by David Wood
She led the way down the tunnel, taking care to move soundlessly. No need to alert Isla should she be somewhere nearby. The passageway faded to black, and she took out a flashlight and flicked it on.
“That’s the well?” O’Brien whispered from somewhere behind them. “But there’s no water.”
Brigid knelt and shone her light down into the gaping hole. “There was a false bottom, but someone has broken through. See?” She played her light around the well, several feet down. Jagged chunks of rock stuck out perpendicular from the wall.
“Isla,” Fairly said.
Brigid nodded. “She’s a clever one. Resourceful.” Worry filled her as she spoke. Isla was a diligent researcher with a sharp mind and could be a valuable resource. Surely she could be brought around. But how much did Brigid really know about the young journalist? Perhaps Isla couldn’t be trusted.
“When we catch up with them, what are our orders?” O’Brien asked.
“When we get down there, you are free to kill the men, but do not shoot Isla unless I give the order. She could still prove valuable.”
“But, there’s a chance you might want her dead?” Fairly asked. “That would be a shame.”
“It would. She has been a faithful hound over the years even if she didn’t know it. Her father’s influence. He loved a treasure hunt.”
“He surely did,” Fairly agreed.
Brigid nodded. “She, and whoever these men are, have hopefully led us to the treasure. If she won’t see reason, we will have to accept that her usefulness is at an end. We can’t leave a single enemy alive to interfere with our plans moving forward.”
Fairly nodded. “If I may make a suggestion, why follow them down into God knows what? Let them bring the treasure out, and we’ll take it from them.”
Brigid shook her head. “Too many things could go wrong. The Tuatha might have built in a back door, in which case they could find another way out. Or they could hide the treasure, intending to return for it later.”
“I agree,” Brown interrupted.
Brigid turned a withering gaze upon her underling, but the man did not flinch.
“This is the treasure of the Tuatha de Dannan,” Brown continued. “A reward for the worthy. It is not for the fearful, who cower while others claim it. We should go down there and take it. For Scotland.”
Brigid set her jaw and stared at Brown. This insubordination should not go unpunished, but Brown’s words had had the desired effect. Where she had seen trepidation, even fear, moments before, she now saw determination in the faces of Fairly and O’Brien. He stood.
“Well spoken, Mister Brown. How about you lead the way down into the well?”
Chapter 29
Beneath the Well of the Seven Heads
Maddock played the beam of his Maglite all around as they moved down the wide, gently sloping tunnel. In the quiet, he could hear only their soft footfalls and the occasional dripping of water onto the floor. A chill ran down his neck. It was cold down here, their light clothing doing little to ward off the dampness.
Isla broke the silence. “There are cracks everywhere down here.” She ran her finger across a split in the rock that oozed water. “That doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence.”
“It’ll be all right,” Bones said. “It’s like a Hoover Dam tour.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Bones raised his voice a notch and gave it a nasal quality. “I’ll be your dam guide. Feel free to take all the dam pictures you want.”
Isla gave him a blank stare. “Still nothing.”
“Are there any dam questions?” Bones continued.
Maddock chimed in. “Where can I get some damn bait?”
Grizzly put his arm around Isla’s shoulders. “If you’ve got some chewing gum, I could try plugging some of those cracks for you.”
The three men guffawed.
“Come on,” Bones said. “Vegas Vacation? Chevy Chase? Cousin Eddie?”
“I hate you all.” Isla turned around and stalked away down the passage.
“It’s cool,” Bones said. “When this is over we’ll rent the movie. You’ll love it.”
His words were cut off by Isla’s loud cry.
“Guys! Get in here now!”
Maddock hurried after her, following the glow of her light. He rounded a bend and skidded to a halt, the damp stone slick beneath his feet.
“What is it?” he asked.
Isla snaked an arm around his waist. Her breath coming in rapid gulps, she pointed a trembling finger.
They stood at the edge of a small underground lake, its dark surface smooth as glass. As Maddock’s eyes ran across it, a single drop of water fell from the ceiling, partially concealed by a curtain of mist, and struck with a gentle plink. Ripples radiated out. The beam of his light followed them until they reached a rocky islet at the lake’s center.
Bones and Grizzly caught up with them and stood gaping at what they saw.
It was not the small island itself that was remarkable, but what it held. The middle of the gray slab of stone was worn down in a deep, rounded indentation like a wallow, similar to what they’d seen below Urquhart Castle. How large a creature and how much time had it taken to wear down the stone like that? But that wasn’t what captured Maddock’s imagination.
In the middle of the wallow, lying amongst fish bones and other detritus lay the remains of a juvenile plesiosaur.
Even to Maddock’s untrained eye, the skeleton was immediately recognizable. He’d seen enough fossils and images of its adult counterparts to know the distinctive long neck, serpentine head, and powerful flippers.
“It’s a baby,” Isla whispered.
“And it’s not fossilized,” Bones said. “There’s still some tissue on the carcass.” He trained the beam of his light on the skeletal remains of the tail, where a few bits of dark flesh clung stubbornly to bone.
“Do you think it’s a nest?” Isla asked.
“I’m not sure,” Grizzly said. “The current theory among scientists is the plesiosaur didn’t lay eggs, but gave birth to live young, usually one at a time, and probably didn’t spend much time on land. Maybe this little guy was sick and unable to swim?” The tone of genuine sympathy in the man’s voice struck a chord with Maddock. Grizzly might be a buffoon, but he had a heart.
“This is incredible!” Isla said, taking out her camera. “Even if we don’t find the treasure, this alone could make my career.”
“You know what this means, don’t you, Maddock?” Bones said. “We just proved that plesiosaurs not only live in this area but have survived undetected.”
Maddock nodded. This was the sort of thing he’d fantasized about as a kid, though he’d always wanted to see a live specimen. Now that he’d seen evidence of their ferocity, though, he wasn’t so sure.
Isla and Grizzly spent a few minutes taking photographs, Grizzly vowing to return with a camera crew.
“Jo Slater is going to freak when she finds out. Hell, they might give me her show.”
Bones turned a questioning look in his direction. “You know Slater?”
“Not really. She thinks she’s too good for the likes of me.” Grizzly frowned. “Do you know her?”
Bones coughed delicately, cleared his throat. “We’ve, um, hung out together.”
“That means he hooked up with her and she never called again,” Maddock explained.
“Hey, it’s not like that,” Bones said. “I mean, I didn’t call her either. At least, not after…” He gave his head a shake. “Screw you, Maddock.”
“When we release our findings,” Grizzly said, “she’ll be calling. And you and I can have the pleasure of telling her where to go.” He sat down and began unlacing his boots.
“What are you doing?” Maddock asked.
“I’m going to swim out there and check it out up close.” Grizzly inclined his head toward the islet.
“There will be time for that, later. Right now we’re going to
keep searching for the treasure. Besides,” he paused for effect, “you never know. That thing’s mother might be out there somewhere, and she’s probably pissed.”
Grizzly pursed his lips, looked out at the dark water, and nodded. “Good point. I’ll wait.”
“You should have let him go,” Bones whispered, too soft for anyone but Maddock to hear.
A narrow shelf skirted the shore of the underground lake, and they followed it, careful not to slip. Maddock’s words had put everyone on high alert. It seemed the legend was true; a beastie did guard whatever lay hidden down here. The skeletons in the first chamber gave mute witness to the danger posed by the creatures that dwelled here.
Maddock rested his hand on the pistol in his pocket. Eight bullets in the magazine. Bones was similarly armed. Were they crazy? If they did, in fact, encounter a hostile creature, would that be enough firepower to hold it at bay until they made their escape?
“Everybody hold on.” He turned and held up a hand, stopping them in their tracks. “I just want to make sure everyone understands the danger.”
“Here we go,” Bones said, rolling his eyes. “Next he’ll offer to wipe our butts for us.”
“Look,” Maddock said. “If we encounter one of these monsters, I can’t guarantee we’ll be able to fight it off. I’m willing to take the risk, and I’m sure Bones is too, but we’re crazy like that. What about you two?”
“Cryptids are my life. I’m going on no matter what anyone else does,” Grizzly said.
“And I feel the same about the treasure,” Isla said. “It’s in my blood. It’s mine.”
“All right. We’ll go on.” Maddock wasn’t sure if he was relieved or not. He hadn’t missed the way Isla said, “It’s mine.” Was she coming down with treasure fever? Had she had it all along, and he’d missed the signs? A lifelong pursuit such as hers could have profound effects on one’s psyche. He’d have to keep an eye on her.
At the far end of the cavern, they moved into another passageway through which a deep channel flowed. Maddock shone his beam down into the water and saw movement, flashes of silver.
“Salmon,” Grizzly said. “I guess we know what the creatures eat.”
“Salmon and people who are stupid enough to get in their way,” Bones said.
“If it comes to that, we’re sacrificing you,” Maddock said. “You’ve got the most meat on your bones. Pun intended.”
Bones grinned. “Looks like I won’t be the first. Check that out.” He pointed out into the water.
Up ahead, the channel widened around another rocky islet. There, in the midst of fish and seal bones, a human skull grinned back at them.
“Looks like meat’s back on the menu, boys,” Isla said. After a long pause, she threw up her hands. “Oh, come on! Lord of the Rings?”
“We got the reference,” Maddock said. “We’re just surprised you knew it.”
She rolled her eyes. “I know a little geek culture. The Vacation movies don’t qualify.”
“That’s debatable,” Bones said.
Isla turned to argue, but Maddock grabbed her by the arm.
“What is it?”
Slowly, he turned her around so she could see what he was looking at. Up ahead lay another underground lake. A series of stone steps led across the surface of the water to another islet. At the center stood the Goddess Danu, surrounded by four pedestals, and atop them…
Isla gasped. “The treasure!”
Chapter 30
The Shrine of Danu
A statue of the Goddess Danu, perfectly preserved, stood facing them. Several small chests lay broken at her feet, spilling gold and jewels. Carved into the stone floor, the swirling pattern of a Celtic triskele encircled her. At the edges of the islet stood four sturdy blocks of basalt, each supporting one of the treasures of the Tuatha de Dannan.
“It’s just like the shrine underneath Dunstaffnage,” Maddock said.
“Except this time, the treasure is actually here,” Grizzly said. “The gold and jewels must be the Urquhart Treasure. Moved here for safe keeping, I suppose.”
Isla took out her camera and began clicking away. “Go on,” she said to Maddock and Bones. “I’ll photograph you making your way out to the island. Just don’t touch anything until I get there.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Maddock said. He paused to inspect the stepping stones that led out to the island shrine. Each was about one-foot square and jutted up just above the surface. They appeared solid, carved from the native stone of the cavern. But would they support his weight? Only one way to find out.
Gingerly, he stepped onto the first stone, testing it before putting his weight on it. It held. He took the next step with similar care.
“Any day now, Grandma,” Bones said.
By the third stone, Maddock had gained enough confidence that he moved at a regular pace, counting them as he went. Ten, eleven, twelve… He froze.
“What is it?” Bones asked.
“The last stone is missing.” Where the thirteenth stone should have been lay a stretch of open water.
“So jump,” Grizzly suggested.
“You don’t know Maddock,” Bones said. “He’ll stand there for a half hour just to make sure everything’s cool. Finally, he’ll jump, and everything will be cool, but will he learn? Not a chance.”
“Just playing it safe.” Maddock gazed at the water, then up to the ceiling, far above, and finally to the shrine. He could see no sign of a booby trap or any other danger. Most likely there had once been a thirteenth stone, rigged to undercut the efforts of an unlucky treasure hunter. Hopefully whatever sort of trap it had been was like a mousetrap—once sprung, it was useless unless someone came along and reset it.
Might as well go for it. He tensed and sprang. He was no long jumper, but he cleared the water with ease, landing smoothly and turning to face the others.
“What are you waiting for, Bones? Not scared, are you?”
Bones laughed and, taking the stepping stones two at a time just to show off, made his way across to join Maddock. Grizzly followed, stopping periodically to turn toward Isla and smile for the camera. He didn’t seem to notice that she stopped clicking the shutter every time he struck a pose.
“Clear the way,” Grizzly warned as he reached the last stepping stone. “I don’t want to knock you over.”
Maddock looked down. He stood a good five feet from the water’s edge. Unless the cryptid hunter grew wings, he wasn’t covering that kind of distance. Still, he moved a few inches to the side just to humor the man.
“Isla, you might want to get this,” Grizzly called. “Maybe get me in midair. That would make a great cover photo for your magazine.”
Bones turned to Maddock. “Want me to push him in?”
Maddock laughed. “Nah. Let’s keep him around. You never know when you might need a meat shield or a sacrificial lamb.”
Grizzly tensed and sprang, legs splayed, one hand held high above his head.
“Michael Jordan!” Grizzly cried. His feet hit the rocky island right at the edge of the water. For two comical seconds, he teetered on the edge, his arms windmilling wildly. And then, with a shout of, “Whoa!” he fell backward.
Quick as a mongoose, Bones reached out, snatched the man by his belt, and yanked him forward onto the island. He was rougher than absolutely necessary, and Grizzly ended up on his hands and knees at Bones’ feet.
“Did you get that?” Bones called to Isla.
“You bet your ass I did!” she said, holding up her camera. “Probably not front-page material.” She replaced her camera in its waterproof case, tucked it into her drawstring bag, and made her way across the steps.
“This is not my idea of fun,” she said as she leaped from one rock to the next. “They made us do hurdles in physical education. I’ve avoided jumping on principal ever since.”
“Seriously?” Maddock asked as she landed on the last stepping stone.
“Not really,” she said, laughing. “I’m j
ust worried that I’ll slip and get my camera wet. Speaking of my camera…” She slipped out of her drawstring bag. “Hold this, just in case.” She tossed it underhand to Maddock. In doing so, she overbalanced. “Oh, bollocks!” She tried to jump but made it only a couple of feet before hitting the water.
“Isla!” Maddock shouted.
She surfaced a moment later, shuddering and spewing a stream of curses.
“Can you swim?” Grizzly asked.
“Of course I can swim, you bloody…” She halted in mid-sentence and gasped, her wide eyes staring at something off to the side.
“What is it?” Maddock asked, sweeping the beam of his light across the surface of the lake.
“Th…th…there. Coming this way.”
And then Maddock saw it.
Three dark humps sliced through the water, making a beeline for Isla.
Brigid shone her light across the dark water to the small, stone islet. It took all her self-control to keep her features fixed as she gazed upon what was obviously the remains of an aquatic reptile. Odd, despite having believed the legends of the Tuatha de Dannan, having read the clue that said it was guarded by a beastie, she had never put any stock in Nessie lore. She’d always believe it a foolish local legend, repeated and embellished to encourage tourism. Furthermore, she’d assumed the Tuatha had capitalized on the tales in order to frighten the unworthy.
“It seems there was something to the legends after all,” she said.
“You mean that thing is real?” O’Brien asked.
“No,” Brigid said, derision strong in her voice. “Someone made a fake sea monster skeleton and hid it down here where no one would ever stumble across it, and then sealed up the well just to make certain.”
“I only meant, perhaps it’s a forgery intended to frighten anyone who comes looking for the treasure,” O’Brien said dully.
“Lower your voices,” Brigid said. “The others are somewhere up ahead. We don’t want to alert them to our presence.”
“They aren’t the only ones I don’t wish to alert,” Fairly said delicately. “If this beastie has brothers and sisters about…”
