by David Wood
Chapter 15
A gentle breeze blew in off the Gulf of Mexico, carrying with it a hint of salt. Bones squeezed a slice of lime into his bottle of Dos Equis and sat back to watch the traffic moving up and down Ocean Boulevard on Siesta Key. A few stray vehicles cruised the street, slowing to check out the girls in shorts and bikini tops walking along the thoroughfare. Bicycles and a few Segways zipped along. From his perch on the blue painted deck of the Siesta Key Oyster bar, it seemed to him a perfect day at the beach.
“I freaking love Siesta Key,” Bones said as he winked at a tall redhead who grinned shyly up at him as he passed. “I might move here some day when I’m too old to handle Key West.”
“I just wish it wasn’t so hot.” Dave frowned up at the yellow Landshark umbrella above their table as if offended by the insufficiency of the shade it provided.
“It’s Florida. The beach. If you’re hot, take off your shirt,” Bones said. “That’s how it’s done down here.”
“Please leave your shirt on,” Carly said. She took a sip of her margarita and gazed into the distance.
“What’s up with you, chick? Didn’t get enough sleep last night?”
“I’m just disappointed. When we talked to Gambles, I let myself get excited. I was so sure we were going to find something definite about the skunk ape. Instead we uncovered a hoax.”
Bones nodded but didn’t comment. He and Slater had decided not to let the others in on their discovery of the previous night.
“Sometimes that’s the way things go,” Slater said. “In fact, that’s usually how it goes. You should know that by now.”
“I do,” she said. “I just thought this time would be different.”
“It’ll still make for an interesting episode.” Dave absently ran his finger through the beads of condensation on his bottle of Budweiser. “Usually, shows like ours find a few lame-ass clues, exaggerate them, and end the episode without anything definitive. At least we got to the bottom of the mystery. That’s something.” He closed his eyes and rubbed the bottle against the back of his neck. “Ah! That feels good.”
“Seriously, dude, it’s not that hot.” Bones shook his head and took another drink.
“And there’s the pirate ship,” Dave said. “Depending on how much footage we use from it, we could make the episode a two-parter. Heck, we could go back and investigate the ship even more. That would make a great episode.”
“Speaking of the ship,” Slater said, “I’ve done some checking. The good news is, it’s on public land.”
Carly’s eyes lit up. “So that means the state might give us a cut?”
“The state might give the show a cut.” Slater let the statement hang in the humid air while she finished off her IPA and motioned for another one. “I made a few calls this morning. Nothing’s final, but everyone I spoke to said the producers claim ownership of all discoveries.”
They all fell silent, contemplating this bit of news.
“Damn,” Dave finally said. “I was this close to being rich.” He held his thumb and forefinger an inch apart.
“I just wanted to get LASIK,” Carly said glumly. “I’m sick of these contacts.”
Bones decided the time had come to spill the beans.
“I can’t make you rich, but I think you’ll be able to afford your eye surgery.”
Triple frowns bored into him, and he dismissed them with a laugh and a wave. “Check this out.” He reached under the table and hefted the backpack he’d worn the previous day. It made a heavy thump when he sat it down, causing the others to flinch. “I don’t need to tell you, this is just between us.” He unzipped the pack just enough for them to see what lay inside—four gold bars and a handful of Spanish coins.
“You stole that stuff?” Dave’s whispered question conveyed a heap of admiration and no criticism.
“I snagged it before we left the cargo hold. The way I see it, it doesn’t really belong to anyone. There’s still a whole mess of treasure for the government and your producers to fight over, millions upon millions worth, and they’ll never know this little bit was gone.”
“I have to say I’m surprised and a little uncomfortable,” Slater said.
“I get that. I had a misspent youth, and even though I’ve been straight for a long time, I sometimes stray off the path. You guys can’t tell me you couldn’t use a little cash.”
“I could.” Slater spoke deliberately. “But what am I going to do with coins and a gold bar? I can’t put them in the bank, or even let anyone know I have them.”
“Relax. I’ve been a treasure hunter since I left the service. I know a guy. Hell, I know several guys.”
That broke the tension.
“Cheers!” Dave proclaimed, raising his bottle. They all clinked glasses and laughed.
“Drink up,” Bones said. “Next round is on me.”
End
If you enjoyed The Dane Maddock Adventures, volume 2, try Ark, the seventh book in the Dane Maddock Adventures series.
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Works by David Wood
The Dane Maddock Adventures
Dourado
Cibola
Quest
Icefall
Buccaneer
Atlantis
Ark
Dane and Bones Origins
Freedom (with Sean Sweeney)
Hell Ship (with Sean Ellis)
Splashdown (with Rick Chesler)
Dead Ice (with Steven Savile)
Liberty (with Edward G. Talbot)
Electra (with Rick Chesler)
Amber (with Rick Chesler)
Justice (with Edward G. Talbot- forthcoming)
The Jade Ihara Adventures
Oracle (with Sean Ellis)
Changeling (with Sean Ellis forthcoming)
Stand-Alone Novels
Into the Woods
Arena of Souls
The Zombie-Driven Life
You Suck
Callsign: Queen (with Jeremy Robinson)
Oracle (with Sean Ellis)
Destiny (with Sean Ellis)
Dark Rite (with Alan Baxter)
David Wood writing as David Debord
The Absent Gods Trilogy
The Silver Serpent
Keeper of the Mists
The Gates of Iron
The Impostor Prince (with Ryan A. Span)
About the Author
David Wood is the author of the Dane Maddock Adventures and several other titles. Under his David Debord pen name he is the author of The Absent Gods fantasy series. When not writing, he co-hosts the Authorcast podcast. He and his family live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Visit him online at www.davidwoodweb.com.
Table of Contents
ICEFALL: A Dane Maddock Adventure
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
BUCCANEER- A Dane Maddock Adventure
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
&
nbsp; Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
ATLANTIS: A Dane Maddock Adventure
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
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
PRIMITIVE: A Bones Bonebrake Adventure
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
