“What have we here?” he drawled in a creepy voice.
Blackbeard and Stede both lunged in Joanna’s direction, only to be stopped by another large, rather ugly thug in pirate garb.
“Uh-- Uh-- don’t get too close mates. We will need to keep a sharp eye on this lass,” he taunted.
“Leave her alone, Vane. She isn’t involved in this,” Stede commanded.
“Not involved?” Vane repeated incredulously. His eyes fairly bugged out while his pistol still targeted her heart.
Arrogant Asshole! Joanna had just about had all the fun she could possibly have here. She stiffened her spine and began to work a spell sure to put the skank pirate and his buddy down.
Suddenly, a pistol pressed up against her temple.
“Best cease, Lass,” Curly locks suggested. “I may look less than substantial, but this can still drop ye where ye stand,” he gritted in her ear.
“Enough, Vane, she has had a hellish day. Leave the lass alone. We’ve claimed her. She is with us and will not be harmed,” Blackbeard decreed, twisting his beard around his fingers leaving curls in the long dark strands.
When Vane and Calico Jack made eye-contact, a secret signal passed between them, and everything abruptly went black for Joanna.
# Landon handed Royce his cell phone and turned to go back into the garage. He and Kurt were reviewing the maps and planning their strategy.
“What’s up, Sean?” Royce asked.
“Ummm-- welll--uhhh,” Sean tried to think of a way to break the news gently. Unsuccessful in his quest, he blurted,” Your father and Tammy just landed at Charleston International.” He began with the notso-good news. Then he moved on to the unquestionably worse news, “And…Joanna is missing.”
Silence greeted the latest announcement.
“Joanna is what?” Royce asked in a deceptively quiet way. He was very good at lulling a person into believing that he was calm, when in reality an explosion was moments away.
Landon stopped mid-stride, pivoting to move toward Royce. He made no attempt to mask his interest in Royce’s conversation.
“How long has she has been missing?” Royce asked again… very quietly.
“Since she left uh-- since this afternoon,” he said. “I thought it was a glitch in the GPS system. You know it failed when you were-- well…”
Three-- two-- one. Kaboom!
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Royce raged.
Sensing that Joanna was in danger, Landon’s Wolf surged to attention. With eyes that were turning a golden-yellow. He breathed deeply.
“At what point did you think it was a good idea to keep this information from me?” Royce yelled into the phone.
Royce glanced at Landon, and summoned backup. “Kurt, we may need some help here!”
Kurt had heard Royce raise his voice and was already in motion. He saw the problem as he approached. Moving to Landon’s side, he immediately began talking him down.
“Landon, look at me buddy. We need to handle this, whatever it is, rationally.”
Suddenly, Landon’s pack filled the yard. Feeling the Wolf’s distress, his pack had responded.
“Shit,” Kurt muttered. “Landon, get a handle on this.”
A few of the younger pack members had started to shift. By sheer force of will, Landon pushed past the distress and managed to keep his Wolf at bay.
“It’s good here, guys,” Landon addressed the pack. “All cool, no worries.”
“You’re sure?” Chance, Landon’s Beta asked. Chance was second in command and had his head firmly planted on his shoulders. He was strong as well as smart and more than capable of handling the pack.
Landon nodded once.
“Ok guys, let’s head to the beach for a run,” Chance said. In less than a minute, they had all disappeared.
Royce eyed Landon. “Do you need to take a walk? I really need to know what is happening with my sister. If you can’t deal, you need to get lost.”
“Not going to happen,” Landon replied in a soft voice of his own. “Where is she?”
Royce gave Landon a long measuring look and then turned his attention back to the phone.
“Sean, I’m putting you on speaker. Kurt and Landon are with me. We’re heading downtown now. Talk to me.”
“I heard from her earlier today. She sent me a text, but I haven’t heard from her since. I’ve been trying to reach her but can’t get a response. The last GPS reading was…” Sean paused to gather his courage, “well, in the middle of Charleston Harbor.”
“Define ‘in the middle of’, Sean. I’m sick of this shit. Does she have a death-wish or what?” Royce roared.
Silence greeted him.
Landon began hyperventilating again.
Royce felt his stomach clinch and turned the speaker phone off.
“Sean, what the hell are you not telling me? And don’t give me some bullshit answer. I want the truth, and I want it now!”
Sean’s silence sent chills down Royce’s spine.
“Sean, I’m giving you an order!”
“Sorry, Boss,” Sean said regretfully.
“Sean, I can make you talk. We’re talking about my baby sister, and I will make you pray for death--”
“Leave the kid alone, Royce,” Landon interjected.
Royce swung his gaze to Landon. “You know, don’t you? What the hell happed?”
Landon just shook his head. Both worry and sadness were clearly written on his face. “I don’t know for sure. But I know this…whatever it is; it needs to come from her.”
“He’s right, Boss. You need to talk to Jo,” Sean agreed. After a long pause he continued with pain evident in his voice, “I don’t know everything, we never talk about it. She never talks about it. But--”
“It? What is it? I’m her brother, damn it. I have a right to know if she’s in danger or has been hurt in some way!” Royce felt as if he were losing his mind. What had happened while he was gone? What could possibly be so bad that she would hide it from him?
“Does Tammy know?” Royce asked in an anguished voice.
“Yes, Tammy knows… at least part of it. I’m not sure anyone knows all of it. I’ve said too much already, Royce. You need to talk to Jo,” Sean urged.
“Find Tammy. Tell her I need to talk to her,” Royce said.
“No problem,” Sean assured him. Literally, no problem! “Uh-- your Dad and Tammy will be here in less than twenty minutes.”
Royce groaned as he scrubbed his face with his hand. He looked over at his two friends; he needed to let them know that things had just gone from worse to worse-on-steroids. Landon’s expression said he already knew. Werewolves had exceptional hearing.
“Sean, send the coordinates of Joanna’s last known location,” Royce said.
“Sending it now,” Sean responded.
Royce’s phone beeped with a text message.
“Got it, let me know if you hear anything at all,” Royce instructed.
“You know it. I’ll see what I can find on this end,” Sean promised.
“Yeah. Listen…Sean,” Royce began, his voice full of weary regret. “I’m really so--”
“No need, Boss. I understand.”
“Thanks, Sean. But, there is a need. I was out of line. I know you would never betray me. I had no right to expect you to betray my sister,” Royce finished, his voice filled with anguish.
“We all go a little crazy when someone we love is hurt. I get that. Just don’t push her, Royce. She’s not as strong as she pretends to be,” Sean cautioned.
“I’ll treat her with kid gloves,” Royce promised. “at least until she’s stronger. Then I’m going to kick her ass!”
“If you wait until she’s stronger, Boss,” Sean said laughing, “she’s just as likely to kick yours.”
“Isn’t that the truth,” Royce agreed with a chuckle. He felt some of the tension drain from his body.
“We just need to find her, Sean,” Royce said.
“We will.�
�
“Do whatever you have to do to keep Dad and Tammy out of this. Hog-tie them if you have to,” Royce instructed Sean.
“I’ll do my best.”
“Did you say you received a text from Jo?”
Sean felt his blood pressure spike. “Yes, I did…”
Sensing there was yet another piece of this puzzle that would piss him off, he asked, “What, exactly, did it say?”
“It was-- uh, nothing concrete,” Sean answered beginning to sweat and feel somewhat nauseated.
“I’ll ask one more time, Sean. What did the text say?” Royce asked again…in that dangerous quiet tone of voice.
“She said she was in Charleston Harbor and that she would be home soon. That was a few hours ago,” Sean said as he deliberately left out the part where Joanna did not want Royce to know.
“That’s it… anything else in that message?” Royce pressured Sean sensing there was more. There was a reason he was the team leader.
“Well, only that she didn’t want me to tell you,” Sean said in a rush.
“That was not your first clue that she was in over her head?” Royce asked incredulously. “Send me the damned txt. If something happens to my baby sister because she talked you into not telling me something, you will have me to face. And if you think I can be unreasonable, wait until Tammy finds out! I will give you the pleasure of breaking the news that you lost her baby girl.”
“Sending you the text now,” Sean assured Royce. “Wait! There is something I forgot,” Sean said excitedly. “I’m not sure what it means, but look at the end of her text.”
Royce accessed his text messages, pulling up Sean’s most recent message.
Chas Harb. Don’t tell R. B home soon. Jackpot!
“What does she mean?” Royce mumbled. “Jackpot…Jackpot,” Royce repeated over and over, trying to think like Joanna, which was not easy.
“Oh…Hell,” Kurt said, as he figured out the cryptic message.
“She’s got the coin,” Landon stated, as he too figured out the riddle.
“There’s no way! She can’t touch that coin,” Royce disagreed.
“She’s got the coin,” Landon insisted.
“I have to agree with him, buddy,” Kurt added his support of Landon’s theory.
“Son of a bitch, you’re right. She’s got the damn coin,” Royce concurred.
“What are the coordinates?” Kurt asked.
“32.7733N 79.9094W,” Royce answered as he handed Landon’s phone back to him.
Kurt nodded. “If I’m not mistaken, we need a boat.”
Landon growled low in his throat, “Let me see what I can do.” Landon went to work lining up a boat.
Kurt glanced at Royce “My Glock is under the seat, but we may need more than that.”
“Drive by the Condo, we can load up there,” Royce said as he typed a new text message to Sean. Need 2go bag. B there in 5
The phone immediately beeped with Sean’s response, Ready & Waiting. Do I tell T? ETA 3 min
“Wonderful,” Royce muttered. Tammy would go ballistic if she found out they had lost Joanna. Negative, Royce responded.
Kurt whipped into the parking garage, tires squealing. Landon and Royce hit the ground running. Kurt turned the vehicle around and put his Glock on the dashboard. He watched as a black Limo pulled past the entrance to the garage on its way to the building’s main entry. The driver walked toward the rear of the vehicle, and then opened the door. Royce and Landon sprinted toward Kurt’s truck carrying black bags full of weapons, ammo, and God knew what else.
“Vic has a boat waiting for us at Maritime Marina,” Landon said as he flung the last bag into the back seat and slid in beside it.
“Let’s go get my sister,” Royce said as he jumped in and slammed the door.
Kurt threw the truck into gear and raced out of the parking garage. As they sped away, Royce saw his father stop to watch their speeding vehicle with narrowed eyes.
As Kurt moved rapidly through Charleston’s downtown streets, Royce pulled out a map of the harbor, pinpointing Joanna’s last transmission.
Royce wracked his brain to try and discern how she had been in what appeared to be the middle of Charleston Harbor? Did she rent a boat? The coordinates were literally in the middle of the harbor just off Castle Pinckney, and they were fast losing daylight.
# Joanna moaned and rubbed the back of her head. She had evidently hit her head on that desk a little harder than she had originally thought. She felt a sticky matted glob in her hair. I don’t remember that much blood! Forcing her eyes open, she tried to focus in the darkness. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she was shocked to find that she was in a cell of some kind.
Joanna struggled to breathe as bile rose in her throat. Her entire body began to shake. A full-fledged panic attack loomed just around the corner. She was in a cell. Capture. Torture. Abuse. Joanna knew she could never live through that again. She made the difficult decision in the blink of an eye. She would will herself to die this time. She only hoped her family would understand…and forgive her. Her family, she couldn’t-- she wouldn’t let them down without at least trying. Catching her breath on a sob, she tried to force herself to calm down and think clearly. She had to find a way out.
“Child, are you ok?” she felt the question whisper through her. It drifted through her, over her… like soothing hands… gentle and caring.
“Child, are you ok?” There it was again, something soothing and strangely familiar.
“Where are you? Who are you?” Joanna whispered, pulling herself out of the pit of despair and hopelessness that had threatened to consume her. She shivered and forced herself into a sitting position on the cold floor.
“Look to your left, along the back wall.” This time the voice could be heard.
Joanna turned her head slowly in the direction of the soft voice.
Three women were seated very calmly on a long wooden bench running the length of the cell. A soft light illuminated their surroundings. Apparently they were unconcerned with the chains securing their wrists to the wall behind them. Thank God she had not been chained up…yet. Shivering, Joanna pushed that thought quickly from her mind.
“Child, we have not been harmed. You will not be harmed either. My name is Grace,” the oldest of the trio assured her.
Nodding to the forty-something red-head on her left, she introduced her; “This is Lucy.”
“Hey,’ Lucy said with a smile. Nodding to her left, she continued, “and this is Joyce.”
Joyce looked like a movie star. She was stunning with dark hair and lavender eyes.
“What is your name?” Joyce asked, smiling as if she were not carrying on a conversation while locked in a dungeon.
“My name is Joanna,” she answered warily. Her brow furrowed in confusion. Unless she was mistaken, her companions were obviously Witches. They could have probed her mind to find out whatever they wanted to know while she had been unconscious.
“Oh, we try not to pry,” Lucy said batting her eyes.
Joyce looked at Lucy and rolled her eyes. Well, some of us try harder than others.”
Lucy chuckled, “Some of us don’t pretend to be a puritan.”
“Girls, that is enough,” Grace interrupted the banter. “Joanna will think she has fallen down a rabbit hole.”
“Now that you mention it….” Joanna rubbed her head again, making a face as she encountered the matted patch in her hair.
Blood! Panic began to overtake her; sucking, pulling her into the past. The room began to spin. Pain. Midwives. Soldiers. Grief. She had to get out! Escape.
“No,” Joanna said aloud. She struggled to her feet swaying as the world continued to spin.
“Joanna,” Grace said harshly. Joanna jerked to an abrupt stop as a jolt of electricity ran through her. She felt as if she had been touched with a cattle prod.
“Lucy,” Joyce scolded.
Shrugging her shoulders, Lucy said, “What? She was freaking out. I jus
t grounded her a little.”
Grace frowned at Lucy, who seemed to shrink for a moment.
“Joanna, you are safe here. I promise. We need your help,” Grace spoke softly.
“Yes, those idiots think we can’t escape,” Lucy laughed. “As if… The truth is, we are just waiting for the--” she stopped abruptly and looked toward Grace, who shook her head, “right moment,” Lucy finished lamely.
“What? Where are we?” Joanna asked still fighting confusion.
“Ohhh, we are on Castle Pinckney,” Joyce answered with excitement. “It’s such a cool place.”
Joyce was obviously long on beauty and short on brains. “Yea…not so much,” Joanna responded drearily.
“Why did you leave earlier? We thought you received our messages. That was you out near here, right?” Lucy asked, almost accusingly.
“With all the bulging muscle surrounding her earlier today, Joanna obviously had her mind on other things, Lucy,” Joyce chimed in with a laugh.
“Wait! That was you?” Joanna asked.
“Yes, dear,” Grace answered. “I knew we were pushing too hard, but we had hoped to get a message to the sisterhood.”
“I’m so sorry. I picked up on something, but it was too faint to understand. I really tried. I just couldn’t zero in on anything specific,” Joanna said, remembering Landon and how kind he had been to her. Admittedly, it had not started out that way, she remembered with a smile.
“That’s ok, Joanna. The walls are reinforced here. They were built specifically to make things difficult for us,” Grace said with sorrow.
“Why did you need to get a message to the sisterhood?” Joanna asked.
Grace let the first sign of her distress show. She wrinkled her brow and closed her eyes for a moment.
Joanna waited quietly for Grace to answer. A minute turned into two. She glanced toward Lucy who was looking at herself in a compact mirror, reapplying her lipstick. Joanna jerked her head fully toward Lucy, not quite believing what she saw. Lipstick? What the hell?
Not bothering to open her eyes, Grace said, “Lucy, put that away. We don’t want them to know our powers still work in here.”
The compact and tube of lipstick disappeared. Lucy huffed and whined, “I’m bored in this small space. I need some room,” she said as she dematerialized for a moment.
Treasure Tides (The Coins) Page 24
