Wait Until Dark: Carolina Moon Series, Book 3

by Christy Barritt

  Where was Magnum’s gun? He scanned the room. The pistol lay only a few feet from Felicity.

  “Felicity—the gun!”

  She glanced down and grabbed it. Her hands trembled as she raised it.

  The attacker snarled. As he did, she fired. A bullet hit him in the shoulder and sent him crashing.

  Knowing Felicity was safe, Brody turned his full attention on Magnum. The man was a beast. Solid all the way around.

  Magnum threw a punch and hit Brody in the jaw. Pain radiated through him.

  He couldn’t let that stop him, though. He had to keep fighting. For Felicity’s sake.

  Before he could retaliate, Magnum caught him in a headlock. The airflow to Brody’s lungs ceased. He jammed his elbow back. Swung his leg. Gripped Magnum’s arm.

  Nothing worked.

  He was going to pass out if he didn’t get any air.

  “Stop right there!” Felicity yelled, holding up the gun. Her voice trembled.

  A strange smile crossed Magnum’s face, and he backed away for a moment. “It’s not that easy, sweetie.”

  What did that mean?

  “Let him go, or I’ll pull the trigger,” she said.

  “Go ahead.”

  Confusion crossed her features. “I mean it. I’ll do it.”

  “You did manage to do quite a number on my men, so I have no doubt.”

  Where was Chief Haven? He should be here by now if Brody had called him.

  “Shoot me,” Magnum taunted.

  “Why do you want me to shoot you?” The gun trembled in Felicity’s hands.

  Magnum’s eyes sparkled. “Because I do.”

  “I’ll only do it if I have to.” Her voice cracked as a weight formed on her chest.

  “Like if I threaten to kill your little boyfriend?” At that, he grabbed Brody and put a knife to his throat.

  What had Brody been thinking? Where had the knife even come from?

  Brody had been distracted by Felicity, by the whole situation. He’d let down his guard for a moment. Fatal mistake.

  He could feel the blade prick his skin, and he froze.

  “Shoot me, or I’ll kill him,” Magnum taunted.

  Tears welled in Felicity’s eyes. “Let him go.”

  “No.”

  Brody pulled at Magnum’s arm. The brute had him in just the right position that he couldn’t get away. He kicked and pulled and tugged. But nothing happened.

  The knife remained right where it was.

  “All I have to do is pull this blade and he’s dead,” Magnum said.

  Felicity’s eyes widened. Her breaths came quicker. Sweat sprinkled across her forehead.

  Her gaze went to Brody, and she seemed to be sending him silent messages. He understood exactly what she was saying.

  She was sorry. She forgave him. She cared.

  As the blade pricked him again, he cringed. He felt the blood running down his neck, wetting his shirt.

  “Felicity . . . you don’t have to do this,” he said, careful not to let his throat touch the knife. If her gunshot somehow killed Magnum, she’d have to live with the burden of taking another life. That was exactly what Magnum wanted.

  Her eyes met his again. Wide. Scared. Confused.

  “What’s it going to be?” Magnum taunted.

  In a split second, her eyes narrowed. “Fine. You win.”

  She pulled the trigger.

  The gun clicked. But where was the bang? The flash of a bullet being discharged?

  The gun was out of ammunition. Brody should have known. That was the game Magnum was playing.

  Before he could think of his next move, Magnum rammed something down on his head, and Brody plunged into darkness.

  Felicity gasped as she saw Brody crumple.

  No! Not Brody!

  She threw the gun down and stared at Magnum. It was just the two of them now.

  How was she going to get out of this?

  Something in her peripheral vision caught her eye.

  The sword. She could use the sword.

  Before Magnum could realize what was happening, she reached up and grabbed it. She had no idea how sharp it was, but she had been a fencing champion in college. That had to mean something . . . right?

  “A good, old-fashioned sword fight.” Magnum chuckled. “Poetic, I’d say. I like it. But it’s not fair if I’m unarmed.”

  With that, he plucked another sword from the wall.

  This is ending in swordplay. Really?

  Felicity faced off with him, ready to fight for her life. To fight for Brody’s life. For her aunt.

  They stared at each other, pacing in a circle, neither breaking eye contact. Felicity would have to learn his style, anticipate his moves while advancing her own. She swallowed hard. It had been a long time since she’d done this. Too long.

  Magnum advanced first. Felicity parried, and their swords clanked against each other until ending in a coupe.

  “You’re not going to win this one,” Felicity muttered under her breath, still holding her sword steady.

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Magnum forced her sword in the opposite direction before lunging toward her stomach.

  She jumped back just in time. Her heart raced as she realized how deadly this could be. The swords may not be as sharp as they once had been, but they could still cause damage.

  But she would do this for Brody. For her aunt.

  Felicity lunged this time. Magnum blocked her.

  They stared off for a moment. Felicity braced her legs in position, anticipating his next move, planning for his attack.

  “Admit it: you’re weak,” Magnum said.

  Her arm muscles burned. “I was the one who found the treasure, wasn’t I?”

  His eyes narrowed. “Luck.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” With one last burst of strength, she knocked the sword from his hand and held her blade to his throat.

  Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he let out a weak laugh. “I have to admit. You got me. I didn’t give you enough credit.”

  “That’s going to change.”

  Just then, men rushed into the house. The police, she realized.

  Maybe this nightmare would end.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Brody opened his eyes and saw Felicity staring at him. She almost looked like an angel leaning down over him.

  “You’re okay . . .” he said, his voice raspy and his throat sore.

  She nodded, tears glimmering in her eyes. “I am. Thanks to you. I almost got us killed.”

  He glanced around. “Where am I?”

  “You’re still at my house. The paramedics are on the way.”

  Brody tried to sit up, but Felicity pushed him back down to the hard wooden floor. He reached for his throat and felt a cloth there.

  “It’s just a temporary fix until the EMTs get here,” she explained. “Magnum only pricked your skin. What knocked you out was when he rammed his knife handle down on your head.”

  That must be why his head throbbed.

  Everything rushed back to him. Felicity with the gun that didn’t fire. The fear he’d seen in her eyes. Then blackness.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  Felicity filled him in on the swordfight, the police arriving, and Magnum being arrested.

  “Impressive,” he muttered.

  She shrugged. “I don’t know about that.”

  “I do. You were brave.” He cupped her cheek, and his eyes grew misty as he remembered his betrayal and the hurt he’d seen in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Felicity. I shouldn’t have gone behind your back and called Joshua. I was just so worried for you—”

  She shook her head. “No, it’s a good thing you did. We’d probably all be dead by now if you hadn’t.”

  “I don’t know about that.” Joshua stepped toward them. “Sounds like she had some fancy sword-fighting moves back there. I caught a glimpse of a few of them as I walked in.”

  Felicity strai
ghtened as Joshua stood by them. “Did you find my aunt, Chief Haven?”

  “That’s what I was coming to tell you. We did. She was at a cabin about twenty minutes from here. The state police are with her now, and she’s fine. She’s apparently telling stories. Lots of stories.”

  Felicity’s shoulders slumped with relief. “That’s my aunt for you. You’re sure she’s unharmed?”

  “Bonny is unharmed.”

  She let out a whoosh of air. “Thank God.”

  “They’re taking her to the hospital to be checked out, just to be safe. We arrested Magnum and all of his men. We’re taking some of them down to the police station now. Others we’ll take to the hospital.”

  “What about the treasure chest? Were you able to get into it?” Brody tried to sit up again. His head ached like crazy, but he was just happy to be alive.

  Felicity seemed to realize that trying to stop him was futile, and she slipped her arm around his back to support him. Her touch felt good; it felt right. He never wanted to be without it.

  “I checked it out, but couldn’t get into it,” Joshua said. “It seems to be reinforced with some kind of steel or metal.”

  “That sounds fascinating.”

  “You have to have the key to get into it,” Felicity muttered. “Magnum had half of an interlocking key. Without the other half, it’s going to be a real chore to get that chest open.”

  At that moment, paramedics rushed in. As two approached him, Brody shooed them away for a moment. He wanted to finish this conversation. “How did your great-great-great-great-great-grandfather not realize that there was a treasure in his house? That’s what I want to know. Certainly he’d known there was a room like that in his house when he got back from his trips out to sea.”

  Felicity shook her head. “I’m not sure. I don’t know that we’ll ever know.”

  Joshua nodded to Brody. “Listen, more state troopers just arrived, so I’ll give you two some time.”

  With Joshua gone, Brody turned to Felicity. Regret panged in his heart. Had Felicity really forgiven him? “I know I already said this, but it’s worth repeating. I’m so sorry I betrayed you.”

  She traced his jaw with her finger. “No, please don’t apologize. I’m sorry. I wish I had a do-over. It was a bad decision on my part not to involve the police. My parents always accused me of being a little headstrong.”

  “Maybe we can have a do-over. I like that idea.”

  She smiled. “Thank you for everything, Brody.”

  “No, thank you. You made me believe in love again. I . . . I didn’t think it was possible after Andrea.”

  “I know the feeling. When I thought I was going to lose you . . .” Her voice caught.

  “I want to take you out on a real date when all this is over. How’s that sound?”

  “It sounds amazing.”

  He smiled. “I can’t wait.”

  “So, it all ended with this sword.” Aunt Bonny picked up the sword and raised it in the air. “I told you that you had pirate blood in you.”

  Felicity smiled. “Yes, you did. I’m so glad you’re okay, Aunt Bonny. I’m glad you’re back with me now.”

  Not even twenty-four hours had passed since the bad guys were hauled off, and her aunt was already back at the house with them. A team with Project Teach was coming up the next day to examine the chest in the attic, and Felicity had picked up most of the house after the debacle the night before.

  “I’m glad I’m back with you too,” Aunt Bonny said. “It’s taken me forever to catch up on all this. Can you explain it to me one more time?”

  Felicity glanced at Brody, who sat snuggly beside her on the couch with his arm around her waist. “Those rooms around the fireplace were a part of the original house. The current house was built around them. We were able to read some of those journals that Magnum found, and they answered several of our questions.”

  “Like what?” Aunt Bonny sat down, the sword still in her hands.

  “My great-great-great-great-great-grandmother may not have cheated on her husband at all,” Felicity said. “We believe Blackbeard took the name William Pasture when he was in town here.”

  Aunt Bonny paused. “What?”

  Brody nodded. He’d been over all of this with Felicity several times. “That’s what the journals made it sound like. So he had that room built and sealed. As soon as he returned, he and Loretta were going to escape together. But that didn’t happen. After she heard Blackbeard had been killed, she died of a broken heart.”

  “A broken heart? Really?” Bonny blinked, as if this was just her kind of story. She’d be telling it around town and around the assisted-living facility for months to come.

  Felicity nodded. “That’s what the journal said. Now, I have a few questions for you as well. Did you know about that other property?”

  “Well, yes, child. Of course, I did.”

  “Why didn’t you ever mention it?”

  Aunt Bonny shrugged. “I didn’t think you’d care about an old hunting cabin. Men in our family used it for fishing trips up until about twenty years ago. It was rustic back then, but it worked for what they needed it for.”

  “Really? How about my father?”

  “He used it too. He’d sneak away on weekend trips sometimes.”

  Felicity shook her head, wondering why she’d never heard about it before. If only she could go back in time and ask her mom and dad questions about her history, about their interests, about their dreams for her. “I never knew.”

  “There’s a lot I could tell you.”

  “I’m sure there is.”

  “Maybe you could teach me some of your fancy sword-fighting moves.” She swung the sword again and then threw it to Felicity. “Catch!”

  Felicity jolted into action, barely grabbing the sword before it hit the couch. She gave her aunt a warning glance. “That wasn’t a good idea.”

  Aunt Bonny remained unfazed. “You caught it. Good job.”

  Felicity let out a long breath and glanced at the sword. “I think the handle got cracked when I was fighting with Magnum.”

  Brody leaned over her. “Yeah, it sure did.” He tugged at something. “Look at this.”

  The pommel pulled away from the handle. Something was attached to the end of it. It was a . . . a key.

  “I can’t believe it,” Felicity muttered.

  “I can’t either.” Brody stared at the half-key. “This is it. This is what we’ve been looking for.”

  “We’ve got to see if this works,” Felicity said. “Do you think Joshua will bring the other half over?” Felicity asked.

  “Let’s ask.” Brody picked up his phone.

  Joshua arrived an hour later, and all four of them went into the attic, into the hidden room, and gathered around the massive chest. A lantern sat in the corner, lighting the space around them.

  The room wasn’t large. Maybe six feet wide all together. But they all managed to fit.

  Joshua handed her the other half of the key. “Felicity, I think you should do the honors.”

  She nodded and took the key from him. A surge of excitement welled in her.

  This could really be it.

  She could be making history here.

  Her hands trembled as she fit the two pieces of the key together.

  “Edward Teach—if he did all this—was brilliant,” she muttered.

  Her throat tightened as she leaned toward the lock.

  Please work.

  She slid the key into the lock and twisted. It clicked.

  The key worked!

  Felicity turned it.

  Everyone in the room seemed to hold their breath. With Brody’s help, she lifted the top of the chest.

  Something glimmered inside.

  Felicity reached her hand in and pulled up . . . gold.

  Bonny gasped. “Is it . . . ?”

  Felicity nodded. “It is. It’s a treasure chest. A real one.”

  Joshua reached for a coin. “Well, I’ll
be . . .”

  Felicity held the gold piece close to the light, desperate to make out details. It had a crest in the middle with an “MJ” on one side and “VIII” on the other. The words around the edge read “PHILIPP V.” A date at the bottom read “1715.”

  She gasped. “I can’t believe this.”

  “What?” Brody asked.

  “I can’t be sure, but I think this is one of the tricentennial royal coins. They were made for Spain’s King Philip V, really more as a presentation piece. Last I heard, there were only six pieces known to exist.”

  “So it’s valuable?” Bonny asked.

  Felicity nodded. “About a half-million dollars valuable. The last time one was found it was at a shipwreck down in Florida in 2015, off Fort Pierce. Blackbeard could have stolen loot from a Spanish ship.”

  “There are a lot of those coins here.” Brody held up a handful. “They all look the same to me.”

  “The historical significance of this . . .” Felicity shook her head. “It’s impressive. It completes a story in history. It’s just amazing.”

  “I say we call Project Teach and see if they can get up here now,” Joshua said. “You’ll have to hire someone to figure out the financial claims you can make with this. I know nothing about that.”

  Felicity nodded. “I’m not overly concerned with that. I just want to see that this is handled properly.”

  “We’ll also need to put some men on patrol around here. As soon as word of this leaks, you’ll be a target.”

  “Understood.”

  Brody pulled her toward him. “You’re amazing. More amazing than any treasure.”

  She grinned. “Thanks, Brody. I feel the same about you.”

  He pulled her toward him and planted a kiss on her lips. “I feel like things are turning around. Like good things are in store for both of our futures.”

  She held up a coin. “Because of this?”

  He shook his head. “No, because of you.”

  Epilogue

  Six months later

  “Felicity French, you look gorgeous!” Aunt Bonny held her great-niece at arm’s length, her face beaming. “Your parents would have been so proud.”