Contest

by David Wood

  Maddock dropped down beside him, and they began their search. As Shipman had said, there was no treasure to be found, and very few artifacts. Wedged in a crack in the deck, Maddock found a hammered silver coin. He held it up so Bones could see the trademark sheaf of arrows.

  “An old Ferdinand and Isabella,” Bones said. “Late 1400s.”

  “It’s not a treasure but at least we found something.”

  It didn’t take long to complete their search of the ship. Down among what had once been the stores, they dug through loose sand, but uncovered only barrel staves and a few lengths of rope. When they reached the stern bulkhead, Bones felt the last shred of optimism leave him.

  “Dead freaking end.” He punched the bulkhead. It was only a half-hearted blow, one fueled more by annoyance than anger, but his fist drove straight through the bulkhead and into open space. “Whoa! It’s a false wall.” He withdrew his fist from the hole and shone his light inside.

  The false bulkhead concealed a small area between the rear storage hold and the stern. The space was shaped like a wedge stood on its narrow end and was no more than a meter wide at its highest point.

  “Good thing you didn’t swing harder,” Maddock said. “You might have punched all the way through to the keel.”

  “Lucky me,” Bones said. “Do you think anything was hidden back here or is this just an oddity of the design?” He ran his light all around the small space. He saw nothing but sand and some loose ballast stones down at the bottom. “I’m not seeing anything.”

  “Hold on.” Maddock took a few steps back, cupped his chin, and stared at the bulkhead. “You know what?” This plank down here looks as if it’s been jimmied free and then hammered back into place.” He yanked the board free and held it out so Bones could see the various scuffs and marks.

  “If so, they must done it so they could get to whatever was hidden back here.”

  Without any real sense of hope, he knelt and shone his light through the gaping hole Maddock had opened in the bulkhead.

  He spotted something immediately. A shiny, obsidian sphere that seemed to throb with a dark, iridescent glow.

  “No freaking way.” He picked up the pea-sized object and held it up to Maddock. “A black pearl.”

  The Tahitian pearl, or black pearl, was one of the rarest and most beautiful of their kind. While most so-called black pearls were in fact, charcoal, silver, or dark green, the true black pearl was exceedingly rare and valuable. They also tended to be much larger than other pearls owing to the size of the oysters in which they grew. This one was small, which must have been how it had escaped notice. “It’s incredible,” Maddock said.

  “It was down in the loose ballast stones. I couldn’t see it until I looked from a different angle.”

  “Let’s see if there are more.”

  “Already on it.”

  They worked a few more planks free from the bulkhead. Next, they carefully re- moved the ballast stones one by one. Finally, they sifted through the sand at the bottom. When they were finished, they’d found the tattered remains of a small canvas bag, and a double handful of pearls. Beautiful pearls in shades of metallic gray. And to cap it off, two marble-sized pearls of pure jet black.

  “It’s like looking into a black hole,” Bones said.

  “If Corey were here, we’d be listening to a Spinal Tap joke right about now.”

  Bones gazed at the pearl in his hand. It was obvious what had happened. Valuable treasure was hidden here. When the crew retrieved it, one of the bags had split. They’d managed to gather most, but not all, of the pearls. His heart pounded.

  He knew what they had found!”

  “Do you know whose ship this must be?”

  Maddock nodded. “Iturbe.”

  Juan Iturbe was the name of a legendary Spanish sailor who, in 1615, while attempting to find a shortcut from the Pacific to the Caribbean, found his way into the Salton Sea and ran aground. Decades later, a mule driver named Tiburcio Manquerna claimed to have stumbled across the pearl ship while lost in the desert but was unable to find it again.

  “According to legend, Iturbe’s holds were brimming with pearls and other treasures of the Pacific,” Maddock said. “And there’s no record of any such treasure ever being found.”

  “Which brings us back to our theory that they found a hiding spot somewhere close by, probably the caverns. But we’re no closer to finding it.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” Maddock picked up the first plank he’d removed from the bulkhead. “It occurred to me that Iturbe wouldn’t want the crown to lose such a valuable treasure. It would have made sense to leave directions for anyone who might follow. Assuming they knew where to look.” He flipped the plank over so Bones could see the underside. A map, complete with landmarks and a myriad of twists and turns, was carved into the back. “I think we just found our treasure map.”

  ––––––––

  Although they were both exhausted from the day’s misadventures, the thrill of discovery buoyed them, and they made their way back to the ranch in short order. The sounds of fighting had died down, and they encountered no one until they reached the outskirts of Grizzly’s ranch.

  “Maddock? Bones?” Grizzly appeared from the darkness up ahead. He wore a pistol at his hip and an unreadable expression on his face.

  “Yo!” Bones called back. “Check this out. You won’t believe what we’ve found!”

  He held up the plank with the map carved on it.

  “Tell me later,” Grizzly snapped. That was unusual for the perpetually laid-back television host. Bones didn’t see him ever looking so intense. “You guys didn’t bump into the girls, did you?”

  “No, why?” Maddock asked.

  Grizzly reached into the breast pocket of his khaki shirt, took out a folded sheet of paper, and handed it to Maddock. On it was written a brief message in Riv’s tight, angular hand.

  ––––––––

  Made a breakthrough. Gone with Spenser and Rockwell to check out one of the caverns.

  Don’t worry. Will be careful. XOXO

  ––––––––

  “They went to the caverns?” Maddock said. “When did they leave?”

  “No idea. I got home less than an hour ago. Lilith was there looking for Rockwell, all freaked out. Something about work but she wouldn’t say what. Said he left the office early this afternoon headed for the ranch, but say why he was coming here. I left her there with instructions to call me if they return or if she hears from them. Not that she’s likely to be able to reach me out here, or down there.” He pointed in the direction of the caverns. “But giving her a job seemed to calm her down.”

  Maddock and Bones exchanged a long look of consternation. Grizzly didn’t miss it.

  “What’s going on?” he demanded.

  They began filling him in on the day’s events, starting with the news that the men in black were involved in human trafficking and had set up shop in the caverns.

  “They were shooting it out with somebody earlier today. No idea who,” Bones said.

  “We have to find them,” Grizzly said. “Show me the way.”

  They set out for the hidden entrance. Maddock led the way while Bones continued bringing Grizzly up to speed. It was a measure of his concern that the discovery of Iturbe’s ship and a trove of black pearls elicited only a grunt and a nod of approval. The description of Striker’s chamber of horrors was good for a frown, and the news that Shipman had indeed killed Megan Keane earned only a sad shake of the head.

  “She had better be okay,” he kept whispering.

  As they approached the hidden entrance, Bones began to scout around for tracks. He soon found them—three fresh sets, one large, two smaller, leading up to the caverns.

  Maddock sagged with obvious relief.

  “They made it inside and it doesn’t look like anyone else has been here. That’s good news.”

  “How so?” Grizzly sounded hopeful, but his drawn face and tight
frown said he was afraid to believe it was true.

  “We’ve already been through this section of the caverns and we didn’t run into any traffickers,” Bones said. “Just a booby trap that might or might not have been left by them, and we disabled that. The treasure is obviously hidden in a remote area. So, if they really did make a breakthrough that could lead them to the treasure, there’s a good chance they won’t go anywhere near the traffickers. They’re just three fellow idiots searching for treasure.”

  “Which just leaves all the things that can go wrong deep underground. Riv thinks Rock City in Chattanooga counts as caving. Has Spenser done any caving?” he asked Maddock.

  Maddock looked surprised. “How would I know? But never mind that. If they are on the right track, all we have to do is follow Iturbe’s map...” He held up the plank. “...and we just might meet them along the way to wherever X marks the spot.”

  The wooden map was much too large to haul through the passageways, so they spent some time studying it. Then they snapped close-up photographs for later reference.

  And then Bones spotted something. Faint letters scratched above the map.

  “Look. Something’s written here in Spanish.”

  “Camina con la suerte de los santos,” Grizzly read aloud. “Walk with the luck of the Saints, I think.”

  “Well, that’s friendly.” Bones committed the words to memory, just to be safe.

  Next, he hid the plank underneath a juniper and piled rocks on top of it. They could come back for it later.

  “Are you sure you’re up to this?” Bones said quietly to Maddock. He’d watched his friend struggle through the pain and exhaustion, and it was obvious Maddock didn’t have a whole lot left.

  “Don’t worry about me,” Maddock said flatly, not meeting Bones’ eye.

  “She’ll be all right,” Bones said. “She’s not an idiot like her brother.”

  Maddock managed a laugh. “Maybe that’s my type.”

  “What is?” Bones asked.

  “You know,” Maddock said. “Smart women with idiot brothers.”

  Chapter 33

  ––––––––

  “We got one!” Platt shouted as he and Ace appeared in the darkness. Between them they frog-marched a young man in a ripped, dirty black suit. He was tall and lean with beady eyes and a wispy mustache. Jesus, he was just a kid. His wrists were bound behind his back and he stumbled as they hauled him forward. The members of the two television crews, all now armed, circled around.

  “This foreign invader was trying to sneak up on Ace,” Platt said. “But I snuck up on him. Isn’t that right, amigo?”

  “I’m an American,” their captive said, “and I’m not your amigo.”

  Gold stepped up to the young man and pressed the tip of his rifle to the fellow’s crotch.

  “You’re going to be an amiga if you don’t check that attitude.”

  It took the young man a second to recognize his captor. When he did, his lips began to work rapidly, but no sound came.

  “It helps if you say words,” Platt prompted. “You got a name?”

  “Brian.” The young man found his voice again. “What the hell is happening?

  There’s two of you out here?”

  “Two of us? You’ve seen our friend, Segar?” Gold asked.

  “Yeah. He’s back at...” The fellow clammed up.

  Gold turned away. “Anybody got a .22 on them?”

  “I do.” Yoshi drew a snub-nosed revolver from his pocket. Why he’d chosen that particular weapon for this environment Gold had no idea. But it would serve for what he had in mind.

  “Great. I need you to shoot this guy right there.” He pointed to Brian’s abdomen.

  Yoshi nodded eagerly and raised the pistol. Segar’s disappearance had flipped a primal switch inside the young cameraman. He was eager for blood.

  “What the hell, man?” The wild-eyed prisoner began to thrash, trying to break free from Platt and Ace, who still held him by the elbows.

  “Do it at an angle,” Gold continued. “I want it to pass through the liver but not rattle around in there. You might want to move in close so you don’t miss.” It was all a bunch of Grade A bull crap. Hell, there was more truth on a page of the Washington Post, but it had the desired effect.

  “No!” Brian shouted.

  “You’re going to love it. It’s like no pain you’ve ever imagined.”

  “Why are you doing this? Bro, I’ve got, like, one of your cassettes. You autographed it for my mom back before I was born.”

  “Oh, really? Well, if you’ve got Terry Gold fandom in your DNA, then maybe there’s hope for you after all. All right, Brian. I’m going to give you a one-time only special invitation to turn away from the dark side and join the red, white, and by God blue.”

  Brian’s terror dissolved into a nervous, twitchy silence. His breath came in short gasps and his eyes kept flitting from side to side.

  “I’ll take that silence as a sign that you’re interested in my proposition,” Gold said. “First of all, you tell me who the hell you people are and what you’re doing out here.”

  “I’m not one of them,” Brian said. “A dude I know just brought me in last week. I thought I was going to help people cross the border without getting caught.” He flashed a fearful look at Gold.

  “I can’t blame people for wanting to breathe the sweet air of freedom,” Gold said. “So, what are they really up to?”

  Brian hung his head. “They got the people across the border all right, but I didn’t know they were going to sell them.”

  “Sell them?” Yoshi raised his pistol.

  “No!” Gold snapped. “I said we’d give him a chance.” He turned back to Brian.

  “You’re a human trafficker?”

  “I’m not one of them. I’m just stuck. I was trying to run away when you guys found me.”

  Gold looked Brian in the eye, held his gaze until he was satisfied he had the young man’s measure.

  “Can you show me the way to where Segar and all the other captives are being held?”

  Brian nodded. “I can take you right to them.”

  “Okay, you lead us to these dirtbags, help us get our friend back, and don’t do anything to screw us over, and when this gets reported to the authorities, I’ll vouch for you. There’s your coupon. Are you gonna redeem it?”

  “Yes, sir,” Brian said. “I don’t like those guys any better than you do.”

  Gold turned to the camera. “All right, brothers. It’s time for the posse to ride!”

  ––––––––

  “I think I know where we are on the map now,” Maddock whispered. They’d arrived at a T-junction, each branch of which split into two passageways. It was a distinctive looking passageway and it aligned perfectly with a similar spot on Iturbe’s map.

  “The girls are on the right track so far,” Grizzly said. “Smart of them to leave the arrows.”

  Someone had drawn chalk arrows to mark their path into the caverns. So far, the path lined out on the old map matched up with the chalk markings. Whatever their breakthrough was, it must have set them on the same path as Maddock and Bones.

  They followed the passageway to the left, then bore right where it branched off. The going soon became easy. The ceiling was high enough that they no longer had to crawl or even crouch. They picked up the pace, always careful not to make too much noise or to let the beams of their Maglites stray too far ahead. For a moment, Bones felt his spirits lift. And then Maddock called a halt and pointed to a smudge on the wall.

  “Someone wiped out the chalk arrow,” he said. “They almost managed to cover it up but you can see a little bit of the chalk.”

  “What does that mean?” Grizzly asked.

  Bones could sense panic rising in Grizzly, and rage boiling in Maddock.

  “Maybe they were getting close to the treasure and decided to stop marking their path, just to be safe,” Bones said. “Or they might have heard someone an
d didn’t want to leave a trail.”

  Grizzly brightened. “Hell, they might have heard us. We need to be careful.

  Wouldn’t want them mistaking us for the bad guys.”

  “Hold on! Turn out the lights,” Bones said softly. He’d heard something up ahead.

  The lights went out, plunging them into utter darkness. A glow appeared in the distance. Someone was coming. Each man drew his weapon. And they backed around the nearest curve in the passageway.

  Bones peered around the corner. It wasn’t their friend. Two men in dark slacks and white shirts stood a short distance away. Apparently, the traffickers weren’t required to adhere strictly to their dress code down here in the caverns.

  “Dude, I think we should turn back. There’s no way he came this far,” a voice said.

  “Works for me. Maybe we can spend a little time with those chicks we brought in.”

  Bones’ heart skipped a beat.

  The men turned and headed in the opposite direction.

  No one needed to speak. Bones, Maddock and Grizzly stood as one and crept off in silent pursuit.

  Chapter 34

  ––––––––

  There it was again. The staccato beat of gunfire. The human traffickers were shooting it out with someone. Whether that was good or bad news, Segar and his fellow captives couldn’t say. One thing was certain—no one was keeping an eye on them. This would most likely be their best chance to escape.

  Segar’s heart raced as he twisted and thrashed about. The cord cut into his sweat-slicked wrists, but he kept fighting. The spirits had put him in this place for a reason. He was here to save the day. The other captives were holding up well, although he doubted they would be much help. Franzen, the cop, had obviously gotten herself captured. Spenser was one of the new generation of social media celebrities, and Riv worked for Grizzly Grant, which spoke for itself.

  “How did they get you?” Franzen asked. She was doing something behind her back, vigorously moving her arms. Segar wasn’t sure what she was up to.