Buried Secrets at Louisbourg

by Jo Ann Yhard

  Panicked, he took her hand and pulled her with him into the last open doorway they’d passed, shutting the door silently behind them. He felt for a lock. There was none. They’d have to hope this room wasn’t the destination. The interior was dimly lit from a lamp on a large desk covered with maps. The far wall was a floor-to-ceiling bookcase. Two crossed swords gleamed on the dark wooden wall above their heads.

  “Fred.”

  “Shhh,” he whispered, holding his finger to Mai’s lips. He froze. Her lips were soft against the side of his finger. She didn’t pull away.

  They didn’t move as the footsteps came closer. Fred held his breath as they paused, then carried on past them. He heard the clang of keys and the slam of a door.

  “Can I talk now?” Mai asked. Her lips tickled his skin.

  “Uh, sure.”

  She moved back and he lowered his hand.

  “C’mon,” he said, exiting and hurrying quietly in the opposite direction. He stopped short of the stair entrance. He peeked up to make sure no one was coming down. They scurried past the opening and continued down the hallway.

  Immediately, he heard the voices again. He stopped. Mai bumped into the back of him.

  “Sorry.”

  He began moving forward again. Slowly. He tried to pinpoint the source of the voices. It was a bit further down the hall.

  “Fred?”

  “What?”

  “I have to tell you something.”

  “Not now, Mai,” he said. Just a bit farther. Was Lester with his dad? His heart pounded.

  “It can’t wait.”

  “We’re almost there.” At the next doorway, he could hear his dad’s voice and at least one other, maybe two. Sweat greased his palms. He rubbed them on his shirt.

  Mai grabbed his arm, squeezing it. “Fred.”

  What was wrong with her? He turned around. She looked more nervous than he was. “If you’re too scared, go back up.”

  “No, it’s not that.”

  Frustrated, he tried to pull away. She wouldn’t let go of his arm, clutching him even tighter.

  “It’s about your box.” Her voice was barely a whisper—a feather of sound floating into his ear.

  He stopped struggling.

  Her throat bobbed. She bit her lip, her eyes not quite meeting his.

  “Lester doesn’t have it.”

  “Of course he does. Wait. You think Dad has it?”

  She shook her head.

  “Who, then?”

  Brown eyes shiny with unshed tears met his.

  “Me.”

  Chapter 9

  “You took it? Yeah, right,” Fred said.

  “It was me!”

  “Why would you say that?”

  “Because it’s true.”

  “Mai, I know you didn’t do it. You’re just trying to stop me from following Lester.”

  She stomped her foot. “I took it!”

  “I don’t need you to protect me. Now, are you coming with me or not?”

  He inched closer to the open doorway. Mai’s voice faded as he concentrated on the other voices. He could almost make them out. But his heart was still beating so loudly it thudded in his ears. Boom. Boom. Boom. He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm down.

  “Fred, I’m serious!” Mai hissed.

  “Shh, I’m trying to listen.”

  She leaned in close to him, standing on her tiptoes and whispered into his ear. “I took it from the hole you dug under your sleeping bag.”

  Fred whipped around, his eyes locking with hers. He hadn’t told anyone where his hiding place was. Her arm was pressed against his. He backed away and it fell to her side.

  “You stole it from me?”

  “I—”

  “What did you do with it?”

  “Please don’t be mad.”

  “Mai, tell me where it is, right now.”

  The voices inside the room were louder, like they were moving closer to the door. Fred had a flash of panic at getting caught, then thought, What difference does it make? So what if Lester and his dad were in there? Lester wasn’t the box thief. Mai was. He edged past her and bolted up the stairs into the daylight.

  “Fred, wait.” Mai was close on his heels.

  He spun around. “Where is it?” he demanded.

  “I don’t have it here,” she said gesturing to her costume. “I came right from the restaurant.”

  “You left it in the tent all day?” he shouted.

  Mai blinked, clearly startled. Even in his anger, Fred instantly realized why—he’d never yelled at her before.

  Not ever.

  “Why?” he asked, lowering his voice. He shook his head. It seemed like a bad dream.

  Tears spilled down her cheeks. “B-because it’s stealing. You’d have gotten in trouble. That Gerard guy would have turned you in for sure.”

  “It isn’t stealing!”

  “You were going to s-steal those keys from the museum, too.”

  Fred felt as if his blood had become hot steam. “Only to see if they opened the box!” he bellowed. “I wasn’t going to keep them!”

  “I—I’m s-sorry,” she sobbed.

  “Do you still have it?”

  She didn’t answer, her face buried in her hands. Her shoulders were shaking.

  “Geez, Fred, yell a little louder,” Grace said. “I don’t think the guards heard you on shore.” She and Jeeter appeared from around the corner. “What’s going on?”

  Several passengers were watching them. He turned toward the ocean, sucking in deep breaths. Mai had betrayed him. The entire day wasted! Searching tents! This boat ride! He could have opened the box long ago—his mom could have gone home!

  “Fred?”

  Mai’s usually sweet voice now sounded like nails on a chalkboard. He ignored her.

  “I only did it to help you.”

  The deck tilted under his feet. The dark clouds were closer and they’d lost the sun. Waves smacked against the hull. The deep blue of the ocean was now a steely grey.

  “Only did what to help him?” Grace said. “Why are you crying?”

  Mai babbled some response. She was really crying now, hiccuping, too.

  “Fred, what did you do?” Grace accused.

  He felt a ripple of guilt, but immediately pushed it away. The ocean’s choppy darkness matched his mood. His hip banged into the railing as the ship swayed.

  They’d exited the harbour and rounded past the lighthouse. The ship was heading in the direction of Le Chameau Rock, named after the ship it had wrecked. They couldn’t be going that far, though; it would take too long. Fred recognized the landmarks, having scoured every map of the area he could find before this weekend.

  Fred leaned against the railing, the spray flying high as the ship cut through the waves. The rocky shoreline edged past on the left, or the port side according to the book on Le Chameau he’d read. The trees were obscured by ribbons of fog. A tourist paused, snapping shots of the coast.

  “What’s happened?” Grace asked. She stood beside him, draping her arms over the side of the boat. “Mai’s a blubbering mess.”

  “She didn’t tell you?”

  “She was trying. But she wasn’t making any sense. Something about the box, then crazy talk about stealing keys and prison,” Grace said with a smirk. “Must be heat stroke.”

  “Yeah, right, that’s the reason.”

  “Your fault.” She jabbed him with her elbow. “It’s because of you she worked in that restaurant inferno all afternoon.”

  “It’s not my fault!”

  “Hey, lighten up. I’m kidding.”

  Fred didn’t bother filling Grace in on what Mai was really upset about. She’d find out what Mai had done soon enough. And he didn’t feel
like talking about it. The wind gave the boat wings, and they flew through the water, really moving now. It seemed like no time at all and they’d already reached the area of Little Lorraine.

  Three large longboats were heading from shore toward them. A booming voice echoed through the ship. “We’ll be dropping anchor and the second part of the adventure will begin!”

  There was scattered applause.

  “You’ll be leaving the Invictum and the longboats will take you ashore for a brief excursion to a site where the British landed. Refreshments are planned at sunset and then buses will return you to the fortress.”

  Leave now? Was this planned? No one looked surprised. It must be part of the tour. Was his dad leaving too?

  Fred returned to the other side of the ship, where they’d come aboard. Already, the tourists had started lining up. “Uh, what did we come on this boat for?” Grace said. “We didn’t even do anything and now we’re getting off.”

  Jeeter was with Mai, standing close to the line. Grace went over to them and said something. Jeeter glanced over at Fred, but Mai’s head was bowed, her hair covering her face.

  The crew leapt amongst the rigging, pulling in the sails and tying them tight. The ship groaned and creaked, again reminding Fred of something alive. This time it was cranky at being bound, probably feeling strangled like he did in his shirt and tie on Sundays. It wanted to run. Be free.

  The ship slowed noticeably and dropped anchor with a huge splash. They’d soon be disembarking. Remaining stragglers appeared and joined the line. One of the boats drew alongside. Ropes were thrown down to tie it on while the passengers descended the ladder.

  The crowd clustered together, shuffling forward like a herd of sheep. Mai moved closer to them. If she was getting off, so was he. If she still had the box, he couldn’t let her go back alone. She’d turn it in.

  That was not happening.

  But where was his dad? Then it hit him. Of course! They were getting everyone off the ship. His dad would stay on board so he could dive undetected.

  Well, there wasn’t anything he could do about that. The box was more important. More important than anything his dad was going to try to haul up from the bottom of the sea, that was for sure. And his dad would come up empty-handed anyway, like always. Fred moved to stand in line.

  Then Molly, park archaeologist and harbourmaster, wished the group of people she was talking to a good time and walked away—toward the back of the ship. She was staying on board?

  Fred remembered what she’d said earlier—no one can dive without a permit from her. His father’s night dive flashed in his mind. There was no way he had a permit.

  Chapter 27

  What would Molly do? Would his dad get arrested? Would he go to prison? He couldn’t let that happen. But he couldn’t let Mai give his box away, either. He had to keep her on the ship.

  “Grace,” he said, motioning with his hand.

  She pointed to the line, now doubly long as it filled with crew. They must be going on the shore excursion for the free food. His stomach growled. Could he ask them to bring him back a doggy bag? He waved at Grace again. Scowling, she stormed over. “What now?”

  “We can’t get off.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because Molly, that archaeologist from the museum, isn’t getting off, either. She might be after Dad. We have to warn him.”

  Grace’s eyebrows shot up. “Do you know what he’s up to?”

  “Not exactly. But I bet he doesn’t have a permit, whatever it is.”

  Grace didn’t hesitate, slapping him on the shoulder. “No sweat. Be right back.” She jogged over to Jeeter and Mai, who were in a deep discussion. She put an arm around each one’s shoulders, creating a huddle.

  Whatever she said worked. Mai and Jeeter followed her as she strolled back across the deck. “Okay, they’re in,” she said.

  Mai glanced at him with her red, swollen eyes, but didn’t say anything. Jeeter had his hand at her elbow and shot Fred a nasty look. Not exactly all-for-one-and-one-for-all attitudes, but at least they had stayed on board.

  Grace put her hands on her hips. “Are we just going to stand here?”

  “Hang on,” Fred said. He wanted to get over to the port side of the ship. And from there, back to the entrance to below decks, which was inside the captain’s cabin. But it wasn’t as simple as strolling straight across. The foredeck was pretty wide open, with only a few places for cover—lifeboats, barrels, and crates, that kind of stuff.

  If Molly saw them, she’d want to know why they were still on the ship. Fred definitely didn’t want to run into her before his dad. So he chose the route with the best cover. He crouched down and scuttled along the railing to the stern until they were behind the captain’s cabin. Here, they were hidden from the rest of the ship and from any crew, who would be sure to herd them to the departing boats.

  The four of them huddled together. Mai had squeezed close to Jeeter, and, Fred noticed, as far from Fred as possible. That was fine by him.

  They waited several long minutes in silence.

  If anyone came around either side, they’d be toast. There was nowhere to go. They were sitting ducks. Fred noticed he kept holding his breath and tried to relax. He could feel adrenaline coursing through him. It felt like a game of hide-and-seek, with much higher stakes than being tagged. And in the worst hiding place. Ever.

  “Freddo, man, let’s get on with it already.”

  “Shh,” Fred hissed back.

  “Jeeter’s right,” Grace said. “We can’t stay here forever.”

  “Fine!” Fred poked his head around the side of the captain’s cabin, back the way they’d come. The line was gone. Shouted orders indicated the longboats were away. He scurried over and checked the other corner. That part of the deck was clear, too. It was now or never.

  “You guys stay here. Back in a sec.”

  He sidled along the wall. Pushing his back against it as he

  went, he willed himself to be invisible. Where had Molly gone?

  Below decks? Was his dad still down there? He reached the doorway to the captain’s cabin and once more descended the stairs.

  He heard nothing at first. But someone had to be down here. Unless they were all in the captain’s cabin. But he’d heard no voices upstairs, either. Frustrated and feeling as if he was running out of time, he let go of caution and strode boldly to the end of the hall, where he’d heard his dad last time. A door was open.

  He paused, listening. There was a low hum of voices. He crept closer.

  “He’s going down now,” a muffled female voice said. It sounded like Molly, the archaeologist. “Lester’s with him.”

  Fred inched forward.

  “And he’s okay with it?” a male voice replied. “I know Pete. I didn’t think he’d go for it.”

  “He doesn’t know.”

  “What do you mean?” the man asked.

  “He thinks it’s all part of his skills assessment for a scuba diver position at the fortress.” Molly laughed. “He doesn’t know about Lester either.”

  “Oh, that’s rich!” the guy cackled. “So he’s finding all these treasure sites for you and he thinks it’s for a job?”

  “I know. I’m a genius,” Molly said. “But don’t think it fell into my lap. I’ve been living in this awful place for a year lining this up. It wasn’t without sacrifice. I’m not sailing around the world, captain of a tall ship, like you.”

  “Pretty slick, Molly. I’m impressed.”

  “I couldn’t have done it without him. He knows more than anyone about treasure hunting around here. But what he knew wasn’t doing him any good alone. He couldn’t get anywhere near these sites without permits, which are impossible to get.”

  “Lucky for you his business went under when it did. He doesn’t strike me as the type that likes to work for anyo
ne but himself.”

  “You think it was luck?”

  There was a pause. “You sabotaged his business? That’s cold, even for you, Molly.”

  “Too much at stake—we only had a brief window here with the encampment and the tall ships. I wasn’t taking any chances. A few phone calls to the right people, and his contracts dried up overnight. Of course, Lester was in place for a while. I had him make contact some time ago.”

  Fred could feel his legs shaking. His hands were clenched so tight he was cutting off the circulation in his fingers. Lester had betrayed his dad. And this woman had ruined his dad’s business? Was anyone who they seemed?

  “And something else—quite unexpected. Pete had told me his son and friends were here. He was still being quite secretive about his dive sites and wasn’t letting Lester go with him until today. So I had Lester and a rather overenthusiastic guard from the fortress keep an eye on the kids. I wasn’t leaving anything to chance.”

  Fred sucked in a breath. So he hadn’t been paranoid. Molly had Lester and Gerard spying on them!

  “Pete’s son is apparently a treasure hunter, too,” Molly continued. “He found a box buried at the fortress. His little girlfriend was terrified he’d get found out and brought it to me just this afternoon. A nice little bonus, I’d say.”

  Mai had turned in his box. His nails dug into his hands and a muscle twitched in his eye. How could she have done it?

  “A box?” the man said.

  “Here, I’ll show you.” There was a clanging noise.

  “What else you got in there?”

  “Some lovely trinkets Pete found on his dives. The main extraction of the artifacts will take place over the next few weeks, of course, after he gives me the exact coordinates. But that will have to be done with the submersible.”

  “You’ve got a sub?” There was awe in the man’s voice.

  “Oh, we’ve got all the toys,” Molly said. “It’s a small one, rented from a government oceanic institute. For research, of course. Still costs a small fortune! But that’s no problem. These Europeans will pay anything to get their artifacts back.”