Treasured Dreams (16 page)

‘So why doesn't he just go after it?'

Filippo finished wrapping the strip of bed sheet around his shard of glass and Rosalina helped him tie it off. ‘Treasure hunting isn't that easy, Filippo. Archer has been doing it for decades, and before that, his father had been doing it his whole life, too.'

‘So does Archer know where the other two thirds of the treasure are?'

‘No. We were going to leave it for a while and look for a different treasure.'

Filippo's tilted his head. ‘There's another treasure?'

Rosalina hesitated. She wasn't accustomed to discussing their treasure-hunting secrets with anyone besides Archer and the other people who lived on
Evangeline
. But not answering Filippo's questions would imply she didn't trust him. And now would be the worst time to show that. The squeeze of indecision tormented her. She decided to be vague with her answer.

‘There are hundreds of treasures lost at sea. The hard part is finding them.' She shifted her weight on her crutches. ‘It's getting dark,' she said, diverting the conversation. ‘We need to get something over these windows to stop the breeze; it will be really cold in here very soon.'

She moved towards the beds nearest the windows. ‘We can move one of the beds to below here and then stand a mattress up on its end to cover at least half the window.'

Filippo helped her drag the small bed over. She was surprised at how heavy they were. They battled the breeze to stand a mattress up against the open window, but every time they propped it up, it fell down again. ‘I know.' She clicked her fingers. ‘I'll cut some more strips of sheet, and we'll tie the mattress to the bars.'

Her plan worked, and soon they had three mattresses up against the windows. It wasn't perfect, because there was still one third of the shattered window above the mattress that remained uncovered. The sound of the wind changed with the blockage; now it was a howling dog.

Rosalina couldn't ignore the pain in her belly any longer. She needed to use the bucket. ‘Filippo, I want to put two beds up on their ends here and here.' She indicated to two spots either side of the corner.

‘What for now?'

‘So I can hang a sheet across for a bit of privacy while I go to the toilet.'

‘Oh.' He dragged a bed over and popped it up on its end, just like she'd instructed. While he did that, she stripped another bed of its linen and tied one corner of the sheet to the upended bed. When he finishing manoeuvring the second bed into position, she tied the other end of sheet to it. They now had a small cubical for a bit of privacy.

Without instruction, Filippo fetched the bucket. Rosalina snatched another sheet off a bed, and using her knife, she tore it into pieces that they could use for toilet paper. Filippo removed the remains of her bread from the bucket and scrunched up his face as he handed the bucket to her. As she ducked in behind the curtain, she heard Filippo walk away.

It was nearly completely dark now. The mattresses over the window hastened the darkness. She finished in the makeshift toilet and decided to have another look in the cupboards. The clothes were all hanging on wire hangers and she tugged one of them off the hook and allowed the shirt to fall to the floor. As she pulled and twisted at the hanger she noted it was easily manipulated, making it potentially useful as a weapon. Although she wasn't sure how. Yet.

She put the hanger on the floor, picked up the shirt that had fallen and tossed it towards her bed. It landed on her pillow.

As a shiver ran up her spine at the thought of sleeping on that pillow, she formed another idea. She tugged another shirt from the cupboard and smelt it. Other than being dusty and a little bit stale, it wasn't too bad. She grabbed a few other shirts and stuffed them into the first. When no more could fit, she assessed her creation. This was a much better idea for a pillow. She tossed it towards her bed and did another one for Filippo.

She could just make out Filippo's shape in the darkness; he was sitting on his bed. ‘Here, catch.' She tossed him the makeshift pillow. She picked up the coat hanger from the floor.

‘You're really clever.'

‘Thanks.' She'd take that compliment. Coming from Filippo made it extra special.

She hopped over to her bed and the springs creaked as she sat upon it.

‘What's the coat hanger for?'

‘I don't know yet.'

‘Are you going to tell me the name of the other treasure you're looking for?'

Rosalina had hoped he'd forget about that, but at the same time, she felt heaviness in her heart for being unwilling to share it with him.
Her own brother.
‘It's called the
Awa Maru
.'

‘Funny name. What is it?'

She kept it brief at first, skimming over the details. But once she started, she found she didn't want to stop. Rosalina told him the ship's history, from when it was built to when it sank. Filippo prompted her with a myriad of questions, and she told him all about the fortune that went down with the ship and the priceless skulls that vanished, too. Just talking about something else allowed her a brief reprieve from their current nightmare. The joy of piecing together an ancient treasure mystery took over.

‘So if you know where the
Awa Maru
sank, then why can't you just go down there and get the treasure?'

‘The Chinese searched for it in 1980, but they found nothing.'

‘Huh. So what happened to it?'

‘We believe it was put on a plane and taken to the Solomon Islands.'

‘Really? How do you know that?'

‘This is what we do, Filippo. Treasure hunting is all about putting together pieces of a puzzle. It takes time. And luck. It can be fun. Sometimes, it can be very dangerous, too.'

The cold was too much to handle now and she cringed as she crawled beneath the sheets and pulled the blanket up over her shoulders. She heard the bedsprings twang beside her and imagined Filippo doing the same.

‘I'd like to go treasure hunting with you sometime.'

It was ironic to hear those words from him, because Rosalina didn't think she ever wanted to go treasure hunting again.

She clutched the knife beneath her makeshift pillow, and as she forced her eyes closed, she willed the night to be over quickly.

Chapter Eighteen

Archer's mind nearly exploded when he'd heard Nox on the phone. But when Rosalina screamed in the background, he was stung with the horrifying premonition of loss. His knees threatened to buckle beneath him at Nox's words …
‘She's with me.'
He'd said it with the brutal calmness of a madman in control.

Archer bit back the chill of desperation to hash out his options. There were so few. He clutched Alessandro's forearm as they neared the back door to the villa. ‘Tell Nonna we're taking her car. But whatever you do, don't mention Nox.'

‘Where are we going?'

‘That church where Nox kidnapped Rosa last time.' It was the only place Archer could think of.

‘You're telling the
polizi
. Right?' Alessandro's voice was strained.

‘No, he said he'd kill them if we go to the police, and we know what he's capable of.'

‘Did he say he was going to kill her?

Archer drove his fingers through his hair. ‘Yes, and Filippo.'

‘But how will he know?'

‘I'm not telling the police to find out, so calm down and think.'

‘Calm down! Look at you—you're nearly frothing at the mouth.'

‘Look … he'll kill her if we involve the police. We didn't call the police in Florence and we found her. Don't argue with me, Alex. I'm not in the mood.'

Last time they did this they were both fighting for Rosalina's love. It was different now, but Archer was certain Alessandro would still do anything for his fiancé.

Alessandro held his glare. ‘Okay, but if we don't find her at the church, I'm going to the
polizi
.'

‘Come on.' Archer dashed through the door.

Nonna stood up as they lunged into the kitchen. ‘Did you find them?'

‘No, but we think we know where they are.'

Alessandro spoke to her in Italian, and Nonna turned and lifted a set of keys from a hook over the fireplace. Before Archer grabbed them, she gripped his hands in hers. She captured him with her large stricken eyes. ‘Don't hurt him?'

Archer blinked at her, confused. He had every intention of killing Nox when the time was right. It was a few beats before he realised she was talking about Filippo. ‘I won't, Nonna.'

Archer and Alessandro ran together towards Nonna's car. Archer aimed for the right-hand side and then, realising the driver's side was on the left, he switched at the last second and collided with Alessandro.

‘What're you doing?' Alessandro shoved him.

‘I'm driving.'

‘No, you're not. You've had little experience driving in Italy, and you have no idea where you're going. Now give me the keys.'

‘Don't argue with me. I'm driving.' Archer's despair goaded his anger.

‘Then I'm not coming with you. Good luck finding it.'

‘Fucking hell. Can't you just work with me?'

Alessandro folded his arms. ‘I am working with you, and don't swear at me.'

‘I'll swear at you if I fucking well like.'

‘Fine then. But if you want to get there quickly, then I should drive.'

Archer hissed out a breath. Alessandro was right, but it really pissed him off. ‘You better drive fast.'

‘So we get arrested. That will take more time.'

‘Arghh!' Archer tossed him the keys and clenched and unfurled his fists as he climbed into the passenger seat. ‘Hurry up.'

‘Shut up.' Alessandro punched the Fiat into gear, launched out of the garage, and kicked up a barrage of stones as he careened down the driveway.

Archer found himself gripping the door handle, but the moment they hit the road it all changed. Alex stuck to the speed limits, driving as if they were heading to a Sunday picnic. Archer's heart was a pounding earthquake at the uselessness he felt right now.

‘How on earth would Nox kidnap two people and take them both into the tunnels of that church in Florence?' Alessandro had waited until they were on the autobahn heading into Florence before he spoke.

‘That's what's pissing me off. I only heard Rosalina's voice on the phone. We may be too late for Filippo.'

‘Oh my God. Are you serious?'

‘I don't know. But I agree with you. How does someone kidnap two people at once?'

Alessandro shrugged. ‘With a gun.'

‘Okay. So he has a gun.' Archer attempted to lay it out. ‘He must've moved them one by one from the car. You saw those tunnels in that church. He would have to be damn lucky not to run into anyone. Twice.'

‘And Rosalina has a broken leg.'

Archer hadn't thought of that. It made the whole scenario even more implausible.

Alessandro shook his head. ‘It's not looking good, is it?'

‘For Filippo?'

‘For either of them. I don't think they're going to be at the church.'

Archer's shoulders slumped. ‘I doubt it. But we have to start somewhere.'

Alessandro turned off the freeway and headed towards the ancient city of Florence. As Alessandro drove the car with unerring direction, Archer realised the Italian was right to have driven. ‘I'm sorry I argued with you. I'm glad you drove.'

‘Why, thank you, Archie.'

‘Do you want a smack in the nose?' Nobody called him that.

Once they hit the busy Florence streets, they had to slow further. That only made Archer's heart race faster. Time was ticking and every second counted. Nox's ugly head appeared in his mind. The last time Archer had seen him, the crazy priest had a gun in his hand and
madman
blazing through his eyes.

He'd looked comfortable with the gun, too.

That admission bristled the hair along Archer's neck. Rosalina was a fighter, but she was already feeling down, both with her broken leg and, after the discussion they'd had this morning, it seemed like she was over the treasure hunting, too.

Alessandro turned the Fiat into yet another one-way street, and a wall of flashing lights hit them. ‘Oh Jesus, this is not good,' Alessandro said.

Archer's fear hit overdrive at the sight of the police cars. ‘Pull the car over.' He opened his door.

‘Shut your bloody door.'

Alessandro never swore, and Archer gawked at him.

‘Wait until I find a place to pull over. You don't want to draw attention to yourself.'

Once again, he was right. Archer clenched his jaw and with each flash of the lights in the distance, the vice around his chest tightened further. Alessandro pulled to the curb and both of them jumped out.

‘Don't run.' Alessandro was forceful, and it took Archer's full restraint not to sprint full-tilt to the church. Although there were probably fifty buildings in the vicinity of this street, Archer had no doubt the abundance of police and emergency vehicles were here for the Church of St Apostoli.

Archer had difficulty breathing as he rounded the corner, and when he saw the line of police and ambulances right outside the church his throat constricted altogether. Dread ate a hole in his stomach. A crowd had formed around a police barrier and Archer and Alessandro moved in with them. ‘What's happened?' Archer asked the curly-haired man near him.

The young man looked up at him with mild curiosity. ‘Don't know, but it must be huge.'

The crowd noise burgeoned and Archer watched as a stretcher with a white sheet draped over a body was wheeled to a waiting ambulance. The body was too big for Rosalina, but it could be Filippo. Or Nox. ‘Jesus, Alessandro.' Archer prodded him with his finger. ‘Find out who that is.'

Alessandro's dark eyes drilled into him. ‘What? How?'