by Jo Ann Yhard
“We’re rich!” Fred yelped.
Chapter 30
The bus ride back to the fortress was uneventful. Fred kept expecting Molly to try and overtake them—some kind of a supervillain chase scene. But they bumped along the old warped highway from Little Lorraine to Louisbourg at a plodding, uninterrupted pace.
From the beach, Mai had noticed the buses coming down the hill on the highway—the group of tourists from the ship. They’d happily allowed Fred and the rest of them to hitch a ride. As they’d boarded, his dad had looked back out toward the harbour. The longboats filled with crew had returned to the Invictum.
Unlike the school bus, where the back seats were premium real estate, all the tourists were sitting toward the front. Fred had made a beeline for the back two empty rows where they huddled together. Mai was fidgeting and Fred knew the fact that he intended to keep the jewels was eating her up.
The drive was mostly silent, after Fred had asked his dad about Lester. Turns out he was an old diving buddy who had shown up a while ago and had wanted his dad to try and get him a job at the fortress too. All lies, as it turned out.
But Fred’s thoughts had not rested long on Lester. His mind was flying on super-speed—on a jewel-studded racetrack. He’d sell some of the gemstones immediately, enough so that his mom could get top medical treatment. Dad could get his business running again. They’d even get a new house. And a new computer. Oh, and a new bike. And enough chocolate to fill a hundred backpacks. He’d get a fridge for his room just for his chocolate and cola. He groaned as his stomach growled.
They arrived back at the fortress and his dad immediately went to the security office. Fred had wanted to go with him, but his dad had refused. He’d insisted that Fred stay out of it.
So they waited. And waited. Fred’s legs were twitching. His fist was clutched around his pouch of jewels. What if they didn’t believe the story? It was kind of out there. And what proof did they have?
Two men and a woman hurried by them, and entered the same office his dad had been in for ages. The door shut firmly behind them. That didn’t seem good.
But his dad hadn’t done anything wrong! Could they get in trouble for the life raft? It’s not like they’d stolen it. And the ship wasn’t part of the fortress, anyway. Would the shady captain dare to complain? The longer the wait, the worse it seemed.
“They’ve been in there forever,” Grace whispered. “What do you suppose is taking so long?”
“I don’t know,” Fred said. “Maybe they don’t believe him. I mean, what evidence is there? Just the word of some kids!”
As he said it, he realized how crazy this probably seemed to someone who hadn’t been there. It sounded like a wild, made-up story. These people didn’t even know his dad. But they’d known Molly for a whole year. And she had played the part perfectly. Fred shivered, thinking how nice she’d seemed.
He fidgeted and itched like crazy in the damp, stinky wool pants, and tried to return to his daydreams about the new life his jewels would bring. They’d never have to worry about money. His mom would get better. He pictured her sitting out on their new deck overlooking the water, smiling.
But then his thoughts kept switching back to his dad. What would happen to him? Molly knew about the box. What if she said something—made an anonymous tip? Or she could try and use the information to make a deal or something if they caught her. His dad would get arrested for sure. Probably Fred, too. What if they were arresting his dad right now? He clutched the leather pouch tighter.
“I have to do something!” Fred stood up and began walking toward the closed door. He couldn’t believe it. Part of him was screaming in his head that he was nuts, and to turn around. The other part of him wasn’t too sure what he was doing, either.
“Where are you going?” Grace cried. “Your dad said to let him handle it.”
“I can’t. They won’t believe him. I’ll have to tell them!”
He opened the door. Everyone was sitting around a conference table. Two had laptops in front of them. They all looked up. Fred’s legs began to shake.
“Let him go!” Fred’s heart thumped, banging so loudly it felt as if it was going to explode out of his chest.
“Fred, I told you to stay out of this,” his dad said. “I can handle it.”
“That Molly person is a crook! She tricked my dad. She made his business go under so he’d have no choice but to work for her. She’s going to steal all the treasure from the wrecks!”
His dad’s face went white at the mention of his business.
“And…and…if you let my dad go, I’ll give you these!” He held up the bag. His hand was shaking. What am I doing? They still haven’t seen anything. I can turn around and leave right now and they won’t find out. We could still be rich.
“Son—”
“No, Dad, ” Fred said. His voice cracked. “You can’t go to jail!”
“Jail?” the lady closest to his dad asked.
“He’s the good guy,” Fred said. “And he’s a great diver. He knows all the wrecks. You should have hired him. You’d be lucky to have him! He—”
“Listen here, young man!” a stern-looking grey-haired man said.
“Let Dad go and…and…” Fred choked on the words, but he continued, “…you can have them.” He turned the pouch upside down, shaking it. He clenched his other fist tightly to his side, to stop it from reaching out to grab them. The jewels spilled across the table.
Everyone gasped.
* * *
The campfire flickered. It was late. The fortress was eerily quiet, the campers and staff now sleeping.
His mom and dad had wanted to take them home, but they were stuck at the fortress for the night. Heavy rainfall from the thunderstorms had flooded the lower roads out of town, and the hotels were booked solid with tourists. Extra staff were patrolling the grounds in case Molly or Lester showed up and tried to cause trouble.
Fred, his parents, Mai, Grace, and Jeeter were all sitting in a circle around their firepit. Fred felt empty. He’d barely held the jewels, but it was as if part of him had gone with them. Had he done the right thing? Not that it mattered now. It was done.
Fred’s mom was sitting beside his dad and he had his arm around her. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. She laughed. It tinkled, like a bell, floating on the air. Fred’s breath caught. She looked happy…and almost like she used to. A trick of the glowing fire.
Fred was still bursting to hear what had happened after he’d made the grand gesture and turned in the jewels. His dad had remained inside for a long time after Fred had been asked to leave the room. Then security guards had escorted them back to their site, so there hadn’t been any chance to talk. He couldn’t stand it any longer. He had to get some answers.
“So, did they believe you?” Fred asked. “About Molly?”
His dad took the can of cola Jeeter held out and popped the tab. He took a long drink. “Not at first.”
“What changed their minds?” Grace asked.
“They checked her email account. It was all there on the park’s computer.”
“Wow, that wasn’t too smart,” Jeeter said.
“I guess after a year she’d gotten comfortable,” his dad said with a shrug. “Lucky break for us. Otherwise, it would have been hard to prove. But they think there’s enough evidence to take to the police for fraud. She’s probably long gone by now, though.”
“But won’t she still be able to take the treasure from the wrecks?” Fred asked.
His dad shook his head. “I never gave her the exact coordinates. I brought up samples to prove I knew where they were, but was waiting to get officially hired before I shared that information. Lester was on that last dive with me, so they know that site. But the fortress is going to monitor it. Besides, she booked all the equipment using her fortress title. Not much she can do without th
at cover. Everyone knows the area is part of the government park.”
Mai turned to Fred. “And you really gave them your treasure?”
Fred nodded.
“I’m so proud of you,” Mai said. “You did the right thing.”
“I don’t know about that,” Fred said.
“I do,” his mom said. “It was the right thing to do, Freddy.” She beamed at him.
“Yeah, but we’re still broke!”
“Not for long,” his dad said. “They offered me a job.”
“They did?” Fred said.
“They want to excavate all the wrecks I mapped. And number one on the list is the site Lester knows. I’ll be running the whole program.” He winked at Fred. “I think it was your endorsement that sealed the deal. And maybe that fortune in gems didn’t hurt, either. It’ll fund the entire project, maybe more!”
His dad had a job! He thought of his dad’s fake job prospects from Molly. “Dad, why didn’t you tell me why you were here? That you were trying to get a job? All this time, I thought…” He drifted off, not able to say the rest out loud.
His dad grimaced. “I couldn’t. I’ve had so many things go wrong, so many screwups, especially lately.” His voice became gruff. “I couldn’t say anything until I knew for certain. I didn’t want another disappointment. For you or for your mother.”
His mom leaned over and kissed his dad. Fred stood up, walked over to his parents, and enveloped them both in a hug.
The whole group stayed there, chatting and laughing while the fire went from crackling flames to smouldering coals. His dad’s new job, and what it would mean for their family, began to sink in. And the fact that Fred had made it happen. He laughed more than he had in weeks. He even joked around with Jeeter. His feelings of being a dumb kid in kindergarten evaporated in the campfire’s curling smoke.
Eventually, droopy eyes and yawns overtook the chatter. Jeeter went back to his tent, Mai and Grace to theirs. His parents settled in as well. Fred was bunking with Jeeter, and slowly made his way over to the tent, where Jeeter was already snoring. He tossed down his sleeping bag on the empty side and lay down for a while. But he remained wide awake, his head bursting with the events of the day. Realizing he wasn’t going to sleep, he gave up and went back outside.
Fred sat on the quay wall, his legs dangling. The moonlight shimmered on the still water. Slowly, he pulled an aged piece of parchment from his shorts pocket. It had been in the box when Fred had retrieved it from the water. Wrapped tightly in leather, it had also been protected.
Fred gazed at it and grinned.
His very own treasure map.
Acknowledgements
My list of people to thank seems to expand with each book. I am grateful to all of you who take an interest and share in this part of my life.
Thanks so much to my growing list of beta readers—Amy McCarron, Lisa Smith, Peggy Laidlaw, Mary McCarron, Rhonda Basden, Judy Bailey, Sandy Denny, Hélène Dahl, Tyler Grant, Maude Bailey, and Brian Basden, I appreciate your commitment of time and that you enjoy being part of the process.
Thanks to my dear friends and writing group members Daphne Greer, Lisa Harrington, Jennifer Thorne, Graham Bullock, and Joanna Butler. You keep the wheels moving forward. Sounds easy, but it isn’t.
My family is an ongoing source of support and encouragement. Thanks to James, Mom, Dad, Paulette, Will, Dave, Shari, Mary, Matthew, and Ella.
Thanks also to the editing family at Nimbus, especially Penelope, for her pursuit of perfection.
And to the students, teachers, and library staff I visit each year—it’s a joy to share my stories with you.
