Like many locals, he’d done his share of poking around on the island in his youth, but gave it up as hopeless. So many treasure hunters had excavated Oak Island that no one knew which pit was the original. Besides, he lacked the knowledge and equipment to carry out a proper search but, if he could find something definitive, a treasure map, maybe, he was sure he could get help in that area.
He looked at the monitor screen and his shoulders sagged a little. He’d never been much for research, or anything related to education, for that matter. Classes were just hoops to jump through so he could play football, wrestle, and meet girls. Tonight, he was wishing he’d paid a little more attention in school.
He’d tried the obvious research sites, searching for any mention of Captain Kidd’s sea chests, with no success. He’d felt a momentary thrill when he found an account of Kidd burying a treasure on some place called Gardiner’s Island, but read on only to find the treasure had been recovered shortly thereafter and used as evidence in Kidd’s trial. The more he searched, the more discouraged he became.
Finally, he stumbled across a website that focused on the Oak Island mystery. Navigating to the forums, he was pleased to see an entire section dedicated to legends about Kidd’s treasure. It took him a few minutes to figure out how to use the search function, but he got there in the end. He typed in “Kidd chest maps legend” and hit the enter key.
Nothing.
Finally, he overcame his revulsion at the thought of being a big enough loser to actually join an internet forum. He created a sufficiently masculine username, HotRod69, and made his first post.
does anyone know anything about a legend where captain kidd hid maps or clues inside sea chests
He stared at the screen, waiting for a reply, but to no avail. After ten minutes, he went to the kitchen for a beer and two pain relievers, but returned to more disappointment. What the hell? People were logged in to the forum. He could see the number of users online down at the bottom of the page.
And then he remembered the circular arrow at the top of the browser. He didn’t remember what it was called, but Avery had shown him how to click it to update the page back when he’d been following a football game he’d bet on, and wondered why the score wasn’t changing. Proud he’d figured this out on his own, he clicked the button and was happy to see he’d gotten a reply.
Do you mean the Gardiner Island treasure chest?
He gritted his teeth and banged out a harsh reply.
no idiot i dont
That shut the guy up. A few minutes later, he received a private message from a user named “Key.”
Not familiar with a sea chest legend. Where did you hear of it?
Frustration at this idiot wasting his time dueled with pride at actually knowing something that, apparently, no one else did. This was a new, heady experience for him, and pride quickly won out. He typed a reply.
I know a researcher who found one of the chests
Key’s reply was immediate.
Who?
Rodney didn’t like the question. For one, it was none of the guy’s business. What was more, it made Rodney seem less important if he was simply passing along information someone else had given him.
don’t matter do you know about it or not??
He added the second question mark to show he meant business. He waited for Key’s reply, but none came. Returning to the forum, he was puzzled to discover his post was gone. That was weird. He re-typed his initial message, posted it again, and watched the screen. Two gulps of beer later, the screen flickered and the website vanished, replaced with an error message.
“What the hell?” He banged his fist on the desk, spilling his beer all over his keyboard and lap. Upending the keyboard over the wastebasket, he drained the remainder of the foamy liquid, then rubbed it on his shirt. It didn’t help. The keyboard was dead. Using the mouse, he refreshed his browser a few times, only to get the same error message. The website was down.
He shook his head. Just his luck. Maybe it would be up and running again in the morning. In any case, he wasn’t beaten. If web searches didn’t pan out, he’d simply have to try another tactic. As he settled into bed, he vowed he’d find a way to get to that treasure before Avery and her new friends did. And he didn’t care what he had to do to get it.
Chapter 5
“One more quick dive and we knock off for lunch.” Bones squinted up at the midday sun that hung high overhead. “Maybe for the day. I’m hungry and I’m bored. This whole thing is a wild goose chase.”
Dane nodded. He’d called Avery this morning and gave her the news that there was no clue among his father’s papers. The disappointment in her voice was palpable, but she’d thanked him and asked him to contact her if he found anything. So far, nothing they’d seen today gave him any reason to believe he’d have any good news for her.
Every channel they’d explored had been natural. Not a hint of chisel marks or anything that would indicate human hands had altered it in any way. Each time they finished exploring a passage, Charlie set a crew to sealing it off. Dane thought this was a waste of money and effort. The island sat on what was very much like a giant sponge. The hope of eventually sealing off all the waterways beneath its surface seemed futile to him. But, Charlie had the resources to make it happen, and remained undaunted by the lack of discovery. He bounced around the island, inspecting the work sites and keeping up a steady stream of encouragement.
“How long do you think Charlie will keep us at it?” Dane sat down on Sea Foam’s side rail next to Bones. “I know he can afford it, but I feel a little bit bad taking his money.”
“Don’t.” Bones grinned. “If he doesn’t give it to us, he’ll just spend it on his latest bimbo girlfriend. Anyway, he’ll keep us working until he can prove to the local authorities that the pit’s a hoax, or a natural formation.”
“What?” Matt stood nearby, making ready to dive. “You mean we’re not here to find a treasure?” He looked affronted.
“I mean Charlie always has a backup plan. If we find the treasure, great. If we prove there never was a treasure, he’s already laid the groundwork for building a pirate-themed casino on the island.”
“And by laying the groundwork, you mean greasing the palms of local politicians,” Dane said.
A knowing grin was all the answer Bones gave.
“So, who’s got tunnel seventeen and who’s going to inspect the next stretch of shoreline?” Dane asked.
“It’s you and Matt in the creepy, dark tunnel this time,” Bones said. “Me and Willis get the easy duty.”
“Are you sure about that?” Matt asked.
“Yep. I checked the schedule and everything.” Bones exchanged evil grins with Willis, who had joined them at the rail.
“Maddock, you never should have delegated that job to Bones,” Matt said. “Somehow, the Army guy keeps getting the crap duty.”
“Seems fitting,” Bones said, leaning away from Matt’s playful jab.
“All right, y’all better get going,” Willis called. “Don’t be mad, now. Nothing but love for you.”
Dane rolled his eyes, pulled his mask on, and flipped backward into the water.
The cool depths enveloped him and he swam through shafts of green light, headed in toward the channel they’d labeled number seventeen. The entrance was well hidden in the midst of large, jagged rocks where the surf’s ebb and flow surged with relentless force. He led the way, swimming confidently through the perilous passage.