?”
“That is my boss, Royce. They, uh, met earlier,” Sean said with a
grin.
“I guess so,” Natie smiled up, way up, at him. He stood over six feet
tall, a giant compared to her. “So,” she ventured, “do you want to grab a
latte? It looks like they may be a while.”