Sunken Shadows

by Kathleen Brooks

  Sunken Shadows

  Shadows Landing #2

  Kathleen Brooks

  Contents

  Also by Kathleen Brooks

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Epilogue

  Also by Kathleen Brooks

  About the Author

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  * * *

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons living or dead, actual events, locale, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  * * *

  An original work of Kathleen Brooks. Sunken Shadows copyright @ 2019 by Kathleen Brooks.

  Created with Vellum

  Bluegrass Series

  Bluegrass State of Mind

  Risky Shot

  Dead Heat

  * * *

  Bluegrass Brothers

  Bluegrass Undercover

  Rising Storm

  Secret Santa: A Bluegrass Series Novella

  Acquiring Trouble

  Relentless Pursuit

  Secrets Collide

  Final Vow

  * * *

  Bluegrass Singles

  All Hung Up

  Bluegrass Dawn

  The Perfect Gift

  The Keeneston Roses

  * * *

  Forever Bluegrass Series

  Forever Entangled

  Forever Hidden

  Forever Betrayed

  Forever Driven

  Forever Secret

  Forever Surprised

  Forever Concealed

  Forever Devoted

  Forever Hunted

  Forever Guarded

  Forever Notorious

  Forever Ventured (coming later in 2019)

  * * *

  Shadows Landing Series

  Saving Shadows

  Sunken Shadows

  Lasting Shadows (coming later in 2019)

  * * *

  Women of Power Series

  Chosen for Power

  Built for Power

  Fashioned for Power

  Destined for Power

  * * *

  Web of Lies Series

  Whispered Lies

  Rogue Lies

  Shattered Lies

  * * *

  Moonshine Hollow Series

  Moonshine & Murder

  Moonshine & Malice

  Moonshine & Mayhem

  Prologue

  Charles Town, South Carolina, 1719 . . .

  * * *

  Timothy Longworth cast out a net from his small fishing boat. His home, Charles Town, was no longer in sight. He and his friends moved around the boat with an ease born from growing up on the ocean. They’d been boating and fishing since they were old enough to walk. At fifteen they helped provide dinner for their families while their parents worked.

  Timothy’s father was a bookkeeper and his mother one of the most sought-after seamstresses in all of Charles Town. They lived on a farm north of the town, right on the river. Timothy had gone to school to learn his letters and numbers. But it had always been the ocean that called to him. He would soon turn sixteen and begin an apprenticeship. His father was pressuring him to enter the business, and he would, but he wasn’t going to start early. He was determined to spend the last few months of his childhood on the water.

  “Samuel,” Timothy called before tossing an apple to his friend. Samuel caught it and bit into it, holding it in his teeth as he tossed out his own net.

  “Thank you,” Samuel called around a mouthful of apple.

  “I’ll take one,” William yelled from the other side of the boat. Timothy reached into his canvas bag and threw the apple to his cousin.

  “Did you see Hanna at the town dance?” Samuel asked as he chewed his apple.

  “I think we all saw Hanna at the dance. I’m surprised her parents let her out of the house looking like that. Not that I’m complaining.” William smirked. Hanna was a woman of ample . . . apples.

  Timothy grinned as they teased each other relentlessly over girls. “You just wish Hanna would notice you,” he shot to his cousin before throwing a flopping fish at him.

  “Hey!” William screamed before picking up the fish. His arm was pulled back, ready to send the fish flying when he stopped. “What’s that?”

  “Nice try,” Timothy laughed as he prepared to dodge the fish.

  “No, really. It’s a ship.” William squinted and dropped the fish.

  Timothy turned and raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun. Oh no. His heart raced, his stomach pitched. “Pirates!” he yelled as they instantly began yanking the nets from the water. He could see a black flag flying atop the mast. The black flag meant the pirates would give quarter if Timothy, Samuel, and William would surrender without resistance. If a red flag was raised . . . Timothy shivered at the thought.

  “Why are they bothering with us? We don’t have anything of value,” Samuel said as if trying to calm everyone.

  “They’re gaining and quickly,” Timothy called out as they tossed their nets on the deck and raced to hoist the sail.

  “Where’s the wind?” William yelled frantically as he helped to pull the rope as their sail lifted up the small mast of their boat.

  “I don’t feel even a breath of air,” Samuel said with a slight panic.

  “There has to be something,” Timothy said between deep breaths as he pulled the sail all the way open and began to tie it off. “After all, their ship is moving and moving quickly.” Too quickly. They were closing fast.

  Finally, the air caught in the sail, but Timothy knew it was too late. They’d never make it to safety.

  * * *

  The pirate ship loomed large and menacing as the three boys huddled together. They were armed only with fishing knives. Timothy looked up into the grinning face of the famous pirate Captain Lawrence Stringer, or Black Law as he was known by the men and women who whispered about his dastardly deeds in the pubs. He was both revered and feared in equal measure.

  He was known for being fair, but harsh, to anyone who crossed him. He smiled down on them with his brown beard flitting in the wind as he whipped off his hat. He didn’t look so fearsome.

  “Boys, what a happy coincidence we ran across you. We just so happen to be in need of some young boys to help us with our shipment. See, we recently took on a large cargo, and I am in need of assistance. Grab your jackets and come aboard,” Black Law called to them as a rope ladder was tossed over the side of the ship. It might have sounded like he was requesting assistance, but the boys knew it was an order.

  “What do we do?�
�� Samuel whispered.

  “We do what he says or he’ll kill us,” Timothy answered as he slipped the small fish knife into the band of his pants and reached for the rope ladder.

  Once on board, Black Law and his gang quickly surrounded them. Timothy wanted to be brave, but he held tightly to his friend and cousin for security.

  “Do any of you know your letters and numbers?” Black Law asked as if they were meeting at a gathering instead of a kidnapping.

  “I-I do,” Timothy stuttered.

  “Good. You’re with me. You two, get to work. Do what the men tell you, and you’ll fit in fine. Disobey and die. Understand?”

  The boys nodded as two pirates who looked and smelled as if they hadn’t bathed in months reached for William and Samuel. With no choice, Timothy followed Black Law from the deck to the captain’s quarters. Black Law stood tall, well over Timothy’s still growing height. It also looked as if he bathed weekly and trimmed his long beard. His clothes were mostly clean, and he smelled of rich perfume Timothy had smelled on some of the toffs who strolled around Charles Town as if they owned it. Well, they owned the fancy mansions anyhow.

  “What’s your name, boy?” Black Law asked as he dropped into a chair and stretched his long legs out straight in front of him. He reached for a bottle of liquor and drank directly from it.

  “Timothy, sir.”

  “Well, Timothy. I’ve got an important job for you. Do it well and I’ll give you this.”

  Black Law reached onto his desk and opened a rectangular polished wooden box. From its depths, he pulled an emerald the size of his fist from it.

  Timothy had never seen anything like it before. “Will I also get my freedom?”

  “You’re free, boy.”

  “I’m free to go home?” Timothy asked, confused.

  “You are home. Now, follow me and I’ll show you what I need. Paper and ink are in the desk there.”

  Black Law stood and slipped the giant emerald into his pocket. He strode from the room, expecting Timothy to follow. Timothy didn’t follow. But as he was coming to terms with the reality that he was never going home again, a sharp slap cracked across his face. “When I give an order, you follow it. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.”

  Timothy grabbed the paper, quill, sand, and ink and stuck to Black Law’s heels as he strode through the bowels of the ship. Timothy caught a glimpse of William scrubbing pots and Samuel peeling potatoes nearby. They walked until they reached the hold and Timothy gasped. Chests filled the hold from wall to wall, stacked higher than Timothy stood. There had to be fifty chests in the hold.

  Black Law reached up for a chest. “Help me with these, boy.”

  Timothy reached for the other handle and together they pulled down six chests. Black Law flipped the lid of a small casket and Timothy went mute with shock. It was filled with gold. Chest after chest was opened and pearls, gold, silver, and jewels were revealed. “We took this off a ship going to Mexico. Some rich lord or something. I need you to record everything in these chests. By the time you’re done, we’ll have reached our destination in the north, and it will all be sold. For your help, you get the emerald and a permanent job as my bookkeeper.

  His father would be happy. Timothy finally had a bookkeeping job.

  Black Law hung the lantern on a nail and then walked away. Before climbing up to the top deck, he turned to Timothy. “Steal anything and I’ll cut off the hand you don’t use to write with. I’m fair and reward obedience but cross me and you’ll live to regret it. If I let you live at all.”

  And then Timothy was alone. He knew exactly where he was, and from the brief time he was on deck, he knew the direction they traveled. They were heading north. Probably to Boston or maybe they’d travel to London. What Timothy knew, though, was that his best chance to live was to escape—and soon. He knew these waters and knew how to get home. What he needed was a diversion.

  He grabbed the paper and quill. Dunking the tip into the ink, he wrote: If I shall perish, it was Black Law who captured Samuel, William, and me. His ship rides low, and lower shall it ride. No amount of gold, silver, or gems will save me. To my family, I shall miss thee, but I leave one last gift. As the snake’s tail sounds, you spin me like a dancing master. He Loves Me So. As I love you. Goodbye and Godspeed. Timothy Longworth.

  Timothy wrapped the note in oilcloth and looked around. Inside one of the chests was a solid silver box. He used the key in the hanging lock to open it. He pulled the lock through the clasp and opened the box. He dumped the necklace and earbobs from inside and stuffed the oilcloth with his note inside it. Before closing and locking it, he rested one gold coin on top of the oilcloth. He shoved it into the pocket of his jacket and looked around. If his memory was right, the rowboat was tied on the opposite side of the wall from where he stood.

  Tiptoeing out of the hold, he sought his friends. “Psst.” The boys’ eyes shot up as Timothy motioned for them to follow. They looked around and then scrambled to follow Timothy back into the hold. “Help me move these to barricade the door.”

  “Bloody hell, look at all this,” William whispered.

  “Look at it later. Help me!” Timothy whispered urgently. Together they stacked chest after chest in front of the door.

  “What now?” Samuel asked.

  “We escape.”

  Handing jewel-encrusted daggers and swords to each of them, Timothy went to the wall and began prying boards from the wall. It took all his strength but finally, a nail popped free.

  “We’ll drown!” William hissed.

  “That’s the plan,” Timothy called over his shoulder. “But if we move fast enough, we’ll be able to get out and swim to the rowboat before they realize what’s happening. I have a note to my parents here,” he said, patting his pocket. “If I don’t make it, be sure it gets to them. Now let’s move!”

  William and Samuel didn’t hesitate. It was their only option, and they knew it. They’d need to remove three boards to be able to fit through the gap, but time was not on their side. The second the first board was free, water began to rush in. They worked quietly except for their grunts of force as they pried nails and boards free. Water gushed in as they struggled to work against the water as well as against the strong build of the ship.

  They had gotten two boards off when they heard shouts from the deck. The room was filling with water and Timothy’s heart was pounding. His arms were shaking and there was no telling his sweat from the ocean water quickly filling the hold. There was banging on the door as the pirates tried to break their way in.

  “Hurry, lads!” Timothy yelled a second before there was the sound of wood cracking. The pressure of the water was going to help them out.

  “It’s going to blow!” William yelled as they swam quickly back and wrapped their arms tightly around a post. The hold cracked open to the right of the rudder as the ocean rushed in. The force of the water tried to pull them from the post, but then it evened out and that’s when they moved. They took a deep breath and swam for their lives.

  It seemed as if time slowed. Timothy’s lungs and eyes burned as he pushed against the current and slowly pulled himself from the sinking boat and up toward the dimming light of the setting sun. Finally, his nose and then mouth broke the surface of the ocean. He dragged in a breath that was half air, half ocean, but he had made it.

  Samuel was the first to pull himself into the boat and used his knife to slice the rope attaching it to the ship.

  “Stop!”

  Timothy was pulling himself up when Black Law yelled down at them from his lodgings. There was a second rowboat, but there was no time to cut it loose as pirates began to jump into the water to catch them.

  “You’re all dead!”

  “And so are you,” Timothy yelled back as he grabbed the oars while Samuel hauled William onto the rowboat. They moved into position and even though they were exhausted, waterlogged, and shaking, they rowed for their life.

  * * *

>   “We’re going to make it,” Samuel panted. It was dark and they’d rowed nonstop into the city of Charles Town. But they hadn’t stopped at the first chance they got. Home was just north of Charles Town and the fastest way there was by the river. They would be safer there.

  Suddenly, in the darkness, there was a cracking sound. Timothy was slammed forward and then there was shouting as the night lit up with muzzle fire and filled with the smell of gunpowder. Timothy put his hand on his chest and felt something warm and wet.

  “Swim for your lives,” Timothy muttered as he dropped the oars.

  “I told ye you were a dead man,” Black Law shouted as the water began to fill the rowboat. They weren’t going to make it after all.

  1

  Present Day, Shadows Landing, South Carolina . . .

  * * *

  Wade Faulkner yanked the tie from his neck as he pushed his cousin Ryker’s speedboat faster down Shadows River, heading toward Charleston Harbor. He wasn’t glad to be called in for a rescue, but he was glad for an excuse to leave his cousin Gavin’s wedding as both his Shadows Landing and Keeneston cousins were ganging up on him for his desire to find love.