Buried Secrets at Louisbourg (14 page)

What would Molly do? Would
his dad get arrested? Would he go to prison? He couldn't let that happen. But he couldn't let Mai give his box away, either. He had to keep her on the ship.

“Grace,” he said, motioning with his hand.

She pointed to the line, now doubly long as it filled with crew. They must be going on the shore excursion for the free food. His stomach growled. Could he ask them to bring him back a doggy bag? He waved at Grace again. Scowling, she stormed over. “What now?”

“We can't get off.”

“Why not?”

“Because Molly, that archaeologist from the museum, isn't getting off, either. She might be after Dad. We have to warn him.”

Grace's eyebrows shot up. “Do you know what he's up to?”

“Not exactly. But I bet he doesn't have a permit, whatever it is.”

Grace didn't hesitate, slapping him on the shoulder. “No sweat. Be right back.” She jogged over to Jeeter and Mai, who were in a deep discussion. She put an arm around each one's shoulders, creating a huddle.

Whatever she said worked. Mai and Jeeter followed her as she strolled back across the deck. “Okay, they're in,” she said.

Mai glanced at him with her red, swollen eyes, but didn't say anything. Jeeter had his hand at her elbow and shot Fred a nasty look. Not exactly all-for-one-and-one-for-all attitudes, but at least they had stayed on board.

Grace put her hands on her hips. “Are we just going to stand here?”

“Hang on,” Fred said. He wanted to get over to the port side of the ship. And from there, back to the entrance to below decks, which was inside the captain's cabin. But it wasn't as simple as strolling straight across. The foredeck was pretty wide open, with only a few places for cover—lifeboats, barrels, and crates, that kind of stuff.

If Molly saw them, she'd want to know why they were still on the ship. Fred definitely didn't want to run into her before his dad. So he chose the route with the best cover. He crouched down and scuttled along the railing to the stern until they were behind the captain's cabin. Here, they were hidden from the rest of the ship and from any crew, who would be sure to herd them to the departing boats.

The four of them huddled together. Mai had squeezed close to Jeeter, and, Fred noticed, as far from Fred as possible. That was fine by him.

They waited several long minutes in silence.

If anyone came around either side, they'd be toast. There was nowhere to go. They were sitting ducks. Fred noticed he kept holding his breath and tried to relax. He could feel adrenaline coursing through him. It felt like a game of hide-and-seek, with much higher stakes than being tagged. And in the worst hiding place. Ever.

“Freddo, man, let's get on with it already.”

“Shh,” Fred hissed back.

“Jeeter's right,” Grace said. “We can't stay here forever.”

“Fine!” Fred poked his head around the side of the captain's cabin, back the way they'd come. The line was gone. Shouted orders indicated the longboats were away. He scurried over and checked the other corner. That part of the deck was clear, too. It was now or never.

“You guys stay here. Back in a sec.”

He sidled along the wall. Pushing his back against it as he
went, he willed himself to be invisible. Where had Molly gone?
Below decks? Was his dad still down there? He reached the doorway to the captain's cabin and once more descended the stairs.

He heard nothing at first. But someone had to be down here. Unless they were all in the captain's cabin. But he'd heard no voices upstairs, either. Frustrated and feeling as if he was running out of time, he let go of caution and strode boldly to the end of the hall, where he'd heard his dad last time. A door was open.

He paused, listening. There was a low hum of voices. He crept closer.

“He's going down now,” a muffled female voice said. It sounded like Molly, the archaeologist. “Lester's with him.”

Fred inched forward.

“And he's okay with it?” a male voice replied. “I know Pete. I didn't think he'd go for it.”

“He doesn't know.”

“What do you mean?” the man asked.

“He thinks it's all part of his skills assessment for a scuba diver position at the fortress.” Molly laughed. “He doesn't know about Lester either.”

“Oh, that's rich!” the guy cackled. “So he's finding all these treasure sites for you and he thinks it's for a job?”

“I know. I'm a genius,” Molly said. “But don't think it fell into my lap. I've been living in this awful place for a year lining this up. It wasn't without sacrifice. I'm not sailing around the world, captain of a tall ship, like you.”

“Pretty slick, Molly. I'm impressed.”

“I couldn't have done it without him. He knows more than anyone about treasure hunting around here. But what he knew wasn't doing him any good alone. He couldn't get anywhere near these sites without permits, which are impossible to get.”

“Lucky for you his business went under when it did. He doesn't strike me as the type that likes to work for anyone but himself.”

“You think it was
luck
?”

There was a pause. “You sabotaged his business? That's cold, even for you, Molly.”

“Too much at stake—we only had a brief window here with the encampment and the tall ships. I wasn't taking any chances. A few phone calls to the right people, and his contracts dried up overnight. Of course, Lester was in place for a while. I had him make contact some time ago.”

Fred could feel his legs shaking. His hands were clenched so tight he was cutting off the circulation in his fingers. Lester had betrayed his dad. And this woman had ruined his dad's business? Was anyone who they seemed?

“And something else—quite unexpected. Pete had told me his son and friends were here. He was still being quite secretive about his dive sites and wasn't letting Lester go with him until today. So I had Lester and a rather overenthusiastic guard from the fortress keep an eye on the kids. I wasn't leaving anything to chance.”

Fred sucked in a breath. So he hadn't been paranoid. Molly had Lester and Gerard spying on them!

“Pete's son is apparently a treasure hunter, too,” Molly continued. “He found a box buried at the fortress. His little girlfriend was terrified he'd get found out and brought it to me just this afternoon. A nice little bonus, I'd say.”

Mai
had
turned in his box. His nails dug into his hands and a muscle twitched in his eye. How could she have done it?

“A box?” the man said.

“Here, I'll show you.” There was a clanging noise.

“What else you got in there?”

“Some lovely trinkets Pete found on his dives. The main extraction of the artifacts will take place over the next few weeks, of course, after he gives me the exact coordinates. But that will have to be done with the submersible.”

“You've got a
sub
?” There was awe in the man's voice.

“Oh, we've got all the toys,” Molly said. “It's a small one, rented from a government oceanic institute. For
research
, of course. Still costs a small fortune! But that's no problem. These Europeans will pay anything to get their artifacts back.”

“Doesn't look like much,” the guy said.

Fred crept to the very edge of the doorjamb. A set of keys dangled from the lock. He peered inside. Molly held a duffle bag open and the captain was examining Fred's box.

“The boy thinks there are jewels inside.” Molly shrugged. “But it's welded shut. Might be nothing. Or something. Won't know 'til we get it open.”

“I think I've got a blowtorch around here somewhere.”

Fred's pulse quickened. He was fighting every instinct to rush in and rip his box from the captain. But now he might finally see what's inside.

The captain rooted through a couple of tool boxes in the corner. “Aha!” he said. “I knew I had one here somewhere.” He lit the torch.

FARROOOSH!

Fred held his breath, his eyes glued to the blue-orange flame.

“Just at the very end, there, should do it,” Molly said. “Don't want to ruin anything flammable inside.”

The captain expertly focused the flame on the side of the box, directing the flame to its edge. He worked the torch slowly around the side.

“Almost there!” he said. “Let me cool it off a bit first.” He stuck the non-cut portion of the box into a bucket at his feet. It sizzled and steam shot upward. He let it sit there for a minute, then pulled it back out, testing the metal with his hand. “That's better.”

“Let's see what we've got,” Molly said, leaning closer.

The captain restarted the torch.

Fred gasped.
No!

The captain's head jerked at the noise. He met Fred's eyes and recoiled, apparently shocked to see someone standing there. The box clattered to the ground.

“What are you doing?” Molly said to the captain.

Fred dove through the doorway and scooped the box from the floor. The captain seemed to move in slow motion, reaching for Fred after he'd already zigzagged out of the way. Molly hadn't been facing the door, and she looked shocked as he yanked the duffle bag from her hands.

Her eyes locked with his and her pupils widened in recognition. “You!”

Fred continued in a circle
around Molly and raced out the door, her curses following him. He slammed it shut and jerked the key in the lock.

Heart pounding, he leaned against the closed door. It took a moment to sink in. He had the box. It was still very warm. Its left end was almost totally cut. One good smack against something should—

BANG!

Fred's body shook, mirroring the door's vibrations.

“Open this door, you little troll!” Molly shrieked.

The door shuddered again.

Fred backed away from it and noticed the keys still dangling from the lock. He grabbed them and turned and bolted down the hall and up the stairs. He slammed that door shut, too. That captain guy would get them out in no time. He had to lock it, and fast.

Fred tried several keys. His hands shook. Footsteps thundered from below. He tried another key. It didn't fit. Molly's screaming rants were getting closer. Fred peered in the window. The captain was running up the stairs.

Fred dropped the keys. He stopped breathing.

It was over.

He couldn't help himself, looking in the window again. The captain was now at the top of the stairs. Molly was right behind him.

He gulped and scooped up the keys. Closing his eyes and praying, he slid another key in the lock. It fit. As Fred turned it, he looked up. The captain was right there! The handle rattled. It was locked. The captain banged on the glass, his eyes wild.

The door held.

“Grace,” Fred yelled, “come on!”

Three heads appeared from behind the captain's cabin. Each of them had the same questioning look on their face.

“Hurry up!”

“We're coming, take it easy,” Grace said.

“We've got to get off this boat. Now!”

“A little late for that,” Jeeter said. “You got us out of the line, remember? Our ride is gone.” He pointed toward shore.

He'd forgotten! Desperately, his eyes roamed the deck. “The lifeboat!”

“Are you kidding me, man?” Jeeter said. “What's going on? Why are we leaving a perfectly good, non-sinking ship to get on a lifeboat?”

“It's all a scam. Molly's a crook! And she's using Dad. I just stole my box back and a bag of Dad's artifacts and she is majorly ticked. So is that captain guy. If we don't get off, and I mean
now
, we're done for!”

Fred ran to the foredeck. The lifeboat was perched on a platform. It was perfect. They just had to get it in the water. He tugged on the side. It didn't budge. Frowning, he pulled harder. Nothing.

It must be stuck on something. He stepped back, examining it from stem to stern. It seemed to be in good condition. It didn't look like a prop. He ran his hand down the hull. Crap! It was bolted to the deck. No wonder he couldn't move it.

Now what? Fred thought of the blowtorch below decks. That would get through the bolts. The only problems were the crazy-eyed captain and demented archaeologist between him and it. Not an option.

“We're not getting off in that,” Grace said.

“No kidding,” Fred barked.

“You see those long white tubes?” Jeeter pointed to them lining each side of the deck. “Those are the operational life rafts.”

“Well, let's get one open. Fast!”

“Are you sure about that?” Jeeter said. “The captain will kill you. It'll cost a fortune to get the raft repacked and certified again. You'll have to pay for it.”

Fred cackled crazily. “The captain already wants to kill me, for real!”

“It can't be that bad. A few trinkets don't equal murder,” Grace said. “Where's your dad? He'll straighten this out.”

Of course! He ran to the railing. Another thunderhead darkened the sky. Two heads with scuba masks bobbed in the water. Fred waved his arms frantically, trying to get his dad's attention. One diver adjusted the mask down over his face.

“Dad!” he shouted.

But his voice must have been lost on the wind. The heads disappeared beneath the choppy waves.

He was too late. His dad was now underwater with Lester, his traitorous friend.

BANG!

The door to the captain's cabin rattled again. No way was it going to hold them for very long. The only options were to hide or get off the boat. And the only place to hide was below decks. They had no choice. It had to be the life raft.

“How do we get it open?”

“Man, are you sure about this?” Jeeter asked. “Those waves are rockin'. It's not far to the shore, but—”

“A life raft? That's not a real boat! The waves are getting so high. What if it tips over?” Mai squeaked.

“If the captain and Molly get out, we'll have more to worry about than a life raft. She's running a scam. Trying to get treasure from the shipwrecks, illegally.” He held up the heavy duffle bag. “And she ruined Dad's business. Who knows how far she'll go.”

“I can't believe she's a criminal!” Mai cried. “And I can't believe I gave her your box. ”

Fred patted the bag. “Safe and sound, remember?”

Jeeter pulled a lever from the underside of the tube. “Get ready.” The tube split open. They dragged the uninflated boat a short distance to where the ladder hung over the side of the
Invictum
so they'd be able to climb down to board the raft.

A cord dangled from the side of the raft. Fred reached over and pulled it.

“Not yet!” Jeeter yelled.

The raft hissed and puffed.

The ship swayed, knocked about by the now-high waves. The raft snapped open, half over the railing.

“Grab it!” Jeeter cried.

Fred lunged for one of the ropes. But it was too late to stop it. Lightning flashed and rain exploded from the thunderhead now directly overhead. The raft tumbled over the side, dragging Fred with it.

Thunder crashed as he plunged into the freezing water.